VIP Booth 3
A spacious, dimly lit private room.
Luxurious... but tense.
A young man sat on a velvet chair, legs crossed, one hand resting on the armrest.
A beautiful attendant sat carefully on his lap, barely moving—his aura was sharp and unstable, like a sword halfway out of its sheath.
He clicked his tongue.
"Damn it... who the hell is in VIP Booth 1?" he muttered, eyes narrowing in Mike’s direction.
"Every time I bid, they immediately counter."
His butler stood beside him, calm and steady as he handled the bidding crystal.
"Young Master Thams... we should reconsider," the butler said carefully. "After purchasing the Black Mithril Knight Set, our remaining funds are only one hundred and twenty million Credits."
He added quietly, "Not to mention—you need money to prepare for your first expedition. The set alone isn’t enough."
Thams Garnet, heir of the Garnet Noble House, didn’t even blink.
He waved a hand casually.
"Just keep going. One hundred and twenty million is more than enough."
The butler frowned.
"Young Master, I strongly advise—"
"Just do as I say, damn it!"
Thams grabbed the glass beside him and hurled it at the butler in anger.
The butler merely snapped his fingers.
Crack.
The glass froze mid-air, shattered into dust, and the wine evaporated instantly—leaving no mess behind.
"As you wish," the butler said calmly, expression unchanged.
He touched the crystal pad and raised the bid to one hundred and ten million Credits.
The bid of one hundred and ten million echoed through the auction hall.
Emma lifted her hand gracefully.
"VIP Booth 3 offers one hundred and ten million! Any advance?"
The room buzzed.
People whispered.
Some shook their heads.
"That’s too high..."
"No point competing anymore."
"A Legendary Lich Summoning book... it’s worth it, but still..."
Mike leaned forward in VIP Booth 1, tapping his finger on the arm rest.
"Alright, rich old man," he muttered, "Don’t let me waste too much money."
He tapped the crystal pad.
"One hundred and fifteen million!"
The hall stirred again.
Emma smiled.
"One hundred and fifteen million from VIP Booth 1!"
Back in VIP Booth 3—
Thams clicked his tongue loudly.
"This bastard..."
The butler looked at his young master, reminding him once again.
"Young Master... please be rational. If this continues—"
"Shut up and bid!"
He jabbed a finger toward the pad.
The butler sighed internally but obeyed.
"One hundred and twenty million."
Emma raised her voice.
"One hundred and twenty million from VIP Booth 3!"
Mike frowned slightly.
"...It will be worth it."
He pressed the pad again.
"One hundred and twenty-five million!"
The hall went silent.
Mike had pushed the bid to one hundred and twenty-five million Credits—a number that made many looked at his direction now.
Many in other boothes wondered who is he as he also sounded young but none dared to pry fearing they might get banned from this Auction house.
On the stage, Emma’s eyes sparkled as she raised her hand.
"VIP Booth 1 offers one hundred and twenty-five million! Any further bids?"
Everyone turned their heads toward VIP Booth 3.
Inside—
Thams’s jaw tightened.
His fingers drummed aggressively against the armrest.
His eyes were full of venom.
"Bid. Again."
The butler didn’t immediately obey this time.
Instead, he replied calmly.
"Young Master... we only have one hundred and twenty million left."
Silence.
Thams froze.
The anger drained from his face in a slow exhale as reality caught up. His eye twitched.
"...Tch."
He turned his head away, refusing to look at the butler.
"Fine. Withdraw."
The butler bowed slightly and removed his hand from the pad.
Emma lifted her arm gracefully, her voice ringing out like a clear bell:
"No further bids!
One hundred and twenty-five million, going once..."
She paused.
"Going twice..."
Silence.
Even the air itself seemed to hold its breath.
Then—
"Sold!
Legendary Lich Summoning Tome goes to VIP Booth 1!"
A wave of applause rolled through the hall.
Excited murmurs followed:
"That kid in VIP 1 is insane..."
"Legendary-grade summoning... lucky bastard."
"Worth every credit if he knows how to use it."
"Probably an heir of some ruch family"
Emma continued smoothly, her smile dazzling:
"Congratulations to the winner! Your item will be delivered shortly."
She tapped her staff lightly.
"And before we proceed to the next item—I would like to make an announcement."
The lights dimmed slightly as a golden circle of light appeared beneath her.
"At our Annual Grand Auction, held twenty days from now, we will unveil a new collection of high-tier treasures—far rarer and more powerful than those shown today."
Excitement rippled through the hall.
"There will be more Black Mithril Sets, ancient artifacts, even sealed relics retrieved from the drifting ruins."
Her eyes swept across the audience.
"And for everyone who won an item today... your name has been automatically added to our guest list.
You all receive free entry to the Grand Auction."
A hush—then applause erupted again.
Emma bowed lightly.
"Now then, let us proceed to the next item."
She paused, then added with a small smile:
"And also... the last one."
Clap.
She clapped her hands once as a massive crate—covered in a heavy black cloth—was rolled onto the stage by four attendants.
Emma faced the audience.
"You all have heard of the Origin World. But only the lucky ones—called Awakeners—can travel there."
The hall quieted immediately.
"You may also know that, unlike our world, there are many more races there... including this one."
She pulled off the cloth with a smooth motion.
Inside the reinforced cage sat a short, broad-shouldered man with a thick, braided beard and a weathered face—calm, unmoving, but with eyes like cold embers.
Emma gestured elegantly toward him.
"Meet Gandolf the Cursed One."
Whispers exploded across the hall.
"He is an Ancient Dwarf Blacksmith, one of the rarest races in the Origin World."
Emma continued, voice steady:
"However—unlike other dwarves—this one is cursed.
Every weapon forged by him slowly kills its wielder."
A few people flinched.
"But..." Emma added gracefully, "as everyone here knows, weapons crafted by Ancient Dwarves are unimaginably powerful. Many kingdoms would kill just to obtain one."
She gave a polite smile.
"You can purchase him and keep him sealed as an emergency... asset."