Reincarnated With Three Unique Skills

"Yes lords, We have Naga pearls of Greater Demon ranks. How many do you need?" the hound demon asked, his voice low and gravelly.

Aengus and Bella exchanged glances.

"Don't you have anything else?" Aengus furrowed his brows, unsatisfied. Greater Demon rank Naga pearls would hardly suffice for his needs. He required higher-rank materials or, at the very least, a large quantity.

The hound demon hesitated, his large eyes shifting nervously. "Ah, we're very sorry, lords! We don't have anything better at the moment. And to be honest, you won't find many items related to souls more potent than these pearls here. Only humans and half-breeds can use them, so demand is low in these parts."

Bella sighed softly, realizing they had little choice. "How many do you have?"

The demon leaned in closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. "We have 20 of them. They cost 500 low-grade demon cores each."

Aengus's expression remained calm, but his mind quickly calculated the total. Without a word, he gestured, and in an instant, 10,000 low-grade demon cores materialized in front of the demon, neatly stacked in a small mountain by an invisible force.

The hound demon froze, his wide eyes glued to the cores, barely able to contain his excitement. His heart raced as he stared at the shimmering pile, his voice momentarily lost.

"Hey, what are you doing? Take them all out," Bella ordered, her tone sharp but calm, breaking the demon's trance.

"Y-Yes, yes. Give me a second," the hound demon stammered, rushing inside and quickly returning with a small chest containing the 20 Naga pearls.

Aengus calmly placed the pearls into his storage bracelet and left the shop, Bella following closely behind. As they walked away, the hound demon counted the demon cores, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Heh, heh! What fools! They don't even know how to bargain," he muttered to himself, feeling a rush of greed. "Sigh, if only I had hundreds of them, I wouldn't have to worry for months to come."

Unbeknownst to him, Aengus and Bella hardly cared about the small number of cores. To them, it was merely pocket change. They continued their search, moving through several shops and collecting nearly 200 Naga pearls of various qualities.

"Hubby, I think we need to head to the inner district if we want something more useful," Bella suggested, her tone slightly anxious.

"But that would put us right under Demon Lord Crimson's nose. If he senses mana inside us, it could spell trouble."

Aengus nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, but first I need to use these pearls. They might just do the help," he said, gesturing toward a dark alleyway nearby.

Bella followed without hesitation, her eyes scanning the surroundings cautiously. Aengus stopped in the shadows and began taking out all 200 Naga pearls. One by one, they hovered in the air, suspended by an unseen force as their gravity seemed to shift, the shimmering glow of their energy filling the dim alley with an eerie light.

""Synthesis, Synthesis""

Aengus muttered under his breath repeatedly as he worked quickly, fusing the 200 Naga pearls into 35 Archdemon-ranked pearls—the highest rank he could achieve with synthesis.

[Appraisal]

[Naga Pearl]

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[Rank: Archdemon]

[Effects: Slightly Increases Consumer's Soul Strength]

Aengus inspected the result, his face tense. The pearls would likely boost his soul's strength, but they wouldn't repair the damage or chaotic imbalance within it. With a heavy sigh, he resolved to go through with it anyway, hoping it could heal it somehow.

He began swallowing the pearls one by one. Each pearl dissolved as soon as it reached his stomach, flooding his body with the stored soul energy. A surge of power coursed through him, but something felt wrong.

Bella observed closely, her eyes widening as Aengus's aura fluctuated wildly. His presence grew more elusive and powerful on an astral level, but the underlying chaos in his soul became more apparent, more volatile. His body trembled as he struggled to maintain control.

Clenching his teeth, Aengus fought to suppress the chaotic state of his soul. Over time, the constant use of skill synthesis and the extreme strain caused by his Gluttony ability had fractured his soul, leaving it damaged and erratic. The flood of new soul energy from the pearls was only making things worse.

Bella's concern deepened.

"It didn't work? Are you okay?" she asked with worry as she saw the pain on his face.

Aengus grunted, his body shaking.

"Bella, I think It made things worse," Aengus rasped, his voice strained and weak.

Bella's face filled with concern as she knelt beside him, touching his shoulders and checking for any sign of physical deterioration.

"Can you hold on longer, Darling?" she asked, her worry deepening.

"I'll try..." he muttered, his breathing labored.

He sat down slowly, crossing his legs and closing his eyes, attempting to suppress the turmoil in his soul. His hands trembled as he focused inward, trying to reach the depths of his being where the chaos was surging.

Bella stood beside him, scanning the area with cautious eyes, her nerves on edge. They were in a dangerous district, and she knew time was slipping away. But her focus kept returning to Aengus, watching him struggle to maintain control over the storm within.

Aengus sank deeper into his consciousness, reaching toward the core of his soul. Every creature had a soul, a core of energy and identity—whether demon, undead, dragon, or phoenix. But the quality and strength of each soul differed vastly. His was both tangible and intangible, a flickering presence that seemed to shift between being whole and shattering apart.

He had always known the soul was a fragile thing, something elusive and beyond control for most. Even in Mythraldor, it was doubtable if anyone had successfully unlocked the true secrets of the soul or reached its pure form.

"Master, I can help strengthen your consciousness for a while," Manas' ethereal voice suddenly echoed through his mind.

Aengus nodded, and immediately he felt his willpower increase several-fold, which shouldn't have been possible by any means...

He wondered what kind of changes Manas had undergone into ever since she arrived. He decided to look into it in the future.

But for now, he focused on the task at hand.