As more and more slaves were being rescued and collected into Pef's inner world, he began running out of living space.

Bamboo rafts and multistoried houses helped, but a couple of square kilometers weren't enough to house two million people.

With a strain of effort, Pef decided to form a triangle with his three islands, then create piers between them.

Bringing materials from the outside was also straining, but the glove's inner storage wasn't suitable for life.

Still, by the hundred liberated mine, the area between the islands had been filled with rock and jade from the mines. Then covered with sand. Not ideal, but at least the people he'd saved wouldn't have to swim.

"I'm a lousy god. Can't even make land in my own world." Pef complained with his avatar.

"It will do for now, beloved husband. Don't strain yourself with this. Use those two Demons to strengthen yourself. A couple more islands and piers, and we'll have room for everyone. For a short while." Lia advised him with a soft voice.

"I'll craft some barges with all the metal and wood we have. Aria will need to grow some food for these people though. Healing starved people is not that healthy." Lin added her voice.

"On it!" Aria yelled from afar.

Pef nodded in defeat. Again, he just wasn't strong enough. And if simple logistics were problematic, the meeting with the Soultrader was bound to go bad.

Even demons were crying at the mere mention he was coming for a visit. Probably someone strong and cruel.

The avatar sat down to meditate, while outside Pef was rushing to the next mine. There was no time to waste, after all. By tomorrow, he needed to have all the slaves uncollared, and the jade held in ransom.

Qin and Yuan were grilling fish non-stop, feeding the freed slaves as they came out of Aria's triage, still patting their necks in disbelief. If of being free of collar, or having their heads chopped off. One or another, for sure.

By tomorrow, more problems would pile up, as excrement would create mountains with such numbers and lack of toilets. Logistics was indeed the key to all victories.

Still, about half the day through, two more island rose from the ocean, and he used the treasure sword as a bridge, adding some 10 more square kilometers of dry living space, if not comfortable.

There was sufficient room for everyone now, so one problem solved.

The day flew by, as more and more mines were liberated and looted. When the last mine was empty, Pef's hands were trembling from exhaustion. He hasn't been this tired since his teenage years!

He took out his knife and kissed it good night, then fell asleep.

Inside his inner world, the light went out as well, forcing everyone to go to sleep as well.

Tomorrow, he would see about the other problems.

The glove didn't need to sleep, and just observed, its thoughts and predictions running at full speed, now that a million tons of red jade were available for energy. It did reveal that Red Impure Jade was an energy source for artifacts, after all. Merely half a percent more energy, but should be sufficient. Perhaps its ward did good today.

Saving two million people from slavery was nice, but irrelevant. They couldn't be maintained for long.

Gently, the glove extended its tendrils and began fixing a few glaring holes in its ward mental defenses. It would be shameful to let him get enslaved to some mere lowlife demon. Not too much though, or the stupid man would never realize he had to work to strengthen his mind and the mindforce.

Then again, the Legion should have supplied training holojades and the damned Legion Armor.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

In the galactic map, the Legion wordgun's recovery signature was still sending the ID tag, although very weakly. In a thousand years, the poor weapon would be out of power completely.

The glove flexed its fingers with anticipation. Soon, it would hold its primary charge back, and this time it wouldn't let it go. Never again!

The red energy flowed from the storage, radiating a healing glow through the glove. Estimated time to combat, 10 hours, 21 minutes.

The Legion knife didn't have such complicated thoughts. It just rolled on the side, blade resting flat on his master's neck. Demons made such nice snacks, and tomorrow there will be ever more to feast on! The puppy growled in anticipation. His teeth were finally healed and ready to bite.

Farther towards the galactic center, a treasure ship was speeding towards the Green Mine planet at highest velocity. The Soultrader inside didn't have the mood to sleep.

He was reading the latest reports, and was seething with anger. Two Lords and three guards dead, unknown numbers of slaves escaped, as well as unknown loses to jade production.

Whoever this human was, he would suffer deeply for making him fly all the way to the edge of the galaxy.

The other report, from a frontier guard revealed some more information. It seemed the old relic did have a purpose, beside being used as a ceremonial mace to smash even the strongest and hardy demons into submission.

Not just an indestructible mace, was it?

This human had come a long way to find it. Surely he must know its use, and perhaps even how to operate it. From a mildly interesting second class treasure, this old mace might prove to be a first class one, comparable to the Archdemon's scepter.

And the one to reveal it would surely be greatly rewarded, perhaps even with a Greater Demon rank.

Arazmodel's eyes glinted with greed. Perhaps he wouldn't kill this human right away.

Revenge could wait, for some time. But how to make the human follow him willingly to the capital?

The Soultrader began planning and scheming, going over known weaknesses in human mind and body. Male human, in fact.

Perhaps a human female? But which one?

After a few hours, a plan had formed in his vicious but genial demon mind, and an abyscom jade flew to his fifth hand. Calls had to be made, competitors bought off, or given false leads, traps and assassins prepared, the audience emir bribed, and many other tiny details.

When Arazmodel was set on the revenge path, even demons cried. For his mercy was absolute. Absolute zero.

Morning came over the Green Jade planet, bringing with it promises of violence and wealth.

Pef flew towards the demon camp, and landed in front of an empty house. Ignoring the demon guards, he entered and began looking around for anything of interest. 

A silver necklace drew his attention, as it felt out of place.

He picked it up and inspected it with his coresenses. The waves slid off, blocking attempts to observe the inner working.

'Glove, you know what this is?' Pef asked with curiosity.

'No. Elven tiara, at a guess. Never seen one before' the glove replied in flat tone.

'Hmmm. I'd have thought it a necklace or bracelet. So, it goes on the head?' Pef wondered, almost tempted to try it on.

'For elves. Your mind will probably crack and shatter, since you have atrocious mind shields.' the glove replied truthfully.

Pef sighed. He kinda suspected that, since even random demons of low strength were able to give him migraines with simple mind pulses.

Luckily for him, he wasn't actually alone in this adventure.

"My dear wives! I need to gain mind shields, and quite fast!" his avatar proclaimed to his harem.

A fervor of activity began on the Xi beach, various mind shield experiments being theorized, experimented and discounted. An hour later, a basic form for a mind shield was proposed, tested and approved.

The women took turns attacking each other and fixing the biggest holes. With a few minutes left, the new cultivation practice was learned and activated, just as the Soultrader's ship entered the system.

Outside, Pef decided to bind the tiara around his glove, for some extra protection.

'At least bind it properly.' the glove said with a defeated tone. 

Pef blinked, then figured it out. A drop of blood fell on the elven artifact, bringing it to some form of activation. 

The glove grudingly allowed some of the red jade energy to flow through and energize the ancient tiara.

Not that it could even work when worn on the hand. Humans mostly located their brain and thus their mind ,inside the skull. Which was not in the right hand. Not except extremely traumatic cases. Holding your brain in your hand wasn't healthy, after all. At least for humans. Demons had an easier time with that.

Then again, the glove was the brain of this operation. Somehow, it was fitting for it to wear a tiara. 

 The wail of abyssforce engines signaled the long awaited ship as it landed.

Demons were gathering into a two rank formation, like receiving a king or something. 

Pef also opened his door and glanced outside. 

The friendly Demon Lord was also standing in formation, albeit at the head of it. 

With some purple gas being expelled, the ramp of the spaceship lowered. The demons were barely breathing, their fear now almost tangible. 

 Pef leaned on the door, curious what would come out.

Steps resounded loudly on the metal ramp. 

 Pef's stomach growled loudly, reminding him he missed breakfast. 

Angry eyes flashed from the lined up demons, then back towards the ground. Then silence.

The Soultrader had arrived.