Chapter 131: Chapter 131: The Bidding War Begins

The grand auction hall of the Astral Emporium descended into sheer financial violence.

Sera stood behind the podium and was completely composed. She orchestrated the chaos with the precision of a seasoned conductor.

The current item on the pedestal wasn’t the final game-breaking piece of loot. It was just an appetizer.

"The current bid stands at three million Veridian Credits for the [Assassin’s Bane]," Sera announced smoothly. Her voice amplified across the massive room.

The Level 20 Gold-tier dagger rested on a velvet cushion. Its jagged edge gleamed under the stage lights.

It was a fantastic weapon for a rogue. It offered a 300% damage multiplier on stealth strikes and a cooldown reset on kills.

But it wasn’t worth three million credits.

"Four million," Valerius stated.

The Warlord of the Legion of Blades remained seated in the front row. His silver armor was polished and repaired.

He didn’t look happy. The Legion needed heavy burst damage to counter Dante if they ever encountered the anomaly again, and Valerius was willing to overpay to secure it.

"Four point five," Xerxes countered lazily from his corner in the back. The leader of the Blood Throne swirled a digital goblet of wine to project an air of infinite wealth.

"Five million!" Silas snapped. His voice was sharp and incredibly tense.

Up in the VIP suite on the third floor, Dante watched the numbers climb. His expression was cold and calculating.

"They are completely ignoring market value," Nyx reported.

Her fingers flew across her datapad as she tracked the real-time financial fluctuations in the Veridian markets.

"Valerius is bidding emotionally to recover his guild’s reputation. Silas is bidding to assert dominance."

Dante looked down at Silas.

The Guild Master of Vanguard’s Legacy was visibly sweating.

His pristine Silver-grade armor didn’t hide the fact that he was currently overriding frantic messages from his real-world financial advisors.

His corporate backers had allocated a massive budget for the early game. They expected him to establish a monopoly.

But he had already spent heavily trying to hunt Dante. The disastrous siege of Ironhold had drained his resources.

"He is vulnerable," Dante murmured.

"He needs a high-profile win," Lila whispered nervously and stood slightly behind Dante. "If he secures the most expensive items tonight, it restores faith in his leadership."

"Then we make sure he pays for that faith," Dante said flatly.

He turned to Mei who was currently watching the auction with wide and greedy eyes. She casually snacked on a pile of digital popcorn Casanova had ordered.

"Mei," Dante said quietly. "Bump it."

Mei choked on a piece of popcorn. "Boss, are you serious? Five million is huge! If I bid higher and he folds, we get stuck paying for our own item!"

"He will not fold," Dante stated with absolute certainty.

"Silas needs to look like he controls the room. He will burn his liquid funds before he lets someone else take the first major item."

Mei looked at the cold and unwavering expression of Dante. She swallowed hard and wiped her hands on her bright red tunic.

"Okay, Boss," Mei grinned. A hint of chaotic enthusiasm returned. She tapped her proxy bidding interface.

"Six million credits," an automated voice announced from the darkened secondary viewing booth across the hall.

The entire auction hall collectively gasped.

Silas whipped his head around and glared up at the darkened glass of the secondary VIP booth. His face contorted with sheer unadulterated rage.

"Who is that?!" Silas roared and completely lost his composure. "Show yourself! You are artificially inflating the market!"

"The identity of the bidder is protected by the privacy protocols of the Astral Emporium," Sera stated calmly from the stage. "I have six million credits. Do you wish to counter, Vanguard’s Legacy?"

Silas was trembling. He looked at his interface. He was staring at the treasury balance of his guild.

"Six point five million," Silas snarled and raised his hand.

"Seven million," the proxy of Mei countered instantly.

The crowd erupted into hushed frantic whispering.

This wasn’t a bidding war anymore. This was a targeted execution.

The anonymous bidder wasn’t trying to win the dagger. They were systematically bleeding the wealthiest Guild Master on the server.

"Stop it!" Silas screamed at the darkened glass. "Seven point five!"

"Eight million."

"Nine million!" Silas yelled. His voice cracked.

Up in the main VIP suite, Nyx was staring at her datapad in absolute awe.

"He is reallocating guild repair funds," Nyx whispered to track the real-time financial data.

"He just paused his entire guild’s localized crafting budget to cover the margin. He is literally bleeding his infantry dry to stay in this bidding war."

Dante watched the breakdown of Silas with cold satisfaction.

"Ten million!" Silas screamed. His pristine Silver-grade armor clanked as he paced furiously in the aisle.

The proxy of Mei didn’t immediately respond.

The silence stretched.

Silas stopped pacing and stared up at the proxy booth. He panted heavily. He looked like a man standing on the edge of a cliff.

Dante held up his hand to signal Mei to stop.

The dagger was barely worth a million credits on an open market. Silas had just paid ten times its value.

"Sold," Sera announced and struck her podium. "To the Guild Master of Vanguard’s Legacy, for ten million credits."

The crowd didn’t cheer. They were too stunned by the astronomical sum that had just changed hands for a mid-tier weapon.

Silas smirked and sat back down into his plush velvet chair.

He had secured the item. He had proven he was the wealthiest player in the room.

Up in the VIP suite, Dante chuckled. "He just paid ten million real-world credits for a dagger I picked up off a random hit squad in an alleyway."

The pedestal sank into the floor and carried the dagger away to be securely transferred to the inventory of Silas.

The atmosphere in the massive auction hall shifted.

The opening act had established a terrifying precedent.

The heavy hitters in the front rows sat up straighter. They realized that the prices tonight were going to be absolutely brutal.

Sera took a deep breath. Her professional facade hardened into absolute serious focus.

The pedestal rose for the next item.

"We continue," Sera announced and her voice rang clear across the hall.

Over the next twenty minutes, Sera masterfully presented the Dark Demon materials harvested from Gluttony, the Silver-tier armor sets from the Frostfire Steppes, and the massive piles of high-level crafting components.

The Guild Masters fought viciously over every scrap.

Leonidas of the Apex Coalition spent millions securing heavy tank gear to replace the equipment Dante had shattered during the siege.

Xerxes of the Blood Throne bought up massive quantities of rare potions and elixirs. He maintained his strategy of hoarding utility items.

Valerius secured several high-tier broadswords for his vanguard. He refused to let Vanguard’s Legacy monopolize the melee market.

The real-world bank account of Dante was rapidly inflating. The numbers ticked upward so fast it looked like a glitch.

He didn’t need to order Mei to bump the bids anymore.

The Guild Masters were doing it entirely on their own. They were driven by sheer unadulterated ego and the desperate need to out-gear their rivals before the true open-world conflicts began.

"Item number seven," Sera announced as the pedestal sank and rose again.

Resting on the velvet cushion was a massive glowing shield forged from dark jagged metal.

"The [Bulwark of Gluttony]," Sera declared.

"A Level 20 Dark Demon Heavy Shield. It offers five thousand points of physical defense and actively absorbs incoming magical damage, converting it into a temporary health shield that stacks infinitely."

The tanks in the audience practically salivated.

"Five million," Leonidas boomed immediately and stood up. "The Apex Coalition needs a new frontline."

"Six million," Silas countered, his voice dripping with condescension. "Your frontline is a joke, Leonidas. You could not even hold a swamp."

Leonidas glared at Silas. "Seven million!"

"Eight," Silas said lazily.

Up in the suite, Dante watched the two Guild Masters bicker.

"Silas is getting arrogant again," Dante noted. "He thinks because he bought the dagger, he dictates the room."

"He is overcompensating," Nyx agreed. Her datapad reflected in her glasses.

"He is trying to project financial stability, but his liquid assets are incredibly thin. If he buys this shield, he will not have the capital to compete for the final items."

"Let him buy it," Dante decided. "If he bankrupts himself on mid-tier gear, the finale will be even sweeter."

"Ten million!" Leonidas roared and his face was red with fury.

"Eleven," Silas sighed and waved his hand as if swatting a fly.

Leonidas gritted his teeth, and his hand hovered over his bidding interface.

He looked back at his officers who were frantically shaking their heads. The Apex Coalition was well-funded, but they weren’t reckless.

Leonidas slowly sat down and glared at Silas. "It is yours, you corporate parasite."

"Sold, to Vanguard’s Legacy, for eleven million credits," Sera confirmed and struck the podium.

Silas leaned back and a smug smile was plastered across his face.

He had just secured two massive upgrades for his guild. He was bleeding money, but he was winning the optics war.

Dante watched him from the shadows of the VIP suite.

The [Bulwark of Gluttony] sank into the floor.

"Alright," Sera said. Her voice dropped slightly, and the professional cheerfulness gave way to a more serious focused tone. "We move to item number eight."

The pedestal rose slowly from the stage floor.

The lights in the hall dimmed slightly to focus a single spotlight onto the velvet cushion.

Resting in the center of the light was a dark jagged sword.

It pulsed with a heavy aggressive aura, and the dark metal looked almost bruised under the intense light.

"A Level 15 Dark Demon Sword," Sera announced. "A brutal weapon designed for high-strength warriors."

Dante leaned forward and placed his hands on the glass.

The warmup was over. It was time to start dealing with the personal grudges.