The World Is Mine For The Taking Chapter 932 - 142 - Slave Market (4)

I stepped closer and peered through. Inside, an elf sat slumped against the wall, her skin scarred and broken. The wounds were raw reminders of the abuse she’d endured here.

"We’re sorry the product is slightly damaged," he said with an awkward laugh. "As I told you already, sir, this one’s quite feisty, and it was difficult to ta her. That’s why we had to resort to so... unsavory thods. Unfortunately, it left her skin marked. But don’t worry—it doesn’t affect her value."

The way he said it made want to smash his teeth in. Damaged product? That’s what he called her? Just another thing to be bought and sold.

Artemis stood quietly at my side, but I didn’t need to look at her to know what she was feeling. She was the princess of the Elven Kingdom, the future queen of her people. Hearing this filth talk about one of her kind—about her people—like that, as if they were just at to be broken and sold, must have been tearing her apart inside.

But she didn’t move. She didn’t speak. She kept her face composed, though I could feel the quiet rage radiating off her like heat. She knew better than anyone that losing control here, now, would only make things worse. As much as she despised this, engaging him would’ve been a disaster.

We entered the cell. The sight hit harder than I expected—she looked like she’d been broken down to nothing, thin to the point where her bones were sticking out beneath her pale skin.

"Do you know her?" I asked Artemis in a low voice, making sure the slaver couldn’t hear us.

Artemis gave a faint nod. "She’s Patricia. One of the guards from back then. She was reported captured when she tried to rescue three slaves from bandits... she succeeded in saving them, but she didn’t make it back herself."

"I see..." I muttered.

Looking at her now, I could tell she didn’t have the strength to fight anymore. She needed rest—real rest—and then she could be sent back to the kingdom where she belonged.

"We’ll take her," I told the slavers.

"Great! N-Now, onto the next one," the bastard said quickly, waving his n over. They started moving with weapons in hand, ready to force her out.

"I don’t want her hard," I said sharply, my tone leaving no room for argunt. "She’s already hurt enough as it is."

"As you command, sir." He gave a smile, but I could see the flicker of unease in his eyes. Patricia, or I think that’s her na was, had a reputation in here as he told —that she was super feisty and almost impossible to handle. They’d probably expected another fight.

But Artemis stepped in and spoke softly to her, words only they could share. Whatever she said, it worked. Patricia seed to calm down and, despite her broken state, stepped out of the cage without resistance. She looked like she’d already given up everything.

The slaver was caught off guard, but when he realized there wouldn’t be any trouble, he forced a smile. "W-Well then, follow to the next one."

I followed, knowing exactly where we were headed—the demon slave.

This ti, he led us deeper into the market. The path grew darker the further we went, the air thicker and heavier, like the shadows themselves were warning us to turn back. The slaver lit a lantern and held it out front, its weak fla barely cutting through the dark.

"Sorry," he said, his voice echoing slightly in the cramped space. "We’ve been keeping her at the deepest part. She’s that valuable."

"I see..." I muttered.

After a long walk, we finally stopped.

"She’s here," he said.

Unlike the other slaves, who were packed into cages, this one was locked behind a solid iron door. That alone spoke volus about how dangerous she must have been.

"She’s good," the slaver said quickly, almost like he was trying to reassure . "We’ve locked her up with a power dampener. She can’t use her mana, so she won’t be able to go on a rampage."

I pushed the door open. The sight that greeted made pause.

A demon sat inside, her presence almost overwhelming. Half of her hair was black, cascading over one side of her face where her eye was equally dark. The other side was stark white, her eye on that side a pale mirror to match. She looked like a living embodint of yin and yang, a perfect balance of two extres coiled into one body.

"She’s a good catch, right?" the slaver said nervously.

Good catch? He had no idea what he was holding. I didn’t know what kind of demon she was, but everything in scread that she was dangerous. Even Guardian’s voice in the back of my head whispered warnings, telling to stay away from her. That alone told she was no ordinary demon.

And this idiot was selling her for seventy thousand gold coins. A woman like this? She should’ve been worth five hundred thousand at least. That’s how dangerous she was.

"Yes," I said, my eyes never leaving her. "I’ll take her."

And with that, I knew I had just secured a powerful asset.

"T-That’s great, but... I hope you’re telling the truth about your end of the bargain," the slaver said carefully.

"I don’t go back on my word," I told him plainly. "Where do I sign?" I asked.

"H-Here!" he said quickly, shoving a ledger and pen toward .

I took it and signed my na—Christopher Faust. The mont the ink hit the page, his eyes widened, his whole expression changing. Clearly, the na rang bells.

"I-I wouldn’t have expected... you’re the Christopher Faust?! That explains why you’re not afraid to throw your money around!" he said, half in awe and half in fear.

I slid a pouch across the table, heavy with ten thousand gold coins. "That’s for keeping your mouth shut about this deal. Understand? As for the other paynt, I will hand it all outside."

He swallowed hard and nodded. "Y-Yes, of course! You can count on !"

"Good," I said simply.

Even if he eventually snitched, it wouldn’t matter. This whole market wouldn’t even exist in two months’ ti.

And with that, I walked away from this place.