“Hmm?” Adam arrived at the small lounge and saw two half-naked figures hugging and moaning in ecstasy.
“What the fuck?” He looked over to the shattered window and narrowed his eyes.
The two figures were too occupied in their intimate moment to notice his presence.
“Hey, you two!”
At that moment, Adam roared loudly, frightening both figures.
“Eek!” The woman covered her exposed lady parts, while the man quickly turned around, his eyes wide with surprise.
“L-Lord Adam!” The man fell off the couch, but he then quickly stood up and clumsily put his trousers back on, but he couldn’t find his belt, so they hung very loosely around his waist.
“Did you see what happened to this window?” Adam asked, pointing at it.
“N-no…” The woman shook her head while trying to find her blouse. “B-but we didn’t break it!”
Adam narrowed his eyes and waved his hand in a dismissive manner. “You two, get out.”
“Y-yes, right away, sir!” The two scurried away as if they were chased by a horde of hyenas.
Adam walked over the broken glass shards and looked out of the window.
“Ambrose waited for Dreadnought here.” Adam rubbed his chin thoughtfully, but he didn’t look too panicky.
‘It’s safer to kill Dreadnought outside the auction hall anyway; there’s less chance of getting discovered.’
After Adam turned around to return to the bidding hall, he felt the wind whistle below him, and then a figure flew through the shattered window and landed on the ground.
Adam’s lips curled into a slight smile. “Has it been done?”
“Yes.” Ambrose nodded. “His body is falling towards the bottom of the ocean by now.”
“Good.” Adam nodded. “Return to the bidding hall. Now, we just have to wait.”
“Are you sure no one will notice Arkham’s and Dreadnought’s absence?”
“They will not,” Adam said calmly. “If someone is foolish enough to steal from Tyrannus, they would definitely not go say to him that his two guards are missing.
“No one will notice, and Tyrannus will be very occupied after the auction is over.
“However, he’ll come to realize their absence once he makes his move against Mars, but it’s too late by then.”
“All right.” Ambrose nodded and straightened his wrinkles on his clothes. He was about to start walking back to the bidding hall, but he came to a sudden halt as a burning feeling again spread across his body.
It was very erratic.
Sometimes he was feeling fine, but then, like a lightning bolt, the pain would resurface.
“You are in pain.” Adam said that because he was basically blind, his nose and hearing senses were amplified, and he could hear Ambrose’s heartbeat quicken and his breathing get rougher.
It would either be because he was exhausted, which didn’t look like it, or he was in great pain.
“Yeah…” Ambrose touched his cheek. “My soul got slightly injured.”
“…” Adam silently looked at him for a few moments, but then said. “Sorry, but you’ll have to deal with that pain for now. I don’t have ways to heal you on such short notice.”
“I can handle it.” Ambrose replied, his voice firm. “You go do your stuff.”
Adam nodded and waved his hand lazily as he walked away.
‘It’s time, Mars…’ Ambrose’s eyes flashed with coldness.
…
“Where is Ambrose?” Ors asked as he looked around with a suspicious look. “He was here, wasn’t he?”
“Probably went to shitter.” Damian said and threw a stinky eye at Ors. “Why do you care, piece of shit cultist?”
“Says the guy who is part of the most infamous race of murderers.” Ors looked at Damian with disgust. “Half-Vampire or not, you are part of the race that causes plague wherever they go.
“Humans were made in the image of Ancient Gods, and your race is nothing but mutated monsters that even gods don’t love.”
“You call me a monster, and yet, I have more humanity than you.” Damian said coldly. “You killed your whole family, and yet you still have the audacity to call me a monster. A hypocrite.”
“I gave them as sacrifice for the Ascended Gods.” Ors said angrily. “They are now dining in heaven with the gods and angels. I envy them, but like the Lord Deiderich said, we have a one-of-a-kind duty that needs to be fulfilled.
“There is no one else except us that can do it.”
“A delusion is a powerful weapon.” Damian said with a scoff. “The truth is, you are a murderer, and you will receive your punishment soon enough.”
“Hah!” Ors was about to say something else, but then a voice silenced them both.
“Silence.” Mars said coldly. “I am trying to listen to the auctioneer. The one who opens his mouth next will have to learn to live the rest of his life without a jaw.”
Ors and Damian glanced at each other hatefully before turning their gazes back to the stage, where the auctioneer announced another item.
This time, it was something that caught Mars’ attention.
“The 15th item for today is a very special kind!” The auctioneer walked over to the wooden cart, which had a small wooden box with strange tree symbols engraved on the sides.
After he opened the box, a strange kind of feeling permeated the air, and every person in the hall could tell that it was very special.
There was a pulsating heart inside the box, made of branches, leaves, and a glowing core.
“This is the heart of the Nymn Tree.” The auctioneer said proudly. “This item is said to give luck and good fortune to its wielder. It’s very rare and highly sought after—that’s why the bidding will start at 500,000 silvers!”
Without further ado, people started bidding with an astronomical amount of money.
Apollo and others that were part of the group that stole the first heart of the Nymn Tree looked serious, as if Mars got his hands on this item; their efforts were for nothing.
However, after a while, they saw that Mars had no intention of bidding. He just kept his hands formed into a fist and his eyes locked in the stage.
Inside the VIP room, Tyrannus tapped his finger against his wife’s thigh and then smiled slightly.
‘Heh, Mars might be able to hide his emotions from others, but I felt his Inner Power fluctuate slightly. It’s the first item in which he showed an actual interest.
‘Haha, is he here for this heart? It’s a valuable item, but not the most valuable one we have today. So, I suppose he needs it for another reason than just for mere luck.’
After the bidding war ended, a tall, lanky man rose from his seat, fixed his necktie, and walked away to the backstage area to finish the purchase, as he was the one who won the bidding war and acquired the heart of the Nymn Tree.
However, Mars’ eyes followed him like a hawk.
Tyrannus saw it all, and his lips grew into a bigger smile.
‘You’ll die because of the heart of the Nymn Tree. Not the fanciest way to die for a person of your caliber, Mars.
‘Your greed will be your downfall.’
The beginning of the incident called The Battle of the Three Kings had already started in the shadows, and tonight, the final showdown starts.