Broken, Subaru, and Marlene gathered in Broken’s inn room as Subaru delivered the news he had mentioned earlier.
“So, Broken, about the slaves you asked about last time. We’ve finally gotten some information on them,” Subaru began, his tone serious.
“Four days from now, there will be an auction, and the slaves will be sold there,” he continued. “Specifically, the elves and the beast-kin, the ones we encountered before, will be up for sale. However, the human slaves you met will be bundled in as a bonus, meaning they’ll be auctioned off as a single package along with the others.”
Broken nodded, absorbing the information. It was clear now that both the elf and the bunny- girl slaves, as well as the human slaves, had been captured and traded by the same group.
“Uhm…” Subaru hesitated, clearly uneasy. “So, actually…” he trailed off, unsure how to proceed.
Marlene stepped in, finishing his thought. “At the auction, there’s a chance we might come across something valuable. So, if you want to secure anything that catches your eye, it might be worth preparing some funds-just in case.”
“Are you suggesting I bid for the slaves?” Broken asked, cutting to the point.
“Surely, you’re not planning to spend money on them, right, Broken?” Subaru continued. “I mean, human slaves aren’t particularly useful to demons. But the elves and beast-kin… now they’ll definitely attract attention. The bidding will skyrocket for them.”
Broken fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. Even if he knew the slaves were going to be auctioned, what could he realistically do? Bid on them? Win them? That would undoubtedly require a huge sum of money. Just the elf alone had been offered for 100 gold coins as a starting bid, and Marlene had mentioned that this was only a teaser to stir up interest. The real bidding would likely go much higher.
The issue of slavery in Yunatea wouldn’t be solved by rescuing a handful of people. He needed to dig deeper, find the source of the problem, and take down at least one major player behind it. That was the only way to make a lasting impact.
“Are you thinking about causing chaos and fighting everyone at the auction?” Marlene asked. “You’re definitely reading my mind,” Broken replied with a faint smile.
“No, Broken… I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Subaru interjected. “I mean… I’m worried about what might happen if you try something like that. We’ll help, but who knows who else might be there.”
Marlene chimed in again. “If you want, Broken, we could target whoever wins the slaves and take them out once they leave the city. It’s a cleaner option.”
“But, Marlene,” Subaru added quickly, “isn’t that exactly what they’d be expecting? Robbing auction winners has become common practice, so they’ll be prepared for that.”
“It’s still better,” Marlene countered, “than trying to fight in the middle of the city.” She then glanced at Broken to see his decision.
“I think we can go with that plan,” he agreed.
After their discussion, they each went their separate ways. Marlene and her team left the city for some unknown hunt or mission, while Broken remained focused on incubating the demon egg, which had started making increasingly odd demands-like wanting to be taken outside the city because of the crowds or occasionally requesting to be soaked in hot water.
In the meantime, Broken continued his ascent through the ranks at the Fight Club Tower, reaching the 4th floor. Here, the opponents were demons level 150 and above. The battles were still fought without armor or weapons, but the difficulty had noticeably increased. Many of these demons possessed natural weapons-massive hands, razor-sharp claws, or large horns perfect for charging attacks-all of which were completely legal in these fights. Though Broken kept winning, the victories were no longer easy. Each fight now took longer, and there were times when he found himself cornered, forced to push harder and dig deep to come out on top. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
What stood out most over the past few days, however, was the shift in the crowd. The spectators had begun chanting Broken’s alias with enthusiasm.
“Void Reaper! Void Reaper!” they shouted, their voices rising in excitement whenever Broken landed a precise punch or delivered a swift, powerful kick. Slowly but surely, he was gaining a following of fans.
“Void Reaper will definitely win! Haha, I’ve bet a lot on him!”
“No way, Void Reaper’s going to lose this time! His opponent isn’t just anyone.”
“Come on, Void Reaper only started on the 1st floor a few days ago, his level is only 130! Are you all stupid?”
“But he’s never lost a match! He’s going to win big!”
“No chance. His opponent this time hasn’t lost in 13 fights. This is the end of that weird guy’s lucky streak!”
But reality proved different. Broken once again emerged victorious, defeating his latest opponent a massive minotaur demon towering over him by nearly one and a half times his height. The demon lay crumpled on the ground, blood spilling from his mouth, one leg nearly broken from the relentless, brutal kicks Broken had landed.
“Damn, that Void Reaper has some serious kicking power. I wonder what kind of species he is?”
“Yeah, his legs are incredibly strong. One kick seems like it could snap his opponent’s bones. He’s terrifying,” another agreed.
It had been hectic days for Broken, balancing his time between incubating the demon egg and his new involvement in the Fight Club Tower. Yet, it was undeniably enjoyable. Not only was he having fun applying his Muay Thai skills-something he had mastered in the real world- but he also found these duels a perfect outlet to sharpen them further.
Beyond the enjoyment, Broken had also discovered a new way to make money from his victories. He now had enough funds set aside for the upcoming auction, where he hoped to secure something valuable—whether it be a rare blueprint or an artifact that could help reduce his heavy Mana consumption. Despite being primarily a Strength user, his reliance on Mana had grown significantly, making items that could help manage it even more essential. Today, Broken was preparing to challenge a fighter on the 5th floor, where all the combatants were level 160 and above. He was determined to keep climbing the floors and making the most of the days he had left in the city.
The host’s voice echoed through the arena as Broken waited in the hallway, listening to the announcement with half an ear while preparing for the upcoming fight.
“Void Reaper, a newcomer who has taken only six days to ascend from the 1st floor, now stands ready to challenge the 5th floor! Many of you have begun to idolize this fighter, but today we’ll see if a mere level 130 fighter can truly hold his own against those at level 160 and beyond. Today, we’ll find out!”
The doors opened, and Broken stepped into the arena, greeted by a chorus of cheers chanting his name. His rise to fame had been swift, and the crowd was clearly behind him.
As Broken scanned the arena, looking for his opponent, his eyes locked onto something unexpected in the crowd. There, among the spectators, were familiar faces-Marlene,
Subaru, and the rest of the team.
They were here, watching the fight!
Wait, why were they here?
They couldn’t know it was him. The host had already announced his level as 130, and that would surely raise questions. He needed to keep his identity hidden at all costs.