Of course, since it's a recommended price, it's only provided as a reference.
Even if you wanted to sell your item for a billion gold coins, no one would stop you, but the issue is, people aren't fools, and there's no reason they'd spend a fortune on trash.
Moreover, the staff are highly professional appraisers, and the prices they suggest usually don't deviate much from the final selling price.
Therefore, most sellers choose to trust the recommended prices given by the staff.
Of course, there's always an exception to everything.
For example, right now, Owen.
"Sir, regarding the item you wish to auction, the Facial Alteration Pill, after appraisal, it does indeed possess the effects you described. However..."
Seeing the staff's troubled expression, Owen became even more puzzled. "However, what?"
"However, I've never seen anything like this sold at an auction before, so I can't give you a suitable price. How about this, please wait a moment while I go get the Chief to take a look and determine how much your item should be worth."
"Alright, sorry to trouble you."
"No trouble at all."
With that, the staff returned the Facial Alteration Pill to Owen and hurriedly left.
Not long after, the staff returned with a woman following behind him.
With just a brief glance, Owen withdrew his gaze.
The woman was very beautiful, with an excellent figure.
The standard uniform didn't look dull on her; instead, it accentuated her full figure.
Her fair skin looked almost frozen in time, and her emerald-green eyes held a trace of impatience.
She was the very definition of an elegant and imposing woman.
Unlike Catalina, who exuded a cold, ice-queen aura, this woman had an entirely different demeanor.
Her expression and gaze conveyed that she was utterly bored with everything in the world around her, and everything near her seemed to irritate her immensely.
This kind of personality was not one Owen dared to provoke.
He felt that even glancing at her for too long might earn him the label of being a "creep," so he quickly averted his eyes.
"You've been doing this for over ten years now. Is there really something you can't even give a recommended price for?"
"Chief, this time is really different. This item... it's a bit special."
"I should probably test your skills to make sure you're still up to standard. What is it? Hand it over and let me take a look."
"Sir, if you would..."
Seeing the staff's cautious expression, Owen became even more convinced his suspicion was correct.
"Here."
Owen took out the Facial Alteration Pill and handed it to the woman.
After just a brief glance, she froze as if struck by lightning.
After a moment of silence, she returned the pill to Owen and turned to the staff.
"Prepare a VIP room."
"Yes!"
Before long, Owen was led by the woman into the VIP room. Looking at the luxurious decor, Owen couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
Was this Facial Alteration Pill really worth that much? Did it really warrant such a fuss?
"Um... may I know the recommended price now?"
"Before that, may I ask you a question?"
The woman removed her glasses and gave Owen a curious once-over, raising the corner of her lips in a smile.
"The renowned Crossbridge Academy 5th School dean, hailed as the greatest genius in a thousand years—Owen. Why are you hiding your identity to come to the Vanti Auction House? Could it be that these Facial Alteration Pills are something shady?"
At these words, Owen's face darkened.
How had this woman seen through his disguise? And why?
Owen was among the few who stood at the very pinnacle of power in the Fallen Dimension.
If he wanted to disguise himself, it was nearly impossible for him to be exposed, yet here he was, unmasked by a seemingly unremarkable woman?
"...I think you've mistaken me. I'm not Owen."
"Really? But for a brief moment, I saw a hint of panic in your eyes. So, what exactly are you panicking about?"
"Did you bring me here just to say these bizarre things?"
"If you admit that you are Owen, I'll tell you how much these Facial Alteration Pills are worth."
The woman raised the corner of her mouth again, crossing her legs as she stared at Owen meaningfully.
"Does it really matter who I am? I'm just here for the auction. Does it really concern you what identity I use?"
What kind of person was this? And why did he suddenly feel an inexplicable sense of embarrassment?
It was like getting caught red-handed using an alternate account to browse videos of pretty women—utterly embarrassing for no reason...
Seeing how persistent the woman was, Owen had no choice but to drop his disguise and reveal his true form.
"You win. Now tell me, who are you really, how did you see through my disguise, and what exactly do you want?"
"I knew it. My glasses never lie."
With her guess confirmed, the woman smiled knowingly and handed Owen her business card.
"As you can see, I am the Chief of Vanti Auction House, in charge of appraising the quality and value of treasures."
"Is that all?"
"Of course not, that's just one of my identities, just like you. Evelyn, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Seeing the woman extend her soft, white hand, Owen hesitated for a moment before lightly shaking it and quickly pulling his hand back.
"The great Owen, being so cautious?"
"Better safe than sorry, especially when facing a beautiful woman with an unknown identity. So, how did you see through my disguise?"
"Naturally, I saw through it—using my glasses."
The woman blinked, and those emerald-green eyes seemed to possess some kind of magic. In front of them, Owen felt as if he were completely exposed, with no secrets at all.
"I see... What's your motive?"
"Motive... It's quite simple, really. I just wanted to give you a reminder."
"A reminder?"
"Recently, a lot of people have been buying information about you—your weaknesses, your network, your strength, and so on. Guess who these people are?"
At her words, Owen paused for a moment, but quickly regained his composure, replying calmly, "I'm not interested."
"Indeed, for someone of your level, sage-tier, level 9, small fry are hardly worth your notice. But I'll give you a kind reminder anyway: be careful, because someone is plotting something in secret, and that plot clearly involves you."
This left Owen perplexed.
From the looks of it, this woman seemed to be an informant. But why was she telling him all this?
And also, in the original story, was there really a character named Evelyn?
Owen racked his brain, but couldn't recall ever seeing the name Evelyn in the original plot. As for the greatest informant in the Fallen Dimension...
At this thought, Owen suddenly smiled.
"So, it seems you're also wary of me. Even your name is a fabrication, Evelyn... Quite a charming name you've chosen, wouldn't you say, Melina?"
Instead of panicking after Owen revealed her true name, Melina merely smiled.
"To be remembered by Owen is truly an honor."
"Spare me the flattery. What do you really want? What are you trying to get from me?"
"Since we've come this far, I'll be direct, Owen. I want to work with you."
Melina's smile faded, and with a snap of her fingers, a soundproofing barrier was cast around them.
"In exchange for the intelligence I control, I seek your protection."
"Why should I agree to that? I might already know the information you have."
"To show my sincerity, let me tell you something first. A short while ago, near the Tower, a woman from the Ascended Dimension appeared. She was about... this tall?"
"A person from the Ascended Dimension? Are you talking about... Tina?"
"I don't know her name. I only know that this woman from the Ascended Dimension is hiding something very dangerous. People who die at her hands are drained into mummies."
Owen fell silent.
If what Melina said was true, then this woman was most likely Tina. But how did she cross dimensions without using the Tower?
And what exactly was this "dangerous thing" she was carrying?
"...Why should I believe you? This could all be something you made up."
"Of course, you can think it's fabricated. The choice is yours. The only promise I can give you is that if you work with me, you won't regret it."
Melina stood up, casually placing a list on the table, and said calmly, "This is just a small part of it. Why don't you take a look?"
"What's this?"
Frowning, Owen unfolded the letter, and though there were only a few lines, the content made him gasp.
"Flamecourt Kingdom's entire annual tax revenue? How could you possibly have this?"
"I told you, I'm a professional. Across the entire dimension, there's probably no one more specialized than me.
As the top informant, I can give you everything you want to know. No one else can do that, Owen. Do you understand? Working with me means you practically control everything in the dimension."
Hearing this, Owen fell silent.
In the original story, Melina's abilities as an informant were indeed beyond question.
John had bought countless pieces of information from her, helping him acquire one treasure after another.
But there was one thing Owen couldn't figure out.
"You have so many clients, so many subordinates you could rely on. Why me? We've never even met before, have we?"
"Of course, this is my first time seeing you in person. Before, it was mostly photos. You're much more handsome in person."
Melina slowly walked up to Owen, leaning forward to support herself in front of him.
Her chest, partially revealed, was alluring, but Owen had no interest in admiring it.
Faced with a woman as mysterious as her, beauty could only be a dangerous weapon.
If Owen were to be mesmerized for even a moment, he wouldn't have long to live.
With this thought, Owen let out a deep breath, stood up, and distanced himself from Melina.
He spoke calmly, "Answer my question. Why did you choose me?"
"Why indeed? Four months ago, you were just a diamond-tier mage. But after only four months, you suddenly demonstrated sage-tier power, becoming one of the most powerful mages in the Fallen Dimension. If you want a reason... I suppose I'm curious about the secrets you carry."
"What kind of method allowed your level to increase so rapidly? A sage-tier mage not even in his twenties... Not in a thousand years—no, ever in recorded history—has there been someone as dazzling as you. That's my reason."
"I need the protection of someone strong enough, and you, isolated in Crossbridge Academy, are clueless about the outside world. You protect me, and I provide you with information. It's a win-win, isn't it?"
Looking into Melina's eerie emerald eyes, Owen took a deep breath.
Should he cooperate?
Owen found himself hesitating.
His understanding of Melina came entirely from the original story's description of her.
But therein lay the problem: in the poorly-written original, Melina's identity was kept a mystery.
There were hardly any details about her background or how she became the greatest informant in the Fallen Dimension.
Her methods of gathering information were never explained clearly!
If he recklessly entered into a partnership, Owen feared that one day Melina might betray him for her own gain.
But he had to admit, her offer was very tempting.
"Take your time. There's no rush."
"No need to think it over. I accept. Now tell me, what do you need me to do?"
Upon hearing this, Melina broke into a brilliant smile. Her usual look of world-weariness vanished, replaced by a radiant expression that made Owen pause for a moment.
"It's simple. I need you to help me win an auction for an item: an elven girl."
"An elven girl?" Owen frowned, puzzled. "What do you need her for? Why don't you bid for her yourself? If I'm not mistaken, even auction staff can participate in bids, right?"
"If I participate, it might arouse certain suspicions. So, I need to rely on you. As for the girl, she's not important to me. What matters is that I can't let her fall into certain hands. Once you win the bid, it's up to you what to do with her."
"Whether you keep her as a slave or give her away, it doesn't matter to me."
Hearing this, Owen became even more confused.
Spending a large sum of money to win an auction only to hand it all over to him—Owen couldn't understand what Melina was thinking.
"I only brought 60 million gold coins…"
"You don't need to worry about the money. After it's done, I'll reimburse you."
"So what should I do?"
"Relax, as I said, there's still plenty of time. You can continue attending the auction. Also, for your Facial Alteration Pills, the highest price they can fetch is 5 million gold coins each, so I recommend starting at 3 million. If you manage to sell all six pills for 30 million, that would already be quite fortunate. The auction in Hall One has already started, so you can either bring the items over yourself or entrust them to the staff to auction for you.
As for me… I have something else to take care of. I'll be leaving for now."
With that, Melina didn't give Owen a chance to ask more questions and turned away, leaving immediately.
Watching her retreating figure, Owen couldn't help but sigh.
This woman was odd, behaving like some mysterious charlatan, but since she could see through his disguise, she clearly had some level of ability.
"An elven girl...?"
Gradually, Owen started to form a theory about Melina's abilities.
To be so certain about something that hadn't happened yet—could Melina's power be related to seeing the future?
But that didn't make sense. If she could see the future, she would have left this dangerous place ahead of time.
"Sigh… Anyway, I should get out of here first and check out the auction."
Exiting the VIP room, the same staff member from before was waiting outside.
His gaze toward Owen was full of flattery as he smiled, "Sir, you're done? The Chief has already informed me that you can hand your items to me, and I'll auction them on your behalf without any fees."
"That works. I'll leave it to you, then."
"You flatter me. Since you're a friend of the Chief, you're also my friend. Regarding the price, I've already consulted with the Chief, so don't worry—we'll ensure the items sell for a price you'll be satisfied with."
After receiving the Facial Alteration Pills from Owen, the staff member bowed respectfully before turning and heading toward Hall One.
Owen's mind drifted back to Melina's words.
There's something I want in Auction Hall Three...
"What could it be?"
Owen didn't even know what he needed, yet Melina was so certain...
"I have to find an opportunity to get more information out of Melina. What exactly is her ability, and how does it work?"
Despite knowing there was danger, Owen hesitated for a long time but ultimately decided not to leave.
After all, his curiosity had been piqued—he wanted to know what this treasure was, as well as the elven girl Melina had mentioned.
Under the guidance of the staff, Owen made his way to Auction Hall Three.
After verifying his assets, he was granted a badge, allowing him free access to the first three auction areas.
Entering the auction hall, Owen looked around but didn't spot any familiar faces.
The entire scene was somewhat different from what he had imagined.
There were no neatly arranged chairs, nor were bidding paddles handed out. Instead, the atmosphere resembled more of a banquet.
Waiters moved constantly, delivering glasses of fine wine and plates of delicacies to the guests.
Owen was no exception, as he was handed a glass of red wine.
Owen took a sip, finding that it tasted no different from the wine he had back at the academy.
But then again, he wasn't a connoisseur; this sort of thing was best left to the experts.
After waiting for less than ten minutes, the lights suddenly dimmed throughout the hall.
A single spotlight illuminated the stage as a figure slowly walked up. Owen squinted and immediately understood.
"Dear guests, thank you for your patience. I am Evelyn, the host of today's auction in Hall Three."