31 I Want My Money (1/2)

Public Release: Feb. 28th, 2019 - 3:30 am EST

Cara felt a cold hand touch her back and then a swell of supportive energy. The smell of herbs filled the room and someone put a pill in her mouth. Her energies were running rampant and her body felt like it was going to boil over. She grit her teeth and chewed the pill in her mouth. Only one person could get into this tent, and even in her delirious state, she knew who it was.

”Thank… You.” She forced out the words, her breath aflame with rippling mana.

Breaking through while forging her weapon had been too much. She should have abandoned the Weapon Cultivation and focused on her own body. She could always forge another weapon after gathering more materials, but she only had this one body. Tears ran down her face. Her folly was pride, like so many cultivators before her.

Thankfully she had her own cheat here to pick up the broken pieces. With Zara's assistance, alongside the medicinal energies, Cara's body started to piece itself back together. The veins protruding from her skin receded like a low tide. A slow rumbling started to erupt from her core, and a long crack cleaved itself down her soul vessel. She screamed in pain as she succeeded in her breakthrough.

Simultaneously, tendrils of mana connected her and her newly born halberd. Her screams redoubled, but she didn't lose herself again.

A tremendous light flared inside the spacefold tent.

-

”Lord Avalon, don't you think you're being a bit too domineering?!” said the Dixon Head as he stood up with several other elders from the Families. His voice echoed through the Auction House like a bomb alongside his aura. Mana swirled around him and his entourage like a hurricane. He couldn't put up with the City Lord's arrogance any longer. 'Death Detect' warned him that he'd lose one-on-one, but the Dixon Head wasn't alone.

The Four Families decided then and there to fight it out. They couldn't let the pill and the scrolls all fall into the City Lord's hands. They needed to stake their claim there and then, at any cost.

”Ho ho ho! You think you can fight me, Ol' Dixy?” said the City Lord as his own aura flared to life. The floorboards started to rattle and crack. The walls began shaking.

”Shit, Elders stop this place from collapsing!” roared Prince Lars as he jumped down onto the stage. ”Gentlemen, this is an Auction House! A place you fight with money, not strength! If you wish to cross blows, please do so OUTSIDE!”

Lars's yelling was immediately met with a powerful gale of raw force. He felt his entire body get run over by what felt like an invisible horse-carriage. He flew straight backwards at a downwards angle, directly through the stage and the walls behind it. Blood erupted from him and his flesh was mangled.

In a small crater just outside of the building, Lars opened his eyes again. To his credit, he didn't scream or make a sound. He looked more like a lump of discarded flesh than a man. His entire right arm was missing from the shoulder down.

”Did you really just throw a spell at a fucking Prince from the East Empire?” asked the Dixon Head, his eyes wide in shock. ”They have that fucking monster there. Do you really want to be the last City Lord of Tin?”

”You old fool, Dixy. So what if I kill a Prince or two!? That 'monster' of theirs can't beat the current me anymore. I'm sure of it! Now, are you gonna still take this losing fight, or are you gonna get the fuck out of my way while I take my spoils. I'd hate to kill an old friend like you~”

”You've lost your mind,” said the Dixon Head.

”No. You've lost yours. And your head, too!” said the City Lord as he crouched down. His aura flared even higher than before.

All throughout the city everything started to shake. Buildings began to collapse. Screams of 'Earthquake!' and 'Get to cover!' echoed over the rumblings. People scattered to the four winds.