Chapter 399: Auction of Fates

Nodding, Yenir carefully scanned the stage, formulating his plan.

Whether for public duty or personal reasons, he would rescue every one of these people.

Not only did his Military role demand it, but as a council member he also felt responsible. On a personal level, he was curious about the condition of these border warriors. He had plans to make his move across the Far Frontier.

Just as his thoughts were taking shape, the caravan on stage, sensing that the mood had reached its peak, began the auction.

The short Awakener at the front, like a handler with a stray dog, grabbed the chain around the Burly Man’s neck and bellowed:

“Second-Stage Peak Fighter Awakener! A military lackey—and a company commander at that! His strength speaks for itself, just look at that murderous aura!”

“Gentlemen, win the bid and we’ll train him for free—even if that means making him kneel and call you ‘Sir’! Imagine the prestige of having him guard your place!”

“Starting bid: 100,000 Trade Points! Bid increases in increments of 10,000!”

After the introduction, the crowd absorbed the reality of the commander’s formidable killing intent—honed through constant clashes with enemies. A few distinguished Awakeners couldn’t help but feel intrigued.

Compared to an ordinary Second-Stage Peak, this Burly Man might even reach a Third-Stage! Of course, evolving to Third-Stage wasn’t without its risks.

A starting bid of 70,000 TP wasn’t steep after all! A slave bought this way could serve for a long time. A careful calculation showed that spending around 150,000 TP would be a bargain.

“Second-Stage Peak and still with the Military? These goods are something else.”

“Starting at 70,000? I bid 80,000!”

In the audience, a Middle-Aged Man casually raised his hand, proudly displaying a blue Giant Axe on his back. As a high-ranking official from the Safe Zone with Third-Stage prowess, a bid of over 100,000 TP wasn’t trivial to him—but considering the potential of a Military Second-Stage Peak fighter, it was well worth it.

Especially since they had previously clashed with the Military, buying him to hang by the door would surely irritate those low-ranking soldiers.

But as soon as he finished speaking, most of the survivors in the crowd gasped, looking at him with awe.

Anyone capable of bidding such amounts was a major figure. They’d hesitate over spending a few hundred TP on a female slave, but nearly 100,000 TP? That was a sum none would dare even consider. For ultra-wealthy bigwigs, it was trivial. High-ranking figures in the Private Safe Zone were practically local tyrants. “110,000!”

“Brother, aren’t you from Shalong Safe Zone? I’m Manager Xiao of the Sui Bone Arena. Would you do me the honor of ceding this to me?”

Not far from Yenir, a Youth escorted by Armed Department guards smiled and announced his identity.

His words were meant to claim what was his, yet underneath lay a subtle threat.

He had accompanied his superior to a banquet at the Bloodshadow Safe Zone. Though he wasn’t really qualified to attend, he had come out to kill time—only to stumble upon such a prized catch.

As his words died down, the high-ranking figure from Shalong on stage froze, fearfully lowering his hand.

“From the Sui Bone Arena?”

Don’t be fooled by his modest personal strength; his backing wasn’t even enough to be considered a Safe Zone. But everyone knew that behind the Sui Bone Arena stood a Third-Stage Advanced powerhouse, supported by a host of Third-Stages. Their might likely surpassed that of the Safe Zone.

Meanwhile, the surrounding crowd once again gasped. Many survivors clustered around the Youth instinctively stepped back.

The Sui Bone Arena was notorious for its rampant bloodshed.

Satisfied that no one else was bidding, the Youth smiled, aware that his identity had effectively scuppered any competition. In a place like this, strong figures were scarce—hardly like an ordinary auction.

It was a special day; only middle-level officials following top-tier leaders were wandering around here.

“Forget the training—send him straight to our arena. Our stage has been crying out for a troublemaker!”

“I’m eager to see if he can outfight mutants in a bare-handed showdown. It’s been ages since we had one of those performances!”

The Youth chuckled as he spoke, as if mulling over another purchase.

“By the way, are there any other unranked ones in this batch? Just give me the rundown; if they’re suitable, I might buy a few more. Consider yourselves lucky to cross my path!”

On stage, several merchants from the Slave Capture Team beamed at the Youth’s tone. It appeared they had landed a major customer today—one who might turn over the entire batch quickly. The only downside was the Youth’s intimidating background, which had scared off most other bidders.

“Manager Xiao, of course there are!”

“Look at this one! A ranged specialist! A scout! He even managed to take down two of us single-handedly! Though he’s only a Second-Stage mid-level, his strength is definitely worth watching!”

With enthusiastic introductions, a short man seized a Youth standing behind the Burly Man and began his rather slobbery pitch.

Ignoring that the Youth soldier was being dragged like a stray dog to the cage’s edge, the short man quickly continued:

“Just look at that fierce gaze! These goods hail from the border, where countless skirmishes with Awakeners are the norm. How about buying them all?”

As he continued detailing each case, before he could introduce the fourth, the Youth with the surname Xiao showed disinterest in the others, simply pointing with his right hand to the final figure in the cage.

“Is this woman from the Military as well? Bring her out—I want to see what she looks like. Seems like she’s also Second-Stage?”

A hush fell over the crowd.

The short Awakener on stage, who had been enthusiastically introducing the bidders, hesitated for a moment before blurting out:

“Manager Xiao, you might want to pass on this one…”

“Aren’t you the one whose life is all about clashing with monsters? We plan to train this woman and sell her for… a rather controversial purpose.”

“If you want her out, get her out! What do I care if you buy her? What’s wrong with a woman? These days, hand-to-hand combat is all the rage!”

As if struck by a new idea, Manager Xiao, appearing rather refined, licked his lips, clearly imagining a fresh performance.

A Military female soldier dueling monsters—a scene that could be downright electrifying! If they tossed in a few particularly ferocious mutants, her fate might turn gruesome indeed… Such a display would undoubtedly thrill top-tier bigwigs.

Seeing the Youth’s firm resolve, several businessmen on stage dared not offend him and reluctantly unlocked the iron cage. Amid the clattering of chains, they dragged the woman out.

Seemingly aware of her impending fate, the short-haired, blood-spattered female soldier immediately struggled, glaring fiercely at the Youth.

Simultaneously, the soldiers inside the cage stared in horror, unwilling to imagine the fate that might befall their comrades.

“Ha, she’s quite feisty.”

“Look at her figure and face—she’s quite the little gem.”

“Tsk…”

A closer look at the dragged-out female soldier revealed that even with her short, disheveled hair and grimy appearance, her striking features still exuded a heroic aura.

Noticing the mix of sorrow and anger in the eyes of the soldiers inside the cage, the Youth scoffed, guessing that this female soldier was likely the military’s ‘flower’. In that godforsaken borderland, those military lackeys might even revere her like a goddess…

“Come on—tear off her clothes! They’re stained with filthy blood and hide nothing!”