Cain was first to arrive at Allan’s residence in the morning.

The hunters and servants arrived shortly after.

Cain was saying: “Mr. Kreel. I found a good location for a store. It is right in the middle of the commercial district of Gold sword city. As you said not to care about the price, I chose the biggest store available. If renovated, it can accommodate your immediate needs.”

“Good. You’re in charge of everything then. I want it renovated for tomorrow. Find capable workers and reward them handsomely to complete the job today. You also cannot shoulder this responsibility alone. Find some trustworthy individuals to help you manage the store starting tomorrow. A good accountant should be a start. Someone that knows the materials to take care of the inventory....”

“Yes. Sir.” Cain then ran out of the house looking at the new storage pouch filled with Immortal cores that he hurriedly hid under his sleeves.

As he ran past the servants and hunters who eyed him with a peculiar look, Allan’s voice was heard: “Welcome to my humble abode, everyone.”

Everyone was cursing him but could not express it: ‘A humble abode? Who was he kidding?’

A man dressed in a butler’s attire said: “Good morning, sir. I am in charge of the servants. My name is Karl Kincade.”

“Hello, Karl. From now on, the mansion is in your hands. Treat it like your own home....Ah yes, your remuneration will be the same as the hunters. A 3rd tier Immortal core per month. Your servants will be getting 2nd tier immortal cores each per month. Here’s your first month.” Said Allan who put a bundle of immortal cores on the nearest table.

Karl and his servants were trembling from head to toe. The hunters were not an exception as well.

Karl said: “Sir this is too much. It’s twenty times what we’re supposed to earn in a single year.” Inwardly, he wanted to jump at the cores on the table and he wasn’t the only one. Some hunters were filled with a greed that they never knew they could feel.

“It’s my choice and you have no choice as well unless you want to look for another job. Besides, soon you’ll start feeling that I’m being stingy if I give the normal pay.” Allan shrugged his shoulders and headed for the hunters who were waiting behind the servants.

“I leave the house in your hands then Karl.” Allan said.

“Yes , sir.”

The servants bowed as he went past them.

The hunters were eyeing this puny 4th tier of the human realm who was richer than them with a complicated look.

They had fought life and death battles to barely reach the Immortal realm and they still had to bow their heads to find a job. It was inconceivable to them to work for someone so weak, yet the reality was something else.

Allan did not care what they were thinking and could even guess some of it. He was only waiting to see their faces when they saw his dragon.

He said: “Your job will be rather easy. All you need to do is to guard my merchandise and bring it to my store to be processed and sold.”

The hunters were out of words. One of them said: “That a job for mercenaries. We are paid to help hunt demonic beasts in the thousand beast mountains.”

“I have a friend that will do the hunting for you. All you need to do is bring back the demonic cores and beast corpses.” Allan said.

A friend?

They were trying to read between the lines but could not find a single clue.

The quickest one then asked: “Is your friend perhaps stronger than all of us combined?”

“Yes. You will enter the inner part of the thousand beast mountains. He will protect you at the same time as he hunts. Once the day is over, he will accompany you to the outskirts of the city and then leave. It will be up to you to bring your haul back to my store.” Allan said before he felt annoyed at explaining and said: “Just follow me.”

He left his mansion with the hunters in tow.

When they arrived outside of the city in a remote area, Allan whistled.

Soon a shadow appeared in the sky and landed in front of them.

“Whoa...you grew up again.” said Allan as he watched Arkul.

The previous Arkul was seven meters long. Currently, he had gained two more meters and the eyes looked even more ferocious than before.

Two horns had appeared on its head.

As it looked at the hunters who had long lost their souls from fear, it questioningly looked back at Allan.

Allan explained the situation and it agreed.

Allan then turned around to face the hunters saying: “He is the friend I was talking about. He is in the 9th tier of the Immortal realm so you have nothing to worry about in the thousand beast mountains.”

After, he distributed the storage items he had previously won in the auction. It was to facilitate the storage of the beasts they were about to hunt.

He leisurely returned to the city and headed to the commercial district to check up on his store.

Once again he got lost and had to ask for directions.

When he got to the store, he was greeted by Cain and his father, Edwin Darvis, the new accountant as well as the one responsible for the inventory.

“Sir. The back of the store is big enough to store the merchandise. We can use the backyard to process the corpses of the beasts. The retrieved materials will be sold in the store.” Edwin said. He added: “I used to work in the Merchant Guild. I know the industry well enough.”

“Good. The first batch of goods will arrive this afternoon. I am here to help with anything.” Allan said.

“Sir, everything is under control, there’s no need to trouble yourself. You can relax in the office.” Edwin said.

It was a five-storey building that he had Cain purchase.

Everything related to the 4th and 5th tier of the Immortal realm will be sold on the first floor.

The 6th tier on the second floor.

The 7th tier on the third floor.

The 8th tier on the fourth floor.

The 9th tier of the Immortal realm on the last fifth floor.

It was also on the fifth floor that there was a room to welcome the most important clients. The same room that Allan was relaxing in right now.

He was thinking: “I hope all this works out well. I instructed the hunters to keep the existence of Arkul a secret. They will probably be too scared of me to say anything, but there is a chance that his existence might be leaked. ...Hum....I see no problem with it. I just hope that Arkul reaches the God realm as soon as possible. With such a backing and the fictional story of a young master, adding the income that I will generate here on my own, I meet the requirements to enter the Demonic sword sect.”

***

Rudolph was reading an intelligence report that Mara had just delivered.

He said: “He opened a store...”

“It’s being renovated as we speak. We talked to one of the workers and we learned that it’s supposed to open tomorrow.” Mara said.

“If he has something to sell, why not sell it through us or the Merchant guild?” Rudolph pondered.

“If he wants to sell it on his own, it must be premium goods that are impossible to acquire in the normal channels...” Rudolph said.

Mara objected: “That’s a bit too far-fetched. Even if his hunters really went hunting for him, it is something that we can easily do as well. The goods that his hunters have the capability of bringing will pale in comparison to ours. They are too weak to hunt something stronger than the 1st tier of the Immortal realm.”

“We’ll see tomorrow... Send someone inside the store when it opens just in case. If he has something interesting to sell, I don’t want to be the last to know about it.” Rudolph said.

***

Allan was patiently waiting for his hunters to come back in the room on the fifth floor when he heard a light knock.

He said: “You can enter.”

It was Cain. He said: “The hunters just arrived...but...I think we will need security if we want to keep what they brought back safe.” A trembling Cain said. It seemed he was in shock.

Allan went to the backyard of the store with Cain.

The ten hunters bowed immediately after seeing Allan. They were too scared to even think ill of him.

“Just three corpses?” Allan observed the floor.

There was a cow like beast, a silver wolf and a red two-headed lion.

“Sir the Silver wolf is an 8th tier Immortal realm demonic beast. The two-headed lion and the Nether Cow are both at the 7th tier Immortal realm.” One of the hunters said.

“What’s your name?” Allan asked the hunter.

“Alistair Vargas, Sir.” The hunter said.

“Good. Alistair. You and the hunters just follow the instruction of Cain and Edwin and process these corpses. Even the demonic cores will be sold. I hear that the Enchanters are in need of these powerful cores to craft their talismans. There will be a mini auction at the 5th floor for those that can afford them.” Allan said.

“Yes, sir.” All of them said at the same time.

“Also, I need four of you to stay here at the shop and stand guard. Alistair, you can choose the four who will stay.” Allan said.

“Yes, Sir.”

Allan then went back to his mansion. He expected a lot from the next day.

The next day.

Edwin, Cain’s father, had publicized the store’s merchandise but was met with skepticism. No one believed him.

He was forced to bring samples to the Merchant guild and other businesses owned by powerful families.

It did not take long for the entrance to the store to be crowded before the store had yet to open.

Of course, most of them were just curious to see what was really going on.

Allan arrived escorted by four hunters. The beast’s corpses had been processed and turned into raw materials and meat. All stored in the storage items being brought by Allan and his guards.

The hides, blood, bones and meat were sure to fetch a great price, but the three demonic cores were the one that would be the star of the day.

As Allan arrived, the hunters pushed the crowd to create some place for him to reach the store.

When they reached the door an excited Cain appeared opening the door for them.

Allan stayed at the entrance of the giant door and turned to the crowd saying: “Your attention please.”

All eyes turned on him.

He continued: “We have three demonic beasts’ materials to sell for today. It will be an 8th tier Immortal realm Silver wolf. A red two-headed lion at the 6th tier of the Immortal realm and a Nether Cow of the 6th tier of the immortal realm as well.”

“To show you that we are telling the truth, these are the hides.”

The hunters summoned their primordial energy from their inner worlds to envelop the hides and let them float in the air above the crowd.

“It was true...” Some thought as they could still fell the lingering chaotic auras of the demonic beasts on hides indicating that they had been killed not long ago.

Allan then said: “Those that feel that they can afford these materials, please feel free to enter my store. Of course, we will require proof that you can indeed pay. If you came here with malicious intent, just think of who single-handedly killed these three beasts on his own.”

Only three made their way into the store as others ran away probably to call their masters who had not believed Edwin.

“I am from the Dietrich family. My name is Leonard Dietrich. Pleased to meet you, young man. I own a restaurant and would like to purchase all the meat available.”

As he was the only one asking for the meat, all the meat was sold to him for 7000 5th tier Immortal realm cores.

It had to be noted that ten demonic cores of the same tier were worth one core of the next higher tier.

The blood and bones were sold to a blacksmith who came running to the store for 850 6th tier Immortal realm cores.

Another client came in. It was a middle-aged man in a black attire. He said: “I’m Rudolph. The owner of Rudolph’s Underground house. I was wondering if the cores were still in your hands. I happen to be an Enchanter and it’s been a long time since cores of this caliber appeared in our humble city.

“You’re the first to ask of them but they are supposed to be auctioned later.” Allan said.

Rudolph appeared disappointed but said: “I can pay any price. What is it that you desire in exchange?”

Allan thought: “Maybe someone like this Rudolph can have access to them.”

Allan said: “ I like to collect Magical Arts. If you have them, I can make an exception.”

“This...” Rudolph appeared to be in a difficult situation.

“Demonic cores are not a problem. Even 9th tier Immortal cores can be made available to you.” Allan said.

“If you had a God realm demonic core, I’d consider it. Arts are the culmination of generations of practitioners. They are hard to find. Only fallen clans sell them or lose them to their enemies.” Rudolph said as he shook his head.

“Damnit. If it wasn’t for that guy I would be cultivating right now.” Allan thought about Arthur who had appeared and stole the last remaining God realm core that he had chanced upon.

Allan then said to Rudolph: “If my friend ever finds a God ranked core. I will be sure to notify you. For now, all I need are immortal cores. You could buy all three cores with immortal cores but it wouldn’t make sense. How about exchanging them for a talisman?”

“That I can do.” Rudolph smiled as a bundle of translucent rectangular thin parchment appeared and floated in front of them. He continued: “They are all made from beast cores or my inner world’s essence. The majority is single use only. ”

“Which one should I take?” Allan asked. It was his first time seeing talismans. Even in falcon village he had never seen or heard of an Enchanter.

“Those I make from my Inner world’s essence are the best. They can be cast in a single time with the maximum power or three times with a third of the power stored inside each time. Since they are made from my Inner world, it’s like using a pseudo-art. In this case, you will be using my all of my Arts. Each Talisman operates a single art for a limited time. The best choice is the \Shadow Prison\ Art. It can imprison your enemy for a limited time if he is in the 5th tier Immortal realm or below.” Rudolph said sounding like a salesman.

Allan gave Rudolph the three cores and said: “I”ll take that one then.”