Return Of The Strongest Player

The ninth floor was not as joyous and wholesome as one expected. Arthur recalled his words to Aryan, in which he mentioned that opposites existed for everything. Life caused Death, while Creation was a catalyst for Destruction. 

Duality was the most prominent feature of the universe.

The ninth floor also had an opposite to its external appearance; a dark side. Slave Trading was the most prominent attraction of the ninth floor, but was meticulously masked by those who conducted it.

Slaves were captured, shipped, and sold on the ninth floor through the vast connections of those who managed the events. Although the act was publicly condemned, not many were of its existence in the first place.

As mentioned, the higher-ups were meticulous in hiding it.

However, those who were aware of it could easily participate in the event, since more visitors equated to higher profits. The trade was not restricted to public figures and more powerful players.

Even random players could participate if they had sufficient funds.

'If I remember correctly, today should be the day… The auction in which that person will be sold,' thought Arthur, traversing across the streets of the ninth floor. Many offered him free samples of foods and different products, but the crimson-eyed man continued to ignore them.

He walked for a good two hours before arriving at an area abandoned by the residents of the floor. Houses seemed to be draped in cobwebs, and dust continued to pile without any cleaning. The entire area was shady.

The Sunlight reaching the area was dim, while the air was chilly. Even the sound of a heartbeat was deafening to the ears. 

"Pspppp, psppp," a sound such as that entered Arthur's ears, interrupting his train of thought and breaking him out from a daze. The crimson-eyed man immediately coated his body in a layer of mana, unsheathing Skofnung.

'The atmosphere is making me a bit… lethargic.'

As Arthur turned to face the origin of the voice, he furrowed his eyebrows. The voice belonged to a furry creature that seemed akin to a yeti, but its lanky physique suggested otherwise. Weren't yetis usually muscular?

Noticing Arthur's reaction, the white-furred, blue-skinned yeti formed an expression that displayed its annoyance. "You're probably wondering why I'm not the stereotypical, muscular yeti… Fuck you."

Arthur didn't respond, casting a glance at the yeti's waist, where a rapier rested, strapped to a belt. The crimson-eyed man let out a chuckle… A yeti using a rapier… Was there anything more comical?

The yeti didn't seem to appreciate Arthur's laugh, as he revealed a cold glare. "Humans… they really are stupid pieces of shit."

"Haha… I apologize," said Arthur, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. Sheathing Skofnung, he approached the yeti calmly. "So, what is it? Why did you… uh, make that noise? Who are you?"

"This isn't an interrogation," replied the yeti. "Anyway, allow me to introduce myself. I am Ijskoud, a… well, I help with advertisement."

"For?"

"Shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking that?"

"I'm Avalon," said Arthur, bowing slightly. "Are you a salesman for the… Juggernaut Association? I heard there was going to be an auction soon, so I came as fast as I possibly could."

At those words, Ijskoud's ears perked up. "Yes, I belong to the Juggernaut Association! I can take you to the auction if you want! It begins in a few hours, so we still have time. I can introduce you to a few people!"

Arthur flashed the best, gentle smile he could muster. It pained him that he had to produce such a fake expression, but in order to enter the auction without raising suspicions, he needed to interact with a salesman.

'I didn't expect to meet one so early, though.'

Then again, it could be due to luck.

"Of course," replied the crimson-eyed man. The two interacted with each other, casually conversing about random topics while heading to a location Arthur vividly remembered from his former life.

During his former life, the slave business was incredibly profitable.

During his initial steps in the tower, he planned on abolishing the concept entirely. However, as he was further involved in the affairs of Heaven's Spire–in which he learned of its true horrors–Arthur's mind disregarded morality entirely.

After a few minutes of walking, Isjkoud and Arthur arrived at a seemingly abandoned flat. With broken bricks and a very ordinary entrance, it seemed to be nothing special. The flat blended in with other properties in the vicinity.

However, it was extraordinary, as it was the hub of slave trading. 

"The password is molybdenum," said Ijskoud, approaching the entrance of the flat while nodding towards the guard. The guard approached the yeti, asking him the password, to which the latter replied promptly.

Arthur then approached the guard.

"What's the password?"

"Lithium," replied the crimson-eyed man, flashing the guard a knowing smile. The latter stiffened at those words, while his eyes widened slightly. He swiftly retrieved a golden card from his bag, handing it over to Arthur.

"Enjoy," said the guard, bowing. "That Yeti will guide you to VIP Room #379."

Nodding once, Arthur returned to his place beside the lanky yeti, who continued to stare at the crimson-eyed man with widened pupils. "What's wrong?"

"VIP? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Ijskoud inquired, bewildered. VIPs were respected customers that even the organizers of such auctions needed to acknowledge. They were the cream of the crop.

There were many passwords that could allow one to enter as a VIP, but only one code was related to the regular auction.

Molybdenum was a regular customer.

Lithium, Uranium, Mercury, etc were VIP customers.

Since the concept of a periodic table was not widely known, not many could determine the similarities between various elements, resulting in them being the perfect passwords for such entries.

Arthur simply winked at the yeti. "Had I revealed myself, would we have gotten the time to simply chat casually? I enjoyed our chat, brother."

Arthur bowed slightly, and Ijskoud teared up at those words.

'This is excruciating.'