NOVEL WEB Chapter 996: The Auction
Although the Spell was quite complicated to use, Vale still felt that this Dark Spell had a future…
Well, he knew that obtaining a strong Curse Spell was not impossible with his current wealth.
For now, he reached into his inventory and held the Malevolent Will Fragment in his palm, encased in a transparent shard of crystal… It was one of the extracted items.
After observing it, he realized that it was like a screaming shadow locked in crystal…
'I can't extract it… Interesting…' Vale muttered as he considered where he could use it… However, even if he extracted memories from various Alchemists, he couldn't find their purpose.
"Not something I'll use… but definitely something I can trade. Maybe even study…" he murmured.
He really had no idea what to do with this since his system was also not responding.
However, as it was extracted, it might be just another alchemy ingredient that his limited extracted knowledge had never seen.
He then looked at the clock rune glowing softly above the chamber's door.
"Still some time left…"
Vale stood, brushing dust from his robes and extinguishing the flames around him. He had much to think about, and now, a new spell to test when the time came.
Since the auction was starting soon, he might as well buy a few more crates of empty Divine Crystals to get enough money to join the auction…
Well, he suddenly felt worried that his current wealth was not enough.
***
After some time, Vale finally stepped into a simple but huge auction hall…
His presence was cloaked by a subtle protection spell from a dark robe he had purchased for 300 Arcane Crystals… It was only a Low-Tier Arcane Tool, but still, it was enough not to attract too much attention.
His face was obscured beneath a shadow hood, a common precaution for those who didn't wish to reveal their identities during high-stakes events such as this.
At this time, Vale had already learned that the auction house was sanctioned by the Celestial Trade Union.
It was another organization that existed not only within the city, but also in the whole realm. Furthermore, it was hidden by a formation circle and required a small fee of 3 Divine Crystals to enter.
Vale took a seat in a private booth…
It only cost him 10 Mid-Grade Divine Crystals, so he decided to take it…
"Let's see what this world considers priceless today…" He murmured.
***
As the auction began, a refined woman in violet ceremonial robes stepped onto the stage…
"Ladies and gentlemen, practitioners and collectors… Welcome to the 43rd Velron Prestige Auction. Tonight's offerings come from six continents, and include lost relics, recovered corpses, and unique spellforms once thought extinct."
Everyone already had a vague idea about the items to be auctioned off, so no one was surprised.
Soon, the crowd went silent as the first items appeared. They were even floating via levitating crystal trays.
As expected, the first item was important, but it was only a medicinal item that could help even Immortals. He wasn't interested in it.
Anyway, Vale still took note of such items, as it was a good source of information about the pricing of the items.
These things were primarily high-grade medicinal pills, restoration elixirs, and rare antidotes.
Even after learning how effective they were and how the others were fighting over it, Vale didn't bother bidding on these. He had better in his inventory if he really needed them.
"Ten-Thousand Vein Rejuvenation Pill…"
"Everfree Soulbound Stimulant…"
"Echo of Phoenix Flame – Rebirth Dew Capsule…"
Each item was met with frenzied bidding from immortals and arcanists focused on body refinement or life extension.
Vale only raised a brow when one potion fetched more than 200,000 Arcane Crystals and 55 Divinity Crystals…
'It's not even that great…' Vale mused as he also had a collection of potions and other materials in his inventory…
He even has hundreds of Dragon Blood vials in his storage, courtesy of the two Dragons in his territory.
Perhaps, he should've tried to sell his items in this auction and earned a lot more money.
As the auction continued, the next wave of items brought about a shift in tone.
A pillar rose from the center, revealing Lot #34. It was a divinity-infused banner, still bearing the mark of a now-dead "god of war". It seemed to be a title given to those who had made such great contributions against the Demons.
"The Crimson Warlord's Banner… Contains residual Faith of the Immortal's followers. Once planted, it raises the morale and creates miracles for all those beneath it."
Vale's interest twitched here. Artifacts with lingering divinity that could be felt from afar could definitely be extracted with high yield.
However, the bidding war was too fierce, and some notable figures who were releasing powerful Divinity had already joined.
Still, he was hoping that he'd get to purchase those corpses as he might be able to find decent Spell Models or even more Evolved Spell Lights.
Time passed quickly, and Lot #45 followed… It was a mirror of judgments, capable of reflecting back karma-based damage. It could be activated five times before shattering.
'Karma?' Vale wasn't sure about its existence in the human realm, but it seemed to be a tangible energy in this realm. Anyway, the crowd bid aggressively as expected...
Vale tapped a finger but didn't move.
These artifacts were powerful… but not his style.
Perhaps, if he finds an artifact that gives him control, deception, manipulation, and not brute empowerment, he'd consider joining in.
However, that didn't come…
At the 50th lot, the auctioneer paused for a bit.
"Ladies and gentlemen… prepare your Divine Crystals…"
As the announcer's voice fell, a thick mist rolled across the stage…
Nine glass caskets rose slowly…
Nine familiar corpses appeared. They were the ones displayed outside…
"These are the confirmed corpses of Nine Fallen Immortals, gathered from separate battlefields beyond the Eastern Wastes and one from the Abyss Trench.
All corpses retain at least 20% intact soul imprint, and three of them still have unidentified core fragments."
Gasps filled the hall as they heard this…
Although Vale couldn't really understand it, he still knew that these corpses were a lot more precious than he thought…
Thankfully, he got a few more crates of Divine Crystals about an hour ago…