At the front row of the auction hall sat over a dozen imposing young men.
Clad in finely crafted azure battle armor forged from sturdy blue ironstone, their gear was engraved with flowing runic inscriptions, greatly enhancing its defensive capabilities.
It could withstand the full-force attack of an Elite Rank awakener and was worth an astronomical sum.
Each of them wore a winged emblem on their chest, faintly glowing with a soft light.
The crowd in the auction hall cast awe-filled glances at them.
"The House of Violet… They're a renowned alchemy family, famous for their scroll-making, and filthy rich. What are they doing here?"
"I heard they're planning to establish a fortress here. They've brought quite a few people."
The murmurs from various corners of the auction hall reached the ears of the young man leading the group from the House of Violet. He snorted disdainfully, his tone filled with contempt:
"A bunch of bumpkins!"
Sweeping his gaze over the array of rare resources displayed in the auction hall, a satisfied smile finally appeared on his face.
"This planet may be remote, but at least it has the Stellar Auction. If we can win these items, the fortress's establishment will progress much faster."
Noah spoke softly, already envisioning his glorious future.
As long as the fortress was successfully established, he would become a key contributor to the House of Violet's expansion and gain the family's favor!
With this in mind, he slowly rose from his seat, turning to survey the audience.
A domineering aura radiated from him, sweeping through the hall like a tempest.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the House of Violet is establishing a fortress here, which is a blessing for all of you. I ask for your cooperation—when the auction begins, refrain from bidding. My House of Violet will be taking everything!"
His words plunged the auction hall into a dead silence.
What kind of statement was that?
This auction featured numerous valuable items and resources, and many had spent considerable time preparing for it.
For him to demand they step aside with a single sentence was outrageous and tyrannical!
Almost everyone glared at Noah with anger.
Yet most of them were too intimidated to speak out.
Noah's aura was terrifying, and the dozen young men standing beside him exuded a storm of oppressive pressure.
It was clear that anyone who dared to oppose him would be immediately silenced.
The crowd's silence made the smile on Noah's face even more pronounced.
At this moment, the host of the auction, a woman in a red dress, gracefully stepped into the center of the hall. Her brows furrowed slightly as she said:
"Lord Noah, if you wish to claim all the items, you can arrange for a private buyout at five times the starting price. There's no need to intimidate others."
Though the House of Violet was powerful, the Stellar Auction had its own formidable backing, and the woman in the red dress showed no fear.
"Intimidate?" Noah turned to her, shrugging indifferently. "And what if I am intimidating? These people are giving me face willingly. What business is it of yours?"
The red-dressed woman's expression darkened.
The auction's participants didn't have the Stellar Auction's backing and were afraid to provoke the House of Violet.
Was Noah really going to walk away with all the items at the lowest prices?
This wouldn't just damage the auction's reputation but also make her, as the auctioneer, bear significant responsibility.
At that moment—
The walls of the auction hall suddenly lit up with dazzling radiance, like a display of magnificent fireworks.
The Crystal Suite on the second floor was enveloped in shimmering lights, becoming the focus of all attention.
"What's going on?"
"No way… Could it be that someone has arranged for a private buyout at this auction?"
"I heard that when a buyout is confirmed, this phenomenon occurs. But I've never actually seen it before."
"This auction's items are worth at least 20,000 gold coins. If it's a buyout, at five times the price, wouldn't that cost around 100,000 gold coins?"
The crowd erupted into a commotion.
Many turned to the woman in the red dress, seeking confirmation.
The woman froze momentarily before snapping to her senses, her stunning face filled with disbelief.
Such light effects meant only one thing—a buyout!
A buyout!
Even with her years of experience as an auctioneer at the Stellar Auction, this was her first time witnessing such an event.
A radiant smile spread across her face as she announced excitedly,
"Congratulations to the distinguished guest in the Crystal Suite for arranging a private buyout of this auction!"
Her words sent shockwaves through the hall.
Everyone turned their gaze to the Crystal Suite, which was bathed in dazzling light.
A buyout?
How outrageously wealthy!
Who exactly was the guest in the Crystal Suite?
Inside the Crystal Suite, Anastasia and the old envoy stared at Velen with wide eyes, utterly stunned.
They had thought Velen was joking earlier, but he had actually gone through with the buyout!
Anastasia pursed her lips, trying to suppress the turmoil in her heart.
The amount required for a buyout was astronomical. Even as the Duke's daughter, she couldn't produce such a sum right now!
On the entire planet of Uranus, perhaps only businesses with enormous cash flows could manage it.
The aged envoy couldn't help but scrutinize Velen from head to toe.
Velen appeared so ordinary, yet his confidence was overwhelming—as if making such a decision was the simplest thing in the world.
"Velen, do you even understand what a buyout entails? We only have the 100,000 gold coins you gave earlier!" Anastasia's tone was laced with urgency.
She had brought Velen here to broaden his horizons, temper his arrogance, and mold his character—not to cause such a commotion.
Seeing both Anastasia and the envoy visibly agitated, Velen looked puzzled and said,
"Aren't you the Duke's daughter? Why are you so surprised by something like this…"
Before he could finish, Anastasia interrupted, her emotions heightened:
"If I could mobilize the family's resources, the fortress would've been built long ago! Do you think we'd still be waiting?"
To her, Velen must have assumed she could leverage her status as the Duke's daughter to resolve the situation. That had to be why he made such a rash decision.
A failed buyout—unable to pay the corresponding gold coins—would have severe consequences.
Even as the Duke's daughter, the Stellar Auction wouldn't let it slide!
Hearing her words, Velen realized Anastasia had misunderstood.
As a Duke's daughter, hadn't she seen enough gold coins to not be this shocked?
At that moment, Noah, the young man in azure armor, bellowed aggressively from the auction hall below:
"A buyout? Do you think you're qualified? If you can't pay up, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
As he spoke, he and the dozen youths by his side unleashed a terrifying aura that rippled through the air.
His words caused the crowd to tense.
Though many were eager to see Noah put in his place, the House of Violet was notoriously ruthless.
What would the distinguished guest in the Crystal Suite do?
As the crowd held their breath, a lazy voice drifted from the Crystal Suite:
"Auctioneer, calculate it. How much does the buyout cost this time?"
The woman in the red dress immediately responded respectfully,
"Honored guest, this auction features eight items in total. Including the fees, the total comes to… one million gold coins!"
One million gold coins!
The hall fell deathly silent.
Even though some had anticipated the amount, hearing the figure spoken aloud still sent a shiver down their spines.
Even the most prominent figures on Uranus couldn't produce a million gold coins all at once!
Inside the suite, Anastasia's expression grew grim as she glanced at Velen.
"You should leave. I'll stay here and try to buy us some time…"
"Why leave?" Velen asked, puzzled.
Under Anastasia's watchful gaze, he casually pulled out a storage pouch from his pocket and tossed it down to the woman in the red dress.
"Count it carefully. Deliver the items promptly!"
Hearing Velen's confident tone, the woman infused her mana into the pouch with utmost seriousness.
The moment her senses probed inside, her cheeks flushed red with excitement.
Her mana perception revealed an ocean of gold coins—countless, gleaming, and of the highest quality!
The others, noticing her reaction, couldn't resist inspecting the pouch with their own mana.
And then—everyone gasped in shock.
It really was a million gold coins!
And all of the finest quality!
Even Noah, who had been poised to stir trouble, froze in disbelief after sensing the contents.
As the young master of the House of Violet, he had only brought 90,000 gold coins for this fortress project!
Who exactly was the person in that suite?!