Chapter 150: Crystals (1/2)
Artifacts, potions, materials, guns, and everything that anyone can imagine made their entrance to the auction. At this point, Arthur had seen so many items being bought by grandmaster Venkov that he questioned if this guy was a smuggler.
”A daughter of a wealthy family indeed…” Arthur muttered as the grandmaster raised the bid over a set of feathers.
”See, I'm the only sensible person of the family.” Emma laughed. However, Arthur had also seen her make some bids over things. Through halfway through the auction, the moment finally arrived.
”Our dear bidders, please calm down and listen to what I want to say. We all know how rare the fire element is and how difficult it is to produce an artificial artifact. That's why we present you this. A set of ten fire weapons, Blades of Flames!”
The name wasn't one Arthur had picked; it was by the auction. Naming a set made it more unique. The curtains rolled to reveal the set of beautiful weapons, shining with runic lines.
”Even though they're artificial artifacts, we have already tested their effects. The runic lines are flawless, allowing a more efficient delivery system of mana. The quality of the materials involved are top-notch and can cut through the flesh of high-tier monsters with ease.”
Even though high-tier monsters were mostly hunted by rei-rankers, they were still a source of good income. Furthermore, the fire ability of the weapons gave them the ability to cross ranks and even fight against True Monsters.
A demonstration was shown of the weapon and everyone that gathered there marveled. The fire that has been produced on top of the stage almost scorched the faces of the people sitting in the first row.
If a group of ten was armed with these, they could make a proper party to farm monster parts. As he finished introducing all of these aspects, the host backed away for the bidding to start.
It rose like crazy at the beginning. Before Arthur could hear the number, it rose again.
One million. Two. Three.
The bids kept coming as this price was for the whole set. It seems the auction had realized how important it is to sell ten weapons with fire rune.
The price rose past five million. Arthur felt his heart beating faster at such a wild concept. Ten permanent runes can fetch such a sum? This was even with their Reality-Gate closes. The price started to slow down at seven million. It kept increasing steadily as more and more people gave up.
Luckily, grandmaster Venkov seemed uninterested in artificial artifacts. After all, he sold such things. With how unbranded the weapons were, it seems that it wasn't the production of another workshop.
”Someone has probably spent the last year making them,” He remarked to Arthur in a teaching way. Arthur nodded while holding back a snicker. ”I can see that whoever made this has spent countless years studying the fire rune. Such a waste.”
”What do you mean by a waste, Grandmaster?” Arthur asked with genuine curiosity. Seeing how eager Arthur was to learn, the grandmaster nodded approvingly.
”The rune used to make these is one of the few elemental runes. However, it's not the strongest in the family of fire runes. There are stronger, deadlier fires. Crimson, ancient, and hellish are only a few examples. The higher the rune, the more destruction they could bring.”
Arthur went into deep thought as he nodded at this. Maybe this was the reason that his fire rune didn't have an adjacent number to indicate its level. Higher levels of fire runes must have different properties and names, being a different rune.
While the two talked, the bidding war was seeing its end. The only two who remained were people Arthur had seen in the ball. One of them, if Arthur remembered correctly, was the vice-captain of the Unbroken Corps. The other person was the guild master of the strongest guild in the Yalveran Union, Last Stand.
In the end, the guild master won. He wore a sly smile as the vice-captain slumped to his seat in annoyance. With a thick mustache and giant build, the guild master looked like a veteran soldier.
The last price was ten million one hundred thousand. Arthur sat there gaping and grandmaster Venkov understood it as awe for the price of the artifact.
”Our profession is always one of money,” He said in a deep, wise voice. ”However, don't sell your morals for such materialistic things. Always remember that the only strength for us is our knowledge of how the world works.”
”Says the previous captain of the Unbroken Corps.” Emma snickered and the old man's face showed his embarrassment. However, there was a hint of pride in it too.
”That was in the past.”