The dark world cracked, and a loud, hollow thunk echoed through Xenos’s skull as white fractures split across everything around him and then through the Rune itself.
He flinched awake like he’d been yanked out of deep water.
His people didn’t bother asking what happened, already able to guess.
Xenos sat back, his eyes fixed forward as the notification chain rolled into view.
[You Have Stepped Closer To Divinity.]
He proceeded to check his stats as well.
[• HP: 760/760 → 826/826 •]
[• D: 814/814 → 1040/1040 •]
[Strength] 21 (E+) (Academy Avg: C+)
[Intelligence] 29 → 35 (D → D+) (Academy Avg: C+)
[Willpower] 30 (D) (Academy Avg: C+)
[Speed] 35 (D+) (Academy Avg: B-)
[Endurance] 28 (D) (Academy Avg: B-)
[Appearance] 70 (B+) (Academy Avg: C)
[Personality] -1 (G) (Academy Avg: C)
[Luck] 60 (B) (Academy Avg: C)
’So only my Intelligence stat increased, huh?’
He nodded to himself, finding that it made sense.
Breaking a Rune always buffed the head more than the body.
’I guess I’m becoming more of a Divinity-focused build every day.’
Perhaps it won’t be long before the wolf-man next to him becomes physically stronger than him... a fact that he didn’t quite like.
Still, and again, he couldn’t be a jack of all trades; he’d be a master of none.
Xenos had to choose whether he’d forgo strength for what he needed most in his build.
A decision that he didn’t like to make one bit, but had made a long, long time back.
Strength was for people who liked to swing; he preferred ending things.
Yes, it wasn’t really ideal, but hey, the extra stat points were there.
He had dumped them into speed, but he could also add some into strength later.
So even though he’d be a little of many, it’d be better than only being a master of one.
Xenos wasn’t a brute but a walking nuke.
He at least had that going for him—
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
A booming voice cut through his thoughts.
The crowd erupted in chatter as the auctioneer strode onto the center stage, a tall man in gilded robes that shimmered under the light.
"Welcome, my honored patrons! I shall be your host for today’s auction, Loren of the Fifth Seal!"
Carts rolled in behind him, each one carrying something draped in black cloth.
"Now, without further ado, let’s begin with our third tier of items!"
The first cart stopped, and the auctioneer grabbed the cover.
He yanked it off with a showman’s flourish.
Within a mirror, a dull gray and white glow spilled out.
"A simple Rune with the ability to construct weapons! Anything from crude clubs to blades sharp enough to split a boulder!"
Murmurs resounded at the top of the amphitheater, those less... fortunate being obviously interested.
"Starting bid: fifty silver drachma!"
"Half a gold coin already?"
Aspen smirked a second time, while Arc looked like he wanted to say something but decided not to.
Dei, meanwhile, was asleep, so she couldn’t have even if she had wanted to.
The auctioneer called out, following the hands that shot up.
It seemed a third-tier bid would jump up by ten each time—an unskilled worker’s salary.
"Eighty!" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel·fire.net
The bid continued to climb, and climb fast, until the Rune sold for five gold and fifty silver drachma.
Xenos definitely wouldn’t have bought it for that.
"That’s the Third Stratum for you... even the Nobles are desperate."
What followed was a parade of surprisingly varied goods.
Art pieces so detailed that they could feel them staring back.
Contracts, or in other words, Debters of Oath—slaves, branded with Arcane on their necks.
Xenos didn’t react much, if at all, to their arrival; again, he’d seen worse.
His company wasn’t as jaded as he was, however.
Arc’s jaw tightened, while Dei, who awoke in the middle of it, frowned and looked away.
Aspen’s reaction was the least noticeable, though he was clearly disgusted as well.
Those three were the outliers, as around them, the crowd was thrilled.
Thankfully, the Debters of Oath weren’t there for long, and next came enchanted armor shimmering with Elemental Arcane, blades that mimicked Divine Relics, and spells stored on paper called Scrolls.
By the end of the third tier, the Blood Rune that Xenos handed over hadn’t been sold yet.
He grinned, something that Aspen noticed, giving him a smug nod.
"It seems you really were lucky, huh?"
Xenos elbowed him once more.
"Luck Element, remember?"
The lights dimmed a little, and the auctioneer’s tone shifted.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen..."
He could almost hear a drum roll.
Behind Loren, a new set of carts rolled in.
Each was obviously heavier and now guarded.
Their glow was apparent even beneath the ornate covers.
He clapped his hands once.
"To start, we have a piece that has... let’s say, fallen from grace. A Divine Relic from the previous auction that many of you, I’m sure, have seen already. Perhaps at a more humble price, it might finally find a home."
The cover came off, revealing a pair of low-profile gloves that floated in midair, black as pitch, their knuckles faintly etched with pulsing but dull white Runes.
He dragged the word out as the lights dimmed to focus only on them.
"...are the Hands of Lethe! A Divine Relic fit for thieves, tricksters, and gamblers alike!"
The crowd leaned in, and he gestured dramatically.
"When a foe strikes with a spell—if you are lucky enough—you can Will the glove to steal the attack itself and lock it within! Up to ten times, one for each knuckle!"
He raised his fist to the crowd, curling it tight.
"And then, my Lords, with just a thought—"
He snapped his fingers—
"you return it! The very same spell hurled back with your own hand!"
Those unfamiliar in the crowd began to murmur, undoubtedly intrigued.
"Fail the luck test, and well—"
"nothing is stolen and you get hit. Such is life! Fortune favors the daring!"
Xenos’s hand immediately shot up before Loren could even call the starting bid.
"Oh, we seem to have an excited buyer!"
The auctioneer laughed.
"Starting bid—five gold!"
Xenos couldn’t help but be excited.
THIS WAS PERFECT FOR HIM!