El smiled slightly, satisfied with the results of their intensive training over the past seven days. "With this, we can not only survive, but also dominate," he thought.
And to top it all off, the number of Meteorite Crystals they had was still very large, enough to strengthen the group further and, if needed, recruit new members that could expand the team's strength.
To El, this was just a rung on the ladder and the first step in building a group that would dominate this harsh world.
Calmly, El jumped down from the roof of the broken bus and walked over to his men, who were now busy dissecting the bodies of the infected.
They looked tired, but worked without complaint, digging out the remains of meteorite crystals and Coagulated Meteorite Fragments from the bodies of the defeated enemies.
One of them, while letting out a long sigh, muttered, "I wonder, how could Eldest Brother defeat all these monsters without breaking a sweat..."
Tian Li, who was still panting, sneered, "That villain is indeed a monster! Don't equate him with us!"
Although visibly upset, his eyes could not escape El's calm figure, casually enjoying the cola in hand, as if their fight was just entertainment for her. "But, we're still lucky... Eldest Brother finally came back to us."
El, who heard their mutterings, grinned slightly as he stepped closer. "Are we done?" he asked in a casual yet authoritative tone.
Instantly, the members of his group stood up straight, putting away the crystals they had collected, while enduring the fatigue.
"Yes, Elder Brother. We've taken everything we could find," replied one of them, showing several meteorite crystals and a Coagulated Meteorite Fragment that they had managed to obtain.
El looked at them sharply, his eyes showing a deep sense of pride. "The number of meteorite crystals is not much huh? No problem, you've worked hard. I'm proud of you."
"Now make sure that all these materials you've collected don't go to waste," he said in a stern tone, "and remember... don't be greedy in using them. Do it gradually and understand your limits."
Hearing his instructions, they simply nodded, respecting the decisions and strategies El had laid out for their group.
In their hearts, they felt a renewed sense of hope, because underneath his hard and cold demeanor, they knew that El, the Eldest Brother, always protected them in the most unexpected ways.
El sighed as he looked up at the afternoon sky that was slowly turning into evening. "Ah, yes... I'll be going far away to a very far place," he said, trying to sound casual. "Like just disappear. You won't be able to find me."
Those words instantly broke the atmosphere. The members who had been excited to hear the instructions fell silent. They stared at each other, as if in disbelief, but chose to bow their heads in silence.
Tian Li, who always looked strong, this time held back the tears that began to well up in the corners of his eyes. "We understand, Eldest Sister... we won't hold you back..." his voice was soft, yet full of sadness.
El raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised by their reaction. "Surprising," he said coldly, yet without malice. "You really don't want to ask further questions?"
Compactly, they shook their heads. "No, we will not ask further. Especially if we ask in a violent manner, we can't win against Eldest Brother."
Tian Li raised his face, and firmly said, "Make sure of one thing only, Eldest Brother. Even if you go to the end of the world, never forget that we are already your home!"
Instantly, a faint smile appeared on El's face. There was sincerity behind his usually sharp and cold eyes. "Alright," he replied, his voice a little warmer this time. "You guys are where I come back to. But make sure of this... build a permanent base, and recruit more reliable people. The world is harsh, you must be prepared for anything."
The members nodded, their determination visible in respectful eyes. They knew that their Eldest Brother was leaving, but to them, his presence would always be there as an inspiration.
Even though their Eldest Brother, the strongest figure who had guarded them since the apocalypse began was gone, the hope and purpose he had instilled in them would remain with them, making them stronger than ever.
"Never mind, don't think of my leaving as some kind of death," El said as she turned around, giving a faint smile. "Alright, I'll leave now. No problem, right?" he said in a casual tone.
"No problem, be careful on the road, Eldest Brother," the group replied in unison, their voices echoing respect and loyalty.
Suddenly, El's figure disappeared as if swept away by time, leaving only cracks in the hard asphalt. Using the Gen'nichi Kō technique, El quickened his pace, moving like an unreachable shadow.
After being quite a distance away from his group, El walked through a narrow alley, opening his system to return to the Reincarnation Room.
His body gradually disappeared, like grains of sand swept away by the wind, as if his presence in this world was just a brief illusion that now vanished without a trace.
***
Once awake, El found himself back in a narrow room with dark brick walls surrounding his, dim lighting illuminating the space, and the only door in front of his was a dark red wooden door.
El stepped up to the door, grasped the knob quietly, then opened it and exited the room.
With quick steps, he rushed towards the auction house in the trading area, his intentions were clear: sell the demon blood capable of turning humans into sun invulnerable demons as well as look for items that caught his attention.
Before selling the demon blood, El checked the list of items available in the auction first, El's mind was suddenly distracted. "Ah, right," he muttered with a faint smile, "I also need to find something for Karin as a gift or some kind of souvenir."
"Moreover, I also thought of selling the passive skills Total Breathing Concentration and Breathing Force." said El, then accessed the System Catalog Store and bought two Ability Crystals.
El spent 10,000 points to buy two Ability Crystals, then transferred his skills to them. After that, he immediately auctioned off one of his Blood Demons and the two ability crystals.
Origin Demon Blood was set at a starting price of 50,000 points, while the Sun Breathing Style Passive Skill and Total Concentration Breathing Skill each started at 60,000 points.
In just a minute, the auction house turned boisterous. Rumors quickly spread, and the auction participants gathered excitedly.
"Origin Demon Blood? With this blood, one can possess Demon Profession and regeneration ability? I can't miss it!"
"Sun Breathing Style? In the description, this skill has very strong potential? I must have it!"
"Argh! I'm so unlucky! It must be because of this Imagine Breaker!"
{N/A: Imagine Breaker is Kamijou Touma's Special Skill. It's a very powerful skill, it can negate any form of magic, esper power and even Blessing, but the drawback is that it can make the owner lose their luck}
"Damn! My points are running low! Knowing from the start there would be something this good, I wouldn't have bought anything!"
The crowd was getting more and more enthusiastic, and the auction atmosphere heated up quickly as bids began to be placed, each participant determined to get their hands on the rare item.
In fact, not a few of them felt very frustrated because they could not participate in bidding on prices, because their points were not enough to set prices.
Not long after, El's two Skills were successfully sold at auction, each reaching a price of 120,000 points, and Origin Demon Blood sold for 100,000 points.
El's total wealth now reached 420,000 points, equivalent to a level 3 Beyonder Authority. If other Beyonders found out about this, they would definitely be envious, to the point of crying blood.
El smiled with satisfaction at the increase in his wealth, which was far greater than when he completed his first World Mission.