The Mellspire Auction was a grand event held annually in the city of Ebonvault, a bustling center connected to Ashenreach by a portal that shimmered like liquid glass. Despite its reputation for attracting the most powerful and influential bidders from all corners of the West, I'd never had cause to attend—until now.
This year, the auction would feature the Ancient-grade artifact known as the Mind's Aegis, a relic of legendary repute. It was said to grant its wielder the ability to split their consciousness, enabling them to think along multiple lines concurrently and vastly enhancing cognitive capabilities. To the average strategist, it was a boon; to someone like me, who often found his mind fraying at the edges when trying to piece together the myriad complexities of this world, it was a lifeline.
Planning and strategy had always been my Achilles' heel. In my past life, I was nothing more than an IT graduate, decent at problem-solving but never a master manipulator or a grand architect of schemes. My successes so far had been stitched together from scraps of future knowledge and the fragile peace that hung in the air, a peace that could shatter with a single misstep.
My victory over Jack had been a near thing, more luck than skill, and that thought gnawed at me. One fluke could be forgiven; two would be inexcusable. I couldn't afford another moment of hesitation or a half-formed plan that left too much to chance. The Mind's Aegis was the key to changing that. With it, I could weave strategies with the precision of a master and think five steps ahead without losing track of the present.
I clenched my fists as I contemplated the path ahead. The artifact was just one prize in this elaborate game; the other was the guild itself. Known as The Myrkwrought, they were a shadowy group whose ambitions had once lifted them to the edge of greatness. In time, with the artifact in their possession, they would have reached the threshold of joining the Twelve Great Guilds of the Slatemark Empire. The only thing that held them back was their Guild Master's inability to achieve Spear Domain and ascend to Immortal-rank.
This was why I had turned down Jin's simple solution of buying the artifact outright. Our plan required precision, not brute force.
To ensure the success of this operation, we assumed new identities, hidden behind veils of illusion and forged papers. The Myrkwrought would never dare to challenge the Prince of the West within his own dominion—that would be tantamount to signing their own death warrant. We needed them to see us as mere opportunists, weak enough to provoke but with just enough wealth to be tempting prey.
Jin's two loyal guards, formidable warriors well-versed in the ways of Ascendant-rank power, would suppress their presence and blend in as mercenaries, their strength cloaked in the guise of mediocrity. Meanwhile, we hired additional mercenaries, a ragtag band with just enough credibility to sell the illusion of a 'weak' entourage. In the eyes of The Myrkwrought, we would be an irresistible target—a group rich enough to plunder but not powerful enough to fear.
And so, the trap was set. The plan was straightforward: lure them in, allow their overconfidence to lead them straight to us, and then unleash the storm. When they attacked, they would find not helpless victims, but the Prince of the West's hidden daggers.
Simple enough, at least in theory. But as with all things, the difference between a plan and reality lay in the execution.
The key was not only to attract their attention but to needle them into action. The Myrkwrought weren't known for patience; they were a guild that thrived on bold moves and bruised egos. Both Jin and I donned simple masks, artifacts imbued with just enough magic to shift our features into anonymity, obscuring us from most who might try to recognize us.
But we didn't stop there. Jin's guards, specialists in dark elemental magic and masters of disguise, wove their craft around us. The faint shimmer of shadow clung to our forms, an invisible cloak that concealed the finer details of our mana signatures. To most onlookers, we were two ambitious but insignificant bidders with an inflated sense of worth.
The Mellspire Auction was alive with the hum of anticipation. The great hall was a place of muted opulence, walls lined with intricate tapestries depicting long-lost conquests and victories. Flickering chandeliers cast golden light over rows of seats filled with nobles, mercenaries, and collectors—each vying for a piece of history or power.
Whispers rolled through the crowd as the auctioneer, an elf with eyes like polished emeralds and a voice that could command silence with a breath, announced the item list. Each artifact paraded before the crowd commanded gasps and awe, but I waited with bated breath for one particular announcement.
"And now, the grand item of the evening," the auctioneer declared, raising his arms theatrically. "The Mind's Aegis—an Ancient-grade artifact that bestows its bearer the rare ability to split consciousness, enhancing cognitive capability to near-unfathomable levels."
A collective hush fell over the room, and I felt the air shift. There, in the far corner, shadowed eyes glinted with sudden, predatory interest. The Myrkwrought had taken the bait.
Jin leaned in, his voice barely a whisper beneath his mask. "They're watching."
I smirked beneath my own disguise. "Good. Let's start a bidding war."
The opening bid was announced, and I raised my hand without hesitation. The room shifted; eyes turned toward us, some in surprise, others in disdain. But it was the subtle stiffening of a few figures that told me everything I needed to know. The Myrkwrought had taken notice.
One of their members, a man with greasy hair and a hawk-like nose, threw in a counterbid, his voice sharp and cutting. We countered with a lazy raise of the hand, adding just enough to irk them. The game was set; now we would draw it out, taunting them to the point of recklessness.
The numbers climbed higher, each bid answered by our unyielding resolve. The hawk-nosed man shot us a glare, his composure slipping just a fraction. Murmurs rose, confusion and excitement mingling as the auction reached heights that turned even the wealthiest bidders wary.
Finally, with one last call that left the room in breathless silence, the auctioneer's gavel came down. "Sold! To the masked gentleman in blue."
A soft growl escaped from the direction of the Myrkwrought contingent. Their eyes were now locked on us, glimmering with indignation and thinly veiled fury.
Jin turned to me, the glint in his eyes matching my own. "Time for the second act?"
I nodded, slipping the newly won artifact into my cloak. "Let's see if they're brave enough to take the bait."
After securing the Mind's Aegis from the auction organizers, we moved with the dozen hired mercenaries flanking us, Jin's two loyal guards trailing silently behind. The air was taut with anticipation, the weight of unseen eyes pressing down on us as we made our way back to our safe house.
"Hold on," I said, stopping abruptly. Jin glanced at me, brows lifting in surprise as I reached for the ornate box containing the artifact. With a decisive movement, I opened it, the subtle glow of the artifact casting light on our wary faces.
His eyes widened, but he didn't stop me. "Are you serious, Arthur? Here?"
"Yes," I replied, my voice steady. I focused my mana, channeling it to my fingertip until it sharpened to a point. A swift, practiced motion drew a bead of crimson. I tilted my hand, letting a single drop fall onto the shimmering artifact. The artifact pulsed in response, absorbing the blood with a soft hum, the stardust-like threads sparking as if awakened.
Jin's expression shifted, concern mingling with intrigue. "If they weren't after us before, they'll be on us now."
I met his gaze, a small smile tugging at my lips. "That's the idea."
The artifact pulsed warmly as it bonded with me, threads of mana weaving through my core and expanding my awareness. A subtle shift rippled through my senses as I felt the immediate effect of the Mind's Aegis. My consciousness splintered into multiple streams, each one processing the world with crystal clarity.
Seraphim's Embrace flickered to life in tandem, and my vision sharpened. The faintest twitch of a hand, the flicker of an eye—every detail stood out as if illuminated under a magnifying glass. The mercenaries shifted uneasily, their expressions betraying flashes of avarice. Greed warred with the self-preservation that kept them rooted in place, eyes darting between Jin and me like wolves testing the strength of their prey.
They knew. They all knew. This was power of a different order, the kind that would draw not just glances but sharp daggers if I showed even the slightest moment of weakness.
"Stay vigilant," Jin murmured beside me, his voice as calm as the edge of a blade. He didn't need to say it, but he knew what this meant. The eyes in the shadows, the predators hidden behind false smiles—word would spread that the Mind's Aegis was now bonded, and not just to anyone.
I nodded, feeling the artifact's energy guide my mana, each stream of consciousness calculating the smallest details of our surroundings, every variable in play. I turned to face our ragtag entourage, catching their gazes and letting the faintest smile play on my lips—a warning wrapped in politeness.
This power wasn't just mine to wield; it was a message.