Before long, they arrived at a far busier part of town.
In the center of the square, a large stage had been set up, draped with vibrant crimson cloths concealing the items beneath. A crowd had gathered around, buzzing with anticipation.
Gloria stood off to the side, watching with a calm, unreadable expression. Xin glanced at her, suspicion rising.
"Is there something worth seeing?"
Gloria didn't answer immediately. She simply pointed toward the stage.
Just then, a well-dressed man stepped out from the wings, bowing deeply to the crowd before raising his voice for all to hear.
"Ladies and gentlemen! I hereby declare the Seraing Monthly Auction… officially open! Prepare yourselves to bid on the most precious treasures we have to offer!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
At his signal, the red cloths were pulled down, revealing a series of rare and exotic items: a feral Oman claw gauntlet, twin water-dragon pearls from Salt Lake, the broken blade of an Ares Order knight…
But it was the final item that truly captured everyone's attention.
"And now, for today's most extraordinary item…
The Tear of Sadani – a single drop of purest essence said to cure all known diseases.
Get ready to raise your bids, for this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
The plaza roared with excitement. People shouted over each other, arguing, throwing out bids, whispering frantically.
Gloria, however, only smirked. She leaned in close and muttered,
"It's fake."
Xin turned sharply to her, eyes narrowed.
"Fake? How do you know?"
She shrugged, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"I have my ways. But more importantly… we're not just here to watch people fight over a fake."
"We're not?" Xin frowned. "Wait, did you just say we?"
Gloria chuckled softly and stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"Of course. You drank my medicine, didn't you? I don't think you're in a position to refuse."
Xin's eyes lit up with an idea. Maybe he wasn't so powerless.
"If you want my help, you should show some sincerity first. How about… giving me the antidote?"
Gloria rested her chin in one hand, pretending to think, though her eyes twinkled with amusement.
"You're mistaken. I only need a porter."
"I'm not interested. Find someone else." Xin turned away.
She gave a casual shrug, her tone light.
"Sure. Try running. Let's see how long you survive without the antidote."
Xin stared at the ground, jaw clenched. He knew he had no real choice.
Satisfied, Gloria tilted her head slightly.
"We leave tonight. Our destination is the Dark Zone between Seraing and Nabylos."
At the mention of Dark Zone, Xin flinched.
That was the very place he had barely escaped with his life.
The pain still lingering in his shoulder served as a grim reminder – going back could very well be a one-way trip.
---------------------------------------
Seraing was vast. To travel from the city center toward the northeast, they rented two horses and followed the main road out of town.
After several days on the road, they reached the outer provinces.
There, in the remote final stretch, stood a lone inn – old and worn, its walls faded with age. Gloria wasn't impressed, but she didn't complain. She needed to be in peak condition before entering the Dark Zone.
The inn also served as a tavern, drawing in a crowd of travelers. The lower hall was packed with noisy groups eating, drinking, gambling, and trading rumors about the treacherous regions ahead.
Xin scanned the room and whispered to Gloria,
"A few guys have been staring at you since we walked in. They don't look friendly."
Gloria's brow twitched, but she said nothing.
Moments later, a burly man with a scruffy beard and a face flushed red from drinking stormed over. He grabbed Xin by the collar and shouted,
"You little punk! Were you talking crap about us?!"
The stench of alcohol hit Xin like a wall – but he reacted swiftly, driving a sharp kick into the man's knee. The thug collapsed with a grunt, releasing his grip.
The man stumbled back, and his buddies immediately stood up, advancing with grim faces.
Before things could escalate further, Gloria suddenly shouted,
"Look! On the ceiling!"
Everyone instinctively looked up, including Xin.
From above, a swarm of colorful snakes suddenly dropped down, hissing as they coiled around the thugs' heads.
Gloria seized the moment to grab Xin's wrist and pull him upstairs, leaving the tavern hall in chaos behind them.
"Get it off me!"
"There's snakes! Help!"
"Wait… these are just pieces of paper?"
"What the hell?! I got bit…why doesn't it hurt?"
Watching Gloria's mischievous smile, Xin immediately knew this was her doing. Some kind of illusion or trick. He didn't say anything, just stared at her in quiet disbelief.
At that moment, a young inn staff member approached with a small jar of wine, bowing politely.
"My deepest apologies for the incident earlier. Some guests here behave rather poorly at times. Please accept this Husband and Wife Wine as a token of our apology."
Before he could finish, Gloria cut in swiftly.
"There's been a misunderstanding. He and I are just friends."
The server bowed again.
"My apologies! But… there's only one room left. It's quite small, so…"
"That's fine," Gloria said, waving it off. "As long as it fits me. He can sleep outside."
The server hesitated.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible. Perhaps you're unaware, but this region is prone to strange night fogs. If unprotected, the human body can freeze… and shatter. Each room here is fitted with heat stones, but outside, we can't guarantee safety. For your own wellbeing, please remain indoors until sunrise."
Gloria smacked Xin lightly on the back of the head.
"Don't worry about him. He may not look it, but he's tough as a beast."
Leaving Xin dumbfounded, she followed the staff member upstairs.
"Is there a bath?" she asked.
"Yes, each room has one. So guests don't have to risk going out," he replied.
Their room was at the end of the hallway. Because part of the space was sectioned off for the bath, it was quite narrow – barely enough for a single bed. A crystal-clear window overlooked a small empty courtyard below.
Gloria gave the room a quick once-over, then told Xin to bring in their luggage. As soon as he stepped inside…
SLAM!
The door shut hard behind him.
The server glanced at Xin and sighed, shaking his head before walking off, muttering under his breath.
"What a shame… such a waste of youth…"
Xin blinked, eyebrows furrowing.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"