The next day, as the sun set down and the night came, expensive cars with VIP guests made their way into the auditorium, located in the middle of B-city. The auditorium was huge with a beautiful garden surrounding it.
The male guests were wearing formal suits while the females were in their party gowns, looking gorgeous. They were arrogantly making their appearances, getting escorted by their bodyguards or you could say their gang members.
They didn't care whether they would annoy or get recognized by the police force or not. It was because although they were called underground forces and were hated to the core by the guilds, they were one of the powers stabilizing the city.
They kept the guilds in check and were responsible for maintaining the sudden emergence of spatial storms. Therefore, the police force gave them leeway. Also, one of the reasons why the auction was being held in such a conspicuous place.
The first to arrive here was the gang leaders from the small cities, i.e., cities except A, B, and C. Showing their invitation cards, they entered inside without much reception.
Neither the general public nor the attendees recognized them. After all, they were simply B-ranked warriors with no status. Only when the powerhouses of A-ranked showed up did everyone go wild.
"Eh! Isn't it the gang leader of the Iron Syndicate Gang from C-city?"
"I heard that he conquered a newly appeared dungeon in an hour."
"Holy! The members from A-city, the Inferno Cartel are here."
"It is said that their previous gang leader became an S-ranked warrior and then joined the military later on."
"Look there! Why is someone from the Arcane Order here?"
"Aren't they the top-notch guild of B-city?"
"What the hell is happening?"
"Shouldn't there be conflicts soon?"
When the crowd was getting restless, multiple chopping sounds reverberated in the sky.
"Damn! It's the military. Why are they in their helicopters?"
"Do they want to capture all of us in one swoop?"
The B-ranked warriors were panicked since they hadn't gotten the news. The military didn't bother explaining to these guys as they were unqualified.
Bang!
Among those helicopters, one landed on the nearby pad. From there, an old officer with multiple star insignias on his police shirt made his way.
Walking on the pebbled, soft, and cool path beneath his feet while nodding in appreciation at the neatly trimmed hedges and flowerbed, he reached a babbling brook.
Then he sat beside the bench and closed his eyes. "He isn't here, is he?" He spoke softly, making sure his subordinate behind could hear.
"Indeed. I believe he should be coming soon." The subordinate replied, giving the guests a threatening look from afar.
This caused them to back away, and nobody dared to greet the officer. Nonetheless, they weren't unhappy. Instead, awe was written all over their faces.
"Commander-in-Chief Maverick"
It was a title given to the person seated at the highest position of the police force. In addition, he was someone at the peak of A-rank with S-rank just at the door. The other scary thing was that he had the authority to deploy S-ranked heroes.
Thus, his presence brought immense pressure on them. Today's auction wasn't going to be simple.
Broom!Broom!
When the atmosphere was getting tense, loud noises of engines were heard, catching everyone's attention.
"The Vineyard Vixens."
They gasped, seeing the rowdy females riding classy bikes with tight suits and sunglasses.
These women stopped at the entrance but didn't enter. But rather they seemed as if they were waiting for something. They radiated a chilling aura, especially the one at the front.
Perceiving this disturbance, the guards wanted to talk with her. How could he allow them to block the doorway?
Although he was doing his job, he got rebuked hard.
"Shut up!" Her cold voice terrified him.
"You…Don't you know that the Dark Rapier Gang is in charge of here today? Don't be conceited just because you're an A-ranked warrior." The guard threatened, pointing his gun at her.
"You have guts." She flicked her glass which shot straight at his forehead, injuring him and resulting in blood spilling out.
"You!!"
The guards were shocked. It was the first time someone had made a move here. More so, when the commander-in-chief was personally here. Did she lose her brain?
Everyone thought so. Nevertheless, nobody intervened. They were eager to witness the show. Plus, that scar on her eyes, indicated how dangerous of a person she was.
"Amelia." The ones who knew her murmured.
"Haha! You came as expected. We knew that you didn't want to offend the old man." An eerie laughter sounded in a certain direction.
"Desmond." She narrowed her eyes at him.
"I heard that you were injured. Are you ok?" A mocking voice rang from beside him.
"Kenneth." Her eyes burned with fury. Yet, she couldn't attack. She knew her limits.
"Why don't we share a table?" Levi emerged as well, speaking flirtatiously.
"Haha! Do you want to purchase the stones directly from me? Wouldn't it be better if I auctioned them all? I would get a better value." Amelia spoke this loudly so that everyone could hear.
"Stones?" Everyone's eyes lit up with curiosity. What was she referring to? Was it the rare magic stones?
"You…" The three fellows were flabbergasted. They couldn't believe she would be this decisive.
If she revealed any more information, the auction would explode and all their efforts would be wasted. Secondly, the old man would get displeased by them.
They turned towards each other, not knowing what to do. They had to shut her mouth, using any means necessary. When they were planning to attack, an old deep voice resounded in the air.
"Little girl, you are not welcome here. Forget about auctioning. You won't be able to trade a single thing here. How dare you cause a ruckus here? You have tarnished my reputation."
"Old man Theodore"
Glancing to the left, Amelia's face became ugly. Watching the hunched, bald old man, in loose tunic clothing, slowly walk out of the auditorium while supporting himself with a wooden cane, caught her by surprise.
"What do you want?" She questioned, lowering her voice a bit, showcasing some respect. It was all due to this guy being the underground king; wealth, fame, and power, he possessed everything.
However, Theodore didn't answer immediately but nodded at Maverick first before retracting his attention to Amelia.
"You made me lose enough face. If you don't pay appropriate compensation, I have to take drastic measures." Theodore coldly declared, slamming his cane on the ground.
Boom!
Scorching shockwaves spread with his aura rolling in her direction like a tidal wave.
"Move!"
Her subordinates drove away hastily while Amelia jumped out of her bike and released her aura too, colliding head-on with him.
Boom!
"You are challenging me?" Theodore approached her step by step with his momentum becoming bigger and bigger.
"Old man! Why fight at such an age? Why don't we capture her for you? Then we can continue our conversation." Kenneth smirked.
"What did you say?" Amelia finally realized something. It looked like they were teamed up with the old man from the start.
"Now it makes sense why he's targeting me." She thought with a turbulent heart.
Like her, this old man found a dungeon with magic stones about fifty years ago. Afterward, using this wealth, he created a kingdom and became what he is now.
Currently, he must have somewhat found her owning magic stones through some channels, making it the sole reason why he was after her. Perhaps, the death of her family members many years ago was related to him as well.
This villain wanted to take control of all the magic stones in this city. He didn't want to see another person rise with this wealth. He didn't want a second him or a competitor. He was power-hungry, possessive, ruthless, and a selfish bastard.
"Haha, you understood way too late. Despite your tricks, you were being played right in our palms." Desmond's wild laughter rang in her ears as he disappeared from his spot and appeared right in front of her.
Next, his body enlarged, and he slammed his palm straight at her head, using his superpower.
"Got you!"
Contrary to him, Amelia didn't show a single trace of panic. She was fully prepared. She pulled her hair band which abruptly turned long into a shiny black whip in the blink of an eye, shaking him to the core.
"Artifact!!!"
He wanted to withdraw, but how could she let go of this perfect opportunity?
"The Vine's Embrace"
Her whip coiled around his body, strangling him and emitting huge energy while sharp thrones popped on its surface, puncturing all over his body.
"Ahh!" Blood spurted out like a fountain as he cried out in pain.
Beholding this miserable scene, Kenneth and Levi attacked her at the same time.
"Fuck you all!" She swung her whip, throwing the bloody Desmond right over them, interrupting their moves.
Bang!
They all crashed into the neighboring wall, destroying it in the process.
"Old man! Come."
Without taking a rest, carrying this drive, she lashed on Theodore. She wanted to kill him here.
"Impudent."
Theodore lifted the handle of his cane and from there a bloodthirsty rapier was steadily drawn out. The moment half of it came into view, a feeling of death and despair submerged her, making her break out in cold sweat.
"I am not his match. What should I do?" Her mind was a mess. She underestimated him. His artifact was on a whole new level.
"A half-baked killing intent. Not bad!" Suddenly an indifferent voice full of superiority boomed in the air, intruding on the battle.