After leaving the Rude Annabell behind to ponder her life choices, Kent quickly found the maid who was sending a bucket of wine to the Faywoods.
He discreetly placed the spider in her shadow without her noticing and returned to VIP room 13.
A short while later, the maid arrived in VIP room 14, where she moved about, placing the wine on the tables beside the seats.
When she passed Bright Bright’s seat, Kent commanded the spider, which slipped into his shadow without anyone noticing. The moment it entered his shadow, he was as good as dead.
All Kent had to do was wait for three days. After the auction, he would kill him and extract his memories, which would help him continue with the Quest.
The ultimate goal was to bring down the entire Dark Devil Church. They are causing too much harm and so for that, they had to go.
But for now, he was at an auction, and it was about to start.
Powerful people had gathered and were ready to bid on items and show off their wealth. Some came with many expectations, and many will be left disappointed after they fail to win any bid.
Kent was seated, surrounded by ladies as they sipped their wine, waiting for the auction to begin. It didn’t take long for the atmosphere to be set.
The auction hall fell silent as the lights dimmed, focusing on the stage.
A tall, elegant woman with sharp features, heavy on the butt and a confident stride walked to the centre. She was Alina, the auctioneere. Her presence commanded attention as she moved toward the main stage.
This was her moment, for she had waited for this for a very long time. She had wanted to host an auction of this magnitude for years.
Finally, it was thanks to Kent that she managed to climb that stage.
The people there couldn’t see it, but Kent could tell she was very happy inside.
Thanks to the support from her sisters and a goddess, she had grown confident over the past few weeks she had spent with them inside the tower.
She stood on the stage, looking beautiful. Kent saw some men gawking over her, but he just smirked. They could look, but they couldn’t touch.
That ass had already been claimed long ago. They could go look elsewhere.
“Welcome, everyone, to this year’s annual auction. I am Alina, your host for this event.”
She paused for a few seconds.
“I know you are all eager to bid on items. Don’t worry, we have more than enough for everyone… Well, that is if you have the money.” Everyone laughed at her joke.
“This year is packed with some of the most valuable items you will ever set your eyes on. Trust me, you won’t be missing out. Just being here and seeing what we have to offer is enough, even if you can’t win the bid.
So take solace in knowing that after this three-day event, you will be exposed to so much that if you were to die afterwards, you wouldn’t have any regrets.
I am not saying you will die, but you get the idea.” The laughter filled the hall again, making Kent smirk at her cheekiness.
She was getting into her groove, and with Unity in her ears, only the heavens would know what she was being told.
But it was good to see sisters supporting each other. Her jokes weren’t that funny, but the one telling them was someone nobody would want to offend.
So, they chose to amuse themselves before the battle began.
“Before we begin, let us go over the rules.”
“First, all bids must be made in Spirit Stones. No other currency will be accepted. We also don’t accept treasures in exchange, so it will be best to sell your treasures and use the Spirit Stones instead.”
“Second, once an item is sold, the transaction is final. No returns or exchanges.”
“Third, bidding must be done in a respectful manner. Any disruptions will result in removal from the event.”
“Fourth, the highest bidder wins the item. No exceptions.”
“Fifth, all items must be collected by the end of the night. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture.”
“And finally, this is an auction house. Your status as a family head is left outside. In here, it’s your money that speaks for you, so be mindful of how you throw your name around.”
Alina smiled. “Now that we have the rules clear, let the auction begin!”
A curtain opened, and a majestic table, mechanized using formations, appeared on the stage. On top of it lay a dagger, rusted and worn out, appearing ordinary at first glance.
“For our first item in this annual auction, ladies and gentlemen, a dagger from the Forbidden Grounds. I think we all know anything from the Forbidden Grounds holds some value.
Well, this dagger is from there, and although it’s rusted, it’s still an Earth-grade treasure.
The bid will start at 10,000 Spirit Stones, with a minimum increment of 1,000 Spirit Stones.”
The moment she started the bid, voices began echoing across the hall.
“11,000!”
“13,000!”
“19,000!”
The bids kept rising, showing that people truly wanted that dagger despite its rusted state. Kent was left looking at the dagger with a blank expression.
“You’re wondering what the Forbidden Grounds is, right?” Gate Master Camilla said, watching Kent’s expression. Kent smiled, showing he was indeed curious about it.
“Just like the Ancient Battlefield of Partiing, the Forbidden Grounds was said to be home to some craftsmen believed to be people from the higher heavens.
They crafted mostly weapons and traps. Nobody knew what happened, but one day, they left, and their home became a place where people who could circumvent their traps went to look for treasures.
Many died trying to explore that place, so due to the high mortality rate, they named it the Forbidden Grounds. But as you can see, people want that dagger.
It’s because no blacksmith or artisan in the four kingdoms could match their talent. Most of the bidders are blacksmiths who want to buy and study it.”
“I see,” Kent nodded. A while later, the rusty dagger was sold for 69,000 Spirit Stones.