Damon's Ascension-Chapter 88: Worldly Essence Transfer 2

Godin led Damon through the bustling digital marketplace, the two moving past avatars of every shape and size, some engaged in serious negotiations while others simply observed.

The deeper they went, the fewer people there were, until they reached an open plaza dominated by an enormous swirling portal, its edges crackling with pure Essence Energy.

The air around the portal shimmered with unfiltered power, and a pair of goblin clerks stood at its base, ensuring only those with proper authorization could enter.

People came and went in twos, each group stepping through the portal together, some looking victorious while others appeared hesitant, as if they did not look forward to what came next.

Godin gestured at the portal with a flourish. "This, my dear friend, is a true Essence Instance, allocated specifically by the Universe Will for transactions like ours. Unlike typical dangerous or adventure based instances, this one serves a single purpose; to secure exchange and sacrifice of Worldly Essence."

Damon studied the portal, his analytical mind piecing together its function. "So, once my VR account steps inside, it can make the trade directly? No interference, no risk?"

Godin nodded. "Correct. You and the other party will be placed in a neutral zone where no combat or thievery is possible. The account of the sacrificer will be verified, exchanged, and then offered to you. Simple, clean, and most importantly, legal."

One of the goblin clerks, wearing a pristine white vest that marked him as an official trade overseer, stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Honored Emperor, allow me to handle the miscellaneous needs of your esteemed guest personally. If you are ready, please step through."

Damon cracked his neck, then smirked. "Let’s get this over with."

Without hesitation, he walked toward the portal, his VR account’s virtual body rippling slightly as it crossed the threshold. Godin followed behind, his excitement barely concealed.

Damon stepped through the portal and found himself standing in an endless plain divided into a perfect grid sequence, each square exactly ten meters by ten meters, separated by shimmering barriers of light that acted as walls that ensured privacy for each transaction while still allowing visibility through their translucent glow.

The ground beneath his feet was smooth and neutral-colored, neither dirt nor stone, just a stable surface created by the instance to serve its purpose without distractions or complications.

In every occupied grid, three figures stood: one was the real body of the person receiving the Worldly Essence, standing calmly with a steady presence, another was their VR avatar, flickering slightly as they prepared to sacrifice their accumulated essence, and the third was a goblin clerk in formal robes who oversaw the process with meticulous attention and made sure every transaction was fair, accurate, and properly recorded.

Some grids were empty, waiting for the next set of transactions, while others were in the middle of their exchanges, bursts of greenish-blue light flashing as Worldly Essence transferred from one form to another, dissipating into the receiver’s body as they absorbed the precious energy.

Damon and Godin appeared in an unoccupied grid, and before them stood another goblin clerk, adjusting his monocle as the fellow opened a floating interface to begin their transaction, his expression neutral but professional.

Damon’s VR avatar turned to face his ’vendor’, who had already been summoned into the grid through the clerk’s manipulations. It was a tall beastman with blood red fur and hooked claws, his yellow eyes full of violence as he breathed heavily.

Damon frowned while Godin shook his head. "Sorry about that, but one million Worldly Essence takes a long time to gather so you can be sure that this fellow has been mired in killing for years upon end."

After all, unlike localized Essence instances where the Worldly Essence gain was generous and did not change, the real Essence gave it out stingily, forcing people to head to the Chaos Realm and harvest Chaos Essence to receive Worldly Essence.

The number of beings in Essence realms this individual must have killed would have to be counted in by the billions, not to mention surviving all that danger. If he was still able to stand there perfectly sane and fine, then that would rather be more frightening.

"Ready?" the goblin clerk asked, voice calm and practiced, clearly used to these high-stakes exchanges.

Damon’s virtual body nodded. "Proceed."

The goblin clerk adjusted his monocle with fingers tapping the glowing interface, activating the transfer sequence with a few swift commands, allowing the process to begin immediately.

The beastman’s VR form trembled as his body locked into place, greenish-blue energy bursting from his chest like cracks in glass, his fur standing on end as his mouth twisted into a silent grimace.

Then the agony set in as a guttural howl erupted from his throat, which came out in the form of a deep and primal roar that echoed through the grid like a beast being flayed alive, his claws digging into his own arms as if trying to tear off his own skin.

His body jerked and shuddered violently as the Worldly Essence he had imbued into his form was forcibly extracted, an invisible power reaching into his very core that scraped and tore with relentless cruelty.

His veins bulged, his muscles spasmed and his eyes rolled back into his head as his knees buckled, yet the process did not stop. The goblin clerk watched with perfect neutrality as if this was just another transaction and not a sentient creature experiencing pure agony beyond comprehension.

His fur quickly became matted with sweat, his breathing ragged and his screams hoarse as the process finally neared completion. His form began to flicker, becoming translucent and barely holding together as the last shreds of his Worldly Essence were extracted, compressed into a single greenish-blue sphere that floated in the air between him and Damon’s VR body, pulsing with dense power.

Then, with one final and slightly relieved gasp, the beastman collapsed while his body shattered into fragments of digital light since it had been erased completely from existence, his account gone but his life wouldn’t be forfeit in reality.

The goblin clerk, unfazed, adjusted his monocle and nodded. "Transfer complete. Please accept your Worldly Essence, Esteemed Sir."

Damon exhaled, stepping forward as his VR body reached out, grasping the greenish-blue sphere that was more than a thousand times larger than anything his Devour produced.

Speaking of Devour, Damon’s eyes flashed as he used his ability to connect with the Worldly Essence. At the moment of contact, a strange feeling surged into him, the same feeling he got when he absorbed Worldly Essence after killing something.

Damon’s Avatar on the way to the Bermuda Triangle in reality, opened their panel and smiled to see that the Worldly Essence his VR body absorbed using Devour was present in full on his panel.

It seemed he had dug out another utility of his EX-Grade Ability, and it was slowly proving more and more why it deserved that Grade. Damon glanced at the clerk and Godin, noting that they had no special reaction to his actions, thinking things had gone as usual.

Godin, standing beside him, merely smirked. "Efficient, isn’t it?"

Damon smiled. "Verily so."

The transaction was done so Damon was taken back to the lobby where Godin received him in his office space.

"At the current market rate, one Essence Coin buys you a total of two units of Worldy Energy, so your total cost for the energy alone is half a million Essence Coins." Godin began as he began producing a form.

"On top of that there is a 10% intermediary fee which goes to us, as well as a 1% compensation fee for the mental strain during the sacrifice process. Having witnessed the procedure yourself, I’m sure you can understand the need for this," Godin explained as he finished the form and slid it over.

Damon glanced over the form. He trusted Godin not to deceive him, but the habit of double-checking everything was deeply ingrained and not something easily shared or set aside. Once he was done, he signed, transfering 555,000 Essence Coins over to Trust and Trades Company, finalizing everything perfectly.

Damon felt slightly moved, that beastman had to have spent countless years battling in Essence realms, fighting, killing and narrowly avoiding death, since dying would a VR account, to accumulate this much Worldly Essence for a big tycoon in order to cash out all at once.

Putting aside receiving 5.000 Essence Coins as an extra fee, the 500.000 Essence Coins would all go to him as the seller of the Worldly Essence, and that was enough for the fellow to buy an entire planet for himself.

Venus was valued by the IUAS to be worth that exact amount, and that was because it had less valuable resource for the galaxy. If this fellow purchased a Mercury sized planet and terraformed it, he could live with his family and friends in luxury till he died.

Damon could see why this was a booming business because as long as you worked hard enough - without having to risk your life, only spending time and effort - you could make great amounts of money in one go.