Adapt, Improvise, Overcome – Crimson Fountain

"Now, why don't we finalize our deal regarding these two demons?"

"Uhm…yes."

Belatedly realizing that he had managed to somehow screw me over, Urgus nodded to the cloaked man's proposition with a slight grimace.

"Then, come this way please…"

It seemed like he knew what would happen to him if he somehow failed to get rid of me right here and now, as he quickly walked away with the man to finish their transaction.

The other cloaked members of the Etherian group patiently waited for their leader to finish the remaining work, keeping their eyes out for any unwelcome visitors and leaving the perimeter guarding job to the ogre warriors.

On my side, the Lycan woman was anxiously chewing on her lips, looking visibly uncomfortable with everything that was happening around us.

But as soon as she noticed my gaze, the anxiousness on her face was instead replaced by a slightly resentful glare she directed at me. 

'Was this part of your plan too? How long do I have to continue this act?'

It felt like her aggravated eyes were asking me such questions. Questions I had no answer for just yet…

"Hmph!"

But maybe she saw the stiff expression I had on my face, her glare slowly waned in intensity, before she coldly snorted after remembering my own perilous situation.

Perhaps because she was getting used to me, her behavior around me was slowly becoming more and more casual as time passed.

A big part of the reason might have been how she wasn't affected by me actively using my aura in her presence.

However, personally, I felt that it was much better this way…

It might feel good to have everyone bowing and quaking in your presence at first, but it quickly became uncomfortable as more time passed.

Not to mention, keeping up the same serious expression on your face was never good for your mental health!

As for my plan, it was certainly moving as I expected it to, except for a few completely unexpected variables.

All I wanted was to simply ride the Lycan's coattails and safely get into Etheria without drawing too much attention to myself…

'Well, getting the buyers to focus on her went according to my plans, but…'

…but if only everything went according to plans these days!

'A man's job is to propose, but God's job is to dispose…was it?'

In the end, who would've thought that our transporter would be such a loser...? 

I expected her to gather some interest as a capable fighter, or even a pretty high-level source of demonic ingredients for dark mages.....but never 'that' kind of interest!

Not only did the cloaked man have 'that' kind of interest in a hostile demonic creature, but he was so fascinated with her that he ended up loathing me to the bone.

And that was just our first meeting!

Even now, from the way that cloaked man's bodyguard was sending me sideway glances with clearly dubious intentions brewing inside his head…

'Shit, this isn't going to end very well…'

Things were about to get extremely dangerous for everyone during this transportation journey, in a lot of different ways!

I heard a few grunts and arguments going on in the distance as Urgus and the cloaked man negotiated for their acceptable prices. And soon, I saw both of them coming to an agreement before returning to their respective groups.

"You three, start unloading our cargo hold and stuff all the demons in there! Others, take these two to a separate cabin!"

The cloaked man rapidly barked out his orders, and the stationary members of his group finally started moving.

Wooden crates filled with unknown items were taken out from behind the rock formations these individuals stood in front of, which were then handed over to the ogres. 

Next, the demon slaves chained along with us were roughly pulled away by four of the cloaked men, before swiftly disappearing behind the surrounding rocky covers.

'But, what do they have in those box–…no, wait...magic items!'

Though I couldn't see through objects, the subtle energy fluctuations around those crates made it clear what kind of things they were concealing.

'So, they were using magic items as the currency to trade between their worlds…'

It made a lot of sense, since the corrupted mana from the Demon Realm wasn't very useful in anything other than slaughter and mass destruction.

As the exchange of goods gradually took place, four of the cloaked men grabbed hold of our chains and started dragging us forward in silence.

However, just as I was about to turn my head away from the scene and follow the cloaked men to wherever they might have been taking us, my eyes suddenly opened wide in shock!

Since these Etherians had been waiting here long before the ogres could reach this place, I wasn't able to see any of the crates and resources they used for buying the demons.

It was only after both sides came to an agreement, did I see the Etherians pull out all those crates full of magic items from behind the rock formations!

But little did I know earlier, that all these crates of magic items were only the cherries on top for these ogres, and the real deal among these two parties involved a completely different resource!

"Kyaaah!"

Emerging from behind the rock formation – the same place where the other chained demons had vanished into – a new group of creatures was slowly pulled out in the open…one by one…

"Now 'this' is what you call a real haul! Gahahaha!"

"Gehehe. Seems like that unit leader is pretty good at talking!"

Seeing those pitiful creatures being dragged over, the ogres let out a cheer of joyful laughter, just like an expectant child seeing its favorite meal being presented on the table.

Tired and terrified, these group of creatures trembled and screamed as they saw the hulking ogres ogling their flesh with drops of saliva dripping from their mouths.

"Aaah! No! Not my child! Please, just spare my child!"

"Ha…haha…it's over…it's over for all of us!"

"Ghh…Ugh…I don't want to die…I don't want to die…"

My head turned almost mechanically, as I followed them with my eyes. 

And it only took a single glance for me to tell....that all of them… every single one of those helpless creatures were just some common, and powerless humans!

All these living, breathing, and innocent humans were now forcefully dragged into the open by those cloaked people, like a bunch of cattle being walked to their own slaughter, tightly bound by ropes and unable to do anything but wail in despair…

"Mommy…mommy!!"

Spared weren't those little children who didn't fully understand what was going to happen to them, screams from their teary-eyed mothers echoed in vain, their desperate begging unable to move the heartless monsters into letting their children live…

"The Goddess is watching everything from above, you vile heretics! You will definitely face her judgment one day!"

"Tsk. Shut your mouth, old man. You can say your prayers all you want from their bellies!"

"Gahak!"

Even a wizened old man at the end of his life, who kept shouting about the Goddess' judgment, was mercilessly silenced with a punch to his gut.

'...what…why are all these humans here...?'

My unanswered question was soon answered, when one of the salivating ogres wasn't able to hold down his urge anymore.

Walking forward with a maddened grin on his face, he snatched a little girl from a wailing mother's grip and brought her closer to his wide-open mouth. Before…

*Crruunch–!*

...blood splattered all over the ground like a fountain, staining everything around them in a bright crimson hue.