In the very next instant—
A humanoid abyssal demon appeared in the arena.
Having already familiarized himself with his strength while observing from the spectator platform, he didn't rush to attack Orsaga upon arrival.
Instead, he first took a moment to sense the residual energy in the air—gauging the actual power gap between himself and Orsaga.
Two seconds later, his figure vanished.
He chose to forfeit the fight and left the battlefield.
After all, there were still four open slots. There was no need to throw himself into a deadly clash with Orsaga.
Seeing this unfold, Orsaga didn't say anything. He simply commanded the platform to summon the next opponent.
This time, the challenger was a grotesque hybrid—part eagle, part tiger, part human, and part spider.
The two locked eyes for a brief moment before charging at each other without a word.
Taking advantage of its larger frame, the creature pinned Orsaga down with brute strength.
Claws, fangs, and razor-sharp spikes tore into Orsaga's outer armor at point-blank range, ripping sparks from the surface and gouging out bloody wounds.
Venom, curses, and corrosive agents spread from the wounds inward, wreaking havoc on his internals.
But Orsaga didn't bother defending.
Instead, his tail burst through the creature's scales and stabbed deep into its body, draining its flesh and energy with reckless intensity. At the same time, his eight wings folded inward like a blooming flower, encasing both of them completely.
Countless magical sigils lit up automatically.
Highly corrosive bloodflame flowed over them like molten liquid, engulfing the pair in a blazing inferno.
The searing pain overwhelmed the other demon's senses, driving it into a panic.
It tried desperately to escape Orsaga's grip—but in this state of mutual entanglement, its struggle was no longer entirely its own decision.
Failing to break free, its pain only grew worse.
Instinct began to override reason, and the raw savagery of abyssal demon nature took over.
Its original attempts to escape turned into a frenzy of rabid bites and strikes, tearing Orsaga's armor to shreds.
But Orsaga remained unfazed.
He continued to amplify the intensity of the bloodflame, until the two of them looked like nothing more than a massive, blazing fireball.
Everything around them began to melt under the heat.
Several minutes passed.
Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, Orsaga's wings unfurled.
His body was completely intact—without a single scratch.
As for his opponent… they had vanished entirely, consumed and digested to the last particle.
Watching from the sidelines, Alison's eyes shimmered with a flicker of awe.
She hadn't expected that in just a few decades, the gap between her and Orsaga would grow so vast. Back then, she could at least exchange a few blows with him.
Now, she wasn't even confident she could handle one of his projections.
A sense of discouragement settled over her.
But after a moment of quiet self-pity, she composed herself again.
The Abyss was nothing like the world she came from. While far more dangerous, it was also immeasurably richer in resources.
From all across the multiverse, the wealth of countless universes flowed into this place. Things that were priceless treasures elsewhere could be found here in bulk—sometimes piled up on roadside stalls like junk.
Under those conditions, it made sense that progress would accelerate.
Moreover, ever since Orsaga had healed her injuries, Alison had felt a clear awakening in her divine bloodline.
She felt healthier—and stronger, with greater potential than ever before.
But that thought brought a shadow to her eyes.
As the descendant of a god, she naturally understood what a high-purity bloodline meant to a fallen God.
It meant resurrection.
Through the bond of blood, it was entirely possible for a long-dead god to rise again.
She hesitated, uncertain what to do.
After all, the Sun God wasn't just her ancestor—he was also her faith.
What she didn't know was that Orsaga had already metaphorically nailed her god's coffin shut—ensuring no resurrection would ever occur.
Still, not knowing the truth, her heart was filled with conflicted emotions—both hopeful and anxious.
___.
Several dozen minutes later.
Only five Greater-Rank Demons remained in the meeting room.
The rest had all withdrawn.
Of course, they hadn't left willingly.
But the Chloroya merchant guild was backed by higher-level powers, and now that the five strongest Greater-Rank Demons had aligned themselves with the group, further resistance was meaningless.
The losers knew that arguing was pointless—so they left without complaint.
Once the final victors were decided, Ailorel, the event host, casually retracted the five floating platforms and clapped his hands three times.
Immediately, a group of attendants wheeled in five carts, each covered with a cloth, and placed them in front of the remaining Greater-Rank Demons.
"Congratulations to all of you on your victory. As a token of appreciation, the Chloroya merchant guild has prepared a small gift. Please enjoy."
As Ailorel finished speaking, the attendants simultaneously pulled back the coverings.
A powerful scent of blood surged out into the air.
Soul crystals, fresh meat from unknown creatures, and thick blood-red beverages garnished with eyeballs sat atop the carts.
Alison and Golarial frowned instantly, unable to hide their disgust.
But Ailorel continued enthusiastically:
"These soul crystals are custom-made. They were produced in fourteen different planes controlled by our guild. Each crystal is crafted using the souls of transcendent individuals trained in specialized power systems."
"Those systems have been refined by our guild for optimal flavor. Compared to ordinary soul crystals, these offer a far more delightful experience."
"As for the meat and drinks—they come from dragons bred by our guild, carrying noble dragon bloodlines. We feed them special medicinal regimens to enhance their flavor. Trust me, it's quite the delicacy."
"After this operation, if any of you are interested, you can exchange plane ownership rights for more of these products. I promise the prices will be more than satisfactory."
"Now, allow me to give you a briefing on the target world—Seven Seas Realm, a medium-scale plane. Please enjoy your meal as I begin…"
As Ailorel spoke, Orsaga picked up a slice of dragon meat and casually asked Alison and Golarial,
"Want to try some dragon meat?"
Their heads shook violently.
Though their elven bloodline allowed for meat consumption, they only ate cooked food.
"…Suit yourselves~"
Unbothered, Orsaga tossed the meat into his mouth.
Then he grabbed a goblet of the blood-colored beverage—clearly a concoction made from mixed creature blood—and took several gulps.
Licking the blood from his lips, he calmly commented,
"Not bad. The dragon blood should have some strengthening effect on you two. You sure you don't want to give it a shot?"
While the dragon blood was useless to him, for Golarial and Alison, it could've served as a valuable supplement.
"No thanks!"
Both women rejected him without hesitation.
Orsaga merely shrugged and popped a soul crystal into his mouth.
A satisfied smile crept across his face.
'They weren't lying. These ingredients have definitely been refined…'
He could clearly sense that each soul had cultivated a unique power system—granting them supernatural abilities and, more importantly, a flavor profile tailored to abyssal demons.
It was like they had marinated themselves through their own cultivation.
A top-grade, self-seasoning cultivation technique!
____
T/N:
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