Rain poured over the skyline of New Kyoto like tears from a vengeful god. The neon lights of the towering cityscape flickered in defiance of the storm, casting ghostly shadows onto the wet glass of the VIP shuttle gliding silently through the airways. Inside, Jason sat in silence, his eyes glowing faintly as the System interface danced before them.
He was dressed sharply in a custom-tailored obsidian tuxedo embedded with fine nanofiber threads—a fusion of style and armor. Cassie sat beside him, her eyes focused and lips pressed into a thoughtful line. Across from them, Vincent Lee adjusted the cufflinks on his designer suit, nervous energy radiating from him like heat.
"The Monarch Auction is tonight," Jason murmured, voice calm but edged with anticipation.
Cassie nodded. "Every elite in the Eastern Republic will be there—billionaires, underworld kings, corporate warlords, technocrats, and more. But the item you seek... it won't come cheap."
Jason's System blinked to life in his mind.
[System Notification]
Auction Objective: Acquire the Temporal Ember (Legendary)
Auction Credits Available: 2.9 Trillion Credits
Auction Parameters: No violence. No external manipulation. You must win fairly or earn it through alternate means.
Optional Quest: Expose the Shadow Broker and seize their hidden cache.
Reward: +5 System Levels | Unlock: Reality Anchor Upgrade
Jason's brows lifted slightly.
Reality Anchor Upgrade? That was new.
Cassie raised an eyebrow at his expression. "System quest?"
He gave her a small smile. "You could say that."
The Monarch Auction Hall
Held within the sky-floating citadel known as Dominion Spire, the Monarch Auction was more than a simple marketplace—it was a battlefield of wealth, secrets, and silent warfare. The Spire hovered at the highest permitted altitude over New Kyoto, a self-contained luxury fortress that housed the most elite gatherings in the Eastern Hemisphere.
As Jason stepped into the grand lobby, eyes turned.
Some recognized him from media—the tech genius who "returned" from the dead. Others sensed a pressure they couldn't define, like a storm in human skin.
Cassie and Vincent followed closely as they ascended the crystal stairs to the main auction chamber. Jason glanced around, noting every detail. Holographic marble statues depicting the rise of civilizations flanked the golden doors. Security bots hovered discreetly at every corner, and masked attendants carried trays of golden drinks made from synthesized starlight fruit.
The guests were monsters in the skin of humans—faces from conglomerates, arms dealers, even foreign princes.
"Your presence has caused a stir already," Cassie whispered.
Jason just smiled. "Good."
Inside the Lion's Den
The auction chamber resembled an opera house designed by a madman—circular rows of floating lounges hovered in tiers around a central stage made of living glass. On that stage stood the Auctioneer—a woman named Selene Vale, known as the "Empress of Commerce." Dressed in a flowing black gown laced with programmable LEDs, her every movement radiated power.
"Welcome, sovereigns of ambition," Selene announced. "Tonight, we offer not objects, but futures."
The lights dimmed as the first items appeared.
A 9th-gen Neural Drive Interface. Sold for 400 billion.
A Dragon's Blood Serum—allegedly distilled from a living draconian bioform. Sold for 650 billion.
Cassie leaned in. "The Temporal Ember will be among the final lots."
Jason nodded. He wasn't here for side dishes.
An Unexpected Challenger
As bidding went on, Jason noticed him—an old man in crimson robes, seated on a private floating suite draped in shadows. A golden ring with a serpent emblem glimmered on his left hand.
Cassie whispered, "That's Lucien Zhang—the Shadow Broker. Controls nearly half the information trade in East Asia. And he's dangerous."
Jason narrowed his eyes.
[System Alert: Hostile Entity Detected]
Name: Lucien Zhang
Status: Hidden Tier Operative
Affiliation: Forbidden Circle
Threat Level: High
Intent: Contest the Ember. Seek to neutralize threat after auction.
The plot thickened.
"Let him play," Jason said coolly. "We'll win the Ember first. Then I'll take everything else he has."
Lot 44: The Temporal Ember
Selene's voice shifted to reverent tones. "And now—Lot 44. A temporal artifact retrieved from the Echo Mines of Old Siberia, imbued with chronolock technology and the essence of the Pre-Systemic Era. The Temporal Ember."
Gasps filled the room.
The object floated forward—a crystalline orb pulsating with orange light, suspended within a gravity field.
"Starting bid: 100 billion."
"150 billion," someone said instantly.
"200," barked a cybernetic oil tycoon from AfricaCorp.
Jason watched, silent.
Lucien raised a hand lazily. "300 billion."
Vincent paled. "Are we really bidding against the Shadow Broker?"
Cassie nodded to Jason.
He stood.
"500 billion."
A hush fell.
Selene's eyes sparkled. "Do I hear 600?"
Lucien's smile widened. "One trillion."
Now the room gasped.
Jason didn't flinch. "Two trillion."
Lucien blinked.
That wasn't expected.
Selene's tone trembled with excitement. "Two trillion offered! Any challengers?"
Lucien's smile faded slightly. "Two point two."
Jason didn't move. "Three."
Cassie's heart skipped. Even for them, that was nearly everything.
Lucien leaned forward. "Three point five."
Jason smiled thinly.
"Four trillion."
The room froze.
Even Selene was stunned.
No one else dared raise a hand.
[System Notification: Auction Concluded]
Winner: Jason Yue – Temporal Ember Acquired
Bonus Reward: +1 Rank in Chrono Affinity | Timeline Stability Increased
Jason sat back as the Ember was delivered to his vault pod, secured in quantum stasis.
The Ambush
Of course, it wasn't over.
As Jason, Cassie, and Vincent exited the Spire via private shuttle, their craft was intercepted mid-flight.
Dozens of cloaked drones attacked, and from behind them, Lucien appeared on a skybike surrounded by elite Shadow Enforcers.
"I don't lose," he said simply.
Jason stood at the edge of the shuttle's platform as the hatch opened.
He tossed his jacket aside.
Cassie sighed, summoning her plasma revolvers.
Vincent hid behind the wall.
Jason raised a hand. The Ember pulsed at his side.
[System Protocol: Time Dilation Field – Engaged]
The air shimmered.
Time slowed.
He moved like lightning.
Cassie shot down two drones with a flick of her wrist.
Jason struck three Enforcers with pure kinetic force, reversing their polarity mid-air and sending them spiraling into oblivion.
Lucien launched a pulse grenade—but Jason caught it midair, rewired its matrix with his mind, and sent it back.
The explosion shattered Lucien's defenses.
"You're not human," Lucien hissed as he fell to one knee.
"No," Jason said, his voice metallic and ancient. "I'm what's coming."
The Aftermath
Lucien was defeated, his mind partially wiped by the System for attempting a direct strike during a sanctified event.
Jason didn't kill him.
He took everything.
[System Notification]
Shadow Cache Acquired:
Forbidden Intel Database:
• Quantum Trading Routes
• 7 Black Sites revealed
• Classified: Soul Exchange Logs
Cassie stared at the incoming data flood in the shuttle's interface.
"You just took over the Shadow Network in one night."
Jason didn't answer.
He was staring into the Temporal Ember.
Inside it, he saw something.
A glimpse.
Of the future.
A throne of stars.
A war of timelines.
A crown of light.
He saw himself wearing it.