Chapter 76: The Auction Ends |
The farce of the dragon blood bidding came to an end.
Kyle looked at the two specially-made crystal bottles that had been teleported before him by a miniature array. The dark red liquid inside, faintly flickering with lightning, contained a vast power of destruction and rebirth that stirred his heart intensely.
He almost couldn’t wait to have Alvaro send the dragon blood back to the ancestral land immediately.
But he forcibly suppressed the impulse.
The auction wasn’t over yet—he had to keep watch. If anything went wrong, he would regret it to death.
There were quite a few troublesome individuals here. No one could say whether someone might ignore the rules of Coral Thorn City for certain items and truly risk their lives.
***
In the following “Transcendent Item” segment, although the first few auction items could be considered fine works, under the shadow of the sky-high dragon blood prices, the bidding felt somewhat lukewarm.
The highest transaction price never broke through the ten-thousand magic crystal mark. Even the auctioneer’s voice lost some of its earlier enthusiasm—until—
The auctioneer’s voice regained its vigor:
“It includes a breastplate, armguards, leg armor, a knight’s sword, and a kite shield! Starting price: 5,000 magic crystals! Each increment must be no less than 500!”
The crystal screen displayed a holographic image of the set: the silver-white armor flowed with a soft yet resolute glow like morning light. Intricate and sacred runes were engraved on the blade and shield surface. Even through the projection, one could feel the pure and powerful light energy.
“6,500 magic crystals.”
As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, someone began bidding.
From appearance alone, the set was already worthy of collection—not to mention its rare light attribute.
“8,000 magic crystals.”
Dean stood excitedly before the crystal screen, watching the rising numbers.
He hadn’t expected that the equipment his teacher forged in just two months could sell for such a price.
O’Brien, however, remained calm. After all, he had invested many rare materials he had collected over the years; this starting price was within his expectations. What he didn’t know was how far it would ultimately go.
“11,000 magic crystals.”
“12,000 magic crystals.”
“12,500 magic crystals!”
In the end, the price settled at 13,500 magic crystals.
“13,500 magic crystals, third call.”
“Sold! Congratulations to this esteemed guest for successfully acquiring this top-tier light-attribute set!”
Inside the private room of the Silver Moon Chamber of Commerce, Mills Horne’s round face bloomed with joy. He rubbed his hands together, practically drooling.
As soon as the attendant delivered the mithril chest containing the set into the room, he pounced on it impatiently, his hands roaming all over it.
Unsatisfied, he pressed his large face directly against the cold surface of the armor, rubbing back and forth, trying to feel the immense power contained within.
“Perfect… absolutely perfect!”
Mills muttered, his eyes gleaming with obsession. “Look at these patterns! This luster! This is true art!”
Yes, he was the one who had won the bid.
Now that he had sufficient funds, he naturally wouldn’t give up something he loved.
Who didn’t dream of being a paladin when they were young?
Even if he couldn’t become one, there was no way he would miss out on a full set of equipment crafted by one!
He should also be grateful that O’Brien’s identity was confidential. Otherwise, a set made by a paladin would never have been so easy for him to obtain!
Unfortunately, with his physique, there was no way he could actually wear the set.
After all, it hadn’t reached the level of a mystic treasure yet and didn’t possess adaptive properties.
Kyle secretly recorded Mills’s shameless groping and infatuated behavior. Who knew—maybe someday he could use it to publicly “execute” both O’Brien and Mills in some formal setting… that scene would definitely be amusing.
***
Time passed with each fall of the gavel. Outside the window, the three moons had risen to their zenith, their cold light shining upon the crystal glass, draping the auction hall in a layer of silver gauze.
It was already 2 a.m., yet everyone remained highly energized.
“Next is the finale of the ‘Transcendent Item’ segment—Lot No. 153!”
All the lights in the hall focused once more on the center stage. A metal chest over three meters tall, covered in mysterious runes, was pushed forward.
With a crisp “click,” mechanical clasps released, and the metal container unfolded layer by layer like a blooming flower, revealing the item protected within a gentle energy field.
An elegantly simple silver-framed round mirror.
The frame resembled intertwining vines, encasing a deep blue mirror surface that continuously emitted a chilling aura. Even through the crystal screen, merely meeting that blue surface made one’s soul tremble slightly.
“Soul-Nurturing Mirror! Starting price: 50,000 magic crystals! Each increment must not be less than 1,000!”
As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, detailed information about the item appeared simultaneously on the crystal screens in every private room.
Everyone’s attention was drawn to the highlighted key details.
Item Name: Soul-Nurturing Mirror
Origin: Unknown (Confidential)
Category: Spiritual magic item
Functions:
······
Upon seeing phrases like “preserve souls,” “communication,” and “replenish soul essence,” many bidders in the upper and middle-tier rooms felt their hearts race and blood surge.
Who didn’t have someone they wished to keep?
Whether family, lover, or even enemy, the value of this mirror far exceeded imagination!
Many top-tier bidders had already decided to abandon their original targets and concentrate their funds on this Transcendent item capable of preserving and restoring souls.
Once missed, who knew how long it would be before another appeared?
“55,000 magic crystals.”
“60,000 magic crystals.”
“70,000!”
The bidding instantly became fierce. The number of participants surged, and several previously silent private rooms joined the competition.
Inside one dimly lit private room:
“…We must obtain it! With it, we might preserve the elder’s fading soul and extract the final password of the family vault!”
In another room filled with the fragrance of herbs:
“My mentor’s research notes are known only to his lingering soul… this mirror is our only hope!”
***
“111,000 magic crystals, third call.”
“Sold! Congratulations to this esteemed guest for successfully acquiring the Soul-Nurturing Mirror!”
Kyle looked at the price and felt fairly satisfied—it at least covered the cost of the materials he had used for research.
This had been just a practice piece. Originally, he had wanted to create a magic mirror from fairy tales.
That would have reached the level of a mystic treasure. However, after much research, he remained stuck at the stage of imbuing the item with spirit—it was ultimately still a dead object.
In the end, he could only modify it into something that stored souls.
Turning the inanimate into the living was a crucial step in his exploration of transcendent power. Once successful, he would have greater confidence in creating the fantasy world he desired.
But for now, it seemed the road ahead was still long.
In the final “Ancient Mystic Treasure” segment, seven grand items appeared one after another:
[Star-Trail Compass], [Magic Pattern Coffin], [Hourglass of Time · Fragment], [Seed of the Dead], [Mask of the Forgotten], [Precognitive Dandelion], [Phantom Sound Whistle].
All of them possessed incredible functions—but their costs of use were absurdly high.
Aside from the dragon blood, Kyle had no intention of buying anything else at this auction.
So he happily remained a spectator, observing which unlucky fools would purchase these mystic treasures—so he could market services to them later!
When the final item, [Phantom Sound Whistle], was sold, faint dawn light had already begun to appear over the sea.
The grand auction, which had lasted an entire night, finally came to an end.