“Next item,” the auctioneer announced. “The Azure Frost Blade! A rare weapon capable of freezing anything it cuts. Starting bid: 100 Spirit Stones! Minimum increment: 10 Spirit Stones!”
The hall buzzed with energy. A man in the regular seating stood up, raising his token high. “110 Spirit Stones!” he shouted.
Another voice quickly followed, “120 Spirit Stones!” This time, it came from a young woman seated with a group in the corner.
From a VIP room, the number 8 token rose silently. The auctioneer’s sharp eyes caught it immediately. “VIP Room 8, 130 Spirit Stones!”
Unity leaned closer to Kent, her voice soft. “That’s Victor Giln, heir to the Giln Merchant Family. They control most of the trade routes in Caprath. Ruthless, but reliable.”
Kent nodded, keeping his focus on the bids.
A loud shout interrupted the quiet VIP bidding. “140 Spirit Stones!” This time it was an older man in the front row, his tone firm.
Unity pointed discreetly to another VIP room as a token with the number 5 rose. “150 Spirit Stones from VIP Room 5,” the auctioneer announced.
“That’s Lady Seraphine, head of the Sylvan Merchant House,” Unity murmured. “She has ties to two of the royal families. Watch her. She’s dangerous.”
The bids climbed higher as tokens rose in quick succession. “160! 170! 180!” The excitement grew, with voices overlapping and tokens flashing from all corners.
Another silent bid came from the VIP Room 9. The auctioneer’s voice rang out, “200 Spirit Stones! VIP Room 2 takes the lead!”
Unity glanced at the room and then back at Kent. “That’s from the Zarnoth Clan. They’re not merchants, but they run Caprath’s largest alchemy guild. Their resources are frightening.”
The bids began to slow. The older man in the front row tried again. “210 Spirit Stones!” he called out.
But a token rose from VIP Room 8 once more. “220 Spirit Stones!” the auctioneer announced.
The older man sighed and sat down, shaking his head. The auctioneer waited for a moment before raising his gavel. “Going once! Going twice! Sold to VIP Room 8 for 220 Spirit Stones!”
Kent remained silent, observing the power plays between the bidders. Unity smiled softly.
“See how they move? That’s Caprath’s upper circle, always maneuvering for the best position. They’ll be useful to know later.”
“I guess I would have to rely on you more, my love,” Kent said, holding Unity’s hand. He wasn’t using his skill this time, but he could tell from the way she squeezed his hand that she felt good.
“Then I will do my best to be useful,” Unity replied with a blushing smile.
After the dagger was sold, the next item was presented—a Tier 1 pill recipe. The auctioneer’s voice boomed as he described its details. “This is a recipe for the Body Strengthening Pill A staple for any alchemist beginning their craft. Starting bid: 100 Spirit Stones!”
The moment the auction began, the alchemists in the hall came alive. Voices rang out from the regular seats, and tokens rose from the VIP rooms in rapid succession. The bids escalated quickly, despite the recipe being for a basic Tier 1 pill.
Kent, however, remained still. The Tower had already advised him against participating, so he focused on something else instead.
He leaned back and turned his attention inward, bringing up his system interface to review the rewards he had received from completing two recent quests involving Unity.
***
[Congratulations on completing the quest: Pleasure on the Road. Your reward is in Tower Storage.]
Kent mentally accessed his Tower Storage, retrieving a cylindrical disc that appeared deceptively ordinary. Yet, as he held it, he felt the untamed, violent aura that pulsed from within.
[Instant Killing Disc]
[Grade: Heaven]
[Effects:]
– Lethal Strike: Instantly eliminates a target when thrown, as long as the target’s strength does not surpass the user’s by two major realms.
– Return Function: Automatically returns to the user after activation.
– One-Time Recharge: Can be recharged using 5000 Spirit Stones or equivalent energy.
***
Kent examined the disc with interest. A tool to instantly kill someone on the same strength level as him or not two major stages above him. That is a deadly tool. In situations where he wanted not to raise his sword, he would just throw a disc.
[This tool isn’t that simple Master. If your soul strength is stronger than your opponent’s, even if they are Three stages above you, it can still kill them. And the current you can recharge an energy equivalent to 5000 spirit stones within 5 minutes.
So this means you can use it every five minutes]
“Impressive,” Kent muttered to himself, smirking. He could already think of a few ways to use it. Meanwhile, the sound of escalating bids for the pill recipe continued in the background, drawing him back to the present.
Unity, noticing his slight distraction, leaned closer. “What is it?” she asked softly.
“Just something new,” Kent replied with a smirk, slipping the disc back into storage. “Something very useful.”
Unity nodded, and Kent returned his focus to the Tower Storage, retrieving another item. This time, it was a skill book. The title on its cover read [Appraiser’s Eye] in bold, golden lettering.
Without hesitation, Kent tapped the book to his forehead. A flash of light enveloped him as the knowledge from the book was absorbed directly into his mind. The book disintegrated into specks of light and vanished.
Unity blinked, clearly startled. “What did you just do? Where did the book go?” she asked, her voice filled with curiosity.
Kent smirked. “I learned the skill directly. The book was just a medium, and once I absorbed the knowledge, it was no longer needed.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean… you didn’t even have to read it?”
“Exactly. This husband of yours is no simple person you know” Kent replied casually.
“I know, you have a goddess as your first wife after all” Unity smiled recalling her skepticism when Kent told her about Vexthra.
Looking back the past hour, she would have hated herself if she had continued with her simple thinking of not wanting to tarnish Kent’s image by becoming his woman.
Her life was changed within hours. Now, she has the means to become her own powerhouse, and for one, she had Kent, the stranger she decided to give her purity to thank.
He glanced at the Tower interface to confirm his new skill.
—
[Appraiser’s Eye]
[Grade: Rare]
[Rank: SS]
[Effects:]
– Allows the user to analyze the value, origin, and hidden properties of any item with a glance. It also works on people. It allows you to see their worth and potential to a certain extent.
– Can detect forgeries and identify true worth.
– Consumes Spiritual qi passively when in use.
***
Unity tilted her head, intrigued. “So, what does this skill do?”
“It lets me assess the true nature of items. No tricks, no forgeries. Perfect for places like this,” Kent explained, gesturing to the auction below.
“Now I can see through anything they bring out here, no matter how well they try to hide its flaws or secrets.”
She smiled softly. “That’s… impressive. You’ll never get cheated having such a skill.”
“That’s the plan,” Kent said, smiling. Now, he wouldn’t have to rely solely on the tower to know some of the important things.
He quickly retrieves the last reward he got, a nice card with the name Spirit Stones Multiplier Bingo Card written on it.