Chapter 111: Wealth Leaderboard #1

The third item up for auction was a Level 30 Cabaro’s Greataxe.

The moment its name appeared, InfernoRider001 and Slayer#Apex, both Fighters, were drawn to it almost instinctively. Neither was willing to give ground. The two warriors immediately fell into a fierce bidding war, their prices climbing rapidly until the number hit 4 million gold coins, at which point the rest of the hall had already been forced out of the competition.

Just when both men were bracing themselves for the final push, the person they had been dreading stepped in.

As expected, Blaze Phoenix entered the fray.

Without any hesitation, he raised the bid straight to 5 million gold coins. The sudden jump crushed the momentum of the duel. Slayer#Apex stiffened, his expression darkening, and after a brief pause, he could only grit his teeth and withdraw.

InfernoRider001, however, refused to back down.

Being suppressed by Blaze Phoenix once was bad enough. Losing again would be humiliating, not just for him personally, but for the entire Inferno Clan. Even though he knew perfectly well that Blaze Phoenix was deliberately inflating the price, he had no choice but to push forward. Pride and reputation left him no room to retreat.

In the end, InfernoRider001 secured the Cabaro’s Greataxe for a staggering 6.5 million gold coins.

The auction hall buzzed with mixed reactions, admiration, shock, and quiet disbelief.

After giving the crowd a moment to settle, Old Vine lifted his voice again, excitement clear in his tone.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we now move on to the final Golden equipment of the evening, the Level 30 Black Iron Spiked Club. The starting bid is 3 million gold coins, and each increase must be no less than ten thousand gold coins.”

The moment the item’s attributes were displayed, interest surged.

As the starting price was announced, ThreeleafAxe69, InfernoRider001, SoulfireBlade, and Slayer#Apex all showed unmistakable intent. Almost instantly, the bidding exploded. Prices rose in smooth, relentless increments of one hundred thousand gold coins, with no pauses and no hesitation. Every one of them clearly wanted the Black Iron Spiked Club, and none intended to give it up easily.

From a seat further back, Demonic Dragon, who had just acquired the Guild Creation Token, stared at the club with naked greed.

As a Fighter, this weapon was something he desperately wanted. Under normal circumstances, he would have thrown himself into the competition without restraint. Unfortunately, the Guild Creation Token had completely emptied his reserves, and there was no time to transfer more gold into the game. All he could do was watch, regret burning in his eyes.

“8 million gold coins, Blaze Phoenix.”

Just as everyone expected, Blaze Phoenix once again shattered the rhythm of the auction. He had no patience for cautious bidding or measured increases. With his usual swagger, he leapt straight to 8 million gold coins, instantly raising the stakes.

This time, however, the four major guild leaders refused to yield.

Instead of backing down, they responded with fury, matching his aggression and pushing the price higher at an alarming speed. The atmosphere inside the Old Vine Auction House ignited once more, waves of excitement and tension crashing through the crowd.

“12 million gold coins, Slayer#Apex.”

“13 million gold coins, InfernoRider001.”

It was clear that Slayer#Apex had abandoned the Cabaro’s Greataxe precisely for this moment. He was fully committed now. At the same time, InfernoRider001, despite having already won the Greataxe, showed no intention of letting this weapon slip away. He was determined to claim both pieces of Golden equipment, no matter the cost.

“15 million gold coins, Blaze Phoenix.”

The hall erupted.

“Are you kidding me?”

Whispers and gasps spread like wildfire. The Black Iron Spiked Club was worth, at most, 7 million gold coins. Yet the price had already soared past 15 million, blatantly inflated by the madness of the guild leaders.

This was no longer rational bidding. The major guilds had completely lost their restraint.

“16 million gold coins, InfernoRider001.”

True to his status, InfernoRider001 poured all the frustration from losing the Guild Creation Token into this bid. He was fully prepared to clash head-on with Blaze Phoenix, regardless of the consequences.

“16.5 million gold coins, SoulfireBlade.”

“17 million gold coins, ThreeleafAxe69.”

“18 million gold coins, Hexium.”

The final Golden equipment of the night had become more than just a weapon. It was the last chance for the major guilds to reclaim their dignity and make a statement. Even the normally silent Hexium had stepped forward. This was a battlefield of influence, pride, and dominance.

“20 million gold coins, Blaze Phoenix.”

Seeing that the price could still be pushed higher, Blaze Phoenix smiled to himself and continued without hesitation, eager to turn the competition even more intense and explosive.

“Black Iron Spiked Club for 20 million gold coins, going once. Any further bids?”

“Black Iron Spiked Club for 20 million gold coins, going twice. Any further bids?”

“Black Iron Spiked Club for 20 million gold coins, going three times. Any further bids?”

Bang!

Old Vine brought the auction hammer down hard.

“Sold. The Black Iron Spiked Club for 20 million gold coins.”

“….”

For a brief moment, Blaze Phoenix stood there in silence.

No one had challenged the price. The hall had gone completely still. He slowly looked toward the guild leaders who had been locked in furious competition just moments ago, only to find them now wearing relaxed, satisfied smiles. In that instant, everything clicked.

He had been played.

The major guilds genuinely wanted the Black Iron Spiked Club, but they had also been fed up with Blaze Phoenix’s reckless bidding habits. He had repeatedly forced prices higher, using his wealth to bully others out of auctions. This time, without saying a word, they had worked together, pushing him forward until there was no room left to retreat.

20 million gold coins.

That was about 2 million US dollars for a Level 30 Golden equipment piece. There was no justification for a purchase like that beyond pride, impulse, and a carefully laid trap.

Interesting, Blaze Phoenix thought, a crooked smile forming as he mocked himself inwardly.

The auction was over. Complaining now would only make him look petty. Besides, money was never his real concern. If anything, the only true winner was the anonymous player who had listed the Black Iron Spiked Club, someone who had just walked away with an absurd profit thanks to the guilds’ silent agreement.

Rather than frown, Blaze Phoenix continued smiling.

He could tell that the major guild leaders now viewed him differently. They had tested him, cornered him, and seen how he reacted. From his perspective, that was not a loss. On the contrary, it meant future dealings with them would be far smoother than before.

With the headline items concluded, the auction moved on.

More than a hundred pieces of Blue equipment were brought out one after another. The wealthy players seated in the VIP Section deliberately avoided bidding on such items, unwilling to lower themselves over low-tier gear. That left the floor open to the players in the spectator stands, who eagerly jumped in.

Before long, every single piece had found a buyer.

In total, the Blue equipment sold for just over one million gold coins, averaging around ten thousand gold coins per item, a surprisingly high price by normal standards.

This was one of the strange strengths of Dominion. Its massive player base made things possible that would never work in the real world. That same scale and unpredictability were exactly what kept players hooked, and continued drawing new ones in.

“Stonehaven, you really hit the jackpot this time,” Old Vine said with a sigh. “This kind of easy money is enough to make anyone jealous.”

After the auction concluded, Marcus and Old Vine sat down to settle accounts. One by one, the gold coins from the auction were transferred into Marcus’s account. Even for Old Vine, who had overseen countless transactions, the sheer size of the number left him shaken. He had spent years running auctions, yet it still felt unreal how effortlessly wealth could be generated here.

A system notification chimed the moment the transfer completed.

“Ding. Player Stonehaven, you now possess 130 million gold coins. You have entered the Wealth Leaderboard. Would you like to display your name?”

“No.”

The answer came instantly.

The gold from the auction, combined with the exhibition earnings, had pushed Marcus onto the Wealth Leaderboard, marking his official entry into the highest tier of players. Without hesitation, he chose to remain anonymous.

He opened the leaderboard interface.

Wealth Leaderboard:

1. Name Hidden – 130,180,000 Gold

2. Hexium – 92,920,000 Gold

3. HandsomeDevil – 80,110,000 Gold

4. InfernoRider001 – 76,410,000 Gold

5. SoulfireBlade – 73,000,000 Gold

6. ThreeleafAxe69 – 72,780,000 Gold

7. Slayer#Apex – 71,810,000 Gold

8. CryptoWarlord – 64,010,000 Gold

9. Blaze Phoenix – 63,820,000 Gold

10. GoldDiggerIRL – 59,420,000 Gold

’Ha. Awesome.’

For a long time, the Wealth Leaderboard had been the one gap in his achievements. Now, not only had he filled it, he had taken the very top spot. His gold total had shattered the 100 million mark, something only a handful of players had ever reached.

With this, Marcus now stood at number one on all four major leaderboards, the Level Leaderboard, the Reputation Leaderboard, the Wealth Leaderboard, and the Pet Leaderboard.

It was the kind of achievement most players would never even dare to imagine.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep