Gamers Are Fierce-Chapter 761 - 759: Auction
The auction system in the Slaughter Game was launched alongside the Game Square and the shopping center. Players could pay a commission fee to entrust the auction house with equipment they wished to auction. They would add information tags to the equipment (such as Divine Artifact, Perfect Level item, or Skill Scroll), set a starting bid, and a buyout price, with the latter being higher than the former.
When the auction started, other players who had followed the relevant item tags would receive a text message from the auction house.
Players interested in purchasing had to enter the Game Square to participate in the bidding. If a player immediately bought the item at the buyout price when the auction began, the auction ended directly. If there was no buyout, the auction proceeded to the normal bidding process. The Slaughter Game's auction system was mandatory:
Players without enough Game Coins in their inventory automatically lost their bidding qualifications.
Upon auction completion, payment was transferred automatically, and the transaction was settled.
Malicious bidding would result in penalties from the System.
The commission fee was non-refundable if the auction failed.
These rules ensured the fairness of the auction to the greatest extent. As a result, a group of Brokers had emerged. These individuals specialized in staying in the Game Square twenty-four hours a day, keeping an eye on recently listed items. Using their judgment, information channels, and currency stockpiles, they bought undervalued equipment and items from sellers, purchasing low and selling high.
However, most of these Brokers were individual speculators. Since all extraordinary items had System descriptions, it was rare for owners to severely undervalue them. The bidding prices for auctioned items were also relatively fair, so flipping these items didn't result in significant profits. They were considered a lower-tier version of high-level Brokers, like those nicknamed 'mules'.
"Are there Perfect Level items up for auction as well?"
Li Ang's eyes narrowed. As major events approached, the drop rate for Perfect Level equipment had increased slightly but was still predominantly the private property of medium to large organizations and high-level players. Such items were rarely put up for auction unless their usage conditions were too stringent or the item itself had significant flaws.
Due to the auction house rules, sellers had to disclose any defects of their items. Li Ang carefully read the description for this particular item and discovered that this "Evil God Handicraft Clay" did indeed have many issues.
Firstly, as a Perfect Level Magic Tool, its name suggested clay, but it was not actually clay. It appeared soft like putty but was, in reality, extremely sturdy. It was unaffected by mundane materials; only Divine Power could change its shape. This meant the user had to possess Divine Power. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Secondly, the description, 'Molding the clay into the likeness of a divine being establishes a remote connection with it,' implied that the user's application of Divine Power had to be extremely precise. If the molded form was not lifelike, the Perfect Level Magic Tool might be wasted.
Thirdly, the phrase, 'What you hope for often differs greatly from what you get,' suggested that even a perfect replica might not actually summon the intended Deity. Records of genuine Deities in the Heterodox Academy's books were long gone, and attempting to call one might summon some strange and evil entity...
These negative factors were probably the real reasons why the "Evil God Handicraft Clay" ended up in the auction house, offered at a low price.
Li Ang quickly understood all this. The auction for the Evil God Handicraft Clay was in twenty minutes, with a starting bid of 7,000 Game Coins and minimum bid increments of 50 Game Coins. The buyout price was 10,000 Game Coins—about market price. This implied that the seller was likely a high-level Lone Wolf who was short on money. After all, if it were a medium to large organization, there would be no need to rush to sell a Perfect Level item with potential; they could store it for a rainy day. Even if they didn't need it themselves, they would prevent it from falling into competitors' hands.
Only a Lone Wolf would try to amass wealth this way, turning every Game Coin into immediate combat power.
"10,000 Game Coins... actually isn't expensive," Li Ang frowned slightly. If this item is really as I imagine, its value to me would far exceed ten thousand Game Currency.
Unfortunately, the auction house prohibited consignors from contacting bidders privately. Otherwise, a friendly discount might have been negotiable.
Li Ang made up his mind. He found a chair in the shopping center, sat down, and the moment the auction time arrived, he instantly clicked the confirm button, directly purchasing the "Evil God Handicraft Clay" for ten thousand Game Currency.
The instant Li Ang won the bid, several players positioned at different locations in the Game Square showed astonishment. They had all been interested in this item and intended to participate in the auction, but they never expected someone to be so lavish, bidding over ten thousand Game Currency for this deeply flawed, expensive item without even blinking.
Who could it be?
Currently, the highest-ranked player on the individual strength leaderboard was only Lv26. By all reason, they were still far from the level of seeking a Deity's power. Even the Secret Societies that worshiped obscure, primitive Deities wouldn't be foolish enough to try communicating with their divine entities through a piece of clay. The item's name even contained the words 'Evil God'; the being summoned would likely not be the original entity, and probably not even a benevolent presence.
「In the northeastern corner of the Game Square, inside a private room of a three-star Michelin luxury restaurant.」
The Witch from the Syndicate Organization placed her hands on the table, fingers interlocked, her chin resting on their backs. Ignoring the exquisite food laid out before her, her expression solemn, she spoke slowly, "It was snatched away, that piece of clay."
"Eh?" The gray and white cat player, Meow Meow Head, sitting opposite the Witch, raised its head in surprise, a small dried fish still in its mouth. "Snatched with a buyout price?"
The Witch nodded slightly, saying indifferently, "Mhm."
"How come?" Meow Meow Head tilted its head, licking the fur on the back of its paw, puzzled. "There are only a few players in the world who possess Divinity, all well-known individuals belonging to medium to large organizations. Only they would have the capability to utilize the clay. But it still doesn't make sense. They aren't you; you just happen to have mastered the skills Steel Rationality, Advanced All Language Mastery, and God Sealing Technique, making you capable of communicating with lower-level Demigods or divine aberrations, even enslaving and commanding the latter to a certain extent. What would they want the Evil God Handicraft Clay for?"
"I don't know."
The Witch shook her head slightly, her eyes flickering with a serious light. "However, anyone who could snatch this item with a buyout price must be very strong."
The buyout price auction system, while appearing fair, open, and just, was, in fact, a brutal competition. It tested quick reflexes, sharp thinking, and sensitivity to timing.
When multiple bidders wanted to purchase an item at its buyout price, whoever selected the confirm button first, the instant the auction began, would win the item.
The overall challenge was several times more difficult than, say, winning against bots in a high-speed 'red packet' grabbing contest online.
Who could it be, then?
