"Shura, you've done it again!"
Watching the ranking board, Belle Morwyn's delicate face lit up with a bright smile. Fenric's success made her genuinely happy.
She still remembered the words he had once spoken to her, words that continued to echo in her ears. Just thinking about them brought a faint blush and another smile to her lips.
At that moment, a hand gently patted her shoulder.
"Yuhan, why are you smiling to yourself like that?"
Belle turned, delighted. "Sister, you're finished with your business?"
Standing behind her was Aurora Morwyn.
"Yes." Aurora nodded, her tone calm but her eyes sharp. "I'm here to take you out of the Hell Dimension space."
"The… Hell Dimension?" Belle Morwyn's eyes widened in surprise.
Aurora's expression turned serious. "The expert team confirmed it. The place you're trapped in is part of the Hell Dimension. Uvall—the one ranked first—made a deal with the Monarch of Hell. He opened the Gates of Hell on our planet, causing multiple zones to merge with fragments of the Hell Dimension. As for the details… we'll wait until Shura is free to discuss."
Belle nodded silently.
Aurora then glanced at the ranking board and sighed softly. "Shura's growth… it's terrifying."
She still remembered the first time she had met Fenric—he had been nothing more than a rookie who barely cleared the first floor. Now, in less than a month, his strength was already approaching her own.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
She herself had spent three long years in Samsara, enduring countless brushes with death to reach her current level. Her achievements were already considered top-tier within the Samsara Tower—yet Fenric had nearly caught up in mere weeks.
Belle's voice was filled with conviction. "Sister, Shura was born for the Samsara Space."
Aurora could only nod in agreement.
"Come," she said at last. "Let's go have some tea and wait for him. I've been running around all night and could use a rest."
—--
Inside his personal warehouse, Fenric's eyes fell on the golden treasure chest.
He was already satisfied with the mission's rewards. Compared to the Gura Gura no Mi, this chest didn't hold the same weight in his heart. Even if its contents weren't amazing, he wouldn't be disappointed.
Without hesitation, he opened it.
Ding!
"Congratulations! You have opened the Golden Treasure Chest and obtained a special item: Devil Fruit Purifying Water."
Fenric blinked, momentarily stunned.
"Devil Fruit… Purifying Water? From the name, it sounds like something that can erase a Devil Fruit ability…"
Inside the box was a small, blue-glowing vial, no larger than a medicine bottle. The moment he touched it, the system prompt rang out again:
Special Item: Devil Fruit Purifying Water.
A mysterious liquid said to be the nemesis of all Devil Fruits. Drinking it will erase the Devil Fruit ability from the user's body.
Note: Can be recycled by the system for 50,000 Samsara Points.
Fenric was speechless.
"So it really does erase Devil Fruit powers… but what kind of fool would willingly give up such an ability?"
His first instinct was to recycle it immediately. But then a thought struck him.
"Wait… Aurora. She mentioned more than once that she regrets taking her Devil Fruit. She despises it. Couldn't this be exactly what she needs?"
The decision was easy. Fenric placed the vial carefully on the shelf. To him, 50,000 points weren't worth more than a potential favor owed by Aurora.
"Master, what's this?" Skynet asked, tilting her head curiously.
Fenric shot her a stern look. "Listen carefully. Unless I give you permission, you must never touch anything on these shelves. Understand?"
"…Understood." The little loli pouted. "But Master, it's so boring here. Can I go outside?"
Fenric rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of her childish complaints. Artificial intelligence given life really wasn't that different from humans—curiosity, emotions, stubbornness… it was all there.
"Just bear with it a little longer. Once I return to the real world, I'll let you out."
Her face brightened instantly. "Really? Thank you, Master!"
Satisfied, Fenric nodded and exited the warehouse.
Back in Samsara Square, a message pinged in his interface. Aurora Morwyn was asking him to meet at Box 3236 of the teahouse.
Fenric didn't head there immediately. Instead, he detoured to the Samsara Tower marketplace and opened the consignment center.
His goal: Kaizer's ultimate skill—Indestructible Demon Body.
He had over 220,000 Samsara Points now, plenty to cover the cost.
It didn't take long to find the listing. To his surprise, after more than an hour on the shelf, the seller had already lowered the price from 200,000 to 180,000 points.
"Seems they know very few people in Samsara Space can afford this many points."
Fenric smirked and confirmed the purchase.
A scroll materialized before him, followed by the system prompt:
Indestructible Demon Body: When activated, summons Demonic Armor, surrounding the user with an area of demonic flames that deal continuous damage. Greatly enhances Strength, Agility, and Constitution—each increased fivefold! Duration: 20 minutes.
Warning: Consumes immense stamina. Once used, cannot be activated again for 24 hours.
Fenric's grip tightened around the scroll, his pulse quickening.
With this skill combined with the Gura Gura no Mi, his combat power would soar to an entirely new level.