"Twenty thousand going once, twice."
"Twenty two thousand." Reever raised the bid without hesitation.
Elderwood, who had been lazily enjoying the food in the room, dropped his drink. He knew Reever had money, but this level of spending still frightened him. The most Elderwood had ever held was the thousand CP Reever had given him.
He stared at Reever for a moment before shaking his head and returning to the snacks.
Reever had his reasons. His gun was special, and his magazines were unique as well. The problem was that his current magazine held only one type of bullet. It was connected to his inventory, but that was all it could do.
"Who is this guy in room seven. Does he have a mine hidden under his house or something. I can only borrow twenty thousand more. I must get this magazine," the man in luminous blue armor muttered before messaging someone. A moment later, twenty thousand CP appeared in his balance.
"Twenty five thousand," he shouted.
Reever answered by raising the bid again.
"Thirty five thousand."
Aira, the auctioneer, froze for a heartbeat. She had not expected a sudden leap of ten thousand.
The man in the VVIP room clenched his fists. He had reached his limit.
"I will find that brat later. I will loot him until he cries," he whispered with a cold glint in his eyes.
"Thirty five thousand going once, twice, thrice, sold." Aira struck her hammer with a heavy thud.
"Congratulations, guest of room seven. This special magazine is now yours." The item vanished from the stage and appeared in Reever's room. He confirmed the transaction, and his CP dropped accordingly.
More goods were introduced. Reever rarely participated. He had already drawn enough attention and preferred to stay silent. It was his first time dealing with humans, and he was not yet sure how they behaved.
"It would be great if B were in my head right now. His old ancestral jokes would keep me awake," Reever sighed, watching Elderwood who was eating without restraint.
"What? You are not eating any of this. I cannot leave the food behind. I paid for it, so it is mine. I have never stepped into a VIP room before. It might be my last chance, so I will empty the entire fridge," Elderwood said while stuffing his mouth.
"This little pig," Reever murmured. "Although I cannot blame him. Once I leave this cursed game, I plan to eat everything I find as well."
He shifted his gaze back to the screen. Only a few golden boxes remained.
"I am sure most of you noticed that the majority of the boxed items have already been sold," Aira announced. "We have arrived at the final moment of this auction."
A large golden box appeared beside her. It shone brighter than all the boxes before it.
"The last item today is something truly special. Calling it special is actually an understatement. This item is a cheat, created by Grandmaster Ironclad."
Reever nodded in approval. "She knows how to capture the crowd."
"It is a one time consumable item," Aira continued. She paused to study the room. "Do not look disappointed. This is a game changer."
The golden box opened. A flash of golden light burst out, forcing people to cover their eyes for a second. Inside the box was a small tube holding a pill that glowed faintly.
Aira lifted it carefully.
"This is an elevation pill. None of you have heard of it because it is a prototype made by the grandmaster. This pill temporarily raises your rank by one full stage for an hour."
Gasps spread throughout the room.
"Imagine facing a boss. Imagine being drained of energy. Normally, you would fall, and someone would loot you. This pill changes everything. Even with zero energy, it lifts your combat ability by one entire rank for an hour. If you are a Rookie I, you become a Veteran I. It heals your body temporarily and gives you unlimited energy for that hour."
The room was silent, filled only with the faint hum of disbelief.
"It has one side effect," she added. "Once the hour ends, your body will be drained. You will have almost no energy left. Also, higher ranked players gain less benefit from it. Rookies and Veterans are the ones who can use it effectively."
"And like the healing potion, the system assimilates it directly. You may treat it as a trump card. The base price is seventy thousand CP, with bids increasing by two thousand."
Aira waited patiently. Inside, her heart burned with desire. She wanted the pill for herself, and the owner allowed her to keep it only if no one placed a bid. She was certain that most players lacked this level of money. Seventy thousand was enough to freeze the entire room.
Whispers and quiet conversations filled the air. Some players tried to borrow money. Others begged their friends for loans.
Minutes passed. No one dared to move.
"If no one wishes to bid, the auction will take posses—"
"One hundred thousand," Reever called out.
The room erupted.
"One hundred thousand."
"Who is he."
"Did he rob a bank."
"Maybe his family owns this auction house."
Aira's heart sank. She had already imagined swallowing the pill the moment the auction ended. That dream shattered the instant Reever spoke.
She looked toward room seven, trying to see the face of the person who had ruined her plan.
Elderwood stared blankly at Reever. He had gone beyond shock and entered a state of numb acceptance.
"One hundred thousand going once, twice, thrice, sold. Thank you, guest of room seven. You will not regret this purchase." Aira forced a smile.
"And that concludes today's auction. See you all next month. You may leave at your own time."
People erupted into whispers, shocked by the fate of the pill.
Reever stood up. "We should leave, Elderwood. If we stay, trouble will come knocking." He knew that people would try to track who used room seven. The auction protected identities perfectly, but he did not want to rely on luck.
Elderwood reluctantly followed him, glancing back at the untouched food in the VIP room as if he were saying goodbye to a long-lost friend.
"Let us head to the administration block so we can finish our tour of the city," Reever said. Elderwood nodded, still thinking about the snacks he failed to eat.