Demonic Po*nstar System

Chapter 224: New Gear

The room went still. Even the soft buzz of the holo-tablet faded.

Vaelira’s eyes locked on him.

Kaiden continued without being bothered by the change in the atmosphere. ”The cherished A-tier awakened of Nova Circuit peddles drama like a street vendor slinging shit just to juice her stream’s engagement numbers. Jack acts like we’re in a perpetual dick-measuring contest. And Sasha? If I had a coin for every time she looked at one of my girls like they were beneath her, I’d have enough to buy a private dungeon.”

His gaze flicked to Talia’s face on the hologram. ”And Diaz. Strong or not, he’s the sole survivor of a nineteen-man slaughter. I’ve got doubts about him.”

Silence.

No one interrupted him.

Not Talia, whose lips thinned on the other end of the screen. Not Tessa, whose brows furrowed as she realized the negotiation had shifted. And definitely not Vaelira, who sat with her head tilted, eyeing him like she was about to slap him.

Kaiden gave her a wink before continuing.

”So here’s how it is. I want seventy-five percent of all spoils.”

Talia’s expression tightened.

”Diaz is experienced, sure,” Kaiden went on, ”but it’s your guild that’s under threat of dissolution. You’re here because you’re desperate. Runewoven is being done a favor just by being part of this conversation. That alone is worth your cut.”

He shifted, turning toward Tessa now. ”As for Nova Circuit... Vaelira might be A-rank, but the rest of her squad is simply not ready. Back in the desert, my team did most of the heavy lifting while they threw tantrums and pouted through it.”

The temperature in the room dropped.

Aria’s smile deepened as she grabbed onto Kaiden’s hand resting on her thigh and stroked it lovingly.

Tessa didn’t like what she was hearing. Not one bit. But...

She couldn’t deny it either.

Nova Circuit hadn’t looked good during the desert dungeon. Kaiden’s claim of her guild members doing worse than his team was questionable at best, while a straight-up lie if one asked her, but the footage made one thing crystal clear: they were indeed stirring a lot of drama in a tense situation. It was extremely amateurish.

She exhaled.

”...I’ll give up five percent.”

Her voice was cool. Steel behind silk.

”If that’s what it takes to get this ball rolling, fine. But I won’t risk the lives of my precious guild members in a dangerous dungeon where they’re treated like dead weight. If you want this to work, then take the deal.”

Kaiden met her eyes.

A beat passed.

Then he gave a nod.

”Deal.”

Talia protested, but once both parties turned on her, she wasn’t given much of a choice but to agree.

Thus, the terms were set.

65% to Valhalla’s Sinners.

35% to Nova Circuit.

0% to Runewoven.

The next time they stepped into a dungeon, it wouldn’t be for spectacle.

It would be for legacy.

And blood.

...

Kaiden and co left the guild building satisfied, though one thing was for certain: they agreed to a very harsh undertaking. It was the same-ranked dungeon as the desert one, and they nearly died there many times.

Furthermore, the level cap being at 25 meant they’d face stronger monsters, and the person limit added another layer of difficulty. If that wasn’t bad enough, a vampire crypt sounded more difficult than the desert setting.

But at the end of the day, they got what they wanted, so excitement could be felt when they returned to the bunker to make their final preparations.

They had over 35,000 Chronos to their name, the equivalent of over 3.5 million USD. It was time to invest the cash in their gear to increase their chance of survival.

Their current gear was common-rarity, the one above junk. There were no spells imbued into them, and even low-level monsters could destroy it with a few attacks. That wouldn’t do from now on.

Kaiden leaned back into the bunker’s plush sofa, sinking into its comfort. He was looking a bit like a king on his throne. The long day of negotiations was behind them, so now a far more exciting phase could begin.

His hands settled on the shoulders of Luna and Aria, who sat flanking him on either side. They melted into his touch, each wearing a giant smile as they leaned into him with similar levels of glee.

He cracked his neck once.

”Let’s shop, my beloved Valkyries and tanned kitten.”

The Awakened Platform’s holographic marketplace opened up in front of his mind’s eyes. Thousands of items were laid out in categories, filters, auctions, and bundles. Gear of all classes, rarities, and functions.

He filtered the results by uncommon rarity and above and narrowed the tag to [Undead] and [Vampiric] resistance.

His eyes landed on a set of matte black armor lined with silvery lines:

Set Name: Dawnguard (Uncommon)

Class Compatibility: Hybrid / Melee Caster

Perks:

12% Resistance to Necrotic and Blood Affliction

+15% Mana Flow Efficiency

Reactive Barrier: Generates a burst of light when struck by vampiric attacks, blinding attackers briefly.

Price: 3,000 Chronos

Kaiden whistled low under his breath.

”Forty Chronos for the Metal Nomad Set, huh?” he muttered. ”And now they want three thousand. What a jump in price...”

Still, the stats were perfect. The utility. The defense. The light-burst deterrent? Beautiful. He locked it in.

Next up: a weapon.

He filtered again, [Silver], [Anti-Undead], and [Two-Handed].

What he found was nothing short of a monster.

Name: Twilight Ripper

Type: Greatsword (Silver Core Alloy)

Rarity: Uncommon (Modified)

Perks:

– Bonus Damage vs. Vampiric, Undead, and Possessed enemies (+18%)

– Converts 4% of dealt damage into a temporary lifesteal shield

– Blade can be infused with mana to release a crescent arc slash (15s cooldown)

”Goodbye, War Axe...”

He clicked Purchase.

One by one, the items dematerialized from the server grid and reformed before him. The armor hovered in pieces—pauldrons, breastplate, greaves.

Twilight Ripper manifested last. The room dimmed for a moment, the sword drinking in the light.

Kaiden’s gaze slowly shifted.

He saw them. His girls. Already donning their new gear.

They hadn’t said a word yet.

But they didn’t need to.

They looked just a little too sexy in those updated outfits. And they hadn’t even posed yet.

Kaiden’s eyes shone with fire as he stood to his feet.