NOVEL WEB Chapter 99
There was a subtly nerve-wracking chill in the dark auction house.
Sure, considering that it’s winter now, it’s definitely warmer here than outside.
Yet, it felt oddly colder in this hotel where just a light layer of clothing kept me cozy.
‘Did they intentionally suppress the heating? I think I heard somewhere that malls and casinos lower the temperature to make people choose faster.’
If you feel cold, your emotional state becomes sensitive, naturally raising your psychological tension.
If this is part of the organizers’ plan… well, that makes sense.
Moving on. I wore thin clothes thinking I’d get hot with my outerwear on.
If I had known, I would have just brought something light.
I tucked my hands under my armpits, trying hard to endure the chilly discomfort.
“Yuria, are you cold?”
“…”
“Here, wear this. I’m fine.”
But could she really not notice the movement right next to her?
Alice, wearing a mask, lightly smiled and handed me the thin cardigan she was wearing.
That left her in a sleeveless dress that revealed her skin.
Still, maybe it’s because she naturally runs warm, she didn’t really look cold.
I wasn’t going to refuse her kind offer.
If I stubbornly overindulged my pride and caught a cold, that would be a loss, so I just wanted to wear something.
As I put on the cardigan, secretly relishing Alice’s body heat, the host on stage cleared his throat and raised the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Enigma Auction hosted by the Saint Maria!”
Clap clap clap!
The host in the eagle mask finished his words just as a thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
As the applause slowly faded, the host gently continued.
“Here today, legendary treasures like no other will be revealed! Who will seize this opportunity and gain the glory of holding a great legacy? No more waiting, let’s start with the first auction item!”
No need for boring speeches; he’s eager to kick things off.
I couldn’t help but like the speed of it.
But legendary treasures, you say?
What on earth could they have in store to talk so confidently about it?
If it’s not, I’ll prank the Saint Maria Hotel’s website.
Feeling a rebellious urge, I watched closely as the staff brought out the auction item.
Wrapped in silk-like fabric, it looked like it was sitting atop a square case.
As the staff handed the item off to the host, he swiftly whipped off the cover.
“Ohh, beautiful!”
“What’s that…?”
As the identity of the first auction item was revealed, surprised reactions followed from the audience.
Even I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in shock.
What was unveiled was a necklace made of wooden material, adorned with sparkling multicolored gemstones.
It looked unmistakably like something connected to elves.
As if confirming my thoughts, the host placed a hand on the case and, with a smile visible beneath the mask, proclaimed confidently.
“Many of you already recognize its value! Indeed, this is an artifact in the form of a pendant, the Moonlight of Silvarien, which has been verified through an appraiser to have been used by a high elf… a genuine piece, without a doubt!”
Wait, it’s not just a necklace but a magic-imbued elf artifact?
I couldn’t help but gasp in surprise at the host’s words.
Did others in the audience share similar feelings?
A buzz of chatter began to rise from the crowd.
“An artifact of a high elf?”
“No way!”
“That’s ridiculous. If true, it’s definitely a treasure.”
No one seemed to have expected such a reaction.
It was said that there would be an auction for rare items, but nobody knew what would actually appear. Honestly, who could have forecasted this?
Yet, even for artifacts, their value can vary wildly depending on their functionalities.
What secrets could be hidden within that pendant? I watched the host with quietly eager eyes.
“The Moonlight of Silvarien has the function to cleanse the wearer’s skin! It can even revert scars and unremovable tattoos back to their original pristine state… For those in need of such a pendant, it’s certainly an irresistible function!”
Eh, the performance is just so-so.
Skin beautification effect… That’s not something I need.
But the fact that it was used by a high elf and magically cleanses the skin?
Some women seemed to find it mesmerizing, the mood heating up already.
When the host called a woman with a scar to demonstrate the pendant, showing how the scar faded in an instant, the reaction was even more explosive.
“Then let the auction begin immediately! The minimum bid starts at 10,000 credits. By placing your authentication bracelet on your seat, anyone can participate in the bidding!”
Beep beep beep…!
It seems most of the people coming to such an expensive hotel are wealthy.
Once its properties were revealed, the amount skyrocketed amid numerous notifications.
10,000… 100,000… and in a heartbeat, 1,000,000!
Finally, it was only after reaching 1,770,000 credits — enough to buy a decent sports car — that the frenzy started to subside.
To think a pendant that just helps with skin beauty would fetch that much… that’s ridiculous.
I stared wide-eyed at the overwhelming amounts changing hands, feeling slightly dazed.
Yet, what was astonishing was the fact that this was only the beginning of the auction.
After the first item found its owner and left the stage, new auction items continued to be revealed.
The second item was a string that made anyone who was bound to only speak lies. Naturally, it was an artifact.
The third item looked like a glowing doll from ancient times. Of course, it was also an artifact.
The fourth item was a worn-out knife that seemed incapable of cutting even a cake but could withstand an elephant’s weight. Naturally, it was an artifact as well.
Given how things were, it was easy to guess the main concept of this auction.
‘An auction mainly featuring artifacts… I understand now why a fixer like Victor was guarding the items.’
Artifacts are magical items from a now-extinct parallel world.
Depending on usage, they can transform someone’s life entirely.
Thus, there’s probably more people wanting to seize them by force rather than participating in the auction.
No matter how tight security is, they still can’t match the prowess of a living weapon like a fixer.
Hiring a top-notch fixer like Victor is undoubtedly worth every penny.
However, even while various items were being presented, it was now the seventh auction item’s turn, and I hadn’t seen anything truly remarkable so far.
While they were indeed artifacts… I’d have to say they were closer to junk.
Items like Greg’s appraisal glasses or Lexi’s flesh-ripping snake certainly didn’t fit the bill.
Well, naturally, a big event like this would save the main acts for later… Plus, I heard there are 2nd and 3rd days as well. So it makes sense for the first day to take it easy.
But if things kept going this way, it seemed nothing too chaotic would happen any time soon.
Just as I let my guard down thinking that, suddenly, I felt something unsettling coming from the silk wrap holding the eighth auction item.
A faint voice seemed to whisper mysterious sounds in my ear.
It was a sensation reminiscent of perceiving a Tesseract or Echo, sharpening my mind involuntarily.
“Now, I will reveal the eighth auction item!”
Whirr!
Without a second thought, the host yanked the cover off the case.
What lay beneath was a round glass sphere, half cracked, embedded with metal.
It was completely impossible to tell its purpose just by looking.
As audience members and hopeful bidders gazed at the stage with puzzled expressions, the host cleared his throat lightly and began to explain.
“This is a magical amplification device, known as an Orb, reportedly used by a great wizard. It’s said to facilitate smooth mana circulation and allow for more refined magical use… However, regretfully, the metal pieces embedded within it make it very unstable. Please keep this in mind if you decide to bid!”
A damaged Orb belonging to a great wizard.
Of course, compared to its original state, its value must have decreased significantly.
However, it still retained some semblance of its round shape, so it could likely be used in some way.
Thus, I expected fierce competition for this item as well, just like the previous ones… but what caught my attention was not the fact that this was an Orb used by a great wizard.
It was the fact that what was embedded in that Orb was something definitely related to an Invader.
My expression hardened as I glanced at the stage.
This seemed like it might lead to some troublesome developments.