Chapter 409: Celestial Starlight Lotus

The event went on as usual.

Artifacts were presented.

Bidders registered their interest.

Fighters entered the arena.

Some battles ended within moments. Others dragged on as competitors exhausted themselves trying to outlast their opponents.

Jayden watched carefully.

He paid attention to how the bidders behaved, which type of fighters attracted challengers, and how often an apparent victory turned into another exhausting match.

The strategy was becoming clearer.

Winning the first fight wasn’t necessarily the difficult part. The real challenge was surviving everything that came afterward.

A powerful fighter might defeat an opponent in a few seconds, only to face someone who had spent the entire match studying their movements.

Others deliberately waited until a victor had fought several consecutive rounds before entering the competition.

It was a game of patience as much as strength.

Time passed and fifteen more artifacts were presented and won by their respective victors.

The host stepped forward to announce the next round.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, let us move on to our next artifact!"

The lights dimmed.

The holographic screen above the arena flickered to life, revealing the image of a radiant, snow-white flower with petals that pulsed with a luminescent aura.

[ARTIFACT 018 — THE CELESTIAL STARLIGHT LOTUS

Classification: Mythic.

Estimated Market Value: 4,000,000 credits.

Four million credits was a staggering sum, and the mythical status of the Lotus made it an even more impressive prize.

"The Celestial Starlight Lotus is a Mythic-class artifact with an estimated market value of four million credits!" the host announced. "It’s an exceptionally rare treasure with a unique potential. Now, do we have any interested bidders?"

Almost immediately, a bell chimed from one of the elevated VIP booths labeled Box 9.

Then, an holographic projection flickered to life, revealing a large, heavily built man seated on a black leather couch. He wore a long crimson coat over dark armour, with several golden rings on his fingers, and a collection of scars across his weathered face. His hair was shaved close to his scalp, and a thick black beard framed his jaw.

This was Darius Vane, a notorious space pirate captain with a ruthless reputation across the galaxy. He looked like someone who had spent his entire life surrounded by violence, and had enjoyed every moment of it.

He was the commander of the Crimson Corsairs. They were a force to be reckoned with, even among the underworld’s more established factions. Their ships raided trade routes, their crews attacked isolated settlements, and their captain had a reputation for making examples of anyone who dared cross him.

Unlike an ordinary crime lord, Darius commanded an entire fleet. He possessed wealth, influence, and enough loyal killers to turn a personal grudge into a prolonged nightmare.

He took a slow drink from the glass in his hand before addressing the hall.

"I’ll be claiming this artifact," he said. His voice was deep and rough, carrying effortlessly through the speakers.

"My champion will fight for me. If anyone here believes they can take the prize from me, they’re welcome to try." He paused, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Of course, I hope you’ve already made arrangements for your funeral."

The audience fell silent.

Several spectators exchanged uneasy glances. Others immediately lowered their identification tags, abandoning any intention of bidding. They didn’t just fear losing against him; they feared what would happen if they survived.

The host cleared his throat.

"An impressive declaration from Participant 026!"

He gestured toward the arena.

"Please present your fighter!"

Just then, a man stepped forward from the crowd. He was burly, standing well over six feet tall, with a thick neck, broad shoulders, and arms that looked as though they had been carved from solid rock. His upper body was covered in dark metallic armour, and red lightning crackled between his fingers, branching across his forearms like living veins.

The man walked into the arena, rolling his shoulders. Then he looked up at the audience, a grin spreading across his face.

"Which one of you wants to die first?"

Nobody answered.

The man laughed.

"That’s what I thought."

Jayden’s eyes narrowed. Something about the man bothered him. Not his physique. Not even the intimidating aura surrounding him. It was the sheer density of his energy.

The man wasn’t merely strong. His body seemed to contain an extraordinary amount of power, all compressed beneath his skin and waiting to be unleashed.

Jayden activated Dragon’s Eye without hesitation.

A familiar interface appeared before him.

——————

Name: Raze

Age: 43

Level: 72 | Rank: SS

Ability: Lightning Manipulation

HP: 8500/8500

——————

Jayden was stunned by the information displayed before him.

Level 72? And... SS-rank?

The only other SS-rank rank pioneer he knew was Jenny. And even she didn’t have this much health points.

This man was far stronger than Rick Gallagher.

Jayden leaned back in his seat, studying him cautiously.

He had struggled against S-rank Pioneers even with his various abilities. He’d won those fights through preparation, cunning, and exploiting whatever weaknesses he could discover. But this man was an entirely different monster.

His level was higher. His health was considerably greater. And his ability was clearly no ordinary lightning.

The host raised his hand.

"Does anyone else wish to challenge Participant 026 for the Celestial Starlight Lotus?"

Silence.

Not a single identification tag rose.

The host waited.

Five seconds passed.

Then ten.

Still, nobody moved.

The reason was obvious.

Four million credits was an enticing prize. The Celestial Starlight Lotus was a Mythic-class artifact, and for the right person, it could be worth far more than its estimated market value.

But what good was an artifact if you died trying to obtain it?

Nobody in the hall could confidently claim they had a fighter capable of defeating that monster.

Of course, that didn’t necessarily mean he was the strongest person present.

There were powerful individuals scattered throughout the Grand Exchange who hadn’t expressed any interest in the lotus. Some might have possessed fighters capable of challenging him. Others might have been powerful enough to enter the arena themselves.

But they had no reason to risk revealing their strength or creating unnecessary enemies over an artifact they didn’t particularly want.

For everyone else, however, the choice was simple.

They weren’t willing to die for it.

The pirate captain let out a victorious laughter. It seemed he had won the bid. He hadn’t even needed to fight. His reputation and fighter’s presence had done the work for him.

The host lowered his hand.

"Very well, then! If there are no challengers, the Celestial Starlight Lotus belongs to—"

"Wait!"

A sharp voice suddenly interrupted him.

The host paused.

Everyone immediately turned their heads toward the source of the voice.

Near the lower seating section, a teenage girl stood up casually, unfazed by the hundreds of eyes staring at her.

She wore a fitted dark outfit beneath an armless jacket, her long blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail, and a black blindfold concealed her eyes.

Jayden eyes widened. He recognized her immediately.

She was the girl he’d bumped into on the street.

The same girl whose strange energy had caught his attention earlier.

For a moment, he stared in awe.

What is she doing here?

The blindfolded girl raised her bidding tag into the air.

"I wish to bid on the lotus."