There was no hope left. One million and seventy thousand gold coins were all the funds he had on him, he couldn’t produce even a thousand more if he had to.
Watching the Vortex Crystal on the stage pass by within reach, the man in the black robe almost wanted to reach out and snatch it directly.
But in the end, he viciously extinguished the thought that tempted him like the devil himself.
He was well aware that any attempt to rob here would result in nothing but his own demise.
In the Gloria Auction House, there are always Ninth Rank Professionals on guard, working in conjunction with the auction house’s large Elemental Pool and High Rank Binding Array. It wouldn’t turn out well for him, let alone a true Ninth Ranker who might try.
The man in the black robe cast a sinister glance in the direction of the top-level private room, his masked face refraining from any rash actions, silently waiting for the auction to continue.
Having failed to acquire the Crystal Stone, this auction had now lost all meaning for him.
Yet leaving now would attract too much attention, and he wasn’t short of time; it would be better to wait until the auction was over to leave with the other guests.
He had never considered ambushing and stealing the treasure on the way, as with private Teleportation Arrays in place, it was simply impossible to attack a Gloria Auction House’s esteemed guest.
Regardless, he must not lose that Crystal Egg.
He had made up his mind; upon returning, he would immediately arrange for people to investigate the identities of those in the top-level private room today, and find a way to retrieve that Crystal Egg.
By any means necessary—
At this moment, in the top-level private room, as the auction came to a final close, the Vortex Crystal Egg that the man in the black robe had been longing for was brought over by the person in charge, directly to Anvis.
After paying the full amount of gold coins, Anvis casually played with the crystal in his hand.
Without the special lighting of the auction stage, the crystal didn’t look nearly as dazzling as it did whilst on display, but it was still emitting a beautiful cyan fluorescence.
However, after completing the delivery of the auctioned item, the person in charge did not leave immediately but made another request.
"Esteemed guest, our chief appraiser has a personal request. We wonder if you would be willing to inform us privately about the real use of this Crystal Stone.
In gratitude, my establishment is willing to pay out of our own pocket to cover thirty percent of the final price of this auction item for you!"
Upon hearing the person’s request, both players in the room held their breaths slightly, waiting for Anvis’s response.
Thirty percent of the bidding price—that would be a whole three hundred and twenty-one thousand three hundred gold coins!
The total amount of gold coins they had wasn’t even more than the smallest fraction of this sum.
Anvis simply smiled at the person in charge without saying a word.
"...I understand, my apologies."
With a hint of regret, the person in charge nodded, bowed, and slowly left the room.
Once the person in charge had left, Anvis looked intently at the transparent vortex structure within the crystal, slightly extending a thread of spiritual power into it.
Soon, a unique feedback transmitted through the spiritual power.
Although it seemed solid, as soon as the spiritual power tentacle truly entered the vortex, it was like being in the middle of a real deep-sea whirlpool, powerless against the suction dragging it deep into the vortex.
Feeling that strange sensation of falling and weightlessness, Anvis shook his head slightly and withdrew his spiritual power tentacle, regaining his composure.
Perhaps it was because of this influence, his hand suddenly trembled, and the cyan-transparent crystal slipped from his grasp, striking the ground with a solid thud!
At this unexpected scene, the two players and Fiona all inhaled sharply, their hearts nearly skipping a beat.
Although the auctioneer had emphasized its sturdiness, that didn’t mean they could calmly watch a crystal worth millions of gold coins smash against the floor.
"Don’t be nervous, it’s just a routine test."
Delighted to see everyone’s shocked expressions, Anvis chuckled with a bit of schadenfreude. At the same time, the crystal floated up on its own and returned to his hand.
"Right, take a look yourselves."
Then Anvis placed the crystal on the antique tea table, letting the three curious individuals examine it at their will.
He wasn’t worried about the two players pocketing it as the ownership of the crystal remained his; the players couldn’t bind it to themselves even if they got their hands on it.
And unbound items would drop upon death.
As Anvis had anticipated, the attributes of the crystal were displayed on the game panels of the two players.
[Mysterious Object Crystal (Orange)]
Description: A mysterious crystal from beyond the heavens, its vortex structure can slightly amplify meditation speed and seems to hide deeper secrets.
Effect: Carry on oneself during meditation to increase experience gain speed.
Special Status: Energy Deficient
Seeing the last line, Anvis nodded contently; the player panel was indeed very handy. Especially when using someone else’s, it felt even more thrilling.
He had only heard of this object’s reputation before but didn’t know how to hatch it. Now, he already had an idea of how to test it.
Under the reluctant gaze of the two players, Anvis took the crystal back and then turned to Fiona.
"Alright, Fei, let’s go."
"Brother, aren’t we going to continue watching?"
The girl looked puzzled at the auction, which was still going on.
"There’s nothing else worth watching."
Shaking his head, Anvis gestured to Fiona. She quickly stood up, hugging the kitten and obediently followed at his side.
Meanwhile, turning to the two ’self-aware’ players who followed, Anvis waved his hand slightly, halting their action.
"The place we’re headed to next is rather special, and we cannot take you with us. You can stay here until the auction ends. If you wish to take the fruits and refreshments here with you, please feel free. However, be sure not to try to touch any other decorations here! Otherwise, you might encounter some trouble."
After giving a word of advice, Anvis led Fiona to a compartment on the side of the box.
That was the Transmission Room. Through the Teleportation Array located there, one could teleport directly back to the academy’s teleportation point using the spatial coordinates inside the Pamir Identity Card.
Before leaving, Anvis gave a Crystal Ball to the Last Dragon Descendant for future contact.
The Elf’s strength was currently a bit low, so Anvis tossed another task his way, allowing the Elf to train with his merchant caravan to raise his Level and Skill proficiency.
Of course, this wasn’t mandatory; the Last Dragon Descendant could leave anytime if he had his own plans.
As the silhouette of the brother and sister vanished in the light of teleportation, the two players immediately swept all the Demonized Fruits on the table into their possession.
If it weren’t for Anvis’s warning, it’s uncertain how many items would remain in this box.
Over half a year, the natives had formed a preliminary concept of the players’ presence.
How to tell if a house had been entered by a thief or a foreigner?
Simple, if there are still items left in the house, it means a thief has been there.