End of the Magic Era

Chapter 1274: Starry Sky Auction (3)

Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance

Starry Sky Auction (3)

Throughout the first day of the auction, Wilder ‘tricked’ Lin Yun eight times, and his mood greatly improved. He was now looking at Lin Yun with the pride of a winner.

‘Andlusan idiot, I’ve long seen through your tricks. You want to trick me? I only needed a couple times to see through all your tricks.

‘Haha, I’ve gotten you four times in a row. You must be thinking of a way to get back at me, right? It doesn’t matter, the game has just started, I can give you a chance.

‘That country bumpkin has a really thick skin, I tricked him so many times, yet he didn’t lose hope and kept on smiling. That fool might already be used to that kind of thing.’

Wilder was holding a wine cup, a satisfied smile on his face as if the goddess of victory was already standing behind him while Lin Yun was completely vulnerable.

Lin Yun kept a smile on his face, not caring about it.

Faleau, who was sitting next to him, remained silent, clearly aware of what was going on.

‘Sir Merlin has the situation under control. Those idiotic Rodneys are just dancing in the palm of his hand…

‘Sir Merlin lost at most 500,000 to 600,000 purple golds, which isn’t a big loss for what he wanted. The show has yet to start…’

As an item’s auction finished, a new one was put on display. It was a seemingly black component. It looked like it was a component of a bigger magic tool, a component that didn’t seem too significant. There was a dark aura lingering on top of it, not too powerful, but very pure.

“This thing is rumored to have come from the Nesser Dynasty. It is a part of a magic tool made from a powerful Evil Dragon. The material is very hard and is supplemented by very pure darkness power.

“It is a very valuable research material to those who research Magic Tools, the history of the Nesser Dynasty, or Chromatic Dragons. Moreover, this component’s pure darkness power is worth studying. 

“The starting price is 800,000 purple golds.”

Lin Yun squinted as he looked at the displayed item. It was fifty centimeters long and looked like a strange steel circle twisted into a bizarre shape and burnt black from flames.

The Origin Chapter!

One of the augments of the Book of Death!

Lin Yun had recognized it when he saw it in the illustrated handbook. The Origin Chapter was the only thing with such a bizarre shape, and it gave a strange feeling of perfection in one’s memories.

In the oldest legends, the world originated from darkness. From the endless darkness, planes were born one after another until light was born and tore a corner of the darkness. Then, countless lives were born and the world kept evolving until now, giving birth to the endless planes.

The Origin Chapter didn’t have power by itself. It would be useless no matter how much one researched it, as it needed to be fused with the Book of Death before it could start to function.

Lin Yun felt the Book of Death shiver when the Origin Chapter was taken out, as if it couldn’t wait to fuse with it.

The reaction was a lot more intense than when it sensed the Element Chapter. This showed that the Origin Chapter was a lot more important than the previous Augments.

But Lin Yun remained calm and didn’t bid even though he wanted to fuse it with the Book of Death immediately.

Something that only had research value would only interest those crazy about research or some dark mages. Aside from these, no one would bid.

After all, there were two reasons for something like that to be auctioned: Either the item had already been thoroughly studied, or it had no value and would be auctioned at a high price for fun. 

Very few people were interested since there were plenty of similar items at every Starry Sky Auction.

Within three minutes, the price slowly rose to 960,000 purple golds.

Wilder was a bit dissatisfied with the price. Although the starting bid had been somewhat high, it hadn’t greatly increased and would at best reach 1,300,000 purple golds.

‘Damn, this won’t do, this is the item with the highest starting price that our family auctioned, how could it only be worth 960,000 purple golds?

‘I have to increase its price, but what if no one bids after me?’

Wilder looked at the seemingly uninterested Lin Yun, rolled his eyes, and smiled.

“1,500,000!”

After shouting, Wilder immediately taunted Lin Yun.

And sure enough, Lin Yun immediately started bidding as if he had been invited to battle.

“1,600,000!”

Wilder was overjoyed and kept shouting.

“1,800,000.”

“1,900,000!”

“2,000,000!”

In less than five seconds, the price soared from 1,500,000 purple golds to 2,000,000. After yelling two million, Wilder was getting ready to increase the price once again, when he suddenly realized that Lin Yun stopped bidding.

Cold sweat suddenly trickled down Wilder’s face.

No one would keep bidding for a broken item that only had some research value. Only Lin Yun would be willing to keep bidding.

If Lin Yun wasn’t willing to bid again, then it would be the equivalent of Wilder spending a lot of money to buy back the item he auctioned.

The Starry Sky College didn’t really care about these matters since they took a 10% commission. It didn’t matter who bought a lot. After all, even if someone auctioned an item and bought it back, they would still have to pay the 10% commission.

Moreover, people bid on their own items to increase their value every year, and it wasn’t rare for some to fail.

No one knew who the seller was at the time of the auction, but it would be a different matter after the auction. Someone would dig out information every year, and some people would become laughingstocks for a decade.

Naturally, some would be successful and sell their items at a high price. They would be praised and no one would find it unreasonable. In the Odin Kingdom, being able to sell something at ten times its price was a skill.

“2,000,000 once…”

Wilder’s expression became unsightly as the auctioneer started the countdown. It seemed that after the auction, they would become the biggest joke of this auction and their name would even be mentioned as a joke outside the Odin Kingdom.

“2,000,000 twice…”

At that time, Lin Yun bid, “2,010,000.”

He smiled at Wilder, and seeing his unsightly expression, he suddenly understood that the Origin Chapter had been auctioned by the Rodney Family. They would have been embarrassed if Wilder bought it back.

He only bid 10,000 more, but this also indicated that he wanted that thing and wasn’t just trying to anger Wilder.

Wilder also understood, but he didn’t dare to bid a single extra purple gold. He wasn’t sure whether Lin Yun really wanted it or wanted to push him back down after he managed to climb out of a precipice. 

What if this was another trap?

If by any chance…

If he really tricked him again, his reputation would be thoroughly trampled and everyone would make fun of his intelligence.

Wilder had a dark and unsightly expression. He was fumingly glaring at Lin Yun, yet he didn’t dare to bid an extra purple gold.

And below, the auctioneer’s countdown also reached its end. Lin Yun ultimately bought the Origin Chapter.

‘2,010,000, it’s a gift! If not for the Rodney Family taking it out for me, I might have not found it even after a millennium. Turns out it was in the Rodney Family’s treasury.

‘The Rodney Family auctioned it and I would have definitely bought it for 200,000,000 purple golds. Unfortunately for them, it ended up being worth 2,010,000 purple golds.’

Lin Yun was satisfied with the Origin Chapter in his hands and waved at Wilder.

“Thanks.”

Seeing Lin Yun’s movements, Wilder’s face instantly darkened and rage was visible in his eyes. He would really be an idiot if he hadn’t figured it out.

‘Damn, that guy must know something about that item, he must know its worth. It’s definitely not just a broken thing, it must have some great effects.

‘2,010,000 purple golds, only 2,010,000 purple golds… From his expression, it must have been a bargain, we gifted a treasure to Mafa Merlin.’

As he thought of this, Wilder turned towards the Great Elder.

“Explain, why was that thing described as worthless after being researched? Did you thoroughly study it? Tell me, what is that thing?

“Don’t tell me it’s worthless, don’t you see that damned Mafa Merlin? A bit more and he would dance naked. He is humiliating me, humiliating our Rodney Family!”

Cold sweat dripped down the Great Elder’s forehead as he looked at the enraged Wilder before explaining, “Patriarch, don’t be angry. This is a ruse, it’s definitely a trick of that Mafa Merlin. 

“If I’m not wrong, he must have known that this was auctioned by our family. That’s why he bid, those last 10,000 were only to make our family buy back our own thing and be humiliated even more.

“But Patriarch didn’t fall for Mafa Merlin’s act, and thus, he could only swallow this bone and smile at us in order to make us think that it is something very valuable… that we were played by him.

“In reality, we made a lot of money and weren’t fooled. Making us think otherwise is his plan!”

Wilder doubtfully looked at the Great Elder, looked back at Lin Yun’s expression, and suddenly sneered.

“You are right, that damn guy lost so many times to me. He wanted to trick me again but hadn’t expected to be fooled so he pretended to have profited. Hmpf, truly a stupid guy. It doesn’t matter, the purple golds will go in the pockets of our Rodney Family anyway.”

Lin Yun didn’t care what Wilder or the others thought. The Origin Chapter was the only thing that absolutely had to be obtained in this auction, and the rest wasn’t necessary.

However, getting it for 2,010,000 purple golds was truly unexpected. After all, the Origin Chapter would have appeared during Bane’s rise, and many people could see how extraordinary it was then.

In that auction, the Origin Chapter ended up selling for 180,000,000 purple golds and three planes rich in resources. Bane ended up getting it, but he also ended up owing three favors.

And these three favors ended up not being used, but because Bane still owed three favors, no one dared to provoke those three people’s families during Bane’s era. Who knew if they would use that favor against them? At the time, Bane was already at his pinnacle, and all of Noscent was shrouded in his shadow.

These 2,010,000 purple golds weren’t as valuable as 2,000,000 purple golds in the future.

If not for the auction, Lin Yun would have already fused the Origin Chapter.

There was nothing worth looking at after that. Lin Yun no longer bid and let Faleau decide what was worth bidding on.

All kinds of strange things were auctioned, even including a living Forest Fairy, a lifeform that should have disappeared a few dozen millennia ago.

From time to time, Lin Yun would glance at these things on display. They were almost no different from the handbook’s introduction, but some of them would have some small differences… such as that Forest Fairy. It was actually a hybrid between a Forest Fairy and Prairie Fairy, but the average person wouldn’t notice.

There was also an ore that was a bit different from the introduction, but the value of the introduced metal and the one being auctioned weren’t too different and they more or less had the same use.

Lin Yun didn’t show any interest until a mana reactor seemingly made of several hundred components was taken out.

That thing was the result of Lin Yun’s experimentations with truth runes, an early prototype that was still more powerful than all the mana reactors currently on the market.

It was due to the fact that it could be used as a mana reactor for Heaven Rank Puppets or large-scale refining machinery. According to the calculations, it could supply energy for a 300-meter large-scale alchemical machinery.

Lin Yun wasn’t interested because it was something that he had auctioned, but because Wilder was very interested in that mana reactor.

“That mana reactor comes from a powerful Artisan. It is said that this Artisan is just a step away from becoming a Saint Alchemist. This mana reactor was a masterpiece created in a flash of inspiration. Not only does it have powerful mana output, but its bursts of mana can also be used by 3rd Rank Heaven Puppets.

“Most importantly, the fuel needed for the mana reactor can be continuously adjusted, and mana crystals can be used as fuel. Only two level 40 mana crystals are needed for a 3rd Rank Heaven Puppet to continuously burst with power for over three months!

“It is a formidable masterpiece, but naturally, this isn’t the most outstanding part of that mana reactor. This mana reactor can be installed anywhere on a puppet, and it can even be used as a special Magic Tool!

“A genius idea, this is definitely a brand new breakthrough in the field of mana reactors!

“The starting price is 2,800,000 purple golds! Every bid must be at least 100,000 higher! Start bidding!”

The auctioneer’s simple explanation made many people lose their minds. The mana reactor was the core of a puppet and some large-scale alchemical facilities. These things would rarely appear outside.

Even if they did, they would be matched with puppets or some large alchemy equipment. They wouldn’t be sold on their own and would always reach a sky-high price.

If that mana reactor was paired with a Heaven Puppet, many people would fight over it even if the bid reached 300,000,000 purple golds.

If it was paired with some large-scale alchemy equipment, the price would be even higher because some equipment couldn’t be manufactured due to mana reactor limitations.

But now, a mana reactor on its own was actually even more precious. The last time a mana reactor appeared in the Starry Sky Auction was over eight hundred years ago.

Moreover, the technology contained within that mana reactor far exceeded the puppets currently on the market. They could buy it to study it. As long as they could learn the technology and copy the mana reactor, they could outfit an army of level 39 puppets. After all, the main limitation to the progress of the puppeteering field was the mana reactor.

Furthermore, this mana reactor could be installed on any part of a puppet and could even be carried as an extra mana reactor. If added on top of a weapon system, it could supply the weapon system with an independent source of energy, greatly raising the strength of the puppet.

All those with puppeteering knowledge were going crazy, red lights filling their eyes. This wasn’t just a mana reactor, this was a gold mine! 

Seeing the crowd’s reaction, Lin Yun squinted his eyes and smiled. That mana reactor was indeed too powerful, but currently, even Lin Yun had no plans to mass-produce it. The manufacturing costs were really too high. This was just a prototype, nothing else.

There were two crucial materials. One was Enchanted Molten Tin, which wasn’t produced in Noscent but only in the Abyss, and only in the layers below the 50th layer.

As for the other material, Eternal Dark Gold, Noscent had such a low output that it could be disregarded. Even the best potion of the Gilded Rose could only be traded for a fingernail of Eternal Dark Gold..