As night fell, Maggie, who should have been in the temple, was now standing in the bustling crowd, wearing a cloak and a veil to conceal her face.
Because she had read the comics many times, she knew the interior of the Temple of Light like the back of her hand. Thanks to the secret passage provided by the original owner, she was able to slip out of the temple more easily than Maggie had imagined, avoiding the patrol time of the Holy Knights.
The original owner of this body really helped her a lot.
Today is the pilgrimage of the saint. Tonight, people will gather in Kingdom Square. There will be lively stalls on both sides and a bustling crowd around, which will be perfect to conceal her movements.
Maggie walked along the center of the gathering to the end, then slipped into a dark alley, her figure gradually disappearing into the darkness.
Deep within the alley lies a tavern used to conceal an underground slave auction; only those with the password can find the entrance through the owner.
As soon as Maggie entered the tavern, she felt several eyes fixed on her.
Wearing a cloak is not uncommon here, and women traveling alone are excellent prey.
Maggie remained unfazed. She walked straight to the front of the stage and tossed two gold coins bearing the Zefner family insignia to the boss.
In an instant, the boss's expression changed, and the people around him, upon seeing the gold coin design, all looked away as if they had been burned.
"Miss, would you like to...?"
The boss bowed respectfully to Maggie, his tone conveying importance.
"Buy slaves."
Maggie spoke with unusual bluntness and without any attempt to conceal her words, revealing the arrogance of someone in a superior position.
"Please, this way..."
The boss wasn't angry at all; on the contrary, he showed even more respect, bowing to Maggie at a ninety-degree angle to welcome her.
"Um."
Maggie ignored her boss's overtures and walked straight toward the door behind him without stopping.
Only after the doors of the underground slave auction were completely closed did rustling sounds of discussion rise in the tavern.
"Who is she? No secret code is needed, and the boss treats her with such respect."
Some people expressed their confusion and doubt.
“Kid, learn from this. Those gold coins are a symbol of the power of the Zefnia family. Only a very few people can possess them. One coin is equivalent to thousands of gold coins.”
"This slave auction is backed by the Duke of Zefneria's mansion. The big spender has arrived; what need is there for a secret signal?"
"That woman is that powerful? It's a good thing she didn't make a move."
The tavern owner glanced at the woman with a warning look. She was surrounded by an air of nobility and could even produce gold coins with a symbol on them. She was definitely from the Duke's mansion. He absolutely could not offend her, nor could he allow anyone to harm her.
Otherwise, if he offended the Duke, his auction would definitely be taken over by someone else.
Meanwhile, Maggie, who had entered the underground auction, also breathed a sigh of relief.
If she hadn't read the comics, she wouldn't have known that the Duke's private currency had this kind of use outside.
Fortunately, the original owner had brought dozens of them with him before leaving, just in case.
The original owner only intended to use it as ordinary gold coins, but now it has helped her a lot.
"Miss, who would you like to buy?"
She was greeted by a middle-aged man with a beaming smile. He seemed very kind, but a glint of shrewdness occasionally flashed in his smiling eyes.
Maggie glanced indifferently at the person in front of her.
This person is called Ted, and in the comics, he is considered a minor boss in the early stages of the story.
Humans who have reached a point where their magic level can no longer advance will seek other paths.
He successfully formed a contract with a mid-level demon through the Duke's mansion, and quickly broke through from a novice mage to a mid-level mage.
After tonight, this auction will be discovered by the kingdom, and he will secretly move to other underground auction locations to continue being a henchman of the Zefneria family.
At the end of the first volume of the manga, after being captured, he immediately turned into a demon. In his berserk state, the mid-level demon possessed strength approaching that of a high-level mage, nearly wiping out the main characters.
"Let's take a look first."
Maggie didn't intend to appear to have a clear objective. Ted was a shrewd businessman, and even if she was connected to the Zefneria family, she might still be ripped off.
"Guest, please come this way."
Ted quickly made a welcoming gesture and guided Maggie inside.
The underground auction was more luxurious than Maggie had imagined. Her gaze swept across the cages, where rare elves, mermaids, vampires, and even succubi could be seen everywhere.
Demons are a type of slavery that is absolutely forbidden to be sold in the Kingdom of Saint Na, yet they are all here.
Profit can indeed drive people to take risks.
"Which one has caught your eye, Miss?"
Ted led Maggie toward the central arena stands. Every day, different slaves would take to the arena to stimulate buyers' desire to purchase.
"They're all rubbish."
Maggie spoke in a flat tone, showing no interest in the defective product.
"You're looking for a large quantity? The auction is about to start, and there will be A-grade slaves, with the rare S-grade slaves as the grand finale."
Ted's eyes lit up immediately. If he wasn't interested in C-grade or B-grade, then he must be after A-grade. Today, he was about to make a big deal.
"It's worth a look, though."
Maggie nodded slightly, walked to the VIP seats, and sat down gracefully. She took the opportunity to observe the buyers around her. In the distance, she saw many familiar family logos and even some acquaintances.
It seems that the roots of the Saint-Nar Kingdom are rotten to a greater extent than she imagined.
Maggie showed absolutely no interest in the early slave auctions, resting her arm on the armrest of her chair and appearing completely uninterested.
It wasn't until the auction was nearing its end that Maggie sat up a little straighter and looked down at the audience.
"Ladies and gentlemen, today's main event is about to begin!"
Standing directly opposite the VIP seats, the auctioneer passionately launched into the auction, igniting the atmosphere of the entire underground auction. The scene was as lively as a concert, rather than a bloody slave gladiatorial contest.
All around were cheers anticipating bloodshed, but Maggie quietly gazed down.
She was waiting, waiting for Perkin Xavier to appear.
His racial lineage was listed as mutated snake people. Compared to other races, which are not uncommon, mutated snake people are quite rare at auctions. Many nobles with a penchant for the unusual buy them to experiment on or collect, so the price is definitely not cheap.
At the same time, four more cages containing dire wolves appeared on the field. Foul-smelling saliva flowed from the wolves' mouths, a sight that was enough to chill one's heart. Maggie, however, simply watched without changing her expression.
It wasn't until that sinister and cold-blooded face, which she had seen countless times in comics, appeared in the gladiatorial cage that her eyes lit up.
The main character has appeared.
The boy's black hair covered one eye, and his light green vertical pupil shrank to needle-like size due to the danger he was in, making him look extremely threatening. The slave's linen clothes hung on his thin, frail body, and his skin was eerily pale due to malnutrition.
With his long, narrow eyes, high nose bridge, and well-defined facial features, coupled with his cold and arrogant demeanor, he immediately aroused the taming desires of some aristocratic men with a penchant for the extreme.
"Distinguished guests! This is today's highlight: one of the few S-rank slaves, possessing rare dark magic talent and snake-man blood. Look at his sharp fangs and vertical pupils, so unlike any human's. Aren't you tempted?!"
"During the auction, this S-rank snake-man slave will fight four demonic wolves to entertain the VIPs!"
The auctioneer's introduction ignited the enthusiasm of the entire audience, with cheers erupting throughout the underground auction hall. Even before the price was announced, many people were already staring intently at Xavier.
On the surface, ordinary people bustle about, strolling through the market, appearing peaceful. Beneath the surface, evil breeds, and wild, primal violence fills the arena, with cruel and excited expressions on everyone's face.
As the auctioneer's voice fell, the cages holding the wolf and Xavier burst open, and in a flash, they all rushed out.
"The show is about to begin!"
In the arena, being slow means death.
Xavier's advantage lies in his venomous fangs and dark magic, while the dire wolves have the advantage in numbers and are tough and resilient.
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