[Name: Katarina Volkov]
[Age: 16 (Human equivalent)]
[Gender: Female]
[Hair: Silver]
[Eyes: Purple]
[Race: Demihuman (Ice Wolf variant)]
[Tier: Grandmaster]
[Rank: D-]
[Skills: Ice Claws (D), Hunter's Instinct (C), Pack Protector (C), Bloodlust (D), Nocturnal Vision (D)]
[Condition: Exhausted, confused, worried, determined.]
[Remarks: A young yet talented individual, determined to protect her brother.]
Endyr took in the wolf girl's stats before turning to the boy. She skimmed through his details, noting his name-Alexei Volkov-and the few Skills he possessed. The host hadn't been lying when he said the boy had a C-Rank Core at only twelve, which was truly remarkable. It was common knowledge that Mythical Races had a harder time growing their Core compared to Humans, a balance of sorts for their naturally advanced stats. Vampires and Elves had the easiest time, but still lagged behind Humans. A Demihuman boy with such a Core meant his Bloodline was likely to be exceptional.
Everyone else seemed to agree, as bids rose up immediately. The price swiftly went passed everything prior, as slaves always did. While Artefacts and items usually had specific usages, people were versatile. Whether it was to train, study, experiment on or use for pleasure, slaves had many uses in the world. If it wasn't for the fact that Gaia and Zephytle were against slavery, the Gaia Continent would have engaged in it as well. Of course, the trade just went on in the dark instead.
The grey haired woman surprisingly had more capital to spend, as she stayed in line against the VIP's. The two Demihumans watched the bustling crowd with trembling eyes from within their cage, evoking a tinge of sympathy from Endyr and a few others, but that was all. She had no intent of going out of her way to play the hero, and the System didn't give her any prompts either. What happened to those two was of no interest, nor concern, to her. 'Better luck in your next lives' was all she could say.
The betting dragged on as each side slowly dried up, eventually coming down to the woman and the centermost VIP. Their previous expenditure came back to cost them here however, and eventually the blackened out box fell silent. The woman had secured the win with 180 gold coins, money even Raphanial would struggle to secure upfront. Then again, she was on the poorer side for a Great Noble.
With that, the auction came to a close.
The host walked off-stage as curtains dropped, and the guests began to chat amongst themselves. Endyr watched as the Devils began to move, slowly getting closer to the hall. 'If I was them, I would wait until the VIP's leave first and then make my move. They're either powerful or wealthy, which is its own sort of power, so dealing with them on top of security wouldn't be smart. In that case, a point where the most powerful ones are gone but a sizable amount of guests remain would be the best time to attack.'
Sure enough, Endyr felt all but one of the VIP boxes become vacant: the one that remained being the person who bought the Gravity Skill previously. Once it became clear that person was sticking around, the Devils swiftly came closer. Endyr felt a subtle shift in the atmosphere as Mana began to be sucked towards a focal point. Just as it seemed to reach a critical point, the grey-haired woman abruptly raised her head and turned towards the direction of the Devils, but she was too slow to react further.
With a deafening blast, the east wall was completely blown away, dust and debris taking up the vision of everyone. The auditorium wasn't that big to begin with, and visibility was quickly reduced. As people began to shout in surprise and pain, several figures dashed through the destroyed wall. Four humanoids, each with a pair of black goat horns and leathery wings on their back. Their skin was a charcoal black, with rivets of glowing red running across it. Their eyes had serpentine slits and glowed a deep orange, a thick sulfur and ash scent emanating from their bodies. They were definitely Devils all right.
The others seemed to think this too, as loud screams began to rise. The intruders looked around with sardonic grins, before the one in front spread his wings wide. The sulfur smell intensified as a dozen balls of black flame appeared around him, flying into the crowd around him indiscriminatorily. The people closest were struck and wailed as their flesh rapidly burnt away, but others reacted faster. Ten Mana signatures spiked as the Ascenders began to prepare for battle. Along the edges of the auditorium, a dozen figures in white robes appeared and summoned various weapons, the emblem of the Emporium on their chest. Security had arrived.
The other Devils began blasting away at anyone near them, causing the noncombatants to panic and stampede. Blood, fire and limbs scattered everywhere as the guards struggled to act with so many people in the way. Seizing the chance two of the Devils dashed towards the stage, tearing down the curtain and disappearing behind it. Six of the white-robed guards went after them, leaving the other six to deal with the remaining Devils...one of which unfurled his bigger wings with a maniacal laugh. A bloodcurdling aura erupted from the Devil, revealing his Epic status. The crowd instantly became more frenzied, but the a stream of magma appeared from the Devils' hand and swept away most of them. Dozens had died in just a few minutes, but at least the numbers had thinned enough for the guards and fighters to act. The white robes jointly targeted the Epic, while the guests who stayed behind focused on the fourth Devil, a Grandmaster.
As for Endyr? She had followed the two Devils who went behind stage. The Epic Devil out front was likely nothing more than a distraction, and securing the items the System requested was more important. The Quest required all Devils to die, but Endyr knew fights involving Epics and higher could drag on for nearly a hour if there wasn't a obvious difference in power. The six guards could stall an Epic for some time as long as they were careful, even if only three were Grandmasters. Endyr couldn't sense any Artefacts on the Devil after all, while the guards had plenty.
In short, she had better things to do. Such as tracking down the Devils and guards who went ahead. Several bodies were littered across the ground, unfortunate employees who met the Devils. Several boxes were smashed, their contents pilfered or scattered around. Endyr followed the damage deeper into the Emporium, eventually hearing the clashing of steel and throbbing of Mana. She reduced her presence and peered around a corner, seeing the guards engaged with the Devils. One of the white robes was sprawled out, a smoking hole in the center of his chest, while the Devil up front had lost an eye. Both sides had inflicted damage swiftly, with the Devils coming out on top. Three fought the injured Devil while the other fought two, nobody noticing Endyr.
After considering for a few seconds, Endyr decided to carry on and secure the items first. She gathered her Mana and then dispersed it, various things pinging back to her. The one-eyed Devil bristled and leaped back, cautiously surveying his surroundings, but had to refocus when a guard pressed closer. 'Sharp senses' Endyr mused as she filtered through the information she gathered. The richest Mana source was, unsurprisingly, located at the very back of the complex, sealed behind an enforced barrier that actually managed to stall Endyr's senses for a second.
Giving one last look at the ongoing scuffle, Endyr turned and began to run towards her destination.