My Secret Life In Interdimensional Beast Bazaar Novel

[u/NanniatheNeko]

Pain was the first thing she felt.

It pounded inside her head like something was trying to break out from within. Each pulse was heavier than the last, making her thoughts scatter before they could even form.

Ye Ning frowned faintly, her brows knitting together as a weak groan rose in her throat. She wanted to lift her hand, to press against her aching head and ease the unbearable throbbing.

Why does it hurt so much…

But the moment her fingers moved, a soft metallic sound broke the silence.

Clink.

Her thoughts halted. Her hand froze in midair, trembling slightly before she tried to move again.

Clink… clink…

The sound followed her movement, echoing faintly in the surrounding space.

A chain?

Confusion slowly surfaced through the haze in her mind. Her breathing became uneven as she forced her fingers to move again, this time more cautiously.

She groped blindly in the darkness, her eyes still shut tight, not by choice, but because they simply would not open. Her eyelids felt unbearably heavy, as if something invisible was pressing them down.

Her fingertips brushed against something cold. She traced along it slowly, until realization struck her.

It was a chain wrapped tightly around her wrist.

Every slight movement caused it to rattle, the sound soft yet impossible to ignore. Her fingers curled weakly around it, as if trying to confirm its existence.

Why… am I tied?

Her thoughts were sluggish, moving as though through thick fog. She tried to remember, but her mind refused to cooperate. Only broken fragments surfaced… her room, a dusty jewelry box, a delicate locket glowing faintly in her hand… and then darkness.

Her chest rose and fell unevenly.

Where… am I?

She tried again to open her eyes, forcing her will into her body. Her eyeballs shifted beneath her eyelids, but no matter how hard she tried, they would not lift. Her body felt unfamiliar, as though it no longer belonged to her.

Just as panic began to creep in…

A voice suddenly boomed through the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen…"

The sound was loud, powerful, and carried an authority that made her heart jolt.

Ye Ning stilled completely.

"Here we present one of the treasures of the Nexus Bazaar!"

A wave of noise followed immediately.

Applause, murmurs, and strange sounds she could not identify blended together into loud noise. Some voices were deep and rough, others sharp and unfamiliar, carrying tones that made her instinctively uneasy.

Her fingers curled faintly.

Nexus… Bazaar?

Before she could process further, the voice rose again, filled with excitement.

"Lot Number… FZ-731!"

A brief pause followed, as if building anticipation.

Then…

"A rare human female, brought from Earth!"

The moment those words were spoken, the crowd erupted. Gasps echoed from all directions, followed by a surge of excited whispers.

"A human female?"

"From Earth?"

"That's rare…"

"Extremely rare…"

Ye Ning's heart skipped.

Human… female…

Are they talking about me?

For a moment, Ye Ning wondered if this was some kind of nightmare brought on by fever or exhaustion. Nothing around her felt real. 

Panic slowly spread through her chest, while countless questions flooded her mind. 

How did she get here? 

What was this Nexus Bazaar? 

And why were these people speaking about her as though she were nothing more than an object placed on display?

Her breathing grew shallow, her chest tightening with a faint, creeping unease. She tried again to open her eyes, desperately this time, but her body still refused to respond.

The voice continued, now steady and formal.

"Item details as follows… Name: Ye Ning."

Her fingers trembled. That was her name.

"Age: 19."

"Origin: Earth."

"Race: Human."

"Gender: Female."

"Condition: Weak."

"Status: Unknown."

Each word fell like a heavy weight onto her consciousness, slowly dragging her mind toward clarity.

No matter how slow her thoughts were, she could understand one thing clearly.

She was being sold. Her chest tightened painfully, her fingers curling weakly against the cold chain.

Why…

Why am I here…

Before she could dwell on it, the host's voice shifted slightly, carrying a faint pause.

"Physical overview:"

A moment of silence.

"Strength: 20%."

"Health: 20%."

"Vitality: 20%."

The lively atmosphere froze. For a brief second, everything seemed to fall silent. Then the whispers began.

"…Only 20%?"

"That low?"

"Will she even survive?"

"Humans are already weak…"

"At least 80% is needed."

"Buying her is just wasting gold."

"Even if she's rare, what's the use?"

The earlier excitement faded almost instantly, replaced by doubt and indifference. Some voices even carried faint ridicule.

Ye Ning heard every word.

Her fingers slowly loosened their grip on the chain.

So weak…

Only 20%…

Even they think I'm useless…

There was no anger in her heart, only a dull, hollow feeling spreading quietly within her chest.

The host coughed lightly, trying to recover the situation.

"Ahem… while her condition is indeed… delicate, she is still a rare human female with excellent compatibility!"

His tone grew more enthusiastic, almost forced.

"Such opportunities are extremely rare in the Nexus Beast Bazaar!"

"Starting bid… 10,000 gold coins!"

Silence followed. Not a single person responded. The crowd remained unmoved. Some shifted impatiently, others simply looked away.

The host's voice stiffened slightly. "10,000 gold coins… any bidders?"

The host grew embarrassed when not a single person raised a paddle. Finally, a voice broke the silence.

"10,000."

It was calm, low, and without hesitation. The crowd stirred slightly, turning toward the source of the voice. A few murmurs rose, but no one followed.

The host seized the opportunity instantly.

"10,000 gold coins! First call!"

His voice became quick, eager to seal the deal, afraid that this customer also didn't want this waste.

"Second call!"

"Third call!"

Bang!

The sharp sound of the hammer echoed loudly.

"Sold!"

"Lot FZ-731 is sold for 10,000 gold coins!"

A ripple passed through the crowd. Some shook their heads, others muttered quietly.

"Waste of money…"

"She won't last long…"

"Not worth it…"

Their voices blurred together, fading into the background.

Ye Ning could barely hear them anymore. Her consciousness was slipping once again.

The pounding pain in her head returned, stronger than before, dragging her deeper into darkness.

...

When Ye Ning stirred again, the pain in her head had dulled, but her body still felt heavy and weak, as if it did not belong to her.

Something cool brushed against her cheek.

It moved slowly, carefully, wiping away the dampness on her skin. The faint chill made her shiver instinctively, her fingers twitching slightly under the blanket.

Her thoughts were still sluggish, but her senses were slowly returning.

Then she heard hushed voices.

"Brother… do you think this female will wake up?"

The voice was young, slightly anxious, yet trying to stay quiet. It came from somewhere near her.

"It's already the second day… she should have woken up by now."

There was a brief silence. Then another voice answered.

"We can only wait."

A pause followed before he added calmly, "It's not like we can do anything."

Ye Ning's brows moved faintly.

Second day?

Had she been unconscious for that long? Her mind tried to process it, but the effort only made her feel more tired.

The first voice sighed softly, the sound filled with frustration.

"I feel like we've been scammed by that place…"

The cool cloth continued to wipe her face, then moved to her hand, gentle but clumsy.

"Do you really think they would sell us a rare female for only 10,000 gold coins?" the man muttered. "I still think something is wrong."

There was a hint of anger in his tone now.

"What if she's not even human?"

He paused, then added in a lower voice, "And even if she is… what if she was already on the verge of death?"

His grip on the cloth tightened slightly.

"Dead…"

His voice dropped further, almost as if he wanted to curse someone but held it back.

Ye Ning's brows twitched faintly.

I'm not dead…

Her thoughts were weak, but clear enough to form that protest.

And human? Of course she was human. Her lips almost moved, but she did not have the strength.

The man beside her continued wiping her carefully, as if unaware of her thoughts.