Just to give you an idea, a single high-level grade-2 array could cost over 30,000 medium-grade crystals, an excessive amount for the most prominent families in the north of the Central Continent.
The main problem was the fact that to buy and activate an array of this degree, only medium-grade crystals would be involved!
The array masters who could develop items like this were all high-level Spiritual Kings, who didn't bother with low-grade crystals, which were no longer so helpful to them.
On the other hand, the consumption of these arrays required a large amount of medium-grade crystals for these items to work perfectly.
However, the reserves of medium-grade crystals in this region were not large enough, and most of the income of the noble and wealthy families was in low-grade crystals!
These families could even earn an equivalent amount in low-grade crystals that they could pay for these items. Still, no one would accept payment in this form, as few medium-grade crystals were to be exchanged!
They could even travel to an empire or some kingdom outside the north of the Central Continent to make this kind of exchange, but that would be too dangerous. Not only were there much stronger people in those places, but the journey was also complex.
There would always be parts of the journey where people would have to go through forests, regions ruled by spiritual beasts. And in a stronger place, outside the northern part of the Central Continent, there would undoubtedly be several 6th stage beasts.
If travelers were unlucky, even a 7th stage beast could end up appearing!
Consequently, traveling outside the region just to exchange crystals was by no means a good idea. The dangers far exceeded the advantages that one could have.
There were even banks that exchanged spiritual crystals in the north of the Central Continent. But the fees were not cheap, which prevented large 'exchanges' be made.
And because of all this, having many medium-grade crystals was a rarity in this region. Only those families that have existed for tens of thousands of years that have gathered resources for a long time, or those with members in the Flaming Empire's sects, could afford items of that quality.
For the latter case, generally, the advantages of having a family member in one of the sects of the Flaming Empire were precisely related to resources.
Most of the young people who left this region to go to the Blazing Empire weren't as talented as Kara and Troy. Because of that, most of them would not have high expectations of something like what happened to Dennis Red to occur to them.
However, even if they weren't going to gain influence in the empire, those youths still had more chances of getting medium-grade crystals, higher-ranking weapons, as well as arrays, pills, and spiritual techniques.
Because of the large supply of these items in places like the Flaming Empire, when those youths visited their families in the north of the Central Continent, they could bring many valuable things to their relatives, which would give these families a more significant influence in these areas.
This was how the Spiritual Tournament influenced the balance of power in the Minos' region!
However, there were not many forces like these around here, and the Chambers family was certainly not one of them.
Anyway, Vivian climbed a tree and then went back to watching the base of the Chambers family that was in front of her. At the same time, she also checked out the other pursuers that were there.
This region was predominantly crowded with vegetation, with only one soil road passing in front of the pentagonal base of the Chambers family.
And as she watched that building, surrounded by high red walls, Vivian commented to her bodyguard in a low voice. "Uncle Samuel, do you think it will take how long for that bastard's escort to get here?"
Hearing this, the man standing nearby, dressed in armor and on guard, was silent for a moment when he said. "I think in 6 days at most. The Chambers family headquarters isn't close, so it's unlikely they'll get any help before then."
"Unless, of course, a Spiritual King from this family happens to pass by here by coincidence..."
...
And while Vivian and Samuel were talking about what to do, inside that base, there were several cells full of people in the basement of one of the buildings, from where a dense unpleasant smell came.
At the same time, the sounds of whining could be ears constantly there.
That place was predominantly dark, having only one light source, which was in the middle of that place, where there was a wooden trunk with several chains on the floor.
This was the place where the dozens of slaves purchased by Kevin and his bodyguard in the city of Hadia were. Usually, the Chambers family did not use this place to 'educate' their captives. This base was only used for local logistical support for family members who passed through here.
However, since he would have to stay around for a few more days, Kevin had ordered the 'educational work' to started right here. Members of the Chambers family did not like the captives to have dangerous thoughts, such as freedom and the possibility of escape.
Hence, whenever they bought new captives, the Chambers tried to break the mentality of these people, torturing them, trying to imprint a new disposition on the conscience of those slaves.
Humans were creatures with very different mentalities. Some could be extremely resolute, firm in their beliefs and wills. But most were not like that. Many lost hope and accepted the new reality after a certain amount of torture and indoctrination, becoming beings vulnerable to the existence of slavery.
Some might even see their existence as a slave as a blessing, which they would not try to end...
But for this, slave families like the Chambers had meticulous work with new captives, 'educating' them harshly, showing that they are inferior to their masters and that it is an honor to serve them...
Such was the distortion of these people's minds!
Anyway, there was no guard of this base in that place at this moment, leaving only the captives inside the cells.
Almost all of them had open wounds on their backs, while bruises could be seen on virtually any part of these people's bodies.
Some of them had had parts of their bodies skinned in regions like the stomach, face, and arms. The pale red of the lower layer of the skin of those people was exposed, while insects gathered around them as if they were circulating food debris...
Anyway, among these people, Peter and the other captives with Black talent were all sitting next to each other, trying to stay firm.
The physical pain they felt was great, but because they were stronger, more talented, each one of them had a greater resilience than the other captives.
"Joey! Joey, how are you doing?" Peter asked in a husky voice as he crouched in the corner of his cell, not far from Joey.
Hearing this, that aged-looking man opened his eyes slowly, trying to see Peter. He had been one of the last to be 'educated' today, so he seemed to be in pretty bad shape right now.
He then said, taking a quick breath. "Hah, hah, don't worry, hah, I'm not as bad as I look... It's just that that bastard who tortured me, ripped out every one of my nails..."
Peter then looked at Joey's feet and hands, seeing the exposed flesh of this old man amid the blood that still came out of the previous torture.
"These damn sadists! Some of them want continuing to torture us in the same parts of the body, without even allowing ourselves to recover!" Another man who was standing next to Peter and Joey yelled angrily shortly after hearing their conversation.
"Dude, keep it down! Aren't you afraid they'll come here just because of you?" Someone said in a low voice that could barely be heard.
"I want those bastards to be damned!" The man continued to scream, cursing those Chambers family guards...
And it wasn't long before that basement door opened, and three men entered that place.
"Shut up now, or you will all go to the trunk for one more round!" One of them brandished.
"Fuck you, you sons of bitc…" And while that old man continued to scream, quickly one of those guards got into that cell, pulling him out and taking that captive to the trunk.
"You can thank this guy. You got it! Let's have a second-round!"
Pa!
"Ahhhh!"
And soon after, the sharp cries of pain came back to sound in that place, with that man began to be slowly tortured by one of those guards.
...
Quickly an entire day had passed, and the sky in that region was gradually losing its light, with some orange streaks visible on the horizon, where the sun was setting.
At that moment, a group with several carriages was approaching that base of the Chambers family. At the same time, the pursuers who guarded this place observed this from afar, with different reactions.
One of them, who had seen the arrival of these carriages first, then commented to his companions. "A new competitor?"