Chapter 196: Harvest at the Auction

Chapter 196: Harvest at the Auction



"1600!" exclaimed a plump noble on the first floor, raising his hand.

However, the subsequent bids quickly outpaced this one. Although the nature of these rare ores was somewhat singular, they were still sought after by many nobles as raw materials for knight armor used in specific environments.

"1700!"

"2100!"

The bidding stalled after reaching 2100 gold.

Rain contemplated for a moment and instructed the beautiful woman to bid 2500.

As the beautiful woman elegantly held up the 2500 sign in the second-floor box, Elder Idris, wearing a single-lens glasses, smiled with delight, his voice rising two octaves as he announced, "A VIP bids 2500, are there any higher offers?"

After three calls, no one responded.

"Bam!" The auctioneer's hammer fell, and Rain successfully secured the Ice Iron Ingots! Perhaps the price was a bit high for others, but these ingots held special significance for Rain.

Conservatively, Rain estimated that after exhausting these ingots, he could at least advance by more than one level in his Armorer profession, or maybe even two levels with some effort.

With the acquisition of the Ice Iron Ingots, Rain eagerly anticipated the upcoming auctions.

Unfortunately, the following items up for auction were mostly antiques.

Rain had no interest in such items.

In Rain's eyes, antiques were expensive but lacked practical use, serving more as a means to indirectly showcase a family's heritage.

At this moment, a female attendant knocked on the door and brought in a dozen Golden Pearls that Lady Jennifer had just won, elegantly presented in a luxurious carved wooden box.

"Baroness Crowley, this is your winning bid," the female attendant said, bowing and handing over the wooden box.

Unexpectedly, Jane took the box first, and upon opening it, she was immediately captivated by the dazzling row of golden pearls.

"Mother, these golden pearls are truly beautiful," she exclaimed.

The beautiful woman also took an interest and picked up a pearl to examine it. The golden light and smooth texture made it exceptionally lovely.

Chief Auctioneer Idris then introduced the next item, "The next item is an extremely rare mineral."

As Idris spoke, he mysteriously lifted the red cloth covering the tray.

Hmm? A rare mineral?

Rain's attention immediately shifted from the golden pearls to the tray on the auction stage, where Idris was displaying something.

On the tray were five rectangular metal ingots that resembled silver ingots but with a much brighter surface and sparkling starlight.

Wow! These were Mystium Ingots! Rain couldn't help but smile.

"Mystium Ingots!"

"Indeed, they are Mystium!"

Many nobles on the first floor immediately recognized this precious and rare mineral as Mystium.

Moreover, Mystium production was scarce in both the Dragon Empire and the Eagle Federation, making it rarely encountered by ordinary people.

It was uncommon to have five standard ingots available at once.

Rain had first heard about Mystium half a year ago when he went to exterminate the fishmen and heard Captain Warren mention that someone had obtained a highly valuable Mystium mineral while killing fishmen.

Like the Ice Iron Ingots, Mystium held special significance for Rain as the primary material for forging the Mystium Carved Plate Armor Set.

Although Rain still needed to address the issue of runes, problems could be solved one by one.

However, a skilled chef couldn't cook without ingredients.

Therefore, the availability of materials sometimes took precedence.

Fortunately, Rain had earned a substantial amount of gold through betting on the bloody duel.

Otherwise, he might not have had enough funds to secure the Mystium Ingots.

After Chief Auctioneer Idris displayed the ingots and stirred up the enthusiastic atmosphere in the hall, he announced, "This time, we have five standard Mystium Ingots. The starting bid is 2000 Imperial Gold Coins. The auction begins!"

"2500!" exclaimed a thin noble on the first floor, eagerly raising his hand.

However, attempting to deter others from competing for the Mystium by directly increasing the bid by 500 was a miscalculation.

Soon, the bids kept rising, as Mystium had far more applications than Ice Iron Ingots, naturally attracting the interest of most male nobles.

"2800!"

".

"3500!"

After the price reached 3500 gold, the bidding increments slowed down.

Rain leaned towards the beautiful woman and whispered, "No matter what others bid, always offer 100 more."

The beautiful woman chuckled and said, "It seems like Baron really loves Mystium, just as we women adore jewelry like these golden pearls!"

Being in a public setting, the beautiful woman maintained her decorum and manners, addressing Rain formally.

Due to the numerous nobles participating in the bidding, drastically increasing the bid amount wasn't appropriate. Therefore, after Rain expressed his determination to secure the ingots to the beautiful woman, he left the bidding to her.

"3600!"

"3700!"

With each bid, the smile on Elder Idris's face, who wore a single-lens glasses, widened, and his voice rose as he announced, "A VIP bids 3700, are there any higher offers?"

At this point, there were not many nobles left in the hall who were still bidding.

Although Mystium was scarce, it had started to become slightly overpriced, and many nobles were withdrawing from the bidding unless they urgently needed it.

"3800!" exclaimed a young noble heir, standing up abruptly as if he couldn't contain his impatience.

He raised his bid while looking around, seemingly trying to identify which family was not giving him face.

When he scanned the room and saw the beautiful woman bidding from the second-floor box in the center-right, he seemed to recall something, especially when he noticed the black-haired young man beside her. His expression changed immediately, and he quickly sat back down, coughing, "Excuse me, I need to adjust my clothes."

"3900! A VIP bids 3900, are there any higher offers?"

"The auctioneer, noticing the noblewoman's raised sign, exclaimed, "We have a bid!"

The assembled nobles, curious about this unusual sight, turned their attention to the scene, including the eldest son of Viscount Hamadi, who was left disappointed. Such an occurrence was indeed rare in Maist, so everyone looked up in surprise.

"Ah, it's Baron Hammer!"

The bidder was none other than Baroness Crowley, which explained the situation.

It's worth mentioning that the rules of the Axson Auction House are such that the private boxes on the second floor are reserved for titled nobility. Their heirs, without titles of their own, are not permitted to use them.

In the end, the five mithril ingots were sold for 3,900 gold coins and became the proud possession of Rain.

Rain couldn't help but feel that his trip was well worth it. Even without any further acquisitions, the rare minerals he had obtained were already a satisfying haul.

"Next up, we have two rare Supreme Combat Techniques. To ensure our esteemed guests don't miss out on their preferred techniques, I will reveal the names of these techniques in advance."

Rain understood the auctioneer's intention in revealing the names beforehand. It was a strategy to intensify the competition.

If the names weren't announced, many nobles might hold back, hoping that the second technique would be more suitable and affordable for them.

But with this strategy, if the two techniques belonged to different categories, there would be no price undercutting. Instead, their scarcity would drive the competition to a fever pitch.

This was where the benefit of the advance notice came into play.

"Do you have a preference for single-handed sword techniques?"

"We have one such technique, would you like to bid on it?"

"The first Supreme Combat Technique is the less commonly known single-handed sword technique, 'Tidal Sword Technique Outline'. This outline contains two complete secret techniques." The auctioneer, Master Idris, pointed to a nearby tray covered with silk, where an ancient parchment scroll, presumably the outline itself, lay.

"The second Supreme Combat Technique is the 'Kadath's Fist Technique Outline', derived from the late Master Kadath Ace, and it also includes two complete secret techniques."

"Both of these techniques are suitable for becoming a family's inherited combat technique. Through generations of practice, a family may even develop their unique secret techniques."

When Rain heard the name of the first Supreme Combat Technique, he furrowed his brows slightly.

A single-handed sword technique? It wasn't something he was particularly interested in.

But when the second Supreme Combat Technique was announced, Rain was taken aback.

"Hmm?"

A fist technique? He hadn't expected a rare fist technique to be up for auction.

The surrounding nobles whispered among themselves, surprised by the appearance of such a rare fist technique. Nobles who fought with clawed fingers were indeed rare.

Even assassins preferred deadly daggers or short swords over clawed fingers.

Rain thought for a moment and quickly made his decision.

If he had to choose, he would go for the 'Kadath's Fist Technique Outline' instead of the sword technique.

Why?

In his recent battles, Rain had faced faster opponents, which made him feel passive during combat.

Clawed fingers and daggers typically came with agile footwork or evasive maneuvers.

Rain believed that mastering these techniques would help him overcome his shortcomings.

Another factor was the price. Single-handed sword techniques were more common, and the competition for them would be fierce.

On the other hand, fewer people would compete for the fist technique, which was a more unique choice.

Indeed, the bidding for the 'Tide Sword Technique Outline' was intense, with over thirty rounds of bidding, eventually selling for 11,000 gold coins to a baron.

The bidding for the 'Kadath's Fist Technique Outline' was much calmer, with only eight rounds of bidding, and Rain secured it for 4,200 gold coins.

The noblewoman and Jane exchanged a glance, puzzled as to why Rain chose the rare fist technique over the sword technique, especially when Rain had a strong foundation in two-handed greatswords, which would make learning single-handed sword techniques relatively easier.

However, the noblewoman, being less familiar with martial skills, didn't inquire further.

---

Soon, a servant entered, carrying a pale yellow parchment scroll, which was the very 'Kadath's Fist Technique Outline' that Rain had just acquired.

Rain, with a smile, took the scroll and began reading.

".Master Kadath Ace, while observing the attacks of the tiger, gradually created and perfected this fist technique. Thus, it is also known as the Tiger Fist Technique."

The introduction was brief, with a brief introduction.

The Tiger Fist Technique? Rain pondered, finding similarities with some ancient fist techniques from his past life. These techniques were often inspired by the movements of tigers, bears, and other animals, and evolved into forms suitable for human practice.

Among them were the health-focused 'Five Animal Play' and the powerful combat technique 'Xingyi Quan'.

Rain refocused and continued reading.

The technique had five recorded moves.

The first was a straight punch, accompanied by a forward step.

The second was a left swing, accompanied by a right slide step.

The third was a right swing, accompanied by a left slide step.

The fourth was an uppercut, accompanied by a multi-directional slide step.

The slide step involved pushing off with one foot and moving sideways for about the length of a foot, followed by the other foot to maintain balance.

According to the outline, all four moves could be adapted into corresponding claw strikes, which was why it was also known as the Tiger Fist Technique.

The fifth and final move was a dodging technique, named the Pendulum Backstep.

Each move had its corresponding footwork, especially the last move, which was a dodging technique, and this delighted Rain.

However, when Rain reached the bottom of the scroll, he raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm?"

Clawed fingers?

Before him was a simple design for clawed fingers, and what set them apart were four sharp protrusions at the knuckle positions.

Each protrusion was shaped like a dagger, sharp at the top and thick at the base, approximately ten centimeters in length, resembling the essence of a tiger's claws.

It was easy to imagine that if an enemy with insufficient defense was struck by a heavy punch wearing these finger claws, they would end up with four bloody holes.

In other words, this set of Kadath's Fist Technique, even the accompanying finger claws, were designed to maximize their lethality.

Additionally, there was a secret technique.

The first secret technique was called 'High-Speed Combo', which involved unleashing as many punches, left hooks, and right hooks as possible in a short period.

The second secret technique was named 'Hundred Rend Strike', requiring the use of blade claws. It involved transforming the fist into claws and employing techniques like uppercuts, downward slashes, and left and right swings.

The subsequent auction items no longer included anything that Rain desperately wanted.

After the auction ended, Rain returned home, eager to start practicing this 'Kadath's Fist Technique'.

After all, as long as he could improve this extraordinary combat technique to level 10, he could immediately change to the legendary class [Weapon Master]! Just thinking about it made Rain feel excited.

The flawless version is available on Book 69! 6=9+Book_Bar. This novel is first published on Book_Bar.

In the indoor training ground, Rain followed the outline's diagram of a human figure and practiced each move meticulously.

After a while, the system notification sounded:

[You have trained in Kadath's Fist Technique, and your understanding has improved!]



[You have learned a new skill - Kadath's Fist Technique]



[Your skill, Kadath's Fist Technique, has improved. Experience gained: +1]



Kadath's Fist Technique lv1 (1/100) appeared on the Extraordinary Knight profession panel, and the icon was surprisingly a tall, robust figure with a tiger's head and a human body standing upright, with a pair of sharp claws resembling the blade claws, in a swinging posture, looking quite formidable.

Since Rain was no longer a novice, his experience in learning combat techniques was no longer that of a beginner from half a year ago. In just one afternoon, Rain managed to improve it to lv3.

However, starting from lv3, the improvement speed began to slow down.

Rain knew how to speed up the process; if he could find suitable sparring partners or opponents for comparison, he could quickly improve again.

As for allocating points?

That was something to consider only after reaching lv5.

"Knock knock knock!"

Hmm? Logically, the servants should know about his training room and wouldn't disturb him.

Could there be an emergency?

Hearing the knocking, Rain couldn't help but feel surprised and said:

"Come in!"

Jane entered with an apologetic expression and said, "Lord Rain, I'm sorry, but there's a caravan leader outside who wants to personally deliver something to you."

"Hmm? A caravan?" Rain's face showed confusion.

"Yes, Lord Rain. It seems to be a caravan from Rosby County." Jane spoke with certainty and added another sentence.

Rosby County? Could it be...

Rain immediately thought of a possibility.

"Let's go and take a look."

When Rain and Jane arrived at the front yard of the mansion, they saw a large pile of gray cloth-covered items that had already been moved to one side of the yard.

A plump merchant walked up, smiling, and said, "Respected Lord Rain, I was entrusted by Sir Has to deliver these precious items to your mansion."

"I'm sorry to trouble you to come in person, but Sir Has repeatedly emphasized that the items inside are very valuable and must be handed over to you personally."

"Thank you, and thank you for your hard work on the journey." Rain smiled slightly and spoke.

Meanwhile, Jane, who was standing beside him, had a keen eye and asked the female servant to prepare some coins to express gratitude to the fat merchant.

After the fat merchant left, Rain lifted the cloth covering, and indeed, inside were the twelve turtle shells that he had cut from the body of the Spiked Shell Ironback Turtle during the battle.

In fact, there were originally thirteen, but one of them was shattered by Rain during the fight.

As for these hard and thick turtle shells, Rain had already planned their use—to forge a not-so-uncommon equipment, the Turtle Shell Shield.

Of course, ordinary Turtle Shell Shields are made from the shells of regular sea turtles and cannot be compared to the one Rain wanted to make.

For Rain, his primary goal was to gain sufficient experience points by crafting a Turtle Shell Shield using the Spiked Shell Ironback Turtle's material.

Of course, he couldn't be entirely sure about this.

It was just a reasonable inference based on the fact that forging equipment from rare minerals provided higher experience points.

The Spiked Shell Ironback Turtle, as an entry-level beast, had strength comparable to a Great Knight, and its shell was naturally a rare material.

Therefore, Rain believed that he was highly likely to receive a substantial Armorer experience point reward.

After dinner, Rain went to the blacksmith shop.

Rain had already prepared for the forging of the Turtle Shell Shield. In simple terms, he would first round off the edges of the turtle shells, wrap them with an iron strip, and then drill a hole in the center to create a metal handle.

With that, a Turtle Shell Shield would be complete.

Overall, the defensive power of the Turtle Shell Shield heavily relied on the hardness of the turtle shell itself.

Half an hour later, Rain wrapped a long, narrow iron strip around the turtle shell and started hammering it with a blacksmith's hammer.

After embedding it, he began searching for a suitable drilling position near the top of the shell to install the metal handle.

Soon, he completed the above process and held a Turtle Shell Shield in his hand, swinging it a few times.

At this moment, a system prompt appeared:

[You have forged a Turtle Shell Shield, and your understanding has improved!]



[You have learned a new skill - Turtle Shell Shield Forging]



[Your skill, Turtle Shell Shield Forging, has improved. Experience gained: +124]



[You focused on Turtle Shell Shield Forging, Armorer experience gained: +202]



Wow! These experience points are indeed generous!

Rain's eyes lit up immediately. "It seems my previous speculation was correct. The rarer the material, the higher the experience points, and the more challenging the forging, the higher the system's experience reward."

In the world of extraordinary knights and legendary classes, a young man named Rain discovers a valuable find in the form of twelve Spiked Shell Ironback Turtle shells. These shells, comparable to rare ores, offer a generous experience reward.

With a quick calculation, Rain realizes that by crafting these twelve shells into shields, he can raise his Armoring Expertise from level 5 to level 6, and still have some points to spare.

This news greatly lifts Rain's spirits, and he eagerly begins the crafting process.

After four hours of continuous work, Rain crafts ten Turtle Shell Shields and successfully raises his Armoring Expertise to level 6.

He is rewarded with an additional skill point and attribute point.

At this moment, Rain's attribute panel shows six remaining attribute points and one skill point, finally moving away from zero.

Satisfied, Rain leaves the blacksmith's shop and returns to his residence to rest.

Meanwhile, Baron Alonso's mood has been sour ever since his defeat in the bloody duel. Even Michel, the trusted butler, has not seen a pleasant expression from him all day.

This is Michel's third visit, and a maid reports, "Michel, the Baron has smashed two antique vases and three teapots today."

Michel is taken aback by this news, as it has been years since Baron Alonso has displayed such anger.

The last time was when Miss Claire defeated him, if memory serves.

After some thought, Michel decides to knock on the study door, steeling himself for the encounter.

Suddenly, the study door opens, and Baron Alonso emerges with a somber expression.

Upon seeing Michel, the baron's expression softens slightly, and he says, "Michel, arrange for a carriage. I need to go out."

"Yes, my lord," Michel replies promptly.

Soon after, Baron Alonso arrives at the Maist County Prison in a luxurious carriage.

Inside Magnus Sir's office, Baron Alonso asks, "Magnus, you must have heard the news. Rain, in the bloody duel, defeated Norman, who had just reached the Great Knight rank. Can you still keep your promise and handle the matter as discussed?"

"Please rest assured, Baron. I am actively working on it," Magnus assures him.

"Although this newly promoted baron possesses remarkable combat prowess, the organization has sent a Great Knight to Maist County, and not just any Great Knight. Nonetheless, I remain confident," Magnus adds.

"Please await good news, Baron," he concludes.

As Magnus speaks, Baron Alonso observes his expression, trying to gauge the truthfulness of his words.

After a moment of scrutiny, Baron Alonso nods and says, "I hope you can expedite the matter. Otherwise, Rain's growth rate might surpass our expectations."

Despite Magnus' confident words, Baron Alonso's confidence has plummeted due to consecutive failures.

To be honest, it is only because Magnus mentioned that the Great Knight is 'not just any Great Knight' that Baron Alonso can muster any expectation at all.

After Baron Alonso leaves, Magnus furrows his brows.

The Iron Hammer Baron's strength has indeed increased at an alarming rate!

Furthermore, although Magnus expressed confidence in his previous statement, he is also troubled because the newly appointed Captain Parix does not seem to value his suggestions.

A couple of days ago, after hearing a report from a trusted subordinate, Magnus became aware of Captain Parix's general thoughts about Rain.

The captain is not particularly concerned about Rain, who has yet to reach the Great Knight rank. Instead, his attention is focused on a more comprehensive perspective.

Magnus gestures to his trusted subordinate and says, "You may need to ride to Wildwolf Hills immediately and report Rain's performance in the bloody duel to Captain Parix."

"Now that he has clearly demonstrated the strength of a Great Knight, I believe Captain Parix should no longer underestimate him," Magnus sighs.

"Yes, my lord," the subordinate replies, bowing respectfully.

Two hours later, Magnus's subordinate arrives at Wildwolf Hills on horseback.

"Hmm? Able to counter-kill a Great Knight while only a Knight?" Captain Parix expresses surprise at the uncommon situation. "It's rare to find such talent in a small place like Maist County."

However, his expression reveals neither fear nor apprehension; instead, it hints at anticipation.

After a moment of thought, Captain Parix says, "Tell Magnus that I'm aware of the situation."

"I wasn't particularly interested before, but now that Rain can defeat a Great Knight, I'm intrigued. However, if the Iron Hammer Baron stays in the county city, I can't make my move."

"So, ensure Magnus gathers intelligence on him."

"Inform me immediately if he leaves the county city."

Captain Parix's final words serve as a reminder to his subordinate to stay vigilant in their duties.

"Yes, Captain," the subordinate replies, bowing deeply before slowly retreating.

The next morning, Lord Hamilton arrives at Rain's residence as agreed, and they set off for the Usman family's estate outside the county city in a luxurious carriage.

Typically, most nobles choose to reside in the aristocratic quarter of the county city for safety and convenience, as it hosts numerous banquets and salons.

However, a minority of nobles opt to live in estates adjacent to the county city.

These estates usually occupy a larger area, allowing for horse-riding and offer a quieter environment.

The Usman family is one such example, rarely participating in county city social events and gatherings, perhaps due to their status as outsiders or other reasons unknown.

Soon, the carriage arrives at an estate with a sense of history.

The estate is surrounded by walls adorned with purple wisteria, green ivy, and creeping vines, creating a lush green ambiance that soothes the soul.

Knight Lawrence, whom Rain had met before, stands at the estate's entrance, leading several servants in a respectful wait.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end