The fourth-rank woman with hair blazing like fire stepped forward.

As she approached the table, she spoke softly...

Yet her voice echoed throughout the entire hall.

"Let us begin the exchange... with something everyone desires."

She paused briefly before extending her hand toward the table.

"An ancient weapon."

She lifted one of the seven weapons.

It was a strange-looking weapon with a wooden handle shaped like a cross.

But its blade wasn’t metal...

It resembled a giant palm frond.

One of the five ancient weapons I had gifted to the city.

"Forest Generator."

The woman raised the weapon high. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"With every strike... dozens of palm trees are created. Each tree summons a creature to serve its master... without requiring any accumulation to dominate it."

Her words left a heavy impact on the audience.

Owning such a weapon meant the ability to create an entire environment capable of producing an army of beasts.

Whispers began spreading...

Until the woman silenced them once more.

"One final detail... before the exchange begins."

Everyone stared at her expectantly.

"When the palm forest flourishes with creatures... there will be a great chance for a Catastrophe Beast to settle within it."

She smiled faintly.

"Imagine possessing a Catastrophe Beast... without sacrificing any accumulation or effort."

The hall exploded with noise.

Everyone wanted the weapon.

But everyone also understood...

After an introduction like that, the competition would become terrifying.

"Five million dinars."

The first bid rang out.

It came from a man wearing richly decorated multicolored robes.

There was no emblem on his clothing.

"Does that mean he belongs to no sect?"

I wondered internally.

Nearby, several whispers arose.

"That’s Wealth Master."

"The richest man in the city."

"He actually wants that weapon?"

"Maybe he’s trying to rise to the fourth rank."

The murmurs multiplied...

Until the flame-haired woman interrupted them again.

"Five million has been offered. Any purely monetary offer below this value will be rejected."

She paused before continuing:

"Any offer exceeding the current value by at least twenty-five percent will be accepted. Anything lower will be refused."

"I see..."

I muttered internally.

Their system existed to suppress insignificant incremental bids.

There was no solution other than enforcing a strict rule.

That meant the next bidder either had to offer five million plus something additional...

Or at least six million two hundred fifty thousand.

"Five million and ten specialized weapons."

Another voice echoed out.

Another independent master.

"Ten million."

Everyone turned toward a frail old woman barely able to stand.

She wore black glasses.

Time passed...

The bidding war continued between pure money and money backed by specialized weapons.

None of the offers were truly worthwhile.

Money and specialized weapons...

Even a first-rank master could eventually obtain such things.

How could they hope to win an ancient weapon with bids like these?

That was exactly why the sects hadn’t entered the bidding yet.

Everyone knew...

Once one of them stepped in, the entire auction would transform into a completely different battlefield.

My eyes continued scanning the hall.

Even now, I still couldn’t understand why the city had placed two of my gifted ancient weapons into the exchange.

To the city...

Ancient weapons meant multiplied military strength.

There was no reason they should casually give them away.

And by now...

I fully understood how incredibly difficult it was for any master to obtain an ancient weapon.

That alone made my mind unable to comprehend their reasoning.

Was it absolute confidence that I’d supply replacements?

Or something else entirely?

Honestly...

I didn’t know.

But if they truly trusted me completely...

Then they were fools.

Whether I intended to honor the agreement or not...

Absolute trust was stupidity.

Suddenly—

The atmosphere changed.

From afar, the White-Eyed Master raised his hand.

His voice thundered across the hall.

"An ancient weapon... for two hundred thousand accumulation points."

My eyes narrowed.

Everything instantly descended into chaos.

"Three hundred thousand accumulation points."

A third-rank master spoke from afar.

His yellow robes bore the symbol of a running horse.

"So it begins..."

I whispered.

"It seems Snow Master grew bored of petty bids and decided to open the true battlefield."

Another third-rank master stepped forward.

This one belonged to the Blue Wave Sect.

"Three hundred fifty thousand accumulation points."

Then...

It didn’t take long.

The weapon’s price climbed to five hundred thousand accumulation points.

Silence fell.

Murmurs spread among the masters.

The final bidder had been from the Running Horse Sect.

In fact...

Four of their members had participated in the bidding.

If that meant anything...

It was that they genuinely wanted the weapon.

The fourth-rank woman raised her hand.

Red threads of light emerged between her fingers...

Then transformed into a ten-second countdown.

The moment it completed...

It began decreasing.

10...

9...

8...

7...

"Six hundred thousand."

A voice spoke from behind the five leaders.

Heavy footsteps followed.

The man wore red robes marked with volcanic symbols.

Short blond hair.

Wide spectacles.

Sharp narrow eyes.

The countdown stopped.

Reset back to ten.

Yet no one bid further.

The man approached the woman.

Both wore the same robes.

Both...

Were incredibly powerful.

Suddenly, the Unique Predictor activated.

{ 85% Accumulation }

{ 90% Accumulation Density }

"This sect..."

I muttered.

"Their masters are truly powerful."

My eyes swept across the hall.

There were numerous masters from the same sect.

All of them possessed terrifying capabilities.

After some time...

The first auction ended.

The red-robed master won the weapon for six hundred thousand accumulation points.

At that point...

The atmosphere calmed once more.

The woman announced an auction for specialized and unique weapons.

A third-rank master from the same sect managed that portion of the exchange.

Most of the hall became focused on it.

The majority of masters present were second-rank.

For people like them...

Specialized weapons were the highest treasures they could realistically compete for.

Several minutes later...

The woman returned again.

Then announced the next auction.

"A third-level tool."

She whispered.

"Heaven Enhancer."

The hall fell silent.

Then she continued:

"A third-level Heaven Enhancer... Heaven’s gift to masters. A tool that works only with master-level beings."

"It increases one of the three primary attributes."

"Strength. Speed. Endurance."

"One of them will increase by five percent."

She paused briefly.

"There are only three available in this auction."

"Are you kidding me?!"

I screamed internally.

What kind of monstrous tool was this?

"One note."

The woman interrupted my thoughts.

"The third-level Heaven Enhancer works only for third- and fourth-rank masters."

"Fifth-rank masters require fourth-level tools."

"As for first- and second-rank masters... first- and second-level versions will be auctioned later."

A brief silence followed.

Then the bidding erupted immediately.

"Three hundred thousand accumulation points."

A master from the Volcano Sect declared.

"Three hundred fifty thousand."

A voice from the Prairie Sect responded.

"Four hundred."

"Four twenty."

"Four forty."

The bids continued rising steadily.

Until they reached five hundred thousand.

Then...

The fourth-rank masters entered the competition.

A man dressed in black with green eyes raised his hand.

"Five hundred thousand accumulation points... and a Lesser Catastrophe Beast. The Mountain Scorpion."

Once again, uproar spread across the hall.

The bidding stopped instantly.

"Is that really the highest offer? Do they even understand the value of that tool—"

"Seven hundred thousand accumulation points."

A silver-robed Whispering Wind master interrupted my thoughts with a composed smile.

"Rejected."

The flame-haired fourth-rank woman answered immediately.

"Why?"

I muttered internally.

The answer came quickly enough.

"A Lesser Catastrophe Beast is worth more than two hundred thousand accumulation points."

The woman explained before adding:

"When the beast’s value is added to the previous offer, the total already exceeds seven hundred thousand. A lower equivalent offer cannot be accepted."

After the rejection...

The atmosphere froze once again.

The countdown resumed.

If seven hundred thousand wasn’t enough...

Then the next bid would have to be eight or nine hundred thousand.

In either case...

I didn’t possess enough accumulation.

10...

9...

Would they accept an ancient weapon in exchange?

8...

7...

Calm down...

No need for foolish thoughts.

6...

5...

Damn it...

Those stupid thoughts again.

4...

3...

But I need that tool.

It would increase my strength tremendously.

2...

"A red healing flower."

I spoke.

The countdown stopped.

An uncomfortable silence spread through the hall once more.

Everyone turned toward me.

Without exception.

Every gaze locked onto me.

"A third-rank healing flower?"

The fourth-rank woman whispered.

"Yes."

I replied.

"Did I make a mistake?"

I wondered internally.

No one seemed shocked.

It was merely a healing flower.

Suddenly—

I felt his footsteps.

Snow Master.

His pale white eyes approached me.

He stopped beside me.

Then suddenly...

A sound barrier activated between the two of us alone.

"Why did you do that?"

He whispered quietly with a smile.

The others might not hear us...

But they could certainly see us.

I turned toward him.

I smiled, though naturally he couldn’t see it beneath my mask.

"Why?"

I answered.

"Because I want that tool, obviously."

"But..."

The master whispered.

"Did you forget our agreement?"

"Ahh... so that’s it."

I laughed softly.

Then the smile faded from my face.

"Do you think I possess only one flower?"

I paused briefly before continuing.

"Relax. Our agreement still stands. I won’t display ancient weapons here... and your flower is secured."

"As for the other things I possess..."

My tone hardened.

"Don’t misunderstand. My agreement with you does not grant you control over me. I hope you understand that."

"That wasn’t my intention, sir."

The man replied calmly.

"But I would’ve preferred if you had informed me first. I could’ve offered you a better deal."

"Then offer me one now."

I said.

Only a few words and moments passed...

Before the countdown resumed again.

10...

9...

7...

6...

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

{ Ding... Ding... Ding... }

{ Tool acquired. Payment required — Third-Level Red Healing Flower }

{ Pay? }

"Yes."