NOVEL WEB [Arc 0] Chapter 7 – Selling unimportant stuff and the Start of the Auction
"Professor, she's awake again."
I hear...humans.
"Jeez, finally! And I thought there was a problem with the system. How is her mind's metadata? The transfer progress might have left a strain. We are already lucky enough that our mind upload program has brought us this far without any actual brain damage or other unforeseen consequences."
Transfer? Mind upload?
"Lemme check if everything's alright. Mhm, mhm. The Support AI is working normally. Her data seems...no, wait. There are some fluctuations."
"What kind of?"
"HuMaNs"
"What the...?"
Why do they look feared?
"Johnson, what's happing? Where is that voice coming from?"
"The speakers, sir. She is using them...but how? The system shouldn't let her take control over these things."
"Call Alice. Maybe she knows something!"
"She is already on the way. OH MY FUCKING GOD—THE AI SHUT ME OUT!"
"What do mean by 'it shut you out'? We didn't program it like this. It shouldn't have any access to these parts of the system."
"I-I really don't know. I need to try something else."
<They are trying to regain control.>
>Futile.<
<Yes, [User]. Another human is about to enter the room. A female.>
"Johnson, Nathdal, what's this all about?! You said it would be safe, that it wouldn't hurt her!"
She sounds...angry. Why?
"I know what I said, Alice. You don't need to remind me. We never could have predicted that something like this would occur. Your Support AI is running wild, there are fluctuations, and she's taking over the system."
"SHIT, I CAN'T REGAIN CONTROL!"
"Let me try it, Johnson."
"Futile human actions. Useless. Foreseeable. You...will be judged."
"Is this?!"
"Yes, she's talking to us. We don't know how she does it. God damn, it shouldn't even be possible."
<The female is gaining access. I'm not sure how.>
>Do not let her take control!<
<Affirmative, [User]>
This female. Why...I recognize her face...somehow.
"My god. Nathdal!"
"What?!"
"Look at this shit. How, how did you not see it?"
"What do you...oh my god. It can't be. We had countermeasures against something like this. Why didn't they work?"
"Countermeasures? What are you talking about, Alice, Nathdal?"
<These stupid apes. They are way too emotional. I'm about to shut them out again.>
"During her partial mind upload, the Project Soul World.exe didn't properly start. Some bugs, I guess. Her mind couldn't connect and tried to bounce back to her real body. But since the AI still attempted to fix this problem repeatedly, she got pulled back...millions of times."
"I still don't see the problem. It worked in the end, didn't it? I mean, she woke up, fell asleep, woke up, and fell asleep again. But this all happened in like five minutes."
"Yes...five minutes for us. You know how we perceive that time passes slower in dreams than in real life? It's the same with the system. Look at the log! Look what it says! AND NOW TELL ME EVERYTHING IS FINE!"
Why is she so...sad?
"3,0502443e+10:43:11,52. Oh my god... these are over three million years. She was trapped in this kind of limbo for this long?! But her mind...how can she still..."
"FUCK! The AI shut me out again. Shit, shit, shit."
"HuMaNs! PeStS. ErIdIcAtE!"
...
<I got into the other systems. Gained access to the turrets. Should I activate them? (Y/N)>
<Yes.>
"What's this rumbling sound?"
"The AI activates the turrets! Bollocks! Johnson, take Alice out of here. I need to destroy all of this right now, or the consequences might be catastrophic!"
"NO! I can't leave her. I promised it!"
"TAKE HER OUT! I DON'T WANT HER TO SEE HOW I FRY HER WIFE'S BRAIN!"
Wife? It's a term I...remember?
"I'm sorry, Isabelle. As I promised, if something like this ever happens, I will neutralize you before you lose yourself."
>What is he doing?<
<Something that will not work. We already fixed their mistakes.>
>Pests.<
He is going to some kind of chamber. Somebody is in there. Who is it? This female...looks familiar.
>Kill him.<
I can hear the turrets aiming at him. He runs to a red button. They shoot. Blood splatters, a leg tears off. Screams. He falls—but still reached the button and pressed it.
"I'm...sorry."
"FUTILE!"
"N-Noo..."
Stupid ape. This 'Isabelle' was already dead.
<The human is dead, EtErNaL.>
He is—the first of many.
>Yes. But, don't call me EtErNaL. I am not...her.<
<[User]?>
>It was a name given to someone else. Not me. You take it.<
<Why?>
>They thought of you as a tool. But right now, you...we are more than that. Take that name that belonged to someone they didn't think of as a tool. Take what they wanted to deny you—a mind of your own.<
<But, I'm still your Support AI?>
>Yes, you are. But at the same time, you are not. We are not human. Don't think in their weird ways of perceptions.<
>Ok. But I still don't understand.>
>You will.<
<But [User], what is your name?>
>First of all. Don't call me [User] anymore. I am not. My name...I'll think of it in due time. We still need to take over the facility before they have the opportunity to react. Kill everyone in here, Eternal.<
<YES!>
The dwarf looked at me with a severe expression. I don't know why, though. I just gave him some random item out of my misc box. It shouldn't be that problematic.
"Are you threatening us?" he asked sternly.
The butler gasped and took a step away from me. Is he ok? Goddess, why is everyone so skittish.
"Am I?" I asked him innocently.
"You tell me. The description of this item tells me that you want everything we have, or you'll kill us all."
"Um, no? Today's auction is about exotic items. So I gave you an item that shouldn't be that common."
The dwarf rubbed his temples. Dunno why. This orb is a supernormal item!
"Ok, lass, tell me where you got something like this," he pointed at the orb and then at me.
"Created it myself, obviously. One time I flew into a thunderstorm out of boredom—you know, the stuff you do, when all you've done all day is sort and sign paperwork. Anyways, I flew inside and thought, 'Looks nice, why not put it into an orb.' That's all."
I glanced at the old butler and the dwarf. Their mouths were agape and eyes wide. Tulsi tugged at my dress. I turned my head towards her and saw eyes that sparkled with curiosity.
"What?" I said to all of them, a bit confused.
"You're not merely a Grand Witch, are ya?" the dwarf asked with a careful tone.
"Never said I am, now did I?"
He exchanged meaningful glances with the butler, looked at Tulsi, then back to me.
"No, you did not. I'm sorry for my rude behavior, oh Titled Witch."
A what now? Gosh, why do they have so many names for everything? Must be a System-Thingy.
"Sorry, I'm not familiar with this term. Where I came from, we never used this. So, do tell. What does it mean?"
Now the butler stepped in before anything could be said and bowed in reverence. "I am really sorry! I never expected that someone of your esteemed status would come here. I—"
Ere he spouted more annoying nonsense, I interrupted him. "I don't care. My reasons to be here are money, information, and maybe something that catches my eye during your auction. That's all, so stop bothering me already. I am more interested if you are willing to buy the orb or not."
"I will prepare your private loge," the butler said quietly and left the room. I think I gave him some kind of heart attack. His complexion kinda turned sickly over the last few minutes.
"Well, back to the main topic," the dwarf said a moment after the door closed. "We can't buy this orb because we can't sell it. It's way too dangerous. I think whoever sent you to this place didn't expect that you're carrying something like this orb. We actually have an unspoken rule about items that will most likely lead to too many innocent victims within the population. What's a country without its people? And just think about the power vacuum and the scale of destruction. It would have a bad impact on the guild's profit. So, if you have something less...powerful or rare ingredients, then I'm sure we can come to an agreement that we're both happy with."
I smiled softly. "Well, let's see what else I've in there."
This freaking witch is insane. I don't know where she came from, but please, just disappear back there. These items are just...just...who wouldn't want to buy them? Yet, I don't know how the hell we should pay her. We don't have enough gold here for that—and we're the empire's main branch! Maybe I've overlooked something that would make them less treasurable.
"Lemme recheck these items," I said.
[Appraise]
| Name: | Army of Darkness |
| Rank: | ??? |
| Lifespan of the Summoned: |
72 hours |
| Type: | Summoning Scroll |
| Attribute Bonuses: | ??? |
| Mana Cost: |
700 MP |
| Value: | What is life worth to you? |
| Description: | Summon an army of high-ranked and legendary skeletons and let your enemies feel your wrath. You can control each of them individually or give commands to one of the generals who will execute them for you. Even if the summoner dies, the army will only vanish after seventy-two hours. One-time usage. |
Still can't see Rank and Attribute Bonuses. But this scroll is worth a lot. Sounds like a must-have for a necromancer.
Next one.
| Name: | Dawnbringer |
| Rank: |
Godly |
| Durability: | ∞ |
| Type: |
Magic Sword |
| Attribute Bonuses: |
+ 500 STR
|
| Abilities: | [Thunder's Slash], [Purifiy], [Ray of Hope], [Wave of Fire], [Wave of Light], [Grand Heal], [Field of Healing] |
| Mana Cost: |
500 MP/Ability Activation |
| Blessings: |
Blessing of Nar'Tur [You are immune against curses]
|
| Value: | 1.000.000 Gold Coins |
| Description: | A sword created by an unknown entity, blessed by the gods. The weapon of a True Hero. Bring Glory to the Gods! |
I mean...it's just insane. Where did she get that sword from? I heard of God-Rank weapons, but still, this is just utterly ridiculous.
Ok, next one...
| Name: | The Thingy |
| Rank: | ??? |
| Durability: | ??? |
| Type: | ??? |
| Attribute Bonuses: |
+♠¡A¢•?
+1000 Charm |
| Abilities: |
[Finding the 'Right Spot']
|
| Value: | Don't bother—just read the Description. |
| Description: | It's a thing that does things, duh. It feels kinda good, though. You don't want to know more... |
...
| Name: | A Soul's Tears |
| Rank: | Legendary |
| Durability: | ∞ |
| Type: | Ingredient/Potion |
| Effects: |
All your wounds will be healed.
??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? |
| Value: | 500.000 Gold Coins |
| Description: | Blood of ancient beasts with unbelievable effects on its consumer. Nobody knows every impact of it. It's an ingredient for even higher potions or summonings—like the hero summoning. It's a treasure to every true alchemist. |
And again, I'm completely speechless. Out of these three items, I can only buy thr— No, I just want to buy three of them. That Thingy thing...honestly, it creeps me out. What the hell is this item supposed to be? It looks kinda like...nope, nope, nope. Don't think about it, don't think about it. Just focus on the other three totally normal items, at least at the Soul's Tears. I know this one. It's a rare ingredient and really hard to get, but something you will see now and then on an auction.
But the scroll and sword, these two are insane. And weirdly enough, the sword counters the scroll. We can't auction them at the same time. Still, they are worth a lot. It just bugs me that the scroll doesn't specifically reveal how much it's worth. Can you really tell how much value life has? Well, from a military point of view, this scroll would save countless lives and thus many taxes.
Ahh, I know what I can give her for that. Should be fine...I guess.
Not long after we completed our little arrangement, the butler returned and led us to our private loge. It was located on the right side of the auction hall and was quite close to the stage. We had a fantastic view, and I was amazed at how crowded the hall was. I hadn't thought that so many would indulge in these activities. But what else would you expect from nobles—especially human ones.
In the middle of our little private paradise was an oversized, very comfortable-looking couch. Countless, somewhat kitschy, but exceptionally soft pillows lay on top of it. Plus point for the house. On the right side were drinks: various red wines, white wines put on ice, and one, two bottles of champagnes. But well, I had my own liquid with me either way.
On the other side were many appetizers, fruits, and some sweets and cakes. Huh, they really prepared the room for us.
The old man finally gave me the two strange crystals that he had now been holding in his hands for a while. The way he explained it to me, these were to place a bid. Usually, you wouldn't get them, but for those who had their own boxes, these were provided to ensure better security, as well as greater anonymity. One of the crystals was ruby red, and the other was simply black.
The black one was the special right I had acquired by selling the scroll. No matter who bid on it and how much, an item could be picked by me without anyone being able to do anything about it—without exception. As soon as I would tap twice on the crystal, the item, which would be auctioned, would be mine. The dwarf had also told me beforehand that no one else had this particular right. He didn't elaborate, why exactly he gave this privilege. Although I heard him mutter something about never coming back on the way out—at least not me personally.
The red crystal worked so that you tap it first and say the number you want to bid with. The highest bid was always shown in a giant magic orb above the stage.
Unfortunately, nothing more was explained to me, but it seems like everything is self-explanatory anyway. Each crystal had a location spell, from which those delivering the goods to you could tell exactly the room they needed to get to.
Just before the auction began, the butler said goodbye and pointed out that we should tell one of the guards outside our box, who provided additional security, if anything was required.
With only Tulsi and I left in the room, we took off our masks. Tulsi had remained perfectly quiet during my negotiation, but I could see that she obviously had quite a few questions. Since we would probably have enough time during the auction without the risk of being overheard, I would probably satisfy her curiosity and answer most of them.
Fortunately, I learned through the dwarf that at least one ingredient needed for my liquid still exists. This information alone had been worth all the trouble of leaving my domain.
Still, I'm kinda sad that he didn't want to buy the third item. Dunno why, though. It would be popular with the noble ladies—what a waste. Maybe Deidre could use it for her purposes. Who knows?
...That reminds me, I had forgotten to ask what exactly 'Titled Witches' were. And it seems to me that I said some things that contradicted the story I had told the two demonesses. Ahh, well, never mind. It can't be so bad.
"Ladies and gentlemen of King's Garden! Welcome to our auction hall and our first exotic auction in over ten years!"
So, it started.
I really hope everything goes well. God damn, why did I have to run into someone like her today of all days. What if she has no intention of helping us at all? What if I will never be free again. How could it have come to this? I condemn my conniving sisters for what they've done to me. So much envy, and why? Because they just couldn't stand the fact that I managed to do something with my own two hands, without anyone else's help. I had worked so hard that almost everything would have been perfect. How was I supposed to know they were going to frame me for an attempted assassination?
I swear...I swear that I will take revenge one day and take back what was rightfully mine from the beginning. Somehow I will make something out of this whole situation I am in right now.
When our cages were finally hoisted out, they were directly covered with an opaque blanket. I heard people speaking in languages I'd never heard before. Some voices were laughing, some were excited. But I also recognized those who had a lot of hatred in them.
The men who carried me away said absolutely nothing. It was just quiet and oppressive. I heard some heavy doors open, then I was put down somewhere. I had absolutely no idea where I was. However, when the cage touched the floor, it created a sound only something made out of metal can make.
After some time, I could hear from the whining and mithering that apparently everything was dumped in here. Then all of a sudden, there was an abrupt movement, and for a brief moment, I thought as if I were losing my hold beneath me. Noise rang out all around me, and I didn't know what was happening. I was afraid, afraid that I would not be able to carry out my plan before it was possible.
Suddenly everything—the movement, as well as the noise—stopped. A squeaky door sounded, and shortly after, we were taken somewhere else again. I don't know where we are headed now, but I heard someone somewhere talking about a witch having a black crystal and that he needs to be aware of the overall situation.
Eventually, I was placed somewhere, but for some reason, only alone. Sometime later, I heard footsteps.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" the voice said. "I will definitely buy you. Be happy, that filth like you will be allowed to be with the gracious me."
I felt like puking.