CLEAVER OF SIN

A few minutes earlier.

Within the confines of his private bidding room, Asher simply sat back and observed the lively scene without placing a single bid. Although he possessed more than enough wealth to outbid every single person present, perhaps even to do so just for amusement, he chose not to.

Instead, he contented himself with watching the spectacle unfold before him. There was a certain charm in seeing people throw around their names and reputations, hoping that their opponents would back down under the weight of status alone.

But of course, such expectations were little more than wishful thinking. Though no dramatic face-slapping moment occurred, no sudden reversal where a loud-mouthed braggart was utterly humiliated, Asher did not feel the least bit disappointed. He simply reminded himself to stop looking forward to such events in the first place. After all, those sorts of moments were rare, and expecting them was a recipe for needless frustration.

Besides, there was an obvious and rather amusing reality to consider: there were no Chinese people in Crymora, which, in his private musings, made such dramatic clichés even less likely to occur. With that thought in mind, he decided to focus entirely on enjoying himself as Lyra, ever attentive, served him fresh juice and a neatly arranged plate of fruit.

Asher still could not understand how Lyra always seemed prepared for every conceivable situation. Even for something as simple as attending an auction house, she had prepared juice and fruit in advance. It wasn't that he was complaining, far from it. In fact, he admired her uncanny readiness. It was, in its own way, a talent worthy of recognition.

Then, the final item of the auction was unveiled: a black-and-brown, dirty-looking stone. Asher's plan was to watch as he had for the rest of the auction, paying it no more mind than any other irrelevant object.

That was until the system chimed in.

[Ding]

[The system advises the Host to purchase that item]

His gaze immediately shifted from the stage to the glowing system notification that had materialized in the air before him, and then back to the rock in question. Silently, he listened as the auctioneer gave a short explanation of the item's supposed origins.

He had heard of the Blessed Land before, a place famous for yielding absolutely nothing of value despite countless expeditions. Yet now the system was telling him to purchase a rock from that very location.

Asher did not doubt the system. Systems, in his understanding, were always mysterious, powerful, and almost unfathomable in purpose. This one had never misled him before, so he had no reason to doubt it now. That did not mean, however, that he wouldn't ask questions.

'System, what exactly is that rock?' he asked without hesitation.

[Ding]

[Upon the fall of the Star Fragment into Crymora millennia ago, although the Star Energy pulsed throughout the world, shaping it into what it is today, most of its essence was infused into a fragment of a core that descended with it]

Asher's eyes narrowed as he read the words.

His mind spun rapidly, attempting to piece together the implications. Wasn't this exactly like those classic tales where a protagonist bought a life-changing treasure for next to nothing?

Once again, his gaze settled on the rock. He still could not quite grasp how such an item had gone unnoticed for thousands of years.

But, thinking further, it made perfect sense. The so-called Star Core Fragment looked utterly indistinguishable from any ordinary pebble one might see along a roadside. If not for the system's prompt, he himself would not have wasted even a single copper coin on it.

A faint smile curved his lips as he glanced around the auction hall. No one seemed interested in the rock; every person here clearly shared the same opinion he had moments earlier; it was worthless.

The auctioneer had declared that the first bidder would set the starting price, but Asher had no intention of beginning with something outrageous like a platinum coin or even a hundred gold coins. The last thing he wanted was for someone to suddenly fight over the item purely because he had bid a suspiciously high amount, which would inevitably lead people to suspect the rock's value.

And since he hadn't placed a single bid since the auction began, others might even think he had attended solely for this ugly little stone.

He smirked inwardly, silently praising his own foresight.

'System, if I buy this, what will it be used for?'

[When the Host acquires it, the system will guide the Host]

He didn't argue. He simply nodded, though his mind was already racing ahead with possibilities. If the Star Core Fragment truly contained an extraordinary quantity of Astra, then theoretically… wouldn't that mean he could instantly leap through multiple Life Ranks, perhaps even reaching the very peak of the world in a single stroke?

The thought made his smirk widen into a grin. He could already imagine it: the classic "strong acting weak" scenario. He would stroll through life pretending to be a monstrous genius, while secretly holding the power to shake the world, all at just eighteen years old.

As the auctioneer prepared to instruct the attendant to remove the stone from the stage, Asher calmly reached for one of the shimmering crystal orbs on the table before him.

The moment his fingertips brushed against it, the orb's surface rippled like liquid, displaying an array of numbers alongside coin denominations: copper, silver, gold, and platinum. Without hesitation, Asher selected the number one and the denomination copper.

He did not care whether The Orchid Auction House usually accepted anything less than gold, by the looks of it, they rarely even acknowledged silver coins, let alone copper. What mattered was that the auctioneer himself had said the first bidder could name any price.

When he confirmed his choice, the orb's voice echoed mechanically:

"One copper coin."

---

The moment the words rang out, dozens of heads turned toward Asher's private bidding room. The mystery deepened, this was the first time this unknown individual hadn't participated in the auction, and of all things, they were bidding a copper coin for a lump of rock.

Yet no one objected aloud. After all, the auctioneer had clearly stated the rules himself, and it was not their place to dispute them.

Still, many smirked in silent amusement. To them, this was nothing short of the auctioneer shooting himself in the foot.

Some even whispered that the manager should have set a mandatory starting price, perhaps one gold coin, to avoid such situations. How many lives had been risked and lost just to bring back that worthless pebble from the dangerous Blessed Land? And for what? A single copper?

The manager himself narrowed his eyes toward Asher's room. He knew exactly who sat inside.

'Was this his target from the start?' the man wondered. But he quickly dismissed the idea.

This was, after all, nothing more than a worthless stone he had hoped to pawn off on wealthy nobles, merchants, and knights to recoup some losses after a disastrous expedition to the Cursed Land. Instead, it seemed the plan had backfired.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he made a mental note: next time, he would impose an absurd minimum price and never again allow bidders to set their own.

'I'll take this as a lesson,' he thought grimly.

"Sold, for one copper coin," he announced at last. The cheer in his voice had diminished considerably.

"And with that," the auctioneer continued, forcing a polite smile, "this auction comes to a close. I wish you all a safe journey home."

With his duties complete, he stepped down from the elevated platform and vanished backstage. Attendees began rising from their seats, some glancing around cautiously as though worried others might be scrutinizing them.

Several made their way to the payment hall to settle their accounts. Those in private rooms, however, did not need to move, their purchases would be delivered directly.

Within minutes, a knock sounded at Asher's door. He already knew it would be the manager himself.

He turned to Lyra and gave her a subtle nod. With her usual grace, she crossed the room and opened the door.

The Orchid House's manager stepped inside, his smile polite but faintly strained. "How was the auction, Tenth Sun?"

Asher rose slowly from his seat, his movements calm and measured. "It was enjoyable. I've never attended an auction before, so it was quite the scene," he replied evenly.

At another nod from Asher, Lyra produced a single copper coin from her space ring and handed it over.

The manager passed her the stone, which was sealed inside a square-shaped glass case, as though it belonged in a museum.

"Thank you for your time, Manager. I hope fate allows our paths to cross again," Asher said as he walked past the man and exited the room.

Whether it was fate or mere coincidence that had brought him to this particular auction house out of boredom, and allowed him to acquire a Star Core Fragment, he neither knew nor cared.

With practiced elegance, he stepped into his carriage, Lyra following close behind. Vice Commander Cassandra mounted her Enduron horse, while Kent, the coachman, climbed into position. With a flick of the reins, the horses surged forward.

And thus, the auction drew to its end.