Chapter 56: Auction II

The auction continued.

One item after another was brought onto the stage, and as time passed, the quality of the lots gradually improved.

There were powerful skill books, rare weapons, valuable runes, and various special items collected from different dungeons across the Tower.

Some of the skill books attracted considerable attention, particularly those containing rare abilities that were difficult to obtain through ordinary means. Several organizations competed fiercely for them, pushing their prices to impressive heights.

Ryan occasionally found something interesting, but most of the items weren’t particularly useful to him.

He already possessed an extensive collection of skills and equipment, making it difficult for ordinary auction lots to attract his attention.

Still, he continued watching.

After all, he hadn’t come here just to purchase the Moonlight Spirit Flower.

He was also interested in seeing what other rare items the auction house had managed to collect.

As the auction progressed, more and more expensive items appeared.

A few Legendary-grade weapons were sold for several million Tower Coins, while certain rare skill books attracted even greater competition.

Even the representatives of some major organizations began participating more actively.

However, Ryan remained mostly uninterested.

That was until Victor introduced the next lot.

"Everyone, we have reached the final item of today’s auction."

His voice carried across the entire hall.

Ryan raised his head.

Unlike the previous introductions, Victor’s expression was somewhat different this time.

He glanced toward the stage entrance, and two assistants soon appeared, pushing a large iron cage onto the platform.

Inside the cage were nine individuals.

Ryan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

There were both men and women among them. Some appeared relatively young, while others were considerably older.

All nine wore simple grey clothing, and each had a metal collar around their neck.

Their expressions varied.

Some looked frightened, others appeared numb, and a few seemed completely indifferent to their surroundings.

However, one individual immediately attracted Ryan’s attention.

She was a young woman with fox-like features, including a pair of furry ears and a large, fluffy tail.

Her appearance suggested that she belonged to the Fox Beastkin race.

She was also considerably more attractive than the others, although her current condition made it difficult to appreciate her appearance.

Ryan looked toward Victor.

Victor seemed to understand the questions forming in everyone’s minds.

"Before anyone misunderstands, allow me to explain something."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"As everyone knows, slavery is strictly forbidden within the Tower. However, there is an exception to this rule."

His expression became serious.

"Those convicted of particularly heinous crimes are not entitled to the same protections as ordinary criminals. Some of their crimes are so terrible that even execution would be considered a mercy."

He gestured toward the iron cage.

"These nine individuals have been convicted of such crimes. Their sentences have been converted into lifelong servitude, allowing them to use whatever remains of their lives to contribute something useful to society."

Victor’s voice remained calm as he continued.

"Of course, their crimes and identities have been thoroughly investigated and confirmed by the relevant authorities. None of them are innocent individuals who have been falsely accused."

He then gestured toward the cage again.

"Now, allow me to introduce today’s final lot. A collection of nine convicted criminals who have been sentenced to slavery."

The display screen behind him changed.

[Final Auction Lot: Convicted Criminals]

Quantity: 9

Classification: Criminal Slaves

Starting Bid: 100,000 Tower Coins

A few people in the audience exchanged glances, while others seemed unsurprised.

Apparently, such auctions weren’t entirely unheard of.

Victor then pointed toward the fox beastkin woman.

"Among these nine individuals, we have one particularly notorious criminal."

His expression became slightly colder.

"She belongs to the Fox Beastkin race. Don’t let her appearance fool you. Her crimes are considerably worse than those of the others."

He paused before continuing.

"According to the investigation records, she was involved in a series of extremely disturbing crimes, including the murder of infants. She believed that bathing in their blood would help preserve her youth and beauty."

A few people in the audience frowned in disgust.

Victor shook his head.

"Unfortunately, that is only one part of her criminal record. Her other crimes are equally horrifying, if not worse."

He looked around the hall.

"So, everyone, I would advise you not to judge these individuals by their appearances. Their records are available for inspection, and anyone interested may examine them before placing a bid."

Victor waited for the audience to finish examining the information displayed on the screen before continuing.

"Now, let us begin the final auction."

He gestured toward the cage.

"These nine individuals will be auctioned separately. Their criminal records, racial classifications, and abilities have all been included in the information provided to our guests."

He then pointed toward the fox beastkin woman.

"Let’s start with her."

An assistant brought forward another information card, and the display screen changed.

"Her name is deleted as her new master can give her a name, And according to the investigation records, she possesses considerable knowledge of medicinal ingredients and biological properties. She has also conducted numerous illegal experiments."

Victor paused briefly.

"Given her knowledge and background, she could potentially be useful for Potionists and researchers who require assistance with their experiments."

Inside the cage, the fox beastkin woman’s ears twitched.

Her expression remained pale, and her hands trembled slightly as she listened to Victor describe her abilities as though she were nothing more than another auction item.

"Her starting bid is fifty thousand Tower Coins!"

Victor announced.

However, unlike the previous lots, the audience wasn’t particularly enthusiastic.

A few people raised their bidding tokens, but most seemed reluctant to get involved.

After a short competition, she was eventually sold for eighty thousand Tower Coins.

Victor moved on to the next individual.

One by one, he introduced the remaining eight criminals, explaining their abilities, knowledge, and possible uses.

Some possessed unusual talents that could be useful for research, while others had considerable experience with monster materials, medicinal ingredients, or dungeon exploration.

Their starting prices varied depending on their abilities and backgrounds.

Throughout the process, Ryan remained seated without participating.

He had no interest in purchasing any of them.

However, he couldn’t help noticing something.

The nine individuals inside the cage looked genuinely frightened. Even those who had initially appeared indifferent seemed increasingly uneasy as the auction progressed.

Their future was being decided in front of hundreds of strangers, and there was little they could do about it.

Ryan listened quietly as Victor continued explaining their potential uses.

Some could assist Potionists with ingredient processing, while others possessed knowledge that might prove useful to researchers.

At one point, Victor even mentioned that one of the criminals had experience working with young experimental subjects.

Ryan’s expression remained unchanged, but his thoughts shifted slightly.

’Using kids for experiments?’

He glanced toward the cage.

’It seems this kind of thing is more common on the second floor.’

He had never heard of anything similar happening on the first floor.

Of course, that didn’t necessarily mean such things had never occurred. However, the Tower’s rules and the authorities on the first floor seemed considerably stricter about these matters.

Ryan leaned back in his seat.

He wasn’t particularly interested in the auction anymore.

Still, he continued listening as Victor introduced the remaining criminals and accepted bids from the audience.