...

’That voice... It’s someone I know.’

At a time like this, the last person Lynch wanted to run into was an acquaintance.

But he couldn’t just pretend he hadn’t heard.

Resigned, he slowly turned around.

A tall, graceful woman emerged from the light and shadows of the castle entrance.

She wore a loose, black Mage’s robe. Faint, dark patterns swirled across its surface, revealing it to be a Magic Robe.

Not only that, but the jade-bone Magic Staff in her hand, the pendant on her chest, the bracelet, the ring... every single item was Magic Equipment, and they all looked incredibly expensive.

’Holy hell~’

Lynch was completely stunned.

It was enough to make one die of envy.

He had worked his ass off grinding monsters, swindling and scamming, just to scrape together his current net worth. But compared to her, he looked utterly pathetic.

An impulse to rob her welled up inside him.

He managed to restrain himself, however.

The woman before him hadn’t concealed her face. Her hood was casually draped behind her shoulders, revealing an exceptionally beautiful face.

Her skin was fair, her nose bridge high, and her deep violet eyes seemed to hold starlight within them. Coupled with a waterfall of long, purple hair cascading over her shoulders, she exuded an air of mystery and elegance.

But Lynch’s restraint didn’t come from her beauty.

It was mainly because... he couldn’t win a fight against her!

The woman before him was none other than his good neighbor and senior—Amadis.

Although Lynch had never spoken face-to-face with this wealthy senior, he had heard her give a lecture as a top student during a large Undead System class.

He’d even gained a decent amount of experience for his various skills from it.

’But...’

’Isn’t this a black market auction?’

’Why is your entrance so brazen and open?’

While Lynch was grumbling internally, Amadis studied him for a moment before speaking. "Fellow student? A wild one?"

’That direct, huh?’

Lynch was speechless, but he still answered obediently, "Hello, senior~"

He altered his voice slightly, making it a little deep and raspy.

’I’m all bundled up anyway. There’s no way she’ll recognize me.’

’And even if she does, it doesn’t matter. Calling her ’senior’ now might build some goodwill. Maybe when the ’Skeleton Bracelet’ comes up for auction, this wealthy senior will go easy on me for the sake of being fellow students.’

Otherwise, if he really had to get into a bidding war with a senior who was dripping with Magic Equipment and clearly loaded, Lynch felt that the two-thousand-something Gold Coins he had painstakingly scraped together probably wouldn’t be enough...

Hearing him say "senior," Amadis’s eyes flickered. She greeted him warmly, "Oh, so you’re a junior? No wonder your aura felt a little familiar. It’s rare to see a fellow student from our major in a place like this. Let’s go in together. We can watch out for each other."

"Then I’ll be in your care, senior." Lynch didn’t refuse, obediently falling into step beside her, keeping half a pace behind.

He had to admit,

this senior had a strong sense of belonging to the Undead Major. He’d heard she had returned this time specifically for the academy’s year-end assessment, hoping to achieve some good results for the Undead Major.

Moreover, since her return, she often stood up for the apprentices of the Undead Major, readily getting into fights with students from the Holy Light System.

Because of this, Lynch had a rather favorable impression of his senior, Amadis.

Led by his senior, the two of them descended a flight of ancient stone steps.

As they walked, Lynch let out a long, seemingly troubled sigh.

Amadis glanced over with her beautiful, deep violet eyes. "What’s wrong, junior?"

"Senior~~ I’m just worried for Mentor Annabella," Lynch said with a sigh. "Our mentor gave up a promising future to return from the Undead Realm, all to revive the Undead Major. But I heard that if our major’s results in this assessment are too poor, next year’s student enrollment and resource allocation will be cut again."

Before Amadis could speak, Lynch’s eyes filled with sorrow as he clenched his fists tightly. "I have to get a good result in the academy assessment, to bring honor to Mentor Annabella and secure better resources for our future juniors."

A look of admiration appeared in Amadis’s eyes. "That’s a noble ambition. I wish you soaring success."

But Lynch’s tone shifted, and he said distressfully, "Sigh, the ’Skeleton Bracelet’ at this auction is just too important for me. With it, I’ll be able to command the Undead better and get a better score. To even participate in this auction, I had to scrape everything together, and I’m even in debt for over a thousand Gold Coins..."

As he spoke, he secretly watched his senior’s reaction from the corner of his eye.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Amadis’s steps faltered for a moment. She seemed about to speak but stopped herself, ultimately just letting out a soft "Mm."

Lynch’s heart sank.

’This senior is definitely here for the Skeleton Bracelet too.’

Immediately, a look of envy appeared in his eyes. "Sigh, looking at your outfit, senior... the Magic Staff, pendant, bracelet, ring—they must all be Top Grade, right? I’m so jealous."

"Unlike me... my family is already pinching every penny just to send me to the Extraordinary Academy. I have two younger sisters at home who often can’t even get a full meal... Both my parents are working several jobs, and their hair has turned gray..."

At this point, he clenched his fist tightly again, his face a mask of fierce determination. "That’s why I have to work even harder! I have to make something of myself as soon as possible so my family can live a good life. I must get a good score on this assessment!"

After saying this, as if he had just remembered something, he turned to Amadis and asked in a light tone, "Oh, right, senior. You came here today, you surely wouldn’t be interested in a Low Tier item like the Skeleton Bracelet, right? Are you planning to bid on some more powerful treasure?"

Amadis’s expression froze again. She hesitated. She really couldn’t bear to compete with this poor, yet inspiring, junior for the equipment. Although she had a real need for the Skeleton Bracelet herself, if it meant destroying this junior’s dream...

Resigned, she could only force a laugh and say, "Me? I’m just here to look around, hoping to pick up a bargain or something. Junior, I wish you success."

’Success.’

Lynch rejoiced inwardly, having preemptively eliminated a powerful competitor.

However, Lynch thought for a moment and decided to push his luck. "Senior, could I ask you to help me bid for the Skeleton Bracelet? I’ll pay you back for it afterward. You know, for an Undead apprentice like me, it’s easy to attract unwanted attention if I get my hands on a treasure~"

Hearing this, Amadis couldn’t help but glance at his getup, which only revealed a pair of eyes. ’Dressed like that, you’re worried about attracting unwanted attention?’

Fortunately, the senior was kind-hearted. After some thought, she finally agreed. "Fine."

Lynch once again put on a grateful expression.

He couldn’t help but think to himself, ’This Senior Amadis really is a good person. No wonder her reputation in the Undead Major is so high.’

In truth, if Lynch had a choice, he wouldn’t want to manipulate his senior with such a sob story. But he was truly too poor, and he needed that Skeleton Bracelet too badly.

’My apologies, senior. If I get the chance in the future, I’ll be sure to repay you properly.’

As they spoke, the two arrived in an extremely spacious underground hall.

It was unclear what this place was originally used for, but it looked quite old.

An open area was cleared in the center, surrounded by numerous tables and chairs where twenty to thirty people were already sparsely seated.

Most of them wore loose robes and hoods or masks. Only a few, like Amadis, who were extremely confident in their own strength or background, didn’t bother with much of a disguise.

Amadis sat directly in the front row, while Lynch scanned the area and settled into a secluded corner.

After waiting for about another hour, the total number of attendees reached over a hundred.

Just as Lynch was starting to get anxious, the Magic Lamps above the hall suddenly lit up.

A middle-aged man in a formal suit, wearing a pure white smiling mask, walked to the center.

He cleared his throat, his voice broadcasting throughout the hall via a Magic Horn: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Night Owl’s auction. Same old rules: highest bidder wins, payment on delivery."

"Now, let’s begin with tonight’s first item..."

As he spoke, a woman pushed a small cart to the center. On a velvet cloth lay a one-handed warhammer, its head carved with Holy Light Runes from which a faint Holy Light emanated.

The host announced with passion, "This hammer is named ’Evil’s Bane’! It has an extra suppressive effect on Negative Energy creatures such as Undead and demons. The starting bid is three hundred Gold Coins."

Lynch, of course, had no interest in this and simply watched with a cold detachment.

As expected, in a place like Saint Roland City, where the Holy Light Church’s influence was deeply rooted, Holy Light-type equipment was quite popular, and there were many bidders.

The price climbed steadily and was finally won by a burly man for six hundred and thirty Gold Coins.

The next few items included rare Magic Materials, Magic Scrolls with various functions, and a few pieces of general-purpose Magic Equipment, such as the "Boots of Windwalking" that could temporarily increase movement speed, and a "Protective Talisman" that provided a weak protective field.

Lynch watched with great envy. When a small Space Ring was brought out for auction, his breathing even quickened.

That thing was a real treasure.

But Lynch suppressed the urge to bid. A Space Ring was nice, but it wasn’t an absolute necessity right now. If he really had too much stuff to carry, he could just have Red Rabbit or the Bear Goblin Skeleton act as porters.

The "Skeleton Bracelet," however, was the treasure he needed most urgently. Securing it had to be his top priority.

In the end, the Space Ring was sold for the high price of one thousand three hundred Gold Coins to a person with a shrill voice and an obscured face.

Lynch waited patiently, and time seemed to drag on.

Finally, after a few more items were auctioned off, the host clapped his hands. Another female attendant came up holding a tray, upon which lay a single bracelet.

The bracelet was a stark, pale white, as if polished from the bones of some creature, its surface carved with all sorts of complex runes.

Lynch’s spirits lifted.

...