Arthur nodded at the young player with a small smile. "Use it wisely," he said, before turning back to the rest of the crowd.
"Next up is an uncommon shield," Arthur began, his voice drawing the attention of everyone present.
He held the shield high for everyone to see, and the crowd's murmurs grew louder.
"This shield is perfect for those looking to tank hits or stay in the fight longer." His voice carried confidence and a hint of excitement.
"The bidding starts at 1 silver coin!"
Hands shot up immediately, and the bidding war reignited with fervour.
"1 silver coin and 25 bronze coins!"
"1 silver coin and 50 bronze coins!"
The offers climbed steadily, the competition was still fierce between the players.
"2 silver coins and 75 bronze coins!"
"3 silver coins!" a burly player shouted, his voice carrying over the noise.
Arthur's gaze shifted briefly toward the front of the crowd, where Lieutenant Adam and Gates watched with minimal interest.
They hadn't joined the bidding yet, clearly waiting for the rare items.
"Sold! 3 silver coins to the man!" Arthur announced, gesturing to the player who had won. The man puffed out his chest, his face filled with pride as he accepted the shield.
"And now," Arthur said, his tone dropping slightly to build suspense, "we approach the moment you've all been waiting for."
The crowd hushed, all eyes on him.
"The first rare item of the auction…"
Arthur reached into his inventory backpack, pulling out the rare dagger that shone with an almost menacing aura.
"This is the Iron Dagger (Rare)," Arthur declared, holding it high. "This dagger gives a slight boost to your strength stat It's a must-have for any person who is good at close-range combat."
"Bidding starts at 2 gold coins!"
There was a brief moment of stunned silence, and then the bids began flying.
"2 gold coins and 10 silver coins!" "2 gold coins and 25 silver coins!"
The intensity of the auction spiked as players from the back joined in. Arthur caught sight of Gates raising his hand calmly. "3 gold coins," the owner said, his voice smooth and confident.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. "That's the Softmicro owner, Gates! He's loaded!"
"Damn," groaned a young player, his voice dripping with frustration. "Out of all the villages he could've been in, he had to show up here. I just lost my one chance to become a force in this world." His shoulders slumped dramatically, as though the missed opportunity had physically crushed him.
A young woman standing next to him glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Seriously? You think you'd stand a chance even if he wasn't here?"
The young player perked up slightly, straightening his back. "Hey, don't underestimate me. I've been working hard since I got here!"
The woman crossed her arms and smirked. "Oh really? What's the highest-ranked item you've got?"
There was a long pause as the young player averted his gaze, scratching the back of his neck. "Uh... me? I, uh, I have a… common item."
The woman blinked at him, her expression caught between disbelief and pity. "A common item?" she repeated, her tone incredulous.
"Yeah," the player mumbled, clearly embarrassed. "But it's, like, a really solid common item."
The woman let out a snort, covering her mouth as she tried not to laugh. "Right, so your grand plan to 'become a force in this world' was to show up with a single common item and somehow outbid the players who have many uncommon items."
The player puffed up his chest slightly, trying to salvage his pride. "Well, I mean... everyone's gotta start somewhere!"
"Yeah, and your start ain't here," she quipped, her grin widening.
The young player's face flushed bright red, and he muttered something under his breath before slinking back into the crowd.
"3 gold coins and 10 silver coins!" shouted a player near the front, unwilling to back down.
"3 gold coins and 50 silver coins," countered Gates, his expression unfazed.
Arthur's smirk deepened as the bids continued to escalate. "Keep it going," he murmured to himself, watching as the numbers climbed.
Finally, the bidding war slowed, Gates delivered the final blow. "5 gold coins."
The crowd erupted into whispers. "Five gold coins for one item? That's insane!"
"6 Gold coins." Lieutenant Adam's voice, broke the whispers.
Arthur's grin widened as he milked the moment. "Going once!" he called, his voice full of dramatic flair.
"6 gold coins!" Lieutenant Adam's voice sliced through the air like a dagger, breaking Arthur's count.
The crowd erupted once again, their heads swivelling between Gates and Adam like spectators at a tennis match. "Damn! That's $60,000 spent on a dagger...just like that."
Gates turned to Adam with a bemused expression, his smirk not fading in the slightest. "Lieutenant Adam," he said smoothly, "I won't back down from this trade, unfortunately. We both know the importance of this item."
Adam crossed his arms and smiled. "No problem."
Gates chuckled and raised a hand. "7 gold coins."
"7 gold coins and 50 silver coins," Adam countered without missing a heartbeat.
The players surrounding them nearly fell over. "What's even happening right now?"
"Are we witnessing two titans battling over a single rare item?"
One player scratched his head, glancing down at his own meagre savings. "I don't even have 50 bronze coins, let alone 50 silver coins. Who are these people?"
Arthur leaned casually against his stall, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. "This is better than I expected, I should do more of these often," he muttered silently to himself, barely containing his amusement.
Gates's smile didn't falter, but his tone grew sharper. "8 gold coins."
Adam tilted his head slightly, considering. "8 gold coins and 50 silver coins."
The crowd gasped again. A nearby player muttered, "At this rate, they might as well start bidding houses."
Gates raised an eyebrow. "Fine. 9 gold coins."
The players collectively lost it. "Nine?! Is this dagger secretly legendary, and Fateless just didn't tell us?"
Arthur raised his hand to silence the crowd. "Gentlemen, let's not let this drag out. Do I hear a clean 10 gold coins?"
Adam grinned slightly, before shaking his head. "You're loving this, aren't you?"
"Not at all," Arthur replied, his face the picture of innocence. "This is strictly business."
Adam rolled his eyes, then raised his hand. "10 gold coins."