Greed.

People think greed means wanting money or power. But it's not that simple. Sometimes, it's wanting to be better than who you were yesterday. Wanting proof that you've made it, that you're not the same useless version of yourself everyone once ignored.

It starts small… maybe you just want a little more respect, a little more control over your life. Then one day, it's not enough. You need more wins, more praise, more something to fill that quiet space inside that still whispers, you're not enough yet.

Greed isn't a monster you notice growing.

It hides inside every goal, every victory, pretending to be motivation. You tell yourself you deserve it, that you've earned this hunger. And maybe you have. But eventually, you stop chasing dreams and start chasing the feeling of chasing itself.

That's what greed really is…..not the want for more, but the fear of stopping. Because once you stop, you have to face what's left of you when there's nothing left to want.

And right now, Ash was feeling greedy.

After getting drunk on the feeling of stealing things, Ash was slowly getting astray. The thrill of each successful theft had started twisting into something darker, something that made his heartbeat quicken even when he stood still.

The sight in front of him was enough to make anyone drool. Through Snow's vision, Ash saw piles of gold coins as big as small mountains stacked inside a vault that glittered under the faint glow of the crystals embedded in its walls. The golden light danced softly across the room, reflecting off weapons, jewels, and artifacts that looked priceless even at a glance. And this was only a single vault of the Black Market.

There were many others like this, too, each one holding unimaginable wealth that could buy entire cities or topple small kingdoms.

I don't think there will be anyone who will say no to free money...

But Ash did not make his move. The auction was still going on somewhere above, and he could hear the faint echoes of bids and cheers through his earpiece.

Every passing moment reminded him that time was running short. He had to make haste if he wanted to finish before someone noticed something strange.

Just like how Ash peeked inside the vault using Snow, he made sure to do the same with the others, too.

There were twenty vaults in total, each one secured and reinforced, but to Snow, it was nothing. The underground offered no resistance to her ghostly ability, letting her move like water through the earth. The entire process took around ten minutes, her movements silent and precise, revealing everything hidden in the vaults.

After Ash got the gist of everything that was present on the fifth layer, he took a deep breath.

The thing he was going to do next was going to cause a commotion, one loud enough to make every guard in the Black market rush toward him. His crazy stunt would put him right in the center of attention and mark him as an enemy of the Black Market.

But he still decided to do it. Even though he did not have enough time to carefully inspect what each vault or warehouse held, he already had high expectations for what was stored there. The very thought of it made his blood burn with anticipation.

Appearing back in the section where the slaves were kept, Ash gently patted the small head of Snow. Her scales were hard and cool to the touch, but still had a small softness.

Thank you, I don't think I could do this without you...

Snow tilted her head slightly and licked his cheek, her tongue warm against his skin. It was a small gesture, but it felt like she was kissing him.

After that, Snow vanished; she went back to her task deep in the sea. The space around Ash felt heavier after her departure, filled with the distant noise of the auction and the weight of what he was about to unleash.

**

As soon as Snow vanished, Ash closed his eyes and appeared inside his Soul Vault. His physical body could not enter inside, so it was like an avatar or a soul projection, something that existed only within his soul.

Appearing inside his vault, which can continuously grow in size as more and more items are placed here, Ash quietly observes the vast space around him.

There was a vast difference between when Ash first entered here and now. The space was large, much larger than before.

And the space here was not the only thing that had changed; in fact, if Ash wanted, he could now call out a compiled report of every single item present inside his vault, along with its image and short description.

Because of that, Ash did not even bother to check what was inside the vaults of the Black Market one by one. He knew that once he transferred everything, he could go through the detailed report here without wasting time or energy.

He also discovered that he could create different compartments for different types of things. Each compartment could be surrounded by walls that separated them neatly, like sections in a library. These features were already a part of his Soul Vault, but he had only recently realized how to use them properly.

Not everything was mentioned in the Status Window. Ash had noticed long ago that when it came to Runes, even the Status Window seemed to lack complete information. It was as if Runes belonged to a higher system, something beyond what the world itself could measure.

After a few minutes of work, Ash was standing inside a small room that he had just created. The room was completely empty, without a single door or opening. It looked like a black cage made of faintly glowing runic walls that shimmered with light. There was no furniture, no decoration, only silence and the soft hum of the runes.

He had made this new compartment just moments ago. The space inside it would automatically expand as he stored more things within, so he was not too worried about the size.

I hope it succeeds...

What Ash was about to do was something that, in theory, sounded possible. It made sense logically, too, but there was no proof that it could actually work.

He didn't even know if something like this was supposed to exist inside someone's soul. There was also a risk of receiving backlash and injuring his soul permanently, but even then, he wanted to try.

He would rather try and regret later, than live with regret for never trying at all.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed his racing thoughts and summoned the leaf that the World Tree had given him. He held it gently in his palm for a moment, feeling the faint energy pulsing within, then placed it on the floor in front of him.

Yes, what Ash was trying to do was to open a portal inside his Soul Vault.

A teleportation portal inside a soul... it sounded insane if one truly thought about it. Could something like that even exist? Could space itself bend within the soul's boundaries?

But still, no one had ever tried such a thing before, so there was no definite answer. Or maybe someone did try, and their soul shattered as a result.

Even knowing the risks, Ash chose to proceed. It was not because he wanted to save the slaves, but because he wanted to confirm if something like this was truly possible. Because if it was, then this ability could become something far more important later on—something that could change how he traveled, fought, and survived.

As soon as the leaf touched the floor, nothing happened. The runes around him remained still and silent.

Does it not work this way? Do I have to say some sort of incantation or something..?

"Open."

The moment the word left his lips, the entire room began to tremble.

****

On the Elven Continent..

After giving Ash the leaf that was meant for creating a teleportation portal, she took the four Elves he had brought with him and began healing their minds. The deep scars left on their psyche, all the trauma and fear they had developed during their time in the slave markets, started to fade away little by little.

Not much time had passed after she had finished tending to them when she suddenly felt something. The faint thread of her connection to the leaf stirred, and in the next instant, she felt Ash using it.

But the moment that realization hit her, her body shuddered.

W-What..?

It was not her avatar that trembled, but the true World Tree itself. A deep, ancient tremor rippled through its trunk and roots, causing a minor earthquake that spread through the continent before quickly subsiding.

Every Elven Saint instantly sensed it and rushed toward her sacred grove. Even Serena was among them, her mana flaring with urgency. But the World Tree ignored them all for the moment. Her expression darkened slightly as she muttered under her breath.

"What in the hell is that brat doing? Why is it consuming so much of my mana..."

When she had given Ash the leaf, she thought it would draw only a small portion of her energy—enough to form a basic teleportation portal. Yet the power it was draining now was immense, far beyond what she had ever imagined. The amount of mana being consumed was close to half of her total reserves.

The World Tree's mana was special. It was nearly limitless, yet not infinite. Through her roots, she could absorb energy directly from the world of Akumia itself. Whenever her mana was used, it was instantly replenished from the depths of the land, creating a constant balance that made her seem inexhaustible.

That was also why the Demonic Heart had once tried to possess her. It craved her pure energy—though the reason for that hunger still remained unknown.

What she did not know was that Ash was not opening a portal between two physical places. He was opening one inside his own soul. The very thought would have been called madness if anyone had heard it. To open a spatial rift within one's soul was something no sane being would attempt.

The enormous amount of mana being used was for two reasons. The first was the location—his soul. The second was the time difference. The flow of time within Ash's soul was not the same as the outside world. The difference between the times of two places caused the portal to devour mana at an extraordinary rate.

In a matter of moments, half of her pure energy vanished, and a small green portal appeared before her. The scale of what she had lost was staggering. Even when compared to the total mana capacity of a Saint, it was at least ten times greater.

That much amount of mana was absorbed within seconds.

Though the portal still consumed mana to stay active, the drain had slowed significantly. With her constant absorption rate, she could easily maintain it for some time without issue.

Before long, all the Elven Saints gathered before her, their expressions filled with concern. Serena arrived moments later, her steps quick and her face pale.

"Great Mother, are you alright? Did someone attack you?" Serena asked, her voice trembling slightly despite her effort to stay composed.

The World Tree's avatar smiled softly and placed her hand on Serena's head. To her, the young queen's genuine worry looked almost endearing. Tears glimmered in Serena's eyes, though she tried to hold them back, remembering her position.

She is just a big baby...

The World Tree shook her head lightly and said with a gentle tone, "It's nothing serious. The portal I created simply consumed a large amount of my mana. That is why there was a sudden disturbance. You don't need to worry."

Although none of the Saints had spoken up like Serena, their expressions carried the same concern.

Ever since they had learned that the reason their Great Mother once fell silent was due to a plot by the demons, their hatred for the demonic race had deepened. They had been ready to wage war then and there, if not for her stopping them and reminding them that the time had not yet come.

So when they sensed another disturbance today, every one of them rushed here without hesitation, ready to fight.

Elowen, Serena's Aunt, was the first to speak. "Are you sure, Mother? Just say the word. If those demons have attacked again, we will obliterate them all."

The moment her words left her mouth, every Saint in the area released their battle intent, the air itself trembling under their combined power.

The World Tree smiled again and shook her head slowly.

"As I said, there is nothing to worry about."

Her calm tone eased their hearts, and they calmed their horses, though questions still lingered in their eyes. They were all wondering the same thing—where did this mysterious portal lead, and why had it caused such chaos while forming?

Before they could voice those questions, the portal rippled. The green light within it shifted and twisted. Then, in the next second, someone stepped out.

Seeing the person.

Every Saint froze in shock.

!!!

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