Chapter 151: Magic Rune Swordsman Ye Zhou

Chi Lai didn’t doubt the dragonman youngster’s words, because it wasn’t worthwhile to deceive him. Beliefs were very difficult to disguise long term, and genuine believers wouldn’t lie about them, such conduct disrespected their own beliefs.

Furthermore, both sides have already signed the contract. The dragonman youngster was the master, deceit was unnecessary now.

“Please take a seat here.” The dragonman youngster pointed at the seat he had prepared.

Chi Lai was silver level after all.

Chi La nodded and took his seat.

He had encountered many masters, some were courteous to him, some were not. After experiencing so many people, he didn’t value these surface level things.

Zong Ge observed Chi Lai for a moment, then shifted his gaze back to the auction stage.

The half beastman had a good opinion of Chi Lai, but when they met each other for the first time, he said nothing.

The dragonman youngster was very delighted.

The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps only had two silver levels, and if Chi Lai could serve, he would be their third.

This was an immense addition in terms of high level military strength.

This was their first meeting. If they wanted to gain each other’s trust, they needed experience and time with each other.

After Chi Lai left the auction stage, the auctions continued.

“Once again, congratulations to room 14, with Chi Lai joining them, their strength is bound to skyrocket. Chi Lai is indeed this auction’s sole silver level.”

The auction master changed the tone of the conversation, “Anyways, although the next slave is only iron level, they were once a silver.”

“His life experience is very abundant, and from a certain angle, he isn’t outdone by Chi Lai.”

Soon after, a person was taken onto the stage.

It was an elf with a tall stature, two pointed ears, and nearly black skin.

Through careful observation, one could see that it was not his skin that was black, but rather the many magic runes engraved into his body.

These magic runes were brimming with dark energy.

His skin consequently was influenced by it and was nearly black.

“A magic rune swordsman?” Zong Ge raised his eyebrow.

Magic rune swordsmen possessed both battle qi and magic, however their magic power was external and not from their own cultivation.

Magic rune swordsmen have been around for a long time.

Magic rune swordsmen would carve magic runes and even magic formations into their bodies.

Magic rune swordsmen did not have or had poor aptitude for magic cultivation, but they had comparably strong spirits. 

They used their spirits to connect to their body’s runes to maneuver the runes’ power, increasing their battle strength.

Magic rune swordsmen exist everywhere in every race.

Their advantage was obvious – cost effectiveness.

Magicians would engrave magic runes into them at a high success rate, and with a little training, magic rune soldiers could master these magic runes and utilize their magical power to multiply their battle strength.

The cultivation cost for this was far less than what it took to cultivate a magician.

Crucially, magic bloodlines were rarer than fighter bloodlines.

Very few people had the cultivation gift to become a magician, while there were many people that could cultivate battle qi.

Thus, magic rune soldiers were easier to select, cultivate, and replenish than magicians. 

Of course, they also had shortcomings.

The runes engraved on their bodies were stuck there permanently and were very hard to modify.

Not only was the modification hard, but after the modification, the soldier’s body would be harmed and cause every aspect of themselves to decline.

The slave after Chi Lai was an elven magic rune swordsman. 

Before the auction master could introduce him, he decided to open his mouth first.

“My name is Ye Zhuo.”

“I was once a Royal Court swordsman.”

“For more strength, I defected.”

“The Royal Court dispatched people to capture me, and although I am still alive, I paid that price with my left arm and silver level cultivation.”

“I can help you train soldiers; I was an assistant military instructor of the Royal Court’s swordsmanship!”

“As long as you give me a sword, I can still fight too.”

“I also know many things. This information cannot be gained through normal means, and much of it concerns the shipping routes of elven merchant ships.”

Ye Zhou did his best to market himself.

The dragonman youngster looked at the item list.

Ye Zhuo’s name had been on the list.

Some information on him was also presented there too.

He was a traitor of some elven royal court, and once one of their royal swordsmen.

He had dark magic runes, the outcome of his pursuit for power. 

He had absconded to the ocean but was still apprehended by elven troops.

When the elf royal court squad captured him, they didn’t execute him on the spot, instead they wanted to escort him back to the Elf Kingdom for a public trial.

But en route, their ship was attacked by pirates.

It was the Three Ring Pirates.

This powerful group of robbers had a gold level magician as their commander!

The elven royal court’s ship was attacked and sunk, many people died, and those left became the pirates’ captives.

Ye Zhuo was among them.

The Three Ring Pirates dealt with these captives in turn, some were killed, some were experimented on, and some were sold off for money.

Ye Zhou was relatively lucky, he was dropped into the slave market and was being auctioned off at Two Eyes Island.

The auction began.

Thie first to bid was Dian Wan.

He had an irascible temperament.

Since he wasn’t able to buy the gold level healing potion, he still had money on him.

The first mate didn’t stop him.

If Ye Zhuo joined the Lightning Pirates, their entire group would be strengthened.

Although Ye Zhuo was just one person, he didn’t just bring his individual military force, he could also train soldiers and had precious intel.

After Dian Wan bid, other competitors immediately leaped in in quick succession.

The price quickly rose beyond the amount of money Dian Wan had.

“These wretched people…” Dian Wan grinded his teeth, unwilling but powerless to do anything about it.

Almost all of the bidders were pirates.

Apart from the Lighting Pirates, there was also the Stench and Applause Pirates, among others.

The Ten Touch Pirates also joined in during the later stages and was the most powerful competitor.

The mercenary corps didn’t join the bidding, and the merchant alliance representatives were silent.

The dragonman youngster was a cross-armed spectator.

They weren’t joining the auction for a simple reason, purchasing Ye Zhuo would offend the Elven Royal Court.

The Royal Court had dispatched special troops to arrest Ye Zhuo, and although they failed this time, it was clear the Royal Court wouldn’t take this lying down.

The survivors’ main goal was redemption, and new problems arising unexpectedly was not needed.

Of course, they could buy him and gift him to the Elven Royal Court.

But this was very risky.

Escorting Ye Zhuo back would use up a large amount of time, energy, and manpower.

What would be the Elf Kingdom reward?

It’s hard to say.

Because Ye Zhuo was just a minor iron level.

Furthermore, Ye Zhuo had already been exposed.

If they bought him, it would likely attract the attacks of every pirate on the seas.

Another key reason is Ye Zhuo himself.

Ye Zhuo was also very worried that his slave owner would treat him as a git and turn him over to the Elf Kingdom.

Therefore, when he introduced himself, he displayed he was partial towards joining a pirate group. 

What Ye Zhuo said was very appealing to pirates.

Pirates wouldn’t be worried about making trouble with the Royal Court and were looking for elf merchant ships to inconvenience.

The pirates were especially interested in information on the elf merchant ship routes.

Finally, after a fierce bidding war, Qi You was the final winner.

He purchased Ye Zhuo at a high price.

Ye Zhuo had also adapted to circumstances well.

Upon coming to room 3 and amending the slave contract, he knelt down and vowed loyalty to Qi You.

Qi You was satisfied by his display.

After Ye Zhuo, a few fighters escorted a dozen people onto the auction stage.

These people were short and stout, had flesh as rugged as stone, and regardless of gender, all had a long and thick beard.

They were dwarfs.

The auction master said, “The next option is this group of dwarfs, 80 in total. Those on stage are only some of them.”

The magic image appeared, revealing the remining dwarfs behind the scenes.

These dwarfs were locked up in a gigantic iron cage, all of them looked apathetic.

Regardless of whether it was the dwarfs in the iron cage or the ones on stage, they were all shackled and chained. They were forced to shuffle their feet to move.

When the dwarf Men Shi saw these dwarfs, his expression immediately stirred.

These dwarfs were his clansmen, his relatives.

He had come to this auction for the sole purpose of rescuing these dwarfs.

When Men Shi’s clan was migrating, they suffered the perils of the sea. 

Their ship ran aground, and they were stranded on an uninhabited island,

After a few months of being stuck on that uninhabited island, their distress fire caused a passing human merchant ship to rescue them.

The dwarfs expressed their gratitude to the merchant ship’s captain, they would pay gold coins and serve as sailors to help the merchant ship fend off ocean beasts.

But in the end, when the merchant ship reached port, they suddenly had a falling out with the captain.

Men Shi’s people ate food tampered by humans, and they all sank into a coma.

By the time they woke up, the humans had stolen their belongings and sold them into slavery.

“These are dwarfs, as everyone knows.” The auction master brightly said.

“Whether it is mining, metallurgy, or forging equipment, and even brewing beer, they are experts at all of those.”

“Their skin is coarse and their flesh thick, nature fighters.”

“If you purchase them, you’ll find a use for them, regardless of whether it is as a soldier or a miner.”

“As for their cultivation, the highest is iron level, of which there are 3, along with 12 bronze levels…”

When she heard this introduction, Zi D grew excited, “In the future, if we build an alchemy factory, we can find a place for these dwarfs as workers there.”

In room 1, Hun Tong smiled at Song Shou and said, “These dwarfs, are you interested in them?”

“If the island you choose has mineral resources, these dwarfs will be a money making machine.”

“Especially during the beginning period of development, through selling the ore these dwarfs excavate, you can obtain profits that can bring you great progress.”

Hun Tong didn’t need these dwarfs.

The reason was obvious at a glance.

Two Eyes Island was a coral ball cage tree, it had no minerals at all.

As for buying these dwarfs for soldiers, Hun Tong didn’t them in that capacity either.

He would rather build some light cannon turrets and didn’t want to train troops, because the latter had a higher military expenditure while the light cannon turrets had a lower maintenance cost.

Song Shou’s heart rate inevitably quickened.

He thought of the choices the empire had given him.

Among them were two islands where ore veins had been discovered.

These dwarfs really did suit him.