Chapter 42 – The Art of Silent Extortion.

The grand marble facade of the Ivory Imperial Auction Palace was decorated with silver silk banners and garrisoned by elite Level 25 guards.

The high aristocracy of the Second Circle had gathered that morning for the season's largest financial event. Flying crystal carriages disembarked nobles wearing velvet robes, arcane ore jewelry, and wrought-iron crowns.

However, when the palace's iron gates opened, the entrance hall's attention turned to the arrival of four figures.

The Arcane Greed Faction entered the palace with an overwhelming presence.

Diana walked in front, wearing a tailored long jacket of dark leather with silver button details and a high collar. Beside her, Rhea wore the dark blue velvet overcoat with silver accents that heightened her Agility 54. Kael and Aurelia-Elysia followed right behind, dressed in impeccably fitted military noble civilian attire.

Upon presenting the Magical Contract of Noble Exemption signed by Lord Vane and the official guild registry, the auction butler bowed deeply and escorted the group directly to VIP Box No. 4 on the second floor.

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VIP Box No. 4 - The Imperial Auction Hall

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The auction hall was circular, accommodating thousands of spectators in the marble stands and eighteen suspended boxes for the high aristocracy.

In the adjacent VIP box, Count Valerius, a young pale-skinned noble wearing a mantle adorned with red gems, glared at Diana's box with pure disdain.

"Rookie mercenaries in a VIP box…?" Valerius murmured to his assistant, loud enough to be overheard. "Town hall is letting any commoner with a pouch of coins step onto the imperial floor today."

Rhea and Kael furrowed their brows, but Diana didn't even bother turning her head.

She sat back in the box's velvet armchair, crossing her legs, resting her chin on her left hand.

—That idiot next door has more pride than brains.

The System's voice echoed in Diana's mind, the interface floating in black gold in the corner of her vision.

—Found your next financial victim, Diana. What are you going to do with him?

"I'm going to make him spend half his fortune on trash." Diana replied mentally with an icy smile.

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The Auction Begins - Financial Humiliation

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The main auctioneer, an elegant demon wearing a black tailcoat, stepped onto the stage and struck the gavel of fine wood.

"Welcome to the Ivory Imperial Auction!" The auctioneer announced. "First item of the round: A Decorative Rapier of Silver Light (Level 15)! Starting bid: 3 Silver Coins!"

Count Valerius, wanting to flex power and parade wealth before the other nobles, raised his paddle instantly.

"Five silver coins!" Valerius shouted arrogantly.

Diana raised the paddle for Box No. 4 with complete tranquility.

"Eight silver coins." Diana declared, her calm voice echoing across the hall.

Valerius glared at Diana's box, feeling his noble pride challenged by a human girl. "Ten silver coins!"

"Twelve silver coins." Diana topped the bid without blinking, using [Command Eye] to read Valerius's body language cues. She knew for a fact that the noble would do anything not to lose the bid in front of the room.

"FIFTEEN SILVER COINS!" Valerius yelled, jumping from his chair, his face red with proud fury.

Diana gave a small, cold smile, lowered her paddle, and took a sip of her juice.

"Sold to Count Valerius for fifteen silver coins!" The auctioneer struck the gavel.

Valerius smirked with feigned victory, but his assistant beside him nearly suffered a stroke: the rapier was worth four silver coins at most on the open market. Diana had used the noble's pride to drive him to pay nearly four times the item's true value.

—HAHAHAHA! The System laughed in Diana's head. —You yanked eleven silver coins out of the guy's pocket without even touching the item! That is pure cruelty!

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The True Targets of Greed

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After making Valerius bleed silver coins on two more irrelevant items, the auctioneer announced the event's featured items.

"Lot Number Seventeen!" The auctioneer revealed an ancient book bound in dark leather and sealed with gold runes. "The [Tome of Transmutational Alchemy]! Enables the transmutation of raw monster materials into high-purity reagents! Starting bid: 5 Silver Coins!"

The auction floor stirred. Several master alchemists began raising bids: 6 silver… 7 silver… 8 silver…

Diana raised the paddle for VIP Box No. 4.

"Ten Silver Coins." Diana declared, her icy, firm voice cutting across the room.

The sum equivalent to an entire Gold Coin thrown down all at once brought the whole hall to dead silence. Not a single alchemist in the sector had the nerve to top a bid of ten pure silver.

"Sold to Commander Diana of Box 4 for ten silver coins!" The auctioneer struck the gavel.

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And then, the ultimate item of the auction was unveiled.

The auctioneer pulled back the velvet cloth covering a stone pedestal in the center of the stage, revealing a black magic sphere pulsing with dark, majestic energy.

"Final Lot!" The auctioneer announced enthusiastically. "A [Shadow Dragon Core - Level 30]! Retrieved from the depths of the Third Circle! The definitive ingredient for legendary armament forging! Starting bid: 10 Silver Coins!"

The hall erupted into frantic bids from the nobles: 12 silver… 14 silver… 16 silver…

Count Valerius, attempting to reclaim lost dignity, raised his paddle. "Eighteen silver coins!"

Diana raised her paddle with total serenity.

"Twenty Silver Coins." Diana declared.

Twenty silver coins. Two Pure Gold Coins laid on the table in one go.

Valerius looked at Diana, trying to muster courage to top the bid, but when his eyes met Diana's dark gaze, the subtle pressure of the human girl's Aura of Arcane Domain made the noble swallow hard and lower his paddle in pure dread.

"Sold to Commander Diana of Box 4 for twenty silver coins!" The auctioneer struck the final gavel.

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[FULL FINANCIAL AUDIT]

Previous Balance: 98 Silver Coins (9.8 Gold Coins).

IMPERIAL AUCTION PURCHASES:

- Tome of Transmutational Alchemy: -10 Silver Coins.

- Shadow Dragon Core (Level 30): -20 Silver Coins.

TOTAL SPENT AT AUCTION: 30 Silver Coins (3 Gold Coins).

[NEW ABSOLUTE NET WORTH: 68 SILVER COINS (6,800 Bronze! / 6.8 GOLD COINS!)]

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Sixty-eight silver coins stashed in the faction vault.

The Tome of Transmutational Alchemy and the legendary Level 30 Shadow Dragon Core secured in inventory.

Exiting the auction palace with items in hand, Count Valerius tried to confront the squad on the outdoor staircase, but Rhea blinked with Agility 54 beside the noble, and Kael stepped forward with his 350 HP Volcanic Shield. Valerius turned pale and retreated to his carriage immediately.

Diana walked with firm strides along the citadel streets, opening the new alchemy tome with a calm, victorious smile.

Level 30 was on the horizon. And the Arcane Greed Faction's arsenal kept expanding toward the top of Hell.

Final Notes:

Not much to say here...

Boo :P