Chapter 105: The Token Takes the Stage

“Who is that?”

A young man stood among the crowd, refined in appearance and wearing a constant, easy smile as he greeted the leaders of the various Guilds. He clearly knew them well. Every word and gesture carried the ease of long familiarity, as though these relationships had been built over time rather than forced for the occasion.

He had a calm, steady presence that naturally put people at ease, and his smile felt sincere rather than practiced. The leaders of the major Guilds responded to him with open warmth, while the heads of smaller Mercenary Groups smiled so eagerly it bordered on flattery. The scene was striking, and undeniably enviable.

“That is CryptoWarlord, number one on the Wealth Leaderboard and the owner of the Merchant Alliance Auction House, the first auction house established in Dominion.”

“That’s CryptoWarlord?”

Marcus couldn’t hide his surprise.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s quite young. I always imagined CryptoWarlord as a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, someone who smelled of ledgers and marketplaces. I never expected him to look like this.”

The man before him was nothing like the image he had built in his mind.

Thinking it over, the attitude of the major Guild leaders toward CryptoWarlord suddenly made sense. The Merchant Alliance had been the first auction house in Dominion, and its volume of equipment sales and circulation was enormous. For any Guild leader hoping to strengthen their forces and secure high quality gear, it was an ally they could not afford to offend. On top of that, the sheer amount of gold CryptoWarlord controlled was enough to inspire both admiration and envy.

“Heh. Kids these days,” Old Vine muttered beside him, a note of genuine admiration in his sigh. “All the talent. The new generation outshines the old. Every time.”

Marcus could tell the old man meant it. There was real appreciation in his eyes, even though CryptoWarlord was his biggest rival.

’Impressive. You have to hand it to him.:

Marcus gave credit where it was due. Here was CryptoWarlord, smiling and mingling at Old Vine’s event, even though the sale of a Guild Creation Token here would be a direct blow to his own business. Whatever he was thinking privately, showing up with that much grace took a kind of class most of the arrogant trust-fund types in this world couldn’t fake. It was a smart play; stay humble, and the reputation points roll in.

“That slightly plump middle-aged man over there is GoldDiggerIRL.”

“Right.”

Not far from CryptoWarlord, a portly middle-aged man was holding court, basking in a similar shower of greetings and flattery from a crowd of guild leaders. He responded to everyone with enthusiastic, practiced charm. There was no doubt about his identity. This was GoldDiggerIRL, the owner of the Gold Coin Auction House, and he looked every inch the classic merchant, the living image of his username.

’Formidable.’

There was a reason these two auction houses stood at the very top of Dominion. Their composure alone commanded attention, and their presence carried a quiet authority that spoke of experience, capability, and power.

Scanning the VIP section, Marcus saw the owners of all three major auction houses were present, along with the game’s top guild leadership. It was a testament to the pull of Old Vine’s auction tonight. It also signaled just how big a splash this event would make in Dominion’s future.

It was, without exaggeration, a gathering of powerhouses.

Yet beneath that thought, a private thrill stirred in his chest. While Old Vine had done an excellent job organizing the event, he knew the real reason these giants had gathered here tonight.

It was his Guild Creation Token.

Watching these formidable figures, he understood clearly that none of them were simple characters. Dominion was crowded with powerhouses, and competition here was brutal. It was fortunate that he had no intention of establishing a Guild or chasing fame at this stage. Even with the strength of his IronWing identity, standing at the center of this storm would not be easy.

As a lone wolf, moving independently and relying on his own strength, he was confident. In that path, no one could easily surpass him, nor stand as his equal.

“Stone, it’s time. I need to go start the auction.”

“Alright.”

Old Vine understood that he had no intention of revealing himself. He gave a brief nod, then turned and made his way toward the auction platform.

At precisely eight o’clock, the Old Vine Auction House event officially began. The instant Old Vine stepped out from behind the auction platform, the noisy Arena fell into sudden, absolute silence. Every player’s gaze locked onto the most dazzling figure of the night, Old Vine himself, the owner of the Old Vine Auction House. Eight o’clock referred to real-world time, which was perfectly synchronized with the game, even though Dominion knew no night, only endless daylight.

Old Vine walked steadily onto the platform under the weight of countless eyes. As the host of the auction, it was his honor to present the centerpiece of the entire event, the Guild Creation Token. This alone was enough to make countless players envious. The attention flooding toward him from every direction was overwhelming, the kind that could make anyone’s heart race.

He swept his gaze across the sea of players filling the Arena. A powerful sense of glory rose within him as he stood at the very center of it all. Even someone like Old Vine, long accustomed to status and recognition in the real world, could not help but feel excited. In reality, it was impossible to gather such an enormous crowd, but here, within the game, he had brought together numbers that far exceeded anything achievable outside.

No wonder competition in Dominion was so ruthless. When faced with thousands, even millions of players, the feeling of standing above them all was intoxicating. This was the kind of power and recognition countless players chased.

Old Vine knew that if he were still young, he would never be able to resist such temptation. He would throw himself into the struggle without hesitation, fighting for the honor of becoming the strongest, the one at the very top.

He cleared his throat, delivered a few standard opening remarks along with some routine words of thanks, and then moved smoothly into the auction itself.

The structure of Old Vine’s auction was clear and deliberate. Based on the quality of the items, the entire event was divided into four distinct stages.

The first stage consisted of eight pieces of Golden equipment with intermediate attributes. These items had been consigned by players after the Old Vine Auction House’s reputation soared, following the announcement that the Guild Creation Token would be sold here.

The second stage was the auction of the Guild Creation Token itself. Rather than saving it for the end, Old Vine had made the bold and unconventional choice to place the main event here.

The third stage featured his high-level Golden equipment, the War Bear Armor, Cabaro’s Greataxe, the Black Iron Spiked Club, and the Stormstrike Staff. At first, it seemed natural to auction all Golden equipment together, but Old Vine believed the gap between intermediate and high-level Golden items was too large to ignore. Separating them would better stimulate bidding and draw out the players’ desire.

The fourth and final stage consisted mainly of more than a hundred pieces of Blue equipment suitable for players between levels twenty and twenty-five.

Ending the auction with the lowest-tier Blue equipment was a subtle but brilliant decision. Old Vine did not bother to explain his reasoning, but it was immediately clear to Marcus why the arrangement worked so well, and he could not help but admire Old Vine’s experience and insight.

His high-level Golden equipment was truly top-tier. For Guild leaders desperate to strengthen their forces and push their levels higher, the temptation was only slightly less than that of the Guild Creation Token itself.

If these high-level Golden items were auctioned before the Guild Creation Token, the major Guilds would inevitably hold back. Every gold coin would need to be reserved for the Token, leaving little room for aggressive bidding.

By selling the Guild Creation Token first and placing the high-level equipment afterward, Old Vine ensured a very different outcome. The Guilds that failed to secure the Token would have no reason to restrain themselves. They would bid fiercely for any equipment they wanted, pouring their frustration and ambition directly into the auction.

As for the Blue equipment between levels twenty and thirty, Old Vine had judged the situation perfectly. The players seated in the VIP section would never openly compete with ordinary players for such items. Although several Guilds had privately contacted Old Vine beforehand, hoping to purchase the entire batch of Blue equipment to outfit their members, none of them would dare do so publicly. In front of such a massive crowd, fighting over Blue gear would only make them look petty and cheap.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep