After Arie and Fisher head off to the Black Market to keep an eye out for the guards, I walk with Chester, Maria, and Abby to the above-ground dungeon hub while carrying the gold coin stash in my item storage. We all wear red robes to stay anonymous.
Chester heads off to a local market to buy a few items for the auction that he says we'll need, while the three of us remaining walk through the thick crowds of low-level hunters who are finishing up their daily dungeon dives.
Most are coming out of the gates, rather than going in. It's getting late.
After paying 10 bronze each to enter one of the rectangular metal shielding crates labeled with [Lv. 1-100] on top of it, we easily walk down the stairs of the buzzing contraption and step through the blue glowing portal.
Its layout is eerily similar to the one we were trapped in, but the shielding levels are hardly that of a mid-grade D-Class Mob.
The three of us find ourselves in a rocky dungeon with brown dirt and black rocks; the landscape is mountainous with a few sturdy trees, and the air is cold. Doing a quick scan, I find a few level 50 to 60 monsters but don't bother finding out what they are. One could only assume many lower-level Solaran citizens make their living by diving here daily.
Both Abby and Maria grab my shoulder, and I Dungeon Walk them to the 21st floor of the Vice Region's labyrinth.
The three of us stand atop the same white pillar I rested on after my battle with the Behemoth. Looking out into the eerie green gargoyle dungeon that feels almost exactly the same as the one we all left in the Solaran Labyrinth days ago, we agree to meet back here on the 21st floor in no more than 4 hours. That should be enough time for them to rank up and come back down. However, it won't be nearly enough time to practice their buffs.
Still, Chester and I will have finished our dealings at the auction. The goal is to spend every last coin on optimal upgrade crystals for the upcoming fight.
I teleport away as the two of them use their elemental magic to hurry toward the boss room and onward to higher floors where they can level up much more easily.
I'm a little jealous. I'd like to see what's high up in this labyrinth too. As Chester said, according to the population of the surrounding city, it should have at least twice as many floors as the one I just defeated.
After this is all over, I'll have plenty of time to explore.
I teleport back to the Solaran dungeon hub and exit to find Chester waiting exactly where we decided on the outer edge of the square.
He hands me a black mask.
"You'll need this for the event. Other than the security detail, all faces and identities are kept secret during the bidding. It's only fair, letting outsiders be more comfortable in their business dealings."
I take the smooth face-covering, about the same size as a transmission tablet, only able to cover the top half of my facial features. There are holes for eyes, and at the bottom half, there's a curved section that stops halfway down the nose.
I use my appraisal skill, but nothing shows up. It's just a dark ceramic mask.
Even though there are no enchantments, it reminds me of my time back in my hometown when I wore a mask to fight in that underground fighting ring. It's how I earned my fire-imbued sword titled "The Flame Emperor."
The thought of this also brings back a few memories of the time I was ambushed after leaving my first auction just a few days before then... However, it's more nostalgic than frightening. If I can grow as much as I have from then to now, it just means I can do it again.
I reply, placing the mask on my face and covering up with my red hood. For an extra layer of security, I shift my face and hair to look more similar to the citizens of the Dark Continent. Even if my eyes are covered, it's still a safe bet to make the rest of me unrecognizable as well.
"Got it, lead the way."
Chester holds his own identical mask by his side and turns to walk through the busy nighttime city streets.
The crowds of hunters, businessmen, and normal city folk, along with the cool night air, are calming. I follow the old man past a few of the silver towers near the middle and northern edge of town until we come across a well-lit sand-colored building with tall steps that lead up to an impressive entrance. There are many tall pillars across the building's front side, over 20 meters high, sporting arches between each of them covered in intricate hand-sculpted art.
Many guards stand at the bottom of the stairway but don't seem to move or bat an eye as people walk by up the steps. They must be looking out for certain individuals. There are a few well-dressed parties in masks similar to the ones Chester purchased moments ago.
Ours look dull compared to the red, orange, white, and bedazzled designs that catch my eyes. Men arrive in suits while women walk in bright-colored dresses.
Aside from the couples, there are a lot of lone hunters in higher D and C-grade gear with simple masks like ours, making us seem much less underdressed.
Lastly, there are a few groups of businessmen that crowd the entrance at the top of the stairs.
If I had to guess, these are agents and speculators hired by companies whose CEOs are too busy to show up themselves. They most likely give these men a budget and offer a small percentage of the profits back on any earnings after the fact.
With my careful gaze satisfied at the information gathered so far, we walk past the guards and climb the sturdy sandstone steps.
A tall and thin man in a suit with an even thinner mustache greets us at the top of the steps and offers to check us in.
"A party of 2? Will you be watching, selling, or buying tonight?"
Chester replies, "We'll be buying. A premium booth would be appreciated."
The greeter's eyes glisten as he nods and turns around. "A premium buyers' party? Excellent, right this way. We'll do a screening before I send you to your seats. The event is about to begin; both of you are right on time."
There's a red-carpeted entrance hall, and the walls are lined with artwork and displays of interesting-looking items, to say the least, but nothing that I haven't seen before in my travels. Still, investors are surrounding them, placing bids in increments of silver coins.
I'd pay more attention to the beautiful architecture, but the man that we follow has a status that piques my interest.
He's level 264 and has simple rings and amulets of protection on, but he also has a unique skill [Privacy Cage]. It's one I've never seen before, but I have a few interesting theories about what it does.
He turns to a hallway near the back of the entrance hall, and we're brought to a small corridor that seems to lead upward. Before we can walk any further, the greeter activates his skill.
A cube of grey light encapsulates the three of us, and the bustling crowds outside stop chattering in my inner ear. It's also impossible to see outside the skill's walls. I'm sure I could break through with my pinky, but it's very intriguing. Similar to my newest Hush ability, but with an added layer of protection: sight.
He takes out a silver tablet. "I'll need your full name, occupation, a look at your status, and visual confirmation you've come with over 25 gold to be appointed a premium buyers' booth."
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