Path to Transcendence

"Why wouldn\'t they just use a Tier 5 ice core then? Wouldn\'t that just be an easier solution instead of finding such a rare core?" Julius pointed out.

Lily nodded. "You are kind of correct, but you also have to consider the fact that if one were to use a Tier 5 core, the energy requirements to fuel the enchantment would be prohibitively more expensive."

"So if someone were to create something with this core, they could create something that has the strength and resilience of a Tier 5 item without the cost?" Julius asked.

"Not exactly, you won\'t be able to perfectly replicate a Tier 5s power, but it does get awfully close," Lily corrected him.

"Probably some rich noble will get it for their kid or someone they care about," Aubrey said in disappointment.

Kyle shook his head from his spot and made a sound of disgust. "What a waste of a unique core. Imagine the research potential that would be just thrown away."

Lily must have seen Julius\'s look of confusion. "Some noble will use the core to create a weapon or life-saving item for someone. And since it is only a Tier 4 core, a Tier 3 should be able to at least activate under the right conditions. However, the power of the item would have enough to injure a Tier 4 and maybe even a Tier 5 if they\'re unlucky."

"That sounds pretty nice," Julius said more to himself than anyone else.

"Yeah, nice if you are a coward you can\'t fight for yourself," Aubrey muttered.

Julius nodded his head at her. "Yeah, but what if a craftsman who isn\'t specialized in combat gets attacked? It might save their life from someone. I don\'t expect someone who spends most of their day crafting to be able to handle themselves like us."

Aubrey frowned at that. "I doubt it will go to a craftsman. Most likely, it will go to a spoiled noble\'s brat."

Julius just shrugged his shoulders at her. I can\'t deny that. Odds are pretty high that it will go to some rich noble\'s son, after all, Julius thought to himself.

He took a look at the stage where the price of the core had already exceeded several dozen platinum at this point, quickly exceeding the low price of its initial bidding price.

In the end, it was sold for almost a hundred platinum. Julius laughed to himself. The first item had already sold for more than he had in the entire storage ring that he had gotten from Geoffrey.

He had at most a few dozen platinum in his ring all put together. He had a sneaking suspicion that he wouldn\'t be buying anything from here tonight.

Many items went and passed over the course of the auction. Julius saw some amazing things being sold off for extraordinary prices. One thing that caught his eye was an unhatched egg from a Tier 4 Infernal Drake. A species that is well known for its possibility for evolving into a dragon at Tier 5 if they ever reached that point.

That one sold for well over three hundred platinum.

Luckily, the auction made the bids completely anonymous, so whoever bought it wouldn\'t have to worry about someone stealing it later on. All bids were made from a device that each person was given when they entered the auction.

The only ones who bought anything were Kyle and Aubrey. Kyle ended up spotting an elegant engraving tool. It looked like a black and gold fountain pen, costing Kyle a pricey fifty-three platinum.

Aubrey had her eyes on a rare gemstone. It was a Tier 3 Blood Crystal and according to her, could enhance her physical strength if she used it. Fortunately for her, not many people could use it and she ended up getting such an item for a mere thirty-two platinum, a very good bargain according to her.

The others didn\'t feel interested in buying anything, most of them, specifically Edgar were content snacking on the buffet they were offered and talking about interesting items that popped up.

It wasn\'t until the most recent item came up that Julius paid really close attention. The rest of the audience didn\'t seem to pay it that much mind, it was nothing that spectacular by the auction\'s standards.

But to Julius, it was something that was very intriguing to him. The item was a Tier 3 life-attributed treasure called a Sylvan Petal. It was grown in some of the most dense life-attributed environments. Many of its uses were alchemy-related and could produce some amazing items for healing as well as many other life affinity products.

This so far was the only thing that Julius might be buying the entire night. If he could get it for under twenty platinum he would buy it. Who knew, maybe Drasil could find a use for it. He really liked the life-affinity troll core, maybe consuming a potion from this Sylvan Petal would help him.

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The pretty lady with pink hair on stage began the process without delay. "Okay, the starting bid is one platinum is there-" Julius watched as the lady for the first time seems taken out of her rhythm.

She quickly got herself back together. "Sorry, that was fast. We already have a current bid of a hundred platinum. Are there any takers for one hundred and one platinum?"

A hundred platinum? Right off the bat? He heard the crowd murmur through the glass pane of their room. There hadn\'t been such an extreme initial bid all night and it took many people by surprise.

The hundred platinum must have been too much for anyone else interested or maybe they were scared off by the fast overpriced bid. Whoever it was, clearly wanted it and while the bidding was anonymous, maybe they didn\'t want to take the chance of offending someone with such wealth. The person who offered such a large sum won within moments of the item being introduced. It was the fastest-sold item of the entire night by a long shot.

Julius on the other hand was disappointed. He had been excited to enter his bid and participate in the auction. He didn\'t think he would win with his low budget but he wanted to experience it and have some fun. He had his own device sitting in his own hands, eagerly awaiting his turn. Now he just felt sad. He didn\'t even get to bid a single amount.

He was so caught up in his self-pity, that he didn\'t even notice that the other four were looking at each other with weird looks.

Eventually, the auction moved on and they started to present some of the more prestigious items. They started off with a Tier 5 explosion core. A rare variant of a normal fire core that was unsurprisingly used for items that blew things up.

Another Tier 5 item that caught his eye was a life-attributed healing treasure. It specifically healed injuries caused to the soul and other permanent wounds that were unable to be healed by traditional healing skills. It was supposedly heads and shoulders more effective than anything found at a lower Tier.

Many of the Tier 5 items were highly sought after, and the Tier 6 items that were shown after, even more so.

One of the Tier 6 items that were being sold was a core from a monster called a Stellar Storm Tiger. Julius watched mesmerized as the core sparkled and radiated a power, unlike anything else that had been on stage.

He could practically smell the thick scent of burning ozone and felt faint strands of electricity running through his limbs.

It created quite a craze from the audience when they saw it on display. Bid after bid was made, rocketing the price of the item to over ten thousand platinum.

The others informed him that platinum was only used to quantify the price for the auction house but many times the person who bought it could negotiate with the seller of the product with other things they might want of similar value. If nothing could be agreed upon then the final price was what the buyer had to pay.

Julius couldn\'t believe how much wealth he saw on display. He was starting to see why Declan said not to worry about a couple of dozen platinum, and compared it to a paltry sum. Because it was. These people were throwing hundreds and sometimes even thousands of times more money than that on a singular item.

It was enlightening and humbling, to say the least.

It was also safe to say that nobody from their group chose to buy any of the Tier 5 or 6 items. They had no need for them, they were only Tier 2 and 3 after all. It was a little bit anti-climatic but the auction ended without much fanfare or anything of note.

Since Kyle and Aubrey had both bought items, a member of the auction house came to their room. It was a young woman, much like the one from the check-in area, but this one felt different. Julius couldn\'t make out the aura of her, but the way she held herself spoke of extreme confidence.

He had no doubts that this woman was at least Tier 4 and maybe even Tier 5. Which would make sense considering she was delivering such valuable items to influential individuals.

Once Aubrey and Kyle paid for their items and they stored them away in their own personal storage devices, Julius was surprised that the young woman didn\'t leave. Instead, she went over to Lily and took out a box much like the one that held the other\'s items.

Lily without missing a beat, took out a hundred platinum coins and handed them to the woman, who gave a polite bow and left them alone.

Julius was about to ask about what time their dinner reservation was, considering it was probably around six o\'clock, but something stuck out to him.

Wait, a hundred platinum coins? Julius asked himself.

He looked over at Lily, who wouldn\'t meet his eyes for some reason. So Julius walked over to her with hurried steps. He was slightly taller, so he had to look down on her, but she still wouldn\'t look at him.

"It was you?" He asked confused.

She just nodded her head softly and held out the box to him. "Congratulations," she said gently.

Julius didn\'t take the box. "I can\'t accept such an expensive gift," he said seriously.

She looked him in the eyes and gave him the most tragic-looking gaze. "You won\'t?" She asked in a depressed tone.

He felt like someone had just stabbed him in the back of the heart. Now he felt like a piece of shit. Which if he knew her, was exactly her plan. She would try to guilt him into taking it.

Instead of answering her, he turned to the others who were wearing knowing smiles. "I thought you said she was cheap," he accused them.

"Oh, she is," Aubrey stated emphatically. "But that usually extends only to herself and not her friends."

Julius wore a frown. "Wait, did you guys know?"

Derek chuckled. "Not many nobles would throw around a hundred platinum for a mere Tier 3 life-attributed treasure, no matter how rich they were. Plus, we told you how wealthy she was. Did you think we were exaggerating?"

"Yeah, just take it. She could have probably bought all the items at the auction easily. A hundred platinum to her is literally a couple of coppers to someone like you," Aubrey said casually while simultaneously insulting Julius\'s own financial status.

Damn, Julius knew she was wealthy, but being able to spend tens of thousands of platinum like that was on a completely different level.

He looked back at Lily and carefully took the box from her still-extended arms with a genuine smile. "Thank you, it\'s a great gift."

Lily\'s previous tragic expression was wiped off like it was never there. "I know right?! I went through their catalogue of what they were selling tonight and I came across that. I thought it would be a perfect fit for you and Drasil."

"So I can use this for Drasil?" Julius asked curiously.

"Of course, and even better, Drasil can take it without any processing. It will actually work better for him that way. A Sylvan Petal is a great treasure for any blooming life spirit. A hundred platinum is actually not a bad price for one," Lily said with a smug smile.

Julius just shook his in disbelief as Lily turned into an excited girl over a new shiny object in a matter of seconds. It was a very nice gift though, he would make sure to remember it.