Chapter 423 Costly Artifact

On the big table, a glass slab rose up.

It looked just like some simple decorative glass piece, but there was also a strange thunderbolt-like mark inside this paperweight-like thing.

It didn't look much special, nor did it attract the eyes of aristocrats sitting on the comfortable chairs.

They understood it was some kind of artifact and the knights were showing some reaction to it, but it was of no use to them.

But some people were different...

On the balcony, some people had a smile on their faces as they looked at the glass slab. Especially that strange mark inside the glass slab.

It required good eyes to scale the value of this particular artifact.

And some eyes could definitely read its great value...

Operator A2. The one who had been ticking many nobles from the beginning was smiling while looking at his friend.

============

[Thunderbolt] ★ ★

---> A good formless weapon that has strengthened thunderstone as its core.

---> A one-word basic rune, [[( Vajram )]] is engraved on the core of the weapon, granting it great affinity and the power of lightning.

---> The engraving of the rune is meh, but the core material is good enough to handle the power of the rune.

---> Though it is a good artifact, borrowing the power of the rune would weaken the core. So, every time the power of the rune is used, the artifact will decay.

---> Still, it's an excellent piece and definitely something created with a master dwarf's techniques.

---> It would be a good gift and temporary weapon for him until he becomes strong enough to handle that one.

============

That was what his eyes said, and they gave this artifact stars, so he knew this one was better than the other things in the auction.

He wanted this one and his friend beside him sighed. She already had one formless weapon, so she had no interest in this one.

But she knew her friend would have great difficulty getting his hands on this artifact.

She could imagine that just like his smiling face, the other two 'mysterious' people would also have warm smiles on their faces.

She looked forward to seeing this betting, so she asked operator B to take over for a while... not that there was any work for them.

The two of them looked down from the balcony after asking for little Anna's good luck kiss and she was happy to see the fun smile on her big brother's face.

His mom was also happy that something had actually caught his attention.

She was having fun watching the distorted faces of the nobles and their furious expressions. It was fun, but now he was really going to buy something.

He could have most of the things in this auction house anyway, and there were many better things than that artifact.

But he always had insisted on using his own money, which was no less than any high-ranking noble's total assets, first.

She would love it if he uses her money. It was all his anyway. But he always said that he will use it when he actually needs it.

Well, he already had far more money than anyone down there. As well as far more natural treasures, artifacts, and wisdom than maybe even her.

This simple artifact was already his if he wished it but, she knew he will buy it. With his own money. And if he was happy with that, she was too~.

[ "Okey~ everyone. Who would place the first bid on this cool-looking thing~?" ]

That was the clue for them and as soon as her words rang throughout the auction room, the very first number that appeared on the big water screen even before any knight looking at the artifact with sparkling eyes could raise their hands, almost killed all the voices.

[ 50 platinum ]

It was a grand amount as a starting price for some artifacts. But the more shocking thing was the bidding number written just above it.

[ 50 platinum - no.3 ]

It was the mysterious spender who they had seen spending thousands of platinum on something that looked pretty normal.

And this time too... the glass slab that looked like just some paperweight had earned the very first bet from them.

But that didn't last on the screen much longer.

[ 70 platinum - no.21 ]

Another big name that had bought many of the special herbs today. They were also one of the mysterious people in the auction room, but even their bid didn't last there much longer.

[ 100 platinum - no.369 ]

A number that many people wanted to kill with their whole being.

A bastard who they thought was just an annoying crazy ass bitch was now starting from the beginning instead of the end like they used to.

[ 110 platinum - no.3 ]

And more than anything, this bastard was going against the anonymous kings of the annual auction who had dominated special items all these years.

[ 150 platinum - no.21 ]

The people at least knew that one who could spend thousands of platinum, meaning millions of gold, in a single day, was no normal person.

And the annoying bitch who had bought nothing this whole time was annoying the ones they admired.

[ 170 platinum - no.3 ]

For them, the three mysterious figures were like kings.

It had become a norm that when two or all three of these kings fought over something, the others would just quietly forget about that item.

But now, a new fellow was thinking of annoying these kings.

[ 200 platinum - no.369 ]

"Do they even have that kind of money?"

That was the question many of them asked, but no one had the answer.

As a basic rule of Hiraani, one must only spend what they had.

[ 210 platinum - no.21 ]

One had to pay the price that they bought their stuff at, or else the charges of not being able to pay the prices were quite severe.

Everyone here knew about the bad temper of the master of this auction, and they would genuinely avoid angering her by doing something crazy.

[ 240 platinum - no.3 ]

But right now, this person was doing just that if they really actually didn't have the money.

Anyway, they would be delighted if this unknown bastard was punished.

They didn't know the identity of this person, so they couldn't punish the bastards themselves.

Only a few of the workers here knew the identities of the unknown people after all.

[ 250 platinum - no.21 ]

The price of the simple artifact had reached a point where the buyers would have to think deeply if they really wanted it or not.

But the momentum of the bets was far from stopping just yet.

[ 260 platinum - no.3 ]

[ 270 platinum - no.21 ]

[ 280 platinum - no. 3 ]

[ 290 platinum - no. 21 ]

[ 333 platinum - no.369 ]

That odd number paused the whole auction house, as well as the two bidders, for a brief moment.

Some cursed unknowingly. Some cussed knowingly. While some even spilled their drinks as they stared at the big numbers that had frozen the entire room.

Thankfully... the moment that felt like an eternity returned to normal and the other two resumed their battle.

[ 335 platinum - no.21 ]

[ 340 platinum - no.3 ]

[ 345 platinum - no.21 ]

[ 350 platinum - no.3 ]

[ 355 platinum - no.21 ]

[ 369 platinum - no.369 ]

"..."

Again. The silence.

It was already a tense atmosphere among the people who were watching this slowed-down battle of bets.

It was a tense atmosphere because even though the bets were placed quickly, people familiar with the auction could feel the brief pause every time the two of them were placing the close-looking bets.

But it only looked small... every single one of their last bets had a 5000 gold difference.

It wasn't an amount one would pay for even a good artifact, so for those who actually didn't know about this glass slab, the atmosphere right now was just absurd.

Just thinking about the mental decisions the bidders were making right now, the amount of thinking going on in their minds, and the tension in the moment was enough to make normal nobles like them, speechless.

There was a great tension, but then there was this son of a bitch who placed unknown odd bets as if a child playing around.

Many were already cussing at this shit but the two participants, the two mysterious bidders knew that it was an obvious mind's play.

The number 369 was a good one. He read the atmosphere and placed the oddest things that threw the others off.

According to them, either he was a mastermind... or he was actually just playing around.

And when they find him, many of them were actually swearing to rip him apart.

But the two mysterious kings were excited after this obvious provocation.

[ 400 platinum - no.21 ]

They still thought there was some value in spending at least this much.

[ 500 platinum - no.3 ]

Even after the provocation, there would still be some value if this thing was given to the right person.

And though it would be a tough task to find the right person, they believed they could definitely find one if they did their best.

One was the emperor of the great empire, while the other was the strongest archmage of the continent, as well as the headmaster of the greatest learning institute.

They knew now who their opponent actually was, but still... they could spend a little more if it meant beating a kid with some money and getting a good, rare kind of artifact with an even rare rune core.

They still had some fuel left. They can still go on for a while. They can still play along with his mindful tactics. How long will he even last? He was a child… or so they thought.

[ 666 platinum 666 gold 666 silver 666 bronze - no.369 ]

"..."

The people stared at the big water screen, speechless at what they were seeing in that moment.

"...?"

The emperor and his three partners were shocked, confused, and speechless as they stared down at the long-looking number.

"...hahahahaha!"

In some other balcony room, the strongest archmage burst out laughing at the sudden realization.

It was never about money anymore after they crossed halfway to this price. The boy with a lot of money was actually just playing around.

And it was absurd!

"Hahahaha."

Yes, it was absurd. Even the emperor and his three partners who understood him couldn't help but laugh at this.

Not just the blank reactions on every noble's face, but also the speechless atmosphere and the sudden shock from seeing an absurdly long number in that perfectly cooked moment was enough to make them laugh.

The two bidders who had fought for this item were now laughing, just like the one who won the bid, his friend who had almost rolled on the ground, and his mom who couldn't stop her laugh at the still blank reactions of the nobles.

Maybe even the whole operator room who had known what happened just now here was also laughing.

They had witnessed something very fun today and they couldn't help to show their fellow employees the recordings of this spectacular event.

Even the auctioneer, the gorgeous lady who had walked at the back of the stage for a moment, came back with a fresh face and announced to the still bank people.

[ "The amazing item goes to no.369~! Thanks for a great deal~!" ]

She chuckled and the item that had caused such great chaos sank down in the table. A new item appeared, and the frozen auction continued with a bit of difficulty.

It was a fun moment for them, but at this very moment when most of the people on the balcony were laughing...

[[ *Master...!* ]]

The strong people who had great perceiving powers that could detect certain things far away from their location jerked their heads in a single direction.

It was a strange feeling, but those who knew the meaning of this feeling had their blood boiling.

Only one kind of being in this whole nature could produce this kind of sinister feeling.

This dark, sinister, murky, evil feeling... only one creature was capable of this.

Demon.