Return to Jorgaldur Volume IV: Reunion

After auction (II)

They walked forward while chatting calmly, as if they didn't know there was an ambush waiting for them. They wanted to know how far their ambushers were willing to go. If they would attack them without warning, or if they would just try to rob them.

Of course, there was the possibility that they would want to negotiate some of the items. Although none of them believed it could happen, they would have been willing to trade part of the phoenix shell. They didn't need it all anyway, but the buyers would have to pay a higher price than they had bid before, even if it was in installments.

"Well, well, look who's here," Johil blocked them, with a presumptuous smile on his lips.

After the governor's son, the rest of the young people came out, while looking at them with disdain.

Goldmi sighed. Although small, she had kept hope that the outcome would be peaceful. The arrogant attitude of those youngsters indicated the opposite.

The level of the young people was higher than their Disguised one, and there were many of them. Therefore, they felt confident, and the bodyguards stayed behind the group. They would only intervene if the situation required it.

It should be said that, although their level was high, their combat ability wasn't that great. They had leveled up by finishing off dungeon beings trapped by others, so they had little real experience in combat.

Therefore, their foundations were somewhat unstable. Their level had risen too much at once in each "leveling session," which had pushed them almost to the limit. They needed time to assimilate the changes in their bodies, which was why they hadn't gone to the dungeon in the last year.

They had devoted themselves to training skills and spells, although most hadn't put much effort into them. Their condition made it burdensome, and there were much more fun activities.

Because of all these obstacles, those who were serious about gaining power often didn't take such shortcuts. If they did, never as exaggeratedly as those youngsters had done.

However, these cared more about the status their level gave them than actual power. In fact, they could abuse others with much lower levels without difficulty. They could scare them just by the difference in level.

It can be said that the case of Eldi, Goldmi or Gjaki was similar, as they had also leveled up extremely quickly, although nothing could be further from the truth. Their bodies didn't need to gain power and adapt to it, but only to recover what they had already had. They were already adapted.

"What do you want?" Gjaki asked, without showing any fear or surprise.

Under other circumstances, she might have pretended to be terrified, but she wasn't in the mood. The vampiress felt sad and disappointed. She didn't know the identity of all of them, but from the insignias on their clothes, she had deduced a few. Gjaki knew several of their parents, uncles or grandparents.

"The phoenix shell belongs to me, give it back," he demanded.

"Oh? It belongs to him? That's it? There're people who haven't the slightest shame. I'm a bit surprised he hasn't asked for everything we had on us," Goldmi mocked, with visible disdain. She was speaking to Eldi in a voice loud enough to be heard by everyone.

"Maybe they'll 'ask for it' later. Look at them. They're spoiled rich kids who think they can do whatever they want. Surely, losing some bids has hurt the stupidity they call pride. I don't know what they think it's an auction," Eldi was even harsher.

They reminded him of some of the nobles he had encountered in Engenak. His memories of them weren't exactly pleasant.

"How dare you!? Damn disrespectful mob! Now, you'll get it!" a young feline vampire with orange hair threatened.

He lunged at Eldi, the last one who had spoken, with his fist clenched and his arm bent back. He wanted to punch him hard in the face.

The other youngsters stood watching, ready to enjoy the show. Their friend was quite temperamental, and it wasn't the first time he had started a fight. Given his level and his robust, muscular body, he usually had the upper hand. They couldn't stop imagining Eldi on the ground, his nose broken and bleeding from it. Maybe, with a few less teeth.

Of course, forecasts do not always correspond to reality. Eldi dodged it easily, barely using Fast Steps, after which he Head-butted his rival in the face. The feline vampire fell to the ground, with a broken nose, bleeding from it, and knocked out. Luckily for him, there didn't seem to be any teeth on the ground.

The young people stared at the unreal scene, stunned, unable to react for a few seconds. Their friend, several levels higher, had laid senseless on the ground after a single hit. It was the last thing they could have expected.

Gjaki looked at them with a mocking and provocative smile. Goldmi sighed and looked at them with rather pity. Although more than one interpreted that she was disdaining them.

The bodyguards were frowning, not sure if they should intervene. Even though he had been caught by surprise with a direct hit, his rival shouldn't have knocked him out. Although finally, they attributed it to them being rich kids without any endurance.

"Damn! Let's teach them a lesson!" Johil ordered.

The scream brought them out of their stupor. They felt somewhat scared, but above all humiliated. Furthermore, they were many more of them and of a higher level, so there was nothing to fear. Therefore, all together, they rushed against those who intended to steal.

"Get them!"

"He's ours!"

"Leave us the loudmouth brunette!"

"Take this!"

"Eat my punch!"

"Dodge my kick if you can!"

The three of them dodged them easily, somewhat surprised by the total ineffectiveness of those youngsters. They behaved like children wanting to fight like adults. They got angry every time they failed, and believed that they could subdue their rivals only with the difference in level. Those youngsters didn't even seem to think that they could be dodged.

Soon, the ground was covered with the aching bodies of the young people. Those who were luckier only had the stomach hurting. Others had swollen faces. A couple of young males were hurting their crotch. They had gone too far with their insults and insinuations.

The bodyguards had wanted to intervene when they realized that the situation was getting out of hand. However, a level 95 lynx had crossed their path, and was looking at them menacingly.

They had then realized that those three individuals weren't what they seemed, and that the situation had become dangerous. Therefore, they had called for reinforcements by launching a flare, but it had been intercepted by the albino bird.

"You better stay still. For now, they only have a few blows and wounded pride. I guess you don't want to make it worse, do you?" the vampiress threatened.

They didn't know why, but their blood ran cold when they heard her, something that had never happened before. They nodded, not knowing where that feeling came from.