"Let me teach you how to do basic business. Come along." Alvaro said to Rian in the early morning. Rian gazes at him with his thoughts clouding his mind.
"What are we going to do?" Rian asked. A grin formed on Alvaro's face. Rian got bad vibes from it.
"We will buy some goods."
"Goods?"
"Yes, now get up kid. At least you can earn money without depending on my boy Zebby."
Rian liked the idea. Zebulon didn't ask for anything in return for the help he had to Rian. He felt obligated to pay him back and also to Jade. The things he got from his new life are much more than he can ever ask for. It's something he will choose all over again.
But is it worth it?
He will certainly find out someday. Rian followed Alvaro to a very weird-looking shop. His instinct screamed for him to turn around but he didn't. Alvaro on the other side has a mischievous expression catching his prey. His bait worked.
Once Rian entered his eyes widened finding a bunch of women in the center of the stage while men were looking at them in lust. Rian didn't like the place at all. Alvaro placed his palm on his shoulder causing Rian to glare at him.
"Are you serious? They are selling those women. And you are buying them too." Rian demanded.
"Yes, I will take them in," Alvaro replied with a smile. Rian grabbed him by his collar.
"This isn't a good thing."
"Who said I was good anyway? Besides if you forgot I own a famous motel in the underworld."
Rian let him go. Alvaro isn't wrong at all. Rian clenched his fist forming a plan to save them.
"Don't do anything. Tell me Rian where do you think those women will be safe under my care or those men who look ready to pounce on her?" Alvaro asked softly. His words made Rin halt. Realization hit him hard just like how an evil spirit hit him last time.
"They will be safe under you since you treat them like humans and don't force your workers to do things they don't want unlike other men here," Rian replied.
"You know what if my workers want to leave the underworld I let them go." Said Alvaro.
"Wait, so you are technically saving them but in your style." Rian gasped.
Alvaro rolled his eyes. It's not the first time he has been judged badly but he hoped at least one day someone would understand without him telling them. He felt proud of Rian who has a strong sense of justice and wants to help people around him.
"Let's get going. It's starting soon. You can leave if you don't like this auction." Alvaro said walking away.
Rian contemplates for a minute and follows Alvaro to the noble booth. Once they were settled Rian ran his gaze over the area. Some people seemed high-ranking and the ones who looked like thugs or thieves. The women who are dragged for auction are shaking and tears are streaming from their faces but the one girl didn't show any emotions at all. Rian felt sick.
"Men truly are whores. All they care about is the woman's body." Rian said out loud getting the attention of a few people.
Rian thought Alvaro would scold him but instead, he nodded in agreement. "True, a woman should be protected and respected. They are God if it wasn't for a woman we wouldn't be sitting here."
Alvaro doesn't have a good relationship with his mother but he doesn't think all of them are the same.
People are so evil and getting rid of these people isn't easy.
Honestly, Alvaro is sick of these things too. But he doesn't even have the will to live let alone help people around him.
I couldn't even save myself. How will I save others?
Alvaro focuses back on the auction getting rid of his thoughts.
"Okay so here is a pretty lady. You can bet on gold, silver, or other things." The host announced that a woman got dragged in between. "Start." He yelled.
"500 good coins."Someone from the crowd shouted.
"10,000 gold coins," Alvaro said making everyone fall silent. Even Rian glances at him silently. When no one said anything the host shouted again. "Sold for 10,000 good coins. Congratulations sir."
And the auction goes on. Alvaro got all of them. Rian just stared at him.
"Man you are so rich but I am going back," Rian informed Alvaro before going back to the motel.
Stepping inside the motel he paused when he sensed the evil Spirit. But this feeling was more intense than the previous one, it made him feel sick and depressed. His heart beating and his body shaking. A smell of blood hits his nostrils making him run inside without further thought.
His gaze lands on the bodies of the motel workers, blood pooled around them. The same workers who take care of him are lying dead on the floor. Ignoring the pain in his heart he checked them trying to find if he could save one.
"Everyone is dead." Rian barely whispered with a shaking voice.
Rian let his mana flow and stabilize himself before walking in to find the person who killed them. His fist clenched his fist, and the anger inside him rose. The people who didn't criticize him and accepted him with no judgment are dead. He wouldn't have cared much about the people of his territory but once he was found dead weren't supposed to die. Not after the hardships they have gone through.
Not them, they deserve a peaceful death.
Rian gaze lands on a person as he gets in. His face is covered with a mask while he is holding a worker by her throat. The person behind the mask didn't look bothered at all.
Devlin came to the motel to find the people who were responsible for the failure of his plan. He didn't find them, all they told him was they don't live here. Devlin ended up killing most of them.
"Leave me, please. I did nothing." the woman he is holding by throat pleads.
"I lost my assets so it's fair your boss lost his too," Devlin responds with a flat tone.
Devlin is enjoying the hunt and the smell of blood with dread in the atmosphere. Coming into the motel was worth it.
He lost his concentration when he felt a presence. Soon he came to face with red hair and black eyes with tan skin. Devlin feels irritated at him coming.
"Leave her." Rian demands while letting his wind flow around him.
Devlin laughed with no humor in his tone. "You think you can stand against me, boy."
"Leave her out of it," Rian said.
"Run, Rian." The lady managed to say.
Rian shook his head and attacked Devlin with the strong wind. Devlin blocked the attack and threw the lady away. Rian glanced at her finding her not moving at all. Distracting Devlin with his small attacks he managed to reach the lady. Devlin glanced at Rian bored.
Somehow the lady woke up her gaze filled with terror.
"Run away to the auction. Inform him about the situation. He will handle it." Rian told her softly.
The lady ran away while Rian attacked Devlin. Devlin didn't feel like fighting him until Rian muttered.
"Whirlwind of purification"
The whirlwind rose wrapping around the Devlin. Devlin felt pain, he wrapped the Whirlwind with his power vanishing it completely. Rian eyes felt surprised but he didn't let it show.
"You think you can defeat me. You can't defeat evil alone. And defeating me is even impossible for the armies." Devlin said.
"I won't know until I try."
"I am going to break you bad."
Rian didn't feel the presence behind him until it grasped his throat and slammed him into the wall. A pain shoots through Rian's body.
"Winds of destruction." Rian barely managed to whisper.
The wind entangled around the dark energy getting rid of it. Rian slumped down coughing and gasping for air. Devlin didn't wait and grabbed him by his throat throwing him again on the wall. Clutching the Hairs of the Rian, Devlin slammed his head again on the wall. Rian saw black dots forming in his vision, his head in the pain he never felt before.
Just a little more, Alvaro will bring Zebulon soon.
Rian's body felt on fire. His senses gave up and again he felt lonely and fearful. His body was on the verge of giving up.
But can I do it myself? I was trained by both Zebulon and Jade, they will be disappointed if I give in.
Devlin grabbed his throat again and this time he was going to get rid of Rian.
"You don't have to regret fighting with me after all I will kill you slowly and painfully," Devlin whispered threateningly.
"Go on, my friends will surely make you pay," Rian said with clenched teeth.
"You still have the guts to say it after seeing my power. You are annoying."
Devlin clenched Rian's throat cutting off his oxygen supply. Rian tried to use his power last time.
If I am going to die then I want to do enough damage.
Rian unleashed his remaining power forming a huge tornado engulfing Devlin. Devlin screamed letting Rian drop on the floor. Rian couldn't breathe anymore.
I lost the war. Shame no one will care.