"Ladies and gentlemen, we have now reached the final phase of the auction, where we will present the last 10 items.
As previously stated, these exclusive items cannot be purchased with gold coins and must be acquired using MP.
There is no minimum starting bid, and the minimum increment is set at just 1 MP.
The highest bid takes the prize.
Good luck to all!" Raya said, as she brought out the much anticipated item number 91, which was an MP exclusive item.
"The first special item of the night is the AOE spell, [ Flame Wave ].
This powerful technique requires significant mana to cast and, once unleashed, shows no mercy—indiscriminately incinerating friend and foe alike.
It's said that those caught in its path are reduced to ashes within seconds, making [ Flame Wave ] capable of obliterating entire enemy squadrons with ease.
As the name suggests, this spell creates an unstoppable wave of flames that devours everything in its wake, earning its place as one of the most formidable fire techniques in the game.
Essential for all magic-oriented players, [ Flame Wave ] stands as a pinnacle skill for the magic warrior," Raya explained, delivering a thorough introduction to the spell.
"Bidding begins at 1 MP, please verbally place your bids for this round—" Raya said, as all hell broke loose once she opened the bidding.
"10 MP"
"100!"
"250 MP"
"400 MP"
"450 MP"
"600 MP"
The price quickly jumped from 1 to 600 within a matter of seconds, however, it slowed down significantly afterwards.
Just like how most players only had a money pool of 2-5 million gold coins, most players only had an MP reserve between 100-600 points.
Earning MP was significantly more challenging as compared to earning gold coins, as MP was only distributed for completing significant achievements within the game and that too sparingly.
Had Leo not spent a significant amount of MP to secure tickets for his mom and dad, he would have much more MP left for this auction, however, because he had to spend MP there and later to skip work, he only had a reserve of 5350 for this auction.
"600 MP by number 66, do we have more?" Raya asked, looking around, as it was Cervantez who placed the next bid for 700 MP.
"700–" Cervantez said confidently as he seemed very keen on securing this AOE spell.
'Damn it…. Cervantez is bidding on an item again, but once more it's not an item that's of any use to me', Leo thought, as he felt very disappointed at the fact that Cervantez was placing a bid on an item, but once again it was an item that had no real use for him.
Since Leo was not a mage, or a mage class player, he had no use for the flame wave spell, which was why he refrained from bidding on it and let Cervantez win the bid for 700 MP.
"Sold to number 100 for 700MP. Congratulations Sir!" Said Raya, as once again the entire room burst into polite clapping for the first time since item number 25.
Nodding, Cervantez smiled in satisfaction as he had completed his objective for this auction, having secured both items that he had came here for.
"Next up, we have item number 92, a very special item, called the [ Aura Ring ].
What this item does is that it amplifies the wearer's natural aura to make them seem much more terrifying and powerful than what they really are.
This item works wonders when confronting strong beasts and other less intelligent creatures and can help players avoid unnecessary confrontations in dungeons or other such events" Raya introduced, as Leo immediately recognised the item as the same ring as what the Demon King wore.
'I must have this item…. This item is the backbone of the Fake It Till You Make It life' Leo thought, as he resolved to get the item as soon as it was introduced.
"Bidding begins at 1 MP, same rules apply," Raya announced, her voice clear and steady, as she encouraged the bidding to start.
"10 MP!" someone quickly called out, breaking the silence.
"50 MP," another voice chimed in, raising the stakes almost immediately.
Leo watched as the bids climbed rapidly, his heart pounding in his chest as he knew he had to time his bid perfectly, as it wasn't just about having the most MP this time around.
Having seen how everyone was a secret bigshot in this auction, having wealth that surpassed his expectations, Leo did not wish to enter into a bidding contest against sleeping giants and instead wanted to bid at the perfect moment, so that he could deter the opposition and snatch the item for himself at a low price.
"100 MP!" a third bidder shouted soon, causing a small ripple of murmurs throughout the room, but Leo remained quiet, biding his time.
He glanced around, taking stock of the competition, as he noticed that most of the serious bidders had already thrown in their offers, and the price was steadily climbing.
"150 MP," a voice from the back called out, which Leo quickly identified as a mid-tier player, someone who could be outbid without too much trouble, since the guy had previously competed with him for 3 items but always dropped at the 3 million gold coins mark.
"200 MP!"
The tension in the room escalated with each passing second, as Leo could feel his pulse quicken as he anticipated his moment.
"250 MP," came another bid, as at this moment Leo knew he had to step in soon or risk losing the item to someone else.
His mind raced, calculating the odds, and just as the bidding seemed to stall at 300 MP, he made his move.
"350 MP," Leo's voice cut through the room, strong and decisive. His bidding number, 98, echoed in the minds of those present.
There was a brief pause as the other bidders hesitated, assessing whether they should push further, as for most, the cost was already too high, and they did not wish to make enemies with the legendary number 98 who has already won 15 items.
Raya looked around, sensing the hesitation in the room. "350 MP from number 98. Do we have any higher bids?" she asked, her gaze sweeping over the crowd.
But her question was met with nothing but silence.
Leo held his breath, his eyes fixed on Raya as she waited for any counteroffers.
"Going once… going twice…" Raya's voice lingered in the air, stretching the tension even further.
When no one else spoke up, Raya finally smiled and announced, "Sold to number 98 for 350 MP. Congratulations!"
The room erupted in polite applause, but Leo barely noticed…. For him the applause did not matter, what mattered was that he kept growing stronger through this one of a kind opportunity that he had at hand.
—-----
/// A/N - This bonus chapter is sponsored by Patron ElGuap0, please thank him in the comments for the same.
Since we have hit 18k on our 10k target, I'm not taking his castle into account with our mass release donation, and instead giving an independent bonus chapter for the same, bringing down the gift count to 13k ///