Rise of The Anti God

"Fit and healthy human slaves for sale! Starting from just 50 ethereal cores of Earth grade. Come and buy them before they get sold!" A big, stout ghoul was shouting at the top of his voice on an elevated platform where five humans were tied up on poles as if to display them like items.

Three were men, and two were women, all looking young, though any expert can discern they were around 200 years old, which was young enough.

These humans seemed to have been bathed, though their pale faces seemed like they were living in a nightmare. Only torn rags were covering their bodies barely as ghouls passing by glanced at them like glancing at dogs.

Damien noticed this and asked, as he pulled together his brows, "Ethereal cores? You guys use them to buy stuff…even slaves?"

"Our currency is the ethereal core of a human because, in the end, we depend on it to survive and get stronger. Of course, we can cultivate using nethereal energy, but we can't do it continuously. We have to give our bodies a break and then devour ethereal cores to cultivate further. Maybe you should try it. You could get stronger faster than you expect and even make Master proud," Mira said with a subtle smirk since she wanted to see his reaction after suggesting that he should feed on his own people.

Damien shook his head helplessly and said, "You think I haven't tried it? I do it whenever I feel like it, though my way is more sophisticated."

"Huh?" Mira was baffled and harrumphed, thinking that he was simply bluffing to get even with her.

But she had no idea that he was actually telling the truth.

Damien now realized why he was able to absorb the vitality from the ethereal cores of the people he killed. It seemed like something ghouls could do, though he felt that he was able to do it easier and faster.

The only reason he didn't do it recently was that his ethereal core hadn't even stabilized its foundation yet after breaking through a couple levels rapidly.

"Ethereal cores of Earth Grade? So even they are categorized like how medicinal herbs are categorized?" Damien asked since, as an alchemist, he felt like these grades were similar to that of medicinal ingredients.

Mira let out a tired sigh, "Obviously. Trash slaves who are at the Initial or Nascent Ethereal Realm have their ethereal cores graded as Common Grade. The next two ethereal realms would have their ethereal cores graded as Earth Grade and so on. There are minor classifications like Low, Medium, High, and Peak Level, but I suppose as the so-called expert of alchemy, you would already know these things," Mira didn't want to waste her time explaining, but she was forcing herself since Damien happened to be important to her Master.

Damien quickly understood since this grading was no different than he expected. But looking at these unfortunate humans, he felt as if humans were truly just animals who were no different than chickens for slaughter to ghouls.

The slaver spotted Mira, and his eyes lit up since who wouldn't recognize the only disciple of the Night Raven?

He called out with a flattering smile, "Lady Mira! Would you be interested in this good collection of human slaves? Perhaps one more for your Master? Who knows…any one of these slaves could do a better job than that one, qeqeqe," He laughed in a weird way while looking at Damien like looking at garbage.

Damien had no idea that the slaver was angry at him for bewitching Night Raven's eyes to buy him. Otherwise, she might have come to him for a human slave and maybe could have made a fortune through just a single transaction. Any merchant or seller here knew that having business with any one of the warlords was great for business and building their prospects.

He could see that this human slave beside Mira was looking not bad for a human and was tall, but why would any ghoul care how their human slave looked? He knew he couldn't probe the cultivation of Night Raven's slave, but he had already got rumors that this one was too weak to be her slave.

Before Mira could respond, a man's voice boomed from behind,

"You dare try to sell your filthy human slaves to taint the reputation of the Godwin Clan?!" A man wearing grand armor set jumped onto the platform with an angry face and slapped the slaver to the wooden floor, fracturing the slaver's jaw there and then before he could even apologize.

"No need for such violence, especially in the presence of the Chief's disciple," A man's suave voice sounded from the side. He looked like he was in his thirties, with an attractive face and gallant demeanor.

"Forgive me for my stupidity, my lord!" The guard in armor bowed deeply and immediately got down from the platform.

The man who had called the guard back had long black hair and eyes that gave off an unnerving feeling to whoever looked at them. He was wearing an exquisite yet dark blue leather jacket over a white shirt and pants to match them. On the white fabric covering his arm, there was the symbol of a dark blue scorpion-like creature.

He gave off a grand yet calm presence, and even Damien could feel that this guy was someone very powerful without even having to try and probe him, not that he would be able to gauge his cultivation anyway. But this guy didn't seem like a simple arrogant man but seemed to be up to something.

"Who is this guy?" Damien asked Mira in a low voice.

Mira's expression became taut as she said, "He is Warlord Mehron, the second strongest Warlord of Ghoul City and the Patriarch of the Nightshade Clan. My Master is surely stronger than him but…"

"But what?" Damien could feel how Mira's tone lowered even more, and it seemed like she was holding a grudge against him.

"I will tell you later. Now let me deal with him first and bow to him," Mira said as she pushed Damien behind upon seeing Mehron walking towards her with a tall, bulky human slave behind him and an intimidating entourage of his own men.

"Please ignore the ugly scene that just happened. But, I have to say you are still looking as beautiful as ever, Lady Mira. I am glad you were able to return without any harm. You have no idea how pleased I was to hear the news," Mehron said with a furtive smile while looking at her from top to bottom.