Chapter 345: The Buyer’s Arrogance
The moment Alexander took his first bite, a gentle warmth bloomed across his chest, flowing directly into his mana channels. The flavor was exquisite, succulent, and rich with vitality. Beside him, Sydney, Paige, and the fake Brianna ate with clear satisfaction, while Marcus, Ben, and Leo were left awestruck by the night-and-day difference in texture and taste.
"Damn, now this is real food!" Marcus exclaimed, chewing enthusiastically. "I feel like I just got a sudden surge of energy!"
"From this point forward, this is our new baseline," Alexander said, setting his utensils down on the spiritual ceramic plate. "Consuming this isn’t a luxury. As your bodies gradually assimilate the sheer amount of Essence packed within the meat, your physical attributes and mana channels will steadily grow stronger. It will be like training non-stop, but with infinitely better results."
Marcus chewed on a juicy slice with a broad grin, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"Hey, why do I feel like this works exactly like those potions Stephen brews?" Marcus asked, staring at the meat with fascination.
"From what I gathered during my stay on the other side, Stephen’s potions contain precisely these types of condensed ingredients," Alexander explained. "I suppose I’ll be paying him a visit soon. I have direct channels to connect with him, and we could bring back various rare materials he might need. Besides, I still plan to continue training under his guidance; the other world is far too dangerous for us to get careless."
Marcus let out a confident chuckle, waving a dismissive hand.
"Dangerous, dangerous... You always say the same thing, Alex!" Marcus teased, spearing another cut of meat with his fork. "All I see out there are opportunities. Power, money, food fit for gods... and well, you know, everything else that comes with it!"
Alexander watched him in silence, shaking his head with a faint smirk. Marcus could only see the dazzling rewards and perks of being an Awakened, entirely blind to the lethal risks and shadows lurking at every turn in that realm.
Before their conversation could proceed any further, Helena’s hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. She entered the dining room with a professional posture, though a glint of alertness marked her eyes.
"Sir, you have visitors outside," Helena announced, standing by the doorway.
Alexander raised an eyebrow, setting his glass down on the table.
"I wasn’t expecting guests at this hour," Alexander said in a calm voice.
"Sir... there are many of them," Helena added in a steady tone. "And they definitely don’t look like they came for dinner."
A brief silence settled over the table. Alexander showed not the slightest hint of surprise; instead, a cold smirk played across his lips as he dabbed his mouth with a cloth napkin and rose unhurriedly to his feet.
"Very well," Alexander said, straightening his jacket. "If they want to play, we can play with them for a bit. It’s no trouble at all."
Beside him, Marcus didn’t hesitate for a second. He sprang out of his seat and marched toward his tactical duffel bag, which he had brought back from the outer border station. Unzipping it with a metallic click, he revealed several laser rifles.
Marcus grabbed two of them, checked the laser load and turned toward Alexander with a broad grin.
"Well, I brought back a few souvenirs from the other side," Marcus said, winking as he racked the slide. "Didn’t want to show up empty-handed. Let’s go see what’s happening."
Alexander walked out toward the main entrance and stepped past the threshold of the mansion, flanked closely by Marcus, Ben, Leo, and his three companions.
In the spacious front courtyard, illuminated beneath the estate’s exterior lamps, a dozen men clad in dark coats with menacing auras stood lined up at their front, standing as though he owned the place, was the group’s leader.
Alexander came to a halt a few paces away, crossing his arms with utter composure.
"Good evening," Alexander said in a polite tone. "To what do I owe the honor of your visit?"
One of the visitors stepped forward with elegance, adjusting the lapel of his dark coat. He carried an impeccable posture and a calculating gaze that barely masked his arrogance.
"Greetings, good evening," the man said, flashing a cold smile. "My name is Daniel... Daniel Buschmann. I assume you have heard of us. We are here because we couldn’t help but notice that you possess people... very special people from the other world. And we want to buy them. What do you say? Would you be interested in doing business with us?"
Alexander didn’t so much as blink, keeping his hands in his pockets as he observed him in silence.
"We dislike beating around the bush," Daniel continued, lacing his fingers together. "We will pay ten times the market value. Two million gems for each of them. That way, we can bypass all the tedious TMC paperwork."
Upon hearing the number, Marcus nearly choked on his own spit. His eyes went wide with shock, and he had to fight with all his strength not to drop the rifle in his hands.
Two million gems?! Marcus thought, a cold sweat breaking out across his back as the numbers spun in his head.
Now that he understood the true value of that currency, the sheer scale of the offer terrified him. Two million gems per person was two trillion dollars! A two followed by twelve fucking zeros! Was this guy trying to buy half the damn country with that kind of money? And was that truly what each of the women Alexander brought back was worth?
Marcus darted a side-glance at Daniel and the dozen armed men backing him up. What the hell is going on here, and who the fuck are these guys to throw around that kind of absurd cash like it’s nothing?
Alexander’s face, which remained completely unbothered, analyzing Daniel with the same calm one uses to observe an insect before crushing it. Behind him, Sydney, Paige, and the fake Brianna didn’t so much as flinch; to them, the presence of the dozen armed men represented nothing more than an annoying interruption.
Daniel waited for a few seconds, but upon noticing that Alexander offered not a single word nor showed the slightest intent to accept the proposal, the smirk on his face began to fade, replaced by a look of tightly held impatience.
The man took another step forward, adjusting his coat once more while locking his eyes onto Alexander’s.
"Well then..." Daniel pressed in a harsh, demanding tone. "Do we have a deal or not?"