A rule that allows creatures in a divine realm to evolve beyond their natural limits.
When Cillian saw those words, his eyes flickered with interest.
Creatures in the Endless Abyss all possessed the ability to evolve, yet, even that "evolution" had its ceiling. This rare rule, capable of pushing past such limits, felt as if it were made specifically for the Endless Abyss.
"About these coordinates... has the trade been completed?" Cillian asked, flipping through the trading manual in his hand.
"This coordinate isn’t currently being traded, sir," the trader replied, lowering his head. "But I must remind you, it’s private listing data. We can’t guarantee the authenticity of the information."
This ant that the lead could easily be false, and the chances weren’t small.
"I see..." Cillian smiled faintly. "It doesn’t matter. If it’s fake, then he will regret it."
"Understood. The seller is currently in Trading Room Forty-Five, sir. Please follow ."
The trader guided him through a corridor and opened the ornate door labeled Room 45.
A wave of indulgence hit Cillian the mont he stepped inside.
The grand hall shimred under soft divine light. Dozens of gods lounged across lavish couches and crystal tables, surrounded by laughter, music, and food. The do was built from rare relic stones, and the furniture crafted from sacred materials.
They feasted on fruits from celestial orchards, drank ambrosial wine, and were entertained by the most exquisite beings drawn from countless divine realms.
So of those beings danced gracefully. Others were forced to kneel or pose, their smiles hollow but perfect.
It was luxury, just as it was a divine masquerade of cruelty.
Cillian frowned.
He could feel the faint pulse of resentnt.
Deep within these "servants" was a rage that stank of blood and despair.
His gaze shifted toward a veiled woman curled in the arms of a god. Her figure was elegant, her aura faintly beastlike, one of the beast spirits often sold to entertain the divine. She smiled as she was handled roughly, pretending to enjoy her fate.
Then she froze as a chill pierced her heart.
She looked up, and t a pair of Red and black eyes, swirling like a vortex that saw through her soul.
In that instant, she knew.
That he knew.
The hatred buried deep inside her, the desire to slaughter every arrogant god who treated her kin as toys, was naked before him.
Servants materialized for pleasure were forbidden to show dissatisfaction. Even if a god tortured them to death, they could simply be remade with divine fire, and the cost was negligible. That was their place in this world, less than property.
Cillian smiled faintly then pressed a finger to his lips.
Then turned and followed the trader out of the hall.
The god whose entertainnt had been interrupted frowned. "What’s wrong?"
The beast spirit quickly forced a smile and shook her head. "Nothing, my lord."
⸻———x——————
"This is the gentleman who listed the coordinates," said the trader, stopping at a table in the back of the room.
Across from them sat a bloated man, buried in piles of exotic food.
When he noticed Cillian, he wiped his greasy face and grinned.
"Oh! You’re here for one of my coordinates? Which one, exactly?"
Cillian’s tone was calm. "You have multiple?"
"Dozens," the man said proudly. "I deal in the rarest secret worlds, so rich in divine minerals, so blessed with unique elental laws that birth powerful creatures, and there are even worlds perfect for cultivating divine essence."
He began listing them one by one, his words tumbling over each other with feverish excitent.
Cillian stayed silent, the man had access to knowledge most most couldn’t trivially obtain, That alone was enough to raise questions.
At last, Cillian spoke. "I’m interested in the new coordinates, the one said to hold the rule allowing creatures in the divine realm to evolve beyond their limits."
The rchant’s expression shifted. "Ah... that one." He leaned forward, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Your divine realm must be tied to beasts or primal evolution, yes?"
Cillian kept silent, the man took it as answer enough.
"Heh. Then you’re going to love this," the rchant said, rubbing his hands together. "Those coordinates aren’t cheap, but they’re worth every spark of divine fire."
He leaned back, a smirk forming under the folds of his face. "When I first discovered that world, I was stunned by how far its creatures had advanced."
"What kind of evolution?" Cillian asked.
The man hesitated, then spoke carefully. "Their strongest have reached demigod level, almost at the threshold of true spirits. But it’s their thod that’s extraordinary, They evolve through sacrifice."
Cillian’s eyes widened slightly. "Sacrifice?"
"Yes. They offer themselves to the world’s own consciousness. In return, they receive power, directly from the source of that realm. It’s a perfect cycle. The more they sacrifice, the stronger they beco... and the stronger the world itself grows."
He chuckled softly. "Dual growth. Both sides evolve together."
Then his gaze sharpened with greedy anticipation. "So? Tempted?"
Cillian leaned back, his expression unreadable.
The idea of evolution through sacrificewas fascinating. It reminded him of the earliest monts of the Endless Abyss, when life and death had not yet been separated.
Perhaps, he thought, this world could hold a rule that would shatter his own world’s boundaries.
"Tempted?" he repeated. "Yes... sothing like that."
Cillian nodded. "How much for the world coordinates?"
If what the rchant said was true, this world might hold sothing beyond even just evolution by sacrifice.
"Fifteen thousand trading points!"
"Deal."
The word left Cillian’s mouth instantly.
The fat god froze. His jaw slackened.
He hadn’t expected his client to agree so quickly.
For a second, regret flashed across his face, he should’ve asked for more. The young god before him clearly had deep pockets.
"Ahaha! Handso and generous! I can already tell we’ll be great partners."
The man, Pandei, snapped his fingers, materializing a glittering diamond bottle and two golden cups.
"This," he said proudly, pouring out the sparkling liquid, "is wine brewed from ice peaches that grow on the Frozen Peaks. The process even requires,well, let’s say, so beautiful assistance."
He rambled on cheerfully about the ingredients, the refinent, and his business network while handing Cillian a cup.
"My na’s Pandei," he said between gulps. "A gourt among gods! I collect delicacies, natural treasures, and information. I deal in secrets. The rarest coordinates, bloodlines, and resources. Anything worth trading between divine realms passes through my hands."
Cillian took a sip and frowned slightly. The wine had little flavor, certainly nothing compared to the blood wine brewed in the Endless Abyss.
"So," he said dryly, "you’re an information dealer."
Pandei hesitated. Then nodded quickly. "Yes, but not just any dealer! I serve only the highest-tier clients. The ones who know how to pay."
"I see." Cillian set his cup down. "Then I’ll need only the coordinates. As for future business..."
With a casual gesture, he materialized dozens of glowing rules, condensed fragnts of secret world laws, and handed them to the trader beside him.
"Exchange these for trading points."
The sight made Pandei small eyes widen.
He could almost see the aura of wealth radiating off Cillian.
"Very well!" he said quickly, rubbing his hands together. "Let’s finalize the deal."
He summoned divine fire, forming a shimring set of coordinates in the air.
But just as he was about to complete the exchange, Cillian raised a hand.
"Wait."
Pandei blinked. "Sothing wrong?"
"I have one more condition," Cillian said softly.
He lifted his palm, revealing a tiny vortex of black and red light. It spun slowly, whispering with divine power.
"Place this within your divine realm. If the coordinates turn out to be false, I’ll be able to find you, no matter where you hide."
It was a simple mark of divine fire, but one that also acted as a beacon, an anchor point connected to the Endless Abyss itself.
Pandei frowned. He recognized it imdiately. Such a mark would remain embedded in his realm until Cillian willingly removed it, or until it burned itself out over ti. Attempting to erase it by force would expose his guilt.
"That’s quite the demand," Pandei said with an awkward chuckle. "Surely you don’t think I, would betray a client? I’ve been an intelligence broker for thousands of years."
"Is that so..." Cillian said evenly. He withdrew the vortex and stood up. "Then forget it."
He turned to leave.
He didn’t trust Pandei, didn’t trust anyone in this place. Too many gods had proven themselves no better than mortals: greedy, deceitful, and proud. Divine fire could elevate a being, but it couldn’t burn away their nature.
But as Cillian reached the door, Pandei called out quickly, "Wait, handso friend, perhaps I can make an exception!"
He rubbed his fingers together with a greedy smile, the aning obvious.
Cillian sighed and tossed him two thousand more trading points.
Pandei bead. "Since you’re a new custor, I’ll allow it this once. Just this once."
He opened a window into his divine realm, allowing the black-and-red vortex to sink into it.
The mont Cillian looked inside, his expression darkened.
Pandei’s divine world was littered with divine marks, hundreds of them, glowing in all colors and shapes. Every wall of the crystal plane was branded with the symbols of other gods who had done the exact sa thing.
Clearly, Cillian wasn’t the first to demand such insurance.
"This shaless fool..." he muttered.
Pandei just laughed, utterly unbothered. "Now, now, no need to glare. A deal’s a deal, and I always keep mine. And since you’ve been so generous, let give you sothing extra. Free of charge."
Cillian’s eyes narrowed. "I’m listening."
Pandei playful tone faded. For the first ti, his round face turned serious.
"A rumor," he said quietly. "From the hidden Mist Realm."
He leaned forward, voice dropping to a near whisper.
"Sothing strange is happening there and it is becoming more dangerous by the day."
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