"I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die—" a man locked inside a cage mumbled to himself in a shaky voice like a mantra, his body curled tight against the bars as the rough sack over his head rose and fell with every panicked breath.
Although his face was hidden under a bag sack it was clear that he was probably trembling with fear underneath it, the fabric sticking to his skin from the sweat that had soaked through hours ago.
Beside him another man inside a cage had his head covered with a sack, unlike the others who were trembling and crying and saying their last prayers he just stayed quiet and did not say anything, sitting upright with his back straight against the cold iron as if the whole situation did not concern him at all.
The female guard who had been ordered to keep watch on them couldn't help but question inwardly, 'Is he not concerned about his current situation? Or does he not know what is going to happen to him?' as she paced the damp stone corridor with her boots clicking against the wet floor.
For the last few days she had been watching this group and he has been the only person who wasn't wailing or making a sound ever since he had been here, the others had already lost their minds from fear while this one remained unnaturally still.
At first she suspected he was dead because of how unnaturally quiet and non responsive he was but a day ago she found out that he was actually alive, which was really weird since most men in his position would have been begging or crying by now.
[Ding! You have completed quest (Remain Idle for 24 hrs)]
[You have been awarded: 100 skill points! New skill (Heavenly Thrust), New spirit (Indomitable spirit), New physique (Six Winged Physique)]
The masked man who had been silent this whole time couldn't help but stare at the holographic screen that reluctantly stayed in his vision despite his head being covered with a large sack, the blue text floating right in front of his eyes like it belonged there.
Naturally it was hard for him to follow through with the quest considering who he was but nevertheless he still did it, forcing himself to stay still even when the other prisoners started screaming and the guards laughed at them.
But now that he was actually done with it he felt a strange calm settle over him, he could now say whatever he wanted.
"Oi bitch would you get me some food," he suddenly blurted which caught the guard unexpectedly, his voice coming out clear and steady from under the sack.
She stared at him lost for a few seconds almost like she was in a trance before finally regaining her composure, her expression then turned cold as she stepped closer to the bars.
"And who do you think you are to be calling me names and ordering me around?" the guard asked with disgust evident in her voice, one hand resting on the baton hanging from her belt.
"You're just a prisoner, no more than a male one at that, know your place before I remind you of it," she added, but the man inside the cage only shifted slightly as if her words meant nothing to him.
"Stupid bitch" He replied which immediately made her face flush with anger, but before she could do or say anything
"The auction is about to begin soon, please everyone take your seat," a voice echoed throughout a building with the help of the mega phones placed carefully at each section on the building, the sound bouncing off the stone walls and making the prisoners flinch.
Heavy doors at the end of the corridor swung open and two more female guards walked in, their armor polished and their expressions bored as they began unlocking the cages one by one.
The trembling men were dragged out first, their sacks still firmly tied over their heads, and they were forced to stand in a line while chains were clamped around their ankles and wrists.
The quiet one was the last to be pulled out, and even then he did not resist, simply standing when the guard yanked him to his feet and allowing the cold metal to click shut around his limbs.
They were marched up a short flight of stairs and through a side entrance that opened directly onto a raised wooden platform, the sudden noise of the crowd hitting them like a wave.
Dozens of wealthy looking women filled the seats below, some fanning themselves with expensive silk, others leaning forward with hungry eyes as they examined the line of hooded figures now standing under bright hanging lamps.
A tall woman in a dark formal coat stepped up to a podium at the side of the stage and tapped a small crystal that amplified her voice across the hall.
"Welcome, ladies, to tonight's special collection, all items are freshly acquired and guaranteed to be in working condition, we will begin with product number one," she announced, gesturing for the first prisoner to be brought forward.
Two attendants stepped up and roughly pulled the sack off the first man's head, revealing a pale face streaked with tears and a pair of wide terrified eyes that darted around the room.
"Product one, age approximately twenty two, height one hundred seventy four centimeters, weight sixty one kilograms, lean build with limited muscle, no previous ownership marks, starting bid is eight gold," the auctioneer recited while a second attendant walked around him with a measuring tape, confirming the numbers for the crowd.
Bids came quickly from the floor, voices calling out higher and higher until the man was sold for fifteen gold to a sharp eyed noblewoman in the third row.
The second prisoner's sack was removed next, showing a broader man with short dark hair and a bruised lip, and the auctioneer listed his details without emotion, "age twenty six, height one hundred eighty two centimeters, weight seventy eight kilograms, solid frame with visible labor marks on the hands, starting bid twelve gold."
He went for twenty three gold after a short but intense bidding war between two merchants.
The third man was younger, barely nineteen, thin and shaking so hard the chains rattled, height one hundred sixty nine centimeters, weight fifty four kilograms, and he sold for a modest eleven gold to a quiet buyer near the back.
Finally the attendants reached the last cage and yanked the sack from the quiet man's head in one hard pull.
Dark hair fell across his forehead and a pair of calm, almost uninterested eyes looked out at the sea of women below, his expression unchanged even as the bright lamps hit his face for the first time in days.
The auctioneer paused for a moment longer than usual before reading from the slate in her hand.
"This is the final product of the night, age estimated early twenties, height one hundred eighty five centimeters, weight seventy two kilograms, well proportioned build with clear muscle definition under the skin, no visible scars or ownership brands, and has a very good mental fortitude, starting bid is set at twenty five gold due to physical quality."
A low murmur moved through the crowd as several women leaned forward, fans snapping open and eyes narrowing with intrest.
"30 gold!"
"35 gold"
Slowly the price climbed steadily.
"40 gold!"
"50 gold!"
"Going for 50 gold, any more bid to overlap?"
Suddenly a tall woman seated in a private box above the main floor with her dark hair pinned up and a thin smile on her lips raised her hands and bidded.
"58 gold"
The hall went quiet for a second, then the opposing bidder shook her head and sat back.
"Sold, for fifty eight gold, to Lady Seris," the auctioneer declared, slamming a small wooden gavel down on the podium.
The quiet man stood there under the lights with the chains still on his wrists, watching as two attendants stepped forward to lead him off the stage toward the private buyer's area, the new skills in his status window still glowing faintly at the edge of his vision.