Descendant of Sloth
Chapter 84: Winning Nox

Chapter 84: Winning Nox

Hina’s voice cut through the room like a blade. "Fifteen million dollars!" she yelled, standing tall on the table, her boot planted firm and her hand thrust high. The sound bounced off the walls, sharp and commanding, and every head in the auditorium whipped around to stare at us.

The neon lights flickered over the sea of faces—wide eyes, open mouths, a mix of shock and curiosity in on our little table in the back.

The announcer stumbled over his words for a second, caught off guard, before he regained his flair.

"Oh my God!" he shouted, clutching the microphone tighter and pointing at Hina like she’d just pulled off a magic trick. "We’ve got a young woman swooping in with the highest bid at the last moment! Folks, this is getting wild!"

His voice was practically vibrating with excitement, and the crowd fed off it, murmuring and shifting in their seats.

Up front, the old man in the suit scowled, "Tch!" he spat, his face twisting into something sour, like he’d just bitten into a lemon. The woman next to him—his side chick, probably—tugged at his sleeve, her red lips pouting.

"Honey!" she whined, her voice high. "I want that demi-human! You promised me something cute tonight!"

The old guy gritted his teeth, his irritation bubbling over, but he wasn’t backing down. He shot his hand up.

"Sixteen million!" he said, glaring toward our table like he could scare Hina off with a look.

Hina didn’t even flinch.

"Twenty million!" she fired back, not missing a beat. Her tone was ice-cold, steady as a rock, and the crowd gasped, a wave of whispers rippling through them.

"Ohh my... my!" the announcer crowed, pacing the stage with a grin that stretched ear to ear. "Who is this girl? Where’d she come from? She’s got no plans to stop, folks!" He waved his free hand dramatically, hyping up the room, and the audience ate it up.

A few people cheered, others clapped, and some just stared, hooked on the showdown unfolding before them.

The old man faltered, his hand hovering mid-air as he hesitated. His face went red, his jaw clenching so hard I could see the veins popping in his neck from where I sat. He muttered something under his breath—probably a curse—while his side chick crossed her arms, huffing loudly.

"Do something, Honey!" she snapped, kicking her heel against the floor. He shot her a dirty look but didn’t raise the bid again, his confidence crumbling under Hina’s glare.

I leaned back in my chair, my eyes drifting up to the stage where Nox stood, tiny and green, his flaming hair flickering nervously. Those big, glossy eyes of his darted around, taking in the chaos, but he stayed quiet. I took a slow breath, my mind churning.

This is it..I thought. This is the plan—win Nox without kicking up too much of a mess. The money? Didn’t matter. I had plenty to throw around, more than enough to bury that old creep and his whiny girlfriend.

He could raise the bid all he wanted; we’d win it every time. In the end, Nox was coming with us, no question about it.

Serina shifted beside me, her voice low. "She’s will win for sure!"

I nodded, keeping my gaze on Hina’s back. "Yeah. No doubt." I said, yawning.

The bidding war was heating up, and the old man wasn’t going down easy.

"Twenty-two million!" he shouted, his voice cracking a little. Sweat beaded on his forehead, glistening under the neon lights despite the chilly air pumping through the auditorium.

Hina didn’t hesitate. "Twenty-five million!" she shot back, her voice steady and fierce, her eyes locked on the stage with a glare that could cut glass.

She stood tall on our table, her heels scuffing the surface, her one piece swaying slightly, revealing more of her smooth thighs as she shifted her weight.

The announcer nearly lost it. "And here it is—the highest bid of the night!" he screamed into the mic, his face lighting up like a kid on Christmas.

He spun around, pointing at Hina, then at the crowd, feeding off their energy. The room buzzed louder, people whispering and nudging each other.

Up on stage, Nox stood still, his tiny green body almost swallowed by the spotlight. His flaming hair flickered faintly, and those huge, glossy eyes scanned the chaos around him—wide, blank, and a little lost.

Everything here had to feel strange to him, like he’d been dropped into some noisy, confusing world he didn’t understand. But then his gaze landed on me, lingering a little longer than it did on anyone else.

I tilted my head, wondering if he remembered me. Maybe he did. Maybe that’s why he kept staring.

The old man wasn’t done yet. "Twenty-seven million!" he yelled, his voice hoarse now, desperation creeping in. His side chick grabbed his arm, her nails digging into his sleeve. "Harold, come on!" she hissed, loud enough for the people nearby to hear. "You can’t let her win!"

Hina didn’t even blink. "Thirty million!" she fired back, her tone flat and final, like she was daring him to keep going.

The crowd gasped, a wave of shock rolling through them. Thirty million for a demi-human—small as my hand, green as a lime—was insane, and they knew it.

The old guy’s face went slack, his mouth dropping open like he’d been punched in the gut, staring at Hina like she’d lost her mind. Thirty million was too much, way too much, even for a guy like him with cash to burn. His side chick slumped back in her seat, crossing her arms with a huff, muttering something I couldn’t catch.

The announcer raised his hand, dragging out the moment. "Thirty million once... thirty million twice..." He paused, glancing at the old man with a hopeful grin, like he was begging for one last comeback.

But the guy just sank lower in his chair, his head dipping, too worn out to keep going. The announcer clapped his hands together with a bang.

"Sold!" he shouted, and the room erupted in applause, cheers bouncing off the walls.

Hina let out a long, heavy sigh, her shoulders relaxing as she lowered her hand. She hopped off the table, her boots thudding against the floor, and brushed her hair back with a tired flick.

"That was close," she muttered, mostly to herself.

"Well done, Hina," Serina said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She gave a small nod, her arms still crossed tight across her chest.

I didn’t clap, didn’t say anything. My hands stayed in my lap, my glass of melted ice sitting forgotten on the table. I was too drained to celebrate, too focused on Nox up there, still staring at me with those big, curious eyes. The crowd’s noise washed over me, but all I could think was: We got him. Finally.