Chapter 120: The Auction (Part I)

I woke up this morning feeling so exhausted that my body felt like it was falling apart. Last night, Lu Xuehan and I were at it until past midnight—five solid hours. She had been working tirelessly on scrolls, while I ran back and forth between the cathedral and our stall. I have to admit, once the word got out about the effectiveness of those temporary attack scrolls, every player with a bit of spare cash came rushing to buy one. The demand was so high it exceeded supply, and we ended up selling about 1,000 in total.

At first, I only planned to sell 500, but seeing how well things were going, I immediately doubled the price. Even then, buyers flocked to us like ducks to water. In a single night, Lu Xuehan and I raked in a staggering profit of 500,000 RMB!

Xuehan was so excited she couldn't even sleep. She insisted on pulling a chair up to my bedside to talk about her feelings, which kept me up until three in the morning. If it weren't for the auction today, I’d probably still be dreaming away.

I knocked on the wall of the room next door. "Xuehan, wake up! Once the Guild Creation Token sells, we’ll have to split the loot!"

A moment later, a sleepy-eyed Xuehan opened the door. She was wearing nothing but a cream-colored, low-cut nightgown, and the sight of her two snowy-white mounds forming an alluring cleavage at the neckline, coupled with a refreshing, delicate fragrance, made me feel like I was floating on air.

Xuehan rubbed her eyes and said lazily, "Lin Fan, what time is it? I’m so sleepy..."

"Stop sleeping. The auction starts in half an hour. Our Guild Creation Token might be the grand finale item. Hurry up and get dressed; Sister Lin and the others have already logged into the game."

"Oh, alright. Wait for me, I'll be there as soon as I'm dressed. Breakfast should be on the table; why don't you go ahead and eat?"

...

After a quick breakfast with Xuehan, we logged into the game. The auction house was built right next to the Adventurers' Guild. On auction days, an entry fee of 1 gold coin was required. While it wasn't much, it successfully kept out the large crowd of sightseers who had no intention of buying anything.

As soon as I entered the auction hall, the scene before me took me by surprise. The entire venue was packed. Fortunately, players could overlap with one another, or this small space would have surely burst at the seams.

"Ding!"

System Notification: Because four of your listed items have been selected for the auction, you are entitled to enter VIP Box No. 088!

With a flash, I was teleported into a private room. It was positioned directly opposite the elevated auction platform, giving me a perfect view of everything below. Damn, no wonder people pay 200 gold coins for a VIP box; it’s all about this commanding, high-ground perspective!

"Ding!"

System Prompt: You may set a password for the VIP room or invite other players inside, up to a maximum of 8 people!

I was thrilled. I had just been thinking about how lonely it was to be here by myself, and now I could invite some people over to chat!

I quickly added Lu Xuehan, Xin Yu, and Xu Lin to the invitation list. After a moment's thought, I added Murong Shanshan as well.

Not long after, Murong Shanshan appeared in the room with a smile on her face. Seeing me, she chuckled, "Well, look at you, living in a presidential suite now!"

As she spoke, she reached out and touched my chest...

"Whoosh!"

Murong Shanshan’s hand passed completely through my chest, as if she were reaching into a waterfall.

"Huh? So you really can pass through people?"

Watching Murong Shanshan’s curious expression, I was left speechless. I retorted, "Quit messing around, I invited other people too!"

Just as I finished, Lu Xuehan and the others appeared in the room. They looked surprised to see Murong Shanshan there, but they greeted her immediately; thanks to me, they were all acquainted.

Xu Lin pointed down below and said, "The auction is starting. Huh? Why is there a real-life NPC? It looks like that entertainment host named Fei'er!"

Xin Yu smiled and said, "Of course. Didn't you see the official forums? Fei'er has signed with the 'Yueheng' company and will be responsible for all real-life NPC broadcasts in Silver Moon City."

"No way, really? If she signed with Yueheng, she must be making a fortune. Hmm... other than having a large chest, I don't see what's so special about her," I couldn't help but feel a bit resentful.

Xu Lin covered her mouth and giggled, "If we went by your standards, then Xin Yu would definitely be more suited for this hosting job than Fei'er!"

Murong Shanshan added with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "That's true! I didn't realize Lin Fan had such high standards!"

I felt awkward and quickly pointed to the stage, "The auction is starting. Pay attention, everyone. If there's any equipment you need, you can place your bids using the system interface!"

...

Fei'er had changed into an Archer's outfit for the stage today, looking incredibly bewitching. However, by my standards, she didn't quite measure up to Xin Yu. Compared to her, Xin Yu had a touch of elven beauty and wildness that Fei'er lacked.

Flashing a charming smile at the crowd, Fei'er parted her red lips, "I am very happy to have the honor of hosting this auction for the friends of Silver Moon City!"

After a wave of cheers and whistles from the crowd, Fei'er continued, "The first item up for auction today is this green Knight's lance shown on the big screen. As you can see, this is a Level 32 green-grade piece of equipment. Besides its 80-145 attack power, it adds 15 points of Strength and 12 points of Agility. It's perfect for those of you training as Agility Knights. The starting price is 500 RMB. Please, start your bidding!"

"800!"

Someone below shouted a bid, and the number on the big screen instantly changed to 800.

"900!"

Another player chimed in.

"1,000!"

"1,100!"

...

A common Level 32 item like that kept being bid up until it finally sold for a staggering 21,000. In this day and age, it seems any piece of equipment is worth a fortune...

Murong Shanshan smiled, "What's the matter? Stunned? This is the power of an auction house! Even a piece of trash green gear can sell for so much! Your Guild Creation Token... hehe, it's definitely going to fetch an astronomical price!"

Down below, Fei'er was already announcing the result with a giggle, "Alright, this first item has been purchased by player *** for 21,000. Now, let's move on to the next piece of equipment."

Another item appeared on the big screen—a Level 34 green-grade staff with +14 Intellect and nothing else. It truly lived up to the label of "green gear."

"No way, why is it all just street-stall junk?" I couldn't help but say, feeling a bit annoyed.

Xin Yu rolled her eyes at me and retorted, "Don't be ridiculous. Do you think everyone is like you, capable of having several pieces of purple gear? Let me tell you, people who can even put together a full set of green gear are rare, let alone blue or purple items."

I thought about it and realized she was right. Most players currently hunt in groups, and since most can't handle monsters above their own level, the drop rate for gear is so low it's infuriating.