Chapter 72: Special VIPs |
“Old Bear! This time we’re going to the special lot auction—just leave the land auction to the subordinates.”
Mick sank into the massive custom-made fur sofa prepared for Baruk·Blackrock, his eyes shining as he flipped through the auction catalog without blinking, so excited he could barely sit still.
“Even if we don’t bid this time, we’ve got to broaden our horizons. There are just too many good things in here!”
Even though the catalog only listed part of the items—and none of the true top-tier treasures—it was already enough to make Mick drool.
Any one of these items would be among the rarest treasures in their tribe. He couldn’t even imagine how incredible the items that only appeared at the auction itself would be.
“You performed so brilliantly this time. Maybe you’ll even get a chance to speak with real big shots…”
Baruk wasn’t really listening to Mick at all—he was busy stuffing himself with food.
Even after sleeping for an entire day, he still looked somewhat fatigued.
This was the aftereffect of using “Beast Rage.”
Unfortunately, his mental strength was only at the level of an ordinary Grandmaster. He could only rely on sheer willpower to suppress his opponent for a fleeting moment.
“Hey? There’s a lot here—a Frost Giant Bear heart. Want to try bidding for it?”
Mick pointed at a line in the catalog.
“What’s that thing even good for?”
“The description says it enhances physical constitution and has a chance to awaken an ice-attribute talent.”
“Useless, not interested, can’t afford it.”
Baruk gave a triple denial. Just hearing about it made it obvious it was ridiculously expensive. With that kind of money, he’d rather invest in a few more shops.
“Tsk, alright.” Mick felt a bit regretful. If they could get that, Old Bear’s chances of taking first place would definitely increase.
Knock knock knock!
A steady knocking sound echoed.
Mick raised an eyebrow. At this hour, who would come looking for them?
“Come in.”
The door was gently pushed open. An old man with white hair and beard, dressed plainly yet carrying an extraordinary bearing, slowly walked in.
“President Gann Cole?!!”
Mick and Baruk sprang to their feet at once, bowing respectfully.
Gann Cole waved his hand casually, signaling them not to stand on ceremony.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“Not at all! Your visit is our honor!”
Mick reacted instantly, responding enthusiastically while guiding Gann Cole to the main seat and pouring him top-grade tea.
Baruk also hurriedly pushed a pile of fresh fruits and delicate pastries toward him, looking as respectful as if he were making an offering.
Gann Cole, however, was completely at ease. He casually picked up a jade-green fruit, translucent and fragrant, and took a bite.
“Mm! Not bad. Is this from your tribe?”
“Yes, President! If you like it, I’ll have someone send a whole cart to your residence immediately!”
Mick suppressed his excitement as he spoke.
He had been worrying about finding an opportunity to curry favor with a big figure—who would’ve thought the other party would come knocking himself!
“Mm, that works.”
Gann Cole didn’t stand on ceremony. After all, he had come precisely to build a relationship, so naturally he wouldn’t refuse.
No matter what others thought, he had taken Kyle’s words to heart.
In the future, the complexity of forces within Coral Thorn City would far exceed what it was now.
In his eyes, this bear and this fox were both promising prospects worth investing in and cooperating with.
Although the Adventurers’ Guild was neutral and powerful, when it came to local interests, it still had to rely on local forces to maintain them.
The more capable experts the guild had, the better.
Gann Cole took a sip of tea. Amid the drifting fragrance, he slowly spoke:
“I won’t beat around the bush. I came this time to invite the two of you to serve as guest elders of the Coral Thorn City Adventurers’ Guild branch.”
Mick and Baruk exchanged a glance, waiting for him to continue.
“You must already know that Coral Thorn City is expanding and transforming under that person’s hands. In the future, competition here will only become more intense.”
“The reputation and Benefits of the Adventurers’ Guild are well known. If you join, there will be almost no restrictions, and you won’t have to worry about taking sides. As long as you don’t actively involve yourselves in certain special incidents, trouble won’t come looking for you.”
At this point, Gann Cole paused slightly. He himself had been unlucky enough to get entangled in one of those special incidents. Fortunately, that person wasn’t some great demon king—he had only been required to sign a confidentiality contract.
“Of course, there are drawbacks. The Adventurers’ Guild is not a tightly bound interest group like merchant associations or noble houses. Once you join, you can only engage in Dealings as relatively independent individuals, and your gains will definitely shrink.”
“You don’t need to reply immediately. You can carefully consider the pros and cons. Once you’ve made a decision, you can come find me anytime.”
With that said, Gann Cole nodded to the two of them and stood to leave.
Staying here would only affect their discussion. He had shown his sincerity—how they chose would be up to them.
After seeing Gann Cole off, the room fell silent.
Mick and Baruk looked at each other. After a long while, Baruk finally asked bluntly:
“Mick, what do you think?”
Mick rubbed his face hard with both hands, looking conflicted.
If he hadn’t gathered so many “allies,” and especially with Baruk as a nearly guaranteed true ally, joining the Adventurers’ Guild would undoubtedly be a good choice.
But now, if he chose the Adventurers’ Guild, many things would change in nature.
Continuing to cooperate closely with others would break the guild’s neutral stance, essentially forming their own faction.
At that point, if conflicts arose with other forces, it would become an issue between their two organizations—the Adventurers’ Guild wouldn’t step in.
In other words, joining might be pointless.
They might even end up being criticized, pleasing no one.
“I haven’t figured it out either…” Mick sighed. “Let’s wait until after the auction. It’s too early to decide now. Let’s see if there’s a better faction for us.”
“I’ll go with whatever you decide.”
***
Night fell, and lights lit up the city.
In the eastern part of the city, six grand auction halls stood tall—unified in style yet each uniquely distinctive—forming a massive pentagram formation.
Runes flowed across their surfaces, and the glow of magical arrays intertwined like a cluster of fallen stars.
Five slightly smaller auction halls surrounded the central and most magnificent Star-Moon Auction Hall like stars encircling the moon.
The five major halls auctioned relatively ordinary Transcendent materials, including various industries of the Shadow Guild, which would also be auctioned in one of them.
The central Star-Moon Auction Hall was the true highlight.
Luxurious carriages and alchemical vehicles streamed out from grand hotels, noble mansions, and merchant associations, entering special passageways under heavy guard, drawing countless commoners to stop and watch.
People crowded at windows and climbed onto rooftops, gazing excitedly at this grand gathering of the Transcendent world.
Even if what they could see was merely a dazzling display of magical lights and luxury vehicles, their enthusiasm remained undiminished.
The auction was held at night partly to accommodate those from the dark side, the hidden side of the world—even beings from hell and the abyss.
Naturally, these “special guests” had their own special passageways, and the formations served to isolate their auras.
Star-Moon Auction Hall, Special VIP Hall.
All kinds of “demons and monsters” that would drive ordinary people insane at a glance gathered here.
Alvaro, with a loose black robe casually draped over his metallic armor, appeared openly among these special beings without trying to hide—yet he drew little attention.
Any one of the beings present here was a dominant figure in their own domain. Even a Legendary powerhouse wouldn’t dare claim they could easily defeat any of them.
They were all important clients that Kyle had secured one by one through his keen judgment and credibility—the foundation of his future rise.
As a pureblood vampire, he was somewhat restricted in the territories of mainstream intelligent beings, but among these similarly ostracized powerful entities, he was exceptionally well received.
Moreover, compared to these beings, his vampire identity was practically “unobstructed” in the human world.
Those greedy nobles and wealthy merchants might not dare form ties with such terrifying entities, but with an elegant pureblood vampire, they could conveniently turn a blind eye.
That was one of the greatest advantages of vampires.
And these beings lurking in the shadows of the world often possessed large amounts of rare and uniquely effective Transcendent resources.
This was precisely the foundation of how Kyle had rapidly accumulated astonishing capital.
“Alvaro,”
A female devil with dark purple skin spoke lazily. She wore a dark-patterned luxurious robe, a pair of elegantly curved horns atop her head like works of art. In her slender hand, she held a goblet filled with a brilliant crimson liquid, leaning casually against the bar.
“Did your master not come this time?”