Chapter 225: Bidding [2]
...Should I name it Lucky?
{...}
...
{Alright, I was just joking. We will talk about it later as I promised.}
I reassured the weaver, the guy also wanted his name to be more than generic. I wondered whether it also experienced my memories and became affected somehow.
We had a lot to talk about. But not now.
{Let me put the new guy away.}
I extended my hand to the egg and, with a mental command, stored it inside the system inventory. Because it couldn’t be stored inside ordinary storage items, and I have already checked the safety of the inventory.
The attendant returned soon after, filling the ring with requested resources for the extra million I gave.
They probably thought I was a customer worth befriending, so they gave me the items at a discount price.
Meanwhile, the auction continued like that for about another half an hour. There was another special item that was sold for 25 million. It was a weapon relic this time - a snow white dagger. They were sure obsessed with the color white today.
Finally, the auctioneer announced the last item.
"The auction finally reached its peak. Are you ready for the biggest reveal of the night?"
He mysteriously rubbed his mustache.
The attendants brought out another intricately designed silver box, covered in black velvet. They carefully placed it on the central pedestal, as if afraid to harm the thing inside. And those small actions didn’t escape the people’s eyes.
The hall went silent, all waiting for the mustache man to stop the act. But the man still milked the suspense for another few seconds before lifting the lid with a dramatic flourish.
Inside, suspended in a shimmering field of light, was a small milky white fragment. Guess the shopkeeper didn’t lie after all. This thing was really a piece of a powerful beast’s core.
"Whoa, what a powerful aura!"
"No, no, feel it more carefully. It has a calming effect!"
"Right, it feels like... like standing under a waterfall of pure aura!"
That’s right.
Even from afar, the fragment’s aura was affecting the entire hall. Not only did it exude a profound calming energy, but it also seemed to sharpen one’s perception and intellect, making thoughts clearer and more refined.
A Tier, huh?
Then, it must be the fragment of an Elder or Overlord Beast.
The auctioneer’s face, now devoid of its usual theatrics, was etched with a genuine awe as he gestured to the floating fragment.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his voice a reverent whisper that somehow carried through the stunned silence of the hall, "you are witnessing a remnant of pure, ancient power. This is a core fragment of the legendary Serenity Weaver."
free\.c o(m)
A collective gasp, louder this time, swept through the room.
Even some of the more stoic individuals in the private booths shifted, their composure momentarily broken. Guess the competition was gonna be more intense than I thought.
"The Serenity Weaver," the auctioneer continued, allowing the name to hang in the air, "was a creature of profound mental and spiritual capabilities, an Overlord Beast rumored to manipulate the very thoughts and emotions of all within its vast domain. This fragment, while but a sliver of its true might, offers a fraction of that incredible power. It can calm fractured minds, enhance focus, sharpen memories, and even subtly influence the mental state of those around its wielder. A must-have relic for scholars, for strategists, for generals, for anyone seeking unparalleled clarity and control!" He paused, his gaze fixed on the fragment as if under its spell himself. "The starting bid for this irreplaceable artifact is..."
"...10,000,000!"
"10,500-!" A voice from the main floor barely managed to get its bid out before it was sharply cut off.
"-20,000,000!" A deep, cold voice boomed from one of the private booths on the upper level, slicing through the air like a blade.
The sheer audacity of the jump, an immediate ten million, sent a chill through the hall. This single bid matched the exact price I’d paid for the Elder Beast egg just moments ago.
...Shoot.
I cursed inwardly, witnessing the scene unfold.
The main hall fell into an even deeper silence, the common bidders realizing, almost instinctively, that this was a battle beyond their means.
The auctioneer’s meticulously composed expression flickered for a fraction of a second, a subtle tightening around his eyes, a slight tremor in his mustache, a fleeting sign that he recognized the bidder.
The bidder must be someone of immense, undeniable influence.
)
But the mustache man recovered swiftly, his professional mask firmly back in place.
"Twenty million from booth three!" he announced, his voice steady despite the seismic shift in the bidding. "A magnificent opening from a distinguished guest! Do I hear twenty-one million for this amazing treasure?"
Just as he finished speaking, another voice rang out.
"Twenty-five million."
Cassandra...
So she wanted to buy this one too. Then, what about Carmine?
I used my heightened perception to check out the girl’s booth and found her staring at the third booth, her mouth slightly agape.
...They really must be someone important.
Was it her family? A powerful noble? Or perhaps even... the prince himself?
I could only guess for now.
"...do we have another offer?"
"Thirty million."
The previous voice spoke again.
"Thirty-five million."
Cassandra responded quickly.
"...Forty million." The cold voice added after a pause.
The hall went silent once more.
I was so engrossed in their bidding that I almost forgot about myself. But... Should I really join the bidding? Wouldn’t it be wiser to use that much money on improving the keep itself, while just buying that herb from the system shop?
And, at this rate, the price would climb into truly astronomical figures, far exceeding what I could reasonably justify for a single item, no matter how potent.
Even if I could buy it, it would be a headache to explain it to the Luthaire family. If they heard the rumours or the price, they would undoubtedly reject it. Heck, they might even find it suspicious.
"50,000,000."
...
Alright, let’s just back down here.