The announcement of the Crimson Lord's auction struck the human sector like a lightning bolt. Even the scions of the great legacy families, who considered themselves the natural elite of the Origin, were stunned. The idea that a lone lord not only possessed a rare grade artifact but was arrogant enough to sell it was unthinkable.
The name Crimson Lord became a permanent fixture in the minds of seventy thousand survivors. A singular, skeptical question hung in the air: 'Is he actually going to go through with it?'
While players like Leo and Hye-na walked the path of the lone sovereign, the majority of humanity had retreated into their social instincts. Large conglomerates and families, led by figures like Steven Lockwood and Elis Crowe, had begun pooling their wealth, creating massive resource banks to ensure their leaders could sweep the auction.
Luna, desperate to talk sense into him, cornered Leo in the hall. "Leo, a rare artifact in the trial phase, is a forty percent power multiplier. You are literally handing the competition the keys to the kingdom. If you have spares, arm Malphas or Ren. Do not give them away!"
Leo didn't even look up from his interface. "Artifacts are tools, Luna. Tools can be replaced. But a level four territory is a foundation. I am trading a single spear for a fortress. Now, let me work."
"Aish, you are such a blockhead!" Luna yelled, stomping out of the room in a fit of rage.
Leo began his preparations by dismantling the spirit lord's remains. There was no talent fragment this time, but the influx of Sanguine Essence was welcome. He tested the limits of the Double Harvest buff before it expired, confirming it ignored gacha and trades. It was a pure hunter's blessing.
"Time to fill the shop," Leo murmured. He turned to the lower-tier gacha banners. He began a systematic spree, burning through his SE. The 1-star pulls yielded basic iron swords and minor stamina potions, but the 2-star banner provided the real bait: steel wands, enchanted tents, and traveler's crests.
'I am the only one with a direct line to the Infinite armory,' Leo thought, watching the timer tick down to 00:00. 'Today, I am the house, and the house always wins.'
Channel 86 Lord
Count: 71,000
[User: EmberWitch]: Seconds left. If this is a prank, the Crimson Lord is going to be the most hated man in the region.
[User: Fangbound]: He probably found a treasure room and panicked. Only a fool arms his enemies.
[User: Richie Rich]: Talk all you want. My coffers are full, and that rare artifact has my name on it.
[User Crimson Lord (First Ascendant)]: "The floor is open. We will begin with the common and uncommon lots. I am accepting wood, stone, glass, and steel. If you have blueprints or unique relics, send a private offer. Let the bidding begin."
The auction floor opened with a roar of digital activity. Leo sat on his throne, his face illuminated by the flickering blue light of the trade window. He placed the first item on the block: the Portable Tent. To a man with a Lord's Hall, it was a toy; to a man sleeping in the dirt, it was a fortress.
[Lot 1: Traveler's Portable Tent (Uncommon)] [Special: Basic camouflage and thermal regulation.]
Leo watched the numbers climb with a satisfied smile. 'This is even better than I expected,' he thought. The tent eventually sold to a lord named 'Summer Bob' for 1000 Wood and 700 Stone. 'Not bad. That is an entire day of harvesting by my workers for only 60 SE,' Leo thought.
He did not slow down. He listed the common iron shields, the wooden staffs, and the steel wands. He accepted every offer of lime, steel, and stone. For forty minutes, the notifications of received resources did not stop. His warehouse was filling up so fast that he had to mentally command the system to stack the materials in the territory yard.
Finally, he put up the Traveler's Crest. It was a unique item that increased movement speed by ten percent when not in combat. He had saved the most versatile utility items for the last three slots.
[Lot 20: Traveler's Crest (Unique - Uncommon)] [Passive: 10 percent increased Agility during travel.] [Requirement: Only blueprints accepted]
The chat fell silent for a moment, followed by a wave of excitement. Leo understood that many lords hoarded group resources and could easily outbid solo lords, so he eliminated raw resources as a bidding option for the final slots. Since he had already gathered enough basic materials, he did not want to strengthen his rivals by taking more of their wood or stone.
"CrimsonLord, I offer a Blueprint for a Camp Kitchen," Elis Crowe posted.
Others also made their bids. Since these were only low-grade items, no one was willing to trade barracks or special-grade blueprints yet. Still, Leo was able to sell three more unique items, gaining a total of four blueprints: [Camp Kitchen, Stone Lamp, Sewing Factory, and Breeding Center].
Leo was satisfied. Even though he had used a total of 1000 SE, he had been able to gather a massive haul: 4980 Wood, 3832 Stone, 80 Glass, along with lime, steel, and other materials.
"Now it is time for the final item," Leo announced, listing the rare grade spear. "I only accept gold, cores, and special materials like Death Essence or Guardian Essence."
The Solaris Flare spear manifested on the screens of every lord, its golden blade pulsing with a rhythmic, lifelike glow. The self-heal property was highlighted in a brilliant flare, a beacon of hope for any lord struggling to keep their units alive. The chat, previously a roar of chaos, fell into a heavy, absolute silence.
''The silence is louder than the shouting,'' Luna whispered, her breath hitching as she stood behind Leo's throne.
Leo remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the flickering timer. Five seconds of agonizing tension passed before the floodgates finally burst open.
[User: Mercenary Kim]: 1000 Gold and 2 E-rank cores.
[User: Richie Rich]: ''Fuck off, Kim! 3000 gold and 5 E-rank cores!''
[User: Silentmarch]: 3500 Gold, 50 Death Essence.
The bid from the elusive Silentmarch caused the heavy hitters to hesitate. It was the first time the mysterious dungeon-clearer had ever spoken in the public channel, and she had done so with a king's ransom in rare materials.
''Wow, our so-called Silentmarch is not so silent anymore,'' Luna snickered, though her eyes betrayed her shock.
Leo's interest was immediately piqued. Gold was a secondary concern; he needed a steady supply of Death Essence to fuel the awakening of his undead legion.
[User: StevenLockwood]: 3000 gold plus an invite to our alliance.
Leo didn't waste a second on the brain-dead proposal. He just kicked him out of the auction
System: StevenLockwood has been kicked from the auction.
User BigDog69: ''Lol, serves the guy right. Don't bring a handshake to a resource war.''
The chat briefly mocked Steven's lack of intellect before the true titans clashed once more.
User Elis Crowe: ''Let us not waste time playing with scraps - 10,000 gold and 5 units of Guardian Essence.''
The channel erupted in a frenzy of messages. Ten thousand gold was enough to fund a full-scale territorial expansion, and while the commoners were baffled by the Guardian Essence, the scions of the great families knew its legendary worth.
''Damn, how many people had to pool their gold to make a bid that high?'' Luna gasped, leaning in.
'These organizations have massive backing,' Leo thought, realizing the sheer volume of resources the legacy families could mobilize. Without his unique talent, he would have been buried by their collective wealth.
Despite Elis Crowe's overwhelming gold offer, Leo made his decision. He wasn't interested in a pile of coins that would eventually lose value; he needed the materials of war. He finalized the sale to Silentmarch for -[4000x Gold, 110x Death essence]
[User Crimson Lord (First Ascendant)]: ''This completes our mini-auction. For those who were unsuccessful, stay sharp; I will sell again to cater to the region's needs. Let us forge a place where we can survive the coming challenges. Thank you.''
As the trade finalized and the mountain of gold and essence flooded into his inventory, the lords who had been silenced by the bigwigs began to flood the chat with a mix of awe and frustration.