CHAPTER 177: AUCTION (PART 2)

Watching from the private room, Kael remained silent as almost everyone in the hall bid on the dragon turtle shell. Voices mingled, each bid rising higher.

The reason he couldn’t bid on the item was simple.

First, although that shell offered impressive defensive capabilities, its practical usefulness was questionable. Being the shell of a dragon turtle, its weight was excessive.

That was the main reason.

The second was even more economic: the cost of maintenance and repair. Every minor repair would require at least one hundred mana stones, and the greater the damage, the greater the expense.

On a real battlefield, such an object was not an advantage, but a constant source of loss.

The margin between profit and cost was too narrow. Bidding on that item would only bring him more losses than gains. Besides, in his current situation, he did not need to acquire it.

He already had enough items stored in his space rune rings, each one more useful than that obsolete shell.

...

[The last bid is five thousand mana stones. Does anyone else wish to bid on the dragon turtle shell, capable of withstanding the combined power of a Rank 5 Aura Master and a Fifth Circle Mage?]

The auctioneer’s voice, a woman dressed in a nun’s habit, rang out clearly across the spacious hall.

Among the attendees, one of them snorted and muttered contemptuously, "Even if he can withstand a blow from someone of that rank, five thousand mana stones is the limit. Anyone who keeps bidding... is a fool."

He had offered just over three thousand earlier, but he knew when to stop. At auctions, greed was the thin line between profit and ruin.

[Will no one else bid on this valuable item?]

The woman paused briefly, her eyes scanning the faces covered by veils and masks. The silence in the room grew thick. Some held their breath; others already considered the deal closed.

[As there are no further bids, this item will be sold in 3... 2... 1...]

Five thousand and one mana stones.

The voice came out cold and calm, interrupting the count just before the end. "Five thousand and one manna stones"

The murmur that followed was immediate. Dozens of eyes turned at the same time toward stall number 99.

[The gentleman at seat 99 has bid five thousand and one mana stones for the dragon turtle shell. Does anyone else wish to raise the bid?]

No one spoke. But the air was filled with a subtle pressure, as if everyone were sizing up the intruder who had dared to raise the price by a single stone. It was a small gesture... but in that context, it carried the weight of a slap in the face.

Increasing a single mana stone was tantamount to publicly declaring, "I can pay more than you, but I don’t need to."

The one who had offered the previous five thousand clenched his fists; his face tensed in the dim light. He couldn’t raise the bid without losing his pride, and withdrawing meant accepting humiliation.

However, he was not stupid. Bidding once more would be an unnecessary loss. Although he wanted the item, he understood that in this world, wanting did not mean obtaining. Obstinacy was an elegant form of self-destruction, and he had no intention of wasting resources on a losing battle.

So he simply remained silent, arms crossed, watching the proceedings with an indifferent expression. Inside, he felt a slight bad taste in his mouth, a cold and restrained annoyance.

[The Dragon Turtle Shell will be given to the lord of post 99, in 3, 2, 1...]

The air seemed to grow thicker as the voice echoed through the auction hall.

[Sold! The Turtle Dragon Shell has been sold to the gentleman at lot 99, for five thousand and one mana stones!]

[Let’s continue with the third item in this auction. This is an extremely rare item, one that can only be found on Floating Mountain, and even there, it is rarely seen. The next item is the Rainbow Ladybug. When consumed as part of a meal, it grants the ability to teleport up to twenty meters, as well as providing a keen sense of location.]

The woman in the nun’s habit. With both hands, she opened a finely carved wooden box, revealing inside a tiny, beautiful creature: a translucent glass ladybug, with small black dots decorating its shell.

Its surface emitted a faint glow, an iridescent sheen that ran through all the colors of the rainbow, as if a fragment of the sky were hidden inside its body.

Silence fell over the hall. The insect’s glow reflected in the pupils of those present, hypnotizing them for a moment.

[As this is the first special item of the night, its starting price will be one thousand mana stones.] The nun’s voice rang out clearly and firmly.

"Fifteen hundred mana stones!" a deep voice boomed from one of the private booths, laden with authority.

"Two thousand mana stones!"

"Two thousand five hundred mana stones!"

"Two thousand..."

The bids came one after another, each voice trying to outdo the previous one. In a matter of seconds, the air inside the room became thick, charged with tension and greed.

Each number called out was like the roar of a hungry beast seeking to devour its rivals.

The numbers kept rising, with no sign of stopping. Those who did not have enough mana stones could only remain silent, watching from their seats as the real competitors, the strong and wealthy, continued the contest.

Their eyes were fixed on the center of the room, mixing envy and admiration. For them, the voices that were still bidding belonged to a different world, a level they could never aspire to.

"Eight thousand mana stones." The voice suddenly echoed, deep and rough. It came from one of the private booths.

In an instant, the atmosphere changed. Conversations stopped. Glances crossed. Everyone turned their faces toward the source of that voice: booth number six.

It was impossible to see who was inside. But that didn’t stop the curiosity. On the contrary, it increased it.

Eight thousand mana stones... that amount was not a simple bid. It was a statement.

A thick silence covered the auction hall.

[The gentleman in booth six has bid eight thousand mana stones for the Rainbow Ladybug. Does anyone else wish to raise the bid?]

"Nine thousand mana stones." The voice boomed from private booth number five.

The silence in the room was broken for a moment.

In booth number six, Kael sat with his arms crossed. The dim light barely illuminated his profile. A slight smile curved his lips.

"So you want to compete with me..." he murmured calmly, before speaking in a clear voice. "Twelve thousand mana stones!"

Immediately, another absolute silence fell over the room. The air became thick, almost unbreathable. That figure not only doubled the base value of the item but was also an open declaration of dominance.

Kael didn’t need to brag; his bid spoke for itself.

The Rainbow Ladybug was an item he couldn’t pass up. In Seventh Heaven, its usefulness would be decisive. He needed it, yes. But that didn’t mean he would let himself be carried away by an irrational impulse. If the price became absurd, Kael would stop his hand without hesitation.

Meanwhile, the voices of the audience began to stir.

"Twelve thousand mana stones? How much money does he have?"

"Could he be a high-ranking figure in the city?"

"He must be desperate to obtain that item..."

Whispers echoed throughout the room, a mixture of surprise, envy, and fear. None of them had the resources necessary to keep up with such a bid.

Then, another voice emerged from above: "Thirteen thousand mana stones!" It came from booth number ten.

A third force had entered the game. In an instant, the atmosphere changed. Those present understood that this was not a simple auction: it was a silent battle between hidden titans.

It seemed that all the big names had decided to participate in that article, whether out of genuine interest or simply to assert their authority over the others.

[The gentleman in booth ten has bid thirteen thousand mana stones. Does anyone else wish to raise the bid? For this wonderful item that allows you to teleport.] The nun’s voice resonated with rehearsed enthusiasm, seeking to reignite the flame of competition.

Kael stirred the wine calmly. The crimson liquid swirled slowly in the glass. Then, crossing his legs with carefree elegance, he said in a quiet voice:

"Sixteen thousand mana stones."

Silence immediately fell over the room.

This time, there were no more bidders. No one dared to name a higher figure. Everyone knew that doing so would be an act of stupidity, a public form of humiliation. In an underworld auction, prudence was worth more than pride.

Furthermore, no one knew who the person in that private booth was.

In the underworld, everyone hid their identities. Masks and aliases were as common as daggers at the waist. Trying to find out who was hiding behind one of those booths was useless, even dangerous.

Every presence there was a predator, and anyone who tried to sniff too closely ended up being devoured.

[The Rainbow Ladybug will be given to the gentleman in booth 6, in 3, 2, 1... Sold! The Rainbow Ladybug has been sold to the gentleman in booth 6, for sixteen thousand mana stones!]