Mad Clown walked out of the private booth, an optimistic smirk on his face. The smirk stretched his lips into a manic grin, the kind that sent chills down the spines of those who dared to meet his gaze. His red and blue coat swayed dramatically with each step, a stark contrast against the dark and sinister ambiance of the auction house. He tugged at the lapels of his coat, ensuring it was perfectly aligned before adjusting his hat. The hat, a grotesque jester's cap, added to his already unsettling appearance. With a final self satisfied nod, he began his confident stride towards the stairs leading from the private auction booth. Shadow, in an ethereal form, hovered nearby. Even Mad Clown's heightened senses couldn't detect him in this state. Yet, he spoke with the confidence of one who knew he was ever present. "First phase of the plan is complete, now we move on to the next... I heard the mighty dragons of the Black Mountains resisted the Four Heavenly Maidens the most of all t
Liam continued on his way, his mind still reeling from his encounter with the Mad Clown. The auction house's dark and oppressive atmosphere only seemed to deepen as he navigated its winding halls. Soon, he came across a demihuman with a slave collar. Her eyes were downcast, her spirit visibly broken. She bowed lightly and gestured for him to enter a private room, her movements mechanical and devoid of hope. "Hey Hybris, I sensed something off about that madman. It was almost like!". "Like he was a mutant? Well, that's because he is," Hybris interrupted, her voice laced with caution. "They're called corrupted blessed, and that typically happens when the blessed go against the god that grants them their blessing. I sensed several demigods like him within the city when we first came in." "Is there anything different about them, apart from looking ugly, that is?" Liam asked as he took a seat, his eyes drifting to the auction floor below where the auction was about to start. "The
The demihumans freed themselves from the cells, but the iron slave collars posed a problem to their escape. Not only could the collars not be removed by those wearing them, but they also required something sharp enough to cut through iron."How the hell did he do it with his bare hands?" Zara cried out in frustration as she failed to break Leaf's collar.Leaf sighed lightly. "We can't remove them by ourselves, or they might detonate. We need to find the armory.""Hmm."Zara and Leaf decided to venture to the surface on their own while the rest waited for them within the underground prison. The outside was warmer, and the halls were dimly lit by torches, casting flickering shadows that danced along the stone walls.Zara and Leaf stuck close to the shadows, prioritizing stealth. After all, this place was littered with human blessed, and one wrong move could result in their heads on spikes, or worse, being sold to a twisted wealthy family.Their footsteps were light, barely a whisper on
Zara and Leaf didn't waste much time. After dealing with the corpse, they hurriedly concealed it, wiping away most traces of blood to prevent the ground from reeking of death. The duo then silently left the armory, though not without Leaf arming herself with a short sword. They retraced their steps, moving faster this time. For reasons unknown, most of the guards had left their posts, leaving the rear of the auction house defenseless. Eventually, Zara and Leaf reached the corridor leading to the underground slave prison, but their luck ran out there. Two heavily armored guards stood by the unlocked shaft, much like the others they'd encountered, ordinary city level blessed. "Hey bro, is this supposed to be unlocked?" the first guard asked, scratching the back of his head. "Of course not, dumbass. A demihuman probably escaped," the second guard replied. "Oh, shouldn't we chase her then?" "It's fine. Her collar will self destruct the moment she leaves the auction house. For now
"ZARA!"Leaf's voice pierced the dim corridor, echoing off the ancient stone walls as she deflected the second flying sword with a desperate sweep of her arm. Her heart pounded in her chest as she caught Zara's limp body. The sheer momentum of the impact was more than Leaf could bear, and the force sent them both hurtling backward. They tumbled through the air, the world spinning around them in a blur of darkness and pain, until they barely managed to stop just inches before colliding with the jagged shaft of the ruined wall.Zara's body was a grotesque spectacle of wounds and blood, her flesh torn and mangled by the brutal assault. The body of a human Blessed was a fortress compared to the fragile forms of Emerald Glaze's denizens. Their flesh, hardened by divine blessings and protected by divine authorities, rendered demihumans like Zara mere playthings in battle. In the harsh reality of this world, a confrontation with a human was less a fight and more a hopeless struggle for sur
Leaf's fingers clenched around the torch, the flame casting wild shadows across the stone walls. With a sudden, fluid motion, she leaped once more, not directly at the guard, but toward the opposite wall. Her body twisted mid air, a blur of speed and grace, as she ricocheted off the stone surface. As she flashed past the guard, the torch struck, a vicious arc of light and heat slamming into his eyes.A scream erupted from the guard, raw and agonized, as the torch seared into his flesh. His body jerked violently, instinctively recoiling from the pain. The sword slipped from his grip, clattering to the floor with a hollow clang. Desperately, he tried to summon his power, to levitate the fallen blades. But his efforts were futile, the swords hovered briefly, then crashed back down as if mocking his helplessness.His hands shot up, shielding his face like a cornered boxer, fear and rage intertwining in his thoughts. "Damn it," he snarled, his mind racing. "She took my eyes... Does she k
Leaf descended into the underground prison, her movements soundless as shadows clung to her like a second skin. The air was thick, damp with the stench of decay. Her cat like eyes, glowed with an eerie luminescence, cut through the blackness, seeking the familiar forms of her clansmen. In the distance, faint torchlight flickered, casting grotesque shapes that seemed to writhe in the corner of her vision. She found them at last, huddled together like broken dolls. Their eyes, once vibrant with life, were dulled by the scars on their flesh. "Leaf, you’ve returned," a serpentine demihuman rasped, her voice barely more than a whisper, thick with exhaustion. Her scaled body trembled as she dragged herself closer to the bars, her eyes wide with a mixture of hope and dread. "Where is Zara?" Her words carried an edge of desperation, the name a fragile tether to her sanity. "She waits above," Leaf replied, her tone a cold whisper, as though the very air might betray them. "But we mu
The auction house groaned as if alive, trembling under the weight of a massive lifelike crimson dragon that erupted from Liam's sword. The dragon's scales shimmered with an ethereal glow, each one glinting like a ruby in the dim light. It roared, the sound resonating deep within the bones of all present, and coiled around Liam like a protective guardian, its fiery body crackling the air. Darkwood’s attack, once menacing and unstoppable, was obliterated by the dragon's sheer presence, the remnants of his dark energy dissipating like smoke in a gust of wind. The dragon's influence spread outwards, its fiery tendrils licking at the air, threatening to consume everything in its path. Yet, Liam remained in control. His intent was not to take lives, especially those of the helpless spectators. He wanted to make his point clear, he was not someone to be trifled with, and he would stand up for who he wants to, and look fucking cool while doing it. Darkwood leaped backward, his eyes n