The murmurs started. The common people were shocked to see the VIPs throwing money like this. They were making bids of wealth that those poor people needed a year to accumulate. To say the least, such a battle between the rich was really exciting to them. They even made bets amongst themselves about which rich bastard would get the sword.

The current competition was between the VIP rooms seventeen and nine. Both weren’t backing down, determined to get their hands on the sword at all costs. The bidding value had already far exceeded the sword’s original value; now it was about the pride of these rich brats. In all this, Sebastian was more than happy to add a bit more fuel to the fire so the bid would increase even more and the more commission he would get in return.

"VIP room seventeen has bid a whopping price of two hundred and ten primary energy stones! If the sirs from VIP room nine do not have a counteroffer, then in three seconds the sword will go to VIP seventeen!" he shouted, hoping for the guests from VIP room nine to offer a counterbid just as they had been doing up until now. Alas, they had also reached the depths of their pockets.

The crack of the gavel echoed through the hall, sharp as a whip.

"Three seconds have passed in the blink of an eye! Two hundred and ten primary energy stones—three!" Sebastian swept a gloved hand toward the upper balcony, a sharp, professional smile playing on his lips. "Congratulations to the esteemed gentlemen of VIP room seventeen. You have successfully secured the Ironroot Blade. The House of Gilded Shadows thanks you for your patronage; your new soul-bound steel will be waiting in the VIP Hall for collection following the final transfer of funds."

He paused, allowing the envious murmurs of the crowd to settle before his expression shifted into one of solemn gravity.

"Now, let us transition from the physical to the metaphysical," Sebastian continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial silk.

"Our next lot is not for the faint of heart, nor the fragile of mind. It is a gamble of the highest order—a rank three ability scroll of the Frost element: Frostsword Executioner."

He was truly dramatic but artistic. He gestured towards a floating velvet cushion where a scroll, pulsing with a frigid, pale blue light, rested.

"As has been summarized before, this technique offers a symphony of autonomous offense and defense, yet it demands a heavy toll. It seeks a master of high spiritual rank, with absolute soul stability and an unshakable Will. Be honest with your own limits, patrons; this scroll does not forgive weakness. It has been known to shatter the consciousness of those who reach beyond their grasp. The question remains... do you have the mental prowess to command the blizzard, or will you be buried by it?"

He raised his hand, the bidding paddle glinting. "The starting bid for the Frostsword Executioner begins at one hundred and fifty rank three primary energy stones. Do I hear sixty?"

The bidding began again. Whereas inside the VIP room two, Clementine couldn’t help but be impressed. "This guy really knows the way of words, such a glib tongue, setting up such a dramatic atmosphere." She chuckled in amusement.

"Indeed, I can never imagine myself being so smooth with my words and presenting something in such a way that it exceeds its base capabilities by so much," Auguszta said in a displeased voice. She really didn’t like this Sebastian guy, because she knew that with her shallow experience she would get easily fooled by guys like him.

"Looks like not many VIPs are interested in this skill!" Aphryne spoke from the side. "You should place your bet too, big sis. Also, don’t worry about the money. I don’t think Auguszta would mind using her energy stones to buy something for husband, correct sister?"

"Of course, why would I mind," Auguszta responded right away, looking at her sister as though she was a fool to even have such a question. "We also have the three hundred rank three primary energy stones from the five elves. If anything, you can even use the Legendary Energy Stones to get this ability scroll for husband, big sis."

Clementine shook her head. "I don’t think it will come to this, but let’s see how it goes." She activated the runic mechanism embedded into the chair she was sitting on and placed her bet just with a thought.

"Oh, the guests from VIP room two have outbid the guests from room twenty-one with such a wide margin, placing a bid of two hundred and fifty rank three primary energy stones in one fell swoop!"

"Two hundred and seventy rank three primary energy stones!"

"Three hundred rank three primary energy stones!"

The bids continued. However, currently, Clementine had a very irritated expression as she looked towards VIP room thirteen. "Are they deliberately raising the price?" she muttered in an angered tone.

Currently, only the two were bidding for the ability scroll. No matter how much she increased the price, the opposite party always offered a counterbid. She was really of the thought to just go and slaughter these insolent mortals.

"Big sister, calm down," Aphryne placed her hand on Clementine’s shoulder. "You remember your words, right? Just endure for now, we can’t afford to expose ourselves as we are now!"

Clementine took a deep breath, nodding her head. Her expression was dark. ’Haaah, I have really fallen too low!’ She refocused on the platform, on the one hosting this auction event. He was just about to start another one of his speeches as the mortals from VIP room thirteen once more counterbid her offer, but she just decided to end it in one go.

Sending a thought to the runic mechanism, a string of words was displayed on the outside of the front glass of her room: VIP Room 2—Bid = 10 Rank 3 Legendary Energy Stones!

Sebastian, in a joyful mood, turned towards VIP room two as he got the notification of a counterbid from his bracelet, but as his eyes landed on those strings of words, his face lost all color. His breath hitched, and his eyes nearly bulged out from the shock. His body trembled. ’WHAT THE HELL... just who are these people?’

It was quiet. Utter silence. All who looked at those words had the same reaction. Who was in VIP room two? How rich were they to actually use Legendary Energy Stones to bid for a mere rank three item? What was their identity? There were many such questions, considering if rank three Legendary Energy Stones were to be used, it should be normal to use them to at least bid for a rank four ability scroll, but to do that here told these people a lot of things.

The most important fact was that this battle came to an end with the guests from VIP room two coming out on top, because now for any counterbids to have any value to them, it was imperative that the counterbids be made by Legendary Energy Stones too.