Chapter 262 Night Market
After the brief confrontation with the two bandits, Alex left the area toward the northeast direction where the night market was located.
The bustling crowd of the city's inhabitants didn't even pay any attention to the small incident, while the few individuals who watched from the sidelines to take advantage of Alex dropped their plan after seeing Mardel and his buddy frozen in space with terror filling their eyes.
Navigating through the city's labyrinthine streets, Alex marveled at the grandeur surrounding him. The towering structures, the vibrant signs, and the hum of activity created an ambiance of luxury mixed with an undercurrent of danger.
The bustling activity became even more pronounced as Alex delved deeper into the heart of the city's inner section.
The residents and the architecture surrounding him were a blend of various different races and cultures, unlike anything he had ever come across.
Buildings ranged from elegant elven tree houses with delicate carvings to sturdy dwarven structures adorned with intricate metalwork. Human architecture covered the majority of the land, reflecting their overwhelming numbers in the city.
After walking and admiring the city's unique beauty for close to an hour, Alex reached his destination, a wide street made purely from dark stones that hardly reflected any light.
A grand entry point marked the transition from the luxurious residential area to the market. Massive archways adorned with intricate carvings framed the entrance, and beyond them lay a place teeming with life.
The night market sprawled in a labyrinth of narrow alleys and open plazas, each filled with various shops and vendors hawking their wares.
Alex made his into the night market, excited to explore the infamous market and amidst the cacophony of the market, Alex's gaze was drawn to a particular area outside a massive building with numerous floors.
Alex saw several glass cages suspended mid-air outside a towering building, with each cage containing an individual, their bodies barely covered in any clothing.
The captives ranged from humans and demi-humans to half-elves and pure-blooded elves, the majority of them being females, with each cage having a plate inscribed with details of the individuals inside the cage with a price tag at the end.
A surge of disgust rose within Alex as he looked at the glass cages. He knew all too well that most of these individuals had been kidnapped, coerced, or deceived into a life of slavery.
Among the prisoners, some were chosen for their beauty, destined to serve as playthings for those willing to pay the price. Others, however, bore signs of strength, reaching early fifth Rank.
Their desperate expressions, soulless and barely clothed bodies spoke of the indignity they suffered, even though Alex understood that some of these individuals had ended up in this predicament due to their misfortunes.
But the grim reality was that a significant portion of these captives were victims of a cruel trade, their lives reduced to commodities for those willing to exploit their vulnerability.
A form of slavery was present in every continent, but cruel slavery, where the individual was nothing more than a thing used as his master's wishes, was completely banned in every continent except in the Dragons Mainland and the Land of Giants.
Alex's disgust was palpable as he walked past the cages, his gaze meeting the eyes of some of the captives, seeing the flicker of desperation and the spark of hope.
Seeing the array of expressions on each captive individual within those cages triggered memories of some of the darkest moments from Alex's past life, evoking a deep sense of discomfort within him.
Alex at first had passed by the slave trader building, but after walking for a few seconds, he turned back and made his way into the building.
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'I am not spending more than fifty million gold,' Alex made a mental note as he walked toward the receptionist.
Alex had no plan to spend a large chunk of money on random slaves when he came to the night market, but with him seeing inhabitants of the ancient world as not just NPCs, it was hard not to feel sad knowing the cruelty they were experiencing.
Alex knew that in the rogue haven city alone, there were thousands of slaves with more succumbing to such fate every day, and he couldn't do anything to change their fate, but he could change the fate few lucky ones.
Alex could have just walked away, and it wouldn't have affected him, but he still decided to free some slaves simply because he had the means to do so and knowing it and still deciding not to do it didn't sit well with him.
"Welcome to The Pegasus. Sir, How may I assist you?" The cat lay greeted in her melodic voice.
"I have a budget of fifty million gold, and I'm interested in purchasing a mix of individuals with strength below the fourth Rank, preferably females in mortal Rank. I don't have a preference for any specific race." Alex replied.
"Please give me a moment."The receptionist's smile remained unchanged as she replied.
She rang a small bell on the counter, and almost immediately, a female attendant approached, her steps graceful and her posture composed. The attendant had an air of confidence about her, clearly well-trained for her role.
"Show this gentleman to our VIP room." The receptionist addressed the attendant,
"Please follow me, sir." The attendant said, her demeanor respectful before she walked toward the long stretching corridor.
Alex followed the attendant, who led him to a magic elevator, taking him to the seventh floor before guiding him to a luxurious room adorned with plush seating and dim lighting, offering an atmosphere of privacy and comfort.
"A representative will be with you shortly, and if you have demands, I will be happy to fulfill them," The attendant said, and seeing the gesture to leave, she swiftly left the room.
After a few minutes, the door to the VIP room opened, and a woman belonging to the dark elf race entered, her ebony skin contrasting with her silver hair that cascaded down her shoulders with her provocative attire, emphasizing her alluring features.
"Good evening, sir. My name is Elara. I understand you're interested in acquiring some Slaves?" She sat before Alex, her lips curving into a seductive smile.
Alex met her gaze, feeling a strange mix of emotions as he looked into her eyes, making him feel lust for her body, but it only lasted for a second before it went away.
"Don't waste time and show me the list of your available space that fits my demand," Alex replied, his tone measured.
Elara placed a small stack of papers on the table, each one containing information about the available slaves. The papers listed details such as the individual's name, age, race, strength level, and a brief history, if available, with a picture attached.
"These are all the current available slaves that fit your criteria," Elara said, her voice maintaining its sultry tone but now with a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
'Let's get this over with,' Alex thought, picking up the first stack of papers.
Alex spent some time perusing the papers, his eyes moving over the lists of names and details, reviewing the profiles, carefully keeping a ratio of approximately 70% females to 30% males in his selections, intending to provide a chance for freedom to as many females as possible.
Alex focused on individuals whose strength levels were below the fourth Rank, as the cost for individuals with higher strength was significantly higher, often approaching half a million gold coins.
After a few minutes, Alex made his selections, having selected 448 individuals, spending slightly over the fifty million budget he set at the start.
"I've made my selections. I would like to quickly proceed with acquiring these individuals." Alex placed the last of the papers aside before placing a space ring on the table with the full amount of gold coins.
"Sir, I will make the necessary arrangements as quickly as possible." Elara smiled as she checked the ring before taking out a communication slip and asking someone to come to the room.
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