Anya tried her best to regain control of the situation, but her voice was shaky. "Going once... 900,000 gold coins..." She hesitated, unsure of what to say next. This was beyond the usual excitement of an auction.
She should be happy, yes, but something just didn't feel right. Unlike other shady businesswomen, Anya was not scummy and had never scammed any of her customers. Even the items auctioned here were priced just slightly above the initial amount they were purchased for, and this was because of the efforts the auction had gone through to find the said items.
Seeing how the price was shooting through the roof didn't sit well with her. However, it was out of her control, so all she could do was watch and see how things played out.
Anya looked toward the VIP section after not hearing a single word for some seconds and pondered to herself. 'Perhaps the expert in the box is deci—'
At that moment, Amos called out, his voice full of confidence. He wasn't even blinking as he made the final bid.
'This bastard...' Zara gritted her teeth. For a moment there, she had actually thought the person in the VIP box had given up because of his prolonged silence. However, who would have thought her momentary victory wouldn't even last a second?
"It's not worth it, miss," someone close to her whispered. "As an alchemist, I can tell you that the Glacial Vial is important, but it's nowhere near as expensive as this. The wisest thing for you to do is drop out."
Zara sighed and thought the man made a lot of sense. In the end, she decided to drop her paddle.
The room fell into complete silence. No one dared to say anything. No one dared to move. The experienced alchemists in the auction house looked at VIP Box Six as though they were staring at a fool for buying the Glacial Vial for such an outrageous amount.
However, if they knew that the money didn't even make a dent in Amos's wealth, they'd be left speechless.
Anya, who had been in shock the entire time, finally snapped back to reality. "Sold!" she exclaimed. "To the gentleman in the VIP box!"
Zara leaned back in her chair, displeasure on her face. Amos, on the other hand, only smiled and shrugged, as if the money didn't matter. To him, this was just another game.
Nox, however, was now very curious about Zara. His eyes glinted wickedly. He couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of riches he would amass if he were to tame Zara.
'Just now, I could tell she could've gone on if she wanted,' Nox thought. His eyes sparkled even more, as though he had made a great realization. 'This could only mean she has over 1 million gold coins. Ah, such a greedy dragon.'
The auction continued after that, and Nox participated more actively, to the dismay of the regular attendees. He bought a few items here and there—nothing too significant. Some things for Serena, a few for Wendy, and some items for Nyx. But his mind was preoccupied with how he could acquire the Glacial Vial.
The auction finally came to a close, and Anya's voice rang out again. "Thank you all for attending. The VIP-only auction will now begin. After a short break, all VIP guests are requested to join the single room where we will proceed."
Nox's heart skipped a beat. This was the moment he had been waiting for. The real auction begins now.
Everyone in the hall stood up, ready for the next phase. And Nox knew that this was where the real competition would start.
Meanwhile, in one of the VIP rooms, a handsome man with silvery white hair was absentmindedly staring at the hall below, watching as the regular attendees left one after the other. His silver eyes narrowed on the back of a girl with sky-blue hair, and a strange glint flickered across his eyes.
"Such an intriguing youngster." Lucas, the head of the Silver family, chuckled. "Zarek, is she perhaps a member of a top family in the capital?"
Even someone with generational wealth was intrigued by Zara's actions today. It was not common to see a youngster of around 16-17 go toe-to-toe with a Level 110 expert!
Lucas suspected that this confidence was all because she had backing somewhere.
"I doubt it, but from her attire, she's definitely a student of the Vermilion Royal Academy," said another figure with silvery white hair. However, in contrast to Lucas, this man's eyes were blindfolded.
Yet the way he stood and stared around was filled with purpose, which made it seem as if he wasn't really blind.
"Hmmm, I see." Lucas stroked his chin. Then he said with a bit of excitement in his voice, "Come, let's head to the VIP-only auction. I hope that Anya wasn't joking when she said a special item would be unveiled today."
"The Parker family is not known for deceit," Zarek said as he followed behind Lucas. His words were brief yet filled with confidence.
"It better be, because I'm really curious about that special item."
Lucas and Zarek weren't the only ones discussing these special items; all the VIPs were speaking about it. Surprisingly, even the regular attendees who were leaving were buzzing with speculation.
"I heard it's something revolutionary," someone whispered.
"No, bigger. Much bigger. Word is, this thing's been locked away for years, waiting for the right moment," the first voice replied, their tone hushed.
"I heard it's alive. It must be a creature. Could it be those special people with markings?"
"Maybe it's not... I don't know, but I heard only the top bidders will even get to see it," a woman added, her voice a mix of frustration and longing. "Why else would they separate us regulars from the VIPs?"
"Ah, times , I really wish I was VIP."
Nox, who was currently heading to the next room along with Wendy, frowned when he heard these whispers. The raven-haired woman who had acted as his guide hadn't told him about this special thing. Just to be certain, he hastened his pace and walked behind two men who were also discussing the special item that would be unveiled.
"Anya really pulled out all the stops this time," one of the men said. "The Parker family never hypes anything up unless it's worth it."
"But what is it? A weapon? A treasure?" the other man asked.
"No one knows," the first man sighed. "I guess the best way to find out is to attend the auction."