SELFISH

When Clarence finally looked back, he found the full brunt of the Human Race bearing down on him. They were, unsurprisingly, enraged. However, his expression was just the same.

He had already resigned himself to death the moment he submitted the Vast Dream Pavilion for the Challenge. He acted without scruples, and while he wouldn't harm the Human Race on purpose, he also wouldn't needlessly hold back due to cowardice either.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done, Clarence?" Gemmes' eyes were entirely red. It seemed that he was using all the self-control he had to not attack this man he had known for centuries.

Clarence sneered. "Why does it seem like you're more mad at me than you've ever been at those Demons? Why are you trying to hold yourself back so much now? You seemed to be so calm just minutes ago while they were spitting in our faces."

"You-!"

"Oh, I get it. You're not holding back because of me at all; it's because of these little kiddies in my hand, right? Even now, you give more respect to these children than you do your own race. How about some self-reflection, coward!"

Clarence's Dream Force ripped through the atmosphere, and his calm expression gave way to his own fury.

"You're still so selfish."

The words came from a calm woman with a head of green hair and sparkling green eyes. She spoke quite softly.

This woman was of the Crudus family and of the same status as Imperatress Anselma: Ymesmai Crudus.

Clarence shuddered slightly when he heard this woman's words. But after giving her a glance, he didn't say anything else and simply took a step and vanished.

What was done was done. If they wanted to kill him, they were free to try. He was going to face off against the true experts of Existence very soon; he didn't give a damn about what challenges these people might try to bring him. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"The Dream Pavilion will be holding a world-wide exam starting in three days' time. Those that feel they have an affinity for Dream Force, feel free to come. All transportation fees will be handled by the Pavilion."

The voice echoed across the human Bubble Worlds, the booming echo of a Ninth Dimensional expert drowning out everything else.

...

Leonel looked up into the skies, hearing this voice much like everyone else. He had already been planning on going, but now the situation was more than just a little bit hairy.

He hadn't attacked with the intention of harming or even killing that man; he had just appeared out of nowhere, forcing Leonel to use [Finality] at the last moment. Had he not, the portal might have stayed open for long enough for the man to counterattack.

As far as Leonel was concerned, if he had to choose between offending one more enemy and his life, the answer was obvious. Plus, he had already offended so many people, why should he give a damn?

He didn't know what happened afterward, but he did recognize that world. That should have been the Vast Bubble, meaning he was correct about the Demons having congregated over there.

A surge of power caught Leonel's attention.

He looked over to find Little Tolly rushing out the ground, a spark of strength coming from him. Leonel could feel that the little guy had just entered the Quasi Seventh Dimension. One more half step and he would enter the True Seventh Dimension.

However, though this sounded like a small change, for Tolliver, this was nothing short of huge. Every step forward it took was worth far more than anyone else's. Which was why not only had it come out from the ground, but it had also come with a billion kilograms of Ninth Dimensional Reinforced Urbe Ore.

Leonel grinned. "Worth it."

He rushed over and put a hand on it, sending it into the Segmented Cube.

"Perfect, now I just somehow have to figure out how to do the same for the Evolution Ore... Anastasia, throw this Ore into the ocean for me."

"Got it."

Leonel had gotten into a habit of doing this with all the Ore he got from this world. He had a feeling that not all Ore was created equal. Depending on the world it came from, it could be tainted. That was why some Bronze Grade weapons were far stronger than others, though part of that was also a Craftsman's skill.

Anastasia, though, would be his great equalizer. He didn't have to worry about low-quality Ores because of her Cleansing Waters.

By the time he was ready to use the Reinforced Urbe Ore, it would be on the same level as Reinforced Urbe Ore that came from exceptionally high-level worlds.

"Anastasia, I feel that I can protect myself to some extent now. Ignore all restrictions except for those in the Demon Bubbles. I need you to find me as many Fourth Dimensional Mine Cores as possible. I want a map of them all. I'll make a plan starting from there."

Leonel heard Anastasia hum her understanding.

It wasn't that Leonel felt that he could defeat a Ninth Dimensional expert. While Khelgis and Adru had been held back by his spear dance, a real Ninth Dimensional expert, or even an Eighth Dimensional one, could have closed in the distance long before he finished it.

However, given the tools he had in his arsenal, he was confident in his ability to escape, or at least keep enough of a distance so that Anastasia could ramp up to her top speed.

In that situation, Leonel felt he could be a bit more reckless with alerting others.

'That strike would have definitely been able to outright kill a human expert. They are lucky that a Sun Demon took it on for them.'

Leonel sneered. He felt that the time he would get back at these people for what they had put him through wasn't far off at all.

"I have a map ready here," Anastasia's voice came a few hours later.