Vas turned to Lewis. "Would you be able to make decisions like this, even if you're not the leader of your gang?"

Lewis nodded. "Yeah. I may not be in charge, but I'm one of the higher-ups. I have a good amount of pull."

Vas gave him a measuring look. "What would it take for you to become the leader?"

Lewis's expression turned serious. "To be stronger than the current leader. That's the only way."

"Agree to support this security plan, negotiate terms that work for you and your gang, and I'll help you become strong enough to take the leadership before the auction."

Lewis's gaze brightened with determination. "Understood."

One by one, people in the room began stepping up to negotiate with Jord, each hammering out personal terms. After observing for a while, Lewis made his way to Jord as well. Vas's attention stayed sharp, his voice once again reaching Morrigan's mind. *"The Hek family's likely to get an invitation. This auction won't be as simple as he's making it sound."*

"I agree," Morrigan replied thoughtfully. "We'll need to dig deeper."

After a few minutes, Lewis returned to Vas. "I managed to negotiate a few item submission slots, a percentage of the profits, and an additional payment for anyone on our side who helps with security."

"Good work," Vas said approvingly.

"Yeah, things are wrapping up. We can head out now," Lewis said, glancing back toward the exit.

Vas nodded. "Alright, let's go."

"We won't do anything for now" Vas told Morrigan "We'll wait after I'm doine with the social service to start moving agains them"

"Agreed" Morrigan said "While you are gone you should tell the rest of them to continue their investigations on those guys and hopefully we will be more inform once you come back"

Vas and Lewis left the place not long after, walking side by side under the dim streetlights casting faint shadows across the uneven pavement.

"Tell me everything about your gang," Vas said, keeping his voice steady but firm.

Lewis glanced over, seeming a bit hesitant. "Uh, well… It's mid-sized, nothing too wild. They stick to street-level stuff—stealing, intimidation, things like that."

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Vas nodded, absorbing the information. "Alright. And what about the leader?"

Lewis rubbed the back of his neck, thoughtful. "His name's Michael. He's ruthless, but there's this weird calmness about him. He'll stay polite and composed most of the time, but when someone messes up, even on small assignments, he just… snaps. Starts torturing them until they're begging for mercy."

"Quite the character," Vas muttered. "What does he look like?"

Lewis sighed, as though trying to conjure Michael's image. "He's tall, blond, and keeps his hair short. Wears glasses and lipstick—kinda striking, honestly. His usual outfit is this white jacket over a blue shirt. Always looks put together, which makes it creepier when he goes off like that."

Vas raised an eyebrow. "So, what exactly would it take to prove yourself stronger than him?"

Lewis's expression grew serious. "I have two options. First, I could challenge him directly, try to beat him in a straight fight. The other option is gaining enough support from the rest of the gang members, showing them that I'd make a better leader."

"Which of those could you accomplish before the auction?" Vas asked, keeping his tone pragmatic.

"Honestly, neither," Lewis admitted. "I always suspected he had some unusual powers, but now I think he might be a Bonded too."

"Not necessarily," Vas countered. "He could have knowledge of the Occult without being Bonded. Becoming a Bonded isn't that simple."

"But me and my sister became Bonded," Lewis pointed out.

"Because Trismegistus willed it so. If not for that, it's possible you never would have reached that level," Vas explained. "Anyway, Lily and I have some social service obligations to take care of, so we'll be out of the city for a while. Once we get back, we'll focus on making all of you as strong as possible. Until then, come up with a solid plan to take leadership of the gang. Got it?"

"Got it," Lewis replied, determination glinting in his eyes.

With that, they parted ways, each slipping into the night with their own thoughts and plans.

Vas and Lily prepared for their trip to Nu Prison, a low-security facility designed for those who had committed minor crimes—not severe enough to warrant high-security imprisonment but still deserving a structured environment. The inmates were often people who had stolen out of desperation, committed low-level fraud, or engaged in other non-violent offenses. Nu was situated on an asteroid held in orbit by Caelum, where a state-of-the-art facility had been constructed. The goal was to give these offenders a chance at a semi-normal life under strict surveillance, creating a self-sustaining society within the prison walls. Inmates underwent regular psychological tests and evaluations to determine if they had come to terms with their past mistakes and were ready for reintegration into society.

Vas always found it excessive to invest so much money, resources, and effort into a low-security prison. However, the facility's impressive reformation rate had proven its worth, making it a groundbreaking experiment in rehabilitation. Nu also doubled as an educational tool; teenagers from across the solar system were sent there to complete their social service hours, gaining valuable insights into human nature and the power of second chances.

Traveling through outer space was a delicate endeavor, with two main challenges to overcome. The first was temperature regulation. Humanity had solved this by coating spaceship walls with advanced cooling systems, which kept the interior temperatures stable but left the cabins bitterly cold. Passengers were required to wear multiple layers of clothing to avoid freezing during the journey.

The second challenge was the duration of space travel between planets, which had been addressed with two key technologies. The first was the Aetherian Gateways—massive teleportation portals developed by leading tech corporations in collaboration with the government. These portals utilized a combination of quantum entanglement and gravitational manipulation to instantly transport people and cargo across vast distances. Orbiting the major planets, the Gateways drew their power from Dyson Spheres constructed around the sun, named after their designer. These spheres harnessed solar energy and synchronized with the Gateways, enabling efficient long-range transport. However, using the portals was not without risk. Travelers often whispered prayers to Nexus for protection, as delicate materials could easily be damaged or even explode if transported through them.

To address this limitation, the second solution was developed: Light Proton Sails, more commonly known as Solar Sails. While significantly slower than the Gateways, Solar Sails were highly efficient for transporting sensitive cargo. These ships were outfitted with ultralight, reflective sails that harnessed solar radiation to propel them steadily through space. Designed to be self-sustaining, they required no crew, making them ideal for long-haul journeys with fragile or volatile materials, though the trips took considerably longer.

Considering these factors, Vas and Lily were set to use the Aetherian Gateways for their journey to Nu, knowing they would need to bundle up in multiple layers to survive the frigid conditions onboard.