[Grand Auction Hall]

  The ceiling of this circular hall was quite high, with dozens of small, softly yellow spotlights casting their glow onto the polished maple wood floor below.

  The hall was so vast that 200 to 300 people could comfortably fit inside at once. One side was decorated with cherry blossoms, another with blue poppies, and the front section, where the auction was to take place, was adorned with red Buransh flowers.

  The attendees, who had been enjoying the sweet Himachali music just a little while ago, were now seated in the lower section of the vast hall.

  When there are many people, the warmth increases, but this warmth is not bothersome when it's freezing cold outside.

  It makes the environment feel even more comfortable.

  But what use is this comfort when the auctioneer himself is constantly wiping his sweat, and is in such a hurry as if his train is about to leave?

  "So, now we present to you, the 'Neelkavach' (Blue Shield). It can be activated once every ten hours for twenty minutes and has the capacity to stop up to High-Level power!"

  The Neelkavach was greeted with applause, but not as loudly as expected. Perhaps it lacked the essence for which the Guild Masters were truly present.

  Nevertheless, the smaller Guilds were trying to win whatever they could, as they knew they couldn't win the bigger auctions because, unlike the Supreme-Level Guild Masters, they could only spend up to a limit.

  The Neelkavach was auctioned off for a total of 30 lakh rupees (Around 33,000 USD).

  Along with the Neelkavach, other items were auctioned: magical herbs, weapons made from ores found in monster bodies, some modern machines, and books written on subjects for increasing levels through special austerities.

  Among these, the most expensive item was the 'Vinash-E6 resonance bomb'.

  For a total of 2 crore rupees... (Around 222,000 USD)

  Special feature....

  It had the capability to eliminate four Power-Level and ten High-Level monsters simultaneously.

  But the four Supreme-Level Guild Masters, seated in the deep red velvet chairs on the elevated balcony above the general seating, enclosed by glass railings, showed no interest in any of this.

  It was as if they had no interest and everything was utterly boring. Someone was yawning, someone was dozing, and another was just engrossed in his phone.

  It happens...

  It often happens when things are not to your liking.

  Just then, Chirayu's eyes moved from his phone and fell directly on the stage, and words couldn't help but escape his lips.

  "Something bad is going to happen!"

  Although he had only whispered to himself, the ears of the tallest person among supreme level sitting next to him were not far from his mouth.

  "Wow! What are you speaking?!"

  And pressing his jaw, he looked towards Sangharsh, whose crooked smile made him prefer to look back at the stage. Manager Pranali herself arrived, carrying a casket in her hands.

  This casket was not ordinary. Its size was like a small coffin, with a circular top. Although its original structure might have been wood, it was entirely hidden beneath a golden casing, on which very subtle and intricate craftsmanship had been done.

  It immediately drew everyone's attention.

  Those who could afford it, and those who couldn't.

  Now, no one was yawning, no one was paying attention to their phones, and no one could even talk about napping.

  Pranali felt so many pairs of eyes on her that she felt a little self-conscious. Yet, she was used to such situations. Hence, she went straight to the mic on the stage.

  "Ahem... Friends, I am very proud to announce that the number of participants in this year's auction has broken all previous records. Thank you for this!"

  And everyone applauded...

  But some clapped so loudly as if she was speaking to them specifically.

  "So, without further delay, I present to you the Ojasutra Ratna... which has the ability to triple anyone's strength from its current state."

  She moved her hands towards the auctioneer behind her in a presenting manner.

  And the auctioneer slowly opened the casket.

  Everyone were eager to see the Ojasutra. Everyone's breath was held so tightly that if a needle fell, it would echo in the hall. But the auctioneer's eyes nearly popped out when the box was found to be completely empty....

  "M-m-Ma'am!"

  "Ma'am... this is... this is empty."

  The auctioneer said in a trembling voice, as if his soul was about to leave him. This time, it was Pranali's turn to hold her breath...

  "W-What? Look properly. How can it not be there?!"

  "Ma'am, I am telling the truth. There is nothing but air."

  The mic slipped and fell from Pranali's hand.... No one was worried about where it went right now.

  Pranali also rushed to the box. A nearby window was slightly open, through which the cold outside air was rushing in with a 'saay saay' sound. There was nothing in the box...

  There was only a gust of cold wind...

  ?°?°?°?°?

  The auction program was cancelled. And what else could be expected when the main glory of the event was missing? Just like what can be expected from a story that has no protagonist.

  Pranali had given strict orders that no one could leave the auction house.

  And no one did.

  She went to the Security Room and scoured all the CCTV cameras, but no... there was nothing that could give her a clue. Wiping the sweat from her brow, the strict woman, now sitting in the meeting room, looked more distressed than strict. All AHSF soldiers were deployed for the search, making sure no corner was missed.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  She had just managed to calm herself down by drinking water when two AHSF soldiers rushed in.

  "Madam Pranali! Something terrible has happened. Kaalmani... Kaalmani is not in its place."

  Pranali suddenly spat out the water on the table, and it spread everywhere. She coughed, trying to steady her breathing, and Ukti, standing nearby, patted her back vigorously.

  "Easy..."

  "What do you mean, easy, Ukti. This is impossible... this is impossible. How can this happen?! K-Kaalmani cannot be missing. Absolutely not. It is the lifeblood of this auction house."

  Suddenly, Pranali's head started feeling so heavy that her steps began to stumble backward, but Ukti immediately supported her and seated her.

  "I thought there might be trouble up to the Ojasutra, but who has the courage to touch the Kaalmani?!"

  Chirayu had said this to Amogh, but there was someone whose ears were too sharp. Hence, the one with light brown eyes and the one with furrowed brows both moved away from the pair of sharp ears. Meanwhile, Pranali immediately stood up seriously and looked at Jagat.

  "Jagat, call Anirudh, Tushar, and Ketaki here immediately. No matter what!"

  Jagat immediately nodded and left the room.

  "Randheer! Go with the AHSF team and secure the museum and the scientists in the other tower."

  Randheer was about to leave, just like Jagat, when the one with the sharp ears stopped him.

  "Ah! Ma'am... can't you give us this opportunity?!"

  Pranali glared at him.

  "You are so eager to go to that part of the tower? Fine. First, go and guarantee the safety of the people from all other Guilds. If you succeed, I will definitely take you... I will. Very well."

  "Hmm. It seems the sword has regained its sharpness."

  Pranali signaled Randheer to leave with a flick of her finger, without replying.

  "It would be better if both of you do the same job!"

  She directed her sharp gaze towards Chirayu and Amogh, and Pranali left the meeting room with Ukti.

  Meanwhile, Amogh and Chirayu were just staring at Sangharsh with murderous looks, But Sangharsh winked at them and walked away.

  ?°?°?°?°?

  "Push! Harder! Go, go! Put more strength into it!"

  All the already exhausted soldiers were motivating each other and had almost cleared all the debris; only one or two more needed to be removed from the path.

  And some soldiers were busy searching for empty casings.

  Yes... this was more important.

  Anirudh, the Team Head, was searching so thoroughly that it seemed the ground would be dug up, just to find the casings. Meanwhile, Tushar was receiving phone calls after phone calls. He was completely occupied with that.

  Just then, the ground started shaking, but not as intensely as the first time.

  "Sir! Snowballs!"

  Ketaki pointed with a laugh towards where... there were no snowballs..There were Ice Monsters, about the size of an average human. But their number was quite large, and they were coming directly towards Ketaki and Tushar.

  "Ketaki. You handle this. I need to go to the other side of that rock for a bit. The signal is ...Uh!...not good over here..."

  Before Ketaki could reply, Tushar, hitting and knocking his phone, went to the other side of a large rock. So large that at least seeing him would be difficult.

  But when people want to see, they see.

  Ketaki peeked out slightly and smiled upon seeing the man searching for a signal by looking up at the sky.

  Suddenly, the direction of all the monsters also changed. Towards the direction where Tushar had gone.

  "Hey! Over here, over here. The hunter is here."

  Before the ice creatures could understand anything, Ketaki pulled out her two sharp daggers and attacked them. The ice-formed hands, legs, and heads of the snow Monsters were being cut and dissolving back into the snow, and the expressions on the face of the one cutting them were colder than snow itself.

  When she crushed one's head with the heel of her boot, another ran to attack her from behind. Ketaki had ears for that too, but she leaped towards the third one coming from the front and, with a twist of her wrist, severed its head and pushed it with her elbow. The third one stumbled and collided directly with the second one.

  And both were converted into a heap of snow... and the girl with the daggers continued to move forward through the crowd without stopping her hands.

  A little later, after clearing all the debris, the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, as if they wanted to hold onto that very moment.

  Everyone wanted that one moment to stop.

  Often, while passing through troubles and struggling with problems, one wants to stop that fleeting moment of peace and comfort, which is momentary and passes by without being noticed.

  It passed...

  Their moment of peace also passed.

  Tushar came rushing back to the armored vehicle.

  "Let's go, everyone. We have absolutely no time."

  Tushar got into the passenger seat of the car without waiting for anyone, and Anirudh and all the remaining soldiers got into the jeep that was safe and functional.

  Ketaki also came running and immediately sat in the driving seat, put on her seatbelt, and immediately drove away from there.

  "Sir! There's no end to them. I thought there would be 50 to 100, but I killed more than 150 with my own hands, and they are still coming."

  Ketaki looked towards the man in the suit, who was not looking at her but outside.

  "Hmm... so the effect of Kaalmani's disappearance is starting to show."

  Ketaki listened carefully to his words while turning the car to the right at the turn, but a hesitation still lingered in her mind, which deepened when her gaze fell upon Indrasan in front of her.

  "Sir... but with Kaalmani missing, the Kaalminar is the most dangerous place right now... in short, that place will become worse than hell in a while... then... why are we going there..."

  And she didn't say anything further because there was no need.

  "I know. But Manager Ma'am is also there. How can we leave the one who taught us everything alone?"

  Ketaki nodded and smiled at Tushar, who was still looking out the small window...

  ?°?°?°?°?

  Everyone gathered once again in the auction hall, but this time, the warmth that was there initially was lost somewhere. And the coldness took its place...

  Pranali stood on the stage with a different casket, and everyone's eyes were fixed on her, wondering what the announcement would be.

  Reading those eyes, Pranali cleared her throat,

  "Look! Someone has dared to steal the priceless gem of our Kaalminar, the Kaalmani, and the main auction gem, the Ojasutra. But I cannot search for them alone. I need all your help. That is why I am making this offer to all of you."

  Everyone's surprised eyes were just staring at the woman opening the casket.

  The whispers among the people were loud, so loud that Pranali could easily hear them from the stage.

  "She always had such arrogance, but look today."

  "I say it's good that it was stolen. Last time, she was proudly asserting that nothing could ever go missing from here."

  "But who has the guts to touch the Kaalmani?"

  "No, no, I will stay on Pranali's side. If you don't keep a tight leash on these people, does anyone listen quickly?!"

  "No matter what, whoever did it must be very clever, I can say that with certainty."

  Whether they were Guild Masters or Mistresses, men or women, servants or workers in the Guild, or other Fighters.

  No one was left behind, as if a competition was going on as to who could whisper the loudest.

  But Pranali was used to all this. And perhaps that was why she was so strict.

  Opening the casket, she presented the watch hanging in her hands to everyone, and everyone's mouth dropped open.

  That wristwatch was made with exquisite hand craftsmanship, but its job was not just to tell time.

  "This watch is the most modern discovery of our Kaalminar Lab. The ruby-like gem embedded in it is the 'Aagney'."

  "It can predict the potential future by calculating the probability of any event. And since it is a watch, it will definitely tell the time."

  The sparkle in people's eyes at that moment couldn't be found just a little while ago. Holding the priceless watch in her hands, if no one had been watching, she would have surely laughed.

  How easy it is to control human beings.

  "So, whoever finds the Kaalmani and the Ojasutra and brings them back. Consider this watch his."

  The mic turned off, and Pranali stepped off the stage and walked away. But she could sense the wide-open eyes of the people behind her. The same mouths that were talking all kinds of things a while ago were now just praising this offer...

  Praising Pranali...

  To be continued...