Chapter 753: New Auction Scheme

Over three months later...

The Altier Convention began as scheduled.

"Another five years had passed, huh?"

Arriving at the Altier Arcane Tower with the members of the Eternal Star Alliance, Nash couldn’t help but sigh. It seemed that with every Altier Convention, his status climbed into a higher and higher level.

From the first convention he attended, when he could barely attend as a guest of the Azure Heaven Alliance, to the second, when he reached the level of a top-level team leader, and now the third, when he could stand side by side with major-level teams.

Taking the podium, Primos welcomed everyone. Turning in Nash direction, a smile appeared on his face. "Before we begin the convention, let us give a round of applause to two supreme leaders worthy to stand beside us!"

As soon as Primos finished speaking, gasps erupted through the crowd as their eyes swept to Nash, leader of the Eternal Star Alliance, and Escanor, leader of the Grand Race Sovereign Alliance.

"Lord Nash, Lord Escanor, can you please come up to the podium and grace us with your presence?" With their names called, the two had no other choice but to comply.

As he walked to the podium, he came across Escanor, the fierce leader of the Grand Race Sovereign Alliance. At first glance, he seemed like a tamed herbivore that one could easily push around. However, once he looked through his runic composition, his eyes were nearly blinded, like staring into a blazing sun.

"It’s not polite to peep into others, Lord Nash."

"My apologies. I couldn’t help but be curious."

This Escanor was not a herbivore at all, but a proud lion that shone light onto all beings. With a quick glance, he could tell his physique reached at least 1 million! No wonder he could subdue over half of the top-level teams.

On the podium, Nash met each supreme leader up close for the first time.

Not putting on any airs, the seven greeted them with a warm welcome. It had been less than a hundred years since the cosmic competition began, it wasn’t yet clear who would become friends and who would become enemies. In that case, it’s better not to incur any enmity.

"Welcome, and congratulations, Lord Nash and Lord Escanor, for being leaders of a major-level team." Primos smiled and offered them a seat.

"Now, let us continue the convention..."

As Primos began to talk about their results in the unexplored domain expedition, the three leaders of the little major alliances wore dark expressions.

Whether it was jealousy or frustration that they couldn’t reach the podium, they felt weakness deep in their bones. If only they had worked harder, been braver, or united earlier, they could have been among the top.

Vowing to change their situation, Opeous, Zhi, and Lance looked at each other as if making a decision. Since they couldn’t reach the status of a major-level team alone, they would do it together.

Soon, as Primos finished his report about the expedition, he announced another major matter.

"In the coming years, the seven of us will each be building a dimensional-scale dark gate. Thus, I want everyone to prepare, or form another alliance as quickly as possible. All our doors are open for everyone willing to join."

With Primos’s announcement, uproar rang through the crowd. A dimensional-scale dark gate! A funnel of magnitude that could directly connect an entire domain area to the Dark Plane.

One such thing was worth hundreds, if not thousands, of the regular dark gates. The problem was the danger they posed. Like a black hole, a small one might not be a problem, but a larger one could suck in all the surrounding dark energy, amplifying the danger in the area.

This was basically turning a domain area into something similar to an unexplored domain. Which meant attracting a Tier 9 dark beast was a possibility.

One or two, even dozens of Tier 9 dark beasts might not be a problem, as there was the Altier Arcane Cannon. But what about hundreds or even thousands?

This wouldn’t be a problem for the major-level teams, since they were at the top of the Altier Arcane Tower Trial and had priority to use the Altier Arcane Cannon. The others could only pray no one used the Altier Arcane Cannon while danger approached their territory.

Meanwhile, Nash, who was seated beside the other major team leaders, hadn’t had a change in expression. Having noticed at the last auction that the major-level teams were hoarding materials for a dimensional-scale dark gate, he had long deduced they were ready to take the next step.

This was also another reason he had pushed through with conquering a Forbidden Domain. Situated in a turbulent knot of space, it was less affected by changes regarding the external environment. Of course, they also had to prepare, hoping to build a dimensional-scale dark gate of their own by the next convention.

Finishing his speech, Primos announced the start of the trading phase.

Not bothering with the little scene of the weaker teams, every leader headed to the second floor, eager for the Altier Auction to start. Now that everyone had money, they wanted to buy, buy, and buy everything.

Unfortunately, Primos and the other major team leaders seemed to have read their thoughts. As they took their seats, Primos announced a change to the auction scheme. Instead of selling items one by one and letting others bid, it would shift to a free market where everyone could sell and ask for what they wanted in exchange.

"It seemed we have really broken the monopoly of the major-level teams..." Everyone thought with a smile.

In the past, the seven major alliances used the auction as a butchering stage to siphon all their precious items and resources. Using the abundant Chaos stones in their pockets, all the top-tier treasures were swiftly delivered into their hands. What was left was scrap materials, which the others even had to compete fiercely for.

With top teams forming an alliance and pooling money into one pot, they could compete toe-to-toe without losing ground.

"For the rules of the upcoming exchange..." Primos began explaining how the new system worked and the rules they needed to follow.

Basically, each individual or alliance could list a set of products, whether rare or common. After listing, they could set the price within the range of other materials they wanted, whether in exchange for Chaos stones, battleships, technology, another rare resource, treasures, etc.

After understanding the rules and taking a few minutes to discuss among themselves, Primos officially declared the start of the Altier Auction!

Soon, a system interface appeared before each individual, detailing the rules and how to operate it.

After talking with the members of the Eternal Star Alliance, they decided Nash would handle buying rare and precious products, while they would handle selling and buying other much-needed materials.

"Let’s start this..." Nash eagerly opened the trading panel and filtered through everything that Chaos stones could buy. From A-class, S-class, SS-class, SSS-class battleships of the Mechanical Race. Ready-made defense outposts, production facilities, plants, animals, and various other technologies that they could use.

Although everyone could trade and sell, it was still a competition over who could afford the highest price. Calculating the most reasonable price, Nash bid on each item.

While bidding for items he could buy with chaos stones, Nash began to list materials needed for a dimensional-scale dark gate, seeking to exchange for mother core ships.

This universal industrial hub was the heart of every civilization. The larger the number, the better. Thus, while building it cost less than 10,000 Chaos stones, no one would sell even if he offered a million for one.

With no choice, he could only use the dimensional dark gate materials they gathered during the expedition, plus some from the Forbidden Domain.

Sure enough, as soon as he listed the items, the major-level teams began to take action. Using Tier 8 mother core ships, they began to bid fiercely, using dozens, hundreds, and even thousands for some rare dark gate material.

"Tsk, tsk. Just how rich are the major-level teams?"

The auction had just started, but over 10,000 mother core ships were already placed in the bidding.

Deciding to wait until the last minute, Nash listed another item in exchange for some rare resources: the dark energy purification device.

Since the Eternal Star Alliance had been growing so rapidly, Nash no longer sold the dark energy purification device to other teams. Like the mother core ship, it was a necessity where more was always better. No matter how much they produced, it would never be enough given their rate of growth and expansion.

Listing the dark energy purification device, what he asked for in exchange was rare dimensional array materials, Star of Elements, Star of Laws, and Star of Void, like the Sun Star Void. Besides that, he also wanted rare plants and animals not listed for sale using Chaos stones.

Seeing them listed but not having the product to buy them, he could only switch from buyer to seller.