The Aurora Continent—a world where swordsmanship and magic coexist.
Following the War of Gods and Demons, the deities withdrew and vanished, leaving behind nothing but immortal legends and heroic deeds.
In the Eastern Kingdom of Kashena, within Miluxi City—the Underground Black Market.
Freya wore a custom-tailored male uniform with her long hair tied high in a ponytail.
Her face was hidden behind a pitch-black mask as she stepped through the gates of the black market.
Near the entrance, an attendant wearing an identical mask stood respectfully behind a counter.
“Welcome to the Underground Black Market. How may I assist you today?”
The voice was cold and devoid of emotion. If anything, he sounded like a controlled puppet.
“Human. Under fourteen. One,” Freya replied, remaining brief and clear.
The attendant fell silent for a moment before stepping out from behind the counter to give Freya a respectful bow.
“This way, distinguished guest.”
Freya followed the attendant inside.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed another attendant emerge from a small side door to take the previous one’s place at the counter.
It seemed they were waiting for the next arrival.
After weaving through several corridors, they finally stopped before a door.
Once the attendant opened it, Freya heard the constant sound of bidding coming from within.
“One million gold coins!”
“One million five hundred thousand gold coins!”
She looked toward the stage.
One after another, boys and girls were displayed inside Golden Cages.
The attendant on stage excitedly tapped a small gavel, announcing the rising prices with every strike.
Below the stage, a crowd of people—all masked like her—watched the “merchandise” with eager eyes.
Freya expected this place to be chaotic, but she had not expected it to be this depraved.
The attendant guided her to a seat in the audience and handed her a bidding paddle.
Freya took it, ignored the attendant, and turned her gaze to the stage.
The children inside the Golden Cages looked at the sea of masked faces below and began to cry in terror.
Freya was in no rush, watching as the others were purchased one by one by different buyers.
She did not know how much time had passed, but eventually, the Golden Cages on stage stood empty.
Then, the attendants rolled out another Golden Cage.
The girl inside immediately captured everyone’s attention.
Though her long, silver-white hair was a mess, her features remained clear.
The girl was beautiful, with skin so pale and delicate it looked as if it might bruise at a touch.
She looked up, revealing a pair of red eyes that sparkled like gemstones.
She showed no emotion, sitting silently in the cage like a doll.
This was a stark contrast to the sobbing children from before.
The attendant noticed the way the crowd looked at her, as if they were staring at a rare treasure.
He signaled for silence.
“And now, let me introduce today’s highlight—”
The spotlight fell on the red-eyed girl.
Seemingly stung by the brightness, she shielded her eyes with her hand and shrank back into the corner of the cage.
The movement made her look small and fragile, evoking a sense of pity.
“Female, fourteen years old. Normal intelligence, no physical injuries, and her citizenship records have been wiped. You won’t have to worry about legal repercussions. Furthermore—” The attendant paused for dramatic effect.
“The market has tested her; she shows signs of awakening magic! Therefore, this is a rare treasure that cannot be sought, only found!”
As soon as the attendant spoke, the crowd erupted.
Since the gods went into hiding, magical ability had become a rarity.
Anyone capable of awakening magic was hailed as one of the God’s Favorites.
Until now, the auction had only featured ordinary people.
To suddenly have a “fledgling” who could awaken magic, without any legal baggage…
It meant everyone wanted her.
The buyers in the audience whispered among themselves.
Some debated how high the price would go, while others calculated how to scrape together the funds.
Some felt a sting of regret for spending so much money on the previous items.
The attendant was satisfied with the reaction.
He struck his gavel, the sound echoing through the hall.
“Starting bid—ten million gold coins!”
“Fifteen million!”
“Twenty million!”
“Twenty-one million!”
“Thirty million!”
Just as the bidding reached fifty million, Freya’s voice rang out, bringing a total silence to the room.
“One hundred million gold coins.”
Every eye in the hall fixed on Freya.
The masks provided by the black market came with a disguise effect; when the others looked at her, they saw only a blurred silhouette, and her voice was masked as a raspy male tone.
Even so, such a high bid commanded total attention.
‘Who is this person?’
‘With that kind of wealth, maybe it’s a young master from some noble house looking for a new toy?’
‘Don’t be stupid… at that price, it couldn’t be just a young master…’
The implication was clear.
If it wasn’t a young master, it was royalty.
Regardless, with a bid that high, the beautiful fledgling was destined for someone else.
“One hundred million once. One hundred million twice—” The attendant paused, hoping for a higher bid.
Freya remained calm, tapping her finger lightly against her chair, looking entirely relaxed.
“One hundred million three times! Congratulations to the guest in seat nine!”
With the final strike of the gavel, the deal was sealed.
Freya had purchased the silver-haired, red-eyed girl.
Freya left the auction hall immediately.
Once the event concluded, she followed an attendant to the back for the transaction.
Activating the Space Ring on her hand, she produced sacks of gold coins totaling one hundred million, which landed on the table.
The transaction attendant was just as robotic as the first, silently counting the coins.
Freya knew the attendants here were brainwashed; they had abandoned everything to live and work here.
She wasn’t in a hurry and waited patiently on a soft sofa.
Eventually, the count was finished.
Another attendant led the silver-haired girl in, her hands and feet bound by chains.
The girl kept her head down, so Freya couldn’t see her expression.
The attendant pulled the girl forward roughly and handed the end of the chain to Freya.
The girl looked up.
Because the attendant had pulled her so harshly, her eyes were welling with tears.
She gently rubbed her wrists and winced as her bare feet touched the floor.
‘If she had ended up with someone with twisted tastes, they would have broken her by now…’
The attendant also handed Freya a crystal.
Freya could use magic, so she sensed the rune contained within it.
It was a Slave Rune.
Its purpose was to prevent the “merchandise” from resisting the “master.”
The other half of the rune was branded onto the slave’s body.
Freya looked up and saw the corresponding mark on the girl’s left shoulder.
The bright red rune looked jarring.
‘It certainly fits… for a slave…’
Freya gripped the chain, but the girl offered no reaction.
An attendant led them to a Teleportation Circle.
The black market’s policy dictated that all buyers must leave via teleportation after a transaction.
The circle would send them to a random location nearby.
Soon, the circle teleported the two of them to a secluded residential area.
It was still daytime, and the residents were mostly out working, so the streets were empty.
Freya held the Rune Crystal, pondering a single question.
‘Should I use it, or not?’
Freya looked at the girl.
Being a woman herself, she naturally felt a sense of sympathy.
She didn’t want to control this fragile girl in such a way.
But… Freya didn’t know if the girl would betray her if she didn’t use it.
Something in her memory flickered, and Freya felt a sharp pang of pain in her heart.
She frowned, but then she heard a voice.
“Have you seen enough?”
Freya was momentarily stunned before she realized the girl was speaking to her.
“Not yet.” Freya found her tone and attitude a bit strange.
It didn’t seem like…
“Then… what else does my master want to see?” The girl’s voice didn’t sound pitiful anymore.
“Do you want to see… that kind of thing? The way those insects look at other girls?”
Freya disliked that phrasing. She wasn’t like those people.
“Since I bought you, you are my slave. I can do whatever I want.” Freya said the words, but she still couldn’t bring herself to use the Slave Rune.
Besides, the girl’s attitude was becoming—too strange.
Just then, the girl’s voice came from behind her.
“Does my master want to use the Slave Rune to enslave me?”
‘What?’ Freya thought.
She turned around, only to be met by a high-arcing axe kick! Freya blurred into motion, narrowly dodging the strike.
The silver-haired girl moved with the speed of a wolf, and the power in her legs was explosive.
‘Are you kidding me? Did the black market swindle me?! Are they trying to kill the buyer?! Or did this girl trick the black market people too?!’
“Master, don’t run away! Since you bought me, you should play with me!” The silver-haired girl laughed—a manic, crazed sound.
There was a level of madness and sickness in her eyes that shouldn’t belong to someone her age.
“After all, you are my master. A master has an obligation to… entertain me.”
She stretched her body casually.
The restraining chains seemed like they weren’t even there; to her, they were useless decorations.
“I really… love… you… Master!” The girl cupped her own face, her red eyes shimmering with a burning light.
A strange flush appeared on her cheeks.
‘Everything about this is wrong!’
“I hope Master can play with me properly!”
The words had barely left her mouth when the girl dropped into a low stance.
Before Freya could react, the girl had lunged in front of her with incredible speed.
Freya locked eyes with those brilliant red orbs.
The girl was staring right at the veins in Freya’s neck.
‘If that vein sprays blood, the bright red color will be so… beautiful…’
With that thought, the girl flattened her hand into a blade and swung a lethal strike toward Freya’s throat.