Chapter 151: A Copper Coin

"One copper coin."

As soon as the words left his mouth, dozens of heads turned toward Malrik’s box.

This was the first time one of the VIP guests had intervened in the auction. But what truly astonished everyone was not his participation, but the price he had offered.

One copper coin.

He was bidding a single copper coin on an unknown book whose value no one even knew.

In an auction reserved for wealthy nobles and major merchants, where even the cheapest items started at dozens of gold coins, the word "copper" itself sounded like a ridiculous joke, almost an insult that had no place here.

And yet, no one dared to object or complain. After all, the auction host herself had left the opening price entirely up to the audience.

This was what made the situation even more amusing.

A few chuckles soon spread through the hall, not at Malrik, but at the auction house itself, whose own rules had ended up allowing someone to bid a single copper coin in an auction like this.

Mia, the auction host, looked toward the darkened box where Malrik sat and narrowed her eyes slightly.

Although she didn’t know the identity of the person who had made this provocative bid, she knew very well that anyone sitting in a VIP box was no ordinary noble she could afford to offend or simply reject.

Mia skillfully swallowed her displeasure and put on a broad, professional smile before raising her voice to carry across the hall.

"One copper coin from Box A07! Any other bidders?"

She waited for a few moments, letting her gaze sweep across the crowd below and the elevated seats. But the hall remained quiet, broken only by a few amused murmurs.

No one was willing to pay even a single silver coin for an unknown book, let alone risk crossing a noble sitting in a VIP box.

When she realized no one was going to intervene, Mia slowly raised her wooden gavel and began the count.

"One copper coin... going once!"

"Going twice!"

Not a single crystal lit up, and no bidding paddle was raised.

Mia brought the gavel down hard on the podium, the sharp crack echoing through the hall.

"Sold! This item goes to the esteemed bidder from Box A07."

Inside the box, Velrosa couldn’t hold back her laughter. She looked at her brother with an amused smile.

"I didn’t know you had such a sense of humor, Mal."

She leaned slightly toward him and whispered in his ear.

"If you really like something, don’t hesitate to tell me. Your rich sister will buy it for you today."

Malrik looked at her for a moment, then gave a faint smile. He couldn’t refuse such a tempting offer. "Then I won’t hold back."

Meanwhile, on the stage, Mia bowed respectfully to the audience, a professional smile on her face.

"My role for today ends here, ladies and gentlemen. The rest of tonight’s auction will be handled by the General Manager of the Ducal Auction House himself... Mr. Magnus."

Mia stepped gracefully off the stage as Magnus stepped forward.

He no longer looked like the nervous, sweating manager who had welcomed Velrosa earlier. Instead, he stood at the center of the stage with complete composure and professionalism.

"Welcome to the Ducal Auction House."

His strong, steady voice echoed through the hall, amplified by magic. He sounded even more professional and dignified than Mia.

"I am Magnus, the General Manager of this establishment, and I will be with you for the remainder of tonight’s auction."

Cedric leaned slightly toward Malrik and said calmly, "The real auction begins now, Seventh Banner Bearer."

Malrik looked at him curiously. "Does the manager usually oversee the auction himself?"

"Usually, no. But today is different... some of the items tonight will be very special, as will... some of the visitors," Cedric answered, his eyes still fixed on the stage.

Before Malrik could ask anything, the sound of heavy metal chains being dragged slowly filled the hall, followed by the creaking of wooden wheels carrying something fairly large.

Two workers pushed an iron platform onto the stage. A massive cage sat on top of it, covered with a black cloth and bound in chains.

Magnus stepped toward the cage and pulled away the cloth, revealing what lay inside.

Several attendees gasped, leaning forward as they stared at it.

Inside the cage rested a massive hybrid creature that resembled a giant black panther cub. Its body was covered in thick, soft black fur, and a pair of large, bat-like wings protruded from its back, folded against its sides.

It lay inside the cage, its massive body slightly curled in on itself despite being only a cub.

Its eyes watched the attendees with extreme caution, carrying a hint of primal fear mixed with clear hostility, as if it were ready to pounce on anyone who dared approach.

Malrik’s eyes lingered on it for a moment. He genuinely liked the creature’s unique hybrid appearance. He had never seen anything like it before.

Magnus’s voice resounded through the hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen, take a good look. What you see before you is no ordinary monster, but a rare cub of the Winged Shadow Panther species."

Magnus gestured toward the cage, then continued enthusiastically.

"Because it is still young, it is currently at the Awakened rank. This means that whoever succeeds in taming it now will have the opportunity to build a bond with it from a young age, making it the perfect choice for beast tamers or families seeking a powerful companion."

Magnus paused for a moment, giving the attendees time to take in his words before smiling.

"But that is not all."

"The blood of the Winged Shadow Panther carries immense potential. With the proper resources and care, this little one has the potential to evolve and reach the Corrupted rank!"

Murmurs of awe and greed spread through the hall. A monster that could be tamed from a young age and had the potential to reach the Corrupted rank, equivalent to the Saint rank, was a true treasure for any noble family.

Possessing a beast of this caliber could give a family a powerful advantage, raising its status and protecting its influence for many years.

Magnus raised his gavel high, then shouted enthusiastically over the clamor of the hall.

"We shall begin the bidding for this little one at... one platinum coin!"

As soon as Magnus announced the opening price, the cries of amazement from the lower hall noticeably died down, replaced by murmurs of shock and frustration.

"One platinum coin as a start!"

This amount represented a massive fortune, one that some lesser nobles or ordinary merchants might never amass even in their entire lifetimes. In an instant, the vast majority of those on the lower floor realized they were out of the competition before it had even begun. Their role tonight was simply to watch.

However, if this terrifying price had silenced the general audience, it was merely the starting signal for the true monsters in this auction.

Barely a fraction of a second passed before the bidding crystals in the VIP boxes began flashing one after another, and the wealthiest merchants officially joined the fierce battle.

"Three platinum coins!" shouted a heavyset merchant from the front rows, his eyes gleaming with greed.

"Five platinum coins!" called out a calm, confident voice from one of the VIP boxes.

"Ten platinum coins!"

"Fifty platinum coins!"

The bidding escalated at a frenzied pace, turning the hall into a literal battlefield where matters were settled with wealth and influence. The voices of the merchants below gradually faded as the numbers climbed higher, narrowing the fierce competition down to the VIP boxes that refused to yield.

The price surpassed a hundred coins, then two hundred, and kept climbing until a deep, commanding voice came from one of the upper boxes, calling out a number that silenced the entire hall and brought the bidding to a halt.

"Two hundred and fifty platinum coins."

The hall fell silent, and not a single bidding crystal lit up after that astronomical figure. Even the wealthiest nobles realized that paying this much for an Awakened-rank creature, no matter its future potential, was a risk few would dare take.

Magnus waited with a wide smile he couldn’t hide, sweeping his gaze across the boxes to make sure there were no other bidders. When complete silence fell, he raised his wooden gavel and brought it down hard on the podium.

"Two hundred and fifty platinum coins... sold! This hybrid panther goes to the esteemed bidder from Box S53!"

Malrik did not join the bidding, nor did he care about the insane price. He was not a beast tamer, and it never occurred to him that anyone with that class might need this cub.

What had truly caught his attention was the hybrid’s distinctive appearance. Those shadowy wings had given him a few ideas he desperately wanted to try later with his undead souls.

The auction continued, and the excitement only grew.

One of the workers stepped onto the stage carrying a small glass case covered with a black cloth. He placed it gently on the iron pedestal, then stepped back.

Magnus stepped toward the case and swiftly pulled away the black cloth, revealing an ancient leather-bound booklet radiating a dark blue aura that pulsed with power.

"The next item tonight will set the blood of every warrior here boiling!" Magnus’s enthusiastic voice rang across the hall, causing many nobles and knights to lean forward eagerly.

"I present to you... an Epic-rank skill book!"