Rory stared in shock at the males standing beneath auction placards.
"They can actually auction off males like this?"
The Central District truly lived up to its reputation. Her horizons had just expanded dramatically.
Back in Veridan City, she had never heard of such a thing—never seen it, never imagined it.
"Female Master, don’t feel sorry for them," Nix said quickly.
He knew how kind and soft-hearted she was. The last thing he wanted was for her to be deceived.
"So of them were sent here by their families after making serious mistakes. But many... volunteered."
"Volunteered?" Rory repeated, stunned.
Being sold off by one’s family was already outrageous enough. But volunteering to auction oneself?
"Why would anyone choose that?" she asked.
Nix explained patiently. "Most of them are good-looking, but their talent is diocre and their Rank isn’t high. They don’t want to be matched by the Beast God to a low-Rank female on a remote planet."
"Every Ten-Thousand Females Festival, so males like that co to the Central District to try their luck."
Rory slowly understood—and was even more astonished.
"If a female buys them and they don’t like her?"
Nix shrugged lightly. "Then that’s the risk. There are no free feasts in the sky. If they choose this path, they have to accept what cos with it."
He himself had been born talented and gifted in cha engineering. He had never experienced such desperation. He couldn’t truly empathize—but he understood one thing: once you choose a road, you must accept its consequences.
Rory nodded. "I see."
Nix glanced at the auction platforms. The males were indeed attractive—just low in Rank. The highest among them was only Rank Four.
He leaned closer and whispered, "Female Master... do you see anyone you like? If you do, I can quietly bid for him and keep him sowhere outside. We absolutely won’t tell Vincent or Yuel."
If Vincent or Yuel found out he’d taken her out and returned with another male to compete for favor, they might skin him alive.
"No." Rory refused imdiately. "I’m not interested in any of them."
The words had barely left her lips when a male stepped toward her.
He wore a black mask and possessed a pair of black wings folded neatly behind him. A single rose was held between his fingers.
Hanging from his chest was an auction tag:
[Succubus Clan – Rank Four Male – Price: 1000 Star Coins]
"Honored female," he said, voice low and magnetic, laced with subtle seduction. "I am from the Succubus Clan. Would you consider buying ? I’m very affordable."
His gaze, dark and intense beneath the mask, locked onto Rory.
The mask concealed his expression, but it could not hide the burning heat in his eyes.
Long, narrow eyes tilted slightly upward at the corners, like barbed hooks, sweeping slowly over her. Though she could not see his smile, she could feel it—dangerous, predatory, and irresistibly charming.
Her scent... was intoxicating.
He had co to the Central District for the Empress of the Firebird Clan’s birthday celebration. He had not expected to encounter such a perfectly appealing female.
Rory studied him calmly.
So this was the Succubus Clan. Even behind a mask, his eyes were undeniably alluring.
But she distinctly rembered that none of the earlier auction platforms had displayed a Succubus male.
She also rembered Jasper’s advice: if you weren’t interested in a male offering flowers, reject him clearly and imdiately. Otherwise, they would cling.
Her expression remained blank.
"Cheap goods are rarely good goods," she said coolly. "If you’re that cheap, you’re probably not worth buying."
Instead of anger, amusent flickered in his eyes.
Not worth buying? He almost laughed aloud.
How perceptive. He truly wasn’t a good thing.
"Honored female, even if you won’t buy , perhaps we can get acquainted."
Such an interesting little female. He couldn’t just let her slip away.
His gaze grew even hotter. Rory stepped back slightly and gave Nix a subtle look.
Nix understood instantly and prepared to move.
But soone was faster.
Xarion did not even shift his posture. An ice hamr ford out of thin air and slamd forward.
With a deafening crash, the Succubus male was hurled backward. His body smashed into the wall behind him—straight through it.
Rory and Nix turned in shock.
"Nix, that was too hard!" Nix exclaid reflexively before correcting himself. "Xarion, what if you killed him?"
Xarion looked genuinely puzzled, his voice still weak and breathy. "I didn’t use force. He’s just too weak."
"He’s Rank Four," Nix snapped. "You’re Rank Eleven!"
Males could pursue females. As long as they didn’t cross certain lines, it wasn’t illegal.
Refusing him and even hitting him lightly was one thing. Killing him in public? That was another matter entirely.
"I’ll check on him," Nix muttered, rushing over.
The masked male lay on the ground coughing blood. Nix helped him sit up and quickly administered two healing injections.
"Are you alright? Should I send you to a hospital?"
The male adjusted his crooked mask and waved weakly. "I won’t die."
So she had a Rank Eleven match.
That complicated things. "I won’t trouble your Female Master again. My apologies."
Clutching his chest, he staggered back into the shop.
Nix compensated the shop owner for the damaged wall before hurrying Rory and Xarion away.
As they walked, Rory spoke firmly. "Xarion, if sothing like this happens again, don’t attack so easily. And if you must—go lighter. Don’t kill anyone."
Xarion leaned slightly against her shoulder, nodding faintly. "I’ll rember."
Sotis he was strangely obedient.
Seeing him so docile, Rory sighed and let the matter drop. "Let’s buy so things. We can’t co out and return empty-handed."
The brief incident soon faded from her mind.
***
Inside the shop, the masked male removed his disguise.
He stared with disgust at the face revealed beneath—one nearly identical to soone else’s, a face capable of enthralling the masses.
His black eyes burned with dangerous intensity.
"Find out who that female is," he ordered coldly. "And how many matches she has."
He had finally encountered a female he truly liked. He would not let her slip away.
A subordinate stepped forward from the shadows. "Yes, Second Young Master."
"Any news from the beastfolk sent beyond the outer territories?" he asked darkly. "What about my dear elder brother? Has he truly beco addicted to scavenging trash out there?"
The subordinate hesitated before speaking carefully. "Our scouts still haven’t located the Eldest Young Master."
He lowered his voice.
"And... the clan has also dispatched people to search. It’s said that word reached the clan that the Eldest Young Master has been matched by the Beast God system. He has a Female Master. And... she is searching for him."
"What?"
The atmosphere exploded.
Rank Nine pressure flooded the room like a storm breaking loose.
The Second Young Master seized his subordinate by the throat, eyes blazing with hatred and madness.
"That useless trash has a Female Master?"
Why?
He hurled the subordinate to the ground, shattering furnishings around him.
"He’s inferior to in every way! Just because he was born one minute earlier—just because we’re twins—I’m forced to stand in his shadow! He already has everything. Why does the Beast God still favor him? Why match him first?"
His roar echoed violently.
"Investigate! Find out exactly what kind of female was given to Aren!"
He needed to see what sort of "gift" the Beast God had granted his brother.
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