Chapter 419: Chapter 419

A platinum-colored holy power, emanating from him, filled the room, its brilliance overwhelming.

A divine aura, so pure and potent that it inspired reverence in all who beheld it.

Even before his… transformation, his holy power had been incredibly pure, a rarity in the mortal world… but this… this was on a completely different level.

‘…And this is Earth, where divine power is weakened…’

Heinrich… or rather, I, wearing Heinrich’s form through 「Individual Projection」, placed a hand on my chest.

A powerful presence, a… warmth emanating from within, beyond the steady beat of my heart.

The seed of divinity, sprouting within me, just like in my other avatars.

I chuckled softly, a sense of… satisfaction… washing over me.

I removed my hand from my chest and looked at myself, my gaze sweeping over my body.

I walked over to the full-length mirror in the corner of the room and examined my reflection.

Shining silver hair, golden eyes that seemed to contain the sun itself, a gentle yet resolute expression, a perfectly sculpted physique that transcended human limitations…

My appearance, as always, was… impeccable.

‘…Though it hasn’t really changed.’

I tilted my head slightly, examining my reflection.

My eyes were slightly brighter, my hair more… radiant… but that was all.

It was a rather… underwhelming transformation, considering that I had just become… something… more than human.

‘…Well, it’s foolish to judge something based solely on its appearance.’

And it wasn't a bad thing.

After all, he was also a martial artist.

A change in his physical form, the foundation of his martial arts, would inevitably affect his performance, until he adapted.

Of course, it wouldn't take long for him to adjust… but there was no need to go through the trouble if he could avoid it.

My eyes, their golden depths, flashed with a bright light.

…three pairs of massive wings, radiating a brilliant, holy aura, unfurled from my back.

「Grand Blessing: Wings of Radiance」, as always, composed of pure light.

But now, there were six wings instead of two, their size and their brilliance even greater than before, their gentle movements sending ripples of energy outwards.

‘…If it wasn’t for the barrier in my house, I would be… advertising my location to the entire city.’

It was a large-scale buff, a passive ability that enhanced the abilities of all allies within its range.

A stark contrast to Hans, the Immortal King, whose presence radiated fear and dread.

- Individual Name: Heinrich

- Common Traits: 「Mind Hub」, 「Persona」, 「Great Mind」, 「Xenoglossy」, 「Subspace Storage」, 「Limit Break」, 「Mimicry」

- Individual Traits: 「Divine Baptism」, 「Grand Blessing: Knight of Light」, 「Grand Blessing: Wings of Radiance」, 「Blessing: Fortitude」, 「Blessing: Leap」, 「Blessing: Holy Blade」, 「Blessing: Amplification」, 「Blessing: Holy Sword」, 「Logia Holy Fighting Technique」, 「Path of Martial Arts」, 「God’s Messenger」, 「Auterica Holy Magic」, 「Spatial Slash」

- Special Notes: Has transcended his mortal form and achieved ascension after receiving the Main God’s grace. All abilities significantly enhanced and granted absolute advantage against lesser beings due to the effect of “God’s Messenger”. All activities in Auterica receive a positive modifier, and the influence of other deities is minimized when visiting their domains, thanks to “God’s Messenger”. Restrictions on holy power usage significantly reduced due to the awakening of the divine spark.

Heinrich, who had reached the pinnacle of humanity despite being in a human body,

…had now transcended his mortal form and become an angel, a being… slightly removed from the… ordinary lifeforms of this world, after his encounter with the Main God.

His various skills, from 「Super Recovery」 and 「Clear Mind」 to 「Underwater Breathing」, had been absorbed into 「God’s Messenger」, a higher-level trait.

“Well, it’s always good to be stronger. I’m not exactly… attached to being human anymore.”

Undead, vampires, dragons, Demon Kings…

He was far beyond such… petty distinctions.

And acquiring 「Great Mind」, a mental enhancement trait, was also a significant gain.

Immunity to mental attacks wasn’t particularly useful for him, but the massive boost to his mental fortitude was a welcome addition.

‘…And it’s a skill acquired by my main body, not Heinrich, so all my avatars can benefit from it.’

For someone like him, who controlled multiple bodies, especially those at high levels, mental fortitude was… essential.

He had been feeling the strain lately, as the number of avatars with nascent divinity increased.

‘…Their personalities are so… diverse.’

Most beings couldn't even acquire a single divine spark, even after thousands of years of effort.

And he was collecting them indiscriminately, regardless of their element or alignment.

If it weren’t for ‘Diversity’, the divine spark he had awakened in his main body, Han Seong-hyeon, he would have reached his limit long ago.

“Hmm, this trip to the Demon World was quite… productive.”

I deactivated 「Individual Projection」, returning to my original form, and stretched my limbs.

With the destruction of the Human God’s temple in the Demon World, Operation Demon King’s Return had been successfully concluded.

All that remained was to stabilize the situation and establish a proper governing structure.

Of course, he had already given the necessary instructions, so there wasn’t much for him to worry about.

If everything went as planned, the Demon World would not only be quickly stabilized, but also become a valuable… farm, a source of… Karma.

It was just a matter of time.

“…Now then, what about this?”

My gaze shifted towards the system window,

…more precisely, towards a specific item in the 『Item Purchase』 menu.

『Divine Fragment of the Imprisoned Human God (10,120,000)』

Its name was now fully revealed, perhaps because he had finally met the requirements.

The divine fragment of the imprisoned god, the one who had orchestrated Temiran McCleary’s… recruitment and the destruction of the temple in the Demon World.

Its price had been steadily decreasing as he retrieved the other fragments.

‘…It was originally 30 million, so it’s about a third of the original price now.’

And yet, it still cost over 10 million!

But it was a significant discount.

And more importantly…

『Karma Owned - 19,299,153』

And he knew where most of those Karma points came from.

‘…Almost 20 million.’

He smiled, his expression… content, as he watched the number increasing in real time.

A central district of the Demon World, under Helheim’s control.

“Hmph— Sniff! Here it is.”

“Ooh! It’s finally here!”

A boar-headed demon, carrying a large box on his shoulder, arrived in front of a building, and a humanoid demon with the lower body and horns of a goat, its eyes rectangular, rushed towards him and took the box.

“This is… excellent!”

He eagerly opened the box, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, as if he had just received a long-awaited delivery.

And as he unpacked it, more and more items, seemingly endless, emerged from within, as if the box was… bigger on the inside.

“Sniff— Gulp! It smells delicious. This meat…”

“Hmm, it seems to be pork. And it’s fresh. Dalun, you’ve worked hard, so why don’t you…”

Before he could even finish his sentence, the boar-headed demon, Dalun, snatched a large piece of meat from the box, still wrapped in its packaging, and devoured it whole, without even bothering to cook it.

“Ooh! It’s so tender! And the subtle scent of blood… it’s sweet! Hmph— So this is the meat from the outside world? It’s incomparable to the demon beast meat we have here!”

He swallowed the meat, crunching on the bones as if they were… crackers, his voice filled with admiration.

It was a delicacy, a taste worth experiencing even for demons, who didn’t need to eat.

As he smacked his lips, his gaze lingering on the remaining meat,

…Cromwell, a Viscount-level demon, a master of spatial magic and a social butterfly, who had been instrumental in Hella’s rise to power, was sorting through the other items in the box, his face filled with satisfaction.

He had made the right choice, joining Hella’s side.

“Hey! What are you doing? Hands off! How much are you planning to eat?”

“Hmph— There’s so much… Just a little more…”

“No. This is merchandise. I’ll pay you later. Or you can buy it yourself after work. I’ll give you an employee discount.”

Dalun grumbled at Cromwell’s firm rebuke. He was now the head of Hubert’s Trading Company’s Demon World branch, appointed by Hella herself.

He had only been able to get this job because he had been one of the first to join Hella’s side. He wasn't particularly skilled or talented, besides his ability to… eat. He couldn't disobey Cromwell.

And he might even lose his… perks if he misbehaved.

“Let’s see… these go to the House of Coatl. And these… to the Dream Walkers…”

As Dalun and his subordinates carried the boxes away, Cromwell, his energy seemingly boundless, continued to supervise the operation, personally inspecting the goods.

He was so enthusiastic, so… passionate… that he almost seemed… human.

“Good. The preparations are complete. It’s time to begin!”

Cromwell, wiping the sweat from his brow, nodded with satisfaction, his gaze fixed on the newly constructed building.

A prime location in the Demon World’s central district.

-Hubert’s Trading Company, Demon World Headquarters

He straightened his clothes, adjusted his name tag – ‘Hubert’s Trading Company, Demon World Branch Manager’ – and then confidently strode inside.

…Hubert’s Trading Company, Auterica’s only interdimensional trading company, officially opened its branches throughout the Demon World.

Even the Demon World, a land of endless conflict and strife, had its own economic system.

There was always a demand for rare minerals, plants, demon cores, monster byproducts, and other materials.

Demons didn't need… necessities, but they still needed materials for crafting equipment and performing rituals. Trade was essential for a stable supply chain.

“What? A bottle of this amazing liquor only costs 12 adamantium coins? Where? Where can I buy it?!”

“I have to buy this! Before it’s all gone!”

“Hmm, this smells delicious. How much for this… hell scorpion magic stone-infused meat…? What? I don’t have enough?”

The demons weren't unaware of the abundance of goods in the human world.

It was just… too difficult and expensive for them to travel between dimensions.

Even the noble demons, the elites of the Demon World, rarely left their homeland.

So, for the ordinary demons, who made up the vast majority of the population, it was practically impossible.

Unless they were summoned by a human dark mage, who paid the price for the ritual, or participated in a ‘continental invasion’, a large-scale event orchestrated by a Demon King using the Demon God’s power, which occurred only once every few thousand years.

So, the arrival of Hubert’s Trading Company was… revolutionary.

“Stop! Did you just… steal something?”

“Gah! N-no… I’m sorry…”

“How dare you commit such a… blasphemous act at Hella-nim’s event, protected by the House of Coatl? You do realize this is… treason?”

“Eek! I-I’m so sorry…!”

There were… incidents… but there weren't many who dared to openly defy Hella, the 16th Demon King, the ruler of Helheim, the dominant force in the Demon World.

Not only her existing followers, but also those who had defected from the other factions, were eager to earn her favor.

‘…Excellent. Everything is going according to plan.’

Hubert, practically drowning in money, nodded with satisfaction.

Just as the Demon World’s resources were valuable in Auterica, so were Auterica’s products in the Demon World.

Especially adamantium coins, the common currency of the Demon World.

Adamantium, a metal formed in the harsh environment of the Demon World, was incredibly durable and resistant to magic, making it incredibly valuable in Auterica, practically priceless.

After all, the only way to acquire it was to… hunt demons.

‘…But it’s not as valuable in the Demon World.’

It was still a valuable material, used in almost all equipment… but it was also… readily available.

It was even used as currency.

He was making a fortune, buying low and selling high, and also acquiring a massive amount of Karma in the process… but he didn’t feel any guilt.

After all, the value of a product was determined by supply and demand.

It was only natural for there to be a price difference between the abundant resources of the Demon World and the exclusive products available only through Hubert’s Trading Company.

‘…And we’re not just… maintaining the trade routes.’

His gaze shifted towards the warehouse, filled with goods from both worlds.

And towards a purplish gate in the corner of the room, connected to a conveyor belt, like a… factory.

It was a portal, a gateway between dimensions, created by Hella’s power as the Demon King and her newly acquired perk, 「World Invasion」.

The world’s only interdimensional trade route.