Chapter 440: New Divine Chosen
The Lizardman let out a raspy roar, suppressing the screams.
Hearing the faint sound of sobbing, the Lizardman licked the corner of his mouth in satisfaction before channeling mana into the lighting pearl beside him.
"Shh, shh. Lizardmen love eating fish. Poor weaklings, so stay obedient."
The darkness inside the room was dispelled.
A large group of pitiful mermaids huddled together, trembling in fear.
They had long, pale blue hair and lips as light as water, each one looking delicate and radiant. It was hard to tell what they had grown up eating, but they were all remarkably well developed, with their bodies partially covered by seashells. The shimmering water around them only added to their beauty.
Even more striking were their helpless, pitiful expressions, which could easily awaken a person’s desire to dominate them.
"Holy crap, Simon really knows how to enjoy himself. This place is perfect for escaping the summer heat."
Phield felt strangely warm.
"These are high-grade ingredients that Lord Simon bought just a couple of days ago," the Lizardman corrected him. "This is a fish pool for temporarily storing the ingredients."
"What? No wonder the air is filled with the smell of fear and blood."
Ashina’s ears drooped.
The two exchanged glances, both wearing disgusted expressions.
They had already known Simon was a pervert, but seeing this still made them sick.
"Go on, go watch the door. You have nothing to do here."
Simon waved the Lizardman away with a grin.
"So, what do you think, Phield? I pulled a few strings and spent a fortune to buy these high-grade specimens from the coastal provinces. They are rare Royal Blue Water Mermaids, and every single one is exceptional."
"They’re quite beautiful. We clearly have the same taste when it comes to aesthetics."
"Of course. Apparently, they were transported all the way here from the distant Stormsea. These mermaids are nobles among the merfolk of the Inner Sea."
Simon looked extremely pleased with himself.
"To us humans, they’re nothing more than lowly playthings. Who cares whether they’re mermaid nobles or even mermaid queens? There’s no need to worry about retaliation."
Apart from Sirens, Naga, and a few other species, most merfolk possessed extremely weak combat abilities. Even when they awakened as Divine Chosen, they were generally suited for support rather than direct combat.
Phield blinked before moving closer with a grin, casually putting an arm around Simon’s shoulder like an old friend.
"I admit, I’m a little tempted. How about giving me a few?"
"Ahem."
A mouthful of saliva caught in Simon’s throat, nearly making him choke.
"Phield, you bastard despised by demons. These things are expensive. Each one is worth five thousand gold coins, and you expect me to give them to you?"
"You really know how to joke."
Phield did not believe him for a second.
"If one really cost five thousand each, how much would you be spending every meal?"
"They’re for entertaining guests. Why would I waste something that expensive on myself?"
Maintaining his enormous network of connections cost Simon an astronomical amount of money every day.
"You want to buy them to eat?"
Simon looked as though he had just discovered a kindred spirit. His tiny eyes were filled with a sinister gleam.
"The moment I learned that you like collecting demi-humans, I knew you were a complete pervert, just like me."
Ashina was already speechless.
What was wrong with demi-humans?
"I want to buy a few to keep around for fun, not to eat."
Phield was starting to lose patience.
"So that’s how you like to play? Fine by me."
Simon gave an evil grin and rubbed his hands together.
"Give me the Vigor Elixir formula, and I’ll give you all these mermaids."
"Just name your price. I’ll pay with gold. If the price is reasonable, I’ll buy more."
Phield rolled his eyes helplessly.
"Considering our relationship, you expect me to sell at a loss? Two thousand gold coins each."
Simon thought it over for a moment. After deducting transportation and other costs, he would still make more than five hundred gold coins per mermaid. It was an outrageous profit.
"That’s ridiculous."
Phield was speechless.
"Human slaves don’t even cost a single gold coin. Are these mermaids made of gold? Or are their scales made of gold?"
"They’re luxury goods, and their species is already close to extinction. Of course they’re expensive. But there’s still room for negotiation."
"I want to choose them myself!" Phield added.
"No problem."
After a round of bargaining, Phield eventually bought eleven mermaids for twenty thousand gold coins.
The deal even included seawater and fresh fish to keep them alive.
If he had bought only one, people might become suspicious once they learned that he was a Divine Chosen. It was better to buy several at once and expand the variety of species within his domain. As for buying more mermaids, he simply could not afford it. Nightfall Domain needed money for everything as it continued to develop.
"Deal."
The two shook hands, each convinced that he had gotten the better end of the bargain.
The mermaids watched the two villains haggle over their price, as though watching two greedy wolves fighting over prey. The disgusting sight filled them with grief and helplessness, leaving a heavy weight in their chests that refused to fade.
Their homeland had been destroyed by humans. Their companions had been captured by humans. They were being bought and sold like worthless pets, and some might even end up on someone’s dining table.
"Wuwuwu..."
Aikalia sobbed quietly as she hugged one of her companions, forcing the sound of her crying from her throat.
They had no ability to resist. During these past few days, crying was the only thing that gave them even a little relief.
"Just endure it. It will pass."
An older mermaid gently stroked her head.
"This is a world torn apart by war. Perhaps leaving this world early would be the best choice. The only thing I regret is that I never had the chance to return my body to our beautiful Sea Mother."
"Mm. I’ll be strong."
She still remembered how the saintess of their tribe had gone to seek cooperation with the humans. In order to recover a treasure belonging to the sea races, she had resolutely ventured into the Endless Sea.
Yet none of them ever returned.
Instead, a human fleet vast enough to blot out the sky had invaded their homeland.
The human fleet destroyed the reefs where they used to sing. Their powerful navy and Divine Chosen tore straight through their capital.
Her father had fought to the death after exhausting himself in battle. Her mother had deliberately lured those demons away to protect her.
Yet she had still been captured.
The humans’ nets came crashing down, leaving her no chance to escape.
"You, you, you..."
After quickly selecting several of the prettier ones, Phield relied on his minimap and soon found the target he was looking for.
"And you."
Phield crouched down and poked Aikalia on the head.
"Wuwuwu..."
Although she had promised her elder sister that she would stay strong, the moment Aikalia was singled out, she could not stop herself from crying. Large tears streamed down her face.
"Stop crying. You’re making too much noise."
The Lizardman responsible for handling the nets impatiently swung one over her, trapping the girl inside before skillfully tossing her into a nearby water tank.
"Lizardmen are extremely skilled in aquatic combat. They’re experts at hunting Fishmen and merfolk."
Simon grinned.
"They’re excellent cold-blooded warriors. I can sell you some Lizardmen as well, and Lizardman maids are quite popular too."
"No, thanks. I’m really not interested."
Phield was utterly embarrassed. After buying the mermaids, his reputation was probably going to get even worse. Now even Simon had started recommending Lizardmen to him.