Pef spent the next month with his elven wife, both in arduous lovemaking and arduous training, using the opportunity to increase this mindforce abilities and skills, while Nellie was growing fast in cultivation, reaching the late stage of Tier 3.
Godbeast blood and even small bits of meat helped greatly with cultivation.
Pef also tested some voidbeast blood mixed with wine and even raw, but it was a rather disappointing experience. Then again his Dao of Void was already very high, due to the Godbeast eye and all his intergalactic travels via Blink.
'It was worth trying, but this Tier 3 voidbeast wasn't made of Heavenly Laws. However, even if this voidwine doesn't help you much, it will help establish the Dao of Void with lower ranks, especially those below divine realm.' the glove told him after another batch of wine failed to increase his insights.
Pef nodded and started testing this on the local Rome recruits.
Boetia was the first to achieve Blink, even with her modest Monarch rank.
Soon after, hundreds of other recruits undergoing wine testing started gaining new spatial abilities, from increased gravity control, higher flight speeds and Blink, to Recall and even phasing, turning immaterial for a moment.
Sure, the range was small for now, but gaining abilities early meant they will get much stronger as their cultivation increased.
Pef kept trying though. Even if his strength didn't increase, his control was actually getting better. Already he could shape voidpalms, as slowly making them larger. Twice as large as his normal hands, for now.
But the path was clear. One day, he would be able to hold a planet in his hand and even a galaxy.
The mind maze was getting harder and harder to navigate, and the glove reflected that with an amazing 2 percent increase in the status page. The Large qualifier changed to Great, and that meant a lot for Pef.
Meanwhile, Merri's regiment established garrisons in the sector, and immediately began recruiting and enforcing order and civilization.
Then, an Archdemon arrived...and waited politely at the security station in orbit.
Pef smiled happily as he arrived beside the visitor. "Arazmodel, my good friend!"
"Lord Pef...already a Tier 4? Or is that Archhuman rank? When we last parted you were still Tier 2, and it has been only a few thousand years." the demon muttered in surprise, astonishment and even a bit of fear in his voice.
Pef grinned and slapped the demon's third shoulder. Because demons had three pairs of hands.
"In the Legion, I could be a Corporal, a Specialist or even a Sergeant with my rank. But I can't self promote here, so I'm still only a Soldier." he explained with a pitiful shrug.
Arazmodel blinked and then sighed. He could sense the words were true after all. "Yeah, you told me before...but I hoped you were deluded. So why are you back, Soldier?" the demon asked in a wary tone.
Pef scanned around for any listeners. "My smith wife needs more adamantite. So I'm searching for a large source. Then I have some things to figure out, the Eyeless and my Church among the top."
The Archdemon nodded knowingly. "Your wife too, huh? I should have never got my third wife..." the demon complained in a pitiful voice.
"Come in, I do have some nice treats. Not sure how much they would help demons, but they work great on all other races..." Pef said with a smile, gently drawing the Archdemon into the inner world.
Arazmodel showed no signs of resisting, and soon found himself beside the avatar, while a table and wine bottles and glasses were being set up.
"Already more galaxies...heading towards the next rank. Good wine!" Arazmodel remarked while gulping the wine and growing even redder.
Pef hummed to himself while observing the changes. Void wine didn't do much, as expected. But the blood wine worked wonders, visibly strengthening the demon, much faster than anyone else.
'What comes after Archdemon?' Pef wondered in his mind.
'Tier 5 demons are called Fiends. Then Archfiends. Then Blood Archfiends at Tier 7. No Tier 8 demon has emerged yet.' the glove replied with a teasing tone.
Pef examined the Archdemon with calculating eyes. 'Yet?'
The glove stayed silent, a clear sign of reluctance to discuss the subject.
"It's possible another Archdemon has risen, not long ago. The Eyeless have demon backing, and powerful defenses against scrying. And they seem to use voidbeasts to travel via wormholes." Pef informed the guest, looking for any signs of acceptance or knowledge.
"Demon backing...yes, I suspected something. Probably the damn Fateweavers. Archdemon though...not likely. I keep an eye on every High Demon and Greater Demon, and often cull those too ambitious. And wormholes...that explains why I rarely catch them." Arazmodel mused out loud, and drank directly for a wine bottle, sucking the liquid in delight.
A minute later, Arazmodel stepped away and grew larger, reaching 100 meters in height.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Pef watched the show curious.
"This wine you make...it just gave me this Growth ability. Do you have more?" the giant demon asked in a pleading tone.
"Sure. I can give you 10 more bottles. Just chop off 100 arms in exchange. And 100 skulls." Pef answered after calculating for a minute.
The demon glanced at his side, then back at Pef who was placing 10 wine bottles on his table with a wide grin.
"Not sure if I should feel honored or insulted. You know I can regenerate from almost anything." Arazmodel said in a surprised voice.
"Honored, I say. Your bones will be shaped into weapons and the skulls into armor for my troops. I rarely find a Tier 4 source, and when I do they're usually my relatives. Like the Elf King." Pef explained and sipped more wine as enticement.
Arazmodel grimaced for a second, then greed won. "I want 20 bottles. My wives will want some wine too. And my sons." he decided after a long stare at the amazing blood wine.
Pef smiled sweetly. "Then is 500 arms and skulls."
"For 50 bottles?" the trader asked hopeful.
Pef shook his head. "For 20 bottles. If you want 50 godwine bottles...it would be possible. But it will cost...5000 arms and skulls. And a favor you can't refuse. Probably aid in one battle, but I'm not sure if you'd be strong enough to help."
Arazmodel clenched his 6 fists in frustration. "Damn demonic trader. I will need to recover for days after a few mutilations. The trade will take years."
"Nah. The wine will recharge your reserves right away. Drink and chop. You should go home with at least 40 full bottles. Think of your family." Pef advised him with a genial smile, and took big swig from a new wine bottle.
Exploiting demonic greed was too easy. And the bones would become larger with every new bottle that Arazmodel drank.
"Fine! I shudder to think what you'd ask for 60 bottles, you demon! But I'm not able to chop myself. My weapons can't damage me." Arazmodel complained with a pleading look.
Pef nodded patiently. "Then. I'll chop you up. Hard work though so...The fee will be 1000 legs." he allowed magnanimously.
Arazmodel gulped and wiped a few tears away. "Get on with it. And please keep the ordeal a secret. My reputation will be ruined if...oh no."
"A secret you say...worth 1000 legs more, at least. Agreed?" Pef wondered with a blinding smile.
Lin will be ecstatic to have so many tier 4 bones. Drake too, most likely.
Arazmodel just nodded and kept his mouth shut. Who knew what the demonic human would ask for another paltry favor?
And thus, Pef resumed training his voidswords, carefully dismembering the Archdemon without damaging the bones, only slicing tendons and flesh.
He took 5 hands per turn, leaving the demon with an able hand to drink wine and regenerate.
The skull took even more careful work, slicing through the nose flesh to the brainstem, leaving the jaw and mouth intact. The demon needed his mouth to drink after all.
To his credit, Arazmodel took the physical pain like a boss, never complaining. Then again, demons were body cultivators. They tempered their bodies all their lives, enduring countless injuries and painful treatments to become stronger and more durable.
His body grew even larger with every bottle. By the tenth wine bottle the Archdemon was over one kilometer tall, and the bones were almost small starship grade.
Pef managed to collect all 2000 legs and 4000 arms when Arazmodel figured something out and began controlling his growth.
"I grow larger and larger, and you get bigger bones. But I also need more energy to regenerate." the huge demon complained as it hesitated to open the next wine bottle.
Pef sighed. "You also increase in cultivation, Arazmodel. A million years of cultivation in one day. Am I being unfair? Shall we stop now and reduce the payment to 40 godwine bottles?" he proposed in a sage voice.
The Archdemon took a long gulp and then yelled "No! Don't reduce it! We're almost done now. Keep going, Lord Pef."
Pef felt his wisdom increase a bit, as more and more bones piled up in his storage.
So he took a small wine sip to recharge and keep slicing till the trade was over.
Arazmodel was 2 kilometers tall and hugely imposing by the time everything was over.
"Glad this is over. Now if I can only figure how to return to normal size. Being big would be quite a problem with my wives..." the demon mumbled looking down at the tiny human on the beach.
'The demon only needs to move outside. The translation to normal space would induce normalization, due to the Tier 1 universe Laws.' the glove said with a smirk.
Pef smiled again. "Oh! I might know a way. But what should I ask in return?" Pef asked rhetorically.
Arazmodel cried again. Somehow it always seemed to happen when this Pef was around him. There were also big gains...but so humiliating...
"Please, Lord Pef. I need to become small again. Maybe, 1000 more legs?" the demon pleaded between tears.
"And 1000 skulls. You have a big head after all." Pef allowed graciously.
Arazmodel sobbed harder and cursed the day he met this human.