CHAPTER 9: THE WINNING SIDE

The battle began with a hooded demon, releasing demonic flames at the people nearby.

The seat barriers were activated, saving the patrons, giving them enough time for a monkey sorcerer to appear and stop the flames.

However, that monkey sorcerer was hit by a barbarian man who kicked him in the stomach.

Magical beings like that sorcerer were weak to physical blows... And that the sorcerer didn’t get up again was proof of that.

“Run!”

“Security!”

“Move!”

Another barbarian intercepted the security and other members of the security moved with the priority of protecting the buyers.

Even the old man and some workers were trying to clear the way for the buyers with a professionalism that gave evidence that this was not the first assault they had suffered.

A subtle bloodlust seeped from the babysitter getting up to act.

The way he moved his hands subtly showed that he was ready to break necks, and the truth was that those present were no match for the babysitter who could take on the jailer, that one who was on top among the barbarians.

“Babysitter, stop those who are going to steal. I don’t want to lose my medicines,” Zack ordered and, seeing the babysitter hesitate, he watched him.

The glow in the purple eyes was growing brighter, and that man nodded before disappearing, moving to stop the attackers in the vault.

Left with only the boy’s body and his real body, he turned his attention back to the attackers.

It wasn’t every day he could watch as mortals beat each other up and while it was a primate fight, this time the more evolved ones won.

The monkey-men were so to speak... complete failures.

—The Big Monkey organization has been too weakened. There isn’t even a Supervillain.

The boy spoke mentally as he watched as the monkeys could only help the retreat.

Zack couldn’t tell the difference in strength between them and, for him, there were the barbarians using their bodies, the ones using metal toys and the demonic being.

“DIE!”

The one who had attacked him with the toy that spit metal moved again.

This time, it was wearing some kind of metal-framed armor.

A helmet covered his head, while metal covered his back, arms and legs, helping him hold a firearm he normally could not.

—It’s an incomplete exosuit. And the weapon is a laser rifle. Be careful.

As the boy gave the warning, the metal-covered man fired and the laser beams flew in his direction, crashing into the barely perceptible purple barrier he had erected.

The metal man held the laser, perhaps seeking to penetrate the barrier, not realizing that the barrier was simply consuming the laser’s energy.

Mental beings twisted physical laws and while he was a prisoner and had to use the boy’s body, it didn’t mean he couldn’t pull a trick or two.

“Be careful, it’s the Donovan Nightmare!” the barbarian shouted.

Did the babysitter have the title ‘Nightmare’?

—I’m ashamed of my title. At the time, I thought my mental creations were flawless, and I thought my nightmares were perfect.

The boy excused himself in embarrassment as that metal armored man used his gauntlet, releasing small mosquitoes that flew in his direction.

Zack swung his hand, stopping and catching those mosquitoes with telekinesis, and as he held them close, he realized they were miniature missiles.

Seeing that they didn’t explode, he wanted to test the power and threw it against a male barbarian who thought that if he attacked him from the side, he wouldn’t notice.

“UGhh...”

The barbarian who had sent the sorcerer-monkey flying earlier received the explosive mosquitoes and while the shockwave threw him backwards, he didn’t suffer that much damage from the blast.

His skin was burned, bits of metal embedded in his stomach and chest as he hit the wall hard.... Certainly not too much damage, at least not as much as he had expected.

“It’s weak,” He muttered, a little disappointed.

Did the strong go to the vault to steal? If so, then he would have gone and left the babysitter here.

He had wanted to test the limits with the child’s body and he hadn’t expected those present to be such weaklings.

“GRAA!”

As if the truth angered them, the other barbarian roared and turned into some kind of humanoid feline that leapt at him, wanting to slice the child’s body.

The claws struck the barrier and cut through it, not enough to break it, but enough to animate that man-beast.

—He’s a super with some innate constitution.

Was that what they called this kind of beastly lineage on this plane? The beast was strong physically, he had to admit, but his mind, even imprisoned, surpassed him.

Raising his hand, he produced an expansive force concentrated in his hand and released it in front of the beast.

“Ugh...”

The beast flew, hitting the exo-suited man, and both rolled on the ground while bleeding from the impact.

He then took a glance at the demon that had remained in the distance.

—I don’t recognize who it is. It must be a foreigner from the Blue City.

The boy gave a comment, and Zack looked at the demon.

“What’s hell like on this plane?” Zack asked curiously and, looking closely at the demon, he muttered. “I’m guessing you’re a half-breed. You wouldn’t know it.”

The demon had red skin and small horns, but it wasn’t a pure demonic being, at least it wasn’t one of the many he had met.

There were multiple demons on different planes that followed different rules and had different forms, but this plane was a bit traditional.

True demons were possibly bound to their own Demonic Planes and the heavenly beings were similar, as the ones he saw earlier fled.

If it had been a true heavenly being, they would not flee with their tails between their legs and would act with overwhelming power, similar to what demonic beings could wield.

So the heavenly ones from before were half-breeds, just like this demon.

“How dare you...”

He didn’t like being called a half-breed? That demon half-breed boiled with anger and demon fire erupted from his hands, forming two red fire snakes.

The flames burned, and the snakes lunged towards his location, and he, in response, froze the snakes.

“Cryokinesis used well can freeze flames. On some planes, demonic beings are magical. Here, they seem to have their own energy by which they wield their power.”

Since the demon wasn’t being shown anything amazing and was practically an insignificant half-breed, he preferred to take this moment to teach the boy.

That boy was such a fool that he had only learned to mentally attack others and while as mental beings, they were good at it, to limit themselves in such a way was pathetic.

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They were beings of the mind and their overwhelming minds could bend the laws of physics to freeze fire, control gravity and manipulate reality.

Seeing that these individuals still didn’t realize who he was up against, Zack simply snapped his fingers.

Mental power emanated from him and while the demonic half-breed tried to retreat, the mental wave hit him and stopped on the spot before he started drooling.

Then, controlling the ice with cryokinesis, he disarmed the ice serpents and turned it into spears which he sent flying at the demon, impaling it against the wall.

He did the same to the others until all was silent.

“Gotta get rid of the trash,” Zack said, peering into a corner and after a second, the babysitter with a serious face appeared.

As usual, the babysitter would finish the job in an instant and now he had returned and while he wasn’t bloodied, the coldness in his eyes revealed that he had eliminated everyone.

The babysitter looked at the corpses and then at him, after hesitating for a few seconds, finally sighed as if accepting it.

Did the babysitter think he was a benevolent transcendental because he understood and respected the hard work of a babysitter?

They struck first, and it wasn’t as if he cared too much about taking lives.

“I have finished my part, young master. I have eliminated the thieves and made sure the genetic enhancements are safe,” the babysitter reported, returning to his role.

—Did you steal it or did you simply secure it?

The boy gave the question and as the babysitter returned to the mental connection of the two of them, he could understand and stopped.

Zack froze in place and...

—Instead of buying it, we should have stolen it. It’s not like it was hard for him and we could have even blamed the thieves.

Such an idea sounded... Too good.

Why didn’t he think of it sooner? He only sent the babysitter, as he didn’t want what he was going to buy to be stolen, and it never crossed his mind to take it for himself.

It would have been a quick method.

“It’s all right. We have enough of those papers to buy the medicines. No need to resort to such methods,” Zack mumbled.

It was a good idea, but as a transcendental, he didn’t have to show that such an idea hadn’t crossed his brilliant mind.

—I understand, master. Though he doubted the auction would continue, and more so after this disaster.

The boy’s voice rang out again, and this time the shouting and scolding came from the hallway outside.

“What the hell are you doing with security? You allowed them to bring in weapons? No one was checking? You useless bastards!”

The old man who had been running the auction came in, followed by all the guards around him and realizing the mess and that only they were left, he controlled his anger and walked over.

“Thank you very much for warning and taking care of the villains,” the old man said in a solemn tone.

He bowed subtly in thanks and, although he seemed perfectly in control of his expressions; it was obvious that he was slightly upset by the internal disaster.

When he tried to look him in the eye, he had to avert his gaze to the people.

“Move and tidy up!” The old man ordered, trying to remain calm and after touching his ear as if receiving a report, he turned back to look at the babysitter and, after calming down again, added. “I hear you took care of our vaults as well. I’m more than grateful.”

From the look and tone he was using, he wasn’t lying.

He was grateful that they helped him and by the mental waves, he was also furious that all this had happened.

However, the old man was a businessman who didn’t seem to want to show that trace of weakness.

“It’s not important. If you want, let’s get on with the auction,” Zack said in a casual manner.

The look he was giving him was indifferent and magnanimous, but the old man’s expression turned serious and he tried to look him in the eye, wanting to find out any trace of his emotions.

Zack glared back at him as the purple eyes glowed brighter and, in that cross look, one of the several monkeys bared its teeth in a snarl.

Was it to protect his boss? Or did the primate want to attack the boy by taking advantage of this moment?

“Go away. You idiot!” the old man roared in anger and, as if to let off steam, he shouted. “You bastards. I have spent millions of Nitas on you imbeciles and you have failed to maintain security. You have put our people at risk! Get out! Get out now!”

According to the babysitter, ‘Nitas’ was the name of the currency used in this Terra Incognita.

Zack frowned in serious reflection.

“I apologize for my subordinates. I should not have hired them...” the old man said, lowering his head in apology and realizing that he was still pondering, he revealed. “And we cannot continue with the auction. The buyers won’t participate... Not after this.”

The old man again tried to look him in the eye and this time remained watching him in apology.

“Nor can we sell to you directly. We are the medium by which others sell their products. Selling it directly is against our rules,” the old man said without looking away.

That he looked directly at him was proof that he was adamant on that point, and Zack remained silent.

A silence that lasted a few seconds until the old man began to sweat and lowered his gaze, bowing in apology.

The others who were the employees also lowered their heads following their boss.

So the kid was right... It made sense.

At an auction, people bid on products in a competition of who would give the highest bid. At least such an idea was what he had understood.

That he didn’t get his medicine fast bothered Zack, but he refrained as he realized that the old merchant was being honest.

The old merchant would not sell it to him and not only was it a rule but also the seller who was connected to the auction house might not sell it to him... Such was the idea that the old merchant didn’t mean and Zack didn’t have to read the old merchant’s mind to understand it.

He was annoyed, but mostly he was curious about a subject the old man had spoken about.

“Do you pay them?” He asked and pointing to a monkey, he smiled and pointed. “They are primates... If you have this security, wouldn’t you get robbed all the time?”

At least from what Zack understood on some planes, humans were once primates, but they evolved.

However, these furry primates were left in the past.

Were these mediocre primates paid to look after security? If the old man had this kind of security, then he could never buy the medicine he was looking for.

The boy’s body did not allow him to exert his full strength, but if this was the security the auction house had, then he did not find it so difficult to rob them.

The old merchant’s expression twitched and the monkeys, who heard his words, revealed their fangs, but froze when they saw his purple eyes.

“We will improve our security for the next auction. We will also invite you and try to get you what you want,” the old man said, giving a friendly smile.

Did the old merchant think he was taunting the security to look for trouble? Right now, he stopped the robbers who beat the security monkey men and following that logic, he could overpower them all.

What’s more, even the babysitter could beat them all with ease.

However, Zack wasn’t aiming for that and had a thought popping up in his mind...

“You want new guards?” He asked, observing the old man.

“Excuse me?” the old merchant asked without following his logic.

He was a mortal, and it was understandable that he did not understand the magnitude and excellence of a transcendental mind.

It was similar to the babysitter who was watching him, strangely unable to follow his magnificent line of thought.

However, it was easy.

“I can handle the security of your auctions if you pay me,” He explained with a smile.

Wasn’t that a brilliant idea? It was pure and simple logic.

More zeros in his account meant more medicine he could buy and thus greater chances to escape from his prison.

Also, if someone else tried to assault, he could practice using the boy’s body to get better.

The boy was a weak child who could not exert his full power, but if he helped him improve, he could slowly exert greater strength.

The boy would be his weapon against the jailers!

The old man watched him without responding for a second and while at first there was surprise, then some understanding and in the end his gaze settled on the bodies of the surrounding trash.

The old merchant realized his magnificence and, as he then made his decision, he nodded.

“Sounds good. Having someone of your level would give our business reputation and confidence,” the old man replied and smiling opening the way, he asked. “How about we have a deeper talk?”

The look on the old man’s face was the look of someone who pursued profit above all else, and this time he understood that he was someone amazing, accepting his offer.

Why pay them mediocre primates when he could have a transcendental to protect him? And if he helped him get what he was looking for, then whatever he paid them, they would come back to him.

Too tempting an offer.

******

Hugo Dumont, Head of the Thorn Auction House, frowned as he watched through the camera as Wayne Donovan left the mansion.

No, that wasn’t Donovan.

Wayne Donovan was a known Supervillain with the title Nightmare. He was someone who had worked for the Big Monkey and they ended up having conflicts after a gambling house was robbed.

They ended up feuding, but as the Last Defender attacked the Big Monkey’s lairs, wiping out several supervillains, that big boss couldn’t go after Donovan.

Although the body of the man who was leaving was Wayne Donovan, it was not the same person.

“We will meet again,” the man with purple eyes said, looking straight through the camera.

The man had felt him watching him and when Hugo noticed the purple glow, he could feel as if his mind hit a wall.

A wall of overwhelming knowledge and unfathomable mental strength, like a magnificent giant watching from above.

Hugo would like to believe that Wayne Donovan, after rebelling against the Great Monkey, had some kind of chance encounter that increased his mental power.

Mental beings, also known as psychics, were rare and in comparison to other supers were ‘young’.

It had been a few decades since the first psychic supers appeared in this world and thus they didn’t know what they were capable of.

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Hugo said, bowing back in respect.

The smile appeared on the figure and the man’s purple eyes drifted as he settled on what looked like a baby in the carrier on his chest.

A baby with an unfamiliar face and bright, mysterious purple eyes that had a rather big head compared to the body... Whatever happened to Donovan, it made him someone else.

There was someone else in Donovan’s body. Though he had no proof, Hugo trusted his instincts.

He had encountered multiple beings of all kinds and could differentiate the powerful ones from those who only appeared to be strong, and this was one of the former.

Hugo Dumont turned off the camera and stared at the wall for a few minutes until his subordinate entered his office.

“I have dismissed the Big Monkey’s people,” the man said and observing him, asked hesitantly. “Boss... Is it okay for us to do that? The Big Monkey has weakened, but he is still present.”

The Big Monkey, specifically the organization he led, suffered hard blows, hard enough that other supervillains began to look to the Blue City.

Seeking the wealth of the city and taking control, not realizing that the Big Monkey had not been defeated, but only weakened.

A conflict of interest would erupt and as they were sidelining the Big Monkey's forces they could end up on that Supervillain's bad side.

No, it was no longer a possibility, at this point, it was a fact and it would all happen once the Big Monkey found out that they hired Donovan, who betrayed him.

“Don’t worry and arrange everything he has asked for,” He ordered in a serious tone.

Someone else was entering this conflict, and Hugo Dumont had not reached the position he found himself acting passively.

The Blue City would be involved in a conflict, and he had already made a bet.

Not for Wayne Donovan, but for whatever was behind those overwhelming purple eyes.

All the powerful were looking to take their rightful places, and this time was going to be no different.

In the future, there would probably be a new lord of the Blue City underworld and Hugo wanted to be on the right side... The winning side.