After a ten-minute break, Lander went up the stage again, "Hello again ladies and gentlemen, I have good news prepared for you, another 35 pieces of Energy Soul Stone and two bundles of Golden Metamorphosis Plant are going to be auctioned again."
"Wait, what?"
"This is, I have to get at least 5 of each."
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, the first to be auctioned will be 5 pieces of Energy Soul Stone, and the starting price is 10 gold coins with a 1 gold increase," Lander announced, exciting them.
"Fifteen gold coins!"
"Twenty gold coins!"
"Thirty gold coins!"
"This Poton Family," One man gritted his teeth as he announced a higher bid, "Thirty-five gold coins!"
"Thirty-five gold coins, going once, twice, and done, let us applaud this gentleman for winning the bid." Lander clapped his hands smiling.
The auction happened within an hour, other items were also auctioned aside from the items Lander auctioned. After the event Lander again announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, although the auction was finally done, there is still the second part of today's event, the trading event. You can now display your unneeded items and those who wished to gain the items displayed should be traded with items of the same value. We will not interfere in your trading and so, ladies and gentlemen, let the trading event begin."
Once the event started, the very silent auction suddenly became a noisy market. There were a lot of kinds of stuff that were traded, Lander asked Lute to move around and find stuff they could need but not a thing had entered Lute's eyes.
Finally, when the event ended, people started to disperse content. But some had a bad intention and were silently stalking their prey, Lander was among those secretly being stalked.
Lander and Lute moved out and went away silently, they turned into an alley. Their stalker followed and he found out that only Lute was alone, he was about to turn around but it was too late as Lander smacked the back of his head making him unconscious.
He carried him and brought him to the slums as he tied him under a tree. When their stalker finally woke up, he saw Lander and Lute in front of him with evil smiles, "Anything to say before I cut your manliness?"
Their stalker started sweating when he saw Lander pointing a knife between his legs, "Please no! Please spare me and I will do anything you want!"
"Tell me about yourself," Lander asked still smiling deviously.
The man hesitated but when he felt the knife touching his balls he rushy answered, "Well, I am Rudick and a traveler from the Phoenix Continent."
"Now? What do you think Lute, is he telling the truth?" Lander asked turning his head to Lute.
"Forgive me master, but I don't think he is lying," Lute answered.
"You're wrong; he is lying. Cut his manliness and we're done here," Lander said, passing the knife to Lute, patting his shoulder, and walking away.
"No! Please, I beg you. I am not lying. I am telling the truth!" The man cried.
While the man was shouting, Adofo arrived in front of them showing murderous intent carrying his bow with an arrow on it. And when the man saw Adofo, he panicked, "You? Why are you here?"
"To kill you!" Adofo then stretched his bow, pointed at the man's forehead, and released it, killing the man instantly. He wasn't even satisfied and beheaded the man using the knife Lander tossed to Lute.
Lute was shocked by the events while Lander was deeply rooted on his feet. He wasn't scared nor was he stunned but he was trembling, it was the pain he was feeling. He suddenly remembered his best friend whom he had unintentionally killed. He wasn't able to overcome that scenario. Every time he saw someone dying in front of him, he always remembered his best friend's death. He slumped on the ground while tears rolled down his face remembering that scene again, "Why? Brother why?"
Adofo saw Lander with tears and was stunned, "Master, are you okay?"
Lute also moved towards him as he rubbed his back, "Master, what's wrong?"
Lander who was slumping on the ground remembered another scenario, his Master's death who tried to kill him but wasn't able to because of his love towards him, "Master! Master! Wake up! Why? I have already forgiven you. Please! Wake up."
The images played on his mind one at a time while also shouting those words. It was a pain he couldn't bear. The pain of losing someone he cared for, trusted, and respected. He hated it. He doesn't want to experience those again but the images never stopped.
Suddenly, Lander stood aimlessly and moved away from the Amphiptere Capital. His eyes were blank, and he had no emotions; just eyes that couldn't see a thing. Lute and Adofo also felt this undescribable pain - a sorrow that could never be erased. Adriel, who was at the restaurant cooking, and Grey, who was guarding the restaurant, also felt this pain and sorrow.
Hours passed, but Lander was still meandering aimlessly, never saying anything, while constantly being followed by Lute and Adofo. They arrived at a mountain a few kilometers away from the Amphiptere Capital.
Meanwhile, the same mountain where Lander was traveling. Five men were having a feast torturing a group of elders, children, and women. They were enjoying themselves while blood was oozing on the bodies of the people they were torturing. These torturers had these bulging red eyes and their blood vessels were bulging from their bodies as though it would erupt at any moment. They looked like maniacs who were drugged.
Unaware, Lander arrived at their campsite and was heading towards them. When the people being tortured saw Lander and the two, they cried for help even when they saw that Lander was an outcast, "Please help us!"
The five torturers turned their heads and saw Lander with Lute and Adofo, they grinned deviously as they assaulted them. Lute and Adofo, despite the pain and sorrow they were feeling, still knew what was happening around them so they took cover from the trees and even dragged Lander with them but Lander escaped.
Arrows and magic spells moved toward Lander but evaded them like he was dancing. His mind was still playing the images of his best friend and Master's death but his body was moving on its own like he was being controlled by someone. The sword user among the torturers sprinted and stabbed his sword but Lander moved to the side and stabbed his knife to that man's heart, pulled it out, and threw it to the man who was casting magic and hit the man's forehead. The knife was deeply rooted in the caster's head. He never stopped as he was still walking forwards slowly evading the incoming attacks.
Despite losing two of their comrades, the other torturers were still laughing devilishly not minding the deaths of their comrades. They stood in their places casting magics and shooting arrows. They weren't even maintaining their distance from Lander.
Lute and Adofo who were peeking from the tree also emerged, Adofo drew his arrow and hit the shoulder of the archer while Lute cast a water barrier trapping the other caster. Lander who arrived in front of the three, beheaded the man who was trapped inside the water barrier with his other knife and swiftly moved toward the other man who was free from any attacks from Lute and Adofo. He used an arrow he caught and implanted it on the man's face. Moving toward the last target, he picked up a large rock and smashed it toward the enemy, not satisfied, he even bashed it even more leaving a very gruesome scene that would make anyone puke.
After that, he stood up again as he moved forward toward the tortured people while still holding the rock he used to kill the last torturer. Seeing him approaching them, the tortured people were sweating coldly as an image of a devil was implanted in their minds when they looked at Lander. They thought that he was their savior but when they saw his image, blood all over his face, blank eyes, blood dripping from both of his hands and an emotionless face, they knew that their death was inevitable and maybe even more brutal than the torture they experienced.
Facing a woman who has lots of cuts and deep wounds all over her body, Lander raised the hand that was holding the rock he used before. The woman cried and begged, "Please, let us go! Please!"
Before Lander could bash the woman's face, a crying baby was heard not far away from them, a woman was laboring at that time while the others were being tortured, helping her was a very old granny.
Soon, the images in Lander's head changed suddenly to an image of a baby crying being carried by a familiar man. Then his eyes returned to normal, tears again began flowing from his eyes, dropped the rock he was holding and slumped down, "Uncle! Cousin! Forgive me!"