Chapter 100 – Making a killing at the auction
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Megan comes back to the front of the stage and stands there for a moment, her appearance seems to be straining as she holds something in her hand. The crowd looks on interested in what's going on, Jack isn't immune from this effect as he looks on the stage.

*WOOSH*

A flame appears around her hand, "Oh good it worked, sorry everyone I don't usually deal with these things."

Her hand waves about with a trail of flames following it, the crowd exclaims in excitement upon seeing it as the heat from the sword wafts over them. Jack isn't immune as he can feel the heat pass over him too, the item looks incredible as they wave it about in the air doused in flame.

"This is an Altiassian Flame Sword, it has the captured essence of a flame spirit. It has been shaped into the form of a sword but I cannot bring it out because well..."

Megan wipes her sweat off her brow as she returns the centre of the stage, "It takes a lot of effort to activate so only the strong can activate it. I hope everyone keeps that in mind."

A couple people in the crowd can be heard saying things like, "It's ok Megan", "Do you best!", "Can I have your towel?", "I'll buy it now!".

"Well let's get the bidding started then... as this is the first item and we would like to welcome the players... we have placed this item up with no reserve price, anyone can bid too that's why it's up first!"

"1 gold!" many people shout from the lower floor but they're flooded out quickly by people increasing quickly.

"2 gold!"

"100 gold!"

"1000 gold!"

"10,000 gold and your towel!"

"a million!"

"seven million!"

"I want that sword, 8 million!"

.....

The price quickly increases, Jack was interested in the sword but when its price increased over 10 million he quickly lost interest.

"120 million" the rich player near Jack places a bid. A hush comes over the crowd when they notice the amount, yet they start loudly talking about the rich player on the lower level.

"121 million" an old male voice booms in the large hall. The people in the hall shut up when they notice where the voice comes from, it came from the upper level.

Jack looks up towards the upper level but cannot see anything through a black shroud blocking the lower level from peering up.

"200 million" the other player near Jack places a bid.

Jack looks at them while sipping his drink, he imagines the amount of effort required to collect that much money for a normal player. The wine he's sipping has a fruit tasty, yet tastes minty... he struggles to keeps it down as the bidding slows down.

"300 million."

A final voice from the second level comes down, the ancient voice echoes in everyone's ear giving it a sense of power. Most people shut up as the Megan on the stage starts counting down.

"Ok sir, 118. 300 million going once.... going twice..."

Someone coughs in the crowd drawing everyone's eyes to them, they shrink back immediately.

"Sold for 300 million, I hope your son can enjoy this sword, Lord" Megan takes the sword off her hand and places it into a storage container. Someone comes from the side stage to collect it, no one dares make a sound as they watch all of this continue.

Jack puts some strange bird meat into his mouth, the energy courses through his body immediately as he coughs.

A few eyes go in his direction but as they see where he's sitting, they don't dare linger too long. Jack continues to eat the meat before Jan and Teun take take any of it, they're currently filling up on the noodle dishes. Megan comes back from the side of the stage as the crowd settles down, many people have renewed their drinks as they chat joyfully.

"Well, I'm not sure if this next item can top the excitement of the last, but here it is."

Megan holds out a small bottle before her, everyone looks closely at the strange trying to work out what it is.

"What are you guys looking at?" Megan's face blushes, "You guys... look at the bottle... don't you want to know what's inside?"

"Of course we do" someone shouts from the crowd.

"It's a vital type of medicine, or pill or dan. This sort of pill will save your life when your out in the field, know when your spirit feels down after doing so much stuff? Well, this pill can actually help with that!"

"What?"

"Can't Tier 4 pills do that?"

"Tier 4 pills cost over 100,000 gold each so why would it be item 2!"

...

The crowd erupts into chatter, Megan waits for a few moments before continuing to speak. The crowd is discussing many things, yet no one can confirm anything with the limited amount of information, so they settle down naturally with the occasional whisper.

"This is a tier 1 spirit recovery dan, a jade bottle contains 6 of them."

Jack smiles upon listening to the description, the crowd breaks out into discussion again but not too long after someone asks a question, "Aren't those useless?"

Megan smiles as she holds out one of the pills. The medicinal smell fills the hall quickly as Jack can smell the familiar feeling as if the smell doesn't care that the room is gigantic. Many people audibly sniff their nostril as they scent wafts around.

Jack takes a long sip of drink as Megan continues to speak, "We're not too sure how the person auctioning these off came to find them but they did... they're not just ordinary Spirit Recovery Dan. These have a special grade."

Megan places the pill back into the bottle, "We'll hold a special auction now, each spirit recovery dan in this bottle. Simply 10,000 gold and you can prove the effects."

"What?" many people mutter between each other, the whole crowd erupts into quiet chatter. Jack continues to eat his food not caring about what happens.

"I'll take one!"

Someone finally musters up the courage. His voice is followed by a chorus of people copying him. Megan throws the bottle to the side of the stage, the crowd quietens up upon hear this.

Jack looks at them but can't recognise any of them. Half of them seem like players and the other half normal residents yet with the crazy clothing some others are wearing, it's hard to tell at times.

"The first few people that shouted shall get some, have your money ready."

Several attendants come out of the stage area, they're escorted by armed guards as they proceed to 6 people in the crowd. Each of them are given a single pill, they're not allowed any time to inspect it as it's forced into their mouth. Jack raises his glass at this, then takes a sip as the effect comes over the person's body.

A mass of grey energy spreads out from their body, the burst of foul smelling air causes everyone to scrunch up their nose, the foul smell is disgusting and happens for each of the 6 people causing the crowd to murmur yet another thing happens as a visible pure white energy comes out of their bodies.

Everyone is stunned silent by the physical reaction produced by the pill, even Jack is paused for a moment looking at the effects.

"As everyone can see, this pill is the real deal," Megan says.

"More than that, I need more because I feel like I could take on anything like... I don't even need to go to sleep for days" the first man that yells speaks out loud.

A few of the players laugh at this description but Megan continues, "Well... everyone is in luck because the person who provided that item has given us many lots of that item. So feel free to let us know your bids!"

The crowd erupts into a ruckus as everyone starts shouting their own prices but they quickly increase in price from 10,000 gold each to over 100,000gold each. Many of the residents are priced out quickly but they players are bidding in a frenzy.

No one is quite sure what's going on but Jack knows exactly what's going on, he's making a lot of money.

"We need to remind everyone that you're buy a bottle, 6 each so the price is per bottle."

The bidding quietens down when the price has hit 230,000 each. A few of the people bidding in a frenzy earlier look to have nervous expressions on as the attendants make the rounds, they finally they make their way around settling the account for each person that bid for an amount and their total. Jack smiles as he thinks about the total amount of money that he just made, it gives him a much better position later on as the better items appear.

"Well next up we have another pill...." Megan describes the next couple of pills in a similar manner, Jack has a wide smile as he chows down on the food. Jan and Teun have finished eating and are now occasionally bidding on the items. They seemed particularly interested in ice element things, but when pressed for why, they didn't explain too much beyond that's what they've been ordered to buy.

The auction continues as Megan has finished the auction of the 10th lot of pills, each of them rather low level and mostly belonging to Jack, but everyone is satisfied and looking forward to what is coming up. This is almost entirely thanks to Megan on the stage as her personality has drawn nearly everyone in. Even the people on the second floor have participated.

"Next up, a rare herb that we cannot even identify correctly so perhaps it was rewarded by the system..."

Many people's ears perk up upon hearing these words, Jack's included as Megan continues to explain.

"The best we can work out is that this is a plant that has aged over 50,000 years and it's heavy in the earth element. It's likely a hybrid between two species but we cannot rely on our identification right now. We have promised the seller they won't take a loss so, let me hear the bids."

The room is mostly silent, a player speaks up, "Can it be taken raw?"

"We do not recommend it, we also do not take any liability for what happens after you take the item, so please proceed with caution."

Many people quieten down, but the bidding climbs to 240,000 gold coins, Jack raises his hand to place a bid.

All eyes turn to him including Megan, "400,000 gold" he speaks clearly as Megan nods her head.

"Thank you, 400,000 gold is the current price. Would anyone like to beat that?"

The crowd is silent for a few moments, a few people murmur, but no one raises their voice until a voice is heard from the upper level.

"950,000 gold."

"Ok 950,000 gold is the new price."

The crowd murmurs further while Jack furrows his brow, he cannot recognise the voice but that doesn't matter to him as Jack raises his hand again.

"1.5 million gold."

"Understood, will there be anyone else?"

The crowd is silent while there's nothing said from the upper row, Jack takes a sip of his drink waiting for the response but it doesn't come as Megan counts down, "1.5 million going once..."

"Going twice..."

Jack looks around but cannot see anyone doing anything, he raises an eyebrow at the deviance from what he expected.

"Sold. This herb for 1.5 million, thank you sir" Megan places the item with an attendant who proceeds off the stage and towards Jack, Megan hurries to present the next item.

Jack takes a sweep of the crowd but cannot see anything that stands out, his attention is drawn to the set of players behind him. Jan and Teun have shared some information on the other major players in the group but all he learnt was that they're gangsters and from Europe. The attendant comes up along the pathway and stops before the ropeway.

"I'm here to present your item."

"That's quick I thought you would wait until the end."

"Sir, you are a VIP so we cannot make you wait."

The attendant places a tray before Jack; he takes receipt of it inspecting the storage ring on the tray.

It contains the herbs that were just on the display, Jack takes it including the storage ring as the attendant walks away.

"Thank you, sir."

Jack has a smile on his face as he plays with the storage ring. The material is different to usual and the storage ring is different too as it's able to keep plants alive. He places it away while taking another sip of drink, Jan and Teun ask him some questions about the herbs but Jack explains it simply, "I have no idea about this thing, I just bought it for a friend?"

"Won't you inspect it with the system?"

"Nope."

Jack takes a big sip of drink and wonders about that too, Megan steps backward on stage and grabs something through the curtains.

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