Chapter 58- Stereotypical Auction Scene Part 3

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“I hope you all feel rested for the final part of the auction, these items will be the rarest and most powerful. Keep your cards at the ready because I’m sure you will all be raising them shortly,” Lanza the auctioneer said.

The audience patiently waited on the edge of their seats as Lonzo brought out an epic grade item. He flashed up the item description.

EPIC Keratin Longsword ‘Toothy’ This weapon is made from the tooth of a giant for Jotunheim. It was crafted by a Master in Blacksmithing. Hitting an enemy with this weapon will cause minor gravitation reduction. Requirement: Level 60, 80 Strength. Damage: 139 Durability: 459/459 Affinities: Giant, Royalty, Strength, Space-Time.

It was shaped like a giant saw except made out of bone. Tower seemed to perk up but dismissed it.

“Look at those requirements to even wield it, it won’t go that high,” Tower said.

The man was right as it sold for only 6 gold. The amount was the equivalent of $60,000, but to the people in the room that was nothing.

“See,” Tower stated proudly.

Spike squeezed his bicep. “I like a man who knows things about big strong weapons.”

Tower breathed fire out of his nose.

“When did Spike turn gay?” Sol asked Sharp.

“I am not sure actually.” Sharp responded.

More and more unique items came out, most of them seemed boring. But there was one that caught Sol’s eyes as soon as it came out. It was a dagger, his speciality, it was black and had a thick coat of black mucus surrounding the handle and blade. What was even stranger was that he felt a connection to it.

Lanza brought up the item description as it was wheeled into the center.

RARE  ‘Lucia’ Dagger Damage: 23 Durability: 29/29 Affinities: None

“This dagger may seem strange, but it has a very unique feature. It can speak.”

The audience chuckled. “Let’s see it then!” one shouted mockingly.

Lanza looked off-stage awkwardly then back to the dagger. “Speak now, you can find an owner,” he whispered off the mic.

The dagger stayed silent and the audience started to laugh.

“Well, it seems the dagger does not want to speak today. Regardless, we would like to start the bidding off at 2 gold and 40 silver.”

No one raised their paddle.

“I heard they’ve been trying to sell it for four months,” a nobleman snickered behind Sol.

“We will put the dagger down to 2 gold!” Lanza exclaimed.

Sol raised his paddle.

“Are you crazy?” Tower asked.

“We have a bidder! Anyone else?”

“Going once… Twice…. Sold!” Lanza said with lighting haste.

The audience glanced up at the booth and continued to laugh and holler. However, none of the people in the booth laughed.

“Immortal?” Tower asked.

“Tower, I feel something with it,” Sol whispered to him.

Tower realigned himself in the chair and scoffed.

“Are you ok?” Sharp asked.

Sol shook his head and rubbed his eyes, he had just bought the dagger- for $20,000.

“Fine, I think.” Sol said, confused at his own actions.

Lanza hurried the item off the stage and continued on with the auction. It was a very embarrassing moment for the auction house. The auction carried on as normal, and the weapons started to increase in prices. Some started to go in the double digits of gold. Then the final event came.

“Well, it has been a very eventful night,” Lanza remarked and the audience all sighed. “Alas! We have one last item. This is the item you have been hearing rumours about. I present to you, the Immortal Heart!”

Immortal Heart EPIC This item belonged to an Undead Giant Ogre. This heart will never stop beating and will always regenerate. Affinities: Death, Dark, Light, Life, Healing

“Is it the key to immortality? The answer is unclear, find out for yourself.”

The audience erupted in amazement. The heart beated rapidly on stage as it was wheeled out, squirting blood into the glass box it contained.

“Not only is it incredibly rare but it was caught by none other than the Ill Favoured Five! The famous group of Unwanted who have been in the spotlight for the past week. I’m sure you’ve all seen the video but I don’t think you realised that the entity killed contained this heart!”

Roars, hoots and hollers came as the video was shown on a huge TV on the stage.

Once the video had stopped playing Lanza started his bidding.

“We will start the auction at 10 gold.”

Half of the audience shot their paddles up, none in the platinum or gold boxes though- they were waiting.

“20 gold!” Lanza shouted.

“30 gold!”

“40 gold!”

Tower choked on his own tongue, Sol had to help him calm down.

“50 gold!”

“60 gold!”

“70 gold!”

Hands started to shoot down quickly, that was $700,000 worth of coins.

“80!”

“1 Platinum!” Mr Evergrand exclaimed loudly.

The audience members gasped. A platinum was 100 gold, the equivalent of a million dollars.

“We have a whole platinum! Platinum and 5 gold. 10 gold. 20 gold. 30 gold. 40 gold!”

Poor Tower was almost dying. “I can renovate the farm with this,” he stated.

“2 Platinum!” Mr Evergrand shouted game, he gave a discrete wink to the group just after.

The person representing the king from Auraria kept his paddle up without hesitating to stop. No emotion or care for the money in his hand.

“3 Platinum!” Mr Evergand said again to the amazement of the audience.

The man still kept his paddle up.

“We have 3 platinum and 5 gold. 10 gold… 20 gold… 30 gold. Three platinum and 30 gold to the person in the platinum box. Going once. Twice. Sold!”

Sol leapt out of his chair as a huge round of applause came.

“Ladies and Gentleman. This magnificent item has been sold for 3 platinum and 30 gold! We hope that whoever receives this item finds incredible things.”

“Holy fuck!” Tower exclaimed.

The team erupted in applause. Their item had gone for the equivalent of 3.3 million dollars.

“Thank you patrons, and we hope you enjoyed your time at the Grand V’lure.”
Another round of applause came and soon people started heading out. The Ill Favoured Five were still speechless. Mr Evergrand headed over to them while clapping.

“It was a great auction,” he remarked.

Sol nudged Tower out of his dazed state.

“Uh-uh yes, yes it is,” Tower responded as he turned to the man.

“Anyway, it was good to meet you. I’m sure my family will want to increase business with the Unwanted.”

“We are only a phone call away,” Tower reminded.

The man nodded with a smile and took his leave. A few seconds later, an attendee came over and instructed them to follow. They were led into a vault room where a teller was counting coins.

“Item number #341. The auction house will take 4% of all earnings so 13.2 gold has been deducted from your total,” the teller said.

They placed a huge box filled with gold coins placed neatly together.

“317.8 gold is inside this box. We can offer you a security team to escort it to the nearest bank if you’d like.”

“We’re fine, thank you,” Tower said. “Are we ok to distribute it here?”

“Absolutely, thank you once again for choosing Grand V’lure. You have brought us many eyes with your item.”

Tower nodded and moved the heavy box onto a lower table where he started splitting the coin.

“What are you gonna do with your share, Tower?” Sol asked.

“I need some renovations done on my house, then a new barn and a shit tonne of livestock and fancy fruit. You?”

“Invest it with Sharp,” Sol replied.

“Never liked investing, gamlbing with extra steps.”

Sol glanced at Sharp who shrugged. “He’s mostly right,” Sharp admitted.

“63 gold and 56 silver each,” Tower explained. He started to hand each of the coins. It was the most amount of money Sol had ever held in his life. It was heavy, even for his strength.

“How much for 50%?” Sol asked Sharp.

“55 gold,” Sharp said straight away.

“I’m trusting you,” Sol said as he held out 55 gold to him.

“I will try my absolute best,” Sharp replied.

“You said there’s a party going on?” Spike asked as he fondled the bag of coin.

“Yeah, I just need to grab my item,” Sol said as he remembered he bought something.

“I’ll disappear and meet you at the Blue Moon.” Spike said.

Tower nodded. “We’ll all be at Blue Moon then,” he said to Sol.

“Sure,” Sol remarked.

The team headed out and someone was waiting for Sol around the corner.

“Immortal, please follow me,” a servant said.

Sol waved to his team and followed the man into a storage area where the dagger was in a glass box.

“The coin please, Sir.”

Sol handed him it. “What can you tell me about the item?” He asked.

“It has been here for roughly 4 months, 45 auctions and it hasn’t been bid on at all. A man who covered his face offered it to us and we bought it on the spot at 4 gold for its uniqueness. Mr Raven just wanted to get rid of it after it didn’t sell at 2 auctions.”

“At least you're honest, and the talking bit?” Sol asked.

The man pulled his collar away from his neck and gulped. “It does talk, Sir. I know it may seem ridiculous but I have heard it myself.”

“And what did it say?”

“It said it was hungry-” the man gulped, “For a burger, Sir.”

Sol chuckled. “Really?”

“I swear by it, Sir. Mr Raven knows who you are and he would not want to disappoint you, including myself.”

“The black mucus on it? What is it?” Sol asked as he examined it.

RARE ‘Lucia’ Dagger Damage: 23 Durability: 29/29 Affinities: None

“Shadow mucus, Sir. Like the drool of a shadow wolf only denser.”

“I know it, why doesn’t it say in the affinity?”

The man shrugged. “It’s a mystery, Sir. May I ask why you bought it?”

“None of your concern,” Sol replied. “Can you leave it with me for a moment?”

“Of course, Sir. Mr Raven sends his regards.”

Sol nodded and the man closed the door on his way out.

He still kept getting a strange feeling towards it. His perception wasn’t high enough to detect the magical aura but according to Sharp there was none. He lifted up the glass box around it and crouched down to look at it. The dagger was covered in black mucus as described, covering the blade and handle.

“Why did you buy this, Sol?” he asked himself. He slapped his face a few times. Not only was it expensive but he could have bought something for June with the price of it.

He brought out an old t-shirt and started to wipe the mucus off. The blade was silver and had three small curves in it as it bent in a few degrees before a right angle.

“Ew, when was the last time you cleaned that rag,” a teenage girl's, moaning voice said.

Sol took a step backwards. “So you do speak.”

“So you do speak,” the dagger mocked in a deep voice.

“What the fuck,” Sol said.

“What the fuck,”

“How old are you?” Sol asked.

“Ummmmm…”

“Do you have a name?”

The dagger groaned. “You are really stupid,” she said as the notificaiton flashed.

RARE ‘Lucia’ Dagger Damage: 23 Durability: 29/29 Affinities: None

“You’re a soul trapped in a dagger then?” Sol questioned.

“My name is Lucia, I am not just a dagger and I am not just a soul.”

“You seem like just a dagger,” Sol teased.

She gasped. “Take that back.”

Sol shrugged. “Can you see?”

“Of course I can see.”

“But you don’t have eyes.” 

“I'm a talking dagger and you’re asking if I have eyes.”

“So you are a dagger,” Sol mused.

“You’re really rude,” Lucia said, metaphorically folding her arms.

“Just like you.”

“... So you’re my new owner?” Lucia asked, her tone seemed fairly serious.

“Maybe, I might just sell you,” Sol lied, he was not going to sell a talking dagger.

“Noooo, not again.”

“If you answer my questions then I’ll think about keeping you.”

“I want a promise,” she said.

“I wonder,” Sol said, ignoring her as he grabbed the blade with the rag and put it into his storage pouch.

“Don’t you-”

His pouch started to rock about like a mouse was in it.

Sol brought the dagger back out and Lucia faked being out of breath.

“You. Bastar-” she tried to spit out.

Sol put the dagger back in and took it out a second later.

“Ok, ok- I’m sowwwyyy.”

“Why do you talk like a child?” Sol asked.

“Cause I am?” she questioned, innocently.

“Ok, are you a person?”

“Maybeeeeeeee-”

Sol went to put the dagger back in his pocket.

“Woah- woah wait.”

“Go on then,” Sol insisted.

“I don’t know, like- I genuinely don’t.”

“But you know your name?”

“Yeah of course it’s in my description. But I just know that I’ve always been a dagger.”

“So how old are you?”

“I don't do that either, my body goes into hibernation whenever I don’t get food or mana,” Lucia said.

“Food?”

“Ohh, I feed off items. Well I can survive on mana but items level me up.”

“Level you up?” Sol questioned, it was the strangest conversation he ever had.

“Can you hold me first, it’ll clean me.”

Sol wiped the handle just before but paused when he saw the carving along the leather grip of the dagger. It was called the Web of Wyrd, it meant to lead you to your fated destiny. The hilt of the blade was made from silver and there was an image of a girl of around 14 years old cuddling a giant wolf. It was hard to tell since the carvings looked old and there were chips in some places.

“You’re not Hel by any chance?” Sol asked.

“You think the daughter of Loki is inside a dagger? A dagger with 23 damage?” 

Sol sighed. “Why are you so snarky?” he asked.

“Just grab me!” she shouted.

Sol grabbed the handle and his mana plummeted. He dropped the dagger immediately while taking a few steps back.

“The fuck did you do?!” 

“Relax Immortal, look at me now,” Lucia said.

“How do you know my alias?”

“You just shared with me your mana, I looked at your stat page. What’s iridescence? Oh, and what’s the Euclid Dimension?”

You have been soul bound by the item: RARE  ‘Lucia’ Dagger Soul Bound: Formed. Damage: 23 Durability: 29/29 Affinities: None This item will always teleport to you. It cannot be stolen and you will always know where it is.

You have gained more resistances in Pain Resistance Expert II (P) All Pain is dulled to 70% of original. Resistances: Current:(8) Soul: 29%  Void: 1% Fire: 1% Earth: 1% Wood: >1% Shadow: 1% Wind: >1% Mind: >1%

“What the fuck?” Sol said as he glanced at the notifications. He was 29% resistant to soul magic.He could literally feel the bond on his own soul... So he took it off.

“What did you just do?” Lucia asked. “You removed a soul bound? What are you- a grandmaster in soul magic?”

“No, I felt the attachment on my soul and removed it,” Sol said plainly.

“How? That’s impossible?”

Sol shrugged again. It made sense that he was very resistant to any sort of soul magic. He was in charge of his soul at all times, he wasn’t influenced by Thanatos.

“Please soulbound with me!” Lucia pleaded.

“I don’t know why I bought you. A talking dagger is cool and all but you seem kinda useless.”

“I’m not useless… “ Lucia said as she began to sob. “You just need to feed me.”

“Like what?” Sol asked.

“Any items, weapons and armour is best.”

Sol brought out a bone ring and held it out in front of her.

“You need to be soul bound with me again,” Lucia explained.

“I didn’t. You forced me,” Sol remarked as he picked up the dagger again.

She sucked a small bit of mana out and he once felt the attachment on his soul.

Sol once again, held the common bone ring over the dagger. It seemed to melt into a black viscous liquid and the blade absorbed it.

“Woah.” 

RARE ‘Lucia’ Dagger Soul Bound: Formed. Damage: 24(+1) Durability: 32/32(+3) Affinities: None This item will always teleport to you. It cannot be stolen and you will always know where it is.

“Yeah, I know, I’m pretty cool,” Lucia self-flattered.

“So you can just eat things and get more powerful? Is there a limit?”

She seemed to convey a shrug. “It will get harder to increase,”

“Ok,” Sol pondered, “Are you alright to be in my pouch?”

“Noooo, please, I like to know what’s going on,” Lucia pleaded.

“I can’t have a talking dagger on my waist.” Sol said.

“I’ll shut up, it’s just been so long. Just don’t put me in your pocket pweeassee?”

“No talking around other people, if not you’ll go into my pouch. Deal?” Sol questioned.

“Double deal. To the old gods and the new.”

“The old gods?” Sol questioned, he had never heard that expression before.

“The old gods- Giants.”

“Do you even know where you are right now?” Sol asked.

“Duh, we’re on Lumina,” Lucia said.

“You really are old,” Sol stated. “I’ll catch you up on it later. I’m going to a party now so don’t speak.”

“Ok, I’ll be quiet. I promise. I’ll just watch,” Lucia said quickly... “What’s the Euclid Dimension?.”

Sol put the dagger in his pouch for a few seconds and pulled it out again.

“I’m sorry.”

He sheathed it and that seemed to shut it up. He scratched his head, not realising what to do with the dagger. It was pretty useless- it was more of a gimmick. He still didn’t understand why he bought it, he just felt a weird connection to it. He just hoped the dagger wouldn’t cockblock him tonight.

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