Inside the private room, the members of the Society had all assembled.
A tall figure in a white robe, its gender indistinguishable, walked to the door of a side room. With a harsh, gravelly voice, they announced:
"The theme of this gathering is trade. It will end in two hours from now.
"If anyone has items for sale or requests to make, please come here to register."
In the Black Moon Academy Exploration Society, members were divided into six ranks. The white-robed figure was a Rank 4 member and served as the host of this gathering.
For comparison, Daphne was Rank 2, while Lynn was only Rank 1.
Unlike peripheral members such as Lynn and Daphne, the white-robed figure belonged to the Society's inner circle. It was precisely for this reason that they had the authority to preside over meetings.
There were roughly thirty members present. After the announcement, more than half stepped forward to register their buying or selling requests.
Once collected, the white-robed figure would announce all requests at once.
This procedure might have seemed unnecessary, but in truth, it ensured that every member's direct trading partner was the white-robed intermediary, helping preserve anonymity. After all, one could glean a great deal about a person simply from what they sought to buy or sell.
Beyond that, the white-robed host also acted as a basic appraiser and guarantor of deals.
Of course, neither the host nor the Society offered these services for free; they charged a 5% fee on every transaction.
Because of this, trade-themed gatherings were typically split into two parts: the official transactions, organized by the host, and a second phase of free trading, where members dealt directly with one another, relying solely on their own judgment and abilities.
Lynn naturally had nothing to sell, nor anything he needed to buy, so he simply sat quietly in a corner chair.
Beside him, Daphne stood abruptly. With a cold face and without a word, she walked over to the white-robed figure.
Moments later, she returned. Though she sat down again beside Lynn, she turned her face away, clearly unwilling to speak with him.
The tension between them was obvious.
Lynn, however, remained calm and unbothered.
The trading session continued. As customary, the host began by announcing the requests to purchase.
From certain rare types of Black Moon relics to forbidden materials outlawed by Silver Ring Academy, to covert intelligence members' demands, they were as varied as they were dangerous.
This diversity also revealed just how mixed the backgrounds of these people truly were.
And if the purchase requests were so diverse, the items for sale were no less so.
The first offering was information.
The host explained that, as one particular First-Rank school was nearing destruction, certain members of that school had been secretly sent away carrying its inheritance and legacy.
The item for sale was a dossier containing detailed information on those members' identities, strengths, and whereabouts.
Apart from traitors within the school itself, Lynn could think of no one else capable of providing such detailed intelligence.
The implications behind this were chilling.
Even so, the white-robed host added a friendly reminder: information was the most unreliable commodity of all, and the Society made no guarantees as to its authenticity. Buyers were to beware.
Since transactions were done through Society credentials, Lynn had no way of knowing how many members purchased the information. But judging from the pause the host left after the announcement, it seemed quite a few had.
Next, the host introduced the second item for sale, a Black Moon relic.
He did not take it out but only described it in words:
"A Rank 2 Black Moon relic, fully functional. Its effect is to project an external force-field barrier, with a defensive strength roughly equivalent to high-tier Zero Ring."
Lynn listened; his heart stirred with temptation.
"Excuse me, is this Black Moon relic in the form of a necklace?"
From the corner of the room, a man shrouded head-to-toe in a heavy black robe and shadow asked in a low, harsh voice.
"It is," the white-robed host replied.
The shadowed man trembled all over, then shot to his feet. He swept his gaze across the gathered members, gritting his teeth as he spat:
"That's my brother's Black Moon relic!"
As he spoke, a powerful aura erupted from his body. It turned out he was a First-Rank Wizard!
This gathering, organized by the Black Moon Society, was ranked as Level 2, meaning that most participants were Level 2 members, but there were also Level 1 and Level 3 members mixed in.
And in the Black Moon Society, a Level 3 member usually signified someone who had stepped into the First Rank.
That was exactly what this shadowed man was.
Between an apprentice wizard and a First-Rank Wizard lay an unbridgeable gulf. If not for the Society, most of the apprentices present would never have had the qualifications to even trade in front of such a person!
Now, as soon as this First-Rank Wizard displayed anger, many faces in the room visibly changed.
But the man did not take further action. He merely turned his head toward the white-robed figure.
After all, the Society's rules were not something even a First-Rank Wizard could break. He could not bypass those rules to directly discover the seller's true identity. He couldn't even act here and now; at best, he could apply pressure and later find his own way to uncover who was behind the sale.
The white-robed host soon spoke:
"Shadow Veil, I've inquired with the seller.
"He states that he acquired this Black Moon relic by chance on a black market, and is willing to return it to you, along with the details of where he obtained it, in hopes of avoiding further misunderstanding."
Hearing this, Shadow Veil's expression eased somewhat. He touched his badge lightly toward the white-robed host and said:
"My apologies, White Robe. I was a little too agitated."
From his deferential attitude, it was clear the white-robed figure's strength surpassed Shadow Veil's, but whether they had stepped into the Second Rank was still uncertain.
The brief incident concluded, and the white-robed host resumed presiding over the gathering.
In truth, such episodes, while not common, were far from unheard of.
It was said that within Black Moon relics lay the most precious legacies of the Black Moon Academy.
That legend was not without basis; many wizards had indeed drawn great power from these relics.
As such, owning a Black Moon relic was inherently dangerous, especially for those who lacked the strength to defend it.
This was precisely why the Black Moon Society emphasized secrecy of identity. Once exposed, one could easily become prey.
The very members now exchanging friendly words at the gathering could, once outside, turn into ruthless predators.
At this point, the white-robed host presented another Black Moon relic for sale.
This one was of the rarer support type. Its effect was simply to reduce the user's weight. Nothing spectacular in itself, but its grade was classified as Level 3!
Because of this, the opening price was set at 1,000 magic stones.
Without hesitation, Lynn used his identification badge to transmit his bid to the host.
For such unique items, there was only ever one rule: the highest bidder won.
Moments later, the white-robed host's deep voice resounded:
1,500 magic stones. Any higher offers?"
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