Runes automatically adjusted the light setting inside the box. A complex weave, far more advanced than what I'd normally see throughout the city. I honed in on the ones I recognized inside the tangle: runes for silence, shadow, protection. I noticed a few others that were amplifiers, connecting runes to help funnel power, along with those that served as anchoring nodes.

Impressive, but what wasn't in this place? It came with the territory, considering who the auction house's clientele were.

In the center platform, a person wearing golden robes hemmed with dimly lit feathers made of pearlescent metal took command. Behind them, slow, gentle wings of light swayed on an unseen breeze as their mask glowed with pink symbols.

When he spoke, it was a masculine voice—ethereal and inhuman.

"Welcome all… to tonight's… auction," he started.

With a single gesture, golden light spiraled from his wrist, splitting into dozens of radiant orbs. They drifted toward the individual boxes, gliding through the air. Upon reaching their targets, each orb widened and flattened, shifting into thick golden slates—each one as long as a leg and thrice as wide. They hovered, humming faintly with soft chimes.

"Please take note of the slate to the side of your booth," the host continued, voice low and honeyed. "To place a bid, will your offer into the orb. It will respond with a mark."

He paused, letting the silence settle.

"Remember: bids are binding. Withdrawals will be treated as transgressions. And as always…" His mask flashed cold silver, and the light adjusted in a microsecond, making the hall look even darker than before. "Sanctity is… non-negotiable."

The light returned to normal, and a few men appeared from the shadowed edges of the island and began constructing a small, lush platform made of several tiers decorated by clean pillows. One by one, items appeared in their places, the first set of items being skill stones.

Sereza snorted and shook her head. "Khrem, you're a merchant, you can't say that."

"If I am ever to become so full of myself to embody the divines, then know that you may strike me down," he retorted.

"What happened?" I asked.

Sereza waved me off. "Nothing, just that this feels so performative. Even more so than the auctions I've attended before. The host is usually more bombastic and less…"

"Creepy?" Anastasia offered.

"Exactly! But ignore that. Mor-Strax? Whatever I call you now. What was that all about?" Sereza said, motioning at me and the king.

"He has some kind of recording crystal power. Kind of like the camera I used to document your reaction? I'm assuming Allaron is going to use it to shut up naysayers if they ever find out my status."

"If you want to openly introduce yourself to the public, the kingdom is always ready to welcome another Legacy into it's fold. Even a-"

Isaac groaned and interrupted the king's sales pitch. "You answer her again and ignore me, and now he's trying to recruit you like a prized beast for breeding. I'm over this."

"And you are as ill-mannered as always, boy," Tyrrion growled. "Show some respect."

"I will stab you."

"Try, and let's see if the kitten finally has claws!"

The two were silenced by a glaring beam of radiant sunlight. It left a scorching spot against the wall that quickly faded as the enchantments absorbed the mana. Anastasia lowered her finger like a gun and gave the men a head shake only a mother could give.

She turned to me and smiled, completely opposite of the glare before. "Now, Straaaa—Mordred? Well, he already knows your name so there's no point pretending. What do you want to be called? We'll do with either of the three."

"Uh, if he already knows my name then call me Cyrus," I said with a shrug.

"Alright then, Cyrus dear. Remember, whatever item you want, it's yours. I know the king gave you one of his coins, but feel free to save that. It doesn't have to be spent on this auction if nothing catches your fancy. There's always more expeditions to be held, and arrogant fools to bleed for treasure waiting to be found. So don't feel pressured, okay?"

I nodded gratefully. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind."

She ruffled my hair and dragged her husband to sit beside Teddy. The pair sandwiched their son and somehow pulled Arturous closer so they were pressed together. It sent a happy, fuzzy feeling seeing them all together. His parents loved him, and Teddy may have rolled his eyes, but I could tell he was genuinely happy.

Singing along a car road. BURNING PAIN!

I shook myself free and settled in. The last of the masked workers scurried back into the darkness like rats after the auctioneer waved them away. He held out his arms akimbo, long sleeves flowing in the light.

"Our first selection to be presented is two sets of skillstones. One of the highest quality, the other a degree lesser. These are to be purchased as a set. Four actives and two passives. Please take your time to assess the information revealed to us by our appraiser. As this is the starting bid of the night, we'll start things off slow."

The auctioneer tapped his foot, and golden text scrawled through the main window of the box. Information displayed itself with high-quality illusions, recreating the gems to be seen like holograms.

"The starting bid will be set to five thousand. Remember to will your intentions to the slate and abide by the rules. Begin."

Immediately, a mark appeared on the slate, but it held a box number, signifying a different bidder than someone inside our box. The bid displayed itself centrally, in bold sigils. From five thousand to ten, it quickly skyrocketed to twenty before petering off.

I whistled and read through the list. "Hellskimmer's Charge, All Consuming Nova, Fractured Flamegheist? They're all fire-based, with high purity. Could most of these houses even use these?"

Celenae shook her head. "No, but if you look closely, the bids were mostly between two competitors. Besides, if they can't use these skillstones, they can trade them later or use them on promising individuals. Remember that the houses keep private retainers."

"Are you interested?" Allaron asked casually.

Wouldn't you like to know. Still gathering information on me even now, ugh.

"I'm good. I already have the world's best fire skill. No need to insult her," I replied.

"The little phoenix, yes? She was a sight. Very explosive for such a small being, or so I was told."

I shoved a pastry into my mouth and watched the bid come to an end, flatly ignoring the king's remark. The final bid had raised itself to an impressive thirty-seven thousand gold. An absolute bonkers number compared to any normal person's funds.

At least they were getting six skills for that much. Each one a small fortune in its own right.

"And we have our winner. For those who fought for the prize but failed in the end, take heart in knowing there is more to come. One moment, as we prepare the next of our treasures," the auctioneer declared.

His hands slowed, and a small marble of light appeared along his sleeve. The rats came back and dismantled the shelves like a tidal wave. In its place, an elegant scaffold was built in record time, adorned with finely shaped crystals that generated a warm blue light. Instead of small pillows, a glass box was put on display, lit up to reveal a dagger made entirely out of purple glass.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"And here we have the Mind Render's Devouring Claw. Starting bid… six thousand."

It held less promise than the skillstones but the price shot even higher that the skillsones before slowing.

I scratched my head and Anastasia chuckled before pointing at the description. As I read through I couldn't fight the low growl scratching in my chest.

"If you're confused its because such a tool is a threat. Flesh can be mended, limbs regrown. Mind you, memories of torture can be soothed and sealed. But a blade, disposable, capable of doing what a mind reaper can? It's more valuable than any gain from creating a powerhouse of an ascender."

"Which is why these idiots are fools. They know the rules yet it fails to stop them from trying anyways," Allaron sighed.

With a flicker of his eyes, the slate for our box shined with a glyph of crisscrossing lines at the point of a diamond. The bid briefly rose in response, but the king's mark shut them down, meeting any price.

When the other boxes finally realized their loss, the dagger's final value came to a whopping fifty-six thousand.

"And here I was thinking I finally made some decent cash. There's no way your economy functions when you guys have this much to throw around," I said.

"Each bar of metal I gave you earlier is worth ten thousand alone," the king said with a raised brow. "As for the steep price, know that it's not just our nation dealing in this currency. It's worldwide. Other kingdoms and cities have their own wealth. This is but a fraction for those who risk their lives to claim treasures from the system. No common person is affected by this insanity because no common person is dealing with these inflated dust-collectors."

"Not to mention that most of the houses here will be spending beyond their means," Nathan harumphed. "They'll be hurting and poor for years, if not decades, just to make a point and keep up their inflated status. Those from the underground will be even worse. I hope you're prepared to send in cleanup crews."

"Always. Ah, now here it comes. Tyrrion?"

The door panel slid open and one of the masked attendants appeared, slim and with feminine curves. She carried the box in but was halted by Tyrrion's hand, forcing her to a stop.

It was the first time I ever saw one of the attendants react to something. The tentative woman stuttered at the sight of the king.

"Sir Tyrrion… your liege," she said with a bow. "I've come to deliver the lot. I—I'm sorry, but I am required to remind you of—"

Tyrrion pulled out a small box and opened the trunk. Numerous gold bars were inside, and he slid it over while grabbing the woman's package with a stone hand. She quickly bowed again, but the hand stretched around her shoulder and expanded across the doorway.

The king cleared his throat. "I do believe I've made myself clear regarding the auctioning of these kinds of items. This is the second time. There will be no third. Tell Vizieran to come have a chat. If he declines, I'll level the building."

"I… will deliver the message, sir."

"Good. See that it is."

Tyrrion retracted his creation and the woman scrambled out of the door, sealing it behind her. I cocked my head at the king but he gave a wink and made the dagger disappear.

A minute later, I swore the auctioneer turned his head toward our box specifically. The pink sigils on the mask flashed together to something almost like an eye, before he turned away and resumed his role.

Oh the joys of being powerful dealing with even crazier people. I hid my chuckle with a sip and continued to observe.

After the first dozen lots I droned out. With each item the dots of light on the auctioneer's arm increased, turning him into a miniature discoball aas he grew increasingly animated the more the items were sold.

Probably some weird passive giving me ecstasy. Weirdo.

Money went to heights I thought silly, and people bought fantastical items and treasures. Well, not entirely, as sometimes even small books and journals were sold for wacky amounts that made no sense. Like a dusty scrroll, little more than interesting history from another world.

It wasn't that surprising that even Celenae snagged herself a prize, becoming the owner of six ratty journals. When it arrived, I finally noticed a small theme with all the items.

"That looks more suspicious than my rune journal," I said.

Celenae clutched onto her prize like a cat and nearly hissed. "They are not suspicious, just worn."

"Celenae, it looks like the Necronomicon on a diet. There are staples binding the skin together. Are you sure it's not cursed?"

"They would have mentioned a curse if they were. Besides, I would never touch anything related to necromancy," she huffed.

I left the teasing alone, and Isaac and Igas picked up the slack. While deciding if I was still hungry enough to try some of the weirder snacks, the next item drew my attention. Sitting pretty on a floating pedestal made of black glass was a large marble the size of my fist. It swirled with black ooze and shimmered in the light like smoke wisping off a fire.

It wasn't the most impressive thing seen that night, but still: it called to me. I wanted it. I wanted it!

Tapping on my shoulder pulled me out of the trance, and I realized that drool had slipped down my chin.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay? You and Sereza started acting strange out of nowhere," Teddy said, concern coloring his voice.

"I…" I slapped my cheeks and cleared my thoughts. Now that I was more sound, I could still feel the compulsion to possess whatever it was inside that orb, but it held far less of an effect than before. "I didn't question this, but what exactly was the rift theme they got these items from?"

Teddy frowned at my unusual response but still answered. "It was a survival megarift with time-gated events. Fiend type, mostly fire, blood, and darkness. It's why every item has a creepy name to it."

Oh. Ooooh. Well damn.

The bidding had already started but the number wasn't too high, sitting pretty at sixteen thousand.

I willed my intentions to the slate and raised the price by an additional five hundred.

Turning to Teddy's parents I motioned to the stage. "You mind if I cash in your favor?"

"On some blood? For your familiar?" Nathan hummed.

"No, uh, it's my perk. Felkins have—"

"Oh! Your blood evolution. Of course! No wonder why the two of you were so enamored. Yes, we'll secure the blood for you no matter the cost!" Anastasia said.

"Oh? Blood evolution, huh. If you want, one of the selected items can be a higher-quality blood than this," Allaron teased.

Revulsion filled me, but I wasn't going to say no. There was only one orb and two Felkins. I'd be a shitty team member if I hogged an opportunity out of spite.

"Fine," I said with disgust.

Sereza shot me an appreciative smile and we continued.

When the bid came to an end, Nathan handled the payment, and I secured the item away before I went stir-crazy. After that, the auction proceeded for over an hour. Spears, swords, axes, severed heads, and pouches of limbs. Books filtered through, skillstones came in alone or in sets. There was even a pair of miniature statues with different numbered eyes that screamed cursed as hell.

Beyond the weirdness of the night so far, things turned surprisingly mundane once I got used to the auction house's over-the-top showmanship for each item. Demonic—well, fell—items weren't creepy so much as just... magical gear with extra edge. They still had runes, and the mana just skewed toward darker affinities. I counted at least five different blades and tools branded with some variation of Blood Drinker or Flesh Render. The names lost their bite after a while, especially with how quickly the items passed from one person to the next.

A few items interested me, but not enough to spend the crazy prices. Even if I did want something, I had my own looting skill and more than enough treasure tokens to take from the kingdom's vaults.

It was too bad, but I could appreciate things returning to a relative, calm and mundane night.

Honestly, while I was expecting more and the venue certainly provided the vibes, I was a little disappointed. Through all the creepy and cursed, the amount of actual fantastical items were rare enough. Whether that was because my wonderment was slowly dying or the auction was truly dry, I couldn't tell.

When the last bid went through and a servant took the item into the darkness, there was a hum from the host.

He raised his arms and banished the shadows at the edge of the stage. It revealed rows upon rows of workers, standing stock still while facing the boxes. The light made the man a bonfire, blazing brightly as his limbs lost form, while the shadows cast behind him turned the servants into vague hazes in the shape of people.

"I hope you've enjoyed the treasures and found delight in the things that have been purchased. We here at the Golden Stratum are the host of this wonderful, wonderful night. We are the auction house transcended beyond the rest of our kind. We are hosts of this event, and we've provided food, business, and sanctuary. Now, we would be remiss if we failed to put on what could be argued as the most important."

He sucked in air slowly, sounding like a vacuum as his robes shifted around his chest, exposing a chiseled pectoral.

"Now for the entertainment."

Is this common?

I looked around but Teddy's parents had narrowed eyes and Tyrrion gripped his weapon's hilt.

"Your highness," he whispered.

But Allaron wasn't paying attention. He leaned forward and the enchantments shifted, focusing the window to narrow and shift the vision closer.

"Joining us today we are graced by some special guests. We here at the Golden Stratum boast as being the highest of high class. And what's higher than having royalty visit us tonight," the auctioneer continued.

"Tyrrion, were Imelia, and Allistair scheduled to attend tonight?" Allaron asked.

"No, sir. Only the first prince. I do not know why they are here."

"Then why isn't he up there with them…"

The two certainly shared similarities to Allaron, having the same golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes. They were younger, probably no older than fifteen. Allistair looked nervous but his sister waved with a bright smile, and curtsied with her dress.

Light flowed like ribbons, becoming a chain of glowing feathers that wrapped around the two. The auctioneer moved closer, stepping behind them and spreading his arms above them both with false wings.

"For tonight's entertainment, we have a sponsor who has paid very well to provide a show for all of you. You see tonight will be something special, something you may only see once in a a lifetime."

The prince and princess were yanked together and the pair's eyes widened as the ribbons of light startled to bind their limbs.

All the shining gold turned deep crimson and the feathers grew jagged and curved. In a voice that echoed through space itself. The auctioneer's chest split with a line down the middle.

An eye of red, shaped like a serpent blinked once, dying the world around it maroon.

"For the glory of the master. I DESCEND!"

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