"50,000."
"Uh... miss, are you sure? The starting bid is 2,000 Crowns...?" the announcer asked, his eyes wide.
So far, there had been a grand total of 14 items showcased—this being the 15th. Each one had been sold to the woman sitting right by Neraxis's side.
She was practically collecting those black boxes at this point, and yet she didn't even pay a second glance to them, just putting them into the chair compartment before moving on to the next item.
"Of course, send it my way as per usual," she said with a small giggle as the announcer packed the item and threw it her way once again.
"Err... We have 4 items left and a final special item so stay tuned," the announcer got back into character before picking up a nearby black box—one that seemed much bigger than the previous ones.
He quickly opened it up and revealed a black tree branch that seemed completely ordinary at a glance. However, as the announcer spoke, Neraxis couldn't help but freeze in his seat.
"The Branch of Life—A-Rank. Any and all ailments, as well as injuries, can be healed in an instant if you mash the branch down into powder and consume it. It is a one-time-use item," he said before clearing his throat.
"Bidding starts at 3 Million Crowns."
The moment he announced it, the previously quiet auction turned lively—with everyone raising their hands in unison and seemingly screaming out numbers.
"3.5 Million!"
"4 Million!"
However, just like before, the woman by his side did not miss this chance as she announced in a fairly low tone—as if muttering,
"50 Million, send it my way."
She sat as though she had already won—but despite everyone's expectations, another voice resounded.
"60 Million."
The woman's smile cracked for a moment as she gazed at the person who outbid her. They, too, had a mask hiding their identity.
"150 Million."
"160 Million."
Each time the person outbid her, her previous smug smile began to slowly disappear, replaced with a cold, murderous look, one that did not escape Neraxis's eyes.
Evangeline, I think I might have my work cut out for me, he thought with a small smile, letting out a sigh.
[I don't know... Chances are, one of them is going to buy the skill you are looking for. Are you confident in taking it away from either of them?]
With the way she is taking care of her possessions, do you think she would notice if a single black box is gone?
[If that box contains something important, then yes. She has been buying trash so far, clearly.] Evangeline added with a tinge of concern.
I'll cross that hurdle when I get there, I guess. Now I just have to wait till they finish bidding on that branch, Neraxis decided before once again paying attention to their battle.
By now, the woman was gripping the armrest with enough strength to make it creak—surprisingly controlling it enough so as not to break it.
"1 Billion," she stated—and for some reason, a smirk began appearing on her face, which she covered with a single hand.
Like last time, it did not go unnoticed by him; he was way too close, after all.
The man in the mask who had been bidding against her looked visibly agitated—even from a distance.
But perhaps because of pride or something else entirely, he didn't back down. "2 Billion, fuck off already."
"Hmm? But I can spend more money, you know? 2.1 Billion," she replied teasingly—and immediately, the man countered,
"3 Billion—if you don't stop, I wi—"
His words were cut off as, all of a sudden, a fierce pressure descended—spanning across the entire auction—making it difficult to even breathe for most.
Even Neraxis was having a hard time; he was likely one of the weakest people present—and the pressure was not even directed at him either.
However, as the pressure continued to increase, the woman finally spoke.
"You will do what exactly? Hm?" She began increasing the pressure further—as if concentrating it all onto the spot where the masked man was.
That was until his mask shattered—revealing an individual with seemingly no features, only a mouth.
"Disgusting clone as usual, Valthor. How is the recovery coming along?" she said, her tone containing deep malice—as if she would kill the faceless man at any moment.
"Hmm... A failure once again. Why do you keep meddling with us?" the faceless man spoke, his voice completely different from the previous one.
It sounded as though someone was scratching metal with each word he said. However, Neraxis's heart began beating for a different reason entirely.
Fuck... Valthor's one of the leaders of Eternal Night—that organization is bad news... really bad news, he thought with a massive frown while slowly sinking back into his chair. He would prefer not being noticed.
But seeing how the woman managed to spot him, chances were that so did Valthor.
[Yeah, well... That's what happens when you go in half-blind.] Evangeline added with a pouting voice as the two began speaking once again.
"Meddle? I was merely trying to get my hands on an item—that's all. It just so happened that our wants aligned."
"Amara, you are making me regret not killing you back then," Valthor said, his voice beginning to slowly distort—as if there were multiple layers to it.
"We made a bet and I won. If anything, you should learn to pick your battles more wisely," she taunted as their pressure collided with one another—making the people around them pass out.
The same would have applied to Neraxis as well—but it seemed like something—or someone—was cutting the pressure in two.
Thank you, he expressed, seeing the seats around him being blasted aside while he was comfortably sitting in the middle—being protected by none other than Evangeline.
[Yeah, yeah. Whenever you come across monsters, make sure to kill them. I want my seals to be released quickly.] She said nonchalantly, making him raise a brow.
Quickly? Why?
[It's a secret. Don't worry though, it won't harm you in any way.]
Her cryptic tone did not help him understand any better—but nonetheless, he let it go for now. It seemed like the situation was reaching its climax.
"I see... Amara, the bet is over. The next time we meet, I will kill you on the spot," Valthor spoke, rage filling up his tone—seemingly blending in with the pressure he was emitting.
Neraxis could hear the people choking further—some even plopping down out of their chairs or running out of the auction house.
The woman—Amara—scoffed before replying, "I don't care. With that damaged body of yours, you would be dead in an instant, insect."
As her words landed, Valthor's mouth curved into a smile as a dagger shot out of his skull and headed straight toward her.
However, just before it landed, she pulled out an ethereal-looking white sword from seemingly out of nowhere and cut downwards.
The slash was silent, almost as though nothing was happening.
But when Valthor's body split in two and fell to each side, it was more than a simple reminder of her skill.
It looked like she had done that so effortlessly—the remaining individuals thought so as well before most of them began heading out.
Amara let go of her sword, and it disappeared into seemingly nowhere before she walked back to her seat next to him and sat down.
It managed to stay intact—just like his own seat. However, everything around them was strewn across the entire auction, some seats even managed to land on the stage somehow.
"Uhh... there are not enough people left, so I will have to stop the auction," the announcer said with bated breath as he too sat on the ground—seemingly paralyzed from the pressure the two emitted just mere moments ago.
"No, you won't," Amara stated before continuing, "I came here to get my hands on all the items—and I plan to leave only when I have them all. You wouldn't want me to have a talk with your superiors, would you?"
"No, miss..." he replied with resignation as he stood up and gathered the black boxes that had all been scattered around the arena.
"Since the previous highest bidder... left, you win the Branch of Life with a bid of 2.1 Billion Crowns... is that alright, miss?"
"Yes, bring it over already," she said impatiently, signaling for him to move the auction along.
At the same time, Neraxis sat with a frown on his face, looking at the situation unfold.
[Is this what you were expecting?]
Not at all...