Chapter 137: The Jinx Auction [Part-2]

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.

"Hahaha! You fool! I can’t believe you actually fell for my trap and bid one hundred thousand gold coins for that trash weapon. What a sucker! Hehehe!" The guy giggled mischievously, revealing a dirty row of teeth.

He was a dhampir. I could tell from the strange yellow aura surrounding him. Unlike vampires, whose auras were red, dhampirs usually had strangely yellow or golden auras.

They were a small, distinct subspecies with a strong sense of community. Since they weren’t fully accepted by either vampires or humans, they had formed their own tight-knit groups.

No wonder he picked on me. He could tell I was a vampire.

When he saw that I was ignoring him, the slender dhampir grew even more furious and tried to get to his feet. However, a sudden burst of aura from the green-skinned auctioneer made everyone suck in a cold breath.

Judging by that brief display of power alone, she was definitely around S-Rank!

"Please show some respect! Fighting is strictly forbidden inside this auction house. Offenders may be executed on the spot!" the green-skinned woman warned.

Shortly afterward, the female orc standing behind the auctioneer approached me to verify that I actually had enough money to pay for the item. Once she confirmed my financial status, she handed me a numbered card before returning to the podium.

"The ninth item up for auction today is a war slave! A demon legion commander captured on the battlefield! He’s been evaluated to be A-Rank, with the potential to reach S-Rank. The starting bid is two hundred thousand gold coins!"

"Three hundred thousand gold coins!"

"Three hundred and fifty thousand gold coins!"

"Four hundred and fifty thousand gold coins!"

"Five hundred thousand gold coins!"

"Seven hundred thousand gold coins!"

"Seven hundred and twenty thousand gold coins!"

I was surprised by the enormous sums people were willing to pay for a demon war slave. Since the auction began, this was the first time I’d witnessed such fierce bidding.

"This slave should belong to our Dehaull Academy! We bid one million gold coins!" declared an elderly human man with a goatee, stroking his chin arrogantly as he released a fraction of his aura to intimidate the other bidders.

I could tell he was around S-Rank or perhaps even higher.

"I bid 1.2 million gold coins. I hope everyone will show this old man some face. I want this little toy for my grandson."

A deep voice suddenly echoed throughout the hall.

I realized it was coming from one of the private rooms above us. The speaker wasn’t shouting, yet his voice was so deep and powerful that it seemed to shake the entire hall. It was almost as if he’d used magic to amplify it.

The old man from Dehaull Academy immediately broke into a cold sweat and swallowed hard.

Just how powerful was that person to make an S-Ranker cower in fear?

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

Unlike before, the busty female orc didn’t approach the winning bidder to verify his ability to pay.

Damn, perks of being a VIP member.

Suddenly, the lighting in the auction house changed, creating a dramatic atmosphere. Everyone’s eyes lit up with excitement.

This was it. The final item of the auction.

I straightened my back and clenched my fists.

"The final item on today’s list is the Ice Jade Necklace! An S-grade magical artifact forged from the crystallized bones of a powerful dragon. Its origin remains unknown, but it’s capable of increasing the magic power of its wearer twofold! The starting bid is five hundred thousand gold coins!"

The moment the auctioneer finished speaking, the entire hall erupted into a frenzy as people began bidding like crazy.

In no time, the price skyrocketed to two million gold coins.

Of course, I was among those bidding like crazy.

However, once the price crossed the three-million mark, the number of active bidders dropped significantly. Eventually, only about fifteen of us remained.

"3.5 million gold coins!"

"3.7 million gold coins!"

"Fuck! My disciple needs this necklace! I bid 3.9 million gold coins!"

"4 million gold coins!" I shouted, raising my bid as well.

At this point, I was getting nervous. I wasn’t sure if I’d actually be able to get my hands on the necklace, especially with so many people still interested in it.

Worst-case scenario, if I ran out of money, I’d bid another million and contact Seraphina to bail me out.

Besides, hadn’t the system said the necklace could increase her power threefold?

"I bid 4.5 million gold coins!"

A new voice suddenly rang out. It belonged to someone who hadn’t spoken a single word throughout the auction.

The voice carried an undeniable air of authority, yet its owner sounded surprisingly young, probably somewhere between twenty and thirty years old.

"Fuck this shit! Why is this artifact so expensive? It should be worth 3.5 million at most!"

"I give up!"

I paid no attention to the frustrated bidders dropping out and continued fighting for the necklace.

"5 million gold coins!" I shouted again.

The entire auction hall fell silent for a moment as several people turned to stare at me.

Some looked at me with contempt, while others seemed impressed by my determination.

However, I could also feel someone’s gaze fixed on me with unmistakable killing intent.

"Please, show this young lord some face. I need this necklace. I bid 5.1 million gold coins!"

I heard that familiar young male voice again and swallowed hard.

Damn it! What terrible luck! I desperately need this necklace too!

I couldn’t afford to lose. I absolutely refuse to be humiliated by those twins tomorrow.

"Going once, going twi—"

"I bid 5.5 million gold coins!" I shouted, cutting off the auctioneer.

Instantly, a violent aura surged toward me, its murderous intent so intense that it felt as though I was about to be killed on the spot.

Fortunately, the auctioneer reacted immediately, releasing her own aura to repel the incoming attack.

"Attacking someone openly inside the auction house is strictly forbidden! Even if you’re the city lord’s son, we won’t hesitate to take action if you kill someone here!" the auctioneer barked angrily, glaring at the glass room above.

My heart was pounding so violently that I felt like it might burst out of my chest.

If that woman hadn’t intervened, I’d probably be dead by now.

Damn! This world is way too dangerous!

And to make matters worse, the guy was the city lord’s son!

’Zero, can you check his level?’

{I am unable to probe his level, Master. He appears to be on par with the auctioneer, likely an S-Ranker.}

"Apologies for the disruption. Are there any further bids for this item?" the auctioneer asked, scanning the hall.

I could tell that this greedy woman was hoping to squeeze even more money out of us.

"Hmph! Only a sucker would pay five million gold coins for that thing. The city lord’s son should’ve just let the idiot buy it."

"Seriously? This is obviously about his ego. He’s pissed that someone from the regular seating area dared to challenge him without showing him any respect."

I ignored the gossip and silently prayed that nobody else would raise the bid.

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