Returning to the Grim Corner is always a unique experience for Aidan. No matter how many times he thought he could handle it, especially after going through a harrowing dungeon experience, somehow the nasty-ass muck within the souls of every single person he sensed was capable of putting him off.
Perhaps his high level was giving him some resistance because he wasn’t feeling as bad as before, but it was still rather nasty. No matter how many times you see a pile of shit, finding another one will always give you a fright.
Unless you live in an area that always has piles of shit everywhere. In that case, your senses would just turn it into a default setting, something Aidan really didn’t want to go through.
But he knew from the start that out of anyone, only he couldn’t get used to such a thing. After all, just seconds into entering the Grim Corner, he already sensed three people within the wide radius around him die on the spot. Around five disappeared, and unfortunately he sensed two being born right then and there.
That last part took him a while to understand, and now he really wished he could leave the Grim Corner.
“If you’re still turning pale every time you come here, this must really be some version of hell,” Nina commented, actually sounding surprised from his state.
“You just don’t see the things I see,” Aidan commented, his jaw stretching and tightening at the sordid reality around him. “I thought I saw some pretty nasty stuff already, yet I keep getting surprised.”
“The phrase ‘ignorance is bliss’ comes to mind for me,” Nina said, shaking her head. “I honestly thought the last time you were here, you were just too fresh, too innocent-minded. After seeing what you’re capable of, perhaps I’m the one who’s blind.”
“Hey, don’t give up on me yet. You’re going to have to lead me around this hell hole,” Aidan said, actually serious. He really didn’t want to stand around here by himself if Nina decided to up and leave.
“Of course not. This may be hell, but it is still a place to make some fortune if you know what to do,” Nina grinned. Her shark-like smile somehow eradicated some of the bad feelings mucking up Aidan’s insides. “Now then, let’s go and find ourselves some Chainlord grunts.”
“Chainlord? I’m guessing you can’t just visit some of their places like you would with the informants?”
“No, not at all,” Nina shook her head. “Their method of income doesn’t come easy for them. They often skulk around in the shadows, waiting patiently for their prey to come for them. Personally, you shouldn’t be coming around here if your Perception stat isn’t high enough to cover your back.”
“Right, right, something about suddenly being enslaved if you’re not careful,” Aidan recalled what he learned before.
“Precisely, but at the same time, that’s how you can find one,” Nina smiled, then brought up what looked like a bookmark from her spatial bag. It was brown in color, with incredibly detailed markings on the front and back.
She then placed the marker on her forehead, and it instantly vanished into small particles that dissipated into nothingness. Aidan wondered what she did, but recognized something as he scanned her.
Archer, Level 11.
“Huh, so that’s how you hide it. But won’t people figure out who you are just by looking at you?”
“I’m not done yet.”
Then as if on cue, Nina pulled out another bookmark. This time it was colored blue with a simplistic circular design. Once again, she placed it on the top of her head, and her appearance massively changed. Her normally black short hair suddenly grew and turned blond, her amber eyes shifting to a bright set of blues, and even her skin tone somewhat lightened up. She looked back at Aidan, her smile still the same despite changing drastically.
“How do I look? Presentable?”
“Definitely someone worth catching,” Aidan admitted. He didn’t even have to be a slaver to know that having someone looking like her traveling alone is bad news, or good news if you were a piece of shit.
“Good. Now here’s the plan.”
Aidan somehow knew where this was going and felt a strange sense of pity for them as he listened.
…..
Wallace was having a shitty night. Or rather, he was having a series of shitty nights. He wasn’t able to meet the quota for the past few days and it was starting to affect his performance.
Normally he would have an easy time scouting out some targets and taking them into the Chainlords, but recent events have caused some of the higher-performing bastards to come out onto his turf and start taking his prey left and right. Thanks to that, the superiors were getting on his ass and demanding that he do something about it, or he would become a target himself.
He skulked around the alleyways and under overhangs, trying to find any decent people to take. So far, he spotted nothing but grown ass men who seriously needed a bath, not a single one worth even a gold coin on the market.
Just when he was about to give up and plan on expanding his search range, something caught his eye. A beauty he never expected to find in this shithole of a place just casually walking about, her beautiful blond hair trailing behind her glimmering set of sapphire eyes.
She looked his way, and he immediately pretended to not notice. But his heart paced rapidly as excitement filled him.
A target that could wipe his dirty slate clean with not a single rival in sight. He grinned as he activated his skills, blending into the darkness and trailing behind the beautiful airhead traveling alone in this dangerous place.
From another person’s perspective, one would normally question why such a beauty was alone in the first place. Why was she there, and why at such a low level? Being a simple Archer at level 11 in the Grim Corner is just asking to be kidnapped, and being alone on that matter was just presenting yourself on a silver platter. Of course, Wallace didn’t bother thinking too hard, his stress from the past few days reaching critical mass as all he could think about was the amount of gold, or a little bit of fun, he could get.
They traveled around like this for a few minutes, and Wallace used every trick in the book to force the girl to turn into corners by making sounds that would make the young girl nervous, or making small illusions that caught her eye and forced her to turn tail and run to the other side. He always liked this kind of game, the kind where the target had absolutely no idea what was about to happen, and more importantly, did exactly as he planned for her to do.
Such simple diverting tactics made him grin widely when she eventually found herself all on her own at a dead end in a nearby passageway. He felt thrilled when he eventually revealed himself around the corner, facing the beautiful girl with a slow gait. He could imagine her heart pounding, her sweat beading, and her eyes brimming with tears as she turned around to face him.
“Don’t make this any harder for me,” He simply said. There was no need for wasted words. “You should know how this works.”
He raised his hands, his energy forming to prepare his constricting spell on her. The girl’s eyes widened, taking a step back closer to the wall as he kept approaching her.
Then, she smiled.
That should’ve knocked some sense into his head, but before he could realize why this crazy chick was smiling, he heard footsteps land right behind him.
He turned around, immediately redirecting his mana to activate an offensive spell that would shoot a mana bullet straight from his hand. Instead, his own hand was caught in mid-air, his spell fizzling out in response.
Then pain bloomed on his hand as he screamed, his feet suddenly losing ground as he was lifted up into the air. Another hand gripped his collar, shutting off his air supply as he looked directly at the man who cornered him.
A set of multi-colored hued eyes stared menacingly at him, and a sense of fear and panic fueled him as he spoke.
“Buddy, you have nobody to blame except yourself,” The man said, grinning at him.
“I told you,” A feminine voice spoke up from behind, realizing that it was the same blond-haired girl as she approached. “There are always desperate hunters that would ignore the signs.”
“I thought it was weird why only this one guy went after you,” The man said, shaking his head. “Guess you have to be real dumb if you didn’t know why she was alone and not already caught.”
“W-What the?!” The man shouted, trying and failing to be freed from the man’s grip. Just how high was his Might stat for him to completely lose out in terms of strength? His stat was decently high despite being a rogue, and he had even learned some spells to make up for his shortcomings. But even then, the man refused to bend as Wallace’s throat slowly lost the air he needed to breathe.
He finally glanced at the blond hair girl walking up beside the man, then that blond hair girl was no more as her appearance changed. Her hair shortened and blackened, and a set of sharp amber eyes faced his own.
The moment her appearance showed, the man instantly frowned, all hope lost as he definitely recognized her features.
“N-Nina… Alcatroz…”
“Wow, you really are famous,” The man commented.
“It’s a sin to look this good and memorable," Nina said, sadly shaking her head.
“Oh please, you’re enjoying this,” The man scoffed. “So, what do we do now?”
“What else?” Nina said, then turned her sharp gaze toward Wallace. “So, Wallace–can you tell me where we can find a place to get some slaves of our own?”
…..
Wallace became a good source of information for the pair as he spilled the beans on everything he knew about the Chainlords gang of which he was a part of. And he was definitely a part of it considering he kept bitching about his missing quotas and how he’ll eventually be a slave himself if he doesn’t pull some targets here and there.
At first, Aidan felt a little bad for the guy who got sucked into Nina’s plan, but hearing how casual he was about targeting people to become slaves against their will, and his soul showing the true malicious intent behind his actions, Aidan considered that perhaps this guy deserved more than just being a slave. Nina, however, decided that none of that was her business as his own life is already bad enough as it is, leaving him once she received the information she needed.
Rather harsh, but Aidan figured Nina was more about the gangster life than anyone else. Hardcore.
Following that, what they learned was actually surprising as they found out that there was an actual slave auction in the next hour or so. The auction where the Chainlords set up a venue where they show off their best slaves to sell for the top bidder, and luckily enough, it was going to happen a few miles away from where they were according to dear old Wallace.
Apparently this auction was on such a down low that only those who were intrinsically connected to the Chainlords knew about it. Considering that Nina was something of an enemy to the Chainlords, it made sense that she didn’t know about it.
“An invitation-only auction where some of the top brass connected to the Chainlords are invited and given extensive previews over their best slaves,” Nina said, her arms crossed as she stayed there deep in thought. Aidan waited patiently for the next plan, wondering exactly how they were going to get that invitation.
“Do we hit another target?” Aidan asked. “Maybe search for the ones who have the invitation?”
“Knowing the Chainlords, they keep strict recordings on every client they know. Even if we have our hands on an invitation, they won’t let us in that easily, even if we put on disguises.”
“Huh, true…”
“Well, I suppose this is where you come in.”
“Mmh?”
He asked, but then a second later realized what she meant. He should’ve known this himself, but he kept forgetting that they were in a world where magic was involved.
“You want me to phase us into the place while invisible?”
“Got it in one,” Nina grinned.
“Listen, I’m all for stealing from bad guys, but you remember that little relic Nicky used before, right? It’s possible that my magic might not work.”
“The Chainlords are surprisingly not that resourceful, often using manual labor for everything. The Red Riot is usually the ones with an unusual amount of rare items and equipment, and the Brotherhood is normally a combat-focused mercenary group if nothing else. In other words, they won’t have any security measures in place for your magical talents.”
“That’s… fair,” Aidan nodded. “But what do you suppose we do when we get there?”
“Simple. We go in, see the proceedings, and if I spot anyone good enough, we’ll just take them from the clients that bought them.”
Aidan widened his eyes. “Oh, so we’re just… gonna steal slaves then.”
“I never said we were going to buy any,” Nina scoffed. “A waste of money when they’re so easy to get yourself.”
Considering her track record, Aidan wouldn’t doubt that.
“Alright, guess we’re going in and making a heist.”
“Then you better get to work.”
Aidan did that, making the two of them disappear with Vanish as they headed off towards the auction.
It was a few miles away, but with their speed, they reached there in a matter of minutes as they encountered a tucked away vast chamber hidden beneath some of the buildings of the Grim Corner’s south-western side. It was hard to pinpoint, but Aidan could see a variety of souls hanging off from the distance, as was proven by the several people walking about wearing some pretty impressive armor. They weren’t guards per se, but gang members keeping an eye out while their illegal auction was underway.
But like Nina suggested, they didn’t seem to know about an invisible pair of thieves sneaking around and eventually making their way in, getting right up to the entrance where two guards were posted outside, keeping a steady eye out.
Aidan and Nina passed right through them, none the wiser as Aidan pushed Nina with him through using Phase. It got a lot better than before, making it way easier for the two of them to pass through.
Once inside, they were accosted by a stench filled with all manners of nasty that Aidan couldn’t comprehend through their mixed scents. He knew there were a lot of people, but his senses became scattered the further he checked. There were perhaps hundreds of people hidden away, while a select group was at a large hall. After proceeding through the hall and entering the main venue, they spotted the large hall where several well-dressed groups and individuals waited, being served by the servants.
It looked rather well-made, something akin to a high-status event where people of the top class would come around, each one wearing elaborate clothing and special masks that covered their eyes and noses rather than the entire face. They were all gathered around circular tables with a stage at the very end, where a single man who also wore a face mask loudly presented their event in front of a microphone, which to Aidan’s eyes was actually a long shaft with a squarish magic stone situated at the front of the speaker’s mouth.
He spoke loud and proud about their excellent array of slaves that would cover a wide variety of uses, speaking directly on their value as property rather than as people, though that much was expected to hear considering they were dealing slaves.
Aidan scanned the surrounding scene, noticing several more guards situated in hidden places and some walking about, either greeting their guests or just standing by with serious faces. Beyond the vast hall, Aidan could sense those hundreds of people hidden away, most likely the slaves to be sold to everyone here.
“The Chainlords are always so damn meticulous,” Nina whispered, knowing that as long as they don’t make any noise, nobody would find them. “It’s always impressive to see. It’s too bad they’re so misguided.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why sell slaves when you can use them effectively to grow an empire?” Nina asked, as though it was obvious. “I understand the value of making profit with others and making connections, but you might as well use them to make your own profit. Selling them to someone, then going through the effort of finding more is just a waste of time and energy.”
“I mean… I guess? I never really considered the fallacies of selling slaves, considering that… Well, I never sold slaves.”
“You can just use your imagination and figure it out yourself, it’s really that simple,” Nina said. “And there are so many issues that come with everything. At least the Red Riot, dumb as they are, know that dealing equipment and items is a lot easier to handle. It’s no wonder that the Chainlords are the weakest of the three gangs in Forontia.”
It was actually refreshing to hear Nina’s take on all of this. While she herself is fond of using contracted servants, apparently she viewed them a lot more differently than the Chainlords. Nina simply saw people as tools to use, rather than products to sell.
Maybe that was why he never really disliked her compared to that Wallace guy. In a way, she still knew that those ‘tools’ had humanity, and she knew exactly how to use them to her advantage. On the other hand, slave owners never considered the humanity within slaves. Though he knew that he was just grasping hard right now to defend Nina’s character.
That got him to rethink why he was so adamant on serving her needs. Every time he thought about it, he would just think ‘because it’s natural’ and end it there. He shook off the thoughts, as they had no value to think on during this time.
Soon enough, the chatter around the venue stopped when the main guy at the stage spoke loudly again.
“Thank you again for your patience. The auction will now begin. Now please remember–Every purchase will be done through the connector installed at your tables. Once the purchase is made, the connector will flash and you will officially own it. Once you do, at the end of the auction, you will be led one by one to receive your products. As usual, your safety and privacy are guaranteed, and always remember that the Chainlords will always have your best interest at heart. Now, without further ado, let us start with our very first product.”
Aidan kept himself focused, making sure to keep an eye on anything that could disrupt his spell and make them visible for the world to see. Even though they were invisible, they were tucked away at the corner around the first floor, ensuring they were out of the walkable pathways where the guards might travel through.
Soon enough, several people came through the side of the stage. A row of three men all chained up by the wrists, dragged by a tough-looking bodybuilder of a man who had no qualms about being rough with them. Then they all presented themselves up front to the mass of people who either commented to themselves or sneered at the sight, as each of the men looked rather unkempt, wearing rags for clothing and looking dirty and malnourished.
“These fine gentlemen standing before you are the representatives for the refugees that we have acquired from the city of Yongchu, overtaken by a bandit group just a week prior. They were traveling for several days and nights, proving their tenacity to live and work while taking care of their fellow citizens all the while. There are thirty-four more of them, all part of the same set. All of them are of the human race, with their ages ranging from as low as fourteen to the fifties. All of them, including whatever skills they picked up along the way, can be yours. The starting bid will start at 500 gold. Everyone, let’s commence!”
Aidan had to hold back his disgust long enough for the bidding to start, unable to fathom how they were actually selling off an entire group of people, much less refugees who had nowhere to go. He couldn’t imagine how they were caught, and who knew how many died during their struggle to get away from these slavers. He was just shocked at how far they were willing to go to get them considering that Yongchu was quite a large distance away from Forontia, or at least that’s what Aidan interpreted from all the maps he read so far.
“They always do this sort of thing when they get a surplus of slaves,” Nina whispered, easily noticing Aidan’s confusion. “Normally a bargain deal, but you can get a decent amount of experienced workers for a low price. Unfortunately, these representatives were chosen as the most impressive of the bunch, but their statuses are nowhere near worth the 500 gold, and I can’t imagine the other dozens or so are worth any better.”
Yet despite that, some of the clients were eagerly raising their signs up, instantly driving the price up several times in succession. From 600, to 750, then finally someone went beyond 1000 gold before the bidding stopped, the winner being an older looking man with a bushy mustache looking more than pleased.
Then he saw the communicator on the table light up, and he sensed mana churning from within. That was probably where his payment was processed. He wondered how any of these people can trust a gang of all things to be trustworthy enough to spend money first before actually receiving their products, but he supposed the Chainlords gained enough of a reputation to be decent to work with.
Soon enough the slaves were dragged away by that same bodybuilder, getting back into the swing of the auction as everyone eagerly waited for the next incoming ‘product’.
All the while, Aidan and Nina sat around, judging each one that came across to find the one suited for defending the city.
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