155. The Auction (III) (Patreon)

"Can you imagine what he'll look like at his peak?!” spluttered Scout Haelin. At his age—with a soul like that?!"

"As big as the Patriarch, even…" said Zhang. 

They looked at each other.

"Do you know what this means?" said Haelin.

Zhang nodded slowly. "That’s S-rank soul talent. No doubt about it. And not just any S-rank…” 

They were blinking—at each other, then at Zane. The way gold miners might after discovering a vein so rich it’d make them both billionaires. Like they were having trouble believing their eyes.

"If he doesn’t fall off the path,” said Haelin. "If—if he reaches his full potential—if he has a modicum of cultivation talent and Fire affinity—"

They started imagining it. Their heads were swimming.

"Well. Seems like we’ve found our number one pick," said Zhang. He sounded shaky. "And the scouting season’s barely gotten started.” He chuckled at the thought, in a slightly hysterical way. “We’ll offer him a spot as Chosen—”

"Of course," said Haelin. "That, and more. Far more. Can you imagine the bidding war?!" 

He was looking across at all the other scouts’ booths.

"When’s the last time… you’d have to go back ten thousand years. To the time of Sage Nightshade!” 

Another silence. 

“…We should tell the Grand Elders.” 

“Hae—” said Zhang. He was sobering up a little. “What are the odds he survives this?” 

Haelin hesitated. “…Not good. Perhaps… two in ten. Three, if he grows fast…” 

“Imagine if he falls in there. To some—some mere Core beast,” said Zhang, a little stricken. “Imagine the waste!” 

“All we can do is hope,” said Haelin grimly. 

***

The scouts in the other booths were having very similar reactions.

Scout Drogo was shouting into his transmission crystal—"No, no—not even the Sage of the Purple Storm had a soul like this, he’s huge!“ 

In the Steelheart Conclave’s booth—“Lord Kai, you don’t understand," said an Thousand Seas Tribe Scout, all frantic. "I didn’t think a man could get that big, I’ve never seen anything like it!” 

*** 

Zane was not aware in that moment that about twenty or so aliens all around him were struggling to describe his size. He just stood there scratching his head. He was pretty relaxed. There wasn’t much for him to do right then. He was mostly there as moral support.

He stood there as Reina got to work, just watching her. He liked watching her think—she wore a cute little frown, all serious. She was laser-focused on the stage.

The first treasures that came out were B-Rank treasures. A 12-pack of vials of Essence, a Hydra Monster core, an armor made entirely of snake scales, an ore sizzling with Electric Laws that could be fashioned into any kind of armor, Law fruits and recovery ointments, all kinds of Skill tomes—It went on and on.

Reina just watched the bidding, eyes narrowed. Voices floated up from below—

“Two Credits!"

“Four!”

It mostly came from the lower rows. 

"Four credits, from the gentleman in booth 212!" boomed Auctioneer Yultan. "Any takers?" 

"Six credits!"

"Eight!"

"Eight, going once, going twice—sold, to the party in booth 119! Congratulations! You’ll go home with a Dragon’s Tail Sash. Next up… ‘Ice Crystal Fruit’! This mysterious fruit temporarily boosts one’s affinity for all Ice Laws, including Superior Laws! Starting price, eight credits!"

A few dozen items went by—Reina bid on none of them. He wondered what she was doing. He didn’t want to distract her.

She seemed to be keeping track of things. Reading the room. She seemed to be taking in every bid, processing it. She paid special attention to those coming from the upper layers. Those bids usually came higher—maybe the layers were ordered by wealth?

There were more Ur-Planet folk in the upper layers. So that made sense.

A hundred B-Ranks passed in silence. They got to the B+-ranked items. By then, about half the upper layers had bid on something or another.

Reina finally started to bid. "Twenty-five credits!" she called out. She was going for a gemstone that boosted Dark Laws. Zane wasn’t sure why. 

She lost to a lizard-tailed man on the floor below.

She bid again a few items later and lost that too. She bid again, against an earthling on the topmost floor—and lost yet again. She did this about twenty more times in the next hour; she lost every bid.

She was always outbid by someone in one of the uppermost layers. And always only barely—the eventual winner always won by three or four credits. That was strange.

She wasn’t unhappy, though. If anything, she got more and more satisfied as the bidding went on. She hadn’t meant to win those bids, Zane was realizing.

She seemed to just be feeling things out. Trying to get a sense for everyone there. 

Then came the A-Ranks.

"High-grade Starsteel Ore!" crowed Auctioneer Yultan. 

It was a lump of pure black steel that glittered with white dots, like stars in a night sky. "A great substance for forging high-grade armors. Or for use in certain Steel techniques—or to use as a base for Spirit Weapon upgrades for those looking to breach the Core stage. The uses are endless! Starting bid: forty credits.” 

Reina made a bid. And someone in the same row—the boy with the cat-ears—bid exactly two more than her, and ended up winning it. Reina nodded, satisfied.

A few dozen items later, things were heating up—each item was attracting twenty-odd bids before it settled. Mostly from the upper layers. One A-Rank Wood Skill came up, an advanced group-buff Skill called the 'Forest of Life.' It’d be perfect for Reina. Zane asked if she wanted to win it—she shook her head.

"I’m getting you your inheritance first," she said firmly. "If not Stormfire, then the next best Fire treasure there is. You’re what matters most.” 

Then she blinked, like she realized what she was saying, and flushed a little. "...To the future of the Faction, I mean," she added. "It’s the most logical choice. For all of us."

She went right back to bidding. 

Zane blinked.

Another several dozen A-Ranks went by. By then most of the top row had bid on several items.

"And now," said Auctioneer Yultan. "We enter the S-Ranks… we’re nearing our apex treasures! First up—the Gourd of the Wine God!" He touted a pear-yellow gourd with a red ribbon tied on top. The air over its cap wobbled and warbled as though drunk. 

"Drinking this is akin to drinking ten A-Rank Vials of Essence—and it’ll also put you in a drunken stupor that drastically boosts your comprehension speed! The effect lasts three days and three nights—perfect for those looking to break through.” 

It seemed pretty good to Zane, but Reina shook her head. "We can probably get stuff like this in the S-rank dungeon," she said. "We’re here for the very best, stuff we probably can't get anywhere else."

Zane nodded.

Soon…

"And now," said Auctioneer Yultan, baring glistening, unnaturally white teeth. "The moment you’ve all been waiting for… the unveiling of our nine S+-ranked treasures!"

He cleared his throat and paused for no reason at all, soaking in everyone’s attention. Tens of thousands of them were hanging onto his every word. 

“First up,” roared Yultan. “A complete Tier 4 Inheritance of the Deep Earth Hall—the Path of the Endless Abyss!” 

A chunky silver trunk dropped onto the podium. It opened up.

There, nestled in plush red velvet, was a massive tome. It looked like one of those grimoires meant to summon demons; its spine and cover were made of pure white marble. The lettering was a flowing black, moving like smoke. The tome opened of its own accord, fluttering its pages—each massive page was stone too, with that same smoky lettering. It closed. And a black steel chain bound it tight.

“This tome contains the perfected Tier 4 Path, the Path of the Endless Abyss!” said Yultan. “One of the most prominent paths of the Deep Earth Hall—a path one can walk all the way to the 7th Tier. Refined by 10,000 Masters over nearly one million years… this treasure contains a Law Recording demonstrating its use. Notes on key insights and its core concepts, such as the Void and Gravity Wells. And one Earth-rank Offensive Skill, and one Earth-rank Defensive Skill. Folks, this tome contains one of the most jealously guarded secrets of one of the Nine Great Factions. Just to make sense of it, you’ll have to sign a soul contract never to share it. It’s rare indeed the Hall allows a copy out of its confines…”

He took a deep breath. And boomed, “Bidding starts… at two hundred credits!”

Hundreds of voices shouted out at once—all from the top decks.

“210!” 

“220!” 

“240!”

“275 credits,” said a smooth deep voice. Zane frowned at a soul that went up to his chest. He knew who that was. It had to be Eze.

He remembered Eze said he’d gotten a partial Inheritance before—and that’d already skyrocketed his powers. Zane supposed he wanted the full one.

“290,” said another voice. 

“310,” Eze countered.

The voice had sharply dropped off by now. It was just four or five going for it. It kept rising, and rising, until—

“345,” said a green-skinned man.

“360,” said Eze instantly.

A silence.

“Sold!” said Yultan. “My deepest congratulations to the gentleman in booth 9331! You’re leaving with a true treasure of this galaxy.”

The chest, and the tome, both vanished.

If Eze could make use of that Inheritance—and Zane was sure he’d go at it night and day, working like a demon—Zane had no doubt his power would grow explosively. Only others with a similar Inheritance could keep up. 

“But to the rest of you, don’t be too disappointed…” said Yultan gleefully. “The treasures are just getting started! Next up… A complete Tier 4 Inheritance of the Cult of Eternal Ice! This contains the Tome of Permafrost, a potent Path indeed…” 

Another silver trunk popped up. This time the tome within seemed carved out of sheer ice. A cold mist drifted off it… 

And yet another bidding war erupted. 

This time it was won by a lady with a flat voice. She nearly went up to his chest. He was pretty sure that was Irina Volkova. There was another soul almost identical to her own, standing next to her.

“Our next S+-ranked treasure,” called Yultan. “The Tier 4 Water Inheritance, the Path of Rising Tides!” 

This one reached nearly 400 credits—and it was won by the boy with the cat ears.

Each S+-ranked treasure that passed, Reina got more and more tense.

Then—

“And now,” said Yultan. “A truly unique treasure. A complete Inheritance coming from the Azure Flame Faction. It was the Path its Founder used to ascend all the way to Tier 8… but it comes with a warning! It is also the least popular of the major paths of the Azure Flame Faction by far. For good reason. It is infamously difficult to practice, much less master… but those that do gain access to one of the most destructive forces in the Universe.”

Yultan smiled. “I speak, of course, of True Stormfire. Our next S+-grade Inheritance: A Complete Tier 4 Inheritance of the Azure Flame Faction, the Tome of True Stormfire!” 

Another silver chest burst into existence. The moment this one cracked open, it started trembling. Four black chains held it tight to the podium. More chains strapped down the tome within. But it bucked like a wild stallion. Bright blue letters were carved on ash-black cover.

“This feisty little thing contains all True Stormfire’s core concepts,” said Yultan. “A Law sermon showing its many uses—and an Earth-rank offensive and defensive Skill. Those who walk the Path of Stormfire are fated to either perish quickly and violently—or live to carve their names in legend…will you take the gamble, dear patron?” 

Yultan had done a good job of selling it. A good quarter of the upper levels were craning their heads for a better look. 

“Ready?” said Zane. 

Reina bit her lip—she was nervous. But underneath it all she felt confident, too. She nodded. 

“Bidding starts… at two hundred and fifty credits!” 

And a flurry of bids poured in.