As the auction pressed on, a captivating spectacle unfolded before the attendees. Most of the top-ranking players found themselves at the center of attention, attracting numerous bids from The Astral.
Until, finally, it was my turn…
"Now, to the seventh in the ranks!"
Finally…
Out of nowhere, celestial blue lights materialized and illuminated me from above. The atmosphere crackled with tension, as if the very air held its breath in anticipation of what was to come.
I wonder how many of them would throw their money at me?
Contrary to what I had expected, the hall was solemn and quiet. The absence of window notifications added to the growing tension, making the atmosphere thick with anticipation. Though I couldn't see the other remaining players, I sensed their penetrating gazes fixated on me. It felt as if they were scrutinizing me intensely, their eyes devouring me bit by bit.
The weight of their collective focus bore down on me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was under a microscope, exposed and vulnerable.
The auctioneer even repeated his words.
"Ahem, now we have the seventh in the ranks!"
Once more, silence hung heavy in the air, with no responses forthcoming. The weight of shame and embarrassment bore down on me to the point that it felt as if my very soul had abandoned my body.
"What did I do to deserve this?"
'This must have been because of those hopeless stats! I cried from inside of my soul.
"Garen, are you still here?"
"..."
"Don't fuc— Answer me! I knew you were still here!"
"..Erhh. Mmm, D—Don't talk to me. Please, the other guidance are looking at me"
"Piss them off! I have an important question right now. What would happen if I ended up with no backer?"
"..Y–You will not receive any blessing then. If that happens then…i'm afraid your chance to win the game is almost impossible,"
I found it hard to come to terms with the situation. Even after achieving commendable results despite my physical limitations, I had hoped for the support of a backer. It was disheartening for me, especially considering the rare occurrence of me giving my all for a considerable period.
Doubts crept into my mind, causing me to question my efforts and leaving me with a familiar sense of misery and disappointment. However, rather than succumbing to these emotions, I gathered myself and made my way back to my seat after standing for what seemed like an eternity.
"Alright, I don't give a damn about it anymore."
If you don't want me, it's your loss! I lifted both of my feet on the table and crossed both of my legs.
A minute later, a sudden blue notification rang the entire hall.
[The Ruler Of The Endless Dream has placed a bid of 20,000 ALC on you!]
My both eyes wide-opened as I was surprised to hear the sound of the notification of the bidding, which resonated throughout the entire hall.
My face became more radiant when I saw the name of the bidder.
The Ruler of The Endless Dream? Isn't that the previous bidder who had claimed the first-ranked player as one of his possessions?
[The Hairy King Of Gorgeous land has placed a bid of 22,000 ALC on you!]
I immediately bangs the table in front of me, as my eyes were protesting the bidder.
"NOOOOO!!!"
"Who the heck is [The Hairy King Of Gorgeous land]!? I won't accept this. Come on [The Ruler Of The Endless Dream], make a higher bid! Take me with you!"
My soul was pleading and begging that my expectation would defy the reality I was seeing with my eyes now. A few seconds felt like an hour. There hasn't been any bid yet since then. If this continues, The owner of me would be no other than [The Hairy King Of Gorgeous Land].
I preferred to not be owned by any Astral rather than receiving some kind of weird-ass blessing from this weird title Astral!
Another sound echoed in the hall. I felt as if my prayers had been answered and my very essence was rescued. But it instantly vacated from my body again leaving my face blank.
[The Walking Fish Of The Atlantic Sea has placed a bid of 26,000 ACL on you!]
"Piss off!! Why would I want some kind of walking salmon as my owner!? What kind of blessing can he even give me?"
I had given up on my luck. I also had grown tired of the unfairness of the world. First was my stats, and now this. Then, what's next!?
I stood up again from my seat and climbed the table.
"Hey, Astral! Fuck you all and your trash game! I had enough of this! I quit, send me back to Earth!"
I lifted both of my hands and playfully flicked the middle finger.
Immediately after I directed the curse at the entire audience in the hall, a tremendous force shook the entire vicinity. The powerful energy reverberated through the hall, leaving everyone, including the players, Astrals, and Guidances, in awe of the immense potency that seemed to engulf them all.
"Wait, S–She shouldn't have been here. Why did She come!?"
I could hear Garen's terrified and stuttering voice in his head.
"W–Who's coming!?" I was having a difficult time breathing. I was suffocated by the dense air around me.
"She's someone who has been in solitude for almost a thousand years and was bashed out from The Realm Of Astral Constellation. Ah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken about it."
Two enormous forces engaged in a fierce battle. As they clash, their respective forces collide, causing massive waves of energy and creating a powerful flow that sends shockwaves through the surrounding hall.
"Garen, What is happening!!?"
As the battle intensifies, the two forces that collided become increasingly unstable, causing the surrounding hall to crack and break apart. The ground rumbles and shakes as massive floors are hurled into the air, and walls are uprooted and tossed aside like twigs.
Those tremendous voices clashed together. Every player was quivering in fear and pain, covering their ears.
The energy released by the clash of these two powerful beings is so intense that it creates a blinding light that illuminates the entire area, making it difficult for anyone nearby to see or move. As the battle rages on, the energy flow becomes more and more chaotic, until it finally reaches a critical point and explodes in a massive burst of energy, obliterating everything in its path and leaving the surrounding area scorched and desolate. The entire hall was destroyed leaving nothing but dust and debris.
"...What happened?" The question hanged for a few minutes before Garen answered it.
"Two of the most terrifying rulers were clashing with their power. You were fortunate that the Astrals intervened, using their authorities to shield the impact of the forces. Without their intervention, it was certain that all of you would have faced a deadly fate."
Finally, the hall returned to normal as if nothing happened with a single snapping sound. The trembling force has finally stopped. However, the atmosphere has changed. It was sullen and blood-curdling.
I was curious and strengthened my resolve to ask despite the trembling fear.
"Who were the ones that clashed?"
"It was The Ruler Of The Endless Dream and—"
"...And who? Don't leave it hanging. Finish your words, Garen."
"Garen?"
"It was The Ruler Of The Endless Dream and—"
Again, Garen was stuttering as he was unable to finish his words.
[The One That Shouldn't Be Named has placed a bid of 300,000 ACL on you!]
My eyes widened in shock. I wasn't the only one who was surprised. Garen wasn't able finish his sentences ever since the notification echoed.
…
"Gulp...Haha, well…Emm, is there anyone who would like to bid?"
A profound silence engulfed the hall. Not a single soul dared to utter a sound, as if even the faintest noise could disrupt the delicate balance of the moment. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, and everyone present held their breath, afraid to disturb the silence that enveloped the space.
"Emm, then it's decided. We have our winner here. Haha, congratulations!"
The tension in the hall persisted for a few agonizing minutes until, finally, a collective sigh of relief swept through the crowd. People gasped for air, feeling the weight lifted off their shoulders. The once silent hall transformed into a buzz of chatter, with every player turning to their Guidance to understand what had transpired during those intense moments.
"It's finally done? I got sold?" I touched my body trying to feel whether it still belong to me somehow.
"She has already left-Huh!?" Garen exclaimed.
Suddenly, I could feel my body warped into smaller particles, the same experience when Garen had used teleportation. Both of us were abruptly teleported away from the Auction Hall even though the stage hadn't ended yet.
One seat in the hall was left vacant.
"Ah, poor soul...Ahem, anyway, let's continue. To the eighth in the ranks!..."
…
My head hurts. It's still spinning. Where am I now?
[You are inside my Domain Realm]
I blinked and rubbed my eyes, trying to clear my vision. I saw something strange — a shadow that seemed to be moving on its own. As I stared at it in disbelief, the shadow began to take on a more defined shape, gradually morphing into the form of a woman.
[Boo!]
She tried to scare me?
"Who are you—?"
Doesn't scare you huh? You're boring toy]
What did she just said?
[I am known as Neva and you are my possession]
I felt a shiver run down my spine as I saw the shadow—woman walking towards me, her movements fluid and graceful despite the fact that she seemed to be made entirely out of darkness. As she approached me, I could hear her voice echoing in my ear, soft and seductive.
Is she the astral who–
[I am the One Who bought you]
[Enough of the questions, If you have something to ask, it wasn't me who you should be asking. It's that hideous creature next to you]
The woman raised her index finger with a commanding presence, capturing my attention. As I turned around, I was taken aback to see Garen standing beside me.
What surprised me even more was that Garen wasn't floating in the air as he typically did. Instead, he stood firmly on the ground, showing a rare display of humility as he bowed before the woman.
The unexpected sight left me both intrigued and puzzled, wondering what had transpired to prompt such a change in Garen's demeanour.
"Yes O' The Greatest Of All. Yes, that hideous creature is me."
Huh…? Did he lose some screw in his head?
But then I recalled the previous memory of how Garen was trembling in fear.
—"It was The Ruler Of The Endless Dream and…"
—[The One That Shouldn't Be Named has placed a bid of 300,000 ACL on you!]
This person must be the one that clashes with [The Ruler Of The Endless Dream].
I felt a sense of unease growing inside me. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something sinister about her, something that I couldn't quite put my finger on.
Neva lips twisted into a rictus. The shadow—woman smiled, and her eyes glinted in the darkness. She walked closer to me and tapped my forehead with her finger.
[You are very honest with your thoughts, aren't you? I can read it wide open like a book]
"..."
[Now, enough with the meaningless talk and let's get straight to the point. You there!]
Her tone changed and amplified.
"Ekk! Yes! Me!" Garen panicked.
[Do your job quickly and tell him about the rewards and stats awarding]
The woman snapped her finger and a majestic throne appeared out of thin air. The throne was intricately crafted with black engravings and fine silver. The high-back chair was made of the finest mahogany wood, carved to perfection with intricate and detailed designs.
The seat was cushioned with luxurious velvet material that felt soft to the touch, and gave comfort to her back as she sat on it. The armrests of the throne were decorated with dragon heads, their fierce gaze staring back at anyone who dared to come close.
As Neva sat on it, she exuded an air of confidence and power, that no one dared to challenge her authority. Her presence on the throne made her look even more regal, commanding respect from all those who looked upon her. She was the ultimate embodiment of grace and strength, sitting on her throne, supervising them from there. Her eyes shot with a daunting gaze.
"Yes! I will do it right away! Player Reynold, even though the players haven't done with the Auction Stage yet…Mmm, let's begin the Awarding Stage." Sweats began to form on his forehead.
"We start with The Stats Distribution first!"
__________________________________
< Player Status >
Name: Reynold Dixon
{ Player Stats }
Strength: 4
Agility: 3
Defence: 3
Vitality: 3
Intelligence: 16
Perception: 13
Willpower: 4
{ Stats Points Accumulated: 6 Pts }
__________________________________
"Sir Reynold, in the previous trial you had accumulated 6 stats points. You can use that to increase your stats in preparing for the next game. Please think thoughtfully and reconsider what stats you want to strengthen."
Suddenly, he became more polite or was it just in my head? I stared at my status window. There was an additional button next to each of my stat abilities.
"Before that, what will happen if I choose to increase my intelligence?"
"The impact on your intellect might be modest, just around 2%. However, its real benefits lie in enhancing your skills and magical abilities, rather than directly affecting your cleverness."
"You can inspect the full detail of them in that corner of the window. There is a question mark icon, try to press it."
I pressed the icon inhesitantly.
__________________________________
<>Strength: The attribute that determines the physical power of a character. It affects the damage dealt with bare hand or melee weapons, carrying capacity and the ability to break objects.
<>Vitality: The attribute that represents the character's health and stamina pool. It affects the amount of damage a character can take before dying, as well as the amount of sprint and special attacks they can perform before becoming exhausted.
<>Defence: The attribute that determines the character's ability to resist damage. It affects the amount of damage taken from physical and magic attacks, and reduces the chance of being critically hit.
<>Agility: The attribute that reflects the character's speed and nimbleness. It affects the character's ability to dodge and avoid attacks, move faster, jump higher, and pick locks.
<>Intelligence: The attribute that measures the character's mental capacity, knowledge, and problem-solving skills. It affects the ability to use magic spells or skills.
<>Perception: The attribute that determines the character's awareness and senses. It affects the ability to detect hidden targets, traps, and other items.
<>Willpower: The attribute that reflects the character's mental and emotional resilience. It affects the ability to resist mental attacks such as mind control or fear, as well as the ability to recover from negative status effects like poison or paralysis.
__________________________________
After a few considerations, I had decided where to distribute his stats to.
"Now that I think about it, I should have taken more cautious measures. I would have been able to hunt more monsters for stats. Well, no use regretting it now."
__________________________________
< Player Status >
Name: Reynold Dixon
{ Player Stats }
Strength: 4 => 5
Agility: 3 => 7
Defence: 3
Vitality: 3 => 4
Intelligence: 16
Perception: 13
Willpower: 4
{ Stats Points Accumulated: 0 Pts }
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