As the auctioneer steadily continued down the catalog, Drew gently picked up the porcelain cup of tea resting on his platter—the amber liquid rippled against the wall of the cup, barely noticeable to the naked eye. A look of dissatisfaction made its way onto the Snowhawk’s face. His brows furrowed while watching the tea grow murky.

By almost some unforeseen force, the Avain’s eyes laid upon the VVIP booth in the distance. There was something eerie about the figure that resided in that booth. Sinister would be a better word to describe it. Malice, dark purple malice, escaped his body, making Drew's skin itch. 

“Master Snow-"Jay called to Drew in a low voice.

“I know.” Drew knitted his brows as the other VVIP glared at him across the Auction Hall. The pressure from the figure was heavy but not enough to suffocate Drew. Though words weren’t exchanged between the two, it was apparent what he was trying to do. He was telling him, the Snowhawk, to back off. “Do you know who he is?”

Jay answered immediately.

“The Obtainer. Real name, unknown. Age is assumed to be around his late teens or early twenties. An infamous Noble from Earth who collects priceless items, especially those containing Dark Otrio. Aside from his financial background, he’s also a powerful Intergalactic Warrior estimated to be about Mid C-Rank. He's one of the few individuals who has avoided our detection for years."

The Avain clicked his tongue against his teeth.

“That’s not pleasant. How much have we prepared for this acquisition?”

“Well-“

The Feline leaned and whispered. Every letter in those four words was said with such clarity that there was no need to repeat them.

“Let’s pray it’s enough.”

Bam!

The wooden gavel makes contact with the plate beneath it. A sea of applause erupted from the crowd.

“Ten Thiralon Shards sold to the young lady!” The auctioneer proudly announced, clapping his hands together while the fluorescent magenta shards were directed offstage.

“Thank you!”

The hall grew silent.

“Everyone, I hope you are prepared to witness a spectacle!”

Finishing his statement, the auctioneer moved away from his podium. A podium emerged from the ground, and an object resting on red silk cushions enclosed in a glass case came into everyone’s view.

A rifle.

A black rifle about a meter and a half in length lay flat in the case. Purple lines engraved on its body were illuminated by the Core that it was crafted from. An ominous aura could be felt from the weapon, as if a ferocious beast was contained inside. Everyone held their breath as they marveled at the pristine weapon. Even without being wielded, it possessed the ability to evoke fear, and dominance, that could rival that of the King of Kraus. Though deep down, this thought could be considered an understatement. Nevertheless, the following item before everyone was the Phantom Rifle.

“My friends, we have brought a priceless armament crafted from a high-ranking Beast Core from the fallen Night Family of Xolk, the Phantom Rifle! ”

A hand shot up from the crowd.

“Yes, gentleman!” The auctioneer thrust his gavel toward the person who raised their hand.

“If it’s so priceless, why is it valued cheaply?”

“The caveat? All the energy contained in the weapon has been exhausted. Our expert Restorers have employed every means possible to activate the weapon, but the mechanisms of this former Artifact are too worn out. However, because of its rich history, we will start the bidding at 150 million Kalas!”

Drew scoffed.

If it were six months ago, Drew would’ve been panicking about obtaining even 150 million Kalas by this time. Now, 150 million Kalas was a drop in the bucket compared to how much he had now. Though it still pained him to watch millions of Kalas that could’ve been spent elsewhere go down the drain for his expenditures, he knew that purchasing the Phantom Rifle was an investment. Yet, he was still baffled that he could fork out more than a million Kalas like it was nothing. If anything, people could only dream of having that much as their salary.

“Think of it as an investment…”

However, that wasn’t the only thing he was scoffing about.

Signs flew into the air, the rifle's value climbing nearly double its initial bid.

“265 from 79!”

“270 from the individual over there!”

As the price rose, the number of signs raised decreased. People who had tested their luck had been eliminated from the game.

Shallow ignoramuses. Drew glanced down at the crowd of buffoons clawing at the opportunity to obtain the Phantom Rifle. To them, this Artifact meant nothing more than a means to boast at others. To inflate their massive egos and narcissism even further. A way to display their wealth.

For the Avian, he was disgusted with their behavior. The evident greed written all over their faces, even in the dark. However, Drew realized that he wasn’t any better in that sense. Yet, his greed wasn’t the same as theirs. What he desired from the rifle was more than it was a tangible object or a symbol of wealth. He wanted to establish a stronger connection between himself and his family.

A family that no longer existed in the universe.

His heart pounded, growing impatient, watching the numbers skyrocket into the four hundred. He couldn’t bear to see the Phantom Rifle come into anyone’s possession other than his own. Then, Gerald’s words echoed in his mind.

Patience is a virtue. Being too hasty will never do you any good, Young Master.

“Should we intervene?” Jay asked the Avian, who was steadily tapping the arm of his chair.

“No,” Drew replied, his conscious clearer than ever. “We’ll wait a bit longer.”

>>>

The Obtainer folded his hands together. Unlike others who frequent the Auction House, like Heartman, Snow’s tactics and personality weren’t well established. Hence, the Obtainer remained on guard for what Snow would do next. He had received information from one of his sources in the Auction House that Snow would be bidding on the Phantom Rifle, so he made sure to prepare more than five times the initial bid amount, unfortunately, which was the max he could get into Ozwarth without getting it traced by Krausian Authorities.

Judging by the limited information on Snow, the Obtainer assumed he was a highly rational Avian. If he hadn’t moved, that meant the time wasn’t right. Bidding is a game, and the Snowhawk seemed no stranger to playing those games. Thus, the Obtainer felt the need to be even more wary of Snow. After all, those who built success with their hands were the most dangerous opponents.

“He’s a patient man.” The Attendant commented, watching Snow remain unfazed as the bid reached 500 million.

The Obtainer sighed, gesturing his hand toward Snow’s booth.

“A pity that his patience must be tested today.”

“Oh, and our wonderful VVIP!” The auctioneer gleamed, gesturing over to the Obtainer’s booth. “550!”

“A confrontation with him was inevitable,” Drew spoke, raising his sign.

“600!”

Another sign was raised on the opponent’s end.

“610!”

“615!”

The last bidder from the main hall raised their sign before pulling out. Now, like any auction, only two remained in the bidding.

“Up it by fifty.” The Obtainer snapped his fingers, his Attendant quickly handing him the sign.

“665!”

The Attendant furrowed his brows at the Obtainer.

“You’re taking a gamble here, Young Master.”

The Obtainer calmly flicked his wrist.

“There need not be any certainty.”

Meanwhile, on the other side, Drew had raised his sign, adding another ten million to the price.

“At least he understands the game better than Heartman.” Drew let out a whistle and turned to Jay. “Another ten. We’ll see if he’s bluffing.”

The sign was raised, the six in the tens place turning to seven.

“675!”

Then, immediately, the Obtainer raised his sign, the price breaking through another numerical boundary. His expression remained unbothered by Drew’s retaliation.

700”

The Avain’s brow twitched as he zeroed in on his adversary, scanning what he could make out of him from his seat. Everything suddenly came to a standstill. The teachings of the Crow’s Eye came to him.

Patience is the key.

There will always be a “right” moment.

When it comes, your options become clear.

The subtle tapping of the Obtainer’s right foot. The slight tensing on his arms was evident upon looking at his clenched fist. His blue veins rose underneath his skin. His jaw shut tightly behind his calm exterior and the rapid blinking of his eyes. All of these were hints. Hints telling the Avain that The Obtainer was reaching his limit.

He was taking a gamble.

The Obtainer is not a poor man. He’s someone with resources I can’t fathom. However, as a foreigner, those same resources should be reduced by a number. He doesn’t have the same capabilities as he does on Earth, meaning I have a chance. Judging by his behavior, his assets would run dry if the subsequent increase exceeds the expected range.

“I’ll shoot my shot-“ Drew confidently raised his sign, a bold and bright fifty displayed before the hall.

“750 Going once! Going twice! Aaanndd~”

A frown.

A clear frown formed on the Obtainer’s face.

“How disappointing my expectations were of this sixth-rate planet. Snow, his future is bright….”

The gavel hit the wooden plate, concluding the bidding and closing the auction.

“SOLD!”

Applause erupted from the crowd, their fake congratulatory smiles directed toward Drew as he stood and left his spot in the VVIP Booth. There was no need for him to stay any longer.

Suddenly, over his shoulder, Drew saw the Obtainer’s frown turned upside down. A sense of foreboding crawled up his spine. Every Intergalactic Warrior knew that such feelings were never a good sign.

“Too bad it’ll end prematurely.”

>>>

Slam.

The satisfying sound of the car door closing behind Drew could be heard. Once settled down, the Avain delicately placed the case holding the Phantom Rifle on the seats adjacent to him. He had finally reclaimed a portion of his family’s past. Even without physically touching the rifle, he felt a strange connection to it.

Is this what it’s like to have familial ties? Drew closed his eyes, embracing the warmth of the cold weapon. It was an unfamiliar warmth, yet it was comforting.

“Young Master,” Jay addressed Drew formally. “Now that the rifle is in your possession, the Obtainer will stop at nothing to have it himself.”

The Avian sighed heavily, understanding the consequences of his actions.

“I understand. How long do you predict I would have?”

“Three to four months if we’re being generous. The shortest would be tomorrow if he’s desperate. He's meticulous, so I don't believe he'll follow through with his plans too quickly.”

The Obtainer did not appear to be a person who would do something rashly. However, his track record explicitly stated that he was unpredictable, perhaps even more so than Drew. In his current state, it would be risky for Avain to confront this scion from Earth in a head-on confrontation. Hence, there was only one thing the Avian could do. 

“Laying low right now will be my best option. We’re switching our operations 'remotely' in the meantime. Also, inform Gerald that I leave all 'in-person' matters related to the business in his jurisdiction.”

“What will you do in that time?”

“Haven’t you forgotten Snow isn’t my only persona?”

“Hey, you don’t mean-“

“If my life is already at stake, what’s anymore going to do to me? As they say, keep your friends close but your enemies closer.”

Jay gripped his hands tighter around the wheel.

“It’s dangerous.”

A smirk formed on Drew’s face, breaking Snow’s character.

“To survive, sometimes you must live dangerously.”