Chapter 145: Chapter 145: More Chaotic Situation

"Yes lords, We have Naga pearls of Greater Demon ranks. How many do you need?" the hound demon asked, his voice low and gravelly.

Aengus and Bella exchanged glances.

"Don't you have anything else?" Aengus furrowed his brows, unsatisfied. Greater Demon rank Naga pearls would hardly suffice for his needs. He required higher-rank materials or, at the very least, a large quantity.

The hound demon hesitated, his large eyes shifting nervously. "Ah, we're very sorry, lords! We don't have anything better at the moment. And to be honest, you won't find many items related to souls more potent than these pearls here. Only humans and half-breeds can use them, so demand is low in these parts."

Bella sighed softly, realizing they had little choice. "How many do you have?"

The demon leaned in closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "We have 20 of them. They cost 500 low-grade demon cores each."

Aengus's expression remained calm, but his mind quickly calculated the total. Without a word, he gestured, and in an instant, 10,000 low-grade demon cores materialized in front of the demon, neatly stacked in a small mountain by an invisible force.

The hound demon froze, his wide eyes glued to the cores, barely able to contain his excitement. His heart raced as he stared at the shimmering pile, his voice momentarily lost.

"Hey, what are you doing? Take them all out," Bella ordered, her tone sharp but calm, breaking the demon's trance.

"Y-Yes, yes. Give me a second," the hound demon stammered, rushing inside and quickly returning with a small chest containing the 20 Naga pearls.

Aengus calmly placed the pearls into his storage bracelet and left the shop, Bella following closely behind. As they walked away, the hound demon counted the demon cores, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Heh, heh! What fools! They don't even know how to bargain," he muttered to himself, feeling a rush of greed. "Sigh, if only I had hundreds of them, I wouldn't have to worry for months to come."

Unbeknownst to him, Aengus and Bella hardly cared about the small number of cores. To them, it was merely pocket change. They continued their search, moving through several shops and collecting nearly 200 Naga pearls of various qualities.

"Hubby, I think we need to head to the inner district if we want something more useful," Bella suggested, her tone slightly anxious.

"It didn't work? Are you okay?" she asked with worry as she saw the pain on his face.

Aengus grunted, his body shaking.

"Bella, I think It made things worse," Aengus rasped, his voice strained and weak.

Bella's face filled with concern as she knelt beside him, touching his shoulders and checking for any sign of physical deterioration.

"Can you hold on longer, Darling?" she asked, her worry deepening.

"I'll try..." he muttered, his breathing labored.

He sat down slowly, crossing his legs and closing his eyes, attempting to suppress the turmoil in his soul. His hands trembled as he focused inward, trying to reach the depths of his being where the chaos was surging.

Bella stood beside him, scanning the area with cautious eyes, her nerves on edge. They were in a dangerous district, and she knew time was slipping away. But her focus kept returning to Aengus, watching him struggle to maintain control over the storm within.

Aengus sank deeper into his consciousness, reaching toward the core of his soul. Every creature had a soul, a core of energy and identity—whether demon, undead, dragon, or phoenix. But the quality and strength of each soul differed vastly. His was both tangible and intangible, a flickering presence that seemed to shift between being whole and shattering apart.

He had always known the soul was a fragile thing, something elusive and beyond control for most. Even in Mythraldor, it was doubtable if anyone had successfully unlocked the true secrets of the soul or reached its pure form.

"Master, I can help strengthen your consciousness for a while," Manas' ethereal voice suddenly echoed through his mind.

Aengus nodded, and immediately he felt his willpower increase several-fold, which shouldn't have been possible by any means...

He wondered what kind of changes Manas had undergone into ever since she arrived. He decided to look into it in the future.

But for now, he focused on the task at hand.