Chapter 423 – Shaving the Beard, Picking Up a Middle School Girl (1)

The first slave ascended the platform.

Her gaunt skin revealed her ribcage, and branches sprouted from her head like a tree. Her scorched, lifeless green hair hung limply.

This sentient tree could not revert to its original form through any means.

“…Hmm.”

Swallowing sounds echoed from all around. The nobles’ pants grew heavy.

– Thud.

Gu-seul, grasping the hip part of the leotard the slave was wearing, murmured,

“Quite resourceful. To enslave even a tree.”

With cufflinks adorning her wrist, Gu-seul looked at the slave, her expression blank.

“Seen many of these?”
“Enough to be sick of it.”
“You’re a naughty one.”
“Hehe.”

Gu-seul, whose smile resembled the one she had when they first met at the academy, hardened her face once more.

“Slaves are akin to a panacea. Far off, the barns gaze at the trees as if they were cows.”

Anyway,
Today, there was one more reason to take over this slave market.

The desolated lands of China.
Only trees can revive the dead earth.
Well-nurtured trees breathe life into the soil, creating fertile ground.

[Well then… Let’s proceed with the auction! For those who have brought ample money today, I shall ensure you receive high-quality slaves as a gift! I, Liu Yan, guarantee it.]

As I rested my chin on my hand, the auction soon commenced.

[The first slave, oh my, a rare tree indeed! This is a lovely tree procured from a village near Yunnan Province, renowned for its abundant nutrients. As you all know, trees have an extraordinary charm! I assure you of its marketability.]

The merchants sighed at the arbitrary evaluation.

The tree standing on the stage appeared dignified, as if it had received some form of education.

Though I couldn’t completely hide my anxious expression and demeanor, would that be enough to consider me a commodity?

[Won’t he obey? Don’t worry needlessly. The quality of the dungeon artifacts coming in lately has been excellent. Absolutely! No matter what happens! The binding enchantment on these trees won’t be undone!]

A tree clenches its eyes shut.
As the value of the tree began to rise, I stopped listening and stood up.

“Let’s go.”
“Alright.”

For now, I held Gu-seul, who was playing the role of a ‘slave,’ in my arms.
After draping her arm around my neck and pulling her close, I opened the cup of her bunny girl outfit and slipped my hand onto her left breast.

The rough nipple patch caught on my finger.
It didn’t bother me much.

“Is it okay to touch?”
“…What?”
“Come on, you’ve always wanted to touch my body.”
“Goodness, what nonsense. Why would I go after you when there are others?”

She seemed unfazed by my touch and turned it into a joke.
Of course, Gu-seul’s looks were undeniably attractive.

Among the people I know, there are many with sensuous bodies.

“No matter how enticing a woman is, there’s only one chance to be a virgin, right?”
“Listen to you. Uncle, indeed.”

In response to the provocative words, I gently applied pressure with my hand, and Gu-seul’s brow subtly furrowed.

Her ample breasts pressed together, and her pale skin protruded. A dizzying mist escaped from Gu-seul’s mouth.

“Ah.”
“Quit that nonsense. You don’t even feel it.”
“Hehe.”

Gu-seul has no sexual desire. If I put effort into it, I could potentially awaken it within her, but I don’t particularly want to.

As she remains still, she engages in all sorts of provocations. I wonder how little joy she must have in life, but I just let it be.

“Oh…”
“Where on earth did you learn that?”

The sight seems quite titillating to the wealthy individuals nearby.

Their gazes are drawn to Gu-seul, rather than the slaves on the stage. I stick out my tongue, and Gu-seul giggles.

“Do men really feel proud doing this?”

Gu-seul covered her partially exposed clothing with a silver tray, a result of my fondling her breasts.

“I’m just trying not to arouse suspicion. Stop complaining.”

Lately, we’ve grown closer, and there’s even a hint of sinister intentions.

Sighing, I applied pressure with my hand to silence Gu-seul.

“Huh…?”

I removed the nipple patch, grasped the hidden nipple, and yanked it hard.

“…Ow! It hurts, ahhh! Ahhh!!! Let go, seriously let go!!”

I released my grip. The individual clutching their heated chest wiped away tears.

“…I’ll be quiet.”

* * * * * * *

“Wait, this area is off-limits.”

A man clad in light armor tapped his scabbard in warning.

“Cease, halt right there. There won’t be a next time… Urk!”

– Crash!

The armor buckled under the force of the blow, and blood seeped through the cracks.

“…It burns.”

Gu-seul, who had been gingerly touching her chest as if her nipples still ached, followed me.

“Is he dead?”
“No, just unconscious.”
“Why not just kill him?”

Protecting a place like this is all an attempt to survive and get by.
After all, there’s not much else left to do.

“Let him be.”

Gu-seul was stopped as she pulled out a finger-sized mini knife from between her breasts.

“Let’s just focus on our task.”

Heading towards the room where the slaves were imprisoned, I knocked out a few more guards.

As I laid the unconscious individuals in appropriate spots, Gu-seul struck up a conversation.

“Did your beard grow?”
“I shaved it this morning.”
“Are you an old man now? I’ve heard that for those who grow facial hair quickly, it’s back by the evening even if they shaved in the morning.”

A ludicrous tale.

He effortlessly unlocked the sealed door with magic and swung it open.

– *Clank*.

It was time for looting. Upon entering the room, he saw several guards and high-quality slaves imprisoned.

“What, how did you-“

He approached the guard about to raise an alarm, and quickly subdued him.

Striking the sword away with his hand, he grabbed the guard’s wrist and slashed the man’s throat with the sword’s sheath.

“*Ugh!*”

The weakened guard crumpled to the floor. After neutralizing about four or five of them, the room fell silent. The terrified slaves directed their gazes towards him.

He examined the slaves in their cells.

“Contact Hong-Yeon and ask her to send someone. These people are to be taken to the village.”

Gu-seul nodded once before leaving the room. He considered checking the slaves’ conditions.

Typically, slaves were either made of wood or were tree-like beings. Humans often had many imperfections in their appearance, resulting in a difference in preferences.

Most of the unique individuals here had inherited a considerable amount of blood from the World Tree.

I spoke while looking at a boy in front of the iron bars.

“Do you understand?”
“…”

– Nod, nod, nod.

The branch on his head reminded me of our Shiba. I hardened my expression and continued.

“If you follow me, I’ll provide you with food and work. At the very least, I won’t treat you like a slave. Understood?”
“…Ah, that.”
“If you don’t follow me… I’ll kill you painlessly.”

I put strength into my voice, invoking magical power.

– Crack, crack.

The unfinished concrete floor shattered, and dust billowed. Even some of the aristocrats, their necks tense, were silenced by my words.

“What will you do?”

The startled boy could not utter a word. He was so frightened that he even urinated, but instilling fear proved helpful.

At the very least, getting him to listen to me would make things easier to handle.

“Are there any kids worth raising?”

– Thud!

As I finished explaining the treatment, a noisy commotion came from a room further in.
Someone collided with the door, followed by the sound of a sword being unsheathed.

– Grab this one!
– Worthless, good-for-nothing wench!

It appears a slave is putting up a fight.

The sound of flesh being sliced and faint magical energy can be felt.
Dark magic seeping through the cracks of the door.

‘Hold on.’

Dark magic?

I grasped the sheath and rose to my feet.
Without waiting for Gu-seul, I placed my hand on the door handle and opened it.

– Squeak!

Upon opening the door, a faint, intoxicating scent of drugs filled the air.
Items draped with dust-laden cloth were piled high on either side, with a long corridor stretching between them.

Is it somewhere deeper than here?

As I inspected the drugs one by one and moved towards the next room, I sensed a presence at the door.
Did they hear my footsteps?

– Gulp!

The door opened before I could even touch it.

“Ah, huaaap!”

With a shrill sound, a bloodstained knife lunged at my chest. I allowed the attack.

-Thwack!

The blade pierced through my muscles. The fabric of my clothes tore apart as the blade entered, but no blood or wounds remained.

On the floor lay a person presumed to be a slave, along with a guard. A dark-haired child, who had been unable to eat properly for months, looked at me with trembling hands.

“Huah, huff, huff, huff…”

Irregular breaths and quivering hands.

‘She doesn’t let go of the knife.’

Look at this. A brave girl.

As I moved my hand to grab the child’s weapon, she reacted violently and quickly stepped back.

“Don’t come any closer…Ah!”

The girl tripped over the thigh of the corpse behind her and fell to the ground. She appeared to be around middle school age.

Considering that one can’t grow up because they can’t eat, they might be a little older than that.

“…”

The child steps back with trembling arms, extending their sword towards me. The faint black magic emanating from it is undoubtedly a rarity in this world.

“Hmm.”

Their consciousness seems clouded, their eyes unable to see. In the midst of this, did they resist using the artifact of obedience?

The rusty chains around their ankles pinched, tore, and bled the child’s skin. Their body is covered in bruises. It’s remarkable they didn’t die of tetanus.

‘First, secure.’

As I try to reach out, the child speaks.

“Go… go away.”

– Swish, swish!

The blade of the sword scratches my hand. Not a single drop of blood is shed.

Astonished by the sight, the child swings the sword even harder.

“Ugh…!”

In the end, my hand touches the child’s forehead, unscathed by any injury.

The child, petrified and holding their breath, did not shed a single tear.

The youngster looked at me with a guarded expression.

Torn lips trembled. Scratch marks marred their neck, and signs of self-harm adorned their wrists. Their body bore numerous scars, some visibly older and others more recent, making them easily distinguishable.

“…Huh.”

As I kept a watchful eye, the youth who had been holding their breath made a sudden move.

With a reverse grip on the sword in their hand, they attempted to plunge it into their own throat.

– Clank!

No matter how swiftly they acted, it was futile. The knife, now split in half, was in my hand as I tapped the child’s forehead, causing them to lose consciousness.

‘We’ll talk later.’

Perhaps it was because the next slave hadn’t yet appeared. As the auction descended into chaos, several people rushed over from a distance.

I let go of the knife I had been holding and unsheathed the sword at my waist.

– Swish!

“What the hell are you doing! How long do you intend to keep me waiting? If they resist too much, even if I have to kill half of them—”

As he extended the sword in his hand, a single arc traced a path across the wall and door. The neck of the person at the center was cleanly severed.

Even the individual beyond could not escape death.

– Boom!

The sudden gust of wind pressure pushed people away. Stepping over the bisected door and entering the crowded auction house, I glanced around.

After pressing down on the corpse lying on the floor with my foot, I hurled the knife I had picked up earlier towards Tan Wei, who was fleeing in the distance.

– Thwack!

The protagonist of this auction, whose breath was cut short with a rupturing sound.

Having found a promising individual, it was now time to clean up the mess.

* * * * * * * *

Atop the dusty mattress, a full bowl of porridge sat on the small table.

Having adjusted the binding of the Black Dragon, I entered the room and saw the girl.

She lay there, listless, as if she had lost the will to live. As soon as she saw me, her shoulders trembled in sheer terror.

“What do you want?”
“…”

Black eyes and black hair. Come to think of it, she had spoken Korean.

“How about eating some porridge?”

I glanced at her and took a seat in the chair beside her. I granted her minutes and hours to respond.

Yet, the child didn’t answer me for weeks.