Chapter 539: Bidding
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Unfortunately, the Duke of Hedrick encountered Rodhart, the condemned Retribution Knight who almost destroyed the entire Breezy Plains. Rodhart made the level-22 Legendary Sword Sage seem insignificant even though the two of them were both powerful. Although Hedrick relied on the Twilight Dragon Armor to increase his strength by one level, he was still worlds apart from the level-25 Retribution Knight Rodhart.
Actually, Hedrick could have avoided the battle at first. Although he was no match for Retribution Knight Rodhart, he could’ve still escaped death easily. However, not only did he not shun the fight, he even voluntarily battled Rodhart despite knowing that he was no match for him. He did that all for the sake of buying some time before Prophet Willen of the Brilliance Shrine arrived.
The Twilight Dragon Armor, famous for its impeccable durability, unfortunately did not protect Hedrick from Rodhart’s attack. In fact, no armor would be able to shield its wearer from the Eternal Frost Blade, regardless of how strong it might be. During that disaster in the Breezy Plains, Hedrick was not the only one at the Legendary-realm who had fallen. However, he was deeply remembered by everyone who still argued and discussed whether or not his sacrifice was worth it.
The material used for the Twilight Dragon Armor was not actually the scales of a real ancient dragon, but the body of a magical beast that descended from an ancient dragon. Dragons were amorous by nature, and there were plenty of them on the entire mainland. That magical beast was considered to be a pure-blood that had descended from the ancient dragon. Its firm and hard scales were not inferior to those of the dragons.
One of the most powerful attributes of the Twilight Dragon Armor was that it could amplify Combat Energy, and Hedrick could use the boost to increase his strength from level-22 to level-23. The difference of one level was actually very significant, for it was enough to multiply his Combat Energy several times. That alone was an irresistible temptation for a Warrior.
Hedrick died after being stabbed by Rodhart’s sword. Ever since then, the Twilight Dragon Armor disappeared. Some said that Rodhart had absconded with the loot, while others said that Prophet Willen might have taken the armor away. There were also those who said that it might be hidden in the treasure vault of the Brilliance Shrine. In short, there were all sorts of speculations, and apart from the VIP guests who had obtained the auction catalog in advance, no one else had expected that the Twilight Dragon Armor, which had been missing for nearly a thousand years, would actually appear at this auction.
“I know that at the instant that the box was opened, there must have been lots of questions and doubts that arose within you guys. I can clearly answer everyone… Yes, this is Twilight Dragon Armor which had once been worn by Duke Hedrick, and had gone missing for nearly a thousand years,” the auctioneer said to the audience.
The auctioneer’s firm a.s.sertion caused a huge uproar amongst the audience. The showstopper of the auction turned out to be the Twilight Dragon Armor which had been worn by Duke Hedrick, and had gone missing for nearly a thousand years. Apart from feeling astonished, everyone else was also feeling excited and curious.
“This is the Twilight Dragon Armor that the Grand Duke Hedrick had used before. Red scales from the ribs of a dragon were used for the breastplate. The rest of the armor was made using the selected scales of the adult Twilight Dragon magical beast…” The auctioneer paused for a while before continuing, “Bidding starts at 200,000 gold coins. The auction begins!”
“210,000 gold coins!”
As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, a man who had thick brown beard began calling his bid eagerly below the stage. Everyone began to get riled up.
“It’s the captain of the Angla Mercenary Regiment, comprised of 1000 mercenaries,” William said nonchalantly to Lin Li. He kept the introduction brief because he felt that the captain was rather insignificant.
Lin Li only nodded after listening to what he said. In fact, he was equally uninterested in the Twilight Dragon Armor as he was in the captain. Although they were seated quite a distance away from the stage, Lin Li could see the texture of the Twilight Dragon Armor very clearly.
Although the first impression that most people would have of the Twilight Dragon Armor was that it was a highly durable and strong armor made of scales, the scales were not made of metal, and were, in fact, natural ones of the magical beast. The durability of the scales on various parts of the body was also different. Lin Li could tell that the scales on the armor were only of middle-grade quality, and that those on the breastplate of the Twilight Dragon Armor were not the scales of a mature Crimson Dragon. After all, the magical beasts were only descendants of the dragons, and were not pure-blooded. If it had really been comparable to the ma.s.sive dragon’s scales, the designer wouldn’t have opted to use the scales of a Crimson Dragon.
The only thing worth mentioning was the armor’s ability to increase the wearer’s Combat Energy. However, the effects would be more obvious if the armor was donned by a powerful Warrior. A level-9 Warrior would at most have his strength increased to level-10 after putting on the Twilight Dragon Armor. Only a Legendary Sword Sage like Hedrick would be able to unleash the potential of the Twilight Dragon Armor to the fullest and maximize its attributes.
Although plenty of skills had been lost during the Dark Age, the world had undergone development for over 1000 years; hence, the Twilight Dragon Armor might not be able to entice Legendary powerhouses. To put it simply, Lin Li felt that the Twilight Dragon Armor was more of a collectible that lacked practicality. Although it’d been a Legendary-level armor, it was now more suitable for level-15 to level-19 individuals.
After calling his bid, the bearded man returned to his seat and looked around continuously because he knew that it definitely wouldn’t be that easy to purchase the Twilight Dragon Armor.
A redhead who was seated in the front row raised his hand, and calmly said, “250,000 gold coins.”
250,000 gold coins was not a huge sum for those who could be granted entry to the auction. However, the bearded man’s face grew sullen while he glanced at the eye-catching redhead from behind. After much consideration, he patted his knees dejectedly, and decided not to stand up to bid.
The redhead might not be too daunting to others, but the captain of the Angla mercenary regiment who was also from the Breezy Plains did not have the courage to stand up to the strongest force in the east of the Breezy Plains, the Wolf Brothers’ a.s.sociation, for fear of getting into a conflict.
The Wolf Brothers’ a.s.sociation was established by three brothers. The eldest brother, Quito, was a level-17 Warrior, while the second and third brothers were a level-15 Mage and level-16 Bandit, respectively. Although their force had only been established for over 10 years, they had already secured a footing in the east of the Breezy Plains.
Although all three of them were red-haired, that particular redhead was still recognizable from the back, and the bearded man could tell who he was. Unlike the other two brothers who were less unreasonable, Sarde could not tolerate anyone going against him. He was a level-16 Bandit who was good at ambushing and a.s.sa.s.sination. When the Wolf Brothers’ a.s.sociation had been just established, many of his opponents died under his dagger.
“270,000!”
Although the bearded man was afraid of the Wolf Brothers’ a.s.sociation, the Breezy Plains was huge, and there were plenty of other people who disregarded the Wolf Brothers even though the VIPs on the second floor remained silent.
“300,000!” Sarde continued to bid. He was not that silly to think that everyone was afraid of him, and that he could a.s.sert dominance over everyone here like he did in the east of the Breezy Plains. If he were to resort to other means to force others not to vie with him, he would probably end up angering William.
“Ladies and gentlemen, could you please show some sincerity? This is the Twilight Dragon Armor that had been used by Duke Hedrick. Please don’t insult it by increasing your bids by such pathetic amounts. I call 400,000 gold coins!” one of the guests said, standing up while scanning the crowd. Although it seemed silly to call a bid of 400,000 gold coins, the bidder was rather shrewd.
In the VIP room upstairs, William witnessed the scene, and smilingly said to Lin Li, “That man is Rickermay, the largest grain merchant in Roland City. Although he is a little bit sn.o.bbish, he’s got good judgment.”
Indeed, 400,000 gold coins was a reasonable price for the Twilight Dragon Armor—any higher, and it would exceed the value of the armor. Anyone who called for a higher bid would either be desperate or just doing it out of spite. By calling a bid of 400,000, Rickermay was not only pleasing William, he also put himself in a risk-free position. It was no wonder that he was a businessman.
“420,000!”
Someone else called for a higher bid. However, William actually didn’t have to introduce him this time, because Lin Li had just heard his voice yesterday.
Not knowing that Lin Li had already known Sienna beforehand, William started to introduce the latter to Lin Li enthusiastically.
“You don’t have to introduce him. We know each other,” Lin Li said smilingly.
“Oh?” William could tell from Lin Li’s expression that he did not dislike Sienna. Suddenly curious, he began to recall that the Tower of Dusk was established at the same time that Sienna’s mercenary regiment rose in Roland City, and could not help but wonder if the two of them were in close contact.
“450,000!” Sarde exclaimed while shifting his cold gaze away from Rickermay before staring at Sienna, who had just placed his bid, though not in a threatening manner. The strong would not have to be afraid of the powerful locals. Not to mention, Sienna was not any weaker than the Wolf Brothers’ a.s.sociation.
Rickermay wiped the cold sweat off of his head. Sarde’s eyes which resembled that of a venomous snake made him feel a little frightened. Although he was fortunate to have been invited to the auction, he was only a businessman, after all; hence, he was afraid of the ruthless Bandit.