"Asha President, though you are the respected head of the Chamber of Commerce, the rules of the auction house have always been clear—highest bid wins! 2500 silver coins!"
A brawny man with layers of fat on his body sitting in the front row burst into hearty laughter as he made his bid.
But before his voice had even finished echoing through the hall, a cold voice immediately followed—
"3000 silver coins!"
The voice was somewhat familiar, and many people instantly turned to look. Their expressions changed when they recognized the bidder—it was the assistant of the Lord of Winterhold!
Even the ruler of Winterhold was tempted by the green bandage!
And this sky-high price of 3000 silver coins had already caused many wealthy individuals to recoil in despair. After all, most of them only had net worths around 2000 silver coins—they simply couldn't afford to keep bidding.
Besides, going against Lord's Manor was not something just anyone could afford to do.
"3500 silver coins!"
Despite the deterrence posed by the Lord's Manor, the top tycoons and noble families still set their eyes on the green bandage. They didn't flinch and placed their bids confidently.
"Seems like everyone is very interested in this item," the lord's assistant said, sweeping her calm eyes across the hall. "But the Lord personally instructed me: no matter the cost, this item must be acquired."
As murmurs spread, her gaze grew colder.
"I know the financial capacities of you people," she continued. "There's only so much silver you can muster. Rather than dragging this out with endless incremental bids, let's settle this in one move."
She paused, then declared firmly:
"5000 silver coins!"
The moment those words left her mouth, the entire hall was shaken.
5000 silver coins!
That figure surpassed an entire year of Winterhold's tax revenue!
After all, the average citizen lived on copper coins—it took 1000 copper coins to exchange for a single silver coin.
5000 silver coins equaled five million copper coins—an amount of wealth so staggering most couldn't even begin to fathom it.
With this single bid, the auction price record was shattered and launched to an unattainable new peak.
Many of the noble families and wealthy bidders who had long coveted the green bandage could only gulp nervously.
The financial might behind this move was simply too terrifying.
Only a few forces in the region could even dream of putting forth such a sum.
In an instant, the entire hall fell into a strange silence.
Sure, the green bandage contained astonishing life energy, boasted immense healing abilities, and even carried a sacred attribute capable of purifying death-type magical beasts. It was undeniably an extraordinary item.
But a price this high was enough to scare anyone away.
Especially when the second half of the auction had only just begun, and there were still many valuable items yet to come.
With that in mind, many participants forced themselves to extinguish the greed burning in their hearts.
"This distinguished guest has offered 5000 silver coins! Do we have any other bids?" Robert the appraiser scanned the crowd, his eyes particularly lingering on those wealthy enough to potentially compete.
But after a moment of hesitation and inner struggle, they all fell silent.
Seeing this, Robert didn't delay. He asked one final time:
"No other bids, correct?"
The room remained silent.
Bang!
The sound of the gavel striking the podium echoed through the hall.
"Congratulations to this esteemed guest," Robert announced solemnly. "Sold for 5000 silver coins!"
5000 silver coins, sold!
The moment the words were spoken, everyone in the hall felt a wave of disbelief.
Such an astronomical amount was simply unfathomable.
Behind the privacy barrier of his VIP box, John found the scene almost dreamlike.
After all, he could create this kind of bandage in nearly unlimited quantities.
And now, one had just sold for 5000 silver coins. Did that mean… he was now one of Winterhold's wealthiest individuals?
This sudden windfall made John feel as though he were floating.
After all, with 5000 silver coins, he was now likely one of the top three wealthiest people in the entire city.
The most luxurious villa in Winterhold? That would only cost about 200 silver coins.
With the money he had now, he could buy out the entire upper-class district!
"The next item is a bronze-rank black bear bile. Starting bid: 20 silver coins!"
Soon after, Appraiser Robert stepped away, and the elegant female auctioneer returned to the stage. Her crisp voice once again filled the hall.
As she spoke, a glass vial containing the black bear bile was carried into the hall, immediately catching John's attention.
Black bear bile—this was something he needed and had to win.
Now that he was flush with cash, John felt incredibly confident.
"Bronze-rank black bear bile isn't easy to come by. It has a clear strengthening effect on the body. I definitely want to win it."
"This auction really does have all kinds of rare and strange items. I'll secure this first before worrying about anything else."
In an instant, the crowd began murmuring again, with many people showing strong interest in the bile.
But just before the bidding could begin, a youthful yet resolute voice echoed throughout the auction hall:
"Ladies and gentlemen, apologies—I'll be buying out the rest of the auction at ten times the starting price. You're free to leave now."
For a moment, the entire auction hall fell into stunned silence. Many rubbed their ears in disbelief.
Ten times the starting price to buy out the entire second half of the auction?!
Was this the legendary buyout?
Who was this person?
So rich? So insane?
In a flash, everyone turned their heads in unison, trying to find the source of the voice.
One of the VIP boxes lit up brightly, indicating that a high-status guest had opted to buy out the auction.
Buyouts were a special rule in this auction house—anyone could purchase the remainder of the items by offering ten times the starting bid of each. This rule was designed exclusively for god-tier tycoons.
After all, most auction items only sold for two to three times their starting prices. A final price exceeding five times was already considered rare, and ten times? That was virtually unheard of.
Even the wealthiest of the wealthy wouldn't normally do something like this.
Yes, they had money—but they weren't fools!
"Who is this VIP?! Are they joking? A buyout at ten times the price? Are they not going to let us bid anymore?"
"Exactly! This is the second half of the auction—all rare and high-value items. If someone buys out everything, the total cost will be astronomical!"
"Reckless! Absolutely reckless! Whose spoiled brat is this, throwing money around like that?"
"They must be crazy. Final bids rarely reach more than three times the starting price. Even the most popular items don't hit five times. Who does this guy think he is?!"
After the initial shock wore off, the hall erupted into a flurry of discussion.
But—no one placed a counter bid.
After all, a buyout at ten times could only be contested by someone offering eleven times.
Unless someone had lost their mind, no one would dare follow suit.
On stage, the beautiful auctioneer blinked her wide eyes, staring at the glowing VIP box.
A buyout!
This was the first time in her entire career witnessing such a thing.
Although she didn't know who the guest was, just the fact that they were in a VIP box meant their status and identity were extraordinary.
Entry into those rooms was by invitation only—you couldn't simply buy your way in.
And now, a tenfold buyout would once again rewrite the auction house's history.
After all, in all of Winterhold, no one had ever bought out an auction. The very term had only ever existed in legend.
The auctioneer steadied herself and looked once more at the VIP box.
"This is a serious matter," she said clearly. "May I confirm one more time—are you certain you wish to proceed with the buyout?"
There was a brief silence inside the box.
Then a calm voice responded:
"Do the math. I'm in a hurry."