The house was fairly respectable, considering other options. It even had a garden in the back, maybe 200 meters of area. Which for a place as expensive as the capital of a galaxy, it was probably worth more than it's weight in jade.

"Not seeing any sacrificial altars or humid dungeons full of wailing prisoners." Pef wondered as he inspected his new house.

Arazmodel looked around cautiously. "Shhh. Small beings such as ourselves wouldn't dream of usurping the perks of the Chosen." he whispered in a wary tone.

Pef smiled a bit grimly. "Tell me about the other tournaments. Size, rules and of course, the winner's benefits."

They both sat at a table in the garden, with collared servants bringing wine and fried meat on sticks. They stole curious glances at the free human daring to mingle with demons.

"We had always had pit fights, back to our earliest ancestors. A clean way to show strength, update your core or get rid of an enemy." Arazmodel began with practiced gestures.

Pef smiled politely. Politicians would be the same everywhere.

"Then Rughoel, our first Chosen, won the planet-wide competition, designed to concentrate power into the cores of few. Tribes and clans were washed away, as millions or more warriors died in the arena, and created the first Demon Lord." the demon continued, veneration visible on his face.

"And now?"

"Now, all planets in the galaxy send their own Chosen to the tournament. The concentration of magic is much higher too, and often Greater Demons appear, if they survive long enough."

"I see. All planets, you mentioned. So there's my entry point." Pef said with a thoughtful voice, while his senses were scanning the slaves for the inevitable trap.

Demon mentality was refreshingly open. There would be no unexpected betrayal. They would of course, stab you in the face, and thank you for your money. It was your own stupidity if you signed your soul away, after all.

"Yes, even Mi'ridolor. The same step the Elf Queen took, when she arrived here all those years ago. Butchered champions and even a few Greater Demons. No one could stop her. She won the tournament." Arazmodel admitted with a frown.

"And?"

"Well, she sure did not expect the Archdemon to hand her the prize. Which he didn't, of course. See that blueish gas nebula over there?" the Soultrader asked, pointing towards a blurry section of the night sky.

"A star exploded, I suppose." Pef said with an eyebrow risen. A supernova was nothing to sneer at.

"I remember watching the fight and then boom, light and more light. Verzinel said that explosion would kill a Greater Demon for sure. Anyway, both of them survived and fought for a week, till one day they didn't. The Elf Queen died, her soul absorbed by the scepter. And the Archdemon fell ill too, muterring of insane goliths and other things. Rughoel keeps watch, afraid our ruler might snap and kill us all."

'I know what the demon saw. Remember how it felt when you were young and living close to the worm?' The glove whispered with foreboding words.

'He saw something of the outside. From here?' Pef wondered a bit confused.

'Not likely. The Archdemon remembered how he died, before he got here. Something horrifying even for a demon.'

'I don't remember how I died.' Pef mused with a frown. Was he even dead, in the other life?

'But Xia did. And I think Arden does too.' the glove said in a certain tone.

Pef nodded inward. Trust the glove. Even if painful, the course was safe. He would survive, and fulfill the mission.

"What is the prize?" Pef asked with some amusement.

Arazmodel stared at the foolish human in front of him. Did he even cared about the prize?

"I told you. You become a Chosen. Tied into the magic workings of the galaxy, never to be without magic." the Soultrader replied with awe in his voice.

"Nah. I don't need it then. You can have it when I win." Pef said with a shrug, then sipped more wine.

Stolen novel; please report.

"That's...unexpected. How certain are you of winning?" Arazmodel asked licking his lips.

Pef looked up, right hand blocking the stars. "Completely certain. Unless the Archdemon wakes up or something. If he does, I'm not sure." he answered truthfully.

"There will be a Grand Demon. Maybe two."

Pef withdrew a demon core and mind stone, holding them in his palm. Both were glowing a mystical blue, promising power.

"Toys. Children playing with toys. My Legion is out there, fighting the goliths your ruler saw. He went mad from a single glimpse at the truth. I'm heading there to kill them." Pef said with a stern voice, then crushed the stones with his glove. Blue gas flew out, rising into the night.

The Soultrader paled. For once, he felt he had gotten in over his head, dealing with true power. His trader skill told him he had heard the truth. You couldn't be a trader without being born a trader.

"I'll go set you up as a contestant. Representing Mi'ridolor. I'll need a name."

"Legion" Pef whispered back, his thoughts not actually focused on the demon.

Arazmodel knew, of course. The name was fake. Still, it was close enough. The human was Legion, even if it wasn't the whole truth.

A bit of mystery would muddle the betting anyway. Seers would see too much and not enough.

He ran towards the Arena, already converting his future winnings in power.

Nobody had gifted a Chosen title away, not even the Elf Queen.

All he had to do next, was to make sure Veriznel would fall at the right moment. Get him to attack the human, perhaps with the black mace.

Arazmodel ran the setting with his skill, making sure to obey the letter of the contract. It wouldn't be his fault if other parties got injured or killed.

As he entered the Guild, people drew away in fear, even crying, but he ignored them.

Soon, he will be a Chosen!

Back at the house, Pef sensed the woman drawing closer, steps hesitant. "What is it?"

"How can you be free?" she asked with awe.

"I kept my vows, of course." Pef said with a shrug.

"I have a sister, I have to work for him."

"Your sister is dead." Pef said curtly, and crushing her hope.

The woman turned away, steps slow and shaky.

"Wait! Gather the rest and eat all this food." Pef ordered her on a whim.

Soon, some two dozen servants were wolfing down meat and wine while throwing furtive looks around.

Made for a sorry sight, even if most of them were spies or such. Maybe all of them.

 Inside the inner world, Vela was still sleeping, her body trembling as if she was cold. 

Lia stood beside the bed, sipping tea and just waiting. The avatar placed his chin on Lia's shoulder, trying to achieve the same perspective. 

"What do you see?" the avatar asked in a soft voice.

"Still in flux. Vela is strong willed, I can say for certain. Her body might break, but not her mind." the oracle said with a bit of awe.

"Qin, what do you say?" he asked the other wife. 

The red-headed Monarch glanced at Pef's avatar for a second. "I have never been cold. Not even during the perimeter...but perhaps I should try it. Metals need to be quenched to become strong."

"People are not made of metal. I think you mean discipline instead. Determination and willpower.  Even better, duty. " Pef mused in a low voice, and picked up a collar left behind by the former slaves.

Then he crushed a demon core, and focused his senses, trying to energize the collar again, converting the blue mist into raw mana.

The collar shattered in his hands, an angry scream resounding for a second, before it vanished.

"You expect you'll need this. The need to break a collar from within." Lia stated with a frown.

"Hopefully not. Not me. Vela." he answered with a head shake.

"I see. Her vestal vows." Qin said with a start. Then she leaned over and placed a gentle hand on Vela's trembling shoulder. Slowly, the tremors decreased till they stopped. "Make a sauna, and figure out how to drain her system of raw mana. I can't subdue the cold for long." Qin demanded while her forehead began sweating.

The inner world obeyed, a portion of it molding into a sauna room, with a door connecting to the bedroom.

Then a pile of sand rose up, melted into a set of glass tubes and needles, and landed in the avatar's hand.

Lia looked at the device then at Vela. "Would that even work? Replacing her blood?"

"We'll see. Qin, you asked for this." Pef said while opening the sauna's door.

Qin just nodded.

Two beds appeared in the sauna, side by side. Qin climbed in one, while Pef moved the sleeping Vela onto the other.

As the steam began heating up, Pef attached the transfusion set to their wrists. Soon, blood began a circuit, flowing from one woman to another. 

"My veins are freezing." Qin muttered with clenched teeth.

Pef sighed and gently patted her red hair. "This is how metal feels, when it's quenched" he explained with a half-joke. Qin trembled and glared at him.

An hour later, Vela woke up, looking around in confusion.

"What, what are you doing to me?" she muttered weekly.

"Warming you up. Hot and humid air on the outside, warm blood on the inside." Lia explained instead, gesturing at Pef to make himself scarce. The avatar vanished.

Pef sighed in relief. He made a good choice, bringing these two with him. Lia with her clear head and sharp mind, and Qin with a fiery disposition. Her affinity with fire was helpful too.

'Would a gallon of Saint blood help Qin raise in rank?' he asked his glove.

'Would be too simple. It would help a bit, especially after the cultivation takes over. But they'll need to maintain the two hearts circuit for a month. And if you begin indoctrination now, it would help them both.'

Pef returned a while later in the sauna, and nodded towards Vela. "How do you feel?"

"Much better now. Warm but hungry." she replied in a weak mutter.

With a wave of his hand, the blood flow stopped, then the glass device vanished. 

"To the kitchen!" he proclaimed valiantly, then marched out the door.

A weak giggle was heard behind him. "He's so silly."

Pef grinned inward. A small step for a man, but a step forward.