Dimension Merchant
Whoosh—
A platinum-hued holy power overflowed from my entire body, enveloping the room.
Just being in its presence brought an overwhelming sense of reverence.
The purity of the holy power I had possessed until now was rare among humans, yet this force belonged to a completely different dimension altogether.
Given that this was Earth…
Heinrich—no, I, who had donned the avatar of Heinrich using “Entity Projection,” quietly placed one hand over my chest.
Beyond the pounding heart, I felt a tremendous presence.
As I sensed the seed of holiness beginning to stir within me, just like the other avatars, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Honestly, I was a little hopeful… But this is a result beyond my expectations.”
I removed my hand from my chest and took a fresh look at myself.
Not only that, but I also stood in front of a full-length mirror in the corner of the room, examining my reflection carefully.
Brilliant silver hair that scattered light and golden eyes that seemed to hold the sun.
A soft yet imposing demeanor exuding a manly charm, coupled with an incredibly trained body that surpassed human limits.
I looked as stoic as ever, just like Heinrich.
“…Actually, my appearance hasn’t changed all that much.”
The reflection tilted its head slightly.
Really, the only difference was that my eyes shone brighter and my hair sparkled a bit more?
The changes felt underwhelming for someone who had suddenly stopped being human.
“Of course, it’s silly to judge such things purely by appearance.”
After all, it did me no harm.
In the end, I too was a martial artist.
If my physical condition, upon which my martial foundation was built, changed, my skills would inevitably decline until I rebalanced it.
Though I had enough talent for it not to take long, there was no need to endure unnecessary hassle.
“Moreover…”
A brilliant light flashed from Heinrich’s eyes in the mirror.
And right after that…
Whoosh—
Three massive wings spread wide from behind him.
Just as before, the “Great Blessing: Wings of Radiance” made purely of light.
Not only had the number increased from two to six, they were now larger and more beautiful, radiating a gentle wave as they slowly moved.
“If there wasn’t a barrier at home, I’d probably be advertising myself everywhere.”
Just by existing, this provided an overwhelmingly positive effect on everyone within its range.
It contrasted greatly with the Aura of Fear naturally emitted by Undead King Hans, emanating a power that breathed life.
[Entity Information]
– Entity Name: Heinrich
– Race: Angel
– Common Traits: “Mind Hub,” “Persona,” “Great Spirit,” “Genoglossy,” “Spatial Dimension Storage,” “Limit Break,” “Imitation”
– Entity Traits: “Holy Baptism,” “Great Blessing: Knight of Light,” “Great Blessing: Wings of Radiance,” “Blessing: Strong Body,” “Blessing: Leap,” “Blessing: Light Sword,” “Blessing: Weight Increase,” “Blessing: Holy Sword,” “Rozia Combat Technique,” “Path of Martial Arts,” “Divine Messenger,” “Auterica Holy Law,” “Space Slash”
– Special Notes: Faced the object of worship and received grace, transcending the confines of physical form to achieve ascension. Due to the effect of “Divine Messenger,” all abilities are greatly enhanced, granting unconditional superiority over lesser beings. “Divine Messenger” provides positive buffs for all activities in Auterica and minimizes influence from other gods even if visited. The cultivation of the seed of holiness has significantly relaxed the restrictions on using holy power.
From birth until now, Heinrich had always occupied the pinnacle with a human body.
But facing the Holy God allowed him to break free and become an angel, a being distinct from pure ‘lifeforms.’
Skills like “Super Recovery” and “Clear Mind,” among others, had also been absorbed into the higher trait, “Divine Messenger.”
“Well, getting stronger in any way is good. I’m not in a position to fixate on whether I’m human or not now.”
Undead, of course, alongside vampires, dragons, and the Demon King…
I had already come too far to care about such things.
Moreover, acquiring the mental trait of “Great Spirit” was a significant gain.
Being immune to all mental attacks might not be particularly necessary, but the considerable boost to mental energy was a very useful option.
“Above all, this skill was gained by my main body, not Heinrich, so all avatars can share it. That’s huge.”
In a situation where multiple bodies are managed just like myself, having stronger mental power is better the more bodies there are.
Wasn’t it true that recently, the number of beings blooming with holiness had been steadily increasing, and I was starting to feel a burden?
“Perhaps it’s because everyone’s seeking their own unique identities.”
Countless beings would strive for thousands of years but never manage to bear even a single holiness.
Yet here I was, scooping up whatever traits and tendencies came my way…
If not for the ‘diversity’ that my main body, Seong-hyun Han, had cultivated, I would have probably hit a ceiling long ago.
“Hmm, this trip to the Demon Realm has been beneficial in many ways.”
I canceled “Entity Projection,” returning to my original form, and stretched lightly.
With the holy site rooted in the Demon Realm completely removed, my initial plan, ‘The Returning Demon King’s Homecoming Operation,’ had been smoothly concluded.
Now, all that remained was to tidy up the chaos still lingering in the Demon Realm and establish a firm governing system.
Of course, I had already given necessary instructions for that, so there was no need to stress too much.
If all went as planned, not only would it bring quick stability to the Demon Realm, I would ensure that we evolved from simply dominating to becoming a farm perpetually supplying karma.
Now all I needed was time.
“…Now, what should I do about this?”
Having more or less wrapped things up, my gaze shifted to the system window that popped up in front of me.
More specifically, to a certain product listed under the “Item Purchase” section.
『Sealed Holy Fragment of the Human God (10,120,000)』
It finally revealed its name entirely, probably because I had met the requirements.
Having also smuggled away the vampire apostle, Temiran McClair, and destroyed the Demon Realm’s holy sites, I had succeeded in reclaiming holy fragments, causing their prices to plummet rapidly.
“Originally, it was priced around thirty million, so now it’s roughly a third of that, huh?”
And yet it still demanded over ten million points!
But even this was a far cry from the original price due to constant price drops!
And more importantly…
『Available Karma – 19,299,153』
Wasn’t it true that now I had enough capacity to purchase that?
Of course, the bulk of these points came from obvious sources.
“The usable points would soon hit twenty million.”
A gentle smile lingered at the corners of my mouth.
Even at this moment, as I gazed at the karma that continued to grow in real time, my expression was one of satisfaction.
*
In the core region of the Demon Realm, now occupied by Helheim.
Snort— Hrumph! I’ve brought it!
Ooooh! Have you finally arrived?!
In front of a building there, a demon with a boar’s head appeared, carrying a large box on its shoulder, and a human-like demon with a goat’s legs, horns, and square eyes rushed over to take it eagerly.
“This is excellent! Truly marvelous!”
He rushed to unpack the box as if eagerly awaiting a delivery, gazing in awe at the items that spilled out.
It seemed that the box was under some spatial expansion magic, as no matter how many items he pulled out, more kept coming.
Sniff sniff— Slurp! The smell is absolutely divine. This meat is…
“Hmm, that seems to be pork. It looks good too. Dalun, you’ve worked hard. Why not have a taste…?”
“I’ll feast upon it!”
Chomp chomp—
Barely had the words left the speaker’s mouth when a huge chunk of meat, well-packed, vanished straight into the boar-headed demon’s mouth.
Raw and unwrapped, no less.
Ooooh! It’s incredibly tender! The subtle scent of blood is sweet too. Hrumph— Is this meat from the outside world? It has a flavor beyond comparison to meat from the Demon Realm!
The baron-level demon, Dalun, swallowed the melt-in-your-mouth meat, crunching on the bones like they were snacks, continually showering praises.
Indeed, it was a taste even the demon tribe, who usually didn’t require food, would seek after.
While Dalun finished tasting, eyeing other pieces of meat hungrily.
Kromwell, a noble demon who had served Helra since her initial entry into the Demon Realm and was a master of spatial magic, sorted through the treasures that had emerged from the box, nodding in satisfaction.
He praised himself for having made the wise choice of following her.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing? Get your hands off that! How much more are you planning to eat?”
Hrumph— There’s enough to go around, I’ll just have a little more…
“No way. That’s merchandise. I’ll settle your dues later for the labor you’ve done, but for now, hold your horses. You can buy from me after work at a discount.”
Ugh…
In response to Kromwell’s firm words, Dalun sighed deeply.
The only reason he could dabble in this business was merely due to his lucky early allegiance to Helra; with no skills other than fighting, he had no chance of resisting Kromwell.
The difference in status was immense, and lest he act rashly, he might lose even this small benefit.
“Let’s see, then I’ll send this item to the Koatl faction. That can go to the Dream Walker…”
Ultimately, while Dalun and his subordinates reluctantly retreated, Kromwell, driven by his unyielding energy as a demon, continued to oversee and manage the situation.
He moved with such enthusiasm that one could even feel his burning passion.
“Alright, looks like I’ve prepared enough. It’s about time to start!”
After some time had passed.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Kromwell nodded with satisfaction, eyeing the beautifully constructed building.
The headquarters of Hubert Association, located in the core region of the Demon Realm, the prime spot.
He observed the large sign hanging at the main entrance.
With ‘Head of Hubert Association’s Demon Realm Headquarters’ shining on his chest, he took bold strides into the building.
Shortly afterward…
The only organization in Auterica that facilitated the trade of diverse artifacts from the continent along with local Demon Realm specialties officially opened its branches throughout the Demon Realm.
*
Even in the Demon Realm, where struggle was a part of daily life, there existed a sort of economic system.
There was a demand for various materials, including rare minerals and plants, the essence of demon tribes, and byproducts obtained from monsters.
Though the demon tribe didn’t require many daily necessities, trade was essential to create equipment needed for battle or use as catalysts in rituals.
“What? This exquisite bottle of liquor only costs 12 adamantium coins? Where are, where are they selling it?!”
“This, this HAS to be bought! Before it runs out!”
Sniff, ha— The scent is extraordinary! How much for this meat from the abyssal scorpion…? What? It’s insufficient?!
The demons were not oblivious to how abundant the earthly items were.
But due to the incredibly strict conditions surrounding transit and the resources needed to manage such journeys, most of them gave up.
Even the noble demons, who were afforded a level of power here, often found it difficult to leave the Demon Realm.
Unless a powerful dark magician summoned them in exchange for payment or a monumental “continent invasion” event directed by a Demon King used their authority, there was no chance.
In such a context, the items presented by Hubert Association represented nothing less than a revolution.
“Stop! Did you just steal that item?!”
Gack—! N-no… I’m so, so sorry…
“How dare you commit such an impure act in the presence of the Holy Helra whom our Koatl faction serves! You do realize that this is akin to treason?!”
Yikes! I absolutely didn’t! I’m truly sorry…!
“Silence!”
A commotion even ensued due to this, yet there weren’t many brave enough to thwart Helra’s first official venture, the owner of Helheim, and the 16th Demon King.
Since the alliances that had fought on Helra’s side from the beginning, even those who belonged to opposing factions had begun to maneuver fiercely in order to catch her eye.
“Hmm, everything’s running smoothly.”
Thanks to that, Hubert received a fortune and nodded with satisfaction.
Since goods from the continent were precious in the Demon Realm, the Demon Realm’s unique products also had their own rarity here.
The most iconic example was the adamantium coins, widely used as currency in the Demon Realm.
With incredible durability born from the harsh environment of the Demon Realm, adamantium was high-priced enough on the continent that it might as well be considered priceless.
Practically, the only way to acquire them was from hunting the occasional demon.
“Contrarily, their treatment in the Demon Realm is far less deserving.”
While they weren’t treated poorly, their abundance diminished their individual worth, hence their price was considerably lower.
Could it be any more evident when processed coins were casually used as regular currency?
In reality, Hubert was profiting hundreds of times through this exchange and reaping vast karma in the process without feeling an ounce of guilt.
After all, the value of goods is determined by supply and demand.
Given that resources flood the Demon Realm while items that can only be acquired through Hubert Association are rare, it’s only natural that there’d be a price difference, right?
“Though, they aren’t just maintaining trading channels for show.”
Hubert’s gaze drifted towards the storage filled with trading goods.
Among them, in one corner where a conveyor belt moved almost like a factory, lay a violet gate.
Whoosh—
That was the convergence of Helra’s powers to manipulate the Demon Realm and the newly acquired ability, “World Invasion,” generating…
The world’s only portal for inter-dimensional trading of goods.
