In an unknown location…
Fifteen people sat around a table in a dimly lit room. The table contained a communication orb and the people were dressed in masks and cloaks, with unknown identities.
Suddenly the communication orb flashed brightly and a virtual screen popped up in front of them and the masked face of a red haired man appeared.
He appeared relaxed and carefree as he started speaking in a weirdly distorted voice.
"Yo! How goes the plan my fellow brethren?"
One of the men in the room shuffled as he started speaking.
"Everything is going according to the plan, but the appearance of a legendary system has slightly deterred some of the members."
The red haired man whistled as if he didn't care at all.
"That doesn't even matter. As long as everyone follows my instruction even the monster of the West can be subdued, not to say a newborn chick."
"But Number 13 was …"
"Alright stop, stand in line, I'll ask everyone personally and clear all problems."
Instantly a few members shivered while the others looked at them in confusion.
"Stand following your seniority, oldest ones first and new recruits later…"
Immediately fifteen people stood in a line before the device and started a series of discussion which if leaked to the outside world would immediately overthrow the empire into chaos.
"Number 1?"
"Yes sir!"
"Oldest in the group?"
"Yes sir!"
"Everything in the palace in place?"
"Yes sir!"
"Alright, next."
The cloaked figure of 'Number 1' instantly relaxed as he moved back and sat in his seat.
"Number 2?"
"Yes sir!"
"Any problem obtaining the artifacts and mana stones?"
"No sir!"
"Next"
"Number 3?"
"Yes sir!"
"Any trouble bribing the marked targets?"
"Not yet sir!"
"Next"
As the list kept moving, the man kept asking questions while everyone replied positively and instantly.
Until it came to 'Number 13'…
"Number 13?"
"Who are you?"
"Number 13?"
"No I said who the hell are y-"
"Kneel."
Immediately monstrous force like a mountain falling on his shoulders encompassed him and without knowing when or how he kneeled down.
"Repent."
Immediately his eyes dazed as he felt horrifying things happening to him. He felt his body tearing apart and joining back, his bones getting crushed to a powder and reforming, his skin burning on fire before feeling bone chilling cold… but nothing happened on his body.
He felt like he died more than ten times within a second as tears started rolling down his mask and his tongue hung out uncontrollably and he unknowingly wet his pants.
"Die."
In the next moment, his head exploded in a fit of blood and gore.
Everyone present felt extreme fear towards the man, and 'Number 15' still standing in line outright started vomiting.
"Next."
After a few more minutes, the communication device shut down.
There were now fourteen members remaining. Fourteen alive members that is, while 'Number 2' was asked to promote the last two people by a number and select another 'Number 15'.
'Number 1' sighed as he said, "Dismissed."
Immediately thirteen people left with lightning speed and scattered in different directions while 'Number 15' went up to 'Number 1'.
"Who was that red haired man?"
"The vice leader."
"Vice? He could instantly kill people from thousands of miles away through a communication device and he was only the vice leader? Who is the le-?"
"Stop. No one other than him knows who the leader is. Now leave."
After a few seconds, everyone had left and a horrid looking disproportional and gross bug like monster emerged from the shadows and began chomping on the dead body whose head had exploded.
Later when people would enter this place again, there would be no trace of anyone dying before.
************************
Meanwhile a moderate looking man with green hair and blue sunglasses on his eyes arrived in front of a huge building in a desolate alley.
The man was obviously Ray in disguise.
This alley was at the utmost end of the city of Acrylia, with massive buildings on either side, separating the nobles on one side and the commoners and slums on the other. Very few people treaded this place during the day.
During the night however, this was the most bustling part of the city.
It had casinos, gambling hubs, betting centers, prostitution organizations and slave trading centers.
This alley was like a heaven for people aligning slightly the evil faction.
While the things were morally questionable, unless they violated the empire's laws directly, no one would take action.
People had themselves to blame if they gambled or placed bets, so it was a legit business, and the stakes could be anything, property being sold, relatives being thrown into slavery, or even one's on life.
Yes, one couldn't place making someone else a slave without a mutual agreement, but that didn't stop people from manipulating people and forcing them. If caught, they would be punished or killed, but if someone got away, there would be no consequences.
Similarly prostitution was legal, but forcing others into it was not.
Slavery was legal but once again, forced slavery was not. Slaves generally consisted of spies from other empires, defeated foreign forces, failed assassins, people who lost their freedom to bets, or people committing severe crimes.
Recalling all the rules of this alley famously known as 'The Dark Alley of Acrylia', the green haired man walked into the biggest slave trading building in the alley.
'National Exotic Goods'
'So they're treating the slaves as goods huh… though they're not wrong…'
Shaking his head, the moment he entered the building, a voluptuous female employee with small horns growing on her head approached him with a charming smile.
"What may I call this young mister?"
"Guy."
"Huh?"
"My name… Guy."
"…"
"…"
"Can you choose a better fake name at least?"
"Can't be bothered."
"… What goods are you looking for?"
"Best."
"How high would you be willing to go?"
"Cheapest."
The female employee's eyebrows started twitching.
"Shameless."
"Indeed."
"…"
"So? The goods?"
"…Follow me…"
The female employee sighed.
'A shameless customer has appeared… well he won't be able to afford anything if he is looking for the cheapest stuff either way…'
As they walked further and further into the building, Ray started using appraisal on everyone, looking for people he could use for his plans.