Chapter 156: The Auction

Chapter 156: The Auction

"Kill!"

The knight from Death City, riding a horse with a phantom bloodline, charged towards the figure with all his might.

From a slow start to an extreme acceleration, it took only a few breaths.

The nearly six-meter-long conical spear, an indestructible charge weapon on the battlefield, could easily pierce through a mammoth with its rapid thrust.

The metal spearhead shattered the rain, carrying immense force as it struck Karl's chest.

However, the expected sensation of shattering did not occur.

Instead, it felt like colliding with an iron-reinforced, solid wall, and the knight on horseback paled in shock.

"Boom!"

The immense impact caused the spear to shatter inch by inch.

"Ugh!"

The horse stumbled, and the knight on its back spat out blood, falling headfirst to the ground.

The remaining knights hadn't even gotten close when they were blasted away by an invisible force.

Mage's Hand!

Karl patted his clothes and flicked his finger.

First Rank Sorcery - Tidal Force! Water gathered in the air, instantly forming a massive water ball, which then dispersed into waves that swept in all directions.

Screams immediately followed.

For a First Rank Mid-stage cultivator, the Great Knight was barely a challenge.

As long as he made a move, no one could resist.

Soon after.

Karl, along with the five children, found Norton, who had been captured and tied to a chariot. The group gained another member.

"Thank you!"

Norton, covered in wounds, spoke in a low voice:

"If it weren't for Mr. Karl's intervention, we would have definitely... Well, we are very grateful."

"There's no need for thanks," Karl said, showing the two wooden boards in his hand, "You should thank Matthew instead. Without his help, I might not have made it in time."

Matthew possessed a special bloodline that allowed him to detect the faintest scents, even in the rain.

Karl had met him first before finding Joti.

Without Matthew,

he would have eventually found her.

But it would have taken more time, and he might have missed the opportunity.

Speaking of fate, Matthew was the boy who had planned to enter the Dark Market some time ago.

Karl had dissuaded him, and he received a reward of Divine Grace Coins.

After his mother's death, he paid the redemption money and planned to leave Death City, only to encounter Joti and the others.

"Also..."

As the group expressed their gratitude to Matthew, Karl spoke softly:

"What are your plans from now on?"

He had no intention of escorting them to the Duke's Domain; at most, he could take them to a relatively safe place nearby.

Norton fell into deep thought.

When they left Death City, his parents specifically instructed him to bring his younger siblings to the Duke's Domain.

But just now, they had almost met with disaster, and who knew what awaited them on the long journey to the Duke's Domain.

Having never traveled far alone and with his body nearly disabled, he had no confidence.

"Joti, how did you find Karl?"

"After the incident at home, I remembered the Dark Market that Grandpa mentioned, so I went there to find help."

"Did you look for others?"

"Yes, but they didn't come."

"What are your thoughts on the journey ahead?"

At this moment, Norton no longer saw Joti as a child but as an equal partner in their discussion.

While they whispered among themselves, Karl focused on the wooden boards in his hand, carefully examining them.

Sacred Technique - Angel's Spear! Or perhaps it should be called Battle Angel's Spear!

This was a sword technique that required a matching rapier and included instructions for forging the rapier.

The Sacred Technique possessed incredible thrusting, piercing, and defense-breaking abilities, especially excelling in close-quarters combat.

Its ultimate move, the infinite piercing attack, allowed for relentless assaults when in close proximity to the enemy, making it terrifyingly powerful.

Once locked on, a First Rank Initial Stage cultivator would have the confidence to kill a First Rank Mid-stage cultivator and even severely injure a First Rank Late-stage cultivator.

"Explosive power, speed..."

Karl sighed helplessly:

"It's not that it requires a special bloodline, but it's best to pair it with a suitable breathing technique. It's not suitable for me either."

"Oh!"

"Human greed knows no bounds."

Before obtaining the Sacred Technique, Karl had thought that any Sacred Technique would suffice for cultivation.

Even without a suitable physique or breathing technique, the high-tier Sacred Techniques still packed a punch.

Now that he had obtained not just one but several Sacred Techniques, he felt a bit disappointed that they didn't match his physique.

"Mr. Karl."

Joti's timid voice echoed:

"Can you help our family resolve our troubles? The Hill family is willing to pay."

"The internal conflicts in Death City are not something an outsider like me can intervene in," Karl replied, "Considering the reward, I can at most take you to a safe place nearby."

"Then..." Joti began, "Can we accompany you back to Swift City and find a caravan heading to the Duke's Domain from there?"

"Hmm..." Karl regained his focus:

"It's not easy to find a caravan from Swift City to the Duke's Domain, but there is a Duke's envoy there."

"Alright!"

He turned to Matthew and his sister:

"Do you two feel the same way?"

"No," Matthew shook his head, "We plan to settle in Swift City. The Duke's Domain is too far, and we don't have enough money."

Their family's enemies didn't have the influence of the Hill family, and they couldn't reach Swift City.

"A wise choice," Karl nodded, "Let's go!"

He waved his sleeve lightly, and a magic carpet flew out, adjusting its size to accommodate the group.

"Get on."

"With Karl's current mental strength, driving the magic carpet with several children aboard was effortless."

Joti and the others, on the other hand, stared in awe as the ground beneath them receded, their eyes fixated.

Fly?

How is this possible?

The Angel's Spear required a very specific type of rapier, and while materials were one aspect, the forging process also took time.

So Karl first found a similar knight's rapier to practice with.

Magic Forest.

Near the temporary market.

"Swish!"

"Swish, swish!"

Holding the rapier, his wrists trembled slightly, and afterimages appeared in the arena, accompanied by sharp sounds of piercing the air.

"Tsk..."

A figure flashed by.

Karl appeared ten meters away, his incredible speed causing the afterimages to linger for a long time.

"Amazing!"

"At this speed, I'm confident I can suppress a first-rank early-stage wizard in close combat."

"Of course, that's assuming the opponent doesn't have a defense amulet."

"But the Angel's Spear has magic nullification and piercing effects. With the right skills, even a wizard of the same rank with a defense amulet might not be able to stop it."

Karl sheathed his rapier, deep in thought.

"No wonder it's a sacred technique passed down by the deities. The legendary knights have mastered and utilized it to the extreme. It's no wonder the great knights can't cultivate it. Just like this Angel's Spear, if a great knight were to attempt it, their physical body might collapse on the spot!"

"Exactly..."

"It's too difficult to cultivate!"

"To even begin learning it, you'd probably need more than a month to gain absolute control over your body with the help of divine realm fragments."

"To master it, you'd need at least a year and a half. The Wolf Phantom Fist is even more complex than the Angel's Spear. The Seventh Elder spent over forty years to master the Wolf Phantom Fist."

"I wonder if Meren will bring good news. His convention has been postponed again, and I hope it's true that there will be several special guests attending."

Various thoughts filled Karl's mind as he walked out of the courtyard, following the crowd towards the front of the venue.

Today was the start of the auction.

Since it was a joint auction held by several major forces, there were rumors of many valuable items, so those with time would come to participate.

"Karl!"

"Oma!"

"Bella Wizard..."

Several familiar faces greeted each other and took their seats in the area designated for the Sixth Circle Tower.

"Daniel Wizard!"

"Everyone's here."

Daniel nodded, indicating:

"This time, White Fang Castle is offering a batch of frozen fruit. Eating it can increase your sensory perception of ice spells."

"The Order of the Mystic has prepared some elixirs to temper the body. Even wizards need a strong physical body."

"..."

He quietly introduced the various items that would be up for auction, allowing everyone to prepare in advance.

The Sixth Circle Tower also prepared a batch of top-grade beast orbs and several heritage magic artifacts. Karl was in charge of the final quality of the forged beast orbs.

The auction venue resembled an arena.

It was sunken in the middle, with towering surroundings.

Each auction item would be presented in the center using sorcery illusions, allowing everyone to see.

"I'm delighted to see so many of you attending this auction. I'm Dolyn Wizard from Rose Academy."

Her voice, clear and melodious, echoed throughout the arena.

"Wow!"

Oma covered his mouth in surprise, "It's Dolyn Wizard hosting the auction."

"What?" Karl turned, curious, "Is she famous?"

"Of course!" Oma nodded, "Dolyn Wizard possesses top-notch wizard talents. She became a full-fledged wizard at a very young age."

"She's not much older than us, yet she's already a late-stage first-rank wizard, and she's guaranteed to become a second-rank wizard. Her status in Rose Academy is similar to Daniel Wizard's in the Tower."

"And..."

"She's incredibly beautiful!"

Karl soon understood what Oma meant by 'beautiful.'

Amidst a dazzling burst of light, a woman with midnight blue-black hair that seemed to stretch into the night sky appeared out of thin air.

Dolyn Wizard's skin was snow-white, as if it had never been touched by the sun. Her features were graceful and elegant, giving off an air of nobility and mystery. Her figure was slim and well-proportioned, and she wore a long robe made from precious magical materials. The robe was embroidered with intricate and exquisite sorcery circuits, emitting a faint magical glow as she moved.

A late-stage first-rank wizard at such a young age, she was destined to become a second-rank wizard, a true darling of the heavens!

"As you all know, capturing and taming second-rank beasts is extremely difficult, but their flesh and blood are highly valuable."

"Karl from the Sixth Circle Tower used the flesh and blood of second-rank beasts to forge a hundred top-grade beast orbs, which can help us wizards strengthen our bodies."

Dolyn Wizard waved her arm lightly, and a phantom of a bright red beast orb, enlarged hundreds of times, appeared in the air above the venue, allowing everyone to view it from various angles.

"These beast orbs can silently strengthen the body, saving us time in tempering our bodies. Each orb is sold in sets of ten, with a price of ten magic stones per set."

"Karl," Oma said with a light smile, "It seems your name will soon be known throughout the Magic Forest."

With the wizards' incredible memory, they rarely forgot a name once heard.

Especially when it was associated with the now-famous beast orbs.

"Well..." Karl smiled wryly, "The blood and flesh for forging the beast orbs were provided by Elder Volf, I was only responsible for the final product quality. It's not something I should take credit for."

"This is a good thing," Oma said, "You have a talent for alchemy. Perhaps you should seriously consider focusing on this direction. Excellent alchemists never lack magic stones."

Karl shook his head. He was well aware of his own limitations; whether it was in alchemy or rune sealing, he had no innate talent. His experience was solely built upon countless attempts at refining, and without the resources from the Foreign World, he would be nothing.

"Floatstone!"

"Ore from the Sky City, possessing a special ability to resist gravity. There are ten blocks up for auction today."

The voice of the Wizard Dolyn echoed through the venue, "The starting bid is one thousand Magic Stones, with a minimum increase of fifty Magic Stones each time. The friend over there has already started bidding!"

"One thousand five hundred Magic Stones!"

"Two thousand Magic Stones!"

"..."

"Floatstone," Omar's beautiful eyes sparkled, "An essential material for forging a Floating Wizard Tower, and this time, they've brought out ten blocks at once."

"This kind of thing is meant for the great powers, not for individuals," Karl shook his head, "A Floating Wizard Tower..."

"It can't connect to the earth's veins, so many of the Wizard Tower's functions won't work, it's just more convenient for mobility."

Hmm?

His heart stirred.

While others might not find it useful, that didn't mean he couldn't.

If he had a Floating Wizard Tower, it would be like having a mobile war fortress in the Foreign World.

A Wizard Tower could increase a Wizard's strength exponentially, easily allowing them to defeat opponents of higher ranks.

However, this was still too early for him. Forging a Wizard Tower would require at least the late stage of the first rank.

"A first-rank superior Phantom Grass, an excellent material for weaving a Phantom Ship and assisting in the cultivation of Phantom Sorcery!"

"The starting bid is five hundred Magic Stones!"

"Bloodchange Spider, a legendary creature said to be related to vampires, capable of purifying the bloodthirsty bloodline..."

"..."

Time passed.

Various strange and wonderful items were presented one after another, and some of the unique materials caught Karl's attention.

Unfortunately,

He had very few Magic Stones left, and he had come purely to broaden his horizons. He wasn't qualified to participate in the bidding.

Meanwhile, Omar had acquired a talking piece of wood, intending to carve a toy for companionship.

"Hmm?"

Just as the Wizard Dolyn was about to present the next item, she paused, her expression changing as if in doubt.

After a moment's hesitation, she took out a box with a complex expression.

Inside the box was a frozen butterfly.

"A century-old Vortex Spirit Butterfly, the starting bid is... thirty thousand Magic Stones, with a minimum increase of five hundred Magic Stones."

The vast venue suddenly fell silent.

Karl instinctively looked at Daniel, only to see a look of astonishment on his face.

Apparently,

Like the Wizard Dolyn, he was also unaware of this particular item.

"A Vortex Spirit Butterfly? A butterfly that can help a late-stage first-rank Wizard advance to the second rank?"

"That's right!"

"A few days ago, a century-old Vortex Spirit Butterfly also appeared near the Leipzig Marketplace. Is this the same one?"

"It should be. It's impossible for two Vortex Spirit Butterflies to appear in such a short time!"

"..."

Whispers filled the air, and powerful mental power fluctuations swept through the center of the venue.

A century-old Vortex Spirit Butterfly!

This implied the potential birth of a Second Rank Wizard and the rise of a century-old family.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Wizard Dolyn took a deep breath and spoke solemnly, "This item is a special addition due to unforeseen circumstances, but the auction will ensure the smooth conduct of the transaction."

"Anyone who dares to cause trouble at the auction..."

"Is equivalent to declaring war on the four great forces of Calim!"

The conversations in the venue ceased.

"Forty thousand Magic Stones!"

A voice suddenly rang out.

Karl's gaze shifted slightly, and he turned towards the direction of the voice, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

This voice...

It sounded familiar!

"Forty-five thousand Magic Stones!"

"Fifty thousand Magic Stones!"

"..."

The bidding continued, but only a few were actually participating, just a handful of powerful bidders.

"Today is the first day of the auction, and truly valuable items won't appear. That's why there are so few powerful buyers."

Omar spoke softly, "Don't you feel that one of the bidders' voices sounds familiar?"

"Yes." Karl nodded, "The clan leader of the Nelson Family."

Then he sighed again.

The Leipzig Marketplace was supposed to be jointly managed by the four great families, but two of them had encountered trouble.

While there was no evidence that the Andrew Clan was involved, the others couldn't help but have some reservations.

Now, with the Nelson Clan acquiring the Vortex Spirit Butterfly, they were likely aiming to produce a Second Rank Wizard within their family.

At that time,

They wouldn't have to fear the Andrew Clan.

However,

The Andrew Clan wouldn't sit idly by while the Nelson Clan grew stronger. This move would undoubtedly provoke them, and who knew what they might do.

"Eighty-five thousand Magic Stones!"

"Eighty-five thousand Magic Stones, second bid. Are there any other bidders?"

"Sold!"

With the Wizard Dolyn's announcement, the Vortex Spirit Butterfly was successfully acquired by the Nelson Clan.

"Phew..."

Daniel let out a breath and stood up with a grave expression, "I need to return to the Leipzig Marketplace to prevent the Andrew Clan from doing anything... wrong."

"Wizard Daniel," Karl stood up as well, "Can you take me with you?"

Ever since the Vortex Spirit Butterfly appeared, the atmosphere in the venue had become strange, filled with peculiar auras. He felt that this place was no longer safe.

A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall.

It would be better to accompany Daniel, with such a powerful companion, he wouldn't have to worry about safety.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end