...….


    BLING!


    *Ding!* *You have killed a monster of the Low-Silver Rank!*


    *Ding!* *You have obtained 15,000 points in the Physical Existence Refinement Aspect!*


    *Ding!* *Your Physical Existence has ranked up!*


    *Ding!* *Your Physical Existence has achieved the Mid-Silver Rank, allowing you to end the Astral Trial whenever you so wish. However, it is highly rmended that the host not do such a rash thing, as it typically takes thousands of years for one to reach the Mid-Silver Rank. (High chance of alerting the Ten Astral Principality Princes.)*


    *The long span of time it takes to achieve the Mid-Silver Rank is due to many reasons, such as an Astral ne fatality rate above 99.999%. But the main cause for such slow progression is because the way in which the essence is extracted from beings is extremely primitive, and thus, the amount of a being''s existence that Astral Leap participants receive in return for each kill is abysmally low…*


    *Ding!* *Your overallbat power has tremendously improved!*


    *Ding!* *Your baseline multiplicative rate has been increased to ''x15'', allowing your overallbat power to continue constantly improving!*


    Following all of the system notifications ringing out, Azmodeus felt a small rush of power wash over him, as the strength coursing through his veins was slowly but surely causing many qualitative changes within his body, particrly in his skin.


    When he first arrived in the Astral ne, his skin was a tan/whitish color, but after he reached the Copper Rank, a slight copper fment wasyered over the top of his skin.


    Furthermore, after achieving the Bronze Rank, that copper color transformed into a more copperish shade, and the same thing happened for the Silver Rank.


    It was due to all these augmentations that not only had his appearance drastically improved, but his physical prowess had taken leap after leap as well!


    With the level of physical power contained within his skin and muscles, Azmodeus wouldn''t doubt it if he could take on a Nascent Soul Expert while expending minimal effort!


    That was just the degree to which his overallbat power had been augmented, not only due to the steadily increasing multiplicative boosts but also because of the subtle yet effective improvements from his skin and muscles being refined over and over again-


    "How bout we go over there and see what sort of treats they have in that shop…?"


    Pan Nu interrupted his thoughts, and although she asked a question, she had already started pulling the him around by a few strands of red hair that she used as reigns.


    "..."


    Azmodeus let out an exasperated sigh before allowing the troublesome girl to steer him into the vige gates, quickly passing by all the vigers who were looking at them like they were some sort of circus freaks.


    Considering the extraordinary looks of both of them, it was honestly no surprise that they''d attract quite a lot of attention when entering a small vige in the middle of nowhere.


    Azmodeus didn''t really mind their stares, but when he saw through their existences, he noticed something more than a little interesting.


    All of the vigers have refined their Physical Existences…


    That means that the inhabitants of this world are capable of progressing their Physical Existences as well, but for one to improve their Physical Existence Refinement level, they first need to kill other beings…


    This was where things became extremely weird, as everyone, no matter if they were young or old, had some part of their Physical Existence refined.


    And although none of them were above the Copper Realm, there were still a select few in more ostentatious clothing that possessed strength at the Peak of the Copper Realm.


    To reach the Peak-Copper Realm in such a peaceful vige… Something unusual is going on here…


    As Azmodeus, Pan Nu, and Pumpkin Wolfy made their way through the cobblestoned streets of a vige where the wood and stone buildings sat a few meters apart, something started to change in the attitudes of the vigers. They creepily stared at the neers, their eyes seemingly moving in sync.


    "..." "..." "..."


    The vigers stood in absolute stillness, as contrary to Azmodeus''s predictions, they were not in shock due to their appearances but were instead attempting to conceal the eerie looks that crept up their faces…


    The children, the adults, the elderly… As soon as the visitors passed them by, their expressions warped and morphed into something terrifying…


    Their teeth became sharp, and the edges of their mouths extended upward at a degree that shouldn''t be possible.


    Furthermore, their smiling faces,bined with their swirling pitch-ck eyes, created an extremely unnerving sight...


    Especially when, for a split second, their tongues rolled out of their mouths as acid-like drool drizzled down onto the ground, burning deep holes where they fell…


    "???"


    Azmodeus looked behind him after feeling a disturbance in the air, but upon seeing thepletely normal and mildly stunned expressions on the viger''s faces, he lightly shook his head before continuing his advance through the wide, spacious streets of the peaceful vige they entered.


    "..." "..." "..."


    The moment the neers were no longer paying attention to them, all of the viger''s expressions warped back into the horrifying things that they were just a moment ago.


    "Meat… Delicious meat…" One of the vigers had his abyss-like eyes crease upward as he watched the back of the little girl with a malicious glint in his gaze.


    "Meat… Must eat…" A different viger iprehensibly mumbled while wing away at his outeryer of skin, trying its best not to go on a feeding frenzy right then and there.


    "Must tell Chief… Meat must be devoured by Chief before sharing…"


    "Meat…"


    "Meat… Hungry…"


    All of the vigers spoke simr phrases as they repeated them while mindlessly walking toward a certain location south of the vige.


    ***


    Meanwhile, in a different part of the vige that sat atop a small grassy mountain, a crimson-eyed man, along with a young girl and wolf, leisurely walked through the borately decorated streets.


    The ce was quite nice, as there were tapestries of various vibrant colors and a number of neat inventions scattered around the shops and buildings, all of which were powered by a simple form of electricity.


    But, regardless of how nice the vige itself appeared, there was something off…


    ...….