Chapter 49 - A Treasure Worth a Kingdom (1)

"Is there any way to retrieve my items early?" Lance asked the servant as he ushered him forward.

"Of course. Upon doing so, the money you deposited will be accepted by the auction house," the servant replied.

"How much do you make a year doing this?" Lance asked.

"10,000 demon spirit coins," the servant answered.

"Rather lucrative. A thousand can last a family for a little over a year. How would you and your friend in the V.I.P. Box, the one with the guy who bought the great sword, like to make a million demon spirit coins each?" Lance grinned.

"I would love to make that," the servant smiled, his voice lowering.

"This vial contains an odorless poison. Have the servant drug the man's alcohol. It will make him sleep for about ten minutes. The time interval is short due to its effectiveness. After forty-eight hours, he dies. Then, disguise yourself as the man using the bracelet I won and make it public that you accepted the great sword early. When it is complete, give me my treasures, and I will give you the usual auction card. Inside will be 306 million demon spirit coins. You and your friend can each have 1 million, and the auction house will get 4 million for a job well done and silence. The 300 million will raise my deposit to 600 million. Did you catch all that?" Lance asked. "If you and your friend complete this, I'll also give you each an additional 10 million, and the auction house will keep the profit from the skill sold. Do we have a deal?"

"Of course," the servant smiled. "The bracelet, great sword, and book of the dead will be given to you shortly. The auction house thanks you for your generosity."

"Then you may go," Lance said. He did this so he could automatically leave the auction house, as others would expect him to take a while to retrieve his items and money.

The auction house would be sure to have some sort of monitoring magical treasure to prevent corruption by the servants. By giving the auction house his profits, he ensured their silence on the matter of the theft as well. Only the man who had pissed him off would lose, as the auction house would have proof that they had given him the great sword.

"Money talks," Lance said, smacking his lips after sipping more cider. He watched as Item Numbers 6 and 5 were sold, grinning as the servant returned with the task completed. He couldn't tell Mei about this; that was the main reason he sent her away. He was trying to change. He had to look the part.

"Item Number 4 is an exquisite slave duo from a continent to the far east," the curator said, unveiling a giant canvas to reveal a woman and a magical beast with collars on their necks. "Feast your eyes on beings from the continent to the far east. These are beings whose potential surpasses the Meteor Vessel Stage! They have the potential to become Earth Mortals, at least. This is guaranteed by the Gold Lotus Auction House. The girl's bountiful curves and her cultivation at the middle Element Adept Stage at the age of seventeen, combined with the magical beast at the peak of the Element Adept Stage; these two are a true wonder."

"I must have that woman. The magical beast could be another guard," the crown prince said, smacking his lips. Unlike Lance, none of the other V.I.P.s dared to bid against the crown prince. It was because they cared about their mortal affairs and their connection to the empire. Lance didn't. That is why only he had the possibility to ascend. Mortal affairs didn't hold him back.

"I bid 200 million," the crown prince said, staring in the direction of Lance's V.I.P. Box.

"200 million going once. Twice. Sold to the crown prince for 200 million," the curator said, the crown prince banging his fist as his ploy to make Lance waste so much backfired on himself.

"Why did you not pay for them?" the crown prince roared.

"I frown upon buying slaves," Lance said and thought, "Besides, when this is over, I'm gonna kill you anyway. Mei will need a friend, and I could use a magical beast."

Lance had changed enough to desire a woman's companionship, yet he still needed to have his first magical beast. He was the ultimate snake magical beast, so he didn't need one as he could tame them all. He was the World Serpent. They had no choice but to kneel before him.

If he was to be a World Serpent, he would prove his might by having an avian magical beast. It would also serve to control his snakes, being his executioner in times of rebellion. However, it would be his third. He still needed time before he could accept possessing one. A snake that controls a bird is to prove his dominance over the bird.

The magical beast beside the girl, with a body that drew a man's lust, was a panther magical beast. It was a magical beast of speed, a fighting style that disagreed with Lance. Those who wielded spears used overwhelming strength, reflexes, and the flexibility of the shaft of their spear to kill others. This panther would serve to substitute for the speed he lacked in combat. He had never eaten such a panther before, nodding his head, as it must be a variant magical beast. He could see the envy in the eyes of the V.I.P. Boxes in the lower row. They obviously wanted the woman for sex and the magical beast for being a variant.

"The mortal must be cast aside or forever remain. Ascension is above the mortal, and the Heavens cast their tribulation on the unworthy," Lance muttered, his eyes glancing at the woman before watching the panther leave. Attaining both would also serve as information about more of the outside world. In the future, when he opened up his feelings, the Libido Statue, which makes a man temporarily impotent and ensures safety, would be a nice pastime to enjoy with the woman.

"To experience puberty again is torture," Lance sighed as he watched Item Number 3 get bought by a woman in V.I.P. Box 2.

"We will now auction Item Number 2. Ladies and gentlemen, Item Number 2 is none other than a mana stone," the curator smiled.

"A mana stone? Those are things that can increase cultivation for mages! It is the ultimate tool of mages, as it stores mana," a man below cried.

"Fool! There's more to it than that. A soul stone can store spirit energy and fuel one's practitioner arts. However, a mana stone can store mana and allow a practitioner to absorb it to become a mage. Mana is an even higher form of spirit energy, the pure essence of the world! Even most elite mages only have a staff with a soul stone. Mana stones—those things are treasures above treasures!" another cried.

"I can use that for my spear. Mages use staffs, and a spear is similar. I can have it within the broken gap in the giant blade after I decrease the size," Lance thought and said, "210 million!"

"220," a man in V.I.P. Box 4 cried.

"250 million," Lance said.

"300 million," the man in the box said, growling at Lance.

"350 million," Lance said. He had to have it. Mana stones were rare, even in his day. Not only that, they collected mana on their own. They were the equivalent of refueling magical beast cores at the Earth Mortal Stage! His body would fuel his practitioner arts, and the mana stone would fuel his mage arts. It was perfect!

"455 million," the man said, veins bulging on his temple as it was his limit. People cried out, as 455 million was a monumental amount to them. Were these people not going for Item Number 1? To a practitioner, a mana stone was just a trinket.

"500 million," Lance said, as he didn't want to take chances. None of the other members of the V.I.P. Box decided to bid either, the man above roaring with anger. Lance stared at the red sphere with red aura wisps emanating from it as runes rotated within. It was his. It was meant to be. Those other people just wanted Item Number 1.

"500 million going once. Twice. Sold! Congratulations to V.I.P. Box 7," the curator said, just imagining the commission he and the auction house would get before the money was transferred to the seller. 500 million was too low, worth only 50 million in the continent to the south.

However, this was the Pangu Continent, and they had no cultivation resources for mages. Magic was a foreign thing. Besides, the complete corpse of an Earth Mortal rank magical beast was a true treasure in their eyes, worth a kingdom. It would allow them to break past the near impenetrable bottleneck between the peak Meteor Vessel Stage and the initial Earth Mortal Stage. The whole body needed to be refined, and this was a complete body with its magical beast core!

"I'm leaving," Lance said silently after he got the mana stone and all the items he needed in his storage ring. "The auction house can keep the rest of the deposit, you keeping ten percent of it. Just ensure no one reports what I looked like. They could not see me from below. I do not want to be followed."

"Of, of course," the servant whispered excitedly and checked the hallway before Lance exited. Lance bound the bracelet to himself, changing his appearance and clothes before exiting the auction as he asked to be thrown out as a trespasser would. The servant nodded, as most

commoners were not allowed in the main building, and Lance successfully escaped.

He waited by the front gate of the auction house, biding his time to see the crown prince. He would have to act fast and kill faster. He had paid the auction house to tell him where the secret exit of the auction house was. The crown prince was sure to use that exit. With no witnesses, he would kill the crown prince and his entourage before making his escape.