"Our next item is a sword. This weapon was fou—"
The man in the rabbit mask was cut off before he could finish.
"Fifty million!"
Isaac's voice boomed across the hall.
"Two hundred million."
The girl in the fox mask raised her hand, her smirk cutting across the room like a blade.
Isaac was already halfway to his feet, ready to shout again, but Trish grabbed his wrist firmly.
"We're getting more attention than we want," she whispered.
"Tsk." Isaac clicked his tongue, sinking back into his chair. That was the fourth item that girl had taken from him.
Ramos leaned over, lowering his voice.
"Do you have a problem with the Silverstone family?"
Isaac tilted his head, annoyed.
"The Silver-what now?"
"The Silverstones. One of the richest families in the country. That young lady over there—she's Richard Silverstone's daughter. If I recall correctly… her name is Sonia."
Isaac vaguely remembered the name from his past life.
"Ah, right. They're the ones who control most of the mana stone trade, aren't they?"
Ramos nodded grimly.
"More than sixty percent of it. They're powerful… and arrogant."
Isaac leaned back, smirking. "Sounds about right."
On stage, the man in the rabbit mask raised his arms dramatically.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this item is truly rare—a scale of a black dragon!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the hall erupted. Gasps, whispers, and greedy eyes filled the air.
Dragon items were priceless. Even a fragment of scale was enough to strengthen a magician's mana or ward off mental attacks. But this scale was enormous—nearly the size of a cow. Its value was beyond imagination.
Then—
[System Notification]
Your familiar egg is twitching.
[System Notification]
Dragon scale required to hatch the familiar.
[System Notification]
Your familiar egg senses its kin's mana signature.
A blue window flickered before Isaac's eyes. His body stiffened.
"Wait—kin?" he thought, his mind spinning. "Don't tell me… it's a dragon egg?"
He had nearly forgotten about the dormant egg, but now it pulsed with restless energy. If it truly was a dragon egg, this was beyond priceless. He clenched his fists. Even if it cost him everything, he had to get it.
"One billion!" Isaac shouted, shooting to his feet.
Trish almost choked, reaching to pull him down. "Have you lost your mind?!"
"1.5 billion!" Sonia Silverstone's clear voice cut across the hall. She turned, eyes locking with Isaac's, and mouthed: Too bad—it's mine.
Isaac's jaw tightened. The urge to shut her mouth permanently burned in his chest.
[System Notification]
Insanity Index: 60%
Skill: The Forgotten is amused by your suffering.
Isaac gritted his teeth, pushing the thought away.
"So you finally feel like talking, huh?"
[System Notification]
Skill: The Forgotten scoffs at you.
Skill: The Forgotten returns to dormant state.
"…Parasite," Isaac muttered under his breath. But he raised his hand again.
"Two billion."
"Three billion!" Sonia shot back instantly.
Isaac sat down, smirking despite his frustration.
"You're giving up? You looked like you wanted that scale," Ramos whispered.
"Nah." Isaac leaned back lazily, his smile unsettling. "Let her have it… for now."
Ramos's face turned pale at that smile.
"Three billion going once… going twice… SOLD! To the lady with the fox mask!"
The crowd erupted again, some in applause, others in shock. Sonia sat proud, but Isaac's eyes burned into her mask with quiet menace.
The rabbit-masked auctioneer clapped his hands.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, our final item—the best for last!" He spread his arms wide.
A tray was brought forward. On it, a glass vial shimmered with a deep, sinister red liquid.
"Blood Essence," he announced. "Drawn from an elder vampire. A single drop grants eternal youth… and strength."
The hall went silent, hungry stares all converging on the vial.
At that moment, Ramos's crystal pulsed in his palm—glowing brilliantly.
His hands trembled. "This… this is it."
"Five billion!" he shouted, desperation cracking his voice.
"Six billion!" someone countered.
"Twenty billion!" Ramos roared, eyes wild, ignoring Rick's horrified protest.
"Brother, calm down! That's—"
"I don't care if I go bankrupt! I must have it!" Ramos screamed, tears trembling in his eyes.
But then Sonia lifted her hand, her tone calm and cold.
"I'll offer double."
The crowd gasped. The auctioneer froze mid-sentence, sweat dripping down his brow. "F-Forty billion?"
Sonia shook her head.
"No. I mean I will double any amount they offer. If they stop bidding, I'll pay one hundred billion outright."
The hall went silent. The rabbit-masked man grinned, barely able to contain his greed.
"Ah… then it seems the lady wins again. Sold!"
The hammer fell. Ramos collapsed into his seat, face pale and broken. His last chance—gone.
"No… no, it's not too late!" he muttered, staggering to his feet.
Rick caught his arm. "Brother, what are you doing?!"
"I'll beg the Silverstones! I'll give them anything! I just need that vial!" Ramos stumbled toward the elevator, Isaac, Trish, and Rick trailing after.
But then his phone rang. Unknown number.
He snatched it up.
"Did you get the item?" A harsh voice demanded.
"I—I… I need more time," Ramos stammered.
"You have until midnight. Bring proof. If not—your son dies."
"Dad! Dad, help me—I'm scared!" His son's trembling voice cried out, before the line went dead.
The phone slipped from Ramos's hand as he crumpled to the floor, sobbing.
Isaac stepped forward, laying a hand on his shoulder. For a moment, he saw his face from his past life hopless and alone
He crouched beside Ramos, voice low and calm.
"Don't worry. We'll get it. You just need to wait."
Ramos looked up at him with desperate eyes. "What… what do you mean?"
Isaac's lips curled into a cold smirk.
"I was planning to pay that arrogant miss a visit anyway. Consider it a thank you for keeping my items safe."
Ramos froze, staring at him as though at an angel descending into his despair.
Trish, meanwhile, turned away, covering her face with one hand. She already knew where this was going and she had long since stopped trying to stop him.