The Merchant (3)

"It seems that you had no proble- What on Axia happened" Changing his words mid way, Joseph, now in a much more official looking version of his old attire looked at me.

"Nothing much, just some business"

Glancing behind me he looked right at my face before shaking his head. "Why am I surrounded by crazy people"

"I heard that"

Turning around and gesturing for me to follow him, we entered the store.

Allowing a chance for me to hand the people I was dragging on the pavement to the guards worriedly watching me like a hawk.

"Here take this, you already confirmed that these guys are wanted so I'll be visiting later for the bounty"

Awkwardly taking the rope that was wrapped around what might've been a pile of corpses I left the panicking man behind and entered the store.

And left as a new man.

---

I already knew this for a fact, but this world was a strange one, not that I was against it of course.

Looking to the sky of three different moons I walked forwards while glancing to the stars, depicting unknown star patterns.

'Don't know how logical a square moon is but okay'

"Are you done admiring the scenery Goldie?" Flipping the stop watch in his hands connected to a golden chain and pocketing it in his coat pocket he annoyedly looked at me.

"Hurry up, it's best to enter the Auction quickly to get our money's worth than to wait and get everything worth while bought"

"Yeah yeah" Waving the hand away, I was slightly uncomfortable as I adjusted the tight suit on my body.

Cursing under his breath he walked forwards and opened the door of the auction house that looked much more different in the night.

Entering the auction house filled with people lining the counters and taking out gold or items the lights brightened the area considerably.

But ignoring the hustle and bustle of the general crowd that was now reaching it's peak, Joseph went past them and flashed the card at a few statues at the front of door.

Who to my surprise weren't actually statues as the people inside opened the doors, someone behind it wearing a mask bowing towards us.

Ignoring my surprise at the knights in silver armor standing guard and staying still like literal statues to the point of being mistaken for one, Joseph entered the room.

"We need masks for two"

"Understood milord" The woman bowing towards us while wearing a plain half mask, her face static as she produced two masks from out of nowhere.

"Thank you" Flipping a silver coin to the woman as she deftly caught it, he took his mask and I took mine.

Seymour's mask was one of a squirrels that he strapped on, which I had no idea how it did, but it fit Joseph's vibe.

While mine was a wolf's, which was ironic when I thought about how the first death in this world included wolves.

Strapping the wolf half mask on my face and adjusting it properly, Joseph opened his mouth and spoke.

"We're going to the VIP room later for the main event the auction, but before the official auction starts, the unofficial auction before it is where we are going"

Gesturing towards me he held his coin pouch. "Watch out for pickpockets aiming for your gold, you'd be surprised at how many make it in here"

'Well speak of the devil' Catching a hand that was coincidentally placed on my pouch that was just a placeholder for my inventory, I held the perpetrators arm up.

"So if I catch them like this fella over here what do I do?"

"Already?" Raising an eyebrow he pointed his thumb at one of the several guards that could've been mistaken for armor pieces making their way over here.

"Well don't worry, just hand them off to these guys, depending on the amount of gold these guys pay they can prevent the loss of their hands"

"So don't worry and just look at this place and spend your money."

"This place is literally made for this after all"

Turning around with a flourish, he made way to a small casino like area at the side where people in various masks placed their coins on the table and betted. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be off to earn some more coin before the auction"

The only thought going through my mind at the moment was at how trustworthy the casino was.

Although I was indeed surprised that there was a mini casino here.

'Should I... No, Stop Slade, that's how addictions are made'

Ridding those temptations from my head, I distractedmyself by thinking of the system that Joseph had told me about.

As one of the largest auction houses in the area, the auction house had to deal with thousands of adventurer's arriving at the same time to hand in their goods for quick coin.

And it wasn't a small number of people either, as some also come to the auction house to buy things.

And thus, the amount of coin traveling through the auction houses hands was anything but small.

Thus, to counter this immense flow of people and the inefficiency of how the money flowed, stop gap measures were created to cause the flow of coin to go more smoothly.

Reaching out to the mages guild, they paid them handsomely in coin and gave birth to the System that the auction house now used.

In essence it was a system that just ordered everything nice and neatly while having a search function for certain items.

Moving to the large pillar like terminal structure that was surrounded by several others browsing the items within the system, I looked at the displayed items changing every few seconds and thought.

'Since I still have some time here... should I go take a look?'

Walking to the terminal and opening the search interface after touching it.

I didn't know it yet.

But my decision was one I wouldn't regret for a Looooong time.

---

"The Eye of Cthulhu had died?"

The blue robed devotees trembled underneath the Lunatic Cultists rageful gaze as they bowed quietly to the man.

Dark red eyes glinting with madness underneath the silver half mask, the cloth on his mouth moved as the Cultist shouted.

"You IMBECILES!"

In a fit of rage, the Lunatic Cultist stomped his leg and cracked the stone floor, right before striking his leg out and impacting a devotee.

"Tell me! Who was the one who ended the Eye of Cthulhu!"

Trembling at their comrades corpse whos head had turned into a bloody mist and collapsed, the one devotee in the middle of the trio now reduced to a duo opened their mouth..

"It was a-a Man named S-Slade Sir Cultist"

Staring at the devotee trembling underneath the madness induced rage, the Lunatic Cultist Grabbed the devotee by the neck.

Clenching it tight the Lunatic Cultist whispered "Where is this... Slade...? At right now"

Feeling the metallic touch of metal grip tighter on their neck, the claws drawing blood, the Devotee hurriedly shouted.

"He's in Tinell! Slade is in Ti- Urk!"

Snapping the Devotees neck and killing the devotee the Cultist dropped him onto the ground.

"Oops"

Wiping the blood on his claws onto the dead mans coat the cultist laid his gaze onto the final devotee.

The final devotee trembled increasingly hard by the second as the gaze landed onto them.

"It seems cruel to leave you alive after killing your comrades so..."

"Wait! Sir Cultist! Please spar- Guh!"

[Dark Grasp]

A misty black hand grasped the devotees throat, as they desperately grasped at the nothingness choking them.

"I will send you to your friends"

[Life Drain]

A visible green energy slowly traveled along the misty black hand as the devotee increased their struggles.

"Kugh! No! Aagh! Spa-ack Me!"

Leaving the body of the devotee and entering the Cultist, the man let out a sigh.

"How sad that these followers have to give up their lives so soon"

Letting the corpse fall out of his dark grasp, the body upon touching the floor dissipated into dust.

Leaving behind only the robes of a devotee behind.

The Lunatic Cultist turned around as if nothing had happened, leaving behind the headless corpse, the snapped neck corpse, and the missing corpse.

'But Slade hmm? I wonder if you will join us in our masters plans...'

"Hehehe"

Chuckling darkly, the Cultist entered the darker parts of the cave.

+++

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