Chapter 62. A familiar magic circle, light...
Wearing a [Concealing Mask (Color - Level 7)], Lin Xiaoxiao, who had transformed into an ordinary girl with a pockmarked face, finally had time to observe her surroundings after escaping the ordeal of being followed.
The enormous, blood-red magic circle in the sky remained firmly suspended there.
A series of semi-transparent, reddish barriers were projected downwards, enveloping and sealing off the area.
Lin Xiaoxiao looked up at the magic circle in the sky, feeling a sense of familiarity, as if she had seen it somewhere before.
She racked her brains for a long time, but still couldn't remember where she had seen the blueprints or description of the magic circle.
Unable to reach any conclusions, Lin Xiaoxiao turned to examine her surroundings more closely.
In this place, the roadsides are lined with dilapidated bungalows and low-rise buildings. The building density is extremely high, and the buildings are so close together that residents inside can shake hands when they open their windows.
Moreover, the outer skin of most of these houses has peeled off, revealing the blue and red bricks inside. Some places even have obvious cracks, mold, and uneven colors, which are obvious problems. They are obviously very old houses.
The walls and ceilings of these houses are covered with a web of wires that stretch haphazardly and without any direction.
This place resembles an old village from the last century, where the people around you are dressed in tattered clothes, most of which are patched, and their faces are filled with panic.
It was completely different from the technologically advanced, perpetually clean and tidy capital city that Lin Xiaoxiao usually saw, where pedestrians were impeccably dressed.
Suddenly, a commotion arose not far away. A man with a fierce-looking face and a face full of scars used a rusty, multicolored, patchwork gun to shoot and kill several innocent passersby.
He kept yelling, "What did you say? I'm a combat-type professional, how dare you tell me how to do things?"
Lin Xiaoxiao frowned deeply. She had been thinking about the problem and hadn't paid any attention to the whole story of the dispute. How could they have started fighting after just a few words?
Her hands, hidden beneath her sleeves, gleamed faintly under the cover of her clothes. A second later, a dozen or so gold coins were revealed in her palm.
The man scanned the surroundings with a fierce look, and everyone lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze. Only Lin Xiaoxiao dared to continue looking up at him directly.
The man said rudely, "What are you looking at, you ugly hag? I wouldn't even look at an ugly woman like you."
Lin Xiaoxiao remained expressionless, her hand gripping the gold coin tightening slightly until her knuckles turned white, and the coldness in her eyes grew increasingly apparent.
And in his mind, he considered whether he could beat up the man and then leave safely if he made a move here.
But the man seemed to sense that there was no fear in Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes, and immediately and tactfully backed down: "Tsk, I'm tired today, I'll let you go."
After saying that, the man turned and left this place of trouble without looking back.
The people around seemed to take the sudden, inexplicable attacks and deaths for granted.
After the man left, like vultures eyeing carrion, they surrounded the lifeless bodies, reaching out to grope them incessantly.
Once he found something of value, he would carefully tuck it into his arms and leave the place of trouble with extreme caution.
Lin Xiaoxiao frowned deeply. Where exactly is this place?
For the next few hours, in this unfamiliar place.
She witnessed small-scale brawls, violent attacks, robberies, and attractive men and women being dragged into alleys...
Order and reason seem to be missing in this place; instead, killing, crime, and unbridled behavior are the norm.
Lin Xiaoxiao encountered three or four robberies in succession, but she easily resolved them all by using her skills in combination with the attacks of props. She found an opportunity to knock out these robbers and quickly leave the scene.
Little did she know that shortly after she left...
Those who lost consciousness were slit in the throat, harvested, and dismembered by another group hidden in the darkness, and then left standing.
As time passed, it soon came to midnight.
More and more men and women with fierce and menacing appearances, covered in colorful tattoos, appeared on both sides of the street.
Their eyes were like those of ferocious, hungry wolves, fixed on Lin Xiaoxiao as she wandered the streets, as if they would launch a group attack and devour her at the first opportune moment.
Suddenly, Lin Xiaoxiao saw a hotel with a bright pink sign that looked like a hotel called [Manman Romance], and immediately turned in without hesitation.
A burly man, dressed in a tight-fitting short dress and with multicolored makeup, sat at the counter, filing his nails and casually reciting a greeting in a high-pitched voice: "Welcome! Would you prefer a suite or a standard room?"
Lin Xiaoxiao lowered her voice and asked, "How much per night?"
Hearing that it was a girl's voice, the man looked up in surprise. At this time, there shouldn't be any girls going out. "Standard room: 50 silver coins per night; regular standard room: 60 silver coins per night; deluxe standard room: 90 silver coins per night; sweet suite: 1 gold coin and 50 silver coins per night."
Lin Xiaoxiao ignored the last part of the man's introduction, took out a gold coin from her pocket, and placed it on the front desk: "Give me a deluxe standard room."
The man raised an eyebrow in surprise. Gold coins?
Recalling the news he received today, the man was almost immediately certain that the girl was not from their area. The fact that she could walk here unharmed in the middle of the night meant she must have been a professional who was teleported in by the blood-red magic circle in the sky.
Thinking this, the man quickly swiped the gold coins on the table into the drawer, a warm smile spreading across his face: "Okay, I'll check you in right away. Would you like a hot shower? 10 silver coins for half an hour!"
Hot water costs money? This place is so strange.
Lin Xiaoxiao nodded: "Okay."
The man took the key to room 303 from the wall panel behind him, which had a large pile of keys hanging there, and handed it to him, saying gently, "Guest, please lock the door tonight and don't open it for anyone who knocks."
Lin Xiaoxiao took the key, nodded, and turned to walk towards the narrow staircase, showing no intention of talking to the man much.
Just after she went upstairs, the man, with his ample bosom and arms crossed on the counter, half-lying seductively, muttered to himself, "A professional whose background I can't figure out. Should I report her? Oh well, since she didn't try to negotiate the price with me, I'll just pretend I don't know anything."
Lin Xiaoxiao, who had just arrived at the room, was unaware that her decisive act of paying had saved her from some unnecessary trouble.
She stood in the center of the room, frowning, surveying the decor of this "deluxe standard room": the peeling wallpaper, the moldy walls, the small window covered with yellowed sheets and blankets, the toilet with a missing lid that faintly reeked of stench, and a large, inexplicable stain on the chair...
A deluxe standard room? This looks more like one of those cheap roadside motels that cost 20 yuan a night.
After looking around to make sure there was no danger, Lin Xiaoxiao took out a folding stool from her spatial storage and sat down.
He started fiddling with the communicator, which still had no signal, and tried again to send a marked address to Xiao Weizhi.
As expected, it failed again.
The red failure sign reappeared on the screen in front of her.
Since arriving in this unknown place, Lin Xiaoxiao has tried to contact people she knows many times, but all attempts have failed due to the lack of signal.
Feeling uneasy and frustrated, she scratched her head and asked, "What kind of hell is this place?"
In the middle of the night, Lin Xiaoxiao, lying on her folding bed, was surrounded by all sorts of sounds: screams coming from outside the window, moans coming from the next room, and explosions of all sizes... There was even someone frantically banging on her door in the middle of the night.
They failed to succeed. Although the room was dilapidated, the door was surprisingly sturdy.
The next morning, Lin Xiaoxiao went downstairs with dark circles under her eyes and yawning constantly.
The glamorous man who stood in front of the counter last night was not there; in his place was a short-haired, pretty, slightly childish, and slender girl.
The girl stopped wiping the cups and asked with a smile, "Sir, would you like breakfast?"
Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head and took out another gold coin from her pocket: "No need, stay another day."
Without knowing the situation here, and considering that it was relatively safe last night, let's make this hotel our temporary base.
The girl happily put the gold coins into the drawer of the counter: "Okay, sir."
After a brief conversation, Lin Xiaoxiao quietly left the hotel to begin investigating the situation.
If we're talking about the past year or so that Lin Xiaoxiao has been exploring various secret realms with the Dragon Fang team, she wouldn't say she's learned a lot or that she's particularly good at it.
However, basic secrecy, investigation, vigilance, assessment, scrutiny, and judgment are perfectly sufficient in this place.
She spent the whole day out, carefully avoiding several fights, a large group of scheming villains, and children who would occasionally try to steal her wallet... She returned to the hotel before 6 p.m. every day.
The same procedure was followed for the next ten days or so.
For more than ten days, she went out early and returned late every day, and she figured out where she was.
In a small village on the outskirts of the northern suburbs, such villages are also known as slums, and most of the people living here are undocumented immigrants.
These unregistered individuals fall into two categories:
One category is migrants and their descendants who are too poor to pay the registration fee for their identity information (migrants are people who went to live in another city after the destruction of another city, and who were unable to pay the registration fee for various reasons).
Another type is the villains who, having committed crimes, voluntarily abandoned their identities and hid in these small villages.
There are more than one such slum village on the outskirts of the capital, and they are also known as: a desolate area that harbors filth and squalor.
Here, crime and brawls are a common sight on the streets.
Good-looking men and women could easily be kidnapped and sent to a butcher's stall or a brothel if they weren't careful.
For the past ten days or so, the blood-red magic circle in the sky has continued to emit a pale red light, showing no signs of dissipating.
The various areas of the capital were firmly and forcefully isolated, as if some major move was brewing.
That day, around noon, Lin Xiaoxiao was quietly resting at a small restaurant on the edge of a block when she overheard young men and women squatting by the roadside bragging:
The boy, nicknamed "Passerby A," squatted by the roadside, scratching at the dirt on the ground: "Yesterday, my boss, drunk, told us that the underground auction house had caught a group of professionals who had been teleported there by magic circles above their heads, and they're about to be auctioned off."
The girl, who was just passing by, didn't believe it: "You're kidding, right? Professionals are that skilled, how could they get caught?"
The random boy continued, "Tch, you're making a fuss over nothing. Our boss's boss's boss used to hang out in the bustling areas of the capital. He was part of a big team that caught professional players every day. Each one could be exchanged for at least hundreds of thousands of gold coins."
Passerby C asked in confusion, "What's the use of capturing professionals?"
The boy, who was just passing by, rolled his eyes and said, "You guys are obviously ignorant. I heard there's a technology that can forcibly extract experience points from professionals and turn them into experience coins. I heard those things are very valuable in high society."
"Once your experience points are completely drained, killing the enemy will also grant you some experience points..."
"The organs and bodies of those who engage in combat year-round are definitely better than those of ordinary professionals. Countless wealthy people list their items on underground auction houses, hoping to get a powerful heart replacement..."
"Moreover, good-looking support characters have no combat ability, so they can not only be used to extract experience points, but also at night, hehehe..."
The wicked laughter of the random boy and his companions filled my ears.
Even though Lin Xiaoxiao had stayed here for a while and barely gotten used to the lifestyle here.
But hearing such a detailed description still makes my stomach churn and reflux uncontrollably.
Her expression remained calm and unchanged, but her hands, hidden under the table, were clenched into fists, and she gritted her teeth to keep from uttering a sound.
In the past, when she was with Xiao Weizhi, she had always seen a kind, peaceful, and tranquil person. Except for the cruelty that was revealed when something unexpected happened during battle, the rest of the time it was no different from the peaceful era she lived in in her previous life, and even more advanced and prosperous.
But in just over ten days in this place, she faced the survival rules in the darkness, and her values, knowledge, and understanding were repeatedly overturned.
After a moment, having calmed down, she beckoned to the group of men and women squatting to the side, their stomachs growling, who looked like thugs: "Come here, I have something to ask you."
The boy, who was just passing by, glanced at Lin Xiaoxiao's pockmarked face and said disdainfully, "You think I'd just go over there because you want me to? How embarrassing would that be?"
Lin Xiaoxiao took a silver coin out of her pocket and placed it on the table: "Is this enough?"
Greed gleamed in the boy's eyes, then he grinned and waved his hand: "Not enough."
Lin Xiaoxiao took another handful of silver coins from her pocket, about a dozen, and placed them on the table, stacking them into a small pile: "Is this enough?"
As for why silver coins are used, it's because silver and copper coins are the mainstream coins used in this area.
If gold coins appear, it means that the person is rich and a big catch.
It can attract many hungry jackals, who will come by the scent and relentlessly pursue the sheep until the fat sheep is killed or the jackals are wiped out.
Initially, Lin Xiaoxiao was unaware of this matter and became an easy target in the eyes of others. She was chased for two days until she personally wiped out a group of wolves, which officially ended the matter.
The price was this: that night, she lay on the alchemical portable toilet, crying and vomiting all night long, and remained in a daze for the next two days.
The boy immediately stood up from the ground, bowing and scraping respectfully: "That's enough, that's enough."
Lin Xiaoxiao pulled out a long knife and slammed it on the table, scaring away many greedy eyes that were fixed on the pile of silver coins on the table.
During her time living in this place, she learned that the people here were bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. She knew that if she acted more assertive, she could scare away many of the covetous eyes.
Even if she can't scare them away, she can still defeat them and escape the danger zone with the alchemical bombs, gold coins, and props in her space.
Lin Xiaoxiao tapped her fingers on the table and asked in a deep voice, "Where is the underground auction house? What are the requirements for getting in?"
She had been feeling that something was calling to her from this place, but after wandering around and searching many places, she couldn't find it.
Now she wants to go to this so-called underground auction house to see if it's really there.
The boy stuffed all the silver coins into his pocket, scrutinized Lin Xiaoxiao with a critical eye, as if considering whether she was a fat sheep or a crocodile: "You want to go to the underground auction house?"
Lin Xiaoxiao was used to the boy's gaze and replied casually, "Yeah, I want to buy some 'hot items'."
[**Sharp goods:** This refers to items (tools/weapons) necessary for robbery, murder, and arson; it's a term often used by villains in this area.]
Lin Xiaoxiao learned this word from a villain who was stalking her.
Upon hearing the word "top-quality goods," the boy's appraising gaze quickly faded, and his expression showed some lack of interest: "You can go to Old Man Wang at the end of the street; his top-quality goods are also quite good."
Those who can utter this word are all seasoned veterans here; those professionals brought here by the teleportation array would never ask to utter this word.
Lin Xiaoxiao shook her head: "I need better quality goods. If you can take me in, I can give you another three hundred silver coins (30 gold coins)."
The boy's eyes lit up instantly: "Are you sure?"
Lin Xiaoxiao nodded: "I'm sure."
The boy thought for a moment and replied, "I'll go back and ask my boss for a spot, but you have to promise to make sure you collect the minimum spending requirement of one thousand silver coins once you're inside."
Auction houses have minimum spending requirements? What the heck!
Lin Xiaoxiao suppressed her doubts and answered calmly, "Okay."
Around 8 p.m., Lin Xiaoxiao followed the boy through a series of narrow paths.
On both sides of the path, men and women, some standing and some squatting, looked fierce and menacing. They stared intently as the boy led Lin Xiaoxiao inside, but no one dared to move.
Because the boy was holding a lantern that emitted a bluish light, which was the blue lantern from the underground auction house.
In this place, if someone is carrying such a lantern to lead the way, it means they are guiding customers to the underground auction house.
If anyone dares to make a move against a customer, the underground auction house will find out and raze the person and the entire area to the ground.
Half an hour later, they stood in front of a small bungalow, in front of which stood a dozen burly men, each over 1.9 meters tall, with bulging muscles all over their bodies.
Their leader was a burly man who glanced at the boy carrying the blue lantern in front of him.
His gaze then fell on Lin Xiaoxiao, and he frowned, saying, "Hey, kid, did you explain the rules to the people you brought? Don't let them be forced to buy things when they don't spend enough."
The boy, with a hunched back, seemed terrified of the burly man before him, and said sheepishly, "I've explained myself."
Just as the man was about to speak again, Lin Xiaoxiao suppressed her wildly beating heart and tossed a gold coin in his direction: "Lead the way."
Then he tossed a small bag of silver coins at the boy's feet, waved his hand impatiently, and signaled that he could leave.
The burly man in the lead, holding the gold coins, immediately changed his expression, bowing with a fawning smile: "I didn't know you were a distinguished guest. I apologize for the intrusion. If you're unhappy, you can kick me a couple of times to vent your anger."
The most realistic thing about slums is that if you have any one of these three things—money, fists, or power—you can become a king here.
"Lead the way!" Lin Xiaoxiao ignored their flattery.
When she first arrived at this place, she felt that there were no human rights, but after about ten days of brutal treatment, she barely adapted.
Follow one of the burly men into the bungalow.
There are only two elevator entrances leading down into the bungalow.
Lin Xiaoxiao then realized that the underground auction house really meant exactly what it said—an auction house built underground.
The elevator descended rapidly.
A few minutes later, the elevator doors opened, first wafting a fragrant breeze, followed by a uniform welcome message:
"Welcome to the underground auction house, esteemed guest!"
Looking up, the first thing that catches the eye is two rows of handsome young men and women dressed in light clothing.
Following this was the warm yellow lighting, the glittering and opulent decor, the professionals and wealthy people strolling around the lobby…
Some of them wore suits, while others were dressed in rags... but the only thing that remained unchanged was the decadent expression on their faces, a result of their intoxication with extravagance and debauchery.
It doesn't look like a traditional auction house at all; it's more like a top-notch entertainment venue.
At this moment, a short lobby manager wearing a black suit, with a belly that looked like it contained a pot, took the initiative to come forward.
With a warm and welcoming smile, he said, "Welcome to the underground auction, sir. Do you have a floor in mind today? Or shall I help you?"
Lin Xiaoxiao tossed a gold coin as a tip: "Let me tell you, what's special about your place?"
The lobby manager took the gold coins and stuffed them into the inside pocket of his suit, his smile becoming even more enthusiastic: "Okay, please follow me, sir."
From the lobby manager's introduction, Lin Xiaoxiao realized that the auction hall was much larger than she had imagined.
Each floor covers tens of thousands of square meters, with several more floors below, encompassing entertainment, casinos, boxing matches, animal fights, auctions, and more...
The cost increases with each floor you go down.
As the lobby manager pressed the elevator button, he raised his squinty eyes, revealing a pair of eyes barely larger than broad beans, and explained with a smile, "Miss, the auction hall and mission area are just below. Are you sure you want to go down?"
Lin Xiaoxiao's voice was unwavering: "Get down!"
From the moment I entered this place, my heart was like an out-of-control engine, pounding wildly, as if saying: Yes, keep going, this is the place.
When the elevator landed smoothly on the seventh basement level, the lobby manager did not open the elevator doors immediately. Instead, he turned around, bowed to Lin Xiaoxiao, and said in a strange tone, "Welcome to the core business area of the underground auction house, Miss. Good luck!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: I know many readers feel that it's excessive for Xiaoxiao to be treated like a delicate flower by Xiao, so I'll explain it here (I won't go into details later):
.
However, based on the world's setting, it is an undeniable fact that if it were a different person, Xiaoxiao might not even have seen the blue sky outside at the very beginning of the story.
.
Of course, Xiao's behavior is unacceptable: aside from his personality, there are other reasons that forced him to make this choice, which will be revealed later.
.
As for why Xiaoxiao insisted on staying obediently by Xiao's side in the early stages, there were several main factors considered:
First: She and Xiao are forcibly bound together, and she is a mutated class with no combat power in the early stages. If she wants to survive better, she should be obedient and act as a support in the early stages. It's not shameful.
Second: Why have we been giving Xiao all this stuff? If she doesn't improve Xiao's strength, and if she encounters a battle or enemy she can't overcome, she'll most likely just have to wait to die.
Third: the diffusion hypothesis. If you use the treasure chest in your hand to bribe other professionals, can you ensure that they will not become greedy and forcibly take her away?
Fourth: I won't go into the details of the later settings for now.
Fifth: It also involves the setting and foreshadowing, which is hard to explain...
.
Finally, I want to say this: growth requires a gradual process. I need to consider the plausibility of the later story; I can't just unleash a world-destroying power-up in one go.
.
Lastly, thank you to everyone who enjoyed this story! [bows deeply in gratitude][throws confetti][throws confetti]
.
One very, very last thing: I will correct all the typos after the series is finished. Thank you all for your kind reminders. [bows deeply in gratitude]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
