Intergalactic conquest with an AI-Chapter 338: Blood Clan world. {4}

{They don't just sell prisoners from their raids. They sell their own. Former warriors... disgraced nobles... anyone who defied the Clan's laws or whose family did.}

{Broken souls, stripped of dignity, paraded like relics at a market, their worth reduced to the number of bidders willing to claim them.}

Upon hearing this, Rex exhaled slowly, his expression darkening. It wasn't anything new to those who knew him; his hatred for slavery was no secret.

The very notion of it clawed at his mind, a festering wound that never truly healed. So when the suggestion came for him to visit a slave auction house, it felt less like a plan and more like a cruel jest at his expense.

"Sigh... why is this our only option?" Rex muttered, his voice carrying a weight of frustration as he glanced at Mini Cleo. He forced himself to suppress the disgust churning within him, but it lingered beneath the surface like a predator in waiting.

{Because there are more upsides than downsides, boss.} Mini Cleo's voice was as composed as ever, though Rex could sense the careful calculation behind her words.

{We need someone from the Blood Clan who can give us a detailed layout of the city, someone who knows where we might find clues about the twins whereabouts.}

{According to the auction data I managed to intercept, they're planning to sell a Tier 6 Blood Clan female. She was sentenced to slavery for seducing someone she shouldn't have.}

As she spoke, a holographic screen materialized in front of him, casting a soft glow across his face. The image of a striking young woman filled the display, her crimson eyes holding a mix of defiance and despair.

The auction house had taken care to present her in the most appealing way possible, but even through the sterile digital frame, Rex could see it... the quiet anger, the flickering embers of a soul refusing to be extinguished.

"So… even in a clan full of assassins, there's still room for petty drama, huh?" He scoffed while rubbing his temples.

"Well, what you said does have merit. The advantages outweigh the risks… and we can grant her freedom once we're done with our business here. Fine. Set the route for the auction house."

He had barely started rising from his seat when the door to his VIP chamber swung open without warning.

"Ah, welcome, dear noble!" A smooth, honeyed voice filled the room before Rex could react. "I am the proud owner of this exquisite establishment, and I must say, it is a rare honor to host someone of your esteemed status! To commemorate this occasion, I have prepared a drink most fitting for one of your caliber!"

The Blood Clan member strode in with an air of confidence, a practiced smile curving his lips. Behind him, two guards closed the door with an audible thud, sealing them inside.

The man, young and well-dressed, moved with the ease of someone who had done this dance a hundred times before, slipping onto the plush sofa beside Rex with an exaggerated flourish.

Rex's crimson eyes narrowed as he leaned back with one brow arched. "Oh? And what kind of drink would that be?"

The young man's smile widened into something sharper, almost predatory. Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers. Instantly, mechanical hisses echoed from above as hidden panels in the ceiling slid open.

A split second later, a crimson cascade began to rain down from the sprinklers, thick droplets splattering against the lavish furnishings.

{Don't tell me... is this blood?} Rex's mental voice reached Mini Cleo, his irritation laced with disbelief.

{It is, boss! But don't worry, I've already deployed the silent plasma shield, so you won't be getting drenched in it!} Mini Cleo chimed in, standing atop the table in the center of the room.

A tiny umbrella, far too comical for the grotesque scene unfolding, shielded her from the sanguine rain.

The Blood Clan host spread his arms wide while tilting his head back as if reveling in the macabre display. His clothes were instantly soaked in deep crimson, his pale skin slick with the fresh offering. A chuckle rumbled from his throat, growing into a full-blown laugh.

"Hahaha! So, dear elder, how do you like my gift? A welcoming gesture fitting for a guest of your stature, wouldn't you agree?" His voice dripped with amusement while his eyes gleamed with a twisted kind of hospitality.

Rex's expression remained unreadable as he watched the man. His fingers drummed idly against his knee, but inside, the gears of his mind were already turning. This man was either making a statement or issuing a challenge. Either way, Rex had little patience for theatrics.

He smirked slightly, his voice as cold as steel. "That depends... are you expecting me to drink it?"

"Well, I don't see why you shouldn't..." The young Blood Clan noble leaned back with an indulgent grin, his fangs glinting under the dim lighting.

"I promise you, this blood is the finest of the fine. While it won't enhance your combat abilities, it will taste as sweet as your first kill... ah, that first sip of life's essence... unforgettable."

He sighed as if reminiscing about a cherished memory before his eyes darkened with sadistic glee. "This batch? It comes from the most tender little children we could buy at the auction."

Lazily, he stuck his tongue out, letting a droplet of the raining blood land on it. He swirled it in his mouth, savoring the taste before swallowing with a satisfied hum.

A thick silence settled over the room, stretching long and uncomfortable. The noble's smirk wavered as he observed Rex, his predatory instincts sharpening.

"Hmm... this is strange," he murmured, his amusement fading into scrutiny. "This is usually when imposters pretending to be Blood Clan members get furious, horrified... or slip up in their act. But you—" He tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "I can't sense anything from you. Not fear. Not anger. Not even disgust..."

He rose from his seat; his movements were slow but deliberate, never once breaking eye contact with Rex.

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"Oh?" Rex arched a brow; his expression was unreadable. "And why do you think I'm a fake?"

As soon as those words left his lips, Mini Cleo, ever the diligent guardian, silently activated Overdrive Mode, ready to engage at the first sign of hostility.

The noble scoffed, a flicker of crimson energy crackling around his fingertips. "Well… for starters, there are no Tier 4 Elders. Every Blood Clan Elder is at least Tier 6. Secondly, no Elder travels without an entourage of hundreds of servants and war slaves."

His gaze flickered over Rex's attire with clear disdain. "And then there's that, a white coat? I see you're wearing two. While uniqueness isn't unheard of, that color is anything but normal."

His grin returned, cruel and confident. "So, tell me, imposter… should I kill you now? Or would you prefer I turn you in for a hefty bounty?" He let his power rise, the crimson aura of a Tier 5 powerhouse spilling into the room like a thick fog, distorting the very air with its oppressive presence.

Rex, however, merely started clapping.

"I see." He smirked while leaning back into the plush cushions of the sofa, entirely unbothered. "So my disguise had a few flaws. Good to know. I'll make sure to fix them next time."

The noble's eye twitched. "I don't think you understand your situation. I can kill you anytime I—"

In a blur of movement, he lunged with his claws bared and aimed for Rex's throat.

But before he could even leave the ground, the air in front of him split open, a jagged rift in space itself. From within the shifting void, a sleek metallic hand shot out, seizing him by the throat with an unyielding grip.

His attack was stopped mid-motion; his body was lifted effortlessly off the ground. His crimson aura flickered wildly, his power struggling against an unseen force that dwarfed his own.

The rift widened, arcs of energy crackling at its edges, until finally Zynaria stepped through.

Her cold, mechanical eyes glowed faintly as she emerged, her towering, sleek form exuding an aura of unshakable dominance. Her grip on the noble's throat tightened slightly, and though she spoke no words, the message was clear.

His arrogance had just met an immovable wall.

"Well, thanks for the help, little red. Well then..." Rex stretched his arms before rising to his feet, his boots crunching softly against the cracked metallic flooring as he approached Zynaria.

A smirk played on his lips as his sharp gaze fell upon the trembling figure before them. "How about we have a little chat?"

The young blood clan member, however, could barely register Rex's words. His body convulsed violently, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His crimson eyes, filled with terror, darted around in search of an escape that did not exist.

He wasn't just afraid; his very bloodline instincts screamed in horror.

Zynaria's expression was cold as the void of space; she let out a disdainful snort. Without a word, she extended her hand, and from her palm, shimmering tendrils of living metal slithered outward, moving with the fluidity of a serpent.

The metallic chains coiled around the young man's limbs like hungry serpents, lifting him momentarily before slamming him onto the ground with a sickening thud. The chains burrowed into the floor, locking him in place as if the very planet itself had decided to claim him.

"Ha... do you... haaa... think... that you're safe... with a Tier 6 bodyguard?" the blood clan member shouted out between struggling gasps. Yet, even in his agony, he forced out a grin that was twisted and arrogant.

"Hahaha! Keep dreaming! The strength of my blood clan is so overwhelming that a mere Tier 6 machine is nothing!"