The Grand Finale Auction Item

The Auctioneer was energetically introducing the Mist Generator.

"Invisibility? No! This is a more sophisticated art! This is mist that shrouds everything! Crafted by the renowned master artisan Walkerley! Your finest shield! Whether escaping troublesome Sea Monsters, evading an enemy pursuit, or creating the perfect conditions for an ambush, it is an irreplaceable strategic treasure! Let your enemies drown in confusion and speculation! Starting bid—one hundred Chips!"

Almost the instant the Auctioneer finished speaking, competing bids rang out one after another.

"One hundred!"

"One hundred twenty!"

"One hundred fifty!"

"One hundred eighty!"

Quite a few merchants in the venue made their living at sea, and the Mist Generator was extremely practical for them. If they happened to encounter Pirates, they could activate the mist and speed away.

Ling Chu's first thought was that this thing would also be great for robbery and fighting, especially its Illusion Projection function, which could catch enemies off guard and kill them.

She just did not know what Low-grade Mana Stones were. They sounded like some kind of energy stone, but she would bid on it first and figure it out later.

"One hundred ninety!"

Ling Chu placed her bid without hesitation.

"Two hundred!"

Box 12, seated across from her, rang its bidding bell again.

"Two hundred twenty!"

The opposite side followed. "Two hundred thirty!"

"Two hundred fifty!" Ling Chu decisively rang the bell to raise the bid.

She lived by the principle of spending money when she had it. Sea Shells she hoarded would never increase her strength; they would only make her look like a Fat Sheep in others' eyes.

If she missed this item, who knew where she might find another one next time?

The guest in the opposite box frowned. He had not expected that after competing with him for the Mermaid, this person would even fight him over this thing.

When bidding for the Mermaid earlier, she had raised the price quickly. It was the same this time, and she increased it by twenty Chips at a time, looking as though she had money to spare. He could not gauge Ling Chu's limit at all.

Before the Auctioneer's countdown ended, the guest in the opposite box gritted his teeth and made another bid. "Two hundred sixty."

"Two hundred eighty!"

The opposite box had hesitated for too long, and Ling Chu guessed that they were nearly at their limit. So she simply added another twenty.

"Two hundred eighty Chips, once! Two hundred eighty Chips, twice! Two hundred eighty Chips... three times! Sold!"

The Auctioneer brought down the hammer.

A moment later, the Mist Generator was delivered to the box.

Having won what she wanted, Ling Chu was in an excellent mood. She stored the Mist Generator in her Ring, then casually opened the Trading Post and searched to see whether any Low-grade Mana Stones were for sale.

She actually found one, priced at 9,999 Sea Coins.

If you can't find a book by searching its title, try searching for the author instead. Maybe it was just renamed!

Ling Chu nearly cursed. That person was clearly taking advantage of being the only one on the entire server who had it and charging an outrageous price.

Converted into Sea Coins, a Mist Generator only cost twenty-eight thousand. A Low-grade Mana Stone was, at most, something like a battery. How could it possibly be worth that much?

Besides, in the entire region, who other than her could produce 9,999 Sea Shells right now? Even if she could, she would not be such a sucker.

She directly closed the Trading Post and could not even be bothered to contact the seller. The fact that he had listed such a ridiculous price meant he was waiting for the highest bidder. She was not about to volunteer to be fleeced.

Before she knew it, the Auction had been going on for more than three hours and was nearing its end.

Just as Ling Chu was starting to feel sleepy, the spotlights suddenly lit up, and blinding white beams focused on the Display Stand.

The Auctioneer took a deep breath. The professional smile on his face was replaced by an almost religious fervor as he carefully pointed toward the velvet-covered Display Stand.

His highly penetrating voice rang through the venue. "Ladies! Gentlemen! Hold your breath! What you are about to see is the finale of this Auction! It is no longer a mundane treasure, but... a lost epic, a set of Coordinates leading to the age of myths!"

He abruptly swept aside the velvet, revealing the true item beneath—a seemingly ancient stone slab flowing with a faint glow. No, more precisely, it was a Rubbing.

The Rubbing was made of neither metal nor stone. Its rough edges were covered in exquisitely intricate script. The characters seemed to glow on their own, coursing with ancient, mysterious power.

The Auctioneer said, "Look carefully! This is no counterfeit, nor is it fabricated! This is a Rubbing of the Sacred Stone Slab! Inscribed upon it is the supreme script of the Elf race, long buried beneath the dust of time! A race for whom a single syllable could stir the breeze, and a single affix could commune with plants! They perished, but their wisdom and legacy did not disappear—they are hidden within these stone slabs!"

The crowd fell deathly silent. Everyone was stunned by the item's origins.

"According to ancient legends, the Elf race recorded all their wisdom—knowledge of magic, of life, and of this world's most fundamental secrets—as well as the locations of their peerless treasures, across these Sacred Stone Slabs! And most crucially..."

He deliberately paused, his gaze sweeping over every greedy, tense face in the hall. He was nearly whispering, yet magical equipment carried his voice clearly to every ear.

"Legend says that the final clue to the exact location of the Tree of Luga—that World Tree which birthed the Elf race, contains infinite life energy, and may even allow one to touch the secret of immortality—is hidden within the message revealed after the complete set of slabs is deciphered! Whoever can gather the slabs and decipher the script will find the Tree of Luga and obtain everything of the Elf race!"

His words were like ice water splashed into boiling oil, instantly igniting the entire auction hall.

"The Elf race! It was real?!" "The Tree of Luga... the secret of immortality!" "We must get it! At any cost!" "But... this is only a Rubbing, and only one piece of it..."

The bidding bells rang madly at an unprecedented frequency and volume, nearly merging into a single piercing din.

"The starting price is one thousand Chips! Each increase must be no less than ten Chips! Bidding begins now!"

"One thousand five hundred!"

"Two thousand!"

"Two thousand eight hundred!"

The numbers leaped from the Auctioneer's mouth at a staggering pace, each bid increase even higher than the price of the previous lot.

Ling Chu had originally wanted to join in for fun, but she discovered that the Chips in her hand were not even enough to meet the starting bid.

When the bidding price soared to an astronomical figure, the pace of the calls finally slowed. In the end, this stone slab Rubbing was bought by an unknown guest for three thousand seven hundred and twenty Chips.

Ling Chu could not help clicking her tongue inwardly. This was not even the real Sacred Stone Slab, merely a Rubbing of one, yet it had already driven these guests mad.

No wonder Titch and the others had been killed by Lucas for knowing the slab's location. The temptation of this thing was simply too great.

Ancient races, secrets of origin, immortality, treasure.

Every single word was enough to stir the deepest greed and desire in people's hearts.