The Novel's Antagonist: I walk the path of a Villain-Chapter 103: Getting myself a slave [3]

Slaves.

A lot of them.

Mana cores.

Everywhere.

And then…

Necrotox.

Wait.

Could this be where that bitch got it?

I let my gaze drift. Chains rattled against the stone floor as a hooded figure yanked a collar, dragging a half-conscious lady to her feet. She barely reacted. Her eyes unfocused, her movements sluggish, as if the concept of resistance had long since been burned out of her.

Not my problem.

I exhaled, forcing my focus away. I wasn’t here for this.

"Been staring at it for a while… How about it?"

A voice cut through my thoughts, dragging me back to the present.

I shifted my gaze. A man sat behind a stall, half his face obscured by a faded scarf, his expression unreadable. He gestured toward something on the display.

A mana core.

"What’s it?" I asked.

"A Tier 7 evolved beast’s core," the man said, his voice carrying the weight of something valuable.

My thoughts stalled.

A Tier 7?

Just… sitting here? Out in the open?

My eyes flickered between him and the core, trying to make sense of it. This was worth a fortune. Tier 6 cores alone were considered priceless in most markets. Even high-ranking nobles struggled to get their hands on them.

So how the hell was a Tier 7 just casually up for sale here?

I narrowed my eyes.

Something’s off.

"So… how about it?" the merchant repeated, his tone patient.

A Tier 7 core. I could use it for a lot of things—enhancing weapons, forging high-grade artifacts, or even absorbing it directly if I was stupid enough to risk it.

But…

"How much?" I asked, knowing full well I wouldn’t like the answer.

"Ten thousand points."

I barely held back a scoff. Yeah, no.

Ten thousand points. It was a fair price—no, a steal. You couldn’t even get a Tier 6 core at that price in the normal market. And yet, something felt off.

It should be cheaper.

I glanced at the merchant, then back at the core.

"That your best price?"

He studied me for a moment, then shrugged.

"How much do you want it for?"

I exhaled. "A thousand."

Silence.

He stared at me like I’d just spat in his drink.

"…A thousand?" he repeated, as if he had misheard.

"You heard me."

A short pause.

"You can do better than that," he said, leaning back, crossing his legs like he had all the time in the world.

I could.

But I wouldn’t.

I had two thousand points—the ones I got from Selena. That had been easy enough. Just flustering her a little, watching her turn into a blushing mess, and bam—she practically handed them over. The rare docile Selena was truly a sight.

And yet, I needed to keep at least half for something else.

I can’t not buy the slave seal.

Letting Rizel roam free is the worst possible mistake I could make. I still can’t fight her one-on-one properly.

Sure, I could try using Flames of Epyhnia consistently.

But that had its limits.

And unlike before, she’d be expecting it.

She’s fast—faster than me.

I sighed. "That’s the best I can do."

The merchant exhaled through his nose. "I can’t sell it for less than nine thousand."

I turned to leave.

"However—"

I stopped.

Looked back.

He smirked. "I can sell you this instead."

I followed his gaze.

What is that?

"An egg," he said, as if that explained anything.

"An egg?" I echoed.

"Yeah. Found at the foot of Melden Forest near Yuphenia. Explorers brought it in."

I raised an eyebrow. "So you don’t even know what beast it belongs to?"

He didn’t even flinch. "I’ll be honest with you—that’s because it refuses to hatch. There’s life inside, but for some reason, it just won’t hatch."

He leaned forward slightly. "So? How about it?"

I stared at the egg, my instincts buzzing.

This feels way too much like one of those convenient events Lucas always runs into.

Tsk.

I didn’t need a beast.

I wasn’t going for the Beast Tamer class.

…Right?

Then again, all academy students were supposed to have one.

They weren’t allowed during the entrance phase, but starting tomorrow, they would be.

All nobles were given a beast from a young age—just like they were forced to learn swordsmanship and etiquette. If their beast survived and grew with them, it became a valuable companion. If it died? They didn’t bother taming another.

I had a beast once.

A flame-breather.

Tsk.

Can’t remember what happened to the damn thing.

But this egg—this unhatchable egg—was screaming plot device.

"Your best price?" I asked.

He sighed. "Eight hundred. Won’t go lower than that."

Eight hundred.

That left me with enough for the seal.

"Deal."

The transaction was swift. The egg was placed in a special spatial container—the kind designed for living things. Unlike normal storage devices that froze time inside, this one allowed normal time flow.

There was a limit to how long something could stay inside, though.

And I had no idea what that limit was.

<...>

Sigh.

I exhaled, staring at the dimly lit shop ahead.

This was it.

With that thought, I stepped forward, weaving past the crowd before stopping at one of the stalls.

At first glance, it looked like a standard mana core vendor. Stacks of polished cores lined the wooden shelves, reflecting the faint light from the hanging mana lamps. A subtle hum of energy pulsed from them, disguising the real nature of this place.

Because according to the novel, this wasn’t a mana core shop.

This was where you got a slave seal.

Clink!

The moment I pushed the door open, a metallic chime echoed through the small space. The scent of aged parchment and burnt incense filled my nose, along with something… acidic.

"What can I get you, young man?"

A rasping voice pulled my attention forward.

I found myself staring at an old woman.

White hair. Wrinkled skin. A smile that made her look like some ancient witch plucked straight out of a fairy tale.

"Nothing much. Just been having trouble keeping my pet at bay," I said, reciting the exact words Lorelle had used in the novel.

Her pale eyes studied me.

"Is that so? But by chance… is that pet of yours furry?"

"If only it was," I muttered.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze sharp—searching.

And then—

WHAT THE FUCK?!

Her body twisted.

Right before my eyes, in a way I’d never be able to explain, she began growing.

Her frail, hunched frame straightened.

Her wrinkled skin tightened.

Bones cracked, muscles stretched, and within seconds, the elderly woman was gone.

In her place sat someone completely different.

The transformation was seamless.

Smooth, unnerving.

Her silver-white hair remained, cascading over her shoulders, but now? Now she looked young.

Not just young.

Ridiculously attractive.

"Hm." She hummed, fully transformed now.

And damn—she was a milf.

Yeah, she was IT. Ridiculously stacked in all the ways that made no sense. Unreal curves, absurd proportions, but a face that contradicted everything.

I would’ve almost considered her perfect if she wasn’t currently trying to light a cigarette.

She took a slow drag, exhaling a thin stream of smoke before casually flicking something toward me.

Fast.

I caught it before it could hit my face, my fingers tightening around the rough texture of aged parchment.

"Two thousand points," she said flatly.

I sighed.

Really?

This played out exactly how it did in the novel, but still—come on.

"I’ve only got a thousand," I said.

She hummed, twirling the cigarette between her fingers.

"Hmph. Then we’ll have to make a deal."

Her voice was different now—low, smooth, with an edge of something dangerous.

I already hated where this was going.

She leaned forward, elbows resting on the counter, pale eyes locking onto mine.

"Such a charming young man," she murmured, amusement flickering in her tone. "Tell you what—satisfy me, and I might just let it go."

She licked her lips.

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I stared at her.

Then, slowly, I sighed again.

"Fine. Let’s do it."

Yeah.

Like hell.

....

Ariana’s POV:

"El....?" I called, feeling a bit scard.

Why did I leave him by himself, he’s barely a level 5, if someone tried to take him he wouldn’t put up much of a fight.

"Sighs," I sighed.

Well, good thing his current dressed has a tracker specially made for him.

Don’t worry my dear, I will find you soon.