Popularity

Travis didn't like having his current level of popularity, especially since he didn't want to fight or join any of the other locals in the first place. He could promise a truce, but anything more than that was something that he saw as nearly impossible. The deal he had with the monks would only be offered to those that he deemed worthy.

Luckily his newest recruit, the talking snake, A black adder named Cornelius had a semi-accurate ability to tell when others were lying. Despite being at a mere Iron-grade, the snake's utility was something that Travis has been looking for. He could now confirm his suspicions, taking down the disingenuous individuals within moments. 

Travis couldn't care less about the visitors that came to his territory, only giving them the time of day due to him trying to make up for past mistakes. Getting into a transactional relationship with the Six-armed man was an easy decision for him, since he needed the pills to grow. For a total of 30 pills, they would rent out the Gold-grade demon for two days. 

With the return of the Western Alliance in two days, Gitax would give them the peace of mind that they needed. Mr. Singh and his monks with multiple arms also offered food and certain resources like rocks and metal to Travis, to them Travis was some sort of savior that gave them safety in exchange for a few pills that they couldn't even consume due to their particular diet choices. Any form of meat was not allowed, along with alcohol and a substance that changes the body from within is the equivalent of a magical steroid. 

With the coming of new visitors every couple of hours, the island's defenders were working overtime. At this point even Zekna was getting frustrated, finishing its fill of food earlier than scheduled the boats it sunk were left alone. The survivors of the wreckage would either be drowned or melted by the sea serpent's breath. It was a waste of food, but the corpses would be great for Vantak when he returned. 

The fast growth that Travis was displaying gained him a bit of a following in the top 10k, much to his dismay. He gained message after message from random rankers that wish to ally with him or use him in some way. He had to block or ignore most of the messages since none of them were from anyone worthy of speaking to. "Unless they come in peace themselves, they're not even worth the time." 

"Do these monkeys really frustrate you that much, Master Travis?" Deltrax, the demon who embodied the sin of sloth actually cared about his predicaments for once. 

"I'm receiving too many messages from the fodder that can't even defend themselves... I'm not a hero or a saint. They should know that I don't do charity work. What didn't they get from last message?" Travis placed his head on his palm, clearly tired of all the random messages. 

"I pity you, Master. Back in the abyss, I was forced to interact with random colleagues and demon nobles. It was the most annoying thing in the world. All I wanted to do was laze around but my position as the son of a demon king forced me into those situations." The demon yawned. "Give out another warning, if that doesn't work then make an example out of them." 

"Make an example out of them... that's not a bad idea. Noah, spare a few of those bastards. Tail them with your drones. I'm done playing defense, if they want to fight us so badly then bring it the fuck on." Travis who mostly cared about his own safety has had enough, the constant influx of messages and the new invaders that came whenever they pleased. The merit points gained was nothing to scoff at, but the feeling of being targeted despite not doing anything to the pursuers was getting on his nerves. 

---

That same evening, while Travis consumed some internal energy pills. He finally received messages from a few notable figures. 

Bloodsucking Empress (Top 27): I have heard of your work, My group wishes to visit your territory. We will be arriving within the week. 

Wyvern Caller (Top 10): To the one known as the Master of Otherworlders, I would like to extend an invitation to the Regal Tiger's Alliance. We are very impressed with your achievement, I can assure you that the benefits are quite amazing. 

Relic Maker (Top 309): Hi, this is the Relic Maker. I'm capable of retooling objects and turning them into magical ones. I can give you some for free if you're willing to meet up with my group and strike a deal!

The bloodsucking empress basically invited herself in. The Wyvern caller was trying to ally with him but he was at least offering to talk about benefits, his spot as a top 10 member also made Travis curious. While the Relic Maker was a bit popular in the Top chat due to the deals he made with the top 100 in providing soldiers some decent magical weapons. 

These three chat messages intrigued him the most, after all they all came from figures that he at least recognized or noted down as "powerful." Their names alone gave an allusion to their abilities. "A blood mage or some kind of vampire... Someone who commands dragons? Or are at least those that resemble dragons. And finally someone who deals with magical tools, It's hard to choose but I guess that I'll just have to try."

Travis meditated late into the night, absorbing the internal energy pills with more effort. He was stuck in a trance, one that forced him into a state of self-reflection. The same one that he has been going in and out of for the past few weeks. This state once again made him realize his past wrongdoings, for the next day or so Travis grew in power while the inner workings of his mind began to unravel. 

Something in him was changing and it wasn't just his internal energy pool.