The moment Anya stepped onto the lit-up stage, all eyes were immediately fixed on her, and the noisy atmosphere instantly quieted down. Her commanding presence, combined with her sharp features and graceful movements, exuded authority. Wearing an elegant black gown that shimmered faintly under the stage lights, she looked every bit the orchestrator of the grand event.
Both the new and old participants of this auction were smitten by her beauty, but they knew she was an unreachable goddess as her parents were the owners of the prestigious auction. She was only an administrator of their empire.
Seeing their reaction, Anya's lips curved into a confident smile as she surveyed the crowd before saying in a firm and clear voice: "Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed guests of the Black Market Auction, I welcome you to tonight's grand event. It is an honor to host such a distinguished gathering of individuals from across the land."
The audience responded with polite applause, though the air was thick with anticipation. Nox leaned back in his chair, one hand resting casually on the armrest while his other drummed lightly on his knee. This was the only way to keep his excitement at bay.
"In tonight's auction," Anya said a moment later, "we have curated a selection of rare and extraordinary treasures. Some of these items are the only ones of their kind, and others hold the potential to change the very balance of power for those who possess them."
Anya's eyes sparkled mischievously as she paused, letting the words sink into everyone. Then she clapped her hands once, an obvious signal, as the next moment a staff member behind the stage wheeled out a podium covered with a velvet cloth. The shape beneath the fabric was deliberately ambiguous, adding to the mystery.
In a dramatic fashion, the velvet cloth was removed, revealing a dazzling golden chalice encrusted with various gemstones. The hall was soon filled with murmurs as many recognized it immediately.
"This," Anya said, gesturing toward the chalice, "is the Chalice of Aetherial Blessings, a King-Rank item said to have been used in ancient rituals. Its owner is said to gain heightened vitality and the ability to purify toxins. Starting bid: 50,000 golden coins."
"This..." Nox's eyes flashed with a mixture of surprise and admiration for the Black Market Auction House when he heard the starting amount for the magical item. He knew they were prestigious because of the grandeur and all the talk from the raven-haired woman who had acted as their guide, but he never expected the first item to be so expensive.
Oftentimes in these auctions, it usually started from low to highest...
Suddenly, at that moment, Nox's eyes flew open. Could it be that this 50,000 gold coins is actually the lowest starting amount?
This was a very frightening thought, and if it was the case, Nox was beginning to think his million gold coins wouldn't be enough for this auction.
Just what kind of wealthy monsters are these? It feels as if I've been living in a shithole all my life.
Soon, the personal assistant assigned to Nox stepped forward and handed him a parchment filled with information related to the chalice that was about to be auctioned.
When Nox unfolded the parchment, the first thing that caught his attention was the intricate runes scribbled on it. It was clear from a single glance that this was the work of a Runemsmith.
"How does this wor—" Before Nox could speak, a screen similar to his system screen appeared, floating just above the parchment.
On the said parchment, the full details about the chalice appeared.
"This is not bad." Nox's eyes glinted. Anya had only provided a brief description for the regular audience, but floating above him were lore and different other ways to use the item.
Unfortunately, while valuable, Nox wasn't interested in it as it held no use for his current needs. Especially now that he knew how high the starting bids were, he needed to spend wisely and only focus on his needs, not his wants.
In the box beside him, Amos tapped his fingers against the windowsill, his greedy eyes alight with interest.
"Humans and their trinkets," he muttered to himself, though he couldn't entirely hide his intrigue. "If this is just the first item, perhaps I should stick around a little longer."
Meanwhile, on the stage, the auctioneer stepped forward, hammer in hand, and called out, "Bidding begins now! Who will offer the first bid?"
A hand shot up in the crowd. "Fifty-five thousand!"
"Sixty thousand!" another bidder countered.
The bidding war for the chalice concluded at 150,000 golden coins, the artifact claimed by a merchant in the third row. He puffed out his chest with pride as the crowd offered polite applause.
That's the same amount I sold all my useless items for. Nox couldn't help but feel that he had been cheated, but he realized this was the benefit of putting an item to be auctioned rather than outright selling it, because the price might spike up.
Anya smiled. "Congratulations to our first winner of the evening. But this is just the beginning, ladies and gentlemen. We have far more to reveal."
As the next item was prepared, a faint knock sounded on Nox's private box door. Wendy glanced at him for confirmation before opening it. A young attendant stood there, bowing deeply. "Sir, I have a message from Miss Parker. She wanted to assure you that the item you're interested in will appear shortly. She asked for your patience."
Nox's lips curved into a faint smirk. "Very well. Tell her I'll be waiting."
The attendant nodded and quickly departed.
The next item was revealed moments later: it was a pair of daggers that seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly glow. Their blades were translucent, reflecting faint traces of moonlight despite the lack of any direct source.
Anya introduced them with her usual charisma.
"These," she said, gesturing elegantly, "are Emperor-Tier Crescent Void Daggers, forged in the heart of the Azure Abyss. They are said to absorb a portion of the user's mana to unleash devastating energy slashes, capable of slicing through even enchanted armor. Starting bid: 80,000 golden coins."
"A dual dagger, huh?" Nox pondered for a moment before opening his mouth to...