-What? You want to buy this guy?- Horlaide asked, genuinely surprised.
-Idiot! I will never be a slave! I'd rather die!- The chicken began to squawk again.
Black Spider ignored him and looked at Horlaide, waiting for the price.
Horlaide shrugged, pressed a button next to the cage and suddenly the chicken's squawks were silenced.
-I can sell him for 500 Enas, how about that?- he said softly.
Black Spider thought for a moment, the price for a Super Grade B was quite low, but the chicken was a nuisance and only had the strength of a Grade C at most, so the price was fair.
-All right.- He agreed and Horlaide smiled. The exchange was soon made, but Black Spider left the chicken there for a while longer, instead, he followed Horlaide to see luxury "products".
Unfortunately, Black Spider didn't find anything else that truly interested him, but even when he asked if there was more, Horlaide didn't show Aroshia, so he concluded that Horlaide didn't want to show her to him.
He understood the reason, he wasn't Han Xiao, a random mercenary who had arrived there from nowhere. He was part of the Floating Dragon, not only that, but a confirmed Calamity Grade.
In that case, if Horlaide showed Aroshia, which would return to her starting point after a few days, that would be enough to create a feud with Black Spider.
But Ringo was after Aroshia, so he used his nightmare senses to find the woman and... nothing. This didn't surprise him, Aroshia had a virtual soul, that kind of psychic ability wouldn't work on her.
So he turned to his precognition, until he sensed that what he was looking for was behind a wall.
He pointed directly at her and asked. -What's over there?
Horlaide paused for a moment, his eyes wide with shock. -How did you...?
-Don't worry, I can feel there's something there, show me.- Black Spider said, waving his hand dismissively.
Horlaide pursed his lips, his eyes conflicted. Finally, he sighed and led Black Spider there. He snapped his fingers, and the wall opened. There was only one cell, Ringo found her there.
This woman looked very young. She had long hair covered in stardust, she seemed almost 'transcendent'. She appeared to be a normal Galactic Human, but her face was the most beautiful face Ringo had ever seen. Not only that, but even her body seemed to have perfect proportions.
Of course, taste is personal, but anyone who looked at her would end up feeling that changing anything would be pointless, at least for humans, Aroshia surpassed the appearance of any woman he had ever seen before.
She was restrained, wearing heavy handcuffs all over her body, a type of handcuff made especially for Supers. The material used can slow the flow of energy to a certain extent, making it difficult to control, thus reducing the Super's explosive power. She also wore a self-destructive collar, so any strange movement would shatter her skull.
Of course, Ringo knew she wouldn't die or escape, all of this was purely for show to the buyers, creating a situation of "normality" in her prison.
If she were loose and unrestrained, it could lead to too many questions, keeping her handcuffed would lessen the vigilance of the buyers. Horlaide worked very hard to achieve this.
Beside him, Horlaide had a look of mixed bewilderment and apprehension as he watched Black Spider's eyes fixed on the woman.
He struggled internally, but in the end, he gave up on extorting Black Spider, knowing that once he did, the problems would outweigh the benefits.
-Lord Black Spider, this is Aroshia, but... she cannot be taken.- He spoke cautiously.
Black Spider looked at him curiously, he didn't say anything, his gaze already indicating attention and Horlaide took this as an invitation to explain the reason.
-Aroshia is a spatial anomaly, she can be removed from her cell, but in a few days she would return to this spot. Even if she were killed, she would simply be reborn here. Even the Dragon Emperor tried to kill her several times, but she simply cannot die.- the man explained sadly.
Black Spider nodded, turning his gaze to Aroshia. -Open the cell, I want to take a look.
Horlaide hesitated only for a moment before nodding and opening the cell. Black Spider approached and placed his hand on it, white energy began to leak from his hand as he closed his eyes.
And... he was confused.
If C-31 was difficult to read, Aroshia was completely impossible.
At least according to Ringo's current evolutionary energy level, he couldn't understand how Aroshia worked.
There was nowhere to begin to understand, he was confused no matter what he tried. He remained like that for several minutes, but nothing worked. He couldn't figure it out and could only withdraw his hand. Aroshia simply gave him a blank stare before averting her eyes from beginning to end.
The woman wasn't at all interested in him or what he was doing.
Giving her one last look, he quickly left the room.
Horlaide watched him with curious eyes, wondering what he was doing, but he didn't stop Black Spider.
Black Spider simply left the room as he headed towards Horlaide. - Just Crimson, let's finalize the transaction.
Soon Black Spider dragged the chicken by the neck, which was constantly struggling, preventing it from speaking and took it to his room where he began to explain the "benefits" of the job.
White energy was constantly coursing through the chicken, Ringo was using it to suppress its super gene now that it had lost its restraints.
To stop the chicken from chattering, he first used his evolutionary energy to show that he could help it synchronize its soul with its body, then he explained the process.
-Following and protecting a brat like that?! Are you crazy?! I don't have time to babysit!- The chicken's incessant, shrill voice completely irritated Ringo.
-Oh? Then how about I return you to Horloide?- Black Spider asked with an indifferent look.
The chicken's voice died quickly, he looked at Black Spider with evident anger, but feeling the advance of his body, he finally accepted this "job", but first he needed to negotiate.
-How long do I have to follow?- Crimson asked, with a look full of suspicion and caution.
-Once a year, I'll help you synchronize the same amount I helped you with now.- Black Spider explained, adding that at this speed, it would take about 20 years to fully synchronize.
The chicken's eyes filled with rage again, but seeing Black Spider's indifferent gaze turn cold, he swallowed hard, cursed mentally and finally lowered his head.
//-//
The next day, in Hell, Price was extremely unhappy.
Looking at the chicken following him everywhere, not only Oscar and Bane were holding back laughter, but even instructor Eva laughed openly at him.
-Damn it! Brat! Slow down! Can't you see I have short legs! Damn it! If it weren't for making a deal with that Black Spider, I would never have followed an inferior being like you! You wretch!... - The chicken wouldn't stop talking and Price felt like he wanted fried chicken for lunch.
The day before, instructor Eva brought him this... guy, saying that Ringo had found him and that he would be his future partner to help him with his Esper power.
When he discovered that the chicken was actually a Super Grade C chicken, he was overjoyed, but as soon as he started talking, all his happiness vanished!
-Damn it! What kind of food is this? Not even dogs eat this! Don't you have any Abaluff steak? Or Jormirat stew? What kind of meat is this?- In the cafeteria, the chicken's voice didn't stop, with Price's face completely unhappy, Bane controlling his laughter and Oscar laughing openly, he felt his future life would be even more miserable.