"Brother, are you sure those people can be trusted?"
Rick's glare was fixed on Isaac and Trish as they walked toward the hotel.
Ramos rubbed his temples, his voice heavy with frustration.
"That's enough, Rick. My child's life is at stake. Do you think I'd hire people I wasn't sure about?"
Rick clicked his tongue, clearly unconvinced, but he held his silence for now. Isaac smirked at the exchange, finding Rick's attitude amusing.
"So… what now?" Isaac asked.
"The auction will be held here soon. I just need to obtain the item they're demanding." Ramos replied, his tone weary.
Isaac tilted his head. "And how will you know which item they want?"
Ramos reached into his pocket and revealed a small crystal that glowed faintly in the dim light.
"This will shine when the item appears."
Isaac studied it with a mocking smirk. "Quite handy."
Trish shot him a side-eye, silently urging him to behave, but Ramos didn't seem bothered. His voice carried only sadness.
"You could say that…"
They reached the elevator. Ramos pulled out a sleek black card, almost like polished obsidian, and pressed a sequence of floor buttons as though entering a secret code. The buttons flickered, then a hidden panel slid open. Ramos placed the card against the scanner.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the elevator began to descend. Finally, the doors opened into a small chamber where a butler stood, holding a tray lined with animal-shaped masks.
Ramos took a tiger mask for himself and handed one to Rick. He offered masks to Isaac and Trish, but they refused. Trish already had her face shrouded in her purple smoke, and Isaac had his Hundred Face Mask altering his appearance. The thought of wearing an animal mask nearly made him scoff aloud — he'd die of embarrassment if he used that.
They moved forward into a massive hall, vast as a stadium, with tiered seating circling a central stage. The air was thick with murmurs from dozens of masked figures, most of them radiating wealth and authority. Isaac extended his mana, brushing lightly across the room — sixty people, maybe more.
The lights dimmed suddenly. All beams converged on the stage, where a man in a sleek black suit and a bunny mask bowed gracefully.
"Esteemed guests," his voice rang out theatrically, "I welcome you to tonight's auction."
He gestured dramatically as two attendants rolled a table forward, a glass case upon it holding a battered, ancient book.
"Our first item is no ordinary tome… but an A-rank skill book."
He lifted the book high for everyone to see.
"A lightning-based attack skill. We'll start the bidding at twenty million."
The hall erupted instantly, hands shooting into the air. Within moments, the price skyrocketed.
"Five hundred million!" someone shouted.
Isaac glanced sideways at Ramos. "Any reaction from your crystal?"
Ramos shook his head.
Leaning back, Isaac turned to Trish and whispered, "That credit card you got from the Trader… what's it for exactly?"
"For mission expenses," she answered curtly.
Isaac grinned. "Is that so?"
He raised his hand lazily. "Seven hundred million."
Trish and Ramos both snapped their heads toward him, stunned. Isaac only smirked to himself. Spending money really does feel refreshing… especially when it's not mine.
"Nine hundred million!" a sharp female voice cut through the room.
Isaac's eyes narrowed. Across the hall, a girl in a fox mask raised her hand. She wore a sleek blue dress — strikingly similar to Trish's.
"Nine hundred million, going once… going twice… SOLD to the lady with the fox mask!"
The rabbit-masked auctioneer's voice boomed, gavel striking.
Isaac leaned back, his gaze darkening as he glared at the girl.
"Isn't that the one from the store?" Trish asked quietly.
Isaac nodded, lips curling into a faint smirk
. This might get troublesome…
Trish muttered under her breath, cursing her luck. Every time Isaac was around everything goes wrong