When Jacqueline finished her introduction, the already feverish atmosphere erupted.
Auctions were unique events, meaning that when one did occur, everyone wanted to participate in it.
In short, attending was a symbol of prestige and wealth.
Suddenly, two well-dressed men pushing a cart appeared on the stage. The item on it was covered by a black silk cloth, making the spectators murmur between each other.
What could it possibly be?
After letting the tension build up a little more, Jacqueline removed it in a beautiful and fluid movement that emphasized her grace.
The item was... a plant! It had green leaves that were shaped like folding fans.
"This plant is a 100 years old Ginkgo, renowned to help the mind. Very useful when meditating after training. The starting bid is at 20 gold!"
Everybody started madly bidding, as if their pockets were bottomless pits. As for Derrick, he wasn't interested since he had the system to help him progress.
"42!"
The hall went silent and Jacqueline concluded the sale. It went to someone who appeared to be a scholar, indicating it would definitely serve its purpose.
After a few moments, another cart came in and, with another swift movement, Jacqueline exposed the new item.
This time, it was a big purple gemstone.
"This gem is tanzanite. Its reputation to store magic is well-known across the continent, and its prowess is only limited by its supplies. This gem in particular can store an intermediate spell and unleash it whenever the caster desires. The starting bid is 60 gold!"
Gasps were heard throughout the room, and even some VIP lounges seemed interested.
Derrick was as well, but he didn't have a spell that could be stored like this, so he again decided to bide his time.
Everyone began to bid ferociously.
In the end, the final bid went to the third VIP lounge on the left, at a price of 150 gold, making Derrick slightly smile.
If his competitors could empty their pockets before it arrived at an item he desired, it'd be for the best.
After the same routine, the cart came back on stage and the next item exposed was a thick and ancient book. With her melodious voice, Jacqueline began to describe it.
"This book has a special origin. Since the person auctioning it didn't leave us many details, we can only tell you that it's a book concerning necromancy. Yes, necromancy. Of course, as it's a banned practice, its only purpose is educational. The bid starts at 50 gold!"
Derrick couldn't believe what he had just heard. He was clearly blessed by the gods!
But in a stark contrast to his soaring excitement, the room's enthusiasm instantly died down, as everyone was uninterested or scared of owning such a thing.
This made Derrick wait before placing his bid, as purchasing such a thing meant he was definitely bound to attract attention.
After two other bids were placed, he decided it was time.
"60 gold!"
This surprised every guest present and made them all turn towards Derricks' room, wondering why such an important figure would bid on something so controversial.
But the necromancer couldn't care less. Such a book was invaluable to him. If he had to, he would have even bid all his gold.
Following a long silence, Jacqueline sighed and had no choice but to award the item for the low cost of 60 gold.
Derrick was excited, but it was soon followed by a sullen look.
Were necromancers that persecuted on the continent?
Still, he'd simply have to be even more careful to avoid raising suspicions.
After getting his item, Derrick laid back and enjoyed the show.
Various items popped up that would have been great for him, but he was strapped for money. He could only endure and hope that by his next time around, he'd have more funds available.
As the auction neared its end, it was finally time to see his craft's true value.
After a brief recess, Jacqueline once again appeared and smiled brilliantly to the crowd, now more feverish than ever. They all knew it was time to see the stars of the show.
"Dear guests, the final items auctioned have been obtained today by a provider who asked to remain anonymous, and we ask that you respect these wishes. With this out of the way and without further ado, here they are!"
This time and instead of a cart, four well-built butlers arrived from the backstage, each one holding a spear.
When the crowd saw the items, they were shocked, with some even rising from their seats.
Instead of an oral description like the previous items, a magic screen started hovering over Jacqueline, showing the weapons' descriptions.
[Spiritual Spear]
[Grade : Rare]
[Attack Power : 16]
[Abilities : Unstoppable Thrust (As its name implies, the thrust of this spear is unstoppable once in motion. Cooldown : 1 day)]
[Description : Carved from the bones of an 'overclocked' Leshi]
The people who were already shocked now nearly fainted from excitement, while the butlers from the VIP rooms could be heard hurrying around.
Derrick was, once again, stunned. Brigand had explained their values, but not to that extent.
"Ladies and gentlemen, these four pieces come in a set that is valued at 400 gold. May the best win!"
"450! Please give the Gerald's family face! We will owe you a favor!"
"500! The Gerald family can fuck off for all I care!"
"550! Anyone else bidding will meet our wrath!!!"
"Bahahaha, your wrath ain't worth shit! 600!"
The nobles' representatives were almost in a fist-fight over the weapons, whilst the VIP rooms were evaluating their worth and making sure that they were worthy of the colossal investment.
They knew they were extraordinary, but to what extent was the question.
After a few bids that had brought their value to 800, the room right next to Derrick finally made its move.
"1000"
Silence.
Even the other rooms were stunned. 800 had already been a lot, but 1000 was another story.
Everyone really wanted these weapons, but they just couldn't afford to cripple their finances while doing so.
As such, the majority of the bidders reluctantly bowed out, throwing envious glances at the room that had made this rich bid.
Meanwhile, Derrick was jumping around like a kid, much to the dismay of his butler.
"I'll be able to hire the best specialists there are!"
After a few seconds, Jacqueline called the last transaction of the night and profusely thanked everyone for attending.
After the conclusion, Derrick received his book and payment, which now amounted to a massive 940 gold coins.
The pouch was so large that Derrick's eyes couldn't leave it.
Following his butler, he then headed back to his room.
However, he kept feeling a pair of eyes on him, and it became clear that someone was tracking him.
With his joy dampened, he asked Io to use echolocation and find the culprit.
[One target found. Would you like to see the map?]
"Yes"
The map sprung up in his consciousness, and he saw the plans of the building with a pulsing red dot.
"System, can I use appraisal on this target?"
[Affirmative]
"Please proceed"
[???]
[Strength : 14]
[Agility : ??]
[Endurance : 12]
[Vitality : 10]
[Magic Power : 10]
[Traits : Shadow Stealth (Allows its user to stalk and assassinate its preys without being detected)]
[Weakness : ???]
Derrick's blood grew cold and he shivered. This was an opponent way stronger than he had anticipated.
It also wasn't time to confront it, and so he simply continued towards his room.
Knowing that he was watched was already great information, even if it meant he'd need to restrain his future actions.
After arriving in his room, he quickly took out his newly acquired book and started browsing through it.
The cover was made of black leather and its pages were made of parchment that had yellowed out with time.
As for the inscriptions, they were unintelligible, prompting Derrick to ask the system, but when he was about to do so, Brigand barged in his room unannounced.
"It's time to go to the Slave market"