The Golden Treasury Merchant Guild's special auction was already underway. Kalis, Lenore and Eira arrived in Drakenspire City via teleport array and headed straight for the guild at a brisk pace.
"Whoa, this place is massive! A guild hall built like a castle must've cost millions of gold coins to construct!" Lenore craned her neck to stare up at the stone complex before her, her eyes brimming with wonder.
The guild's main building sported classic Gothic architecture, with spires soaring high into the sky and walls hewn from dark gold rock etched with intricate magical runes. It was even more luxurious than the system auction house, and ranked as one of Drakenspire City's most iconic landmarks.
To purchase this plot of land from the main city NPCs and build a guild of such scale would have required an investment of at least three million gold coins. But for the deep-pocketed Golden Treasury Merchant Guild, that sum was barely a drop in the bucket.
"Level 85 Celestial Mage... it's Mr. Kalis!"
As soon as the three reached the guild's front gates, a servant clad in the guild's silver-gray uniform hurried over, bowed respectfully and said, "Mr. Kalis, the exclusive auction for the Guild Residence Token has already begun. Please follow me."
"Much obliged." Kalis nodded slightly, and the three of them trailed behind the servant, sparing themselves the trouble of searching for the auction hall on their own.
The first floor of the main building was the daily trading area, lined with crystal counters displaying potions, scrolls and common gear. Every item had a clear price tag and supported instant transactions. The second floor was the auction's core area, divided into twelve grand halls where auctions were held in separate sessions, just like in a temple.
The servant led the trio through the back entrance into Auction Hall No. 1. The hall wasn't overly large, able to seat just over a hundred bidders.
The front row featured ten luxurious VIP booths, each capable of accommodating four people, while the back rows were for general spectators. Since Kalis and his companions had no plans to bid, they headed straight for the guest seats in the outer section.
At that moment, five items were on display on the stage, with bidding in progress for all of them simultaneously. Each guild leader in attendance held a translucent Crystal Bidding Orb.
By channeling a tiny sliver of mana into it, they could place bids on specific items, a setup that greatly boosted auction efficiency and suited the fast-paced nature of online games.
This group bidding format was only used for regular rare items. For truly top-tier treasures, individual auctions were still held to highlight their prestige and grandeur.
"Quite a turnout. I even spot a few familiar faces." Lenore murmured softly as she took her seat, glancing over the VIP booths in the front row.
The servant at their side didn't leave; instead, he lowered his voice and began introducing the bidders present. "In VIP Booth No. 1, we have Guild Master Aldric of the Oath of Sky Guild, along with two of his most trusted lieutenants—Tess and Huan."
Kalis followed the servant's gaze. The Oath of Sky Guild had long been at the forefront of the server's top guilds. Though there was no official ranking, countless players regarded it as the number one guild.
Guild Master Aldric was a man in his twenties, with sharp, striking features and an air of noble elegance that reminded people of ancient aristocracy. His class was Thunder bringer, a high-tier mage class with unfathomable power.
The two beside him, Tess and Huan, exuded a fierce, battle-hardened aura. Rumor had it they'd held special occupations in the real world, their hands stained with countless lives.
The guild's background was shrouded in mystery. Some speculated that Aldric was the heir to a massive financial conglomerate, who'd joined the game just for the thrill of it. Others claimed he'd built his empire from scratch, rising to the top through sheer grit and determination alone.
Whatever the truth, he'd made a name for himself in several previous world-class games, even leading his guild to victory in multiple cross-border wars. He was widely recognized as a legendary player.
"VIP Booth No. 2 is occupied by members of the Crimson Lotus Guild. They already secured a Guild Residence Token, so they're just here for the fun and to keep an eye on the market trends." The servant continued his introductions.
Seated in the main spot of Booth No. 2 was a middle-aged man in his thirties, with a kind face and a warm, approachable smile.
Lenore shot him a glance, rubbed her hands together in excitement and said, "It's Ulric! We gotta show off our skills to him later!"
"Let's skip it for today. We'll have plenty of chances in the future." Kalis smiled and tried to talk her out of it.
Ulric, the guild master of Crimson Lotus Guild, was a die-hard tank main with absurdly high defense.
In the last game they'd played together, Crimson Lotus members had stolen a boss from Lenore. Furious, she'd tracked Ulric down to get revenge.
But when she attacked him, Ulric just stood there and let her hack away. In the end, he'd only lost less than 10% of his HP, while Lenore had died to his damage reflection instead. It had been quite the embarrassing fiasco.
But it was just a minor squabble. Later, Ulric had personally stepped forward to compensate her for her losses. Kalis and his friends hadn't held a grudge; on the contrary, they'd developed quite a liking for this straightforward, upright guild master.
"VIP Booth No. 3 belongs to members of the Spheres Crusaders Guild. They're here mainly because they heard Mr. Kalis is auctioning some rare treasures and wanted to pay close attention."
Kalis looked over and saw Seren in Booth No. 3, along with Yasha, the top-ranked archer on the level leaderboard.
"There's a Level 150 Mythic bow, the Fallen Moon Divine Bow, up for auction today. Chances are, Seren will bid on it for Yasha." Eira analyzed the situation calmly.
Yasha was the core damage dealer of the Spheres Crusaders Guild and one of the server's top archers. She boasted exceptional game sense and mechanical skills, not to mention a powerful hidden class, making her a renowned figure in the gaming community.
"VIP Booth No. 4 is taken by the Azure Tidal Guild. Their guild master Helior is here in person, so he's definitely one of the main contenders for today's auction."
"VIP Booth No. 5 is for the Leaf & Ember Guild. Their guild master Ember couldn't make it due to urgent business, but I'm sure they brought more than enough gold to bid."
"VIP Booth No. 6 is occupied by members of the Shadow Claw Guild. I'm certain Mr. Kalis is no stranger to them."
Kalis's eyes locked onto Booth No. 6. He saw Shadow Claw's guild master Zevran, vice guild masters Vaelen and Falric—but the fourth person there was the one who took him by surprise.
"Level 56 Ancient Swordmaster, Thorne! Kalis, that's the top-tier player who was ranked second on the level leaderboard!" Eira exclaimed in shock, having recognized the player's information.
Kalis recognized him too, of course. Thorne had consistently held a spot near the top of the leaderboard, leveling up at a steady yet blistering pace. He was widely regarded as one of the server's most formidable players.
He was a young man with plain, unremarkable features, and an aloof, detached demeanor. He wore a simple linen robe, devoid of the dazzling glimmer of Mythic or Legendary gear—and yet, he carried himself with the quiet, unassuming grace of a martial arts master who had returned to the basics.
His HP soared to a whopping 25,000 points, even higher than Kalis's, and only slightly lower than Eira's.
Lenore frowned as she spoke. "I've heard of him! In the Mythic-tier lottery held when the server launched, he drew the Ancient Swordmaster class inheritance. Even though this game has a typical Western fantasy setting, he's playing a class with distinct Eastern fantasy vibes, always marching to the beat of his own drum. He's insanely powerful—he once soloed a Level 55 Mythic boss all by himself. Rumor has it he even mastered the legendary skill Sword Flight. If he can't win a fight, he just flies away into the sky. It's totally broken!"
"Sword Flight? That's ridiculous." Kalis raised an eyebrow in surprise. But then he thought about it, if a mage learned the wind-element spell Levitation after their Tier 2 advancement, they could achieve short-term flight too. So, it wasn't entirely out of the ordinary.
"It definitely is ridiculous! When it comes to sheer cool factor, he's easily one of the top players in this game. But in terms of raw power, he's still no match for you. He'd probably rank second or third at best." Lenore stated with absolute certainty.
"We shouldn't underestimate him." Kalis mused aloud. A top-tier player of this caliber aligning himself with the Shadow Claw Guild could not be a coincidence. Chances were, Zevran had recruited him as a powerful ally specifically to get revenge on Kalis.
But Kalis felt not an ounce of fear. His strength had long since transcended the limits of what ordinary players could comprehend. Even if the enemy struck first, defeating him would be nothing short of impossible.
"Level 1 Ancient Swordmaster, Level 30 Ancient Swordmaster, Level 50 Ancient Swordmaster... it seems he doesn't need to undergo class advancement at all. How enviable." Kalis noticed this unusual detail and murmured in quiet admiration.
Regular players would all complete their Tier 2 advancement quests at Level 50, but here he was, at Level 56, still remaining a Tier 1 class. He was truly one of a kind on the entire server.
Kalis thought to himself. Once this auction was over, and after he helped the Spheres Crusaders Guild with their Fortress Defense Battle, he needed to hurry up and find the relevant NPCs to complete his own Tier 2 advancement. Otherwise, if he kept killing a few more bosses, he'd probably hit Level 100 before he knew it!