*>Hutian Crest: Maybe we should have bid on it?*

*>Censer: No, let's save our strength for the final items.*

*Hm...*

Jisha wasn't sure which of the auction items were more valuable than others since the price they sold at didn't necessarily equate to their value in the future. However, there was always a constant with auction houses: the most expensive items were always sold last!

Obviously, the ideal outcome was winning every single item. But even their alliance plus Jisha's net worth would likely not be able to outbid everyone on everything.

The crowd remained rowdy for another several minutes despite Kayla's best attempts to calm them down. Finally, the cart rolled off stage and returned with another item.

"Next, we have a masterful potion from a world resident who's very dear to us. It's one of the best in the business under level 20 - Quex Chet's Homeopathic Twine Remedy! Bidding starts at 20 Copper!"

*Ugh, useless.*

Kayla wasn't wrong... this potion *was* one of the best under level 20. However, its efficacy after that point was practically null. If things went really well, Jisha would cross that threshold before morning in the real world.

Plus, potions were consumables. No matter how much you tried to preserve them, they would get used up eventually. Most potions also expired, and this one wasn't an exception.

But just because it was useless to Jisha didn't mean it was useless to everyone else.

"30 Copper!"

"50 Copper!"

"55 Copper!"

...

*>Hutian Crest: Bid 70!*

*>Dolphin Killer: No, 80.*

*>Hutian Crest: Tch... 1 Bronzium.*

"1 Bronzium!"

For the first time tonight, Jisha placed a public bid. This number weeded out most as sighs of discontent could be heard from the crowd.

"1 Bronzium, 10 Copper."

*>Hutian Crest: 2 Bronzium.*

*>Simulator Child: Are you insane?*

*>Fae Sol: If no one else has anything, I'm placing Hutian's bid.*

...

No one else replied.

"2 Bronzium!"

"2 Bronzium, 25 Copper."

*Someone's still bidding?*

Unsurprisingly, the culprit was none other than Luden.

*>Hutian Crest: We've got the money, right? 3 Bronzium.*

"3 Bronzium, then."

"..."

Luden didn't respond. He was clearly hesitant about putting more money on the table for a consumable like this one.

"Three Bronzium going once...! Going twice!"

"..."

"Sold to the anonymous Beyonder!"

*>-3 Bronzium*

"Please come claim your items after the main event, thank you!"

*>Hutian Crest: Ha, take that, Luden!*

*>Censer: Ugh, the only thing you've done here is get ripped off...*

*>Fae Sol: After the auction, meet me near the stage. I'll distribute everything there.*

This was the gist of the plan. With all of their cash pooled in one account, they'd be able to successfully snatch most of the auction items from right under Shock Collar's noses.

The alliance's morale was up, and the auction continued. The cart brought the third item onto the stage which Kayla introduced with zeal.

"This glorious shield is brought to us by the world resident Arvinter, a citizen of Azhen Town! This is the Clayesque Frontplate; meticulously crafted at the behest of countless Clay Dolls, it's a reliable tool that practically nullifies all damage below level 10! Bidding starts at 500 Copper!"

"550 Copper!"

"570 Copper!"

"580 Copper!"

...

As this shield was created by an NPC from a Town, it was a clear step up from the previous items. Players' bids rapidly piled on top of each other.

"1100 Copper!"

"..."

"1100 Copper going once!"

This was the breaking point for many, and bids significantly slowed.

"12 Bronzium."

But, determined to shut everyone else down, the player called Luden pressed on. No one else could compete, but bids flew left and right in the group chat, and Jisha matched his numbers.

"12 Bronzium, 50 Copper!"

"... 13 Bronzium."

"13 Bronzium, 80 Copper."

"13 Bronzium, 80 Copper going once!..."

*>Censer: I'll take it for 15 Bronzium.*

*>Fae Sol: Hm? Alright, then.*

"15 Bronzium!"

Murmurs sprung up in the crowd. None of them had nearly this much, so they were relegated to spectators. They'd assumed a single guild had a monopoly over this auction. But who was this player taking on the much-feared Shock Collar? A dark horse had arrived, and everyone prayed for an upset!

"15 Bronzium going once!"

"..."

No bids.

"15 Bronzium going twice!"

...

"... Tch, 17 Bronzium!"

Just as it was about to sell, Luden reluctantly raised the bid.

Audience members sighed. Perhaps their hopes were too high. This was Shock Collar they were talking about, after all, the guild that'd terrorized the Village for several hours straight. Who could be their match?

But...

*>Censer: 20, it's worth it.*

"20 Bronzium."

"20 Bronzium going once... going twice..."

Everyone waited with bated breath. The dark horse did have something up their sleeve after all! But would this be enough?

"Sold to the anonymous Beyonder for 20 Bronzium!"

It was!

The audience suddenly erupted with cheers! It was so abrupt that even Jisha was taken aback.

*>Hutian Crest: YEAAAAH, DUMBASS, TAKE THAT!*

...

...

*Wha- How much did these guys do to cause a reaction like this?*

*>Censer: You did nothing, that was my cash.*

*>Hutian Crest: You mean OUR cash, comrade.*

*>Censer: ...*

*>Simulator Child: *Sigh*... Regardless, it's great we've taken something from them.*

Jisha shook her head as she sifted through the group's silly messages.

*Haha... It's nice they're getting along... for now.*

 

---

 

"What's going on here!?" Luden yelled as he slammed his armrest.

How was this happening? He refused to believe they were seriously being outbid! They were supposed to have a monopoly! Yet a fierce back and forth took place between him and an unknown player?

An unknown player! A vein bulged on his forehead.

"Why is there no information about this player?" he chastised a subordinate sitting right next to him.

"Well... There wasn't any information about her before today. I managed to get her name from a player from a guild called Ravaging Crows, and apparently her name's Fae Sol."

"..."

As someone who knew the usernames of all the major players in the auction's beta, this name was foreign to Luden as well.

"Since she didn't participate in the beta auction, it's probably someone's alternate account. There is no further information about her. Even her class and level are unknown."

Luden bit his lip and refrained from berating his messenger further. This was strange. How did a new name suddenly show up out of nowhere and successfully take command of multiple other guilds?

Of course, he'd caught a glimpse of their shenanigans right outside the auction house, but he didn't think anything of it. Even in the low chance they'd successfully ally with each other, Luden was confident that Shock Collar still had more capital than those teams combined.

But that clearly wasn't the case. He'd underestimated them.

"Another piece of news: she's the only player in the vicinity with a stealth item..."

"Shut up," Luden growled. "I don't want to hear another word about your incompetence. We're winning the rest of the items."

"... Yes."

 

---

 

On the other side of the aisle, Jisha spotted a very frustrated man. She reclined in her seat with a satisfied smile.

*I'm not a sadist, but... Your resentment feeds me.*

Luden looked her way with a vicious glare, but she simply gave a sweet smile and waved back.

She'd heard the cheers of the crowd just now. Castle, without a doubt, wasn't the only newbie Shock Collar had preyed upon. How could she not feel vindicated when Luden was getting a taste of his own medicine?

The cart wheeled itself to the center for the fifth time. Like a hawk, Luden zealously stared at the item atop it.

And he wasn't the only one excited for it. Before the auctioneer even said a word, the audience excitedly clamored, and the group chat exploded.

*>Censer: Is that what I think it is?*

*>Aphro Expo: Yeah. We definitely need that.*

*>Dolphin Killer: We need it more!*

"Here's the only omni-class item of the day! Boosting all attack potential by a significant percentage until level 20, please welcome our Rudimentary Strength Bracelets! The bid will start at 300 Copper!"

It was understandable why everyone was so hyped about it, but once again, it was useless to Jisha from a practical standpoint.

All-class items that boosted stats by a percentage were great, but like the potion from earlier, they had a level cap.

However, this fact didn't stop everyone else from going crazy.

"500 Copper!"

"520 Copper!"

"570 Copper!"

"650 Copper!"

...

The higher up you climbed a mountain, the thinner the air became.

Past 1000 Copper, bidding slowed significantly.

...

*>Simulator Child: I think I'm willing to put 12 Bronzium on the line for this.*

*>Hutian Crest: Careful, buddy. I just might outbid you on that.*

*>Simulator Child: You- Did you even contribute that much money to the pool?*

*>Hutian Crest: Why does it matter? The pool's shared between all of us now. Like I said earlier... It's *our* cash.*

*>Dolphin Killer: You guys are dead if you spend any of my money.*

*>Fae Sol: Hm... Well, it's all in my account right now, which means for the time being, it's mine, right? And I give you full permission to go all out!*

*>Dolphin Killer: You can't be serious.*

*>Hutian Crest: See? 15 Bronzium. Put it up.*

*>Censer: Hey, just a reminder that we *must* claim the final item over Shock Collar. Otherwise what's the point of this alliance?*

*>Hutian Crest: Right, right.*

"15 Bronzium."

"..."

This was the breaking point for the audience.

"Fifteen Bronzium going once... Going twice..."

"16 Bronzium."

But for Luden, it was a different story.

Some people in the audience sighed. Just how rich were these two?

*>Censer: I'm out. Save the money.*

*>Aphro Expo: I'll have a shot at this one. 17 Bronzium.*

*>Simulator Child: Eh, I'm with Censer on this one. By the way, how much money's left in the pool?*

*Here we go...*

Jisha posted a snapshot of her Coin Pouch in the group chat.

*>Hutian Crest: Wha- Save money my ass! 25 Bronzium! Put it up, hurry!*

*>Aphro Expo: Huh, yeah, there's a lot more than I expected.*

"Heh, 25 Bronzium!"

The audience watched on in a daze. What was the point in trying to understand this now? To them, these heights were already unreachable. It was impossible to become any more impressed.

...

...

"27 Bronzium."

But Luden kept climbing.

"27 Bronzium, 50 Copper.*

"28 Bronzium."

...

*>Aphro Expo: You all don't mind, do you? 30 Bronzium.*

*>Hutian Crest: Uh, yeah, I think that's a bit much even for me.*

"Alright. 30 Bronzium!"

...

"... going once..."

How much was 30 Bronzium, exactly? Was this going to be enough? The audience couldn't stop wondering.

"... going twice..."

Some knew they were wishing for a miracle. They'd seen how many members Shock Collar was touting. But this didn't stop them from hoping!

And...

"Sold to the anonymous Beyonder!"

*>-30 Bronzium*

"!!!"

Euphoria ran through the crowd once again. The guild that'd tormented them for hours was meeting their demise!

"Pft... Hahaha...!"

Even Castle, who was silent this entire time, burst out laughing.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Jisha asked.

"Huh? Um, yeah..."

"Haha, well... the show has yet to end. Keep watching!"

 

---

 

Luden was fuming. But even more so... he was confused.

Confused on who this player was.

Confused as to how this player had so much money.

Confused as to why he hadn't heard of her before today.

And if that wasn't enough, there was one more minor annoyance.

"You're seriously saying that no matter who you talk to, none of them have recordings or recollections of this player?"

"Yes. All attempts to record this player become corrupted."

"What the fuck kind of stealth item does that???"

"... None of us know, either."

Luden aggressively facepalmed.

"Useless, all of you! What do you think I hired you guys for?"

"..."

How could no one have heard of someone with this much influence? If no one in the game had heard of them, then... maybe the company Arkline had something to do with this?

It was his main competitor from the real world. It was the only possibility he could think of. Who else could it be?

Luden snuck a glance at the mystery player with nearly bloodshot eyes.

She had to run out of money soon. There was no way she had enough to outbid him on every single item! To secure the thousands of Copper for Shock Collar's auction funds, Luden not only had to monopolize almost every quest that dispensed a monetary reward in Covan, but he also had to secure hunting grounds in a wide radius of the Village using the entire manpower of his organization.

Not only that, some of them had even sacrificed their Karma by killing and looting the corpses of players.

Now, he was relegated to the position of an ordinary audience member.

Him, one of the wealthiest people in the Northeast... ordinary?

Luden grinded his teeth in frustration.

If he couldn't even win one item, he wouldn't be able to live with himself!

 

---

 

"Take that, Luden!"

"How dare you to ruin the game for new players!"

"Die, Shock Collar! Die, you useless lackeys!"

The taunts from the audience were as strong as ever.

It was the relief of a weight being lifted from their shoulders. For several grueling hours, the new players in Covan were oppressed beyond belief.

Oppressed... wasn't that a bit of an exaggeration? But to players who logged in and wanted to explore a new world? For players that wanted to relax and play a game after a hard day at work? For players who wanted to escape their current reality and have fun? They were definitely feeling oppressed!

When an underdog showed up to free them, of course their reaction was radical!

...

...

Kayla kept signaling for silence with an increasingly bewildered expression. And after several minutes, the audience finally let out all their steam.

The cart rolled onstage once more, revealing the sixth item.

"..."

For a brief moment, Kayla muttered some strange words as her eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

*...?*

After a quick pause, she introduced the item.

"This next one is a panacea! Until level 30, it's a full heal, ladies and gentlemen! The bidding starts at 700 Copper!"

When Jisha saw the item being advertised, she immediately understood the reason for Kayla's annoyance.

The item was a spectacular one, but once again, it was a consumable. Even so, its value was roughly on par with the shield's.

"750 Copper!"

"10 Bronzium!"

"10 Bronzium, 50 Copper!'

...

With Luden and Jisha around, the audience didn't have much hope of winning. But they threw their bids in to have a chance at winning this precious item, no matter how small.

The auctioneer ornerily labeled this item as a panacea, but from what Jisha could remember about it...

*Hehe... This one's a classic!*

*>Dolphin Killer: I'm taking this one, everyone. 15 Bronzium.*

*>Hutian Crest: No you're not. 16 Bronzium!*

*>Dolphin Killer: Tch, 18 Bronzium.*

*>Hutian Crest: 20!*

*>Censer: Hutian, you've absolutely lost it...*

"Haha, 20 Bronzium!" Jisha said as she tried not to laugh.

*This is a lot more entertaining than I expected!*

 

---

 

"I need this."

Luden was determined to snatch the next item no matter what it was. It's not that this was a bad item. In fact, it was quite the opposite. From his beta testing experience, it was a bona-fide full heal potion that not only restored all HP and MP, but also removed all status effects.

But the quality of the item didn't matter. It was a matter of pride at this point. He couldn't lose again!

"21 Bronzium!" he said; he thrust out a vicious attack!

"21 Bronzium, 50 Copper!"

Yet the opponent defensively parried.

"23 Bronzium!"

Another critical strike...

"23 Bronzium, 50 Copper!"

... and another parry.

He could tell his opponent was on her back foot. He was on the offensive, while she played pure defense. She couldn't hold out much longer. This *had* to be the case!

There was only one thing left to do: go in for the finishing blow!

"27 Bronzium!"

"... going once..."

Luden patiently waited. Now, he had all the time in the world.

The audience became restless. Was this the end of the dark horse's run?

"... going twice..."

Luden coldly glared at them. How dare they mock him! It was about time for them to shut up!

He smugly looked over at his opponent; the female avatar didn't appear to be making any more moves.

And he knew his victory was secured.

"Sold to the Beyonder Luden!"

The audience sighed in disappointment. They were indeed hoping for too much - Luden wasn't about to lose *every* battle!

But when Kayla confirmed the sale, Luden thought he saw the anonymous player's face twist into a grin.

It had to be his imagination. Why would her face express such glee upon a loss?

"Please come claim your item after the main event, thank you!"

Luden inhaled deeply to clear his head. Whatever the case was, a win was a win.

Now, the endgame was upon them.

From his beta experience, he knew the next item would be the last. He knew his victory was secured. In fact, he might even have to thank his opponent for allowing him to save all of his money for the finale.

After all, this item was the one that mattered the most!

"I can't wait to see your face after I crush your stupid little alliance!"