The lots auctioned in the second block were clearly of higher quality. Even beyond the Shadow Ore, which Nick had tried to subtly examine for remnants of his father’s mana signature but hadn’t been able to get a good read on before it was taken away, the Fossilized Thousand-Year Root, Golden Dewdrop, and Heart of a Lake that were sold next easily fetched hundreds of gold coins each.
Getting my hands on any of them would be great. I could easily include them in a ritual to boost my affinities or existing spells.
Yet, he didn’t raise his hand. It was the worst kind of torture, watching the incredible treasures parade before his eyes and being unable to seize them himself. But even if he wasn’t after an even better prize, Nick wasn’t sure they would have been worth it.
He had reached a stage in his personal growth where he needed to focus on solidifying his gains and making his Path clearer and more stable.
If he seized every chance to broaden his repertoire, he risked ending up like those unfortunate souls who couldn’t reach Prestige despite having the necessary levels.
“This next lot has already been making waves. I know for a fact that several VIPs have expressed interest in buying it, and we’ve even received private offers.” The host called, moving around the stage, “I present to you, the single largest and purest block of orichalcum sold in Alluria in the last century!”
With a display of spatial magic that far surpassed all others so far, a bronze cube appeared on the pedestal, its surface nearly reflective, making it hard to keep one’s eyes on it.
Nick leaned forward, focusing all his senses on the ingot, and what he felt was enough to convince him he’d made the right choice.
Not only was the metal beautiful, but he could sense how the ether appeared to gather around it. There was no active mana inside, yet it was enough to draw in any mystical energy nearby.
No wonder the teleportation was so powerful this time. Without properly claiming it, orichalcum is essentially a superconductor, and to ensure it reaches its destination without being affected by other energies, the spell needs to be greatly overpowered.
Although the wards muddled his perception of others, Nick was certain he wasn’t imagining the sudden spike of interest. Orichalcum was already rare enough to attract many who would have otherwise stayed home for the auction, but since it was the purest and largest block ever sold in Alluria, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
This is going to get very expensive, very fast.
“The bidding will begin at two hundred gold coins!”
Many hands moved, some even in the private rooms above, and the price began climbing even faster than it did for the treasures before, despite the higher starting value.
“Three hundred fifty!”
“Four hundred!”
“Four hundred fifty!”
“Five!”
“Eight hundred for the gentleman in the balcony!”
The sudden jump of three hundred gold coins was clearly intended to discourage more bids, and Canaria had made it known that it came from a VIP.
Considering that this was the maximum amount Nick would have been ready for if he hadn't taken his little trip through the Southern Valis Consortium, it was quite a sum.
It was the equivalent of the entire Thunderhoof herd, including matriarchs, and then some. That a single block of metal, no matter how rare, could match what the System had considered a Feat was incredible, yet Nick didn’t let despair consume him, and for the first time, raised his hand, showing all five fingers.
“Eight hundred fifty here in the stalls!” Canaria nearly shouted in excitement, clearly relishing the fight.
Nick felt Xander and Devon turn to look at him in utter surprise. They knew he meant to buy some stuff, of course, and that he had prepared a sizable amount of gold coins, especially since they’d been present for the Duke’s offer to buy all the remaining thunderhoofs he had. But there was a difference between that and the offer he’d just laid on the table.
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“Nine hundred in the balcony!”
Again, Nick raised his hand, and the price jumped another fifty golds. It was a frankly insane amount of money, more than he wanted to spend, but the block of orichalcum was larger than he expected, and he was confident he could get more than one artifact from it.
Even if it hadn’t been, I wouldn’t let it slip from my hands now that I know for sure it will hold the energies I intend to use.
“A thousand!” Canaria’s musical voice echoed through the theater as the psychological barrier broke for the first time since the auction began.
No doubt, more items would sell at that price in the latter part, but for it to happen during the second section was unheard of.
Without hesitating over the price, Nick raised his hand again.
“A thousand fifty!”
By then, Devon’s mouth was hanging open in shocked disbelief, and even Xander, who could probably withstand a nuclear explosion with only mild annoyance, stared at him in surprise.
But Nick had eyes only for the block of orichalcum on stage. He had to get it at all costs; it was clear now. If he wanted to make the next big leap, he had to break through the limitations of the casting allowed by his body, and this was his best shot.
The man in the upper balcony waited for a long moment, clearly surprised that someone else was willing to push that far.
The other high nobles could have, there was no doubt about that, but orichalcum was known to be extremely tricky to work with, requiring a true master artificer to unlock its full potential. The cost anyone buying it would incur wasn't limited to the sticker price; it would probably double once everything was accounted for. Even for a Count, more than two thousand gold coins was a lot of money to spend, especially if they had specific items they wanted in the next round.
Still, a stubborn streak rose up in him, and Nick knew the fight wasn’t finished yet.
“One thousand two hundred!” Canaria called out, vibrating with excitement and smiling so widely that her mysterious, elegant aura was completely broken. But Nick doubted anyone noticed, as they were all captivated by the incredible duel unfolding before them.
This isn’t going to end unless I break his will. It’s more than I would have liked, even in the worst case, but now that I’m here, I’ve got to go all in.
The sunk cost fallacy didn’t stop working just because someone was aware of it, after all, and Nick had the advantage of being able to work the orichalcum himself, along with free access to the greatest artificer in the land if he truly needed it.
“One thousand five hundred!”
Silence settled in the hall, and Nick was sure those sitting around him could feel the frantic beating of his heart. He’d just placed a bid higher than all the others combined so far.
A faint thump, nearly inaudible beneath the surrounding layers, indicated that his opponent had just sat back down, irritation and resignation bubbling inside him.
“One!”
People stirred, the shock abruptly shattered as they realized this was it.
Some VIPs started whispering to each other, wondering who in the stalls would have enough money to splurge on this purchase without upgrading to a better seat.
“Two!”
This wasn't the main reason Nick wanted to be with either Xander or Tholm, but he wouldn’t deny that he’d gladly accept the deflection.
The truth would come out eventually, but for now, he could feel the certainty solidify that it was Grandmaster Xander Wolfram who was buying the best metal possible to forge a sword, and with it, the death of any interest they might have had in opposing him.
“Three! The lot is adjudicated!”
It took several seconds for Canaria to regain her composure, but she did so with remarkable skill, shifting from wild-eyed shock at the price back to calm grace.
“Amazing,” she said in a lower tone, giving her voice an almost seductive quality that would have sent a shiver down Nick’s spine if he couldn’t tell the interest was solely in the money. “What a fabulous auction today! We’ve broken the record for the fastest auction to reach a thousand gold, and let me assure you, things will only get better from here!”
Nick let her words wash over him, only paying them half a mind.
Inside, a turmoil was brewing. He didn’t regret spending that much gold, knowing it would be worth it for the asset he would gain, but it was still hard to accept that he’d spent more than Floria’s entire reconstruction budget in just a few minutes.
If that guy hadn’t been so stubborn, I might have gotten it for much less.
The complaint was mostly plaintive. He knew that if it hadn’t been that person, some other VIP would have been drawn into the fight because of the initially low price, and they might have even decided to risk their honor, turning it into an even bloodier conflict.
Yet, while he could justify the expense, he was now down to just three hundred gold.
How quickly one gets used to having so much wealth. I’m still among the richest men in the kingdom with that. It’s just no longer enough to rival a noble household on my own.
Plus, the value of the orichalcum wasn’t going to disappear anytime soon. If anything, once he had studied every aspect and created the focus he needed, it would only increase, especially if he could get more than one artifact from the block.
Nick suspected the second portion of the auction still had another item, but after the incredible high of the orichalcum, Canaria made the pedestal disappear.
“And now, ladies and gentlemen, we will proceed with the final show, where the greatest treasures are unveiled. Let me tell you, you won't believe your eyes at the gems we have for you today!”
Her professionalism and high CHA made it hard to tell if she was flustered on the outside, but Nick could tell she was winging it as the plans had been changed quite suddenly.
He leaned back, easing the tension from his shoulders and preparing to use his senses to the fullest. He might not have enough money left to participate in these bids, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t observe the wonders they would be shown and find some inspiration.
Soon enough, a larger pedestal was brought onto the stage, with glowing runes carved into every inch of its surface.
Nick blinked, tilting his head and trying to get a read on it. It appeared mainly designed to prevent spatial distortions beyond a specific frequency, which made sense given that was the delivery method used so far, but beyond that, it had a containment barrier, and beneath that, a multitude of stasis spells.
Whatever was about to be sold would surely be incredible if that much effort had to be made just to show it.
“Thank you for waiting! Now that the preparations are complete, we can proceed with the first sale of the last section of lots!” Canaria said with enough energy to boost the room’s interest.
The atmosphere was still charged after the duel Nick fought to obtain the orichalcum, but he was socially aware enough to realize that any item displayed now would be judged harshly, and if it didn’t meet expectations, it could ruin this section.
Canaria didn’t appear very concerned, though, and she clapped her hands twice.
Behind her, on the pedestal, a large object hovered above the marble.
It was pulsing with enough energy to make Nick’s hair stand on end even behind the countless layers of wards. More importantly, it was unmistakably a beating heart.
Holy crap.
