Chapter 22 - Auction House Part 2

"I'll have to choose a path once I reach the peak of the second stage of Spirit Shaman. There is still a long way to go before I think about forming a true Archon body," Agemo sighed as he put the books away and lay back down to sleep.

The next day, Agemo left the participant dormitories and headed for the auction house. As he left, he saw several Practitioners sweating as they desperately tried to cultivate. Many of them complained and wished they had a demonic core or spirit pill. Agemo walked by and asked the guards for directions. Finally, he arrived in front of a large, golden building.

This was the auction house Meng Ce had mentioned. There were three auditoriums: one for vendors selling various wares, another for vendors selling magical beasts and alchemical materials with guards for safety, and the largest one where the auctions took place. Agemo stopped by and sold the goods he didn’t need directly to the auditorium for a few hundred spirit pills. Not a bad haul already.

"Halt. Access to today's auction requires a ten gold coin admission fee, but you will not be allowed to bid. You may pay one hundred gold coins for a seat and the right to bid, or upgrade to a VIP box for one hundred thousand gold coins," a guard at Spirit Knight tier warned, wearing silver armor made from a magical beast.

"I'll pay for a seat," Agemo said, handing over the hundred gold coins.

"Fee has been paid. You are assigned to area 3B, the seats to the right of the stage. Please be advised that all bids are final. Failure to pay will result in service to the auction house, with the length dependent on the amount unpaid and the item in question," the guard warned, scrutinizing Agemo’s appearance. "Mage items are expected to be the most costly. Practitioner weapons of famous individuals will also be auctioned, as well as a few scrolls."

"I'm not a mage. Are there any peculiar items for Practitioners being sold, such as powerful techniques or rare spirit pills?" Agemo asked.

"Yes. All kinds of items are being sold today. More than usual, as the tournament is ongoing and today is a day of reprieve. We hope to sell most of our rarest commodities today," the guard nodded. "Go on in, and thank you for coming to the Korgar Auction House."

"Hello, hello, hello to you all. Ladies and gentlemen, lords and ladies, welcome to the Korgar Auction House. Today, we have a special lineup due to the ever-increasing popularity of the various tournaments in our great capital. Without further ado, let us begin the bidding," a man in a shiny gold vest and long-sleeved silver shirt announced as several women in silver two-piece outfits arrived with the merchandise.

Many people cheered upon seeing the merchandise. Some were overjoyed with their purchases, others lamented the higher-than-expected bids, and many more were disappointed when someone else bought what they wanted. Nobles felt a rush and a sense of accomplishment by outbidding others, seeing it as a testament to their wealth.

"Item number 46 is bought by the lady with the ruby raccoon scarf for three hundred and fifty thousand gold coins. Congratulations," the auctioneer clapped as a magnificent white staff adorned with eight mana stones was taken off the stage.

"Item number 47 is three giant mana stones of the fire element. The starting bid is one hundred thousand gold coins," the auctioneer started, and a final bid was made five minutes later. "Sold for seven hundred and eighty thousand gold coins."

"Item 51 is the fabled Necklace of the Panther Queen, a lost necklace recently recovered from the corpse of a Hyperion. Its effect is reducing mana consumption by half and doubling mana recovery. The starting bid is two hundred and fifty thousand gold coins... Sold for 1.2 million gold coins," the auctioneer cheered.

"Item number 77: the fabled Sentinel Bow. Once used by an archer to defend a lost kingdom from magical beasts. Few can shoot the arrow more than once a year, but its legend speaks of its power. The starting bid is five hundred thousand gold coins," the auctioneer explained, faking tears of admiration. "Apologies; the true legend gives it enough praise."

"Not a Practitioner weapon," one murmured.

"Only able to use it once? Not worth it. It's just an antique," another agreed.

"Half a million for a one-time use? I'm not paying for that," another scoffed. "So what if it is powerful? The method to shoot it more than once is lost."

"Five hundred and seven thousand," Agemo said. A bow had its uses, and it was a magical item that would come in handy.

"No other takers? Sold!" the auctioneer said, nodding in thanks to Agemo as the auction continued.

"At last, we arrive at Item 99. The last item before today's main attraction. As noted, only VIP members are allowed to bid for the last item. Experience is everything in the auction. Some of you could have bought items at a cheaper price, but veterans made you bid higher. If you are a VIP and a newcomer, it will be difficult for you to buy the last item," the auctioneer smiled.

"Item 99 is a stone talisman recovered from an ancient ruin to the north. It is covered with various runes. The exact nature of the runes is unknown, but the talisman is about two inches long, made of a rare metal that shines and is as clear as crystal. We have verified its ability to detect elemental spirit essence and transform them into elixirs. It is believed to aid in spirit cultivation. Note that you should only drink the elixirs corresponding to the element you can use. With this talisman, you don't need to be an alchemist to obtain high-quality elixirs. The starting bid is one hundred and fifty thousand gold coins."

Many people, mostly nobles and mages, wondered why such an item would be the last public item. There were more mages, and the starting bid was low. Few Practitioners knew the value of such a talisman. Many started bidding immediately, and the price steadily rose to over five hundred thousand.

"Six hundred thousand," Agemo said, raising his hand.

"Six hundred and ten thousand," someone from a VIP box voiced.

"Six hundred and fifty thousand," Agemo shrugged.

"Six hundred and sixty thousand!" the voice roared, clearly agitated by the challenge.

"Six hundred and seventy thousand," Agemo sighed, clearly amused by the tone, causing snickers to spread through the auditorium.

"Seven hundred thousand! I dare you to bid more!" the voice roared.

"This is fun. How high can you go? I bid eight hundred thousand. Just how high will he go? This man's desperation amuses me. Perhaps his background is not so refined," Agemo grinned.

"Eight hundred and thirty thousand," the man grumbled.

"One million gold coins," Agemo chuckled, causing the auditorium to gasp.

"Why bid so high? There are plenty of other methods to detect spirit energy essence," a man asked.

"My friend, you just don't know how it works. This is the thrill of the auction. Sometimes, you bid higher for face. Honor or face can make the man," Agemo answered, drawing nods from the veterans. "Only a fool buys a VIP box outright. Of course, the bid will accelerate quickly if one VIP member bids and another decides to challenge."

"You! You!" the man from above roared, drawing a long black-bladed spear. "You dare mess with a Spirit Knight?"

"I come from a clan of Spirit Masters. What do I care for a lone Spirit Knight who is clearly the lord of his clan? Don't tell me you think you're the most powerful or possess more resources than others in this room. Is this your first time at an auction house? Do you not know the rules?" Agemo chuckled. "Host, I believe he has drawn his weapon and violated the rules. Please inform him of the consequences."

"Of course. The price of threatening a guest is mandatory ten years of servitude and revoking the bidding price to the intended victim's first price. In this case, the bid is decreased to six hundred thousand gold coins," the auctioneer smiled. "Impressive for a boy below the age of thirteen."

"Would you believe me if I told you I died as an adult and was given a second chance at life?" Agemo laughed, with other bidders joining in as the guards dragged the man in the VIP box away.

"Are there no further bids? No? Sold! Item 99 goes to the young Practitioner. Congratulations. Honored bidders, this concludes the public bidding. Item 100 is solely for VIP bidders. If you are not a VIP, please proceed to the exit. Thank you for visiting the Korgar Auction House today," the host smiled and bowed deeply as Agemo and the others left.

"Huh. I actually said 'face.' Perhaps some memories don't require a flashback to return. Interesting," Agemo pondered aloud as a servant led him to a private area and handed him the stone talisman and the Sentinel Bow.

"Now that the main auction is done, I should go buy some magical beast meat. Nothing tastes better. I should also stock up for when I decide to hatch the dragon egg. I’ll head to the other auditorium to browse their wares as well. I need a flying sword; it will be more convenient for travel. I might even find other rare treasures," Agemo nodded and left the

main auditorium area.

He browsed the smaller building in the west wing and bought several tons of magical beast meat. Some people asked him why he bought so much. He merely told them that he loved meat, which was true. Nothing was better than meat. Agemo then headed to the east wing. He saw several Practitioners from the tournament scrambling to find a vendor selling spirit pills at the lowest prices.

"Hello there. Looking to buy?" a vendor smiled.

"Do you know who might be selling a flying sword?" Agemo asked.

"Ah, you’re a Practitioner boy? Hm, pity. Well, Old Martin might still be selling some flying swords and the like," the vendor smiled.

"Thanks," Agemo said, tossing a gold coin.

"Oh? Not a silver coin? Even better. Thanks," the vendor said and pointed Agemo in Martin's direction.

100 coppers = 1 silver. 100 silver = 1 gold. Despite attempts to change currency, gold remained the most coveted among nobility, and auctions only accepted gold coins.

"Old Martin?" Agemo asked a stout old man.

"Hm? You know me, boy? Did Craig send you? Must have liked you. I only sell flying magical items. The norm is flying swords, but some buy flying daggers and whatnot. So, what are you interested in?" Martin asked.

"I'm looking for a flying sword. One that's durable and won’t break easily. Actually, make that two. One for me and one for my master. He's an adult," Agemo answered.

"Charitable lad. Good. Treat your friends well and your enemies without mercy. Mercy only pisses them off. You're doing good, kid. Wait here," Martin said and returned with two huge swords made of stone. "These are made from the stones of a Black-Stoned Armadillo of the seventh rank. Only useful for people below the Spirit Knight stage. They cost a thousand gold each. It ain't easy to make them, and it’s hard to find materials suited for them. Not hard to kill the magical beasts, though, if you know their weaknesses. I know their weaknesses."

"Thanks," Agemo smiled, storing the flying swords away as he paid. "Do you know any vendors selling anything out of the ordinary?"

"One is selling a copper mirror. Claims it can detect all life forms within three dozen miles. Proved it too, but it's useless to those with high spirit sensitivity. There’s also a peculiar book," Martin said.

"A book?" Agemo asked.

"A book," Martin nodded. "It’s a nasty piece of work. Whoever made it was definitely mad. It’s a magical item, not a technique or written work. The pages always empty themselves with a new owner. It has an infinite number of pages."

"What does it do?" Agemo asked.

"I don’t know. It just felt wrong. Sent chills down my spine. It felt bad, real bad," Martin said. "He also sells other stuff. Good? Evil? The man says they're just two different points of view. He goes by the name Seto. Not hard to find. Only one with a shady store all black. His store is three stories tall, unlike mine. The guy must have paid a lot to get that space. Good luck. Stay away from that book. It’s bad news."

Agemo nodded but remained curious about the book. Martin was right; it didn’t take long to find the store. Many stalls were crowded, but they avoided the large black store with three levels. Seto must have paid a fortune to build such a structure within the auction house.

Two golems with large black swords stood in front of a large black door with a silver handle.

"Only Practitioners allowed. Once inside, a purchase must be made. Loitering not permitted. Store regulations approved by the Korgar Auction House," one golem stated.

"Spirit Pulse detected. Mystic Stone detected. Practitioner identity verified. You may proceed into the store. Welcome to Seto's Marvels," the other golem said, its stone eyes glowing silver before returning to stone.

"Those are impressive," Agemo admired as the golems parted to let him in. "I definitely need to buy one of those when I visit a martial sect or academy."