Chapter 136: The Jinx Auction

After putting on a mask and pulling up my hoodie, I entered the auction house. Compared to its exterior, the interior was surprisingly extravagant, leaving me momentarily stunned.

The building outside was merely a decoy, with vendors selling barbecue and snacks. There was also a restaurant nearby, along with a brothel right next to it. ℯ𝕝.

As I walked into the auction house, I was greeted by a petite cat girl.

"Iyaaan, mister! Welcome to Jinx Auction. Would you like to sit in the regular section or the VIP section~nyaan?" the cat girl asked politely.

Why does she keep saying "iyaaan" like an actual cat? Is Roku broken? No, that bastard Roku is a gangster. Sigh.

"I’ll take the regular section."

"Okay, sir. Please follow me."

I nodded and followed the cat girl.

Just like me, several other attendants were escorting guests to their seats, while some people strolled around as if they owned the place.

Besides, paying extra for the VIP section would be a waste of resources. I was already wearing a mask, so there was no need to spend more money than necessary.

{...}

What?

{Nothing, Master. It’s better if you find out for yourself. Hehe.}

This bastard. What are you up to this time?

Since Zero didn’t respond to my question, I eventually settled into one of the large rows of seats in the auction hall.

When I looked up, I saw several towering VIP boxes and rooms directly above us, all designed with exquisite glass walls. However, when I tried to peer through the glass, it was as if something was obstructing my perception.

I waited for several minutes until the regular section gradually filled up with guests.

Eventually, all the lights in the auction house were switched on. The place became so bright that even an ant wouldn’t have been able to escape our sight.

Looking around, I noticed that many guests were wearing masks or hoodies, while others didn’t bother concealing their identities.

What caught my attention, however, was the sheer number of beastfolk and demi-humans present.

Suddenly, a woman stepped onto the auction podium.

She had green skin, pitch-black eyes, and two antennae sprouting from her head. Accompanying her was a well-dressed orc carrying a massive crate.

[Inspecting Race...]

[Ding! Race detected. A rare subspecies resulting from a cross between a Plant Druid and an Insectoid.]

I was surprised by the information and took another look at the auctioneer.

Now that I thought about it, she really did resemble an insect. Her jaw appeared to be covered in an exoskeleton, which extended down her thighs and legs.

"Welcome to our auction, esteemed guests. Our rules remain unchanged. No attacking other guests within the auction house, and no bidding unless you have the means to pay. Anyone who violates these rules will be obliterated."

Silence permeated the hall.

Damn, that’s ruthless.

Still, I guessed those rules only really mattered when dealing with the weak. What could they possibly do to an Archmage?

Then again, an Archmage wouldn’t be shameless enough to break the rules or poor enough to make an unfunded bid in the first place. So, I supposed the rules worked either way.

After delivering her opening speech, the auctioneer left the podium. A large holographic screen appeared behind it, displaying highlights from previous auctions.

As I watched the transactions and examined the items that had been sold, I couldn’t help but feel amazed. I figured I might as well purchase a few things myself.

I also discovered that they traded illegal war slaves here, despite the prohibition against illegal slave trading.

The difference between legal and illegal slavery was that legal slavery provided certain protections for slaves and offered them a system through which they could earn merits to eventually regain their freedom.

People became slaves for various reasons, including treason, criminal offenses, and being captured as spoils of war.

However, legally enslaved individuals still had rights and could accumulate merits to redeem their freedom in the future. Illegal slaves, on the other hand, had neither rights nor protection. Their masters could do whatever they pleased with them.

Quite terrifying.

The next moment, I took out my phone and checked my personal account.

I had a little over six hundred thousand gold coins. On top of that, there were still the five million gold coins loaded onto the card Seraphina had given me.

But that still wasn’t enough for my plans. I needed to acquire something useful for myself.

Suddenly, an idea popped into my head.

I opened my messages and contacted Erin, asking her to lend me one million gold coins. This was the first time I’d ever asked her for such a large amount of money.

Within a minute, she replied.

[How much do you need, darling? I only have a little over nine hundred thousand gold coins in my account. Should I ask the others to chip in?]

I stared at her message in surprise.

This was also a sort of test. After all, she’d only agreed to be with me for the sake of her sister.

I replied.

[Send me eight hundred thousand. I’ll pay you back tomorrow.]

Before I could type another word, a notification popped up on my screen.

Eight hundred thousand gold coins had been transferred to my account.

After some time, the highlights came to an end, and the green-skinned woman returned to the podium, this time accompanied by a female orc.

Her large breasts threatened to spill out of her clothes.

"The first item on today’s list is a Grade Five battle axe forged by the legendary blacksmith Momon! It comes equipped with one passive skill and two active skills. The starting bid is fifty thousand gold coins!"

"Sixty thousand!"

"One hundred thousand!"

"One hundred and twenty thousand!"

"Three hundred thousand!"

"Five hundred thousand!"

"Going once, going twice... Sold!"

The auctioneer slammed her hammer against the podium, and the female orc carried the item away while the male orc remained motionless, seemingly standing guard over the auctioneer.

"The second item for today is..."

I continued watching the auction.

So far, none of the items had caught my interest. However, my ears suddenly perked up when the next item was announced.

"The eighth item of the day is a Grade Four biological armor capable of withstanding attacks from C-Rank adventurers and monsters. It can also transform into a weapon. Its creator is unknown, and because it is a living armor, it must be fed monster cores to survive. The starting bid is fifty thousand gold coins!" the auctioneer announced.

Contrary to my expectations, nobody immediately started bidding.

Instead, murmurs of dissatisfaction spread throughout the hall.

"Hmph! What are they thinking? Setting the starting price so high for a measly Grade Four biological armor that needs to be constantly fed? It’s not even made by a reputable blacksmith. Trash!"

"You’re right, Old Gue."

I listened to the complaints around me, but I had a different opinion.

Although the armor didn’t seem particularly impressive, lightweight biological armor sounded like the perfect fit for me, especially since it could transform into a weapon.

Sure, its grade was relatively low, but trying it out as my first piece of equipment didn’t seem like a bad idea.

With that in mind, I raised my hand.

"Sixty thousand!"

"Seventy thousand!"

Fuck. Someone else was bidding!

"Eighty thousand!"

"One hundred thousand!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, growing increasingly frustrated.

"Going once, going twice... Sold!"

The auctioneer slammed her hammer down, sealing the deal.

However, instead of the reaction I’d expected, the skinny guy sitting in the front row suddenly burst into laughter as he looked in my direction.