Chapter 196: The Auction's Rewards

Chapter 196: The Auction's Rewards



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

However, the bidding quickly intensified, and despite the relatively simple nature of the rare ore, its potential use as a bit and gesture to the auction stage with a mysterious expression and revealed a tray covered in red cloth.

"1700!"

". . ."

"2100!"

The bidding slowed down after reaching 2100 gold.

Rain thought for a moment and instructed the beautiful lady to bid 2500.

As the lady elegantly held up the 2500 bid sign, the bespectacled Elder Ederis smiled with delight, his voice rising two octaves as he announced, "A distinguished guest bids 2500! Any higher offers?"

After three calls, no one responded.

"Bang!" The auctioneer's hammer fell.

The price seemed slightly high to onlookers, but these frost iron ingots held special significance for Rain.

Conservatively, Rain estimated that using up all these ingots would boost his Armorer profession level by at least one, maybe even two levels.

With this acquisition, Rain eagerly anticipated the upcoming auction items.

Unfortunately, the next items were mostly antiques.

Rain had zero interest in such items.

Antiques, in Rain's eyes, were expensive but lacked practical value, serving only to indirectly showcase a family's heritage.

"Baroness Crowley, here is the item you won," the female attendant bowed, presenting the wooden box with twelve golden pearls that Lady Jennifer had just won.

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

"These golden pearls are truly beautiful," she exclaimed.

The lady also took an interest, picking up one of the pearls. Its lustrous shine and smooth texture were indeed remarkable.

Chief Auctioneer Ederis introduced the next item: "The next item is an extremely rare mineral."

As Ederis spoke, he dramatically unveiled the tray covered in red cloth.

Hmm? A rare mineral?

Rain's attention immediately shifted from the golden pearls to the auction stage, where Ederis was presenting the tray.

On it was a mineral that resembled silver ingots but with a much brighter surface and speckles of starlight.

Wow! It's mithril ingots! Rain was thrilled.

"Mithril ingots!"

"Yes, it's mithril!"

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

Mithril production was scarce in both the Dragon Empire and the Eagle Empire, rarely encountered by ordinary people.

It was uncommon to see five standard ingots at once.

Rain had first heard about mithril half a year ago when he was sent to exterminate the fishmen. Captain Vallen had mentioned it, and like the previous frost iron ingots, mithril was crucial for Rain to craft the mithril filigree plate armor set.

Having the materials was just the first step; Rain still needed to solve the issue of runes. But problems could be solved one by one.

However, a cook was only as good as their ingredients.

So, the availability of materials sometimes took precedence.

Fortunately, Rain had earned a significant sum from betting on the bloody duel.

Otherwise, he might not have had enough to secure the mithril ingots.

Chief Auctioneer Ederis announced, "This time, we have five standard mithril ingots. The starting bid is 200 Imperial Gold Coins. Let the bidding begin!"

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

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

Soon, the bids kept rising, as mithril had more uses than frost iron ingots and naturally attracted the interest of most male nobles.

"2800!"

". . ."

"3500!"

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

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

The lady giggled, "It seems the Baron really loves mithril, just like how we ladies adore jewelry like these golden pearls."

In public, the lady maintained her composure and formal demeanor, addressing Rain respectfully.

With numerous nobles bidding, drastically increasing the bid amount was inappropriate. So, after expressing his determination to secure the mithril to the lady, Rain left the bidding to her.

"3700!"

Each bid made Elder Ederis's smile brighter and his voice higher as he announced, "A distinguished guest bids 3700! Any higher offers?"

By now, few nobles were still bidding.

Although mithril was scarce, it had started to slightly exceed its value, and many nobles were withdrawing from the bidding unless they urgently needed it.

"3800!" exclaimed a young noble heir, abruptly standing up as if unable to contain his impatience.

He held up his bid sign while glancing around, seemingly trying to identify the family that wasn't giving him face.

After scanning the room, he noticed the bidding lady in the slightly right-of-center box on the second floor. As he saw the black-haired young man beside her, his expression changed, and he immediately sat back down, coughing, "Excuse me, I need to adjust my clothes."

"3900! Any higher offers?"

In the midst of the auction, the chief auctioneer, Viscount Hamadi's eldest son, caught the attention of the audience by announcing the next item. The crowd of nobles, curious about what could possibly embarrass the eldest son of a viscount, looked up in anticipation.

"Ah! It's Baron Hammer!" The auctioneer's assistant, Baroness Crowley, had prompted this revelation.

The first item, a rare set of five mithril ingots, was sold to Rain for 3900 gold coins. This acquisition alone made Rain feel the trip was worthwhile, as these rare minerals were already a significant gain.

"Next, we have two rare Extraordinary Combat Skills. To ensure our esteemed guests don't miss out on their preferred skills, I'll reveal the names of these skills beforehand," the chief auctioneer, Idriss, announced, intending to intensify the competition.

By disclosing the skill names, Idriss aimed to prevent nobles from waiting for the second skill, hoping it would be more suitable and affordable.

However, with two distinct skill categories, there was no room for underbidding. Instead, the scarcity of these skills would intensify the competition.

As Idriss revealed the skill names, the audience's anticipation soared.

"For those who favor single-handed sword skills, we have the 'Tide Sword Manual,' a less-known skill with two complete secret techniques," Idriss said, pointing to a tray covered in red silk.

On the tray lay an ancient scroll, presumably the manual itself.

"The second skill is the 'Kadral's Fist Manual,' a rare set of skills from the late Master Kadral Aes, also containing two complete secret techniques."

"Both skills are worthy of becoming a family's inherited combat skills, and through generations of practice, unique family secrets may emerge," Idriss added.

Upon hearing the first skill's name, Rain frowned.

A single-handed sword skill? Not his preference.

But when the second skill was announced, Rain was taken aback.

"A fist skill?" he thought, surprised by the rarity of such a skill.

The surrounding nobles whispered, discussing the uncommon nature of fist skills, as nobles who fought with 'Claw' weapons were scarce.

Even assassins preferred lethal daggers or short swords over claws.

Rain contemplated and quickly made his decision.

If given the choice, he opted for the 'Kadral's Fist Manual' over the 'Tide Sword Manual.'

Why?

In his recent battles, Rain had encountered faster opponents, making him feel passive in combat.

Fist skills and daggers typically came with agile footwork or evasive maneuvers.

Mastering these skills would compensate for his shortcomings.

Additionally, the single-handed sword skills were more common, leading to intense competition.

In contrast, fewer competitors would bid for the fist skill.

Indeed, the competition for the 'Tide Sword Manual' was fierce, with over thirty rounds of bidding, ultimately selling for 11,000 gold coins to a baron.

The bidding for the 'Kadral's Fist Manual' was less intense, with only eight rounds, and Rain secured it for 4,200 gold coins.

The beautiful noblewoman and Jenny exchanged glances, perplexed by Rain's choice, wondering why he opted for the less popular fist skill instead of the single-handed sword skill, especially with his strong foundation in two-handed swords.

However, as the noblewoman was not well-versed in martial arts, she refrained from asking further.

---

Soon, a servant entered, carrying a tray with a pale yellow scroll—the 'Kadral's Fist Manual' Rain had just acquired.

Rain eagerly opened the scroll and began reading.

"Master Kadral Aes, inspired by the attacks of tigers, gradually created and perfected this fist skill, hence its alternative name, 'Tiger Fist Skill.'"

The manual's preface briefly explained its origins.

'Tiger Fist Skill'? Rain pondered, finding similarities with ancient fist skills from his past life, all inspired by observing tigers, leopards, and bears, evolving into techniques suitable for human combat.

Among these were the health-promoting 'Five Animal Play' and the powerful combat skill 'Xingyiquan,' both renowned examples.

The manual detailed five techniques.

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

The second, a left swing punch, was paired with a right slide step.

The third, a right swing punch, was executed with a left slide step.

The fourth, an uppercut, was combined with a multi-directional slide step.

The slide step involved pushing off with one foot, moving sideways about a foot's length, followed by the other foot, maintaining the original stance.

These four techniques, according to the manual, could be transformed into corresponding claw attacks, hence the name 'Tiger Fist Skill.'

The fifth and final technique was a dodging move called the pendulum backstep.

Each technique had a corresponding step, especially the last one, a dodging move, which delighted Rain.

However, as Rain reached the end of the manual, he raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm? A claw?"

Before him was a simple claw design, differing from typical claws in its four sharp protrusions at the knuckle positions.

In each protrusion, a dagger-like shape is formed, with a sharp tip and a thicker base, about ten centimeters in length, mimicking the essence of a tiger's claw.

Needless to say, if an enemy with insufficient defense is struck by this claw-like punch, four bloody holes will be left on their body.

In other words, this set of Kadral's Fist Manual is designed to maximize damage with the accompanying claws.

As for the secret techniques, the first is called 'Rapid Combo,' where the user unleashes a barrage of punches, left and right swings, and other moves in a short time.

The second secret technique is named 'Hundred Rend Strike,' which requires the use of blade claws and involves a series of upper cuts, downward slashes, and side swings in a short time.

The following items up for auction didn't include anything that Rain was particularly interested in.

After the auction ended, Rain returned home, eager to start practicing the 'Kadral's Fist Manual.'

After all, once he could raise this extraordinary combat skill to level 10, he would immediately be able to change jobs to the legendary profession, [Weapon Master]! The thought of it made Rain's heart race with excitement.

In the indoor training room, Rain practiced each move according to the manual's illustrated human figure.

Soon, the system notification sounded:

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



[You have learned a new skill - Kadral's Fist Manual]



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



Kadral's Fist Manual lv1 (1/100) appeared on the Knight (Extraordinary) profession panel, and its icon was a tall, muscular figure with a tiger's head and a human body, standing upright with a pair of sharp claws and blade claws, swinging them in a fierce manner.

Since Rain was no longer a novice, the experience required for learning combat skills was no longer as daunting as it had been half a year ago. In just an afternoon, he managed to raise it to level 3.

However, from level 3 onwards, the rate of improvement began to slow down.

Rain knew how to speed up the process; if he could find suitable sparring partners or opponents for practice, he could quickly raise the skill level again.

As for allocating skill points?

That was something he wouldn't consider until reaching level 5.

"Knock knock knock!"

Hmm? Normally, the servants knew not to disturb him during his training sessions.

Could there be an emergency?

Hearing the knocking, Rain was puzzled and called out, "Come in!"

Jenny entered, looking apologetic, and explained, "Sir Rain, I'm sorry, but there's a caravan leader outside who says he has something to deliver to you personally."

"A caravan?" Rain was perplexed.

"Yes, Sir Rain. It seems they're from Rosby County," Jenny confirmed, adding, "The caravan leader emphasized that the item is very valuable and must be handed to you personally."

"Thank you. I appreciate your efforts," Rain smiled.

Jenny, being resourceful, had the servants prepare some coins as a token of appreciation for the caravan leader.

After the leader left, Rain uncovered the gray cloth covering the items, and indeed, there were twelve turtle shells, just as he had cut them from the body of the Ironback Turtle during the battle.

There were originally thirteen shells, but one had been shattered by Rain during the fight.

Rain had already planned the use for these sturdy and thick turtle shells—to craft a not-so-uncommon piece of equipment, a turtle shell shield.

Of course, ordinary turtle shell shields were made from the shells of regular sea turtles, incomparable to what Rain had in mind.

Rain's primary goal was to earn a substantial experience reward by crafting a turtle shell shield using the materials from the Ironback Turtle.

This deduction was based on the fact that crafting armor from rare minerals yielded higher experience rewards.

The Ironback Turtle, being an entry-level giant beast with strength comparable to a Great Knight, naturally had shells that were considered rare materials.

So, Rain believed he would likely receive a substantial experience reward for crafting the turtle shell shield.

After dinner, Rain headed to the smithy.

He had already prepared for crafting the turtle shell shield by rounding the edges of the shells and wrapping them with iron strips, then drilling holes and attaching metal handles.

The shield's defensive capabilities heavily relied on the hardness of the turtle shells.

Half an hour later, Rain had wrapped a long iron strip around the shell's perimeter and started hammering it with a blacksmith's hammer. He then began searching for the ideal spot to drill a hole and attach a metal handle at the top of the shell.

Soon, he completed the process and held the finished turtle shell shield, giving it a few swings.

The system notification appeared:

[You have crafted a turtle shell shield, and your understanding has improved!]



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



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



[Your focus on Turtle Shell Shield Crafting has increased your Armorsmith experience by +202]



Wow! That's a substantial experience reward!

Rain's eyes lit up as he realized his previous deduction was correct—the rarer the material, the higher the experience reward, and the more challenging the crafting, the higher the system's experience reward.

The Ironback Turtle's shell, being as rare as a precious mineral, earned him a generous experience reward.

After a rough calculation, Rain discovered that when he finished crafting all twelve turtle shells, he would be able to upgrade his Armorer skill from level 5 to level 6, and even have some points to spare.

This news lifted his spirits, and he immediately started working with renewed enthusiasm.

It took him over four hours to craft ten Turtle Shell Shields continuously, successfully advancing his Armorer skill to level 6.

He received one additional skill point and one attribute point as a reward.

At this point, the remaining attribute points on his attribute panel reached 6, and the remaining skill points were no longer 0, but 1.

Feeling satisfied, Rain left the blacksmith shop and returned to the manor to rest.

---

Meanwhile.

Ever since Rain won the Bloody Duel and returned to the manor, Baron Alonso's mood had been sour.

Even his trusted butler, Michel, hadn't received a good face from him all day.

This was the third time Michel had come, and he heard a maid report, "Butler Michel, the master has smashed two antique vases and three flower pots today."

Michel was taken aback! It had been years since he had seen Baron Alonso so angry.

The last time, it seemed, was when he was defeated by Miss Clea, right? He couldn't quite remember.

After some thought, Michel decided to tough it out and knock on the door.

At that moment, the study door suddenly opened, and Baron Alonso walked out with a gloomy expression.

When he saw Michel, his expression softened somewhat, and he said, "Michel, arrange a carriage for me. I need to go out."

"Yes, sir."

A short while later, Alonso boarded a luxurious carriage and arrived at the Meyster County Prison.

In Magis's office.

"Magis, you must have heard the news by now, right? Rain defeated Baron Norman, who had just advanced to the Great Knight level, in the Bloody Duel. Do you still have confidence in fulfilling your promise?" Alonso asked expressionlessly.

"Sir, please rest assured. I have been working on this matter all along."

"Although the newly minted baron is quite formidable, the organization has sent a Great Knight to Meyster County who is not just any ordinary Great Knight. Therefore, I still have full confidence."

"Please wait for good news, sir."

While Magis was speaking, Alonso was closely observing his expression, seemingly trying to gauge the truthfulness of his words.

After a moment of scrutiny, Alonso nodded and said, "I hope it happens soon. Otherwise, Sir Rain's growth rate might exceed our expectations."

Although Magis spoke with confidence, Alonso, who had experienced a series of failures, was at the bottom of his confidence.

Frankly, if not for Magis's comment about 'not just any ordinary Great Knight,' Alonso would have had little hope.

After Alonso left, Magis frowned.

This Hammer Baron's strength has indeed improved too quickly!

Moreover, although he had just spoken with confidence, Magis was also troubled because the newly arrived Admiral Parix clearly didn't take his advice seriously.

A few days ago, after his confidant reported back, he understood the new Meyster County leader's general thoughts.

The other party didn't seem to care much about the current situation, as Rain wasn't even a Great Knight yet. Instead, their attention was more on a broader scale.

After some thought, Magis gestured to his confidant and said, "You might need to make an immediate trip to the Wolfhill Plains to report Rain's performance in the Bloody Duel to Admiral Parix."

"Now that the other party has clearly demonstrated Great Knight-level combat strength, I think Admiral Parix shouldn't underestimate him anymore." Magis sighed.

"Yes, sir!"

Soon, the confidant left the office.

Two hours later, Magis's confidant arrived at the Wolfhill plains on horseback.

"Surprised? To be able to counterkill a Great Knight at the Knight level?"

"This kind of situation is indeed rare. I didn't expect such talent to appear in a small place like Meyster." Admiral Parix's surprise was evident on his face.

However, his expression showed no fear or apprehension, but rather a hint of anticipation.

He pondered for a while and said, "Tell Magis that I know about this."

"Originally, I wasn't very interested. But the fact that he can now kill a Great Knight is quite intriguing. However, if the Hammer Baron stays in the county town, I can't make a move."

"So, have Magis do his intelligence work well."

"If he leaves the county town, notify me immediately."

At the end of his words, Admiral Parix emphasized the intelligence work, and the confidant understood that he was reminding his boss to do his job well.

"Yes, sir." With that, the confidant bowed and slowly retreated.

---

The next morning, Hamilton arrived at Rain's manor as scheduled.

Soon, a luxurious carriage loaded Rain and Hamilton and headed for the Usman Family's manor outside the county town.

Typically, most nobles would choose to live in the noble quarter of the county town for safety and the convenience of attending various banquets and salons.

A few nobles, however, preferred to live in manors adjacent to the county town.

This was because manors generally covered a larger area, suitable for horse riding, and were relatively quieter.

The Usman Family was one of these few, rarely participating in the county town's banquets and social activities, possibly due to being recent migrants or for other reasons, which were unknown.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the entrance of a manor with a sense of history.

The walls around the manor were covered with wisteria, ivy, and honeysuckle, creating a green and pleasant scene that lifted one's mood.

And Lawrence, the knight Rain had met before, was already at the manor's entrance, leading several servants in respectful waiting.

---

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end