Chapter 106

Chapter 106
## Chapter 106: The Melody of the Wild and the Frenzy Armor

《Unique Class: ‘Vocalist of the Primal Forest.’》

《The ‘Primal Forest’s Melody’ has the capability to provide a comforting embrace to the woodlands.》

《They essentially trigger a rapid maturation in ‘flora’ and enhance their structural integrity. However, a ‘Vocalist of the Primal Forest’ is destined to dwell only among the ‘earthen kin.’》

《As they mature, they gain the ability to perform additional ‘hymns of the wild.’》

These specific details flashed through my mind the moment I laid eyes on the youth.

It was invaluable data provided by the secret ability ‘Omniscient Mentor.’

Giving a subtle, prearranged nod, I signaled Hudson to begin bidding at the gathering.

‘I can bolster the strength of the Emerald Grove even further.’

Enhancing the power of the Druids is effectively the same as increasing my own personal standing.

Furthermore, I distinctly recalled seeing a child with these exact characteristics among the ‘elven folk’ in the past.

‘If this allows me to bridge a connection with the elves, ten million gold would be a bargain.’

If such an alliance is possible, spending ten million gold to secure them wouldn’t be a waste in the slightest.

Elves are a people who avoid human contact even more fervently than the Alabaster Sovereign or the Quartet of Sentinels.

Consequently, the vast array of legends, ancient myths, objectives, and riches linked to their culture had remained out of reach for all players.

‘What is with those looks? They’re practically asking, “Why waste money on that?”‘

The expressions of the high-ranking nobles were entirely easy to read.

The lady from the Dersian household, in particular, didn’t even try to hide her mocking smirk.

It seemed she was still in desperate need of a proper lesson.

Due to the vocal dismissals from these imperial elites, no other participants showed interest in bidding.

“Is there anyone else? If no further offers are made, the lot goes to participant number 55 for one million gold!”

The grand hall fell into a heavy silence.

Even the visiting merchants who had overheard the nobles’ mockery decided to stay out of the fray.

“Sold to participant number 55! My sincere congratulations!”

…I wonder who truly lacks the eye for value here?

A small, knowing grin touched my lips.

—

The proceedings of the auction continued.

Internally, the Dersian lady clicked her tongue in annoyance.

‘How can their sense of value be so utterly flawed?’

They appeared to possess a mountain of gold, yet most of the opening lots were merely ‘chaff for the birds’—brightly colored lures meant to trick the unrefined.

It was the time of the auction where the delusional masses swarmed to throw away their fortunes!

“Sold to participant number 55! Congratulations!”

“Sold to participant number 55! Congratulations!”

“Sold to participant number 55! Congratulations!”

The declarations of successful bids echoed through the room over and over.

Number 55… that was Hudson, wasn’t it?

‘Is he really sweeping up the first five lots entirely?’

Hudson was consuming the auction items like a predator in a feeding frenzy.

The total expenditure at this point sat at roughly ten million gold.

‘Regardless, he’ll reach the bottom of his purse soon enough.’

Ten million gold was a significant sum for a commoner or a monster.

However, it wasn’t even close to the level required to challenge her financial might.

And right on schedule, the sixth item was presented—the very prize she had been waiting for.

“Moving forward, we have the legendary ‘Berserker Set’! As you esteemed guests are aware, this is the verified masterpiece highlighted in your invitations. It comes with the personal endorsement of our regional ruler, Lord Darkan—a crown jewel among treasures that sets the blood on fire just by looking at it!”

Every person in the room leaned forward as the item was unveiled.

A suit of crimson-stained plate armor paired with a matching helm: the Berserker Set!

The fact that Lord Darkan himself was the one offering this up was a massive statement.

By naming the seller openly, it proved he had absolute faith in its quality.

Visions of wealth and power filled the eyes of the crowd.

The Dersian lady, specifically, tightened her grip into a firm fist.

‘The Berserker Set! It is exactly as I suspected—something my house requires.’

She had made an educated guess based on the name alone, but seeing the physical object confirmed her theory.

This was an artifact that would directly benefit the strength of her family.

Based on her own judgment and intuition, it was an essential acquisition. She could not permit anyone else to claim it.

The professional valuer she had brought along was nodding his head frantically in silent agreement.

This belongs to me. For the first time since the event started, the Dersian lady’s eyes burned with a fierce intensity.

“Opening bid: ten million gold! Minimum raises of five million gold. The floor is open!”

—

At that exact moment.

The independent territory of ‘Delphia’ was swarming with military forces.

Nearly 3,000 soldiers had been mobilized from various neighboring cities.

Among the ranks were many individuals whose reputations preceded them.

They had all congregated here for the sole purpose of confronting that ominous ‘crimson rift.’

*Kuuuung!*

As the crimson rift widened as if to devour the entire cityscape, sparking with volatile energy, the silhouette of a titanic beast began to step through the portal.

“It’s Baal, one of the Four Calamities…!”

“Stand your ground! Maintain the formation!”

“Steady yourselves! Victory is within our grasp!”

To halt the invasion of Baal as it stepped through the rift, the disparate groups stood as one.

A failure here would result in the destruction of numerous settlements and their own ancestral lands.

Thus, the campaign to suppress Baal of the Four Calamities commenced.

Wait a second.

The reports of the ‘Four Calamities Suppression’ in the neutral city of Delphia were becoming a massive talking point among the player base as well.

Delphia was one of the five hubs connected to the Peaks of the Ascendant, renowned far and wide as the ‘Metropolis of Smiths.’

* *They’re saying that taking part in the Four Calamities fight rewards you with epic tier gear based on your level? Has anyone signed up yet?*

The player communication channels were vibrating with discussion.

Delphia had made a public vow to provide ‘standard-issue armaments’ to every combatant. Equipment forged in Delphia was essentially priceless, making the offer incredibly alluring.

* *Starting from level 10, you get epic gear. They say Transcendent ranks even get legendary stuff.*
* *Legendary? Word on the street is the Lord of Delphia is literally stripping his own vault to pay for this.*
* *If that’s the case, what does Gracia get? Mythic?*
* *No players are actually going, right?*
* *A few probably signed up. It looks like a huge turnout from the surrounding cities too.*
* *3,000 fighters in total—that might actually be enough to win.*

3,000 combatants gathered from the five neutral territories and the outlying regions.

Aside from the recent massive campaign, it was almost unheard of to see this many soldiers assembled in one place.

* *Hmm. They might actually pull it off.*
* *We all know Baal is strong, but that’s old news. There’s no way he’s on the same level as the Alabaster Sovereign.*
* *True. The people hanging around the Peaks of the Ascendant are mostly low or mid-tier anyway, so they probably don’t realize how high the ceiling goes.*
* *Even so, multiple independent cities joining forces—it’s too early to count them out.*
* *Dark Star just officially announced his participation.*
* *Dark Star? Lol, didn’t he get eaten for breakfast by the King of Undeath in the Hollow Labyrinth last time?*
* *He’s running away again. Just name him the Official Runner of the Stars.*
* *Rankers are quietly flooding into the suppression force right now. The numbers are definitely over 3,000, and the mood is better than I thought.*
* *Wait, people are actually committing to this?*
* *Yeah, a ton of people. You’re going to lose it when you hear who was put in charge of the whole operation.*
* *Is it Dark Star or one of the City Lords?*
* *Neither. It’s an Imperial.*
* *An Imperial? The Empire is getting involved? No way. That’s garbage.*

Dark Star and a crowd of high-tier players, plus the Empire?

The Empire hadn’t even participated in the Great Expedition, so why would they join a hunt for one of the Four Calamities? It was hard to swallow.

The person who mentioned the Empire then provided the specific details.

* *Five warriors wearing matching fox masks.*
* *Oh, you’ve got to be kidding—the siblings in the silver fox masks from the Hollow Labyrinth?*
* *Crap… the nightmares are coming back.*
* *Are they all Transcendent tier?*
* *They’ve got matching colors, silver ones, and even a gold one?*
* *No gold, but all five are definitely Transcendent. A member of the Dersian family is currently acting as the commander.*
* *If the Dersians are there, then it’s probably the real deal.*
* *Wow… that’s a massive win.*
* *An Imperial noble house stepping in means they are 100% sure of victory.*
* *If this is true, it’s terrifying. A single family commanding five Transcendent-tier blades?*
* *They aren’t star-consumers, so did they grind non-human zones to level up? How?*
* *Incredible…*
* *This fight is already decided.*

—

“Ten million gold! Distinguished guest number 3 has opened the bidding.”

Number 3.

As the Dersian lady snapped her folding fan open, the auctioneer made the announcement.

She hadn’t placed a single bid in any of the previous rounds.

This was her public decree that the Berserker Set was hers and hers alone.

It was a display of utter certainty: challenge me if you dare.

*Flutter!*

“Guest number 91! We have a bid of 15 million gold!”

Number 91. The Master had entered the fray.

Unlike the nobles of the Empire, he didn’t feel the need to tread carefully around social standings.

‘Lower numbers usually indicate a higher social rank in this venue.’

Number 2 belonged to Lord Darkan, and number 3 was the lady of the Dersian house.

Both were fundamental figures in organizing this event.

There was an obvious social ladder being respected based on the ID numbers.

I couldn’t identify who held number 1, but if Lord Darkan was putting the item on display and the Dersian lady was bidding for it, the item was clearly top-tier.

Additionally, it was a golden opportunity to get noticed by the elites.

“Ah! Guest number 6 enters the competition! 20 million gold!”

“No signs of stopping! Guest number 3 has already pushed the price to 25 million!!”

“A fresh challenger! Guest number 78 at 30 million gold!”

Four separate bidders were now locked in a financial war.

The cost surged past the 30 million mark, skyrocketing to 50 million gold in the blink of an eye.

‘…There’s still a lot of breathing room. Just how deep are the pockets of these Imperial nobles?’

The Master’s brow furrowed in natural frustration.

He had managed to pull together roughly 200 million gold in total.

Even that sum was the result of draining the Black Night’s coffers, liquidated ruins, and effectively selling off his very essence.

Set bonus or not, losing 50 million on a single lot was a massive blow.

Yet, the other bidders still looked completely unbothered.

“The bid for the Berserker Set is now at 50 million gold. We are increasing the increments to 10 million. Do I hear 60 million?”

*Flutter!*

“Guest number 3! The atmosphere is reaching a boiling point!”

“Guest number 91! The bid has already eclipsed 70 million gold!”

“And a lightning-fast response from guest number 3…!”

“Guest number 91 bids an astounding 90 million gold!”

The Master threw down his final card.

90 million was the absolute ceiling of what he could justify.

He couldn’t afford to burn 100 million on the very first day.

‘I have nothing left to liquidate. Unless I start selling the gear off my own back.’

Even for Imperial royalty, 100 million gold wasn’t a sum to be thrown around casually.

All the other competitors had finally bowed out.

Only participant number 3, the Dersian lady, remained.

“Guest number 3 takes the top spot at 100 million gold! Unbelievable. But I would argue it is worth every coin!”

The Master let out a quiet, internal sigh.

Auction guests could only bid using funds that had been pre-registered and physically verified.

Furthermore, it had to be in raw gold.

If you tried to bid more than you had, you were instantly disqualified.

In simpler terms, the Dersian lady was sitting on hundreds of millions in physical gold.

‘Regardless, I hit the baseline objective.’

Being noticed.

That was the primary goal from the start.

Actually winning and having to pay would have been a massive headache, but he had proven he could throw around nearly 100 million gold.

As confirmation, he could feel several high-ranking nobles shifting their gaze toward him.

“Is there any other bid? If not, the ‘Berserker Set’ goes to guest number 3. Starting the count. 3, 2…”

No one in the room seemed capable of matching her endless resources.

It was only the first day of the auction, after all.

Even if the armor was spectacular, there were plenty of items left to come.

*Flutter!*

In that split second, a fan was swept wide.

“Guest number 55 returns to the floor! 110 million gold!”

Every head in the room snapped toward number 55.

A total surprise.

Furthermore, number 55 was the same individual who had caused the disturbance in the city earlier.

The one who had directly bumped heads with the lady of House Dersian.

‘A beast with over 100 million gold in reserve…?’

The Dersian lady’s expression soured.

If the auctioneer was continuing the bid, it meant the physical gold had been verified.

She was a co-host of the event, but the ‘auction’ itself fell under Lord Darkan’s jurisdiction. Her authority was over the ‘after-party.’

She snapped her fan open once more.

It was a test of resolve: if you want to be reckless, let’s see how far you’ll go.

“Guest number 3 raises the bid! 120 million gold!”

The auctioneer’s voice cracked with excitement.

“Guest number 55 matches it immediately!”

“They won’t back down! Guest number 3 hammers down 140 million gold. Can we reach 150?”

“…Done! Guest number 55 at 150 million gold!”

But once the bidding broke the 150 million mark, even she started to waver.

‘What on earth?’

Does he just have gold piled up like trash?

150 million was a fortune that even the highest nobility couldn’t spend without thinking twice.

And the auction was only in its infancy.

Whether the Berserker Set was truly worth more than 150 million was becoming a serious question.

“My lady. We should stop here…”

Her professional appraiser leaned in and whispered urgently.

He had been giving her subtle signs to quit since the price passed 110 million.

‘Curse him! Why does that man insist on getting in my way!’

Her hands were actually shaking with rage.

She hated the idea of losing.

However, she had to consider her long-term strategy.

She wanted the armor, but pushing further would be a waste of resources.

If number 55 didn’t bid again after she raised, she would be taking a massive financial hit.

‘Get a grip. Going higher is just foolishness. There are so many days left.’

He just blew 150 million. He surely can’t have much left.

“Sold to guest number 55 for the ‘Berserker Set’ at 150 million gold! Incredible!! A truly historic moment!”

…He might have the spotlight for now, but how long can he hold it?

This brief surge of interest would evaporate, and by the end of the week, she would be the one everyone remembered.

The Dersian lady forced herself to look composed.

—

‘That went well.’

Once the first day of the auction concluded, all the guests were ushered into the prepared banquet hall.

Standing in the center of the opulent room, I took a slow sip of my drink while reviewing my new acquisitions.

The Vocalist of the Primal Forest and the Berserker Set were the primary prizes, but I had also secured several other high-value items that offered great returns for their price.

I could use them as components for the Seat of Radiance or to level up my allies—either way, they were solid wins.

‘Eye of Avarice. This was what allowed me to see the hidden truth of the auction items.’

Every person at the auction had brought some form of ‘appraisal’ tool, skill, or a professional expert.

They were all trying to calculate the exact worth of the lots to turn a profit.

But I only needed one thing.

The Eye of Avarice!

It was a ‘synthetic replica eye’ belonging to Avarice, the Sovereign of the Gilded Goblins.

He had crafted it himself to speed up his exploration of the labyrinths, or so the story went.

Avarice had gathered the remaining gilded goblins within the Hollow Labyrinth, systematically digging up the forgotten riches of the fallen empire hidden there.

It was safe to say they were the most efficient mining operation in existence.

I had managed to obtain one of the ‘synthetic eyes’ he gave to his workers.

Though it was only the size of a small fruit, it was a flawless copy of Avarice’s own eye—nothing in this room could measure ‘market value’ with more precision.

Top-tier valuers? Elite-level observation perks?

How could they possibly compete with Avarice, who had been hoarding treasures from the depths for countless millennia?

‘The Vocalist of the Primal Forest has a true value of 100 million gold, and the Berserker Set is worth 200 million. I came out on top.’

The bidding was intense, but I didn’t lose a single coin of value thanks to that eye.