"500!"The audience turned their attention to the modified voice that came out of Derrick"s booth. To throw away such a sum for something that was no more than a decoration meant that this personage must be quite extraordinary. When they were about to discuss his potential ident.i.ty, another voice was heard.
"550"
Its nonchalance perturbed everyone, including Derrick. Was the other party bidding simply out of boredom?!
While clenching his teeth, Derrick continued.
"600"
"650"
"700"
"750"
The gallery below was getting more and more restless. The amount of wealth thrown back and forth made them shake with excitement. This was the true power they craved.
Meanwhile, Derrick"s face became quite unsightly. His gamble was becoming extremely expensive. Of course, he could recoup the losses with his crafts, but they were time-consuming and required rare materials.
After another minute, the price had already reached 1050 Gold coins.
"Pfffttt… What an overpay… Thanks for the entertainment"
The other voice was filled with contempt, looking down on the fool that probably ruined himself in order to pursue a pipe dream. The other interested parties had immediately let go when the item crossed the thousand mark, signaling the end of the sale.
Derrick was fuming in anger. He was pleased by the outcome, but being looked down upon didn"t sit well with him anymore. He was stronger than his previous weak self, so it was time to bite back.
"Imagine talking when you can"t even cough up such a paltry sum… Go back to your farms, peasant"
Absolute silence pervaded the hall and sharp intakes of air were heard. Who was this party to say that an amount like that was insignificant?!
Violent pressure burst out of the VIP lounge, clearly angered by Derrick"s provocation. It definitely wanted him to kowtow and apologize for his insolence by displaying its strength. Derrick was still sitting in his chair, now uncomfortable. It appeared that they were indeed quite strong, but it was nothing he couldn"t handle. With a scoff, he continued.
"Losing your tamper in a public venue? Are you simply a spoiled brat that hasn"t been taught manners?"
He couldn"t back down, or he would lose face. Even though he wanted to remain anonymous, building up a mysterious reputation would most-likely grant him benefits down the road.
Seeing the degrading situation, Jacqueline seized control and redirected all the attention to her.
"Dear Guests, may I remind you that those who do not respect the rules of our house will be barred from future events. Please behave yourselves"
The pressure that had enveloped Derrick vanished, relieving the n.o.bles below as well. They hadn"t been the targets, but the surrounding pressure greatly affected them.
Now that everything was under control, Jacqueline concluded the sale. Derrick"s Credit line took a huge hit, going from 1842 to 792 Gold coins. That"s right, Derrick had been granted a line of 2000 Gold coins, including the 500 he was already owed. However, this wasn"t the amount he would acquire in the end. This was simply spending money Brigand had agreed to loan till his items were sold.
The Egg was delivered to his room, and he immediately placed it in his pouch. He would now wait for the auction to unfold, satisfied with his purchase.
***
"Who"s that insolent b.a.s.t.a.r.d on the other end?!"
The young master was furiously pacing around the room, followed by a grizzled attendant who was trying to calm him down.
"We are investigating his origins, please be patient…"
"I"VE NEVER BEEN DISRESPECTED BEFORE! I WANT HIS HEAD!!!"
The unruly man reached out and grabbed a costly bottle of wine, before throwing it against the wall. It created an explosion that even splashed the a.s.signed butler that stood in a corner of the room. The butler was muscular and 6"5" tall, and he released an aura of oppression that he could barely hide. For the first time since the start of the auction, he raised his head and looked into the eyes of the young master. It sent s.h.i.+vers throughout his body.
The latter sat down again and ruminated alone, rejoicing at the fact that he would unleash all his displeasure on the unknown party that had dared insulting him…
***
The auction moved along nicely, with a few interesting items that Derrick would have bought if he wasn"t so poor. He once again swore that he would establish a flouris.h.i.+ng economy in Akata to finally start collecting taxes. He couldn"t always be limited in his expenditures.
The intermission arrived and Jacqueline told the guests that it would last 10 minutes. It was time to go get refreshments or more funds if they wanted to partic.i.p.ate in the latter half of the event.
The excitement Derrick felt was palpable. It was time to see his hard work pay off. Suddenly, he felt a pair of nefarious eyes on him.
"I should"ve known they wouldn"t just let the matter go…"
Derrick lamented a little before smirking. The cubicles were protected by strong magic that prevented parties from identifying each other, but it wouldn"t stop the truly motivated fellows. The necromancer couldn"t be bothered by the probe since he already knew that it was doomed to fail. Brigand a.s.sured him that he wouldn"t be found out, which could only mean one thing.
As suddenly as it arrived, the feeling disappeared. Alma had most-likely found and silenced the threat. Derrick admired her, as she truly was gifted.
He couldn"t help but wonder about the other party"s faces when they would learn of the unfortunate event…
The pause ended and Jacqueline once again walked unto the stage, still dazzling in her tight dress.
"It"s time to unveil the main attractions and to present what you"ve most-likely been waiting for! There will be 3 sets presented, so keep that in mind"
While saying her cue, a neatly dressed butler came from the backstage, armed with a spear and a large rectangular s.h.i.+eld. Their appearances were mesmerizing and their details indicated the work of an expert. When he was next to Jacqueline, she pointed her slender finger in the air and two magical screens appeared, showing the descriptions of the items.
[Ravenous Spear]
[Grade : Rare]
[Attack Power : 17]
[Ability : Transfusion (Will transfer 5% of the target"s power to its wielder. The empowerment will last for an entire day. Cooldown Timer : 7 days)]
[Description : Carved from the bones of a Ravenous Snake]
[Ravenous s.h.i.+eld]
[Grade : Rare]
[Defense Power : 19]
[Ability : Reflection (Reflects 2% of the strength of enemy attacks, magical or physical. Cooldown Timer : None)]
[Description : Made out of a Ravenous Snake"s skin and hardened muscles]
The VIP lounges once again emitted their pressures, but in a much more forceful manner. They had heard of last auction"s premier items, but they had remained doubtful. It had seemed farfetched at best, but now that they saw it for themselves, they would do anything to get their hands on them.
The entirety of the Auction house was in an uproar and Jacqueline let the tension build up once again, before continuing the presentation.
"This is the first set. The price starts at 500 Gold coins!"