MMORPG: Birth of the World's Luckiest Player-Chapter 102: The Auction Begins at Eight

Old Vine couldn’t wrap his head around it, and frankly, he didn’t want to. The very idea was intolerable.

He absolutely refused to let his two prized granddaughters get tangled up with some nobody. Letting Icefall and Firebrand spend time with this ’Knight Stone’ was out of the question.

His girls came from an impeccable lineage, with blood as blue as it gets. The thought of them ending up with a common boy with no prospects was an insult to the family name. They’d be the talk of every high-society gathering, a laughingstock. He wouldn’t allow it.

Since the twins seemed curiously annoyed by this Knight Stone fellow; having just met him yesterday and already butting heads, Old Vine saw his chance. He’d pour fuel on that fire. Make sure any spark of interest was drowned in pure, unadulterated irritation.

Watching Icefall’s frosty glare and Firebrand’s red-faced fuming, listening to them curse the Knight’s name, Old Vine allowed himself a private, satisfied smile.

Achoo!

"Who’s cursing me out this badly?" Marcus grumbled in the real world, rubbing his nose after a massive sneeze.

It was just as well Marcus hadn’t seen Old Vine’s little performance. He’d never have guessed that the kindly old man he’d asked to deliver an apology was working against him so underhandedly.

Of course, if Marcus had seen the old man’s two-faced act, he’d have taught him a lesson, auction house proprietor or not. Bankrupting the Old Vine Auction House would have been a fine start.

"Firebrand, sweetheart, your grandpa spent a small fortune on this Ironwood Staff for you. You can’t just throw a gift like that."

Old Vine bent down and picked up the Ironwood Staff that Firebrand had angrily tossed aside. He needed to make sure everything appeared natural, if the Knight Stone ever noticed that Firebrand had not taken the staff and asked questions, it could expose the lie he had carefully constructed.

"He’s a jerk! I don’t want anything from him!"

Firebrand snatched the staff from Old Vine’s hands, only to slam it onto the floor once more, her frustration spilling out in a burst of childish fury.

"Now, now, don’t let him get to you. Pay that Stone character no mind. This staff is from me. You wouldn’t reject your grandfather’s gift, would you?"

Old Vine retrieved the staff once more, sighing inwardly. He hadn’t counted on her being quite this furious.

"Grandpa, I really don’t want it."

"Firebrand, this is your grandfather’s gift. Are you truly refusing something from me?"

"Grandpa... Fine."

Unable to refuse him outright, Firebrand finally accepted the Ironwood Staff, though the moment it was in her hands, an inexplicable sense of grievance welled up in her chest.

’Stupid Knight. Stupid Stone. Big, stupid jerk...’

She complained silently, gripping the staff tightly as she tapped it hard against the table again and again, as if the Ironwood Staff itself were the Knight himself, and she was beating him senseless to vent her anger.

"Heh heh..."

Old Vine watched his two treasured granddaughters with satisfaction. Icefall’s expression remained cold and composed, yet beneath that calm exterior was a clear layer of indifference, her disappointment in the Knight Stone obvious to anyone who knew her well. Firebrand, on the other hand, was burning with even greater fury, and in her mind, the Knight Stone had already become the worst villain imaginable.

Old Vine smiled quietly to himself.

Now his girls wouldn’t go seeking out that Knight Stone. That should be the end of that unfortunate connection.

’Just you wait, you stupid Stone. I’m going to make you pay.’

In a moment of twin telepathy, Icefall and Firebrand had the exact same thought. They were going to find that Knight and make him regret ever crossing them.

Old Vine, blissfully unaware, was convinced his plan had worked flawlessly.

---

"Stone, you’re here."

At exactly seven thirty, Marcus logged into the game. Old Vine was already waiting for him inside the room, standing near the window as if he had been counting every minute.

"Yes," Marcus replied. "How are the auction preparations?"

"They’re all set. The auction will begin promptly at eight. We should head to the auction hall now."

It was obvious Old Vine had been waiting for some time, and the moment he saw Marcus, he urged him forward without hesitation.

"Alright. You go ahead first," Marcus said. "I’ll follow shortly."

He had no intention of walking alongside Old Vine. If the two of them were seen together, it would not take long for others to guess his identity.

Old Vine handed Marcus an admission ticket for the auction, then turned and left through the main entrance, heading straight toward the venue.

Marcus slipped out through the back door instead and made his way toward the auction hall on his own. Along the way, Dragon’s Peak Citadel was overflowing with players, packed so tightly that it was difficult to move without brushing shoulders. The entire city buzzed with noise and excitement.

The Old Vine Auction House event had become the hottest topic in all of Dominion, drawing the attention of players from every corner of the game. People were discussing it everywhere, speculating about the items, the prices, and the identities of the bidders. Simply buying a ticket and witnessing the auction in person had become a badge of honor among players.

"Last five tickets to the auction hall, if you’re late, you’ll miss out!"

"I want one!"

"Me too!"

"I’ll pay a high price!"

"I’ll pay even more!"

Before the scalper could finish shouting, he was instantly surrounded by a swarm of players. More than a dozen hands reached out at once, grabbing at him in desperation.

"Hey, don’t pull!"

"Who’s grabbing my ass?"

"Watch the hands, pal!"

The shouting and chaos blended together into complete disorder. In the end, a ticket that originally cost thirty gold coins was sold by the scalper for an outrageous fifty thousand gold coins.

"You little weasel! You’ll sell to him but not to me? I’ve got your name. You step one foot outside the citadel gates, you’re done! I’ll camp you back to level zero!"

A hulking warrior with a greataxe roared at the scalper, his face purple with rage over the missed ticket.

"Hey, mister... got any more tickets? I could... keep you company tonight."

A nearby player fluttered her eyelashes at the scalper, her voice sliding into a sugary tone.

"You there, boy! Any left? One hundred thousand gold. Right now."

He had heard the scalper shouting but arrived just a moment too late, and regret was written all over his face.

By the time Marcus reached the auction hall entrance, the crowd behind him was still in an uproar.

After he presented the admission ticket Old Vine had given him, a system notification sounded.

"Ding! Player Stonehaven, you are now entering the auction hall. To ensure privacy, attendees may equip a Concealment Mask to obscure their appearance and name. Would you like to conceal your identity?"

Marcus paused for a moment.

’Wow, the system even thought of this. That’s surprisingly considerate.’

It made perfect sense. If player identities were exposed, intense bidding wars would inevitably turn into personal grudges, creating endless conflicts outside the auction hall. This feature clearly existed to prevent unnecessary feuds.

"Conceal."

A flash of light enveloped Marcus, and in the next instant, his surroundings changed. He was teleported directly to the seat assigned on his ticket, landing beside Old Vine.

"Stone?" Old Vine asked instinctively as the figure appeared next to him.

Although Marcus’s appearance was concealed, the number of people who could be seated beside Old Vine was extremely limited. Aside from his two twin granddaughters, there was only one other possibility.

"It’s me," Marcus replied quietly. "Everything okay?"

"Everything is normal," Old Vine said, lowering his voice. "The auction will officially begin in ten minutes."