On entering inside the room, Aphryne couldn’t contain her curiosity anymore. "Are you interested in that serpent Calamity or something, big sister?"

Clementine gave the room a scan. It was just a normal room. At least, that was how it seemed to her. Spacious, clean, and clearly expensive, with polished flooring, comfortable seating, soft lighting, and carefully chosen decorations meant to create an atmosphere of luxury. Yet in her eyes, all the amenities and effort put into increasing comfort held little value. It was merely so-so. The room itself was rectangular, with both side walls and the front wall made entirely of one-way glass. From inside, they had a clear view of everything outside, while those beyond could see nothing within.

Clementine took a seat in the front chair, crossing her legs gracefully. Her expression was distant, lost in thought, while her eyes rested on the ongoing auction with little real focus.

"Big sis, what happened?" Auguszta asked.

Clementine blinked, coming out of her thoughts, glancing towards her little sister. "Yes, what happened?"

"That’s what I’m asking?" Aphryne complained with a pout. "You appeared so dazed all of a sudden, you did not even answer my question!"

"Was I?" She smiled gently. "Anyways, what is my little sissy curious about, you can tell me now?" She pinched her cheeks, appearing fond of the girl. Aphryne merely harrumphed and repeated her question.

"The snake, huh?" Clementine nodded in affirmation. "Indeed, I’m curious about it. On hearing of its capabilities, I suddenly remembered a menace of a Calamity I had fought in the past. At that time, I was like any other outsider, so when I had an encounter with him in the eastern part of the Great Link, the battle just happened naturally. I was at my peak—a Primordial Omega—and he was stronger than me as an Accursed Paragon, but because of my absolute ability, I had enough prowess to match him equally."

Clementine exhaled as she remembered the details. The two girls had their ears perked up, getting to know more about their big sister; it was one of their favorite things alright.

"At least that’s what I thought in my high pride, but when the battle truly happened, I was suppressed thoroughly. Because that bastard also had an ultimate ability, not one but three, the maximum of any soul. One of them was a ruler-type—it gave him the Cosmic Law of Anti-energy! A cosmic law of the same rank as my Law of Bloodmatter Obliteration. Our Law Tiers were also the same, but my Energy Tier, Order, and Law comprehension were lesser compared to him. So against him, all of my abilities and Energy types became useless. No matter what type of Energy it was, even the Energy from my Bloodmatter Obliteration, which converted blood into an Energy of tri-layer erasure medium consisting of matter, Energy, and Information, was also useless. The Law of Anti-energy always overrode my Energy completely. To defeat an entity such as him, one needed to be strong physically, and that was an aspect I never focused on. Even with the aid of my three bloods, added with the Wrath Throne and the Gluttony Throne, the battle was at a stalemate. I had never encountered such a situation before. I was inexperienced, so my decisions weren’t the most optimal. In the end, through my Avarice Throne I summoned my created familiars to suppress the Accrused Paragon thoroughly, who was obviously capable of utilizing his own Energy and was also absurdly physically strong too."

Afterwards, the battle was completely in Clementine’s favor. She was very near to killing the Calamity, but in the end, it managed to successfully escape from her. Evidently, she also decided to not give chase after knowing such a huge weakness about herself. Her confidence had taken a big hit at that time.

"Physical strength, huh? Is there another system regarding this aspect of power, big sis?" Auguszta questioned in a serious tone, picking up on her big sister’s biggest shortcoming in this battle, that made even her suffer against someone who she shouldn’t have.

"Of course, there is," she responded as a matter of fact.

"But you never informed us about this? Why?" Aphryne questioned back in a confused tone.

Clementine’s lips twitched. "Just how old are you two anyways, huh? To even think that you can know everything in so little time."

The two blinked. Indeed, just how long has it been since the two became conscious of themselves? Only two days. Of course, there would be many things that the immature them wouldn’t know about. The two had their cheeks flushed as they became embarrassed on understanding how stupid they sounded.

Clementine shook her head. "Focus alright, the main event is beginning, we’ll discuss more with Aezaleon later on." She patted the two heads. They nodded meekly, focusing forward.

The magical lanterns dimmed, casting a warm, amber glow over the velvet-lined amphitheater as a man in a crisp, midnight-blue tailcoat stepped into the spotlight. He adjusted his white silk gloves with practiced precision, bowing just low enough to convey both humility and absolute authority. With a confident and professional smile tugging at the corner of his lips, he watched the audience before him.

"Ahem!" Clearing his throat, his mouth opened with words flowing out naturally. "Good evening, legends and luminaries," he began, his voice a smooth baritone that carried effortlessly to the highest rafters. "I am Sebastian Bane, your humble steward for this evening’s descent into the extraordinary. Tonight, the House of Gilded Shadows has outdone itself, and I am honored to facilitate the transfer of three truly peerless items."

"The Evening’s Star Exhibits—the Ironroot Blade, rank three, forged in the subterranean fires of the Ironroot House, direct subordinates to the illustrious Blazeshade House. This is more than a weapon; it is a pedigree of steel. Its craftsmanship is so refined that the demand alone has nearly sparked riots at our gates. A high-rank masterpiece for a high-rank warrior indeed." He nodded.

"The second star is the Frostsword Executioner scroll, rank three, an offensive Frost-element ability of terrifying utility. It summons a phalanx of autonomous ice blades to serve as both your ultimate shield and your swiftest executioner." His voice dipped low. "However, be warned; this scroll demands a master’s soul. Only those with high spiritual rank and unshakable mental prowess should dare to bind it, lest the strain shatter your consciousness or wither your very soul." He spoke dramatically, obviously to make the item more appealing.

"The last star is the unnamed serpent Calamity of material Ascension rank two and an unawakened spiritual core. A rarity that defies categorization. This serpent-type Calamity is a phantom of the wild, draped in scales of absolute midnight. It possesses the extraordinary trait of Energy Absorption, perhaps having even comprehended such a marvelous concept capable of drinking in any force directed at it to fuel its own escalating power. We have no name for it in our archives, but its potential is quite simply... limitless."

He smiled widely. "Now, steel your nerves and loosen your purse strings, for the bidding is now officially open." His voice echoed in pure glee. "We will begin with the Ironroot Blade," he pointed towards the sword displayed on the table. "The bidding price starts from one hundred rank three primary energy stones."

"One hundred and fifteen primary energy stones!"

"One hundred and thirty primary energy stones!"

"One hundred and forty primary energy stones!"