Chapter 2 : Chapter 2
Chapter 2: The Slave Market
Lower District, Rust Street.
The closer one approached the destination, the fouler the air became.
The smell of rotting garbage, the pungent odor of cheap spices, the stench of animal waste, and an indescribable stale scent all intertwined.
It was the “smell” of despair—the odor of ordinary people who had long since lost hope in life.
The houses on both sides of the street were low and dilapidated. The windows were filthy.
Most of the pedestrians hurried along with numb or shifty eyes.
Chenxi tightened his black robe. This was exactly why he truly hated places like this.
The entrance to the slave market was a massive iron gate. Two guards with vicious eyes and curved sabers hanging at their waists stood at the door.
Chenxi paid the entrance fee of five copper coins.
The price alone filtered out a large number of poor onlookers. The guards waved him through roughly.
Inside the gate was another world.
The noise level was more than ten times greater than that of the guild or the streets outside.
Rows of tall iron cages were arranged like livestock pens.
Inside them were people with numb, hollow eyes, suppressing the despair in their hearts.
In this world, humans were hardly better off than animals.
This world should not be like this…
Cough. Now was not the time to think about that. As he was now, he truly could not change anything.
“Come take a look! High-quality miners from the Northern Frontier! Strong, eat little, and work until they die without complaint!”
“A maid from Baron Claire’s estate! Quick with her hands and well-mannered! Buy her and she can warm the bed and work at the same time!”
“Fresh war captives! Perfect material for gladiators! Cheap sale!”
The shouts of vendors, the sounds of bargaining, and the dull cracks of whips striking flesh blended together into an irritating chorus.
Chenxi quickly scanned the rows of cages.
He had not come here to indulge in misplaced compassion.
Too old. No.
Injured or disabled. No.
Those whose eyes were utterly numb and resigned to their fate. No.
Those with overly strong physiques and rebellious eyes that might resist… too risky.
But since there was the slave contract…
Perhaps.
The slave traders soon noticed the silent young man.
Through the gap in his black robe they could see that he wore ordinary adventurer’s leather armor. He was not wealthy, but his eyes were frighteningly calm, unlike those aristocratic young masters who came here out of curiosity for the first time.
“Hey, young man!
Take a look at this one. A half-elf!
The ears are not pointed anymore, but the face is absolutely handsome!”
A fat man with yellow teeth approached him and pointed at a ragged young… male in a cage.
Chenxi glanced at him and shook his head.
Too fragile.
A half-elf?
In a place like this, that likely meant more trouble than value.
And besides…
I like girls, all right?!
Do you think I am the sort of person who enjoys… strange hobbies?
“Look at this one! Just came of age! Strong body! Perfect for guarding the house!”
Another trader dragged a trembling boy out of a cage.
Chenxi’s gaze swept over the boy’s shaking legs and evasive eyes.
He is trembling like a sieve. When the time comes, will he protect me, or will I protect him?
Chenxi continued walking deeper into the market.
Most of the outer area contained ordinary laborers. The further inside one went, the higher the prices—and the more “special” the merchandise became.
…
He walked deeper, approaching the heart of the market.
The cages here were larger, and the goods inside were more unusual. Naturally, the prices were correspondingly higher.
A muscular man covered in knotted muscles and bearing a long scar across his face glared viciously at anyone who approached his cage, a beast-like growl rumbling from his throat.
Chenxi paused briefly in front of the cage.
The physique met his requirements. The sense of strength was impressive.
But the man was already insane.
Madmen were more dangerous than rebellious people.
After all, when he revealed certain information, the man might not even understand what he was saying.
Chenxi rejected the idea in his mind.
He was not strong enough yet to completely ignore potential risks.
He sighed silently.
What kind of crooked melons and cracked dates are these?
He had thought it would be easy to find a suitable slave, yet the quality here was unbelievably low.
Just as he was about to move toward the next area, a burst of fierce commotion suddenly tore through the marketplace noise.
“Let me go! You piece of trash! I will crush your bones!”
A woman’s furious roar rang out with astonishing force.
“Hold her down! Damn it! Hurry! Beat her! You dare rebel against me?!”
The slave trader’s furious scream mixed with the dull sound of whips striking flesh and the rough shouts of several guards.
Chenxi’s brow moved almost imperceptibly.
He turned toward the source of the noise.
In a corner of the market stood a specially made giant iron cage, surrounded by a crowd.
Three burly guards were struggling to maintain the stability of the cage using magic.
Inside stood an extremely tall figure—over two meters in height.
Her skin was a striking pink, and a pair of sharp horns protruded from her head—the unmistakable characteristics of the Oni race.
As her rage intensified, her skin shifted toward a deep crimson.
A glowing rune of a slave contract appeared beneath the skin of her temple like a branding iron, flickering as she struggled.
The slave trader was a short, greasy middle-aged man.
At that moment, he was furiously whipping the red-skinned Oni woman across her back and arms.
Each strike left a bright red mark, yet she seemed not to care in the slightest. She continued roaring and struggling, trying to break the iron cage by force.
The muscles of her body were sharply defined, tightening and bulging as she fought, containing explosive power.
Sweat mixed with beads of blood from the whip marks, flowing down her firm arms and abdomen.
Her originally attractive face twisted in fury, making her resemble a demon.
…Well, she was an Oni.
Chenxi’s gaze passed over the slave contract rune on her forehead, the muscles swelling with resistance, and finally settled on her face.
It was a face filled with wildness and ferocity.
Her pupils burned with crimson fire. Her sharp canine teeth bit into her lower lip so hard that blood seeped out.
Even under humiliation and beating, that primal, unyielding savagery radiated outward.
That is the one.
The thought appeared clearly in Chenxi’s mind.
The Oni race was said to have relatively low intelligence?
That was actually an advantage.
It meant they were easier to control. Their minds were simpler, with fewer schemes.
With the slave contract and the potential control of the system…
The risk seemed to fall within an acceptable range.
“What a fiery temper!”
A slave trader beside him clicked his tongue in amusement.
“This time Boss Beli has kicked a steel plate.”
“Where did that female Oni come from? She is vicious.”
Someone asked.
“Who knows? I heard she was captured as a war prisoner during the conflict on the southwestern border. Stubborn as a mule and completely unwilling to obey.
Old Beli saw that her physique was good, and her appearance… well… could fetch a high price, so he kept her alive until now.
But look at that—she almost caused him a huge loss.
Forget touching her. Get too close and she might break your legs.”
The chaos around the cage continued.
The three guards finally used iron chains to restrain the Oni woman’s arms behind her back, binding them with thick shackles.
Even then she struggled like a trapped beast, a threatening growl rumbling in her throat.
Her crimson eyes glared fiercely at the slave trader Beli as if she wanted to devour him alive.
Beli panted heavily, wiping the sweat and grease from his forehead. Even the whip in his hand had begun to warp.
“Damn it! You cost me so much manpower and time!”
Beli cursed loudly and spat at the Oni woman pinned to the ground.
“Keep making trouble!
If you keep this up, I will deal with you according to the rules today! Better than losing money!”
“Bah! Come on then, trash! If I even frown once, I will not be my mother’s daughter!”
The Oni woman roared, struggling to lift her head.
Chenxi almost laughed.
She was… quite interesting.
“Still talking tough!”
Old Beli raised his whip again in anger.
Just as the whip was about to fall, a calm voice that felt completely out of place suddenly spoke:
“Boss, how much for this slave?”