Chapter 703: Eidonic Compass

Breejara didn’t bring out the next item right away.

Instead, the lights around the central platform dimmed until there was only a single pillar of pale gold left. That alone was enough to quiet most of the hall before she’d even raised several hands to speak.

Whatever irritation had been building under her smile vanished behind something far more practiced. She let the silence drag out. If she was going to pull the room back into a real bidding war, she might as well make everyone feel the hook before she showed them the bait.

"What comes next is an Ascendant Class treasure, although I suspect many of you will find what it leads to considerably more interesting than the treasure itself."

Several private bubbles brightened as people leaned forward. Even Grey stopped fucking around long enough to pay attention, he already felt some counter coming.

Breejara noticed the change right away and took her time with it. She waited a few more seconds, then a small black case rose from beneath the stage and unfolded into three separate layers.

In the center sat a narrow shard of translucent material, like a piece of glass broken off something much bigger.

Faint colors drifted through its interior in slow currents. Every few seconds, the pattern changed completely, never settling long enough for Grey to make much sense of it from a distance.

"This is the First Echo of Eidon, one portion of a three-piece Ascendant Class set collectively known as the Eidonic Compass. On its own, the shard can stabilize high-level Neural Frame resonance and improve the clarity of Soul Link manifestation, but when joined with its two sister pieces, its real purpose is revealed."

A projection appeared above the stage. Three fragments locked together around a hollow center, and lines of light began stretching outward from them.

"According to surviving records, the completed Eidonic Compass points toward the resting place of a Paragon Class treasure known as the Heart of the First Element."

That name got a much bigger reaction from the room. Grey immediately noticed Aelthar’s bubble flare brighter across the hall.

Breejara noticed it too. Her smile widened just a little as she went on.

"The Heart of the First Element has been described as a treasure of extraordinary value to Elemental Races, particularly those attempting to reach Soul Link or deepen one that has already begun to form. For most races, Soul Link requires learning how to bridge the gap between the Neural Frame and the self, understanding something that has always existed inside you but remained separate enough to require conscious effort."

The projection changed. It showed a humanoid figure with a Neural Frame running through it, the flesh slowly fading away.

"Elementals suffer from almost the opposite problem. They are so naturally synchronized with their Neural Frames that, in many cases, the distinction between Frame and body is far smaller than it is for flesh-based races, to the point that it could be said many Elementals are more Neural Frame than physical form."

Grey’s eyes narrowed as he listened. Having just gone through Soul Link himself, he could follow exactly where this was going.

"That natural synchronization grants them extraordinary control from birth, but it also means they never develop the same relationship with their Frames that other races are forced to build over time. You cannot easily learn to reach for something you’ve never needed to reach for, and when the time comes to push beyond that natural state into Soul Link, many Elementals find themselves trying to develop a kind of awareness they were never forced to cultivate in the first place."

A second projection appeared, showing an Elemental trying to push deeper into a structure already merged with its body.

"Other races spend years learning how to sense, shape and synchronize with their Neural Frames, while Elementals begin from a position most would consider enviable. Unfortunately for them, when everyone else eventually reaches the point where deeper understanding becomes necessary, Elementals often discover that being naturally gifted can become its own kind of handicap."

That got a few laughs from the audience. Aelthar’s flames, on the other hand, had visibly brightened by now.

"The Heart of the First Element is said to resolve that conflict, allowing an Elemental to perceive its own Frame as though standing outside of it without sacrificing the natural synchronization that makes the Race so dangerous in the first place. For an Elemental who has already reached Soul Link, the records suggest its value becomes even greater."

Grey saw the way Aelthar’s posture shifted, and he understood right away why Breejara had picked this item.

She couldn’t make the room bid against him. But, she could dangle something in front of the one person in this hall who couldn’t afford to let it go.

"The First Echo of Eidon is only one third of the map, and the locations of the other two pieces are presently unknown. Even so, there are treasures valuable enough that the clue itself becomes a treasure, and I suspect several people here already understand exactly how true that is."

The auction interface appeared.

Starting Bid: 25,000,000 Blue Credits

Grey almost laughed when he saw it. So this was her play.

He put in a bid mostly on principle. Aelthar’s name showed up almost immediately afterward, confirming everything Grey had already guessed.

The price started climbing so fast that Breejara barely had time to call out the numbers before they changed again. The rest of the audience dropped out almost immediately as 25 million became 30, then 35, then 40.

By the time the price crossed 50 million Blue Credits, only two names were left.

Grey Temolt and Aelthar Infernis.

Breejara’s smile got brighter with every increase. Grey could practically see the relief pouring off her as the auction finally started acting the way Muse Incorporated had expected.

Two Betting Favorites were throwing obscene amounts of money at each other while everyone else watched. It was exactly the kind of spectacle that would pump value back into the auction, after Grey had spent the last several rounds strangling it.

51 million became 53, then 55. Aelthar showed no sign of slowing down.

Grey kept answering him without hesitating. After a few more bids, though, he leaned back and chuckled, just as Breejara started sounding more and more excited with every increase.

Contrary to what everyone seemed to think, Grey did actually pay attention.

He had listened when Breejara explained the auction rules at the start of the night. More importantly, he remembered exactly what happened once a bidding war that started with enough participants narrowed down to just two.

The current number wasn’t nearly as important as Breejara thought it was. Not when there was another option waiting for him the moment everyone else dropped out.

Grey looked down at the interface.

[ISSUE DIRECT CHALLENGE]

His grin widened.

Breejara was still talking, trying to squeeze a few more million out of the moment, when Grey raised his hand and slapped the challenge button.

The entire auction interface flashed at once. It cut her off mid-sentence as a challenge notification spread between Grey’s bubble and Aelthar’s.

Across the hall, Aelthar’s flames surged, and the audience erupted in another wave of noise.

Grey leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and looked straight at Aelthar’s projection.

If these people wanted him to stop buying everything, then they were going to have to make him.

He had already embarrassed one Betting Favorite tonight. If another one wanted to stand between him and what he was doing, Grey was more than happy to give the entire Genesis Games another show.