Chapter 57: Auction III

The auction continued for another fifteen minutes before Victor finally introduced the last individual.

"Now, this is our final criminal for today’s auction."

An assistant stepped forward and displayed another information card.

The individual was a middle-aged man with a muscular build. His face was covered with several scars, and his expression was considerably calmer than that of the others.

"Unlike the previous individuals, this man is a former adventurer. He possesses considerable experience exploring dungeons and has reached the Intermediate Rank 2 level 267."

Victor paused to let the information sink in.

"His primary class is Berserker, and he possesses extensive knowledge of monster habitats, dungeon traps, and survival techniques. Unfortunately, his criminal record is rather lengthy. He was involved in several robberies, the murder of other adventurers, and the massacre of an entire settlement."

A few people in the audience exchanged glances.

"Despite his crimes, his accumulated experience makes him considerably more valuable than an ordinary criminal. He could be useful as a dungeon guide, a training partner, or even an assistant for adventurers who wish to improve their survival skills."

Victor looked toward the audience.

"The starting bid is one hundred and fifty thousand Tower Coins!"

Several bidding tokens were immediately raised.

"One hundred and fifty thousand!"

"One hundred and seventy thousand!"

"Two hundred thousand!"

The price gradually increased.

Unlike the previous criminals, the man’s combat experience and level attracted considerable attention from adventurers.

Eventually, the bidding stopped at three hundred and twenty thousand Tower Coins.

"Sold!"

Victor brought down his golden hammer.

With that, the final criminal was sold.

He smiled and looked around the hall.

"That concludes today’s auction. Congratulations to everyone who successfully acquired their desired items. Our staff will assist you with payment and collection procedures. Those who purchased special lots will be contacted individually regarding their delivery arrangements."

The audience began to stir.

Some people immediately stood up, while others remained seated, discussing their purchases with their companions.

Ryan glanced at the stage.

He had only purchased one item throughout the entire auction, the Moonlight Spirit Flower.

Although several other lots had been reasonably valuable, none had particularly interested him.

He stood up and adjusted his clothes.

Just as he was about to leave, an auction house employee approached him.

"Excuse me, sir. Are you the owner of seat number thirty-seven?"

Ryan glanced at him.

"Yes. Is something wrong?"

"Not at all, sir. Your purchased item is ready for collection. If you would kindly follow me, I can take you to our private transaction room."

Ryan nodded.

"Lead the way."

The employee politely gestured toward a side entrance.

Ryan followed him through a corridor before arriving at a relatively spacious room.

Unlike the main auction hall, this area was considerably quieter. Several employees were already attending to customers who had purchased expensive items.

"Please wait here for a moment, sir."

The employee bowed slightly before leaving.

Ryan took a seat and waited.

A few minutes later, another employee entered carrying a beautifully decorated wooden box.

"Sir, this is the Moonlight Spirit Flower you purchased during today’s auction."

She carefully placed the box on the table and opened it.

Inside was the same transparent container Ryan had seen on the stage.

The pale-blue petals remained as beautiful as before, and the faint silver light at its center continued to shimmer.

Ryan examined it briefly.

Although he could already identify the plant through his knowledge, he still checked its condition.

Everything appeared to be in order.

"Is there anything else you would like to purchase from our auction house?" the employee asked politely.

Ryan shook his head.

"Not at the moment."

"Understood, sir. Your total comes to six hundred and fifty thousand Tower Coins."

Ryan took out his payment card and completed the transaction.

A notification appeared on his interface.

[Payment Successful.]

[6,50,000 Tower Coins have been deducted.]

[Moonlight Spirit Flower acquired.]

Ryan stored the wooden box inside his spatial ring.

After completing the remaining formalities, he left the private transaction room.

The employee escorted him back toward the main corridor before politely bidding him farewell.

Ryan walked toward the exit.

However, while passing through the auction hall’s reception area, he noticed several people gathered around a large display screen.

It showed the results of the day’s auction, including the names of the most expensive lots and their final selling prices.

Ryan glanced at it briefly.

The Moonlight Spirit Flower wasn’t even among the five most expensive items.

He wasn’t particularly surprised.

After all, the auction had included several Legendary-grade weapons and rare skill books.

He continued walking.

By the time Ryan left the auction house, the sun had already begun setting.

The streets surrounding the building were considerably busier than when he had arrived.

Several carriages and magical vehicles were parked outside, while groups of adventurers could be seen discussing the auction.

Ryan pulled his hood slightly forward and continued walking.

He wasn’t particularly interested in staying around.

He had obtained what he wanted, and there was little reason to waste any more time.

However, his thoughts soon returned to the final auction lot.

Nine convicted criminals had been sold in front of hundreds of people without anyone raising any serious objections.

Although Victor had repeatedly emphasized the severity of their crimes, Ryan couldn’t help feeling that something about the entire arrangement was rather unpleasant.

’Well, I suppose the Tower has its own rules.’

He wasn’t familiar enough with the second floor’s laws to make any judgments.

Besides, he had no intention of getting involved in something that didn’t concern him.

For now, he had more important things to take care of.

The Moonlight Spirit Flower was only one of the materials he wanted to collect, and there were still several recipes and preparations he intended to work on.

Ryan quickened his pace.

He had already spent enough time at the auction.

It was time to return and continue with his own plans.

Ryan continued walking through the busy streets until he eventually arrived at his accommodation.

After returning to his room, he placed the Moonlight Spirit Flower inside his private storage space before checking whether everything else was in order.