Chapter 75: It’s Your Turn to Bleed a Little |
The entire auction hall fell into dead silence. Every bidder stared dumbfounded at the numbers displayed on the crystal screen behind the auctioneer.
This wasn’t treating magic crystals like magic crystals at all!
Even a Legendary wouldn’t spend like this, right?
This clearly showed they had mines at home—and more than just one!
Quite a few bidders seated below raised their heads curiously, looking toward the top-tier private box hidden within formations above, wondering which tycoon could be throwing money around so extravagantly.
At this moment, Vivian frowned slightly; this kind of bidding had gone beyond her expectations.
“It shouldn’t be like this…”
This overwhelming “money-is-no-object” style even left her a little dazed.
Most importantly, she hadn’t sensed even the slightest trace of anger, anxiety, or hesitation—as if she wasn’t even being taken seriously?
Was she being looked down on?
She, a high-ranking devil, had actually stumbled when it came to manipulating emotions?
“150,000 magic crystals, first call.” The auctioneer’s voice trembled slightly, struggling to remain professional.
Feeling offended, her fingers quickly tapped on the crystal screen, but in the end, she still didn’t press the bid button.
Looking at the current price, she hesitated.
Raise the bid?
If she raised it by too little, it would seem petty; if she raised it too much… spending far beyond the item’s value just out of pride—even she would feel the pain.
“150,000 magic crystals, second call.”
Vivian’s fingers trembled slightly, but she held back.
“150,000 magic crystals, third call.”
“Clang!”
With the crisp sound of the gavel, she deflated like a punctured balloon and slumped into the soft sofa.
“Sold! Congratulations to this esteemed guest for successfully acquiring the first bottle of Legendary Thunderstorm Sub-Dragon True Blood!”
At the moment the gavel fell, Mills Horne felt as if struck by lightning, his eyes rolled back as he collapsed backward.
The attendant beside him rushed forward in panic to support him:
“President! President, wake up! Quickly, bring a stimulant potion!”
Kyle glanced toward Vivian’s private box, the corner of his mouth curling up as well. He had already “bled”—now it was her turn to bleed a little.
Vivian picked up her wine glass, took a sip, yet couldn’t help but shiver.
Her brows lifted. “Interesting… so I’ve been targeted?”
“Adult Legendary—Thunderstorm Sub-Dragon True Blood! The second bottle begins bidding!”
The auctioneer’s voice rang out again, even more impassioned than before, trying to reignite the atmosphere.
“120,000 magic crystals.”
Kyle didn’t hesitate at all, directly calling out Vivian’s final bid from the previous round.
Seeing this number, anger surged in Vivian’s heart. For a prideful devil, this was the greatest provocation and humiliation.
Devils cared deeply about “face.”
It was even the universal currency in their social circles—a symbol of status!
If she backed down, it would mean admitting her own incompetence!
“150,000 magic crystals.”
Vivian bid almost instinctively, without thinking at all.
“200,000 magic crystals.”
Kyle didn’t give her time to react, immediately raising the price.
This action was no different from slapping Vivian across the face, telling her, ‘I’m just toying with you~’
Already heated like a gambler, Vivian looked at the changing numbers. This time, both her body and mind chose to bid in unison.
“300,000 magic crystals!”
Vivian had essentially staked all the funds she brought this time.
The moment the bid was announced, the entire hall fell silent once more.
Kyle smiled as he looked at the number. This price would surely satisfy that forbidden mage. The auction house of Coral Thorn City would gain another excellent long-term premium client.
As for Vivian, who had taken the loss, Kyle wasn’t worried at all.
Given a devil’s nature, after suffering such a loss, if she didn’t find ways to recoup it with interest elsewhere, she would never leave willingly.
The reason Kyle could manipulate Vivian’s emotions so precisely wasn’t just due to his understanding of her—it was also thanks to Isos.
Having advanced to the Intent level, Isos’s abilities regarding emotions had greatly improved. He had already broken free from the Shadow Demon’s path of darkness and fear, moving instead toward the domain of the seven emotions and six desires.
Now, Isos could subtly influence others’ emotions without a trace. Combined with his ability to perceive opportunities along causal lines, he firmly controlled the entire rhythm.
“300,000 magic crystals, third call.”
“Clang!”
The auctioneer’s hand was visibly shaking, and even his voice changed pitch:
“S-sold! Congratulations to this esteemed guest for successfully acquiring the second bottle of Legendary Thunderstorm Sub-Dragon True Blood!”
Only then did Vivian realize she might have been played!
An overwhelming surge of humiliation and fury rushed into her heart. Just as she was about to lose control, her mind suddenly became crystal clear, and her rampaging emotions cooled rapidly.
Losing control was meaningless—and might even get her killed here.
“Haa—!”
She exhaled a long breath tinged with the scent of molten lava, then leaned heavily back into the sofa, waving her hand to shut off the crystal bidding screen before her.
She needed to calm down—she had to calm down… everything just now had been too strange.
How could someone skilled in manipulating emotions lose control so easily?
Naturally, this was also Kyle’s doing. With Isos’s help, he had subtly amplified Vivian’s rationality, pulling her back from the brink of rampage.
“Tsk tsk! Isos, your ability is ridiculously useful!”
Kyle praised sincerely through their mental link.
“Haha, as long as I can help, Boss.”
Isos’s voice carried a cheerful tone, starlight flowing joyfully within the sea of consciousness.
***
“Adult Legendary—Thunderstorm Sub-Dragon True Blood! The third bottle, bidding begins!”
The auctioneer and all the bidders stared unblinkingly at the crystal screen.
This time, Kyle didn’t make a high bid.
“50,000 magic crystals.”
Seeing this relatively normal price, no one felt excitement or disappointment—instead, everyone let out a long sigh of relief.
Then came an eerie silence.
After witnessing the divine clash of the previous two rounds, who would dare interfere now?
Not only might they fail to win it, but they could also offend that unfathomable big shot.
“50,000 magic crystals, third call.”
“Clang!”
The auctioneer almost couldn’t wait to slam the gavel down, his voice filled with relief:
“Sold! Congratulations to this esteemed guest for successfully acquiring the third bottle of Legendary Thunderstorm Sub-Dragon True Blood!”
The three bottles of dragon blood were ultimately sold for a staggering total of 500,000 magic crystals, setting a new single-session record for the Coral Thorn City auction.
“Tsk tsk, Mills, that fat guy really bled heavily this time.”
Kyle estimated that Mills Horne probably didn’t have enough liquid funds to cover this bid.
“Forget it, no need to fleece the kid too badly.”
In a good mood, Kyle willed it, and directly tossed a spatial ring through the air, hitting Mills—who had just been revived by attendants and was lying alone on the sofa groaning in pain—right on the head.
“Ouch!”
The familiar pain snapped the dazed Mills back to his senses.
Almost instinctively, he locked onto the ring still in midair, lunging like a pufferfish. The moment he caught it, he used his round physique to bounce back up.
Seeing the familiar Dark Moon emblem on the ring, tears burst forth like a fountain.
He knew it—the Information Broker wouldn’t really let him go bankrupt.
As his mental power probed inside, he saw a neat arrangement of one thousand mid-grade magic crystals, emitting a pure and gentle glow.
Mills’s eyes widened—mid-grade magic crystals! They were actually mid-grade magic crystals!
High-quality magic crystals were rare alchemical materials, practically priceless on the market.
The value of these one thousand pieces far exceeded a mere hundred thousand ordinary magic crystals!
“Wuwuwu… Information Broker, you really do love me after all!”