The auction price for the explosive sigils quickly concluded at 50,000 gold coins.
Elric had never seen a gold coin in his life, only having heard about them from Toby.
Just as he was about to stand up and leave, the voice of the blonde woman interrupted his steps. Her voice still carried confidence and charm.
"Next, we will present the most important item of today's auction!"
Elric's eyes turned toward the stage, where a servant was carefully holding an old parchment scroll tied with a red string.
The scroll looked ancient, its surface slightly yellowed, exuding an aura of mystery.
"Blue-grade advanced psychic skill, *Furious Fire Tornado*!"
The auction hall erupted with murmurs and whispers.
The crowd was visibly excited, with some people's eyes gleaming with desire, while others began discussing their next move with their companions.
Clearly, such a rare psychic skill scroll was extremely coveted, especially one as powerful as *Furious Fire Tornado*, known for its devastating group attack capability.
"Miss Erica, quickly announce the starting price!" someone in the audience shouted impatiently.
Elric now learned the name of the woman in the blue dress—Erica.
With a smile, Erica responded, "The starting price is 300,000 gold coins!"
As soon as Erica announced the starting price of 300,000 coins, the auction hall fell into silence.
The exorbitant amount instantly dampened the spirits of many, causing those who had been eager to bid to go quiet.
Elric shook his head, thinking that there might not be any bids for the skill. However, a voice from not far ahead of him suddenly called out.
"310,000!"
Elric was taken aback by the boldness of the bid.
He subtly leaned forward to get a better look at the man who had made the offer.
The man looked unremarkable, dressed in plain clothes, but his quick and confident bid showed that he had considerable backing.
As the bids continued to rise, the atmosphere in the hall heated up. First, a woman's voice came from Elric's left.
"350,000!"
Then, someone else quickly followed with their own bid.
"360,000!"
Not long after, an even firmer voice broke the brief silence.
"400,000!"
With each bid, the auction became more and more intense, and the previously quiet hall was now buzzing with excitement as more people joined the bidding war.
Elric narrowed his eyes, watching the fierce competition unfold.
He had thought the high price would deter most people, but to his surprise, there were still many willing to spend fortunes to acquire the skill.
"Let's go. There's nothing more to see, and it's not like you can afford it anyway," Calista's voice rang out again.
Elric got up and headed for the door, but just as he was about to leave the hall, he heard a voice coming from one of the VIP rooms.
"650,000!"
The number rang out like a thunderclap, and the auction hall fell into brief silence.
Elric's pupils contracted sharply as he instinctively turned to look at the VIP room.
It was the room where the young blonde girl had gone.
His heart churned with disbelief—he hadn't imagined that the girl had access to such wealth, casually bidding such an enormous sum.
Without lingering any longer, Elric quickly left the auction hall.
...
Elric sat in the waiting room, feeling slightly uncomfortable as Erica sat close to him.
His cheeks flushed, and he found himself growing increasingly nervous. The scent of her subtle perfume added to his unease.
"Madam, would you be interested in joining us? You can name your price," Erica asked, leaning in.
Standing beside Erica was Rick, who had clearly informed her of the situation.
"I'm not interested in joining any faction. Just hand over the money," Calista replied coldly.
Erica bit her lip, clearly unwilling to give up so easily.
"We can offer you a share of Blackstone Auction House's profits if you agree," she insisted.
"I said, give me the money," Calista's tone turned icy, showing her growing impatience.
Erica wanted to continue persuading her, but Rick gently pulled her back.
"Madam, after deducting the auction house's fees, here are 48,000 gold coins," Rick said respectfully, handing over a silver ring.
Elric took the ring without hesitation and quickly left the auction house.
As the black-robed figure disappeared from view, Erica finally spoke.
"Is she really a sigilist?" she asked.
"Yes, and her skills surpass mine. If I had attempted to create a four-star explosive sigil, I would've failed," Rick admitted, surprising Erica with his honesty.
...
After quickly retreating into a secluded alley, Elric removed the black robe.
"Mommy, why can this ring hold so many things, and why did they just give it to us?" he asked curiously.
"It's called a spatial ring.
For the upper class, it's not valuable—actually, it's quite cheap.
They're trying to befriend us," Calista explained.
Elric soon left the alley.
As he approached the inn, he noticed a group of people gathered outside.
He immediately recognized the uniforms of the Wild Dog Gang.
Six men were threatening the innkeeper, their voices harsh and filled with mockery.
"If you don't pay the protection fee, we'll burn this place down!" one of them barked.
The innkeeper, on the verge of tears, handed over a bag of coins.
The gang members laughed as they pocketed the money and turned to leave.
Elric clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as fury bubbled up inside him.
He was filled with rage, remembering how Toby had died because of the conflict between the Wild Dog Gang and the Raven Gang.
As he hesitated, Calista's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Why are you standing still?
Go after them.
Didn't you say you wanted revenge for Toby?"
Elric froze, shocked by Calista's blunt mention of the past.
"Have you forgotten why you became a psychic in the first place?"
Her words reignited the fire of anger in Elric's heart.
Without further hesitation, he quickly followed the six Wild Dog Gang members.
Today would mark the beginning of his revenge for Toby.
The six men walked into a rundown house in a desolate area. There was no one else around, the place seemed abandoned.
"Mommy, can I really take on all six of them?" Elric's rational mind began to kick in.
"They're all weaker than you. What are you afraid of?" Calista replied with a hint of exasperation.
Elric took a deep breath, then walked toward the shabby house.