The gacha wheel that had been hovering in his vision dissolved into a shower of cool blue sparks.
Before Theo could even register the disappointment of losing his free spin, the voice echoed in his mind once again.
[Congratulations! Host has been awarded the Innate Trait: 10x Savior Attributes!]
[Trait Description: Every time the host rescues a "Reborn Empress" from a life-threatening or dire situation, the host will receive a staggering ten-times multiplier to all base attributes, combat stats, and any rewards associated with that rescue. This multiplier stacks additively with base system rewards.]
Theo blinked,. A ten-times multiplier? Just for playing the hero?
Even so, he couldn’t help the wide grin stretching across his face.
In all the novels and games he had consumed in his past life, a ten-times multiplier was absolute madness.
It was the kind of overpowered cheat code that could turn a pathetic slave into an absolute powerhouse overnight.
He could already picture it... saving a damsel in distress, hearing the system chime, and feeling a surge of unstoppable strength coursing through his frail bones.
Though, what in the world was a ’Reborn Empress’?
Theo frowned slightly.
Was she a reincarnator, just like him? Someone who had kept her memories from a past life?
But the system specifically used the word "Empress."
Did that mean she used to be a royal monarch in her past life, ruling over empires before dying and being stuffed into a new body?
"Hey, keep moving! Don’t let your eyes wander." a guard sneered, shoving the handle of his spear into Theo’s shoulder.
Theo stumbled but caught himself, nodding submissively.
He trudged forward, keeping his head down but his eyes darting everywhere as the slave convoy was marched through the gates.
What he saw beyond the gates shattered his expectations.
He had been bracing himself for a grim, bloodstained sect filled with dark caves and cruel torture chambers. Instead, the compound looked more like a high-end academy.
Young men and women walked along the paths, dressed in pristine uniforms.
They carried practice swords, scrolls, and an undeniable air of confidence.
Some were laughing, chatting with their peers, while others were engaged in intense discussions about their morning classes.
"Is this... really a martial sect?" Elara whispered from beside him.
"Don’t let the pretty flowers fool you," Theo muttered back, his eyes narrowing. "Places that look this clean usually hide the biggest messes under the rugs."
They turned a corner and entered a noisy street plaza that seemed out of place against the pristine backdrop of the academy grounds.
It was an open-air market.
Stalls lined the streets, selling everything from basic medicinal herbs to polished iron weapons.
But the center of the plaza was what drew the eye... and the stomach.
A raised platform stood in the middle of the square.
Men and women, stripped of their dignity and dressed in filthy rags, were chained to iron posts.
A large crowd of merchants, rogue martial artists, and even a few uniformed academy students stood around the platform, shouting out numbers and bidding on the human cargo.
"Look at those poor fools on the block..." one of their caravan guards laughed. "Glad we ain’t selling this batch to those cheapskates down there. The outer market prices are garbage today."
"Yeah, no kidding," the second guard chuckled. "The academy needs fresh meat for the outer perimeter maintenance and the trial grounds. They pay double what these street merchants offer. Don’t worry, you lot!" The guard shouted back at Theo and the other slaves. "We ain’t selling you to these street rats. You’re going straight to the academy’s intake. Consider yourselves lucky!"
[System core fully synchronized.]
[Unlocking primary host function: ’Investment Skill’.]
[Through the combination of Destiny’s Eye and the Investment Skill, the host can now identify targets with high potential, view their past and future trajectories, and offer targeted investments to reap systematic rewards.]
Theo’s breath hitched.
An Investment Skill? If the Eye of Destiny was the radar, this new skill would show him what he was truly capable of.
He activated the skill, letting his eyes sweep over the slaves chained to the posts.
[Name: Kaelen]
[Destiny: White]
[Potential: Extremely Low]
[Name: Mara]
[Destiny: Gray]
[Potential: None]
[Name: Toris]
[Destiny: White]
[Potential: Low]
He scanned past four, five, six people. All of them were ordinary.
However, as his gaze fell upon a small figure chained at the very edge of the platform, the system interface exploded into a blinding flash of crimson light.
Theo gasped, taking a step back.
Kneeling on the wood was a girl. She looked wretched. Her hair was matted with mud and dried blood, obscuring her face.
Her clothes were torn, her bare arms covered in bruises and whip marks.
She looked frail, broken, and defeated, her head bowed so low.
But the text floating above her head told a different story.
[Name: Liana]
[Age: 15]
[Structure: Sealed Supreme Sovereign Veins]
[Realm: Mortal (Crippled)]
[Destiny: Crimson]
[Identity: Reborn Empress]
Theo felt his heart slam against his ribs like a war drum.
A Reborn Empress. She’s right there. She’s right freaking there!
[First Life Description: In her previous incarnation, she was the ruler of the Nine Continental Domains. She forged her empire through seas of blood and mountains of bones, uniting the warring factions under a single, unbreakable banner.]
[She possessed martial prowess unmatched in history, wielding the legendary Annihilation sword art that could sever the skies. Yet, at the pinnacle of her absolute mortal reign, she was betrayed.]
[Her most trusted generals, fearful of her growing, tyrannical strength, poisoned her spiritual veins and launched a combined siege. She fought for seven days and seven nights without rest, slaying millions, before finally succumbing to her wounds.]
[Now, she has awakened in this pathetic body, retaining her memories, her indomitable will, and her combat knowledge... but utterly lacking the strength to free herself.]
Theo stared at the text.
This had the memories of an absolute tyrant, a woman who had slaughtered millions and ruled continents!
And right now, she was being auctioned off to a fat merchant in the front row who was holding up a pouch of silver coins and licking his lips.
"Sold!" the auctioneer shouted. "The frail one goes to Merchant Vane for thirty silvers!"
Theo’s eyes widened.
If that merchant took her away, who knew what would happen to her?
She was crippled right now. Even with the mind of an Empress, a broken body couldn’t fight back against armed guards.
More importantly, she was his ticket. His ten-times multiplier.
The guards of his own convoy began yanking on the chains. "Alright, shows over! Keep moving! We have to reach the testing grounds before noon!"
Elara stumbled beside him as the chain pulled taut, but Theo planted his feet firmly into the dirt.
"Hey! Are you deaf, boy?" the guard snarled, raising his whip. "I said move!"
Theo eyes remained on the platform, watching as the greasy merchant climbed the stairs to claim the Reborn Empress.
Theo took a deep breath. He turned to the guard, a smile slowly breaking across his face.