Chapter 57: Auction end

Back to the present.

Damon turned his attention back to the auction as the item he came for finally came on stage.

On a platter on the stage, were two metal wrist bands adorned with purple inscriptions. They would have screamed treasure, if not for the concurrent cracks all over their body, and the dimming inscription that sometimes let out sparks.

“These here is a damaged artifact, we don’t know what it’s enchantments are, but the seller claims they found them in a an ancient ruin.” The auctioneer explained. “The starting price is set at 10,000 gold knotts!”

There was silence, except for the murmurings of the audience, no one was bidding for the item. The silence stretched, and just as the auctioneer was about to make the staff take it away so the next item could be brought to stage, a voice called out.

“10,000 gold knotts!”

“10,000 gold knotts from VIP room 13!” The auctioneer cheerfully announced.

’The bands of Legom.’ Damon thought. That was the name of the artifact. It belonged to a legendary figure called Legom in Nahaar’s history.

The artifact itself enables it’s wearer to generate a concussive blast of shockwave upon hitting both bands together. For now though, they were damaged. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t be fixed.

In the novel, the artifact had been auctioned for weeks, with no one seeming to be interested in it. No one wanted to buy a damaged artifact, and one that nothing was known about on top. Not until Alistair came, his protagonist senses triggered and told him something about the artifact was valuable.

“Yeah right.” Damon snickered.

Alistair proceeded to bid for it. He got it for only 6000 gold knotts at that time due to it’s price having been reduced in hopes that it would catch someone’s fancy.

That was supposed to happen in two days, but it won’t be happening anymore. Anyway, after Alistair got it, he got an artificer to fix it, and after it was fixed, lo and behold, it was an Alpha ranked artifact.

One must know that the pocket ship Damon had procured earlier, was merely a Gamma ranked artifact, while his featureless mask was Delta ranked. An artifact’s rank mainly depended on it’s enchantments, and how complex the sorcery inscribed in or onto them are.

For it to be so high ranked, if it was in pristine condition, it would have sold for no less than a million gold knotts, or a thousand aether stones. And that was just the minimum, assuming it was sold in a store. In an auction house like this, there was no saying what it’s price could be pushed to.

“Would anyone else like to bid?!” The auctioneer questioned.

“Going once!” She announced when she saw that no one else seemed to want to bid for it.

“Going twice!” she announced almost immediately. She might as well quickly round it up and move to other items on the list.

“Going thrice!, and congratulations to the person in VIP room 13 for obtaining this artifact!”

“I’m down to 165,000.” While the auctioneer was cheerful that someone had bought the item that refused to be sold for weeks, Damon was busy calculating how much he had left.

The auction didn’t stop after that, instead it continued with more fervor. Many items came up. Some dubious pills that could temporarily increase one’s strength in exchange for immense side effects, A royal grade channeling method, and other high end stuffs.

Most low level bidders down below, had already left. But Damon decided to stay until the end of the auction.

“That’s it, ladies and gentlemen, the Treasure Auction House’s weekly auction has officially ended.” The auctioneer announced by the time the auction ended.

“The only thing that’s left to do is proceed with the transaction of the merchandise!”

“I request all the ones who are not a VIP to come to the backstage for the transaction.”

“For those who are VIPs, please stay in your respective rooms. We will come to your place to transact one by one.”

After announcing, the auctioneer let out a last dazzling smile at the audience, before going backstage.

After that, it didn’t take long before a knock echoed on Damon’s door, before the masked figure of Khloe came in en tow with two attendants, also masked.

“I hope the auction was to your liking Mr Mark!” she greeted.

“Well, I can’t say it wasn’t.” Damon replied.

“Here are your purchases.” Khloe motioned to the two attendants behind her to come forward with the trays.

On one tray sat the pocket ship, while on the other was the bands of Legom.

Damon quickly inspected both items, before he sent them into his spatial storage.

Khloe then passed him a spatial storage ring.

“In here is your money, 82, aether stones, and 83, 000 gold knotts. You can keep the spatial storage, take it as a gift from our auction house.”

Damon accepted the spatial ring, and inspected it’s contents. Once he was satisfied, he nodded.

“Nice doing business with you, Miss Khloe.”

“It was my pleasure, Mr Mark.” she replied smoothly.

“That reminds me,” Damon began. “I have something to discuss with you. But preferably out of ear shot. Do you perhaps know somewhere we could talk freely?” he inquired, while watching the expressions of the two attendants.

“That…” she paused, hesitant. “I can arrange that.” she finally nodded her head. “But it’ll be after every transaction for this auction is settled.”

“No problem, I’ll be here, just let me know once you’re ready.”

After that, Khloe excused herself along with the attendants. Damon’s figure then subtly shimmered, before different clothes appeared on his body. But his face was bare this time, or more specifically Mark mywords’ face.

The reflection that had been in the black market from the past few days was nearing the end of it’s lifespan, so Damon swapped it with another before the reflection dispelled by itself and left his treasures here.

He swiftly created another reflection, who soon swapped with another one back at the institute. Only this time, the one that had appeared had the the mask given to Damon when he entered the back market, on his face.

Damon collected the mask from the other reflection, before it dispelled itself.

“Neat.” Damon commented, putting the mask back on his face. Now, his money and treasures were safe with the main body back at the institute, so he could act as free as he wanted. Plus he was created with 50 percent of the main body’s aether, so he was plenty strong.

It took an hour more before Khloe came back. Now though, she had no mask on her face.

“Come with me.” she said.

Damon nodded without objection, and followed her. They left the VIP hotel room, then the auction hall, and finally the Treasure Auction House.

They soon came across a cafe, and she led him inside. After they found a seat at the corner, she opened her mouth.

“You can speak here. Everyone’s too busy minding their own businesses to eavesdrop.”

“Work for me!” Damon said with no hesitation in his voice. It was either now, or Alistair beat him to it in two days.

“I’m sorry what?!” the beautiful woman’s eyes widened.

“I’ll pay off your debts in exchange.” Damon said.

“How did you know about that?” Khloe’s eyes narrowed.

“Let’s just say I like to be informed.” he replied.

Khloe took a second look at the masked young man before her. No one knew of the debt between she and the treasure Auction House, expect both parties. So how did this young man seem to figure it out?

She had once refused to be sold like a slave, and instead begged the auction house to let her work for them while she paid off the debts. Seeing she was a pretty face, the auction house agreed. If anything, she could draw more customers. But she hadn’t been willing to sell herself to repay that debt.

’He might be very dangerous.’ she thought. But even if he was, “What type of work?” she asked defensively. If it was anything… questionable, she wouldn’t do it, even if it costed her her life.

“Nothing much.” Damon shrugged. “Just information gathering and sorts, and informing me if there’s anything new in the market.”

“That…” she paused. “That doesn’t seem dubious.” she said. “What’s the catch?” she asked. There were always catches in offers like this.

“That you get rid of your gambling habits.” The young man said.

“W…w…what?!”

“Yes.” Damon nodded. “If you’re going to work for me, you’ll have to get rid of your gambling habits. It was what got you into this situation was it not?” It was gambling debts that got her sold to the auction house in the first place.

“That’s it?” she asked in disbelief.

“Pretty much it.” he replied.

She frowned. That was not a condition at all. She could work with that. Besides she was already throwing away her habits, only indulging a bit now and then.

“You have yourself a deal.” She said to him.

*************

Here’s today’s Chapter. Thanks for the support, and don’t forget my power stones.

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