Sector 1 (The Crown). The Auction House.
The drone landed on the private helipad of the Leviathan Tower.
The wind up here was different. It didn't smell. It was filtered, scented with jasmine, and warmed by artificial heat lamps.
I stepped off the drone, smoothing out my tuxedo.
"Welcome to the masquerade," Riley whispered in my ear.
I put on the mask she had prepared.
It was a simple white mask, covering the upper half of my face. No intricate designs. Just a blank slate.
"Why are we here again?" I asked, walking toward the golden doors.
"Vane was just the middleman," Riley said. "The weapons he sold to the Slums? He didn't make them. He bought them here. If we want to stop the flow, we need to find the supplier."
I nodded.
I walked past the guards. They scanned my invitation a fake ID created by Riley's hackers.
Beep. Access Granted.
"Enjoy your evening, Lord Black," the guard said with a bow.
I stepped inside.
And I almost gagged.
The main hall was an assault on the senses.
Gold. Everywhere. The walls, the floor, even the waiters were painted gold.
A fountain in the center sprayed not water, but Liquid Mana. Glowing blue, pure energy that would cost millions in the Slums, just wasted as decoration.
People no, Monsters in human skin mingled around it.
Men in velvet suits. Women in dresses made of light-weave.
They laughed, drank, and gossiped.
"Did you hear about the raid in Sector 4?" a woman near me giggled. "My husband says the fires were beautiful from up here. Like little fireworks."
"Tragic," her partner replied, sipping blue wine. "But necessary. The rats breed too fast. We need to thin the herd."
I gripped my champagne glass so hard it cracked.
Thin the herd.
They were talking about my friends. My neighbors. People who died screaming.
And to them, it was just a view. A spectacle.
[Calm down,] Zev whispered. [Anger is good. But stupid anger gets you killed. Wait for the main course.]
"I want to burn this place down," I muttered.
"Patience," Riley said. "The auction is starting. Go to the main floor."
I walked into the amphitheater.
Hundreds of seats faced a massive stage.
I took my seat in the back row.
The lights dimmed. A spotlight hit the stage.
The Auctioneer walked out. He wore a mask that looked like a smiling demon.
"Welcome, esteemed guests," he boomed. "Tonight, we offer you the finest delicacies from the Lower Sectors."
The first item was brought out.
A cage.
Inside was a Lycan. A werewolf like the one I killed in the temple. But this one was small. A pup.
It whimpered, chained to the floor.
"A purebred Lycan pup!" the Auctioneer announced. "Perfect for a guard dog. Or... exotic leather. Bidding starts at 500,000 credits!"
"600,000!"
"700,000!"
The bids flew.
I watched in disgust as a fat merchant won the pup for 1 million credits.
He smiled, probably imagining the boots he would make from its skin.
"Next item," the Auctioneer clapped his hands.
Two guards dragged a girl onto the stage.
She couldn't be older than twelve.
She was wearing a collar. A heavy, metal collar that pulsed with blue light.
She looked terrified.
"Item #404. A Rare Specimen. Found in the ruins of Sector 9."
The Auctioneer pointed his cane at her chest.
"She possesses a Mana Reactor Heart. Just like the legendary Batteries used in the War."
My blood froze.
Mana Reactor Heart.
Just like Maya.
The girl on stage... she had the same condition. The same "sickness".
"This little darling generates 500 Kilowatts of pure mana per day!" the Auctioneer shouted. "Strap her to your generator, and you'll never pay an electric bill again! Or... extract the core for a one-time boost!"
The crowd went wild.
"2 Million!"
"5 Million!"
"10 Million!"
They were bidding on a child.
To use her as a battery.
Just like Riley warned me.
This wasn't a sickness. It was a commodity.
And Maya was the Holy Grail.
"Ren," Riley's voice was sharp. "Don't do it."
I stood up.
The chair scraped loudly against the floor.
People turned to look at me.
"Sir?" the Auctioneer asked, blinded by the spotlight. "Do you have a bid?"
"Yeah," I said. My voice trembled with suppressed rage.
I walked down the aisle.
"I bid one life."
"Excuse me?" The Auctioneer laughed nervously. "Whose life?"
"Yours."
I reached behind my back.
I didn't bring the violin case this time.
I brought a Spatial Card another gift from Riley.
I crushed the card.
POOF.
Zev appeared in my hand. Massive. Black. Pulsing red.
The crowd gasped.
"A weapon! He has a weapon!"
"Security!"
"Kill him!" the Auctioneer shrieked, backing away.
Four guards rushed the stage. Rank B Hunters.
They were fast.
But I was angry.
And Zev was hungry.
I didn't use technique. I didn't use "Flow".
I used brutality.
I swung Zev in a wide arc.
CRUNCH.
The first guard was cut in half. Armor and all.
The second guard tried to block with a shield.
CLANG.
Zev shattered the shield and the arm holding it.
"ARGHHH!"
The crowd screamed. Chaos erupted.
The elites scrambled for the exits, trampling each other in their expensive shoes.
"Run! It's a terrorist!"
I jumped onto the stage.
The remaining two guards hesitated. They saw what I did to their friends.
"Move," I growled.
They dropped their weapons and ran.
Wise choice.
I walked toward the Auctioneer.
He was cowering behind the girl. Using her as a shield.
"Stay back! Or I'll activate the collar! It will blow her head off!" He held up a remote detonator.
I stopped.
The girl looked at me. Her eyes were filled with tears.
"Help me," she whispered.
"Put the remote down," I said.
"No! You put the sword down!" The Auctioneer's hand was shaking. "You're insane! Do you know who owns this place? The Poseidon King himself!"
"I don't care about your King," I said.
I took a step forward.
"I care about the girl."
"I'll do it! I swear!" He pressed his thumb on the button.
ZIP.
Something whistled through the air.
A silver needle. Small. Fast.
It pierced the Auctioneer's hand.
"AHHH!"
He dropped the remote.
It clattered to the floor.
I looked up to the VIP balcony.
A figure stood there.
A man in a black suit with a white mask. But his mask had a red tear painted on it.
He held a blowgun.
He nodded at me.
I didn't question it.
I lunged.
I grabbed the Auctioneer by the throat.
I didn't kill him instantly.
I lifted him up.
"You like batteries?" I whispered. "Let's see how much energy you hold."
I stabbed Zev into his stomach.
But I didn't cut.
I let Zev drink.
[Drain,] Zev purred.
The Auctioneer screamed as his life force was sucked out. His skin turned gray. His eyes sunk.
In seconds, he was a dried husk.
I dropped him.
Dead.
I turned to the girl.
I swung Zev delicately, slicing the metal collar off her neck.
CLINK.
It fell.
She collapsed into my arms, sobbing.
"It's okay," I said, wrapping my tuxedo jacket around her. "You're safe."
"Ren!" Riley shouted in my ear. "We have to go! The Royal Guard is here! And... oh no."
"What?"
"The man on the balcony. The one who helped you."
"That's Viper. The Rank A Assassin."
"He didn't help you because he likes you. He helped you because he wants to kill you himself."
I looked up at the balcony.
Viper was gone.
But on the railing, he had left a card.
A black card with a red skull.
[See you soon, Abomination.]
I picked up the girl.
"Hold on tight," I told her.
I ran toward the backstage exit.
Alarms blared. Red lights flashed.
The Masquerade was over.
But the hunt had just begun.