The moment Orsaga saw the two guards stiffen in caution, he merely shrugged indifferently.
"I'm just here to make a purchase~"
He didn't spare their vigilance a second thought.
After all, he could crush either one of them with a single hand—what was there to care about?
It was nothing more than background noise.
Unaware that Orsaga wasn't even taking them seriously, the two guards relaxed slightly upon hearing his casual explanation.
One of them spoke up and gave them passage.
"In that case, go on in."
Then, just as they were about to step through the entrance, he added, "One more thing—don't go around probing others in there. We don't want fights breaking out inside."
Not out of morality, of course.
As security, if anything happened inside, he would have to intervene. And that was way more hassle than it was worth.
Orsaga gave a lazy reply.
"Oh~"
His tone and expression made it clear—he wasn't taking the warning seriously.
The guard's brow twitched, a flash of irritation surfacing… but after quickly comparing their relative strengths, he could only swallow his anger.
It was a good example of how tolerance scales with power.
---
As they stepped into the building, a well-dressed female elf servant caught sight of them and her eyes lit up.
She immediately came forward with a polite smile.
"Welcome. How can I assist you today?"
It wasn't just professionalism.
Seeing Golarial and Alison—two elves like herself—she assumed this group would be easy to serve.
Of course, being "elves" didn't actually mean they were related. Their origins could be from entirely different worlds and species. The only thing they might share was a vaguely similar appearance and a name.
Still, Golarial and Alison felt a small sense of familiarity toward the woman. They nodded gently in return, but didn't respond aloud.
After all, they had no idea what Orsaga intended to buy.
He answered simply:
"I'm here to purchase Plane Consciousness Crystals."
At that, the elf woman's smile grew noticeably wider.
She couldn't possibly memorize everything the guild sold, but that was a name she definitely recognized—one of their most valuable and exclusive products.
Plane Consciousness Crystals were formed from the essence of a plane's will—a core substance produced only by the plane's own consciousness.
In simple terms, it was the origin energy of a plane.
Capable of reshaping rules, affecting fate, boosting charm, influencing resource production.
It was priceless in every sense.
And typically, they could only be harvested when a plane's consciousness was forcibly captured or destroyed.
Recognizing this as a high-level transaction, she immediately bowed respectfully and offered to lead them deeper inside.
"Right this way, please, esteemed guest."
Her tone became noticeably more formal.
As they passed through luxurious halls, she explained:
"Plane Consciousness Crystals are categorized by tier. The current pricing is as follows:
Basic Grade (from low-grade planes): 500,000 blood-gold coins per unit
Premium Grade (from mid-grade planes): 26,500,000 blood-gold coins per unit
Luxury Grade (from high-grade planes): available only through barter, not direct purchase
Which grade would you prefer?"
Upon hearing the price, Golarial and Alison inhaled sharply.
Even the cheapest option was utterly unaffordable for them.
But Orsaga?
He remained perfectly calm.
"Basic grade. I'll take two units."
Not even a hint of hesitation.
The elf guide's eyes sparkled.
Two units in one order?
That was a guaranteed commission.
She smiled even more brightly.
"No problem at all. We have a healthy stock of Basic Grade crystals, and the quality is excellent. I'm sure you'll be satisfied."
---
After passing through over ten layers of defensive barriers and five layers of armed guards, they arrived at a secure chamber.
Inside, several elderly figures were already waiting.
As soon as Orsaga and his companions entered, the lead elder glanced at their stance and expressions—quickly identifying the one in charge.
"Honored guest, welcome to our guild," he greeted warmly, stepping forward to meet them.
Then he explained:
"The two units of Plane Consciousness Crystals you requested are ready. However, for security purposes, we'll need to verify payment before presenting the goods."
It wasn't an unusual request.
Plenty of merchants had been scammed before—clients using obscure spells or racial abilities to teleport away with their goods, even through heavy shielding.
Orsaga didn't ask for details.
He simply raised a hand.
With a wave, a mountain of blood-gold coins poured from his storage space, clinking as they piled high in front of everyone.
Even the experienced elders couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the casual display.
He handed over a sum that would make most Greater-Rank demons weep with envy.
---
The lead elder and his assistants quickly verified the authenticity and total count of the coins.
Once confirmed, the old man gave a nod to his colleagues.
Each of them slit their arm and began chanting in unison.
A few moments later, as their spell reached its climax, a silver box materialized in front of the group.
He opened it and slid it toward Orsaga with a smile.
"These two Plane Consciousness Crystals both come from the same low-grade plane. Within the Basic Grade category, they are considered high quality. We trust they'll meet your expectations."
Inside the box sat two golden cubes, each about the size of a fist.
They were inscribed with dozens of complex seal runes—meant to suppress energy leakage and avoid attracting attention.
As Orsaga picked them up, a subtle wave of energy spread through the room.
Everyone present felt a strange sense of comfort and ease.
But Orsaga ignored it.
His third eye opened on his forehead, scanning the interior of each crystal.
After several seconds of inspection, he nodded.
"Perfect. Transaction complete."
With that, he calmly stored the crystals away and turned to leave.
But before he could step out, the elder pulled out what looked like a sleek data tablet and offered it to him.
"Since you've just spent over 1 million blood-gold coins, you now qualify for a permanent discount on future purchases. If you have the time, feel free to browse some of our other premium items."
"…?"
Orsaga paused mid-step.
That… caught his attention.
After a moment's thought, he stopped, took the tablet, and sat down with Golarial and Alison to look through it.
Just like any regular shopper suddenly tempted by a discount coupon.
---
Meanwhile—back on the 6,548,257th layer of the Abyss: the Lava Wastelands.
The group of demons that Orsaga had earlier marked with a plane coordinate had now gathered together.
Their eyes were feverish with greed as they stared at the now-active teleportation array before them.
"Go! A fresh new plane is waiting for us to plunder!"
With that, they surged forward.
None of them questioned why Orsaga had sent them this coordinate. None of them wondered what kind of plane it was. Or whether they were about to march into their own deaths.
They rushed in like it was a free lottery ticket.
Why?
Because Orsaga had tweaked their brains and souls.
He'd clipped away the parts responsible for critical thinking—ensuring they could only follow the path he'd laid out.
Their fates were already sealed.
They were doomed pawns, sacrificed before they even realized the board existed.
__
T/N:
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