40 Slave Market 7 - Deals and Realization (2/2)

'So he wants to sell the core from a while ago and call it a trade to get mutual benefits, another possibility would be...to get our attention...'

'...So he's trying to get the Boars to be part of some scheme, is what you are saying...'

While Felix was busy with his silent deduction, Stigma found what he was looking for and placed it down on the table catching the their attentions simultaneously.

He then untied the knot and let the contents spill out, not only Felix, but the guards were all stunned.

On the table was a small sac, filled with Heavenly Beast Core of the Zero and First Tier, if he had sold this he would have made a fortune in just one night.

”...What are your intentions in showing me this?”

”I told you, a deal.”

Stigma then picked one of the Zero Tier core and gave his terms.

”I have a lot of Heavenly Beast cores, as you can see they could cost a lot attention if I were to have them...”

”So you plan to sell them to us?”

”Not quite, I want a deal remember, a deal is something that both side agree to something, and have both of their side gain something, unless you want to buy these off then that will be fine.”

”...What are you planning, what if we don't agree to this and just walk away?”

”You followed me anyway, so what are you talking about?”

...

Face with such logic Felix could not contradict and gave a silent agreement, he followed him to investigate his origins but he didn't expect him to wait for them and even welcome them inside.

”...What are the terms.”

”So then, ...lets trade information.”

”Hah?”

The guard beside Felix could not follow the flow of the conversation, trading information is considered dangerous, especially with someone with no clear background. They had yet to confirm if he had ties to anyone that could harm their clan so they had to walk away but Felix immediately agreed to it.

”...What should we use to trade with.”

”Using these...”

Stigma grabbed a few cores on the table and played around with them like Baoding balls that the chinese use for stress relief. He already had a plan in mind so he was not nervous in the slightest.

”First let's decide on what the price of each information is; how about having the Zero Tiers be personal questions like name or age, the First Tier be anything related to us, as for the Second Tier should be something like a request.”

The guards from behind were gritting their teeths from the balant insult, they had never felt so humiliated by someone who believes he was far more important than them, however Felix was silent for a moment and added his own twist in the conversation.

”Let there be an 'equivalence agreement' along with the consent of both side, then we shall start.”

”? Elaborate please.”

Felix then grabbed his own sac and let the contents spill out, the number of cores were far inferior to Stigma's pile by 1 to 10, ignoring the gaze of his guards he picked three random cores.

”As you can see, we don't have enough to do proper trade, so I would like to have a 'equivalence agreement'.”

Like playing with a knife with one of the longers stones, he placed a First Tier core and grabbed some of the Zero Tier cores from Stigma's pile and placed them beside each other.

”Say I have a First Tier Core and I have no Zero Tier, I want to exchange the First Tier Core to ask about three question pertaining to you.”

”Can it be vice versa.”

”Likewise, also if we did use a Second Tier Core, I would have to hear the contents of the request first, then we can decide if we can handle it. ”

All the men were paying attention to the pile of Heavenly Beast Core by Felix's side, the core they brought were only in the First Tier at most and had solds about half to their expenses.

It was not as though they lacked any currency in Silver and Gold, but the prices were beyond the budget they had in mind.

So in the event they lack any funds they had to rely on hunting wild Heavenly Beast for meals and get their money from the cores they had.

But the problems was that Red Lily Valley was a safe zone, so there were no beast nearby, and if they did found one, they would take too long time to get back then they will be too late to purchase anything.

If Felix decided to use up all the remaining one, they would be left no choice but to gamble and hunt outside with a quota in mind.

”So, who should start.”

Felix didn't gave a reply but only lifted a First Tier core, quoting three fingers.

”Alright, ask away...”

”What clan do you belong to? Where did you find a 2nd Tier Beast? When did you arrive here?”

'Huh? Not the usual, who, what, where, when questions?'

”...Don't belong to any clan. Farther from here. And about this afternoon.”

But before he can start, he was thrown a Zero Tier and Felix continued.

”How can I validate on what you said.”

'Tricky guys isn't he...'

”I don't know how to verify the clan part, but I can tell you that the guards saw me and made a sceneon the gates not long ago. you can come with me in two days to collect the remuneration and contract as proof. As for the 2nd Tier the meat is all I can provide, though I think it's already eaten by now.”

Stigma then took his chance and grabbed a handful of cores from the Zero Tiers and started giving his questions.

***

The questioning started out with both of them asking about their background it went without saying that Stigma can only answer vaguely and played it off as someone with no memory of his past.

As for Felix, his rough posture and demour to his questioning started to soften after listening to his story about where he woke up and the experience he went through. Minus Bell, his familiars and him causing the beast horde massacre.

Gradually they started talking about other subject that could start a conversation, although most of the time it was Felix ranting on about his concern about his family who was sick.

Halfway through the guards started to question the contents of the jugs Stigma was carrying, he soon found out that liquor he was lugging around was high quality.

They explained that Cultivators tend to drink fine liquor since they age accordingly and when they are brewed to their prime condition they would taste devine.

In fact, there are cultivators that had reached in the higher realms and tried brewing their own special blend.

Not long they paid for the jugs and they all drank all the contents in one jugs and left the some for the ones outside.

They all opened up to him as if they knew he was innocent.

Majority of the First Tiers were now in Felix his hands with some Zero Tiers, while Stigma still hand the Second Tier Core and a lot of Zero Tier.

The guards were laughing beside him, acting as if Stigma was their son.

Felix already realized his ploy in asking him repeat question in a roundabout manner, or asking him some minor topics and only gave out the cores just to start a conversation to him, which he did mind.

He gradually remembered a fuzzy image of his father and started to space out from remembering.

The guard beside him started to at him and nudged him a little to remember where they are know.

Coughing a few times, he started grabbing a Zero Tier and started.

”Let me ask you one last question, do you mind?”

”Sure, no problem.”

”Did you suffer from a scaring past?”

'Huh? Scaring past?'

'Ah, I see because of what I did...now that I think about it...'

'Why did I get use to such an action.'

**h*afaa*agd*[1]

'Why did I...feel nothing'

*Y** c**t **re*emb*r

A voice started entering his ear whispering to him in a broken sentence that was so distorted that he can't make head or tails.

*asf*aga*dba*a*g*ada**agg*

Stigma bowed his head and thought for a while, he remembered that when he killed Frank, his hand were still shaking that lasted for two days and had the constant urge to vomit every now and then, so he ordered Dusk to kill Gus when he looked away.

He still had the mindset of someone who was not use to murder.

Now he felt no empathy in seeing and inflicting others in pain not even the beast, the sudden realization had made him confused on his temperament.

*a*g***a**ga**a**

'What had happened? No, when did it happen.'

*Y** KiL//A*FADA*

Stigma continued to clutch his head like he was trying to squeeze his head as it would help him, but had no effect.

Felix on the other hand creased his eyebrows and took the silence differently.

”You don't need to say anything if you don't want to, so let me ask you another question, how many had faced the same fate?”

**%!#%#^**

”...Not many.”

*(^*)@%!#%*

He felt like the voice was getting to him that he was having a hard time focusing to listen to Felix's next question.

'I have met only three men so far and a ton of Heavenly Beast, I killed the men since they deserved it, while the beast was just a means to survive.'

Looking through his battles he noticed that his mindset started to change gradually, like he was turning into a another person.

”...Are you okay?”

Lifting his head he saw Felix looking at him with concern, waiting for his reply, but he could answer with the whisper getting to him.

Stigma had a pale face and his face was feeling hot like he was embarrassed, beads of sweat started pouring down his face, but he can't ask him for help since he can't explain to what was happening to him.

He then felt a hand landing on his shoulder and heard a voice speaking softly above his head.

”You should rest, don't worry we're here.”

Without saying anything he suddenly collapsed hitting his head on the table. Which caused everyone to be alarmed and rush to his side.

From his foggy vision, Stigma could see them yelling at him, but he couldn't concentrate and passed out.

And he sudden came to a realization, he was reliving the moment he felt when he was spirited away.

[1] had to get creative since I can't change the font.