The vial''s aura began to grow stronger than before. Lucius could feel it clearly that the aura had grown by doubled.

    He held it up and examined it closely. He then smirked. "This will surely bait them. There''s no way they''ll suspect anything less than the real deal."

    He leaned back slightly. He was calculating the odds. "Before, the chances of success were around 50% at best. But now? I''d say it''s closer to 90%. They''ll be convinced this essence is genuine."

    But still, he was still irritated, knowing that he needed to use 100 million hack points for the plan.

    Even though he had plenty of points remaining, it wasn''t something he could easily overlook.

    His smirk faded as he clenced his fist. "Whoever you are. I''ll make sure you pay for this. Every last hack point."

    Lucius began to calm down. There was no point in dwelling on the loss now. The trap was set, and soon the mysterious group would come for the bait.

    With a final glance at the vial, Lucius kept it inside his spatial ring and turned toward the door. It was time to prepare for the next phase.

    ---

    Lucius made his way through the bustling Volcaria estate until he found Daxton, who was overseeing preparations for the upcoming auction.

    Daxton was speaking with a group of attendants and directing them on where to place various rare materials and items.

    Daxton soon spotted Lucius. He waved the attendants away and approached him. "Lucius, it''s nice to see you here. Everything is almost ready. Do you need something?"

    Lucius smirked. He then took out the Red Dragon Blood Essence vial from his spatial ring and gave it to Daxton. "I need you to place this in the center of the building."

    Daxton frowned after hearing it. He knew the magnitude of the request. "Are you sure? This is no ordinary item. If we display it openly, won''t that attract... trouble?"

    Lucius chuckled. "Don''t worry. We''re near the estate. No one would dare steal something from the Volcarias under our watch."

    Daxton hesitated for a moment He wasn''t entirely convinced, but Lucius''s confidence was infectious.

    He then gestured toward the auction place. "When the mysterious person tries to steal the essence, that''s when you act."

    Ragnar raised an eyebrow. "So, you''re certain they''ll try to steal it, not buy it outright?"

    Before Lucius could respond, Savra added thoughtfully, "What if they try to bid for it instead? If they purchase it, they could mask their identity even further."

    Lucius chuckled. He already considered that possibility. If they''re smart—and I believe they are—they won''t try to buy it."

    Lucius pointed at his own head. "Think about it. If they bid for it and win, their identity will be scrutinized. The item is too rare and valuable"

    Lucius then opened wide his arms. "Too many powerful people will be present, and whoever wins will immediately draw attention."

    He leaned forward slightly and smirked. "If they want to avoid unnecessary entanglements, the safest route for them is theft."

    Lucius smirked as he pointed out at the forest outiside. "It''s easier to disappear after stealing something than after being the winning bidder. By stealing it, they''ll minimize the chance of being tracked—at least, that''s what they''ll think."

    Savra nodded slowly and murmured. "I see. You''ve thought this through."

    Lucius smirked. "Of course I am. I''m Lucius—the genius."

    Ragnar let out a low chuckle. He was amused by Lucius''s confidence. "Well, I hope you''re right. If they take the bait, it''ll be our best chance to follow them back to their base."

    Lucius nodded and smirked. "They will. There''s no way they''ll pass up an opportunity like this."

    Savra crossed her arms. "Then we''ll do as you say. We''ll observe from the shadows and be ready to act when the time comes."

    Lucius was satisfied with her. "Good. Just be ready. When they make their move, we need to follow them without hesitation."

    Ragnar smirk as he clapped Lucius on the back. "I like your style, kid. Let''s see if they''re stupid enough to take the bait."

    Lucius chuckled as he rubbed his back. "Oh, they will. And when they do, it''ll be the last mistake they ever make."