CHAPTER 152: CHAPTER152-DEMON MERCHANT

Gold-rank World Bosses—

Daniel had only ever heard of them in legends.

And that was thousands of years ago, back when the human race stood at the height of its power.

Even then, they had only just barely managed to take down a single gold-rank world boss, and the cost had been staggering.

But now?

His current Star Upgrade Quest actually required him to shave off 10% of such a monster’s HP?!

That was no different from yanking a whisker off a tiger’s face—it was practically a death wish!

Just how powerful was a gold-rank world boss, really?

While pondering this, Daniel’s thoughts drifted toward another mystery he’d been mulling over lately—the upper limit of levels.

Ever since acquiring the [Abyss Dark Blood Stone] and noticing the level of the Emperor of Abyss, he had grown increasingly curious about what lay beyond the known thresholds.

He had even discussed the matter with both the Human Emperor and Sarko, and from their words, Daniel had learned something vital:

The racial level caps could be raised.

Not only could they be raised, but the original racial level limit was only Level 100.

Many races across the multiverse now had a cap of 200, and that increase had only come after completing a difficult upgrade process in the past.

However, any further elevation of the level cap came with incredibly harsh requirements.

Take the human race, for instance:

To raise their level cap again, they would need the core of seven Silver-rank World Bosses.

On top of that, they had to form a raid party comprised solely of humans—and successfully defeat a Silver-rank World Boss above Level 200.

To the current state of humanity, both objectives were practically impossible.

There were some smaller side tasks as well, but the Human Emperor had apparently already taken care of most of them.

All that remained were these two major requirements.

Daniel glanced at his Star Upgrade Quest again.

Maybe... just maybe, he could take care of the level cap upgrade for humanity along the way.

Meanwhile, Ally had already departed from the Mist Mountains,

Her speed was blinding, and her heartbeat raced just as fast.

Damn it!

That insufferable human actually dared to flirt with her!

Next time they met, she swore she would make him pay.

Grinding her teeth, she rushed through an Anygate, returning to the Orc Clan’s territory.

But she didn’t go home.

Instead, she went directly to the Divine Temple.

Just before stepping through its grand threshold, her mind—completely uninvited—summoned up the image of Daniel’s annoyingly handsome face.

"Damn human... The Millennial Apocalypse is just around the corner. You better survive, you hear?"

"But don’t get the wrong idea! Ally’s not worried about you or anything! It’s just that... Her Grace Luna said... that you’re crucial to the events of this Millennium Apocalypse."

"If you die, it could cause a disaster for everyone involved."

In the abyss, Daniel’s figure reappeared before Sarko.

At that very moment, Sarko was lying in his wine cellar, carefully cradling a bottle of red wine, savoring each sip as if it were the nectar of gods.

"Sarko," Daniel said casually, "these bottles of wine you’re drinking from... don’t tell me you bought them from that Demon Merchant?"

In truth, Daniel had returned to the abyss precisely because Sarko had informed him that the Demon Merchant had recently arrived.

And seeing the label on Sarko’s wine bottle, still marked with human script, Daniel instantly knew—Sarko had definitely made a trade with him.

After a brief conversation, Daniel quickly confirmed his suspicion:

The Demon Merchant was an absolute swindler.

Still, Daniel wanted to meet him.

This wasn’t just about business or curiosity—this was something that could affect the fragile peace between the abyss and the surface world.

If not for Daniel’s overwhelming power forcing the Emperor of the Abyss into a temporary stalemate, war might have already broken out.

But the sudden appearance of the Demon Merchant had disrupted his carefully laid plans.

If that guy threw a wrench into everything, it could spell serious trouble.

"My friend," Sarko said with a smile, "Charles is currently relaxing in your casino."

"If you want to see him, you can head over right now."

With that, Sarko tipped the bottle, pouring another half-glass into his mouth and savoring it like a connoisseur of fine wine.

"This... this is the taste of sunlight," he sighed in bliss. "Truly intoxicating."

Daniel watched Sarko’s look of utter intoxication and couldn’t help but twitch his mouth.

Given what he knew of wine, the bottle in Sarko’s hand was undoubtedly one of the lowest-quality vintages available.

It was so cheap it cost only two copper coins per bottle.

In fact, it wasn’t even real wine—it was artificially flavored ethanol diluted with water and mixed with grape essence.

And this guy had the nerve to call it "the taste of sunlight"?

Please.

This was pure synthetic trash, brought to you by the miracle of science and chemical engineering.

Still, Daniel had no intention of shattering Sarko’s fantasy.

So he said nothing and quietly left the wine cellar.

Moments later, Daniel reappeared in his own casino.

Using [Eye of Insight], he quickly located the Demon Merchant—Charles—among a crowd of abyssal beings.

Surrounded by spectators, Charles looked downright miserable as he pushed a mountain of chips toward the dealer.

"What?! How could I lose again?!"

[Charles]

[Race: Demon Clan]

[Level: 200]

[Faith: Luck Goddess]

[Casino Win Rate: 8%]

...So this so-called Demon Merchant, renowned across realms, was actually an unlucky gambler?

Daniel smirked and, in a blink, appeared behind Charles, gently patting him on the shoulder.

Back in the Mist Mountains,

Daniel’s clone had already left the area.

With the bizarre creature known as the [Fallen Mountain Giant] defeated, the thick mists that had blanketed the region for ages gradually began to disperse.

The once-feared forbidden zone would now be open to all.

And with this latest victory, Daniel’s name once again echoed across the myriad races.

"Oh my god! I can’t believe it—Lord Daniel has broken yet another record!!"

On human networks, fans of Daniel multiplied by the day.

Many became obsessed with a single passion: tracking Daniel’s every movement, collecting the latest intel, and spreading it far and wide.

Anything associated with Daniel skyrocketed in value.

The most outrageous rumor?

Someone had reportedly paid a fortune for the desk Daniel once used.

Even the dorm room he stayed in had become the most popular attraction at the Royal Academy, now a full-blown tourist destination.

The entire Academy had risen in prominence because of him, becoming the #1 academy in the human world.

Humans weren’t the only ones desperate to enroll in the school where Daniel had once studied.

Members of other races were now willing to pay steep prices just for the chance to attend.

The Multiracial Commerce League, thanks to its collaboration with Daniel, became an elite brand practically overnight—drawing in hordes of awakeners eager to trade.

In short, anything and everything associated with Daniel was in high demand.

He had become a living legend—an icon, a brand, and a force reshaping the world with every step.