Chapter 210: Pelagic Pearl (1/2)

Chapter 210: Pelagic Pearl

It was certainly a startling field; weak, but complicated. The deeper he delved in to it, the more his thunderbolt and lightning Disciplines resonated. His own power was strong enough to counter-act the strange sensation, but a lesser man would certainly have difficulties controlling the chaotic powers.

The one million dollars was well worth it!

There were other metals that produced an electric field, of course. Lan Jue had even encountered several of them. However, this was the first time a metal had begun to influence his Discipline just by being close.

Lan Jue was well satisfied with his purchases. This metal alone would require more careful study when he returned to the hotel later. Years of experience and study have possessed him with a calm state of mind, but it would be best to examine the stuff in Skyfire Avenue.

After a while the remainder of wandering auctioneers returned to their seats. The show continued shortly thereafter.

The bid caller changed once again. The older man had returned to take over.

Now he was clad in a snow white suit, and a red shirt that gave him a sort of old-timey charm. A younger man wouldn’t have been able to pull it off.

“Thank you and welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. Now we come to the final section of the Tear of Neptune auction. I’m certain many of you have been waiting with baited breath for this very moment. That’s right, here we’ve come to the final leg of our time together; power gems! Today we have sixteen gems on offer, all of them the product of our very own planet Lir. Our basest gemstones are c-ranked, so we have something for everyone. Don’t miss your chance!”

“Please bring out our first item.”

An assistant pushed the cart back onto the stage. The scarlet velvet covering the item was removed, revealing a crystal display box. Within sat a twinkling pitch black pearl.

If they were sticking to their normal formula, then this item would their third major draw for this section, surpassed only by their last two sales. They did this to keep the excitement levels high, and drive up competitive prices. It was a common practice in auctions.

“The Pelagic Pearl, an a-ranked gem. In total, we have three identical gems available for purchase. They’ve already been beautifully cut for your convenience and appreciation. It’s ready for any application, especially as the core gem for your mecha. The power gem has three special characteristics, making it a star among a-ranked gems.”

“First, the gem is chalk full of an enormous amount of personal energy, making it an excellent source of alternative energy. As I’m certainly everyone is aware, Sovereign-class mechs have gems such as these to help with energy consumption. The more prosperous the energy gem, the more powerful the mecha it can support. This single five hundred carat gem can power your top of the line mecha for three hours of uninterrupted combat.”

“Secondly, the gem has a pure and powerful water element power. Water Adepts who channel their power through it, will see their capabilities doubled at the least. A concrete number for how much more powerful one is when using the gem is difficult to provide, as it’s contingent on how well one’s Discipline melds with the gem. To our knowledge, a well-paired team of Adept and gem can reach as high as five times their normal abilities.”

“The third and final ability of the pearl, is its regenerative powers. Drop it in the water, and the power gem will consume the water energies around it to heal. If the gem runs out of energy, keep it in the water for three hours and you’re ready to go again.”

“Amplification, preservation, regeneration, all in one balanced package. Let’s begin; we’ll set the opening bid at one million NED. Bids must continue in twenty-thousand dollar increments. Begin!”

The interest in power gems had always trumped lust for anything else in all three Alliances. As the bidding commenced, no less than ten auctioneers brought up their placards. The price rose frighteningly fast.

“Hey freshman, what do you think of this a-ranked gem?” Su He asked.

Lan Jue turned his head to reply. “Balanced, yet moderate. It’d be much more suitable for water Adepts.”

Su He nodded.

A few minutes later the pearl was sold, to a man in the front for 1.8 million NED.

An energy gem that’s reached this level didn’t even have a market price. It was uncommon enough that there wasn’t a previously set game or hardware situation for them to fall back on.

The pearl eventually sold to a gentleman in the front, for eighteen million NED.

Energy gems that reached a-rank were very rarely seen on the public market. They were rare enough so that price no object when those in need finally came across one.

Things continued as before, with the items following the Pelagic Pearl being significantly less interesting. In fact none were better than ‘mediocre.’

Xiuxiu and Lin Guoguo occasionally bid on pieces that came up, without needing to wait for Lan Jue’s input. As decent deals presented themselves, the two young women would involve themselves. Even still they didn’t buy much.

Before long, they’d come to the second to last item on auction.

“Next for your viewing pleasure, we have the last item before our main event. This is another a-ranked power gem. However, I must tell you, this is a gem that’s at the absolute peak of its class. Let’s take a look!” He swept his arm towards the cart.

A blue, opaque gemstone sat within a crystal display box. In all it was about the size of an adult fist, and round like a ball. It’s interior looked like a storm of rolling clouds and mist, accompanied by an indistinct halo of dim light. Even with the barrier of the crystal box between them, Lan Jue could still faintly sense the energy waves given off by the power gem.