The auction chambers inside the Pseudo-Eye Artifact pulsed like living stars. The invisible walls shimmered faintly as the first bid concluded. The Soul-Amity Flower disappeared from the altar, its light folding in on itself–vanishing from every bidder's view.
In a flash, it reappeared in Kiaria's vault chamber.
Across the unseen domains, laughter erupted.
"Hahaha! Which fool bid fifty million for that useless weed?"
"It doesn't even strengthen cultivation! Must be some rich brat trying to impress someone."
"Whoever it is, they've outdone every fool in history!"
Mockery echoed within the sealed chambers, yet not a single whisper could cross the artifact's boundary. The Pseudo-Eye Artifact was built by the Ancient Eye Lords–an artifact that saw everything yet revealed nothing. Its structure was formed by millions of layered arrays, spiritual circuits, and floating soul mirrors, each bending time and space to isolate every bidder in their own reality.
The Princess, though aware of what others might be saying, sighed softly. "At least my face won't be the one they laugh at," she muttered under her breath.
Kiaria only smiled faintly. His fingers brushed the ring that held the flower. It responded. A faint warmth pulsed through his palm–ancient, silent, alive. The glow was subtle, almost like the heartbeat of the world itself answering his call.
"Happy now, little brother?" the Princess teased, her eyes glimmering under the soft light of her chamber. "Come here, I'll tell you a secret."
She leaned closer, her tone gentle as moonlight. "Do you want fortune?"
Kiaria blinked, puzzled. "Fortune?"
"Yes. If you want to be fortunate," she said with a mischievous grin, "then let me take you somewhere after this auction."
He bowed slightly. "Thank you, Senior Si–"
"Ah, stop!" she interrupted sharply, but her voice held playfulness. "No more 'Senior Sister.' You're my little brother now. Call me Big Sister."
He frowned slightly, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes, then smiled. "Alright… Big Sister."
"That's better," she said, relaxing back into her seat. The golden light from her chamber lantern painted her face with a soft hue. "And whatever you want today, I'll buy it for you. Think of it as your gift."
Before he could reply, a melodic chime resonated through the artifact, the sound rippling through each sealed domain like a heartbeat in the void.
[Second Item – Rampage Corrosion Hand Fan]
Origin: Unknown. This folding fan possesses formless striking power and several concealed abilities. Starting bid – 100 million spirit jades and 10 mid-grade General Beast Cores.
The fan floated above a silver altar, its veins crackling faintly with streaks of black lightning. The surrounding air thickened, its static hum vibrating in every wall. Even through the isolating barrier, the artifact's ancient energy could be sensed–a presence both alluring and dangerous.
"Rampage Corrosion Hand Fan," the Princess murmured. "It looks ordinary, but…"
Kiaria finished softly, "It hides something deeper."
Her lips curved in agreement. "Let's see."
She placed her hand on the bidding crystal. "One hundred and four million spirit jades, ten beast cores."
Instantly, her chamber lantern turned red, and the ripple of bids began like rolling thunder.
"One hundred and six million."
"One hundred and eight."
"One hundred and nine!"
Each voice came as the same hollow, mechanical tone–artificial and without identity. The Pseudo-Eye Artifact erased personality, rank, and gender. In its domain, all bidders were equal–faceless, nameless beings driven only by desire.
The bidding surged again.
"Hundred and twenty!"
"Hundred and twenty-three!"
The Princess's expression never wavered. She raised her hand again.
"Hundred and twenty-five million spirit jades, twelve beast cores."
The red lantern dimmed; the altar's light turned to gold. The fan vanished in a flash of silver, reappearing beside them.
Kiaria looked toward her. "Congratulations. A strong item."
She grinned. "Of course. Worth every coin."
[Third Item – Marshal Serpent Skin]
Whole sheet, unscarred. Starting bid – 110 million spirit jades and 25 General Beast Cores.
"Ugh, who wants serpent hide?" the Princess muttered. The faint fragrance of the serpent's preserved essence still lingered through the barrier.
Kiaria turned sharply. "Wait… Marshal Realm Serpent?"
"Yes," she said dismissively. "But we have plenty in the palace. I could gift you one if you want."
He leaned closer, whispering, "Big Sister, that fan you bought–it feels like it carries serpent gall essence. If this skin came from the same bloodline, refining them together could stabilize its energy and create a resonance field. You could form a living armor that breathes with its master."
Her eyes widened. "You little schemer."
Before doubt could steal the moment, she pressed the crystal. "One hundred and eighty million spirit jades and sixty beast cores!"
Bids flared across other chambers like sparks.
"One ninety!"
"One ninety-five!"
The Princess exhaled, steady. "Two hundred million spirit jades, sixty beast cores, and one advanced core."
The altar pulsed gold; the serpent skin vanished into her collection.
"You might be trouble, little brother," she said with a smirk, "but useful trouble."
[Fourth Item – Unsheathed Sword within Scabbard]
Taken directly by the Golden VIP chamber.
[Fifth Item – Dawn Break Spear]
Sold to an unknown bidder in a silent chamber.
[Sixth Item – Soul Guide Book]
A rare manual for Beast Masters. The Soul Guide Book shimmered in a fire-blue light. As bids climbed, one bidder overreached–the green bowl before him flared red.
A violent crack of thunder split his room–the artifact's punishment. Half his bid vanished instantly, absorbed by the auction's sentient formation.
"Let this remind all," the Auction Master's voice resonated coldly through the halls, "greed beyond means is debt written in blood."
The book was withdrawn for re-auction at the event's end.
[Seventh Item – Pearl of Gate]
Allows summoning of ceremonial souls of the dead up to three times. After third use, shatters permanently. Starting bid – 300 million spirit jades and 10 advanced General Beast Cores.
Kiaria stared at the flickering pearl. "Ceremonial souls…?"
The Princess's tone grew serious. "Dangerous relic. Each summoning invites what even gods refuse to meet."
She didn't bid. The item sold quickly–for an astounding eight hundred million spirit jades and one hundred advanced beast cores.
Even Diala sat speechless. Sheriff Staley chuckled, "Where wealth exists, madness breeds."
[Eighth Item – Kerenal Flame Chime]
A tier-seven blacksmith artifact. Repels souls and beasts below Marshal Realm. For chariots and carriages. Condition: No spirit jades accepted. Only beast cores or treasures.
Starting bid – 500 General Beast Cores.
Silence.
Ten long minutes passed.
Diala asked softly, "Why isn't anyone bidding?"
Kiaria chuckled. "Because Dia, men want to lure beasts for profit, not drive them away. A charm that protects removes their prey. No trader values safety over greed."
The amount dropped slowly–twenty-five cores every ten minutes. When it halved, the Auction Master's neutral voice concluded:
[Item unsold. Eighth lot canceled.]
The chime dissolved into light, its spiritual hum fading from the void.
[Ninth Item – The Twin Spiritual Dragon Pearl]
The altar rose, and the chamber shuddered. Two radiant pearls hovered, enclosed in translucent shields of divine power. They pulsed with synchronized rhythm–like twin hearts of a dragon.
Everyone fell silent.
Kiaria's ring suddenly blazed white. "Big Sister… I–can't control it!" His hand shook; the metal burned like molten fire. The air around him distorted.
"Kiaria!" the Princess cried out, stepping toward him.
He tried to pull the ring free, but it refused. "It's reacting to the pearls! The spatial pull–ah!" Pain tore through his arm.
Diala grabbed his hand, grounding his trembling fingers. The fox cub growled softly, sensing the surge of distorted aura.
Lanterns across every chamber flickered wildly. The Pseudo-Eye Artifact itself seemed to groan, as if the pearls' energy had touched its core.
Then came a calm voice–aged yet steady.
It was the elder of the East Valley Wing Mercenaries.
"Kiaria," he said firmly, his tone carrying the authority of centuries, "do not resist it. Breathe. Follow what I say next."
The command sliced through panic. Kiaria exhaled, focusing his mind. The trembling eased slightly.
The pearls glowed brighter, their light folding into spiraling halos. The walls of the artifact quivered. Even the Auction Master froze mid-sentence.
And in that suspended silence–the entire Grand Auction held its breath.