Soon, the party of four were back at Hegnar's blacksmith. The warm air from the furnaces a pleasant refresh from the cold windy weather inside the Duskwind forest."
"You guys... back so soon? Do you have anything else?"Hegnar questioned with an inquisitive look
Liam laid two spiralled bones on a velvet cloth. Pale lightning crawled along their ridges. "Well, we had some luck in gathering materials. Everrat spines—one for Stormcaller, not sure if the other one could be used to make the weapon stronger."
"What? You found the Everrat Spines?"
"Two Everrat Spines? You little monster-slayer," Hegnar muttered, holding the shimmering bone between calloused fingers. "You do realize this thing is rarer than a dragon's tongue, right?"
Liam only smiled.
The blacksmith squinted at the second spine, then chuckled. "You could fix your axe with one and still have the other. If I were you, I'd take it to the Highvale Grand Exchange. That crowd pays in gold and titles."
"I see," Liam replied. "Can't we just use it for forging another weapon?"
"Unless you find another godslayer or all the materials required to craft a godslayer, don't even think of using this to forge normal weapons," Hegnar smiled.
"It seems like you are highly underestimating what this Everrat spine represents. It is a legendary item, one used to provide the backbone to a godslayer. Even though it is said to originate from a rat, you would need to hunt a King or Queen Everrat Abbaration of at least tier 4 to get a chance to get this item. A spine dropping from a rat in the Duskwind forests is simply absurd."
"Wow, so cool." Aira's eyes were shining. Tier 4 beasts would be really powerful even in her Astradan kingdom, let alone a small city like this.
"Hey Liam, what is Tier 4?" Mia whispered, out of curiosity, hearing this classification for the first time.
"Well, that would mean a level 400 + monster." Liam answered back in a hush
"What? Lvl 4.. 4.. 400?" Mia was left spellbound
"Anyway," Liam turned back to Master Hegner. "We will take this to the auction. Meanwhile, can I request you to put up a quest to find the other two materials in the guild? I will definitely pay for them once this auction concludes."
"Sure thing, lad. But I must warn you. You don't look very strong. It is best to use a proxy to auction it so that it can't be traced back to you. Here, take this identification document from Bronzewind Forge. No one will suspect the top blacksmith house in the city auctioning such an item."
"You.. just want to take credit for auctioning the Everrat spine, right?" Aria asked, unamused
"Hehe..."
------------------------------------
The trio stepped out into the buzzing streets of Highveil, the towering spire of the Grand Exchange already visible beyond the skyline. Soon, the party reached its destination.
"Wow, its such an opulent place..."Mia exclaimed, looking at the luxurious architecture.
Gold filigree coiled around pillars taller than ancient oaks, and the arched doors bore carvings of serpents swallowing their own tails—a symbol of endless wealth. Guards in gilded armor flanked the entrance, their polearms glinting dangerously.
"State your business," one guard barked, his visor shadowing a sneer.
Liam, stepping forward, greeted them as he brought out the parchment given by Hegnar. "Greetings, I am here to participate in the auction."
The guard snatched the parchment, scanned it, and burst into laughter. "Bronzewind Forge? Look here, lads. A street dog is here trying to sell some random trinkets at our auction. Hahaha....." He crumpled the writ and tossed it at Liam's feet. "Scamper off, street rat. This isn't a place for beggars."
"I'm here to speak with the auction master," Liam said, producing the velvet pouch containing the spine.
The guard barely glanced at it. "The master doesn't meet randoms off the street."
Liam didn't react. "I'm not a random."
The other guard smirked. "And I'm not a guard. Move along, farmer."
Before Liam could respond, a new voice rang out behind them.
"Well, well, what have we here?"
Velen.
Clad in black and emerald robes with a crest Liam recognized, Velen walked with a casual arrogance, trailing a man covered from head to toe in steel with only his eyes peeking out.
"Rykard, you see this fine young man? He was the one who caught the corrupted person earlier yesterday."
Liam's eyes went to Rykard, evaluating his strength
Rykard
[Level 200]
HP - ???
MP - ???
(Cannot access, level difference of more than 200)
Rykard didn't speak, just scanning the group with his cold eyes, the unadulterated animosity clearly discernible in his eyes.
"I see even weak adventurers are trying to climb into noble circles these days," Velen sneered. "How bold of you, a tier 1 adventurer, to seek out the auction master of Highveil Grand Exchange?"
Mia opened her mouth, but Liam touched her elbow.
"Let's not waste our breath," he said calmly.
"Oh, please do," Velen said. "It's amusing."
He gave a fake yawn, then waved a hand. "Anyways, Rykard. Come, we have better things to do than watch fish beg for pearls."
As he turned and disappeared into the Exchange, Rykard lingered a moment longer.
His gaze locked with Liam's— just for a second, and then he retreated. Liam could feel an uncanny smile on Rykard, even though he was completely covered in steel armor.
"How are there so many high level people in this city? Is this due to the corruption? I don't remember any city having such high level characters right after the beginner village. Or have things changed from last time?" Liam thought in his head, unable to put a finger on his unease.
It felt like, despite his experience in his past life, he was unable to control the flow of his game. And things definitely did not seem to be getting any better anytime soon. Part of it was also due to the earlier confrontation with Velen, where Velen toyed with him like a nobody.
All of this had put him in a bad mood.
Strength. He needed strength.
"Are you going to let me in or not?" Liam spoke, anger seeping into his voice. After all, he was a veteran player of this game in his previous life. How could he stomach some guards to an auction house looking down on him?
"Brat, you keep saying that you want to meet the auction master. How about this, you wait for some time here, and soon the master will arrive. Today is a very important day for us, so you will definitely see him."
"But whether he will pay you any heed or not ... hehe"
"Ok.. We will wait," Mia, sensing the tension, spoke while holding back Liam
------------------
At the far end, a wide arch opened into a raised dais, and from it descended a man in violet robes.
He walked with no hurry, no noise. But everyone stepped aside.
A hush fell over the room.
[??? - Auction Master]
Level: 200
HP: ???
MP: ???
Another level 200.
"All hail the master." All the surrounding guards bowed down in greeting. Liam, after a slight bow, approached him.
Liam bowed slightly. "I have an item that might interest you. May I speak with you alone?"
The room tensed.
Whispers followed. Sneers. One of the guards openly laughed.
But the master studied him for a moment… and then gave a single nod.
"Very well, follow me."
------------------
The Auction Master's study exuded opulence, its walls paneled in polished mahogany that gleamed under the soft glow of crystal chandeliers. Shelves of dark ebony held books bound in gold-leaf leather and glass cases displayed artifacts - probably magical in nature. A plush velvet carpet was laid out on the floor. Behind the auction master's chair, there was a big dragon symbol, representing power and authority.
"Auction master, thanks for letting us in." Liam said with a respectful smile. After all, he had no reason to be rude to a level 200 powerhouse/
"Call me Eldrin, young lad."The old man replied, steepling his fingers, "Tell me. What do you want from me?"
Liam bowed politely and said "I have a particular item I'd like to auction this time. I'd be glad if you could take a look."
He pulled the Everrat Spine from his inventory, its surface crackling with pale lightning, and placed it on the desk.
Eldrin suddenly got up from his chair, leaning forward and eyes widening, "This… is an Everrat Spine." His voice trembled slightly. "Where did you find this?"
"Found it while adventuring in the woods. I was told it's rare—worth a good price here." Liam shrugged.
Eldrin examined the spine reverently. "You're not wrong, lad. This could very well be the best item at today's auction." He paused, sighing. "In fact, I'm tempted to buy it myself… to upgrade an old weapon of mine. But alas—" He gestured to the room. "—as Auction Master, I must ensure every item brought here is sold fairly. You'll get the best price possible. Trust me."
Liam nodded,. "Sure. I'll leave it to you."
"Do you also wish to participate as a bidder in the auction?" Eldrin asked, his tone now much more friendly.
Liam grimaced, "We would love to, but we are running short on liquid funds right now."
"No worries. Take this card. It holds 10,000 gold. Use it to bid freely. Once your spine sells, we'll adjust the balance. I am sure that it is worth that much at least."
Liam looked at the card, it had a black card, with a small dragon symbol at the bottom of the card, the same symbol that was the same as the one behind the auction master.
"Thank you,"
With a final nod, Liam and his party exited the study, the door clicking shut behind them.