Chapter 66: Cat and Mouse Bid

At a quarter to eight in the evening, a line of luxury limousines stretched along the grand plaza of the Upper Gold District.

The Imperial Grand Alchemical Exchange was a massive marble palace, lit by tall crystal lamps and golden mana lanterns.

A black-and-gold SUV pulled smoothly up to the private VIP entrance. The chauffeur opened the doors, and Evren stepped out onto the plush red carpet, dressed in a tailored charcoal three-piece suit with a silk tie.

Beside him, Amber stepped out wearing an emerald-green and gold backless evening gown, her dark hair pinned up with diamond clips.

Then came Zephyra.

She wore the midnight shadow-silk longcoat from Maison Valoria over a dark satin dress, paired with silver boots. Her violet eyes were wide with a mix of awe and nervous tension, but she stood tall and composed beside Evren.

The Chief Concierge rushed forward, bowing low as he scanned the digital pass on Evren’s phone.

"Welcome, Chairman Crawford, Lady Sterling," the concierge said with utmost respect. "Presidential Skybox Number One has been prepared for your party. Please follow me."

They rode a private gilded elevator up to the executive mezzanine.

As they walked down the plush burgundy carpet of the VIP corridor, the double doors of an adjoining lounge opened.

Stepping into the hallway was Lord Varek Drossian.

He was dressed in a dark velvet longcoat with gold embroidery, leaning on a silver-topped serpent cane. Flanking him were two massive S-Rank shadow bodyguards with crossed arms.

Varek’s smug grin instantly vanished when his gaze landed on the trio.

His eyes widened in shock, locking onto Zephyra.

He had expected her to be a broken, trembling cripple hiding in the shadows. Instead, she stood straight and proud in bespoke silk; her violent tremors weren’t visible, and she was looking more dignified than any noblewoman in the Capital.

Varek’s jaw tightened in jealousy and rage.

"Well, well," he sneered, tapping his serpent cane against the marble floor. "Chairman Crawford of Veridia... You took my runaway assassin and dressed her in expensive silk. You think pretty clothes hide a crippled dog?"

Before Zephyra could even flinch, Evren took a single calm step forward, shielding her entirely behind his broad shoulders.

Evren looked down at Varek with ice in his eyes.

"You were too broke to afford twenty million in Sector Four, Varek," Evren said in a cool, dismissive voice. "Try not to embarrass yourself tonight."

Varek’s face flushed red with fury.

"Enjoy your arrogance while you can, Crawford," Varek hissed through clenched teeth. "Tonight, you won’t leave this auction with a single leaf. I’ll make sure of it."

Evren didn’t even bother replying. He gave a faint smirk and walked past Varek, leading Amber and Zephyra straight into Presidential Skybox Number One.

—

The presidential box was a luxurious, private suite.

It had floor-to-ceiling one-way smart glass overlooking the entire three-tiered auction amphitheater below, plush leather lounge couches, a private bar, and an illuminated digital bidding podium.

Below them, hundreds of wealthy guildmasters, high-ranking military officers, and Capital aristocrats filled the theater seats.

Zephyra walked to the glass railing, looking down at the bustling crowd in wonder.

"I’ve only ever seen places like this from ventilation ducts on assassination contracts," Zephyra murmured softly.

Amber smiled gently, resting a comforting hand on Zephyra’s shoulder. "From now on, you sit in the boxes, Zephyra. Not the vents."

GONG!

A chime echoed across the massive hall.

A spotlight illuminated the main stage as the chief auctioneer, an elderly man with a golden monocle and a red velvet vest, stepped up to the podium.

"Distinguished guests, noble lords, and esteemed guildmasters!" the auctioneer announced with enthusiasm. "Welcome to the Imperial Grand Alchemical Exchange’s Annual Midsummer Gala!"

The first six lots flew by quickly. High-tier monster bones, rare refining furnaces, and ancient recipe scrolls were sold off for millions of dollars to various Capital guilds.

Then, four armed attendants carried a heavy, lead-lined pedestal onto the center of the stage.

The auctioneer dramatically lifted the cloth, revealing a cylindrical glass containment capsule filled with glowing blue nutrient fluid.

Floating inside the capsule was a cluster of radiant, fire-red coral that pulsed with blinding golden light and intense heat: The Astral Sun-Fire Coral.

A low murmur of excitement rippled through the entire audience.

"Lot Number Seven!" the auctioneer projected his voice. "An intact branch of the Astral Sun-Fire Coral, harvested from the core of an S-Rank subterranean magma fissure! A peerless Class-A alchemical reagent capable of completely restructuring damaged mana pathways! Bidding opens at Five Million Dollars!"

A few guildmasters in the front rows placed initial bids, quickly taking it to seven million.

Inside Skybox Number One, Evren tapped his podium.

BEEP.

"Ten million dollars," the automated system announced over the speakers, displaying Skybox #1 — Apex Sovereign Conglomerate on the massive digital scoreboard.

Across the mezzanine in Skybox Number Four, Lord Varek Drossian watched with a malicious gleam in his eyes.

He had been watching the auction specifically to see what Crawford wanted. The moment he saw Skybox Number One enter the bidding, Varek slammed his hand onto his podium’s microphone.

"Twenty million!" Varek’s booming voice echoed through the amphitheater.

The crowd gasped. Doubling the bid from ten million straight to twenty million was an aggressive move designed to bully the newcomer out of the market.

Varek stood by his skybox railing, glaring across the hall at Evren’s booth with a smug, mocking sneer.

Inside Skybox Number One, Evren took a sip of iced water. With a calm, relaxed motion, Evren tapped his touchscreen.

BEEP.

"Twenty point one million," the automated system announced over the speakers.

A few people in the audience chuckled.

Across the hall, Varek scowled in disgust, thinking Evren was struggling to scrape up extra cash. Varek hit his button again. "Twenty-two million!"

BEEP.

"Twenty-two point one million," Evren’s console instantly countered.

Varek’s eye twitched in irritation. "Twenty-five million!"

BEEP.

"Twenty-five point one million."

The auction hall started buzzing with laughter. The aristocrats and guildmasters below looked up at the two skyboxes, realizing that Skybox Number One was deliberately toying with Lord Varek like a cat with a mouse.

Varek’s face burned with humiliation. He gripped his serpent cane so hard his veins bulged.

"Twenty-eight million!" Varek shouted.

BEEP.

"Twenty-eight point one million."

"Thirty-two million!"

BEEP.

"Thirty-two point one million."

Varek completely snapped. His face turned dark purple with pure rage. He slammed both fists onto the console and roared at the top of his lungs:

"FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS!"

The entire amphitheater fell dead silent. Fifty million dollars for an alchemical reagent was an astronomical sum that even top guilds would hesitate to spend.

Varek breathed heavily, a twisted grin returning to his face as he looked across at Evren’s booth. He was convinced he had finally crushed him.

Inside Skybox Number One, Zephyra’s breath hitched in panic.

She rushed over to Evren, her hands trembling as she gently tugged at the sleeve of his charcoal suit.

"Evren, please stop..." Zephyra pleaded in a hushed, anxious voice. "Fifty million is too much. That’s a ridiculous fortune... please don’t waste that much money on me!"

Evren turned toward her and gently placed his warm hand over hers, giving her a calm, reassuring smile. "It’s not a waste, Zephyra," he said softly. "It’s an investment in your future."

He turned his gaze toward the glass window, looking straight across the open hall at Varek’s smug face.

Evren’s lips curved into a cold, mocking smirk.

"You thought I was bidding like that to save money, Varek?" Evren spoke in a clear tone. "I was just seeing how far your pride would stretch."

Evren reached out his finger and tapped the golden custom-entry key on his console.

BEEP.

Evren’s calm, amplified voice filled the entire palace through the speakers: "One hundred million dollars."