Chapter 208: Setting Out
<span style="font-weight:400">“W-what is this?” Drake eeked out through clenched teeth.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ara ara, my my…. Still able to speak?” the woman smiled releasing the pressure as she took a puff from her pipe, “After hearing what had happened in that woman’s tutorial I was expecting someone miraculous but to withstand an A-Rank Aura, even if I was only ying around is quite impressive…”
<span style="font-weight:400">The woman walked forward with a sway that made Drake unable to look away even as he heard Sah Ul’ cough and gasp next to him.
<span style="font-weight:400">Unable to hold out after the aura was released he knelt to the floor for a moment only for the woman to lift his head up with her delicate-looking finger.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake sneered looking back at her. Her face was wless, golden locks just as vibrant as her eyes flowed over her shoulders and the smell of flowers hit Drake’s senses. On top of her head were two golden fox ears yfully flicking back and forth, and from behind her a simr colored set of tails wagging back and forth slowly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“My… you are quite something aren’t you,” she cooed, her eyes running up and down Drake’s body, “Would you sell yourself to me? I could always use a strapping young man in my arsenal.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake heard Sah Ul’ growl from the side between her coughs as he smirked back at the woman, “Sorry but as a man who knows his worth, you couldn’t afford me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The woman stood up straight smiling back as she produced a stone in her hand. The stone contained what Drake could only describe as beauty manifested. The colors contained inside the ss container danced with one another in an entrancing spell he couldn’t tear his eyes from.
<span style="font-weight:400">And apparently neither could Natto as the sound of her popping out of him rang in his ear as she screamed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes! Take him! You may take him, certainly! The stone will be sufficient payment!” Natto stammered with deseration, nodding her head furiously.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What? What even is that?” Drake asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Fool!” Natto snapped, “That is an S-Rank Monster Core! You could buy universes for that stone and still have enough left over to live several lives!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ohe on. I’m worth more than that, at least two stupid stones,” Drake scoffed, finally able to move properly enough to help Sah Ul’ up.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Shall I offer two cores then?” the woman offered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No!” Drake spat, surprised he could get a word in over Natto.
<span style="font-weight:400">Looking to his side he saw the little squirrel on the floor. She had passed out gurgling after seeing the second core produced from the woman’s hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake scooped up the hopeless little garbage disposal and sighed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What do you want?” Drake asked the woman, “And who even the hell are you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I want you of course. My name is Taliya, I’m a collector of sorts,” she smiled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No. What do you<i><span style="font-weight:400"> really </i><span style="font-weight:400">want.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Taliya pouted stowing her cores, “You are certainly no fun… I want nothing from you Little Wallen. I was simply teasing the newest owner of one of my Auction Houses.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Going a bit overboard don’t you think? Are you even allowed to do that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Taliya’s ears and tails went stiff for a moment before she coughed, “O-of course… I am the Franchise owner. Regardless, it is only us here for now. The connection to the other branches has yet to be established.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Connection?” Drake asked trying to stire Natto awake.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I suppose you haven’t been exined anything, apany me to the back room and I shall give you all the <i><span style="font-weight:400">details</i><span style="font-weight:400"> you will need.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah, no hard pass. You seem like someone who would take advantage of me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake’s off-the-cuffment forced Taliya to stumble slightly as she began to walk toward the back, her face turning around tears slightly in her eyes.
<span style="font-weight:400">“W-why would you say that?!” she huffed, “I only teased you a little!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake crossed his arms looking uninterested.
<span style="font-weight:400">“F-Fine…. The connection I speak of is the sub-spaces made by having the Sub-Auction Houses established on this. Each sponsored Auction House of the Spirit Fox is connected with therger House that auctions goods from all over the multiverse. Anything and everything can be sold and bought here for a price. The house allows you to have ess to that market for 5% of anything sold or purchased here,” she exined, “Happy?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“So snippy…” Drake chuckled, “Sub-Auction Houses? Are you saying that I can ce other auction locations up?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“As long as you own the Anchoring Crystal of the location or have the permission of the owner yes. I do suggest that you do it sparingly,” she enunciated.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why’s that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Crossing her arms she tapped her pipe on her arm pursing her lips as if thinking about whether or not she should answer.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That is because although you may not directly receive a cut of the sales. Your city will receive more traffic if there are fewer locations to ess the auction from. Have you not thought about such yet? My my, you may not be as special as I thought,” she teased.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake nodded ignoring her jab, “I see, do I have ess to the auction right now? And how are you here? I understand the other buildings I have ced also have people in them somehow.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Taliya scoffed, “Your assistant seems to be sleeping on the job, Little Wallen… The spaces within the system buildings are sub-spaces, much like the tutorial you were in. They are created independently once you enter the door. You enter and step through into the space that is the building, once you step out you are transported back to your. While you are here you see other people of every species and rank, but rest assured, they will not be able to harm or coerce you in any way. That I guarantee.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course, only you can do that right?” Drake jabbed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Y-yes….” Taliya answered, her eye twitching slightly, “I mean, n-no, of course not!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Then about the ess right now?” Drake asked again.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Unfortunately not at the moment. The next time you enter you will have ess. For now, we are dealing with some rather troublesome people, but I wished to greet you personally.”
<span style="font-weight:400">The air around Taliya changed, her yful attitude vanishing as her aura began to bubble up in the room.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Once more. I am Taliya Delray. Owner of the Spirit Fox of Delight. Of the proud Spirit Fox Race and Renmai n, at your service. <i><span style="font-weight:400">Little Wallen,</i><span style="font-weight:400">” she smiled, “And as a congrattion for being the one who has purchased our store on this, I wish to offer you a weing gift.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s not something devious is it..?” Drake asked recoiling slightly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No! Why would you think that?!” Taliya pouted, “You are taking your ying too far Little Wallen.. No, I wish to offer you something you are looking for. There are more than just items being sold at our establishment after all.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Taliya waved her hand a small piece of paper that resembled the mana map he had received for his Anchoring Crystal appearing.
<span style="font-weight:400">“And this is?” Drake asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is the location of your family. Well at least your mother,” Taliya replied tersely.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake moved forward and gave the fox woman a heartfelt embrace that truly surprised her as she yelped.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you. Really… I don’t know how to repay this,” Drake said softly releasing her.
<span style="font-weight:400">Taliya’s face softened for a moment before she ced a yful smile back on her face.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, my my, you should know better than to suddenly embrace a woman in front of another,” she cooed, looking over at Sah Ul’ with slight pity, “But I am not finished, I have heard through the grapevine that you are also fostering the first generation on your. As a token of good will I have gathered a few trinkets that have been gathering dust.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Taliya waved her hand again a wooden box with a golden fox on the cover appearing in her hand between them.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake received it, cracking it open to see four brilliantly shining stones.
<b>[Main ss Stone: Wind Gunman] [Epic]</b>
<b>[Skill Stone: Phantom] [Rare]</b>
<b>[Main ss Stone: Ki User] [Epic]</b>
<b>[Skill Stone: Rend] [Rare]</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">“You’re simply giving me these? I can’t ept these, there are two Epic Stones here. Besides, I don’t need this many…” Drake said gawking at the stones.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You will take them, you may find use for them yet. I have a feeling there will be quite the event waiting for you in the future,” Taliya mused, pulling from her pipe, “Now off you go before you sour my mood more with your teasing, Little Wallen.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake scoffed, “Sure. I have some business to discuss with you about some ns I have now that you’ve told me about the subhouses. Can I rely on you being avable in the future?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Taliya bowed slightly, “Why of course. I will always be within <i><span style="font-weight:400">reach </i><span style="font-weight:400">of you, Little Wallen.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake shivered slightly at her wording but nodded all the same. Suddenly he felt a pulling on his hoodie from behind.
<span style="font-weight:400">Turning around he saw Sah Ul’ urging him with her eyes and nodding to the door, surprising him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Patriarch, let us depart from this ce…” she said softly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“S-sure,” Drake answered, allowing her to lead him out.
<span style="font-weight:400">They both exited the Auction House, Taliya seeing them off with a wave as they passed through the door, a mischievous grin on her face.
<span style="font-weight:400">The awkward tension rose as Drake tried to shake Natto awake in his arms as a desperate y for a lifeline.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That woman was dangerous!” Sah Ul’ growled.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake gave a nervous grin, “I don’t think she was that bad, she was pretty cool.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Sah Ul’ stopped looking Drake in the eyes, “She was most definitely bad! She was trying to seduce the Patriarch! On top of it, she was of normal warmth.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“N-no I meant that she was an alright person… She did give us a few really good Skill Stones and ss Stones.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I do not understand!” Sah Ul’ shouted in anger, “She was a deceiver, trying to use her tricks to find our weaknesses!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake chuckled to himself, impressed with Sarah’s mental gymnastics.
<i><span style="font-weight:400">She really doesn''t like her huh?</i><span style="font-weight:400"> He thought.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t think about it too much, she’s apparently A-Rank and she can’t do anything to us or evene here for another 10 years or more. Besides, now I have more important matters to address,” Drake exined looking down at the map Taliya provided.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Let’s go find the kids and see if Kalik is awake, we''re going to have to find out who ising with us.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Coming with us?” Sah Ul’ asked tilting her head slightly, “Going with us where?”
<span style="font-weight:400">—-----------
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey, hey! Look I gathered them all just like you asked Drake!” Quetz chirped, raising a hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see that Quetz, that’s a good girl thank you,” Drake praised, patting her on the head.
<span style="font-weight:400">Natto had since woken up and was sitting on Drake’s shoulder pouting.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You could have at least taken one stone… It is not like you needed your chastity or something…” she grumbled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Excuse me? Are you really suggesting I give myself up to a woman who’s probably older than our? Just so you can get your hands on a Monster Core?” Drake scoffed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes! Certainly! It was a good deal!” Natto shouted, raising her arms in the air.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What is she talking about?” Charlotte asked,pletely confused.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nothing,” Drake replied.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I am talking about Drake not wanting to give up his body for something that would have allowed us to buy an entire universe! Not to mention something I could have used to Rank Up to at least B-Rank!” Natto exined scowling at Drake.
<span style="font-weight:400">“W-what?” Charlotte stammered, looking between the pair and then Sah Ul’ frowning next to them.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Harlot….” Sah Ul’ mumbled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sounds like you had a good time without us,” Landinughed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It was not fun,” Drake sighed, “Ok maybe a little fun…” he admitted, “But that isn’t the point. Kalik, Charlotte, Landin, Quetz.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake looked for Janney but she had apparently decided to stay with the baby again. He didn’t fault her but instead was impressed at her devotion to taking care of him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“We’ll have to catch Janey upter. Does she have all the things she needs for the baby?” Drake asked first.
<span style="font-weight:400">“She said you gave her enough baby supplies tost a lifetime and several more babies, so I think we''re fine…” Charlotte giggled.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake nodded, “Good, then. You four will be apanying me and Sarah on a little trip.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Trip?” they all asked at once.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s right. In a week''s time, when Landin turns 16, we will each have you go through your ss change, register you for your system center cards, and train you to break through to F-Rank on the way to pick up several important people.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I have a question, I have a question.” Quetz asked, raising a feathered arm, “Who’s the important people?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake smiled, “My family. And a big Cyclops dude I owe a favor to. But mostly my family.”