Chapter 242: Familiar Lots

The bids went on, the excitement in the room slowly waning after the incredible start. Nessyra suggested that the energy would likely pick up again closer to the end of the auction. For now, many of the treasures reached price points they could have easily won if they had chosen to seriously compete. However, none of the lots had met their needs or seemed worth the expense, especially when it risked leaving them without the funds to secure something they truly needed or wanted later.

Alistair thoroughly enjoyed watching the fierce bidding wars unfold, observing as the presenters brought forth the next item with practiced precision.

“The next lot is for the explorers, alchemists, and collectors among you,” Zermos announced, his voice carrying with effortless charm. As the presenters carefully placed the item on display, it became clear that it resembled a snow globe—though instead of swirling snow, it held an idyllic, spatially compressed garden containing a diverse array of carefully cultivated environments.

“A pocket realm—more specifically, a specialized garden capable of sustaining even the rarest and most demanding plant-based treasures,” Zermos continued, gesturing toward the shimmering sphere. “Though its space is limited, its practicality cannot be overstated. Whether you are a traveler wishing to bring your garden with you or a cultivator tending to flora with exacting environmental needs, this treasure offers a solution unlike any other.”

He let the anticipation settle for a heartbeat before raising a hand with a flourish. “The starting bid is set at 2 million USC! Bidding increments will begin at a minimum of ten thousand USC. Let us begin!"

Alistair glanced at the others to gauge their reactions, noting he wasn’t the only one showing genuine interest in the item.

“What do you think? Are we competing for this one?” he asked.

Nessyra tilted her head from side to side, clearly weighing the pros and cons. “We can try, but I don’t think it’s worth chasing if the price keeps rising at this pace. We don’t necessarily need it right now, though it could save us some headaches in case we come across a treasure that requires extremely specific environments.” She then turned to Denodia. “You’re the one with the most experience in crafting—what’s your take?”

Denodia cupped her chin, her brow furrowed in thought. “I think we could replicate its effects for specific treasures with enough research,” she said slowly. “Though, acquiring it might teach us a lot in the process. Plus, we could potentially sell modified versions of it in the future. There’s value there, no doubt.”

"Let's just compete and see where it takes us," Riseth said, placing a bold bid that immediately jumped the price by several million USC. A few heads turned at the sudden increase, but she remained unfazed. "If it gets too expensive, we can just tap out."

Riseth repeated this two more times, and Alistair watched with bated breath as competitors dropped out one by one.

"18 million 345 thousand USC by the Ryser Clan, going once… going twice… Do I hear another bid?" Zermos called out.

"19 million 500 thousand USC by the Yacipir Collective! Going once— and 20 million USC by the Ryser Clan."

Alistair schooled his expression, but internally, he grimaced. The price was creeping toward a point where it was no longer worth it, especially without knowing whether these 20 million USC might be needed for something more crucial later.

When the Yacipir Collective raised to 24 million, he placed a hand on Riseth’s to stop her from bidding just as Denodia was about to speak up.

"It's not worth it anymore," Alistair said, his tone firm but calm. "Let them have it if they want it that badly."

Riseth pouted slightly but relented. "Alright, you're right," she admitted, leaning back in her chair.

Alistair gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and she rewarded him with a small smile before leaning in to press a quick kiss to his lips.

"If I intervene next time, do I get a kiss too?" Denodia teased, earning a chuckle from Alistair.

"You’d need to do a lot better than that," he shot back with a smirk.

"So you're saying there's a chance?" Denodia’s teasing smile widened—only to turn into a playful pout as Riseth’s tail flicked dismissively in her direction.

They continued to banter, occasionally discussing the potential applications of the treasures being auctioned—both those currently on display and the ones that had already passed—until another lot caught their attention.

"Next up, we have a trio of Enlightenment Pills," Zermos announced, his voice carrying with practiced ease. "These little beauties are designed to accelerate the mental development of any beast, significantly enhancing their intelligence and cognitive abilities." He paused briefly, letting the crowd absorb the information before adding with a wry grin, "However, be warned—feeding these to an already enlightened beast may permanently damage their mind. So no, you cannot create an army of super-intelligent beasts."

A ripple of laughter and amused and excited murmurs spread through the audience at his quip.

"Wait, is that one of our items?" Riseth asked through the Akashic Link, leaning forward slightly.

Their summons, who had been half-asleep and bored, perked up at the shift in interest, ears twitching and bodies turning as they silently observed. They had been instructed not to speak aloud and limit themselves to using the Akashic Link—drawing attention to themselves while the Enlightenment Pills were being auctioned would have been a bit too conspicuous.

"Yes," Nessyra confirmed. "The pills and the unicorn horns both made it into the grand auction."

"Neat," Alistair remarked, watching the bidding quickly escalate as Nessyra casually joined in.

He had to suppress a flicker of surprise before asking, "Why are we bidding on our own items? Is that even allowed?"

Nessyra simply smiled, eyes glinting with amusement. "It is—as long as we don’t overdo it. Besides, it’s a good way to maintain plausible deniability about us being the creators. If we show interest, it makes it seem like we're just another faction vying for them."

Alistair hummed in understanding as the competition grew fiercer. Nessyra played along for a little longer, strategically pushing the price higher before finally tapping out, placing down the tablet she had used to submit her bids. The auction continued at a rapid pace, with a handful of factions unwilling to let such a treasure slip away so easily.

"This is pretty great," Nessyra said, a satisfied glint in her eyes. "I added every faction that participated up to the 10 million USC mark to my contact list." A predatory smile crossed her lips as she leaned back in her seat. "So many new customers," she purred, clearly pleased with the prospect.

Alistair raised an eyebrow, exchanging a glance with Riseth before catching Denodia’s eye, who merely snickered and turned her attention back to the ongoing bidding. In the end, the Enlightenment Pills sold for 32 million USC.

To his surprise, Nessyra let out a small sigh as the final bid was called, clearly less satisfied with the outcome than he’d expected.

"You were hoping for more?" Alistair asked, his tone skeptical. The pills had sold for a solid sum, even landing slightly above the average range of the current lots.

Nessyra rolled her shoulders. "It’s not bad, but I expected a bit more interest. I was hoping for at least 40 million." She glanced at the bidders who had dropped out earlier. "Seems like more factions are holding back their funds for later."

Alistair shrugged, unconcerned. He was more than happy with the price—they would have had a hard time negotiating such a sum through direct sales with any faction. Auctions like this provided a rare opportunity to sell goods at significantly higher prices than their standard commercial value.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to sell to these other factions?" Riseth questioned, "Wouldn't it be better to just occasionally sell them at auction? From what I gathered the Tok'eall and other factions wish to hold such auctions more frequently,"

Nessyra leaned back into her seat, contemplating the question. "It’s a bit of a gamble," she admitted. "The pill is difficult to make—especially without the recipe—but we can’t predict when some master alchemist in the multiverse might decide to distribute it. Even if they need rare ingredients, it’s a big universe, and competition is bound to spring up in the coming years. I’d rather take advantage of this while I can and anonymously reach out to these factions through the Coalition."

Alistair considered it for a moment but chose to trust Nessyra’s judgment. She had a strong sense for business and had rarely been wrong when it came to strategy. Shifting his focus back to the auction, he observed the ongoing bids as the second major lot—a World Tree—was unveiled. The rare treasure created an immediate stir, and after an intense bidding war, it was ultimately sold for an astounding 279.5 billion USC to a multi-planetary faction of what appeared to be highly evolved elves.

Not long after, the five Aurelian Unicorn Horns were presented. While they didn’t generate quite the same level of excitement as the Enlightenment Pills, they still drew plenty of interest. The final bid settled at a respectable 26.7 million USC. Alistair couldn’t help but wonder if some of the competing factions possessed their own Bone Gardens, given that the horns could technically be regrown under the right conditions. However, he suspected that most bidders intended to use them as high-grade crafting materials rather than attempting to cultivate them.

The lots continued to pass them by without anything particularly catching their interest—until the latest treasure was unveiled. Alistair immediately caught the subtle shift in Nessyra’s demeanor. She was composed as ever, but he could see the unmistakable glint of excitement in her eyes. And he wasn’t the only one who noticed.

"Oh, come on, Nessy. Really?" Riseth groaned, unable to stop herself from facepalming.

On stage, Zermos took his time, pacing around the newly revealed item with deliberate flair, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "And here we have something truly fascinating," he announced, his voice dripping with theatrical intrigue. "Many legends have trickled down from the vast multiverse, but few are as persistent as this one... Dear guests, I present to you..." He paused dramatically, letting the tension build before spreading his arms wide. "A Money Tree!"

Alistair stared, utterly incredulous. And there it was—a tree standing tall, its form resembling something between an oak and an elm. Its bark was a light brown hue, its branches strong and well-formed, and instead of traditional leaves, it was covered in what unmistakably appeared to be crisp green bills of paper money. His senses picked up the runic inscriptions on each bill, their meaning translating clearly in his mind: 1,000 Universal System Credits. The smaller ‘leaves’ bore markings of 500 USC.

He was so flabbergasted that he nearly missed the continuation of Zermos’ explanation, though the demon had generously allowed a moment for the absurdity of the scene to sink in.

"Now, before you all start imagining an endless fortune sprouting in your backyard, allow me to clarify," Zermos said smoothly, his tail flicking behind him as he let the audience settle. "While I would love to tell you that cultivating this tree will lead to untold riches, I must, unfortunately, disappoint. Though it is easy to maintain, this particular strain rarely—if ever—produces viable seeds, If wealth is your goal, you’d be better off cultivating a treasure-bearing tree instead—it would yield far greater returns as this tree tends to grow and drop 5000 USC on average per day."

"In other words, dear guests, this is more of a prestige lot than a reliable investment," Zermos concluded, his grin widening as he gestured toward the tree. "But prestige—ah, prestige can be quite valuable, can it not?"

He let the words linger, sweeping his gaze across the audience before leaning in slightly, voice dripping with amusement. "The real question is—how much is that prestige worth to you? The starting bid is set at 5 million USC, with increments of 10,000 USC. Let’s see who among you is willing to quite literally grow their wealth!"

Alistair raised an eyebrow as he watched Nessyra pick up the tablet, already sensing mischief in the way she held herself. His suspicion was confirmed when she nonchalantly typed in a bid that jumped the slow-moving auction straight to 20 million USC—far more than the tree was actually worth.

For a moment, there was a stunned silence. Their booth wasn’t the only one staring. Even some of the other high-profile bidders turned their attention toward them, clearly taken aback by the bold move.

Nessyra, completely unbothered, met their gazes with a dazzling smile.

-----------

Index

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter