“……I can really leave?”

The assassin looked nervously at Lin Ye.

“What, do you need me to escort you out?”

Lin Ye was still looking out the window. The quality of those auction items was quite average, as if they were just padding the numbers, but he didn't feel bored at all.

The assassin slowly retreated from the room. Only after confirming Lin Ye truly had no intention of taking action did he quickly flee the VIP room.

Some more time passed. The boring auction gradually approached its conclusion, and knocking sounded at the door once again.

“Enter.”

Lin Ye felt a bit speechless. His place was almost turning into a marketplace; anyone passing by wanted to come in and take a look.

“Hello, powerful being from another world.”

Outside the door was a young man who looked to be only in his twenties, but the feeling he gave Lin Ye was far beyond that age.

“Another world? You knew I was coming, but you don't know where I'm from?”

Lin Ye looked at the other with some disbelief. This differed slightly from his deduction.

“So you come from a very famous world?”

The young man looked at Lin Ye with great interest, as if observing some interesting animal.

“No, I come from a system connected to countless planes. I'm basically a wage slave for the system. The person you guys killed should be similar.”

Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief. He had been misled by the Merchant identity, thinking he had to trade a certain item at the auction. In reality, things weren't that complicated.

“Oh~ Countless planes, yet you're only third-tier. Isn't that a bit too exaggerated?”

Clearly, the young man didn't believe a word Lin Ye said. He thought Lin Ye was fabricating an exaggerated background.

“Hmm, you probably can't comprehend what a third-tier spiritual energy user of the system means. When we fight later, I'll try my best to spare your life, to prevent you from doing such stupid things again in the future.”

Killing a Survivor of the system, stealing the system's stuff, and auctioning it openly… Lin Ye had no idea what gave them such audacious courage.

Now Lin Ye understood why the system sent him here.

The system didn't send him to participate in some auction at all. That auctioned item probably wasn't anything important either. The system sent him here to kill people.

If a problem arises somewhere, then eliminating the people who created the problem solves it.

“The final auction item is coming up soon. Don't you need to pay attention? You came here for that item, right?”

The young man completely disregarded Lin Ye's words and said with a smile.

“No, my objective has already been achieved.”

Looking at the young man who still hadn't grasped the situation, Lin Ye also smiled back at him. He had already made his move, yet the enemy was still here grinning foolishly. Winning a battle like this wouldn't bring any sense of accomplishment.

The auctioneer on stage introduced the final auction item. It was a pure black cubic metal gift box, its internal space just enough to fit a soccer ball.

The entire auction house suddenly grew quieter. No one in the main hall or the VIP rooms placed a bid.

After a while, the guests below the stage began placing bids one after another, preventing the auction from becoming too awkward.

“Don't dare to bid? To be honest, I was quite disappointed when I saw you. I originally planned to use your strength to deal with the nation's higher-ups. I didn't expect you to be only third-tier. Since you don't dare to bid, just stay here. I'll have someone take you away from here later.”

The young man stood up, preparing to leave the VIP room.

“Don't rush off. They're about to make their move. Leaving now would get you killed.”

Lin Ye remained seated calmly on the sofa. The victim state Stuffed Toy clung to his side, looking around somewhat fearfully.

“……What are you talking about? My people have cleared the surrounding VIP rooms. This area is already under my control.”

The young man frowned at Lin Ye. Only now did he realize that facing Lin Ye gave him a sense of unease. Before this, he had unconsciously ignored that feeling.

“Haven't you sensed it yet? This space has already been locked down.”

While sensing the increasingly clear spatial changes nearby, Lin Ye took out the Disaster Hazmat Suit and put it on.

The final auction item was won by a guest in the main hall. When that guest received the black box, his body began to compress rapidly, finally compressed into a flesh-and-blood cube and placed inside the box.

The moment that guest entered the box, the entire city began to shake violently. Massive, pitch-black walls rose from the ground, surrounding the entire city. Even the sky was covered by an enormous, sky-obscuring wall.

The entire city, like the previous guest, was placed into a sealed space.

“……What is this?”

The young man looked at Lin Ye with an ashen face. He didn't believe this was the work of the low-level spiritual energy user before him, but he couldn't think of any other explanation.

“Those national higher-ups you wanted to deal with seem to have prepared to use an item they just obtained to control me. The operating principle of this item is related to rituals. Sitting here, I modified part of the ritual process, which created a slight interactive effect with this ritual item I'm wearing.

Originally, I didn't intend to go this far. But since you offered no resistance at all, I got a little carried away.”

Lin Ye had to admit, this time he really couldn't hold back. Mainly, the other side cooperated too perfectly. It was like when fishing, the other side prepared the Fishing Rod and bait for him, even pre-baited the spot. Now, all it took was a gentle pull to hook a fish weighing several thousand pounds.

Who could resist that?

“I order you to end this ritual immediately, or I'll kill you right now!”

The young man drew his weapon, threatening.

“That's right, end this ritual quickly, and we might still spare your life!”

A spiritual energy wave tore through the auction house's third floor. Lin Ye, holding the victim state Stuffed Toy and the two children, landed on the first-floor main hall.

Two groups of people surrounded Lin Ye: the young man's assassin group and the guests from the main hall.

Citizens outside were also gathering towards the auction house. The real citizens had long evacuated. The entire city was a trap specially prepared for Lin Ye.

“Is this how you guys run auctions here? So I'm the only actual guest, and everyone else is a plant?”

Lin Ye was shocked. Although he guessed he was fighting on hostile ground, he didn't expect it to be this hostile.

Cynthia was already bewildered. No matter how clever she was, she was just a teenager. She couldn't quite keep up with the speed of events anymore.

“End this ritual quickly, or I'll make my move.”

A burly guest slowly approached Lin Ye. This was a high-level spiritual energy user. Earlier, it was he who tore apart the auction house's third floor.