In his entire life—
He had never even heard of such a thing.
Level ninety.
Not seen.
Not imagined.
Not even whispered in rumors passed between hunters over drinks.
The strongest monster in Averton City—
A Level-63 Emperor Tier.
The Glacial Dragon.
The strongest in the entire country—
The Emperor Qilin.
Level-79.
Owned by Ren Tianyu, the pride of North Qudour.
And this—
This thing in front of him—
Quasi-God Tier.
A category that existed beyond power.
Beyond nations.
Beyond control.
How…
His thoughts tangled.
How could something like this… be chained here?
Golden chains pulsed again.
The creature snarled.
The cave trembled faintly under the strain.
And then—
Another thought cut through everything else.
The System…
Offering him this.
Not just to own.
But to—
Sell.
Arceus's breathing slowed.
Then deepened.
Then steadied.
His fear didn't disappear.
It simply…
Shifted.
Into something sharper.
Greed.
Opportunity.
Possibility.
"System…"
His voice came out low.
Steady.
Without hesitation.
He stepped forward.
One step.
Then another.
Stopping—
Exactly three feet away.
Just outside the attack range.
"I choose this spirit."
Ding!
[Initiating Soul Chain Binding…]
For a split second—
Nothing happened.
Then—
It erupted.
Golden chains exploded out of his chest.
They weren't physical.
Not entirely.
They were—
Energy.
Alive.
Crackling like lightning given form, twisting and lashing through the air with violent intent.
They shot forward.
And struck.
The chains slammed into the feline spirit with a deafening force, wrapping around it, tightening over the already binding seals like a second layer of domination.
The creature screamed.
A sound that didn't belong in the world of the living.
High.
Sharp.
Filled with rage and pain and something ancient.
It struggled.
Thrashed.
The cave walls trembled.
The chains glowed brighter.
Then—
It was pulled.
Dragged.
Straight toward him.
"Argh—!"
The moment it collided—
It entered him.
Not gently.
Not smoothly.
It forced its way inside.
"THE HELL—!"
Pain exploded.
His skull felt like it cracked open from the inside, a violent pressure building behind his eyes, his vision shattering into fragments of light and darkness.
His breath—
Stopped.
His body—
Locked.
His knees slammed into the ground.
"YOU DIDN'T WARN ME—!"
His voice broke into a shout, raw and strained, his fingers clawing into the dirt beneath him as if trying to anchor himself to reality.
For a moment—
He thought—
He might actually die.
Then—
It stopped.
Just like that.
The pain vanished.
The pressure lifted.
His breath returned in a sharp gasp.
The world snapped back into focus.
Ding!
[Emergency Quest Complete]
[New Monster Acquired: Nemesis]
[You added a new type of Prehistoric monster to the system. Mythical grade has been detected. Additional Bonus Reward: 100,000 Coins Earned]
[Nemesis Egg has been added to the Summoner's Shop]
Arceus stayed on his knees.
Hands buried in the soil.
Chest rising and falling rapidly.
Sweat dripping down his neck.
Then—
He laughed.
Soft at first.
"I… did it…"
Then louder.
Rough.
Disbelieving.
"I actually did it…!"
His head tilted back slightly, eyes wide, staring at nothing and everything at once as the notifications continued to flicker across his vision.
One line.
He read it again.
And again.
"1… 2… 3… 4… 5…"
His lips moved slowly.
Counting.
Confirming.
"…Five zeroes…"
"100,000 coins…"
A breathless laugh escaped him.
"I'm right…"
His hands trembled.
"How much is that…?"
His voice dropped.
Almost reverent.
"…Ten million credits?"
His throat went dry.
"That's…"
A pause.
"…more than my house…"
"…my debts…"
"…my entire life…"
His fingers pressed into his cheek suddenly.
Hard.
"Ssss—!"
Pain.
Sharp.
Real.
"I'm not dreaming…"
A shaky laugh followed.
A few moments later—
He steadied himself.
Forced his breathing to slow.
Then—
Opened the shop.
The holographic interface appeared.
Soft blue.
Familiar.
He scrolled.
Stopped.
Nemesis Egg
Grade: Legendary
Potential: Max Lv. 80 (Saint Tier)
Price: 100,000 Coins
"…Legendary?"
His brows furrowed.
"Wait…"
"I captured a Mythical…"
He leaned forward slightly.
"…so why is this Legendary?"
His mind worked.
Fast.
"Saint Tier…"
"Level 80…"
A slow exhale.
"That's still…"
"…the strongest level in this country."
He leaned back.
"I shouldn't complain…"
A faint chuckle escaped him.
"It's like complaining about taxes after winning the lottery…"
But then—
His gaze dropped.
To the price.
100,000 Coins.
Silence.
"…Who the hell is going to buy this?"
The excitement—
Faded.
Replaced by something colder.
More practical.
"No one."
He muttered.
"Not from me."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"Anyone who can afford this…"
"…doesn't need to buy it."
A pause.
"They can just take it."
The thought lingered.
Heavy.
"I'd be painting a target on my back…"
His shoulders lowered.
The earlier high—
Crashing down into grounded reality.
"…Tch."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
Letting out a long breath.
"Forget it."
His tone steadied again.
"Not now."
"We've got other things to sell."
"And honestly…"
A faint smirk appeared.
"…I don't think my heart can handle a ten-million credit transaction yet."
A quiet laugh escaped him.
His gaze drifted.
Unfocused.
If he hadn't left the house…
If he hadn't gone with her…
If she hadn't brought him here—
None of this—
Would exist.
"Just being around her…"
He whispered softly.
"…is changing everything."
His fingers curled into a fist.
Tight.
"A second chance…"
Something warm flickered in his chest.
"Celia…"
His eyes softened slightly.
"…maybe you really are my lucky star."
Silence returned.
Calm.
Then—
He exhaled.
Sat cross-legged on the cave floor.
The system interface hovering before him.
[Coins: 100,088]
His lips curled.
Slow.
Dangerous.
Excited.
"Okay…"
"Time to splurge."
Ding!
[50 Luminous Direwolf Eggs were purchased. 5,000 coins were deducted.]
[50 Blazing Direwolf Eggs were purchased. 5,000 coins were deducted.]
[50 Terran Direwolf Eggs were purchased. 5,000 coins were deducted.]
[50 Electral Direwolf Eggs were purchased. 5,000 coins were deducted.]
[50 Shadow Direwolf Eggs were purchased. 5,000 coins were deducted.]
[50 Hydro Direwolf Eggs were purchased. 5,000 coins were deducted.]
[Blood Coagulation Pill has been purchased. 3000 coins were deducted.]
rceus didn't even blink as the notifications stacked one after another, filling his vision like a rain of gold. His fingers moved with a steady rhythm, tapping through the interface with a calm that didn't match the storm of numbers flashing before him, as if he had already crossed a mental threshold where hesitation no longer had any place.
"Just in case…" he muttered under his breath, though even he wasn't sure what he was preparing for anymore. Perhaps danger. Perhaps opportunity. Perhaps both, tangled together in a way his past self would have never dared to touch.
Next—
The Growth Pills.
His eyes lingered on the option for a second longer than necessary, not because he doubted their usefulness, but because he understood exactly what they meant. Power. Immediate, tangible power. The kind that could turn a weak creature into something capable of surviving a battlefield overnight.
He tapped.
Ding!
[30 Growth Pills were purchased. 15,000 coins were deducted.]
[Coins Remaining: 52,088]
"And just like that…" he exhaled slowly, leaning back slightly as if the weight of his own actions finally settled on his shoulders, "I spent over 48,000 coins…"
His gaze drifted for a moment.
"…which is like 4.8 million credits…"
The number didn't feel real.
Not yet.
But then—
A faint smile returned.