The male host raised his hand, his voice ringing through the grand hall with perfect poise.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we shall now begin the first round — the Weapons and Artifacts category!"

Behind the auctioneers, two attendants removed the crimson silk sheet from the first display table, revealing a sleek silver blade that glimmered faintly with mana inscriptions.

"Each item is listed at one million credits, and you have 60 seconds to write your bids," the man continued, "and as stated before, the highest blind bid wins the item."

The guests straightened in their seats, picking up their cards.

Each weapon was revealed one after another — some sleek modern rifles enhanced with mana amplifiers, others ancient swords humming faintly with spiritual resonance.

When the attendants unveiled the sixth item, a soft pink glow emanated from the velvet box — a delicate silver chain with a small moonstone pendant.

The female hostess smiled knowingly as she introduced the item "The Siren's Veil, a necklace designed specifically for female wielders. When worn, it emanates a charm effect against men. Those with weak mental fortitude will be unable to raise their hands or weapons against the wearer. Be warned, however — it can also backfire on your personal relationships and cause privacy intrusion, as sometimes, the effects linger for a while."

A murmur swept through the guests, half intrigue, half discomfort, by the item. Several male hunters visibly frowned, while some of the women guests looked at the item with keen interest, especially Zhi Yan.

Cards began to rise silently as attendants collected bids.

Moments later, the man announced the result.

"The highest blind bid is 16.3 million credits... Winner: Table number 13. Congratulations."

Vivian's lips curled faintly as the attendants brought her the necklace. She examined it once, then clasped it around her neck, the pink light fading gently against her collarbone.

Lin Fang glanced sideways. From beneath the mask, he said. "Congratulations."

"Thanks…" As she smiled, Lin Fang casually commented. "Just don't use it on me."

To that, Vivian couldn't help but chuckle, staring into his eyes. "Who knows… I might just use it against you, tonight."

As Lin Fang flinched, Vivian softly laughed in amusement and looked away.

Next came a barrage of modern and hybrid tools: Staffs, mana rifles, energy-infused daggers, even a spear embedded with draconic scales. Bids rose and fell like a tide, between five to twenty million credits, depending on their rarity.

"Item 9, a Mana Blaster, capable of storing up to Tier-3 mana energy (100 million particles). Winning bid — 13 million credits. Winner: Table number 2."

Then, moments later—

"Item 12, a pair of Celestial Gloves, allowing the wielder to store and release their mana instantly when reserves are depleted. Winning bid — 19.5 million credits. Winner: Table number 2."

A soft hum of respect passed through the hall. Several attendees whispered among themselves.

The final artifact — a crystalline short sword — went to one of the smaller guilds for 7.8 million credits, closing the first category.

The hostess smiled as the final item was being sold.

"This concludes the Weapons and Artifacts section. Congratulations to the winners. We will now proceed to the second category after a ten-minute recess. Please refresh yourselves while we prepare the next round."

As the murmurs grew and the attendants circulated with drinks, Lin Fang leaned back slightly, watching Vivian and Zhi Yan from behind his mask.

"She really has a lot of money to spend millions… I wonder when I will become that rich…" Lin Fang couldn't help but become jealous of these rich people around who could just get the things they want with money, despite the fact that there is a ninety percent chance the money they spent wasn't even earned by them. It belonged to their fathers.

But then again, he knows that life isn't fair either way. His fingers tightened slightly around the armrest, speaking to himself in his head. "One day… I will afford everything that I want."

Ten minutes later;

After a brief intermission, the male host once again stepped forward, the room dimming under the soft golden chandeliers.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced with a gleaming smile, "the next category — Alchemy — is now open!"

Immediately, the air shifted. The excitement that filled the hall earlier with weapons and artifacts now turned sharper and more calculating as rare alchemy products are too precious compared to artifacts and weapons. Unlike weapons and artifacts, which are only like one-time buying, the potions, elixirs, and pills were consumable in nature and always on demand. The best example is the Jade Spirit Tonic that Lin Fang sells, which became popular the moment it hit the market, and even now, more than 60 million credits worth of products were put on advanced order in his store, half of it paid in advance too.

Attendants wheeled in a long glass case, within which twelve items shimmered in various colors — scarlet, azure, emerald, and amber — each vial sealed with mana sigils that pulsed faintly.

"Each potion and pill in this batch has been verified by the Hunter Association and Pharmacist Association," the host continued. "Each batch will have 20 of them. And the listed price for each of that batch: two million credits."

Cards filled with seven-figure numbers almost instantly.

Vivian, however, sat back, expression indifferent. She didn't even touch her card.

Zhi Yan, on the other hand, excitedly filled the cards one after another. In fact, she bid them all.

The Results of her bidding:

Item 1: Elixir of Herculean Strength — increases physical power and stamina by 150% for one hour. Zhi Yan's Winning bid: 7.8 million

Item 3: Vial of Swiftwind — doubles reflex and agility temporarily, often used by assassins. Zhi Yan's Winning bid: 6.5 million

Item 6: Benedicta Essence — heals major wounds instantly and restores lost limbs if used within thirty seconds of damage. Zhi Yan's Winning bid: 10.3 million.

Item 9: Potion of Calm Mind — stabilizes mana flow during mental backlash, commonly used by high-tier spellcasters. Zhi Yan's Winning bid: 4.7 million.

As the twelfth and final potion was sold for 5.6 million, the host smiled, adjusting his tie.

"That concludes the Alchemy Category. Now, after a short 10-minute recess, we will be back with the next category: the rare earth materials."

Polite applause filled the room.

Ten more minutes later;

The attendants removed a velvet curtain, revealing stacked boxes of crystalline ores, metallic blocks, and radiant gemstones. The light refracted off the displays, casting prismatic colors across the ceiling.

"Mythril ores, Black Titanium blocks, high-grade Mana Crystals, Starfire Dust, and much more. Minimum bid begins at five million credits."

The crowd became visibly restless — these were the kind of materials every guild and artificer craved.

Vivian merely crossed her legs, uninterested. Zhi Yan leaned back, clearly satisfied with her earlier acquisitions.

But Lin Fang's attention sharpened like a blade.

He watched the numbers shoot up:

10 million… 14 million… 19 million… 27 million credits!

The bidders were spending like rain, fighting for every batch of ore. Lin Fang's eyes widened slightly behind the mask.

They're paying that much for mere ores?

His fingers unconsciously clenched into a fist as realization dawned.

Alpha, sensing his thought, chuckled faintly in his head. "Now you see it. Those mythril ores you've been keeping might just be your ticket out of debt."

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