August froze on the spot after hearing the report.
Some nobles could no longer hold back, and along with the resentment Viktor had stirred in them, they burst out cursing.
"Damn it, what are the guards even doing? How did demi-humans invade the royal city?"
"The money we pay every year is to feed you useless trash!?"
The guard, his voice weak, continued, "V-very sorry."
"Today, the defenses around the royal city were extremely thin… we had no way…"
At this point, countless lords paused in their emotions.
Why were the city defenses weak?
Simple.
Because of today's auction, a large number of noble lords and wealthy merchants had all gathered at the venue.
Even the king himself was present.
To prioritize the safety of the nobles and the king, almost all the city's forces had been concentrated around the auction hall.
And that allowed the demi-humans to…
"Exploit the gap."
Almost instantly, several harpy birdmen flapped their wings in the sky, tearing through the dome with their sharp claws.
Shimmering glass fell from above, the ceiling ripped open into a massive hole, countless chunks of stone falling along with the shattered glass.
The crisp and heavy sounds of fragments striking the ground intertwined into a symphony of destruction.
From outside the doors came the miserable screams of soldiers, and the noble lords could feel the ground trembling.
In the span of a single breath, several massive minotaurs suddenly burst through the doors, as if charging into forbidden territory.
The golden walls around the doors collapsed like chocolate under their crushing force, clouds of dust rising like smoke bombs and enveloping the surroundings.
They scattered the thick dust, revealing their bronze, powerful muscles under the golden light.
Dozens of armored guards were instantly thrown into the air by the minotaurs' strength, flying in all directions like powerless puppets.
"Moo!!!"
The minotaurs' eyes were bloodshot, their muscles bulging like stone. Even the ground they stepped on was crushed into deep trenches.
They breathed heavily, white mist spraying from their nostrils.
As if giving some kind of signal, in that moment, countless demi-humans poured in from all directions like ocean tides, flooding into the hall.
Like predators, they trapped the nobles within.
The demi-humans' bodies were similar to humans, but their long or thick tails, and the distinct beast ears atop their heads, revealed their true nature.
With all kinds of animal ears, they moved on both hands and feet.
Foxes, leopards... their rare forms stood out in this golden auction hall.
Surrounded by these demi-humans filled with rage, the nobles felt deep terror.
They simply could not imagine what had happened outside.
Why had the demi-humans suddenly launched such an organized operation?
Why was the target specifically this auction?
And why did it happen to coincide with the auctioning of demi-humans?
At this moment, something even more terrifying than the siege appeared.
Inside the massive iron cage, the two beastmen suddenly moved.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of chains breaking rang out. With the clash of metal, the two tiger-men finally freed their arms from the restraints.
They twisted their wrists and casually threw aside the thick chains.
Then, in front of everyone, they extended both hands and gripped the bars of the cage.
As the muscles on their bodies bulged, the solid iron cage was pulled apart to both sides.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
One by one, the iron bars snapped. In the end, the two tiger-men used brute force to completely tear open the enormous cage.
Countless lords stared at the scene in shock.
That massive cage was forged from obsidian-tempered steel, incredibly hard.
Even heavy blows from giant beasts could hardly damage or bend it.
Even an ordinary fourth-tier warrior couldn't possibly break it open so easily.
But these two tiger-men had shattered the bars with sheer strength?
'Just how terrifying is that power!?'
'No... if they are this strong, how are they even captured in the first place!?'
At that moment, the two tiger-men strode out boldly, arms crossed, the muscles on their chests swelling.
The next second, both of them stepped onto the golden auction platform and stomped heavily.
In the blink of an eye, the solid iron cage behind them shattered like paper scraps, scattering into pieces of metal.
And with that stomp, the sturdy golden floor cracked into a dense web of fractures.
A violent tremor surged, and the entire ground began to shake.
The towering golden walls trembled as well, chunks of rock and dust peeling off and falling.
Everyone present swayed, nearly losing their balance.
Even Aurelian and Gwen in the second-floor private box were shaken.
Aurelian dropped back into her seat, while Gwen barely managed to steady herself.
August gripped the armrest tightly, his gaze locked onto the two tiger-men below, as if unable to accept what he was seeing.
Viktor stood with his hands in his pockets, his coat dancing in the wind.
At this moment, he was like an unshakable statue, as if the turmoil of the world had nothing to do with him.
The two tiger-men glanced at Viktor at the same time.
Among them, the male tiger-man showed a hint of surprise.
But he didn't pay much attention.
Because he remembered this man in the black coat.
He didn't seem to be on the same side as the others.
Almost simultaneously, the other iron cages were shattered completely, and the demi-humans inside fled out, gathering behind the two tiger-men.
Among the two, the most eye-catching was the male tiger-man with the character "King" on his forehead.
His imposing tiger eyes proudly scanned every human present, his steady voice echoing like an ancient bell, full of kingly authority, "Is there anyone here who can fight?"
His provocation ignited anger in countless lords.
"Mere demi-humans!"
As noble lords, they were among the top warriors in the Kingdom of Cant.
And these demi-humans, in the past, were nothing more than slaves for their amusement.
It was one thing to be suppressed by Viktor.
But since when could these slaves turn the tables and ride over them?
An earl with three stars on his chest drew the long blade at his waist, his aura surging as a cold gleam flashed in his eyes.
With a light step, his figure shot forward like a meteor, charging straight toward the two tiger-men on the platform.
Whoosh!!
Within the streaking light, the surrounding space seemed to distort slightly, and the air itself felt frozen.
The blade beneath that streak radiated dazzling brilliance, the surrounding space seemingly dominated by its sharp sword energy, a cutting sensation piercing through everyone's skin.
Even the walls around them were carved with deep grooves.
Everyone's eyes followed that streak of light.
"It's Earl Andre!"
"A fourth-tier warrior has made his move!"
But the tall tiger-man simply stood there with arms crossed, calm and unmoving.
In his tiger eyes, there was even a trace of disdain and mockery.
Amid the crowd's cries, the earl's attack grew even stronger.
But almost at the same moment...
Behind the male tiger-man, the female tiger-man finally moved.
She stepped forward, the ground cracking beneath her foot, one leg forming a bow-like stance, ready to launch.
The muscles in her leg trembled rapidly as she propelled her entire body forward.
Her fists clenched, elbows drawn back.
Her whole body spun in midair, a fierce whirlwind forming around her, colliding with the streak of sword light.
The sword light flashed, but was swept by the terrifying whirlwind, its force deflected.
It struck nothing but empty air beside the tiger-man's waist.
Shock surged in Earl Andre's heart, 'How is this possible?'
But it was already too late. The tiger-man's hook punch was swift as lightning.
In an instant, the powerful blow smashed into the earl's face.
After taking such a strike, Earl Andre's face twisted grotesquely, his entire body sent flying by the terrifying punch, hurtling toward a golden wall.
No one present saw it clearly.
They only felt two immense forces collide.
The golden sword light dimmed instantly, and the earl was blasted backward, plowing across the ground for several meters, smashing through golden seats before crashing heavily into the wall.
The impact left a deep crater in the wall, cracks spreading like a spiderweb, debris scattering everywhere.
The nobles stood stunned, too shocked to speak.
When the dust settled, the earl's condition was revealed.
His face was completely disfigured, blood and scattered teeth showing the severity of the blow.
Everyone froze, unable to believe what they were seeing.
A fourth-tier warrior.
One punch, instant defeat…
The female tiger-man landed steadily, clapping her hands as if she had just completed a simple task.
The male tiger-man remained expressionless, standing quietly, as if everything that had just happened had nothing to do with him.
The atmosphere suddenly fell cold.
All the lords realized that this incident was far from ordinary.
Amid the silence of countless people, the male tiger-man opened his massive mouth, baring sharp fangs and teeth.
With a chilling aura, he enclosed everyone heavily within it.
"Self-proclaimed clever, arrogantly supreme humans."
"Your price… has arrived."