Chapter 186: The Collar

Chapter 186

The Collar

The next items up for auction, following the affordable potion, were all valued at over a hundred thousand gold coins. Each item caused a great stir, as they were valuable treasures obtained from cities on the 4th floor and above. Particularly items from the 6th floor, which caused people to gather in group for the fierce bidding wars due to lack of money. The most expensive item at the moment was the "Bone of the Ten-Clawed Serpent."

This bone came from a level 4 beast, which was not easy to hunt. If others encountered a beast of this level, they would usually have to flee. However, the bone of the Ten-Clawed Serpent was not unheard of. Some ancient potion-concocting manuals from some families had mentioned it.

These manuals described that the bones of this beast could be used to create antidotes for all poisons up to level 4. This meant it could neutralize any known poison. Some rumors even suggested that if concocted correctly, it could produce an antidote for demonic toxins. However, since no one had previously found the bone of a Ten-Clawed Serpent, there was skepticism about its true capabilities.

Above all, the most coveted aspect of this bone was that the ancient potion manuals claimed that boiling and drinking the bone of the Ten-Clawed Serpent would grant immunity to all poisons for an entire year. In other words... one bone could make 5 people immune to any poison for 1 year. Whether facing venomous beasts or being attacked with poison, the toxins would have no more effect than saltwater in the body.

Such a wondrous potion could not be refused by anyone. In the end, the bone of the Ten-Clawed Serpent was not sold for money but was exchanged with a valuable family treasure from a noble family of the Rhea Kingdom.

Everyone felt it was somewhat unfair. They had bid up to a billion gold coins, only for the other party to offer a family treasure instead.

But ultimately, the decision wasn’t up to the auction participants; it was Owen, the eldest young lord who had hunted the serpent himself, who decided to accept the treasure in exchange for just 1 bone of the Ten-Clawed Serpent.

His decision sparked much controversy. Some asked him to reconsider, others suggested he bring out more serpent bones. Even Steven questioned him on why he agreed to such an exchange that didn’t benefit the Setter family. However, the eldest young lord of the family remained silent and didn’t explain his reasoning.

His actions caused much frustration among the crowd, but Ellie sat upright, her whole body tense, fearing that her suspicions might be true.

If the treasure Young Lord Owen exchanged for wasn’t a secret treasure from the family in the Rhea Kingdom capable of evolving any beast by 1 level, regardless of whether it was a low or high-level beast, she wouldn’t have been so tense.

Ellie knew that the Setter family didn’t have many beast trainers and had no use for such a treasure. Deep down, she understood why the treasure was exchanged!

"Everyone, please remain calm. The auction item just now is not the final one that will truly astonish you. The previous item was just an appetizer. I can guarantee that you will forget about the previous auction items once you see the final one."

Hearing this, the crowd immediately fell silent. They looked at each other with excitement. If the professional auctioneer claimed that the item they missed wasn’t as important as the final item, then...could the final item cause them to have a heart attack!?

"The Setter family has really played their cards well this time. How did they manage to gather so many valuable items?"

"Just the bone of the Ten-Clawed Serpent alone would significantly boost the Setter family’s strength. They must have other resources as well."

"I think so too. From now on, I’ll need to get closer to the Setter family. Maybe they might want some treasures from my family. If they do...I’ll open my vault and let them pick whatever they want."

"The Ten-Clawed Serpent isn’t small. 1 bone makes 5 bottles of potion. Judging by its size, this serpent should have about 20 bones. So, the Setter family probably has over 10 bones left. But did they find only one serpent? If they found one, maybe they found a whole nest!"

"After today, I’m going to stay in Set City for another month. I must build a good relationship with the Setter family! Look at the Max family. I thought they were foolish, suddenly giving so many benefits to the Setter family. But it turns out! Heh, heh, heh. Even a fool would know that the method to cultivate the Sapphire Dragon Scale herbs came from the Setter family. The only ones benefiting...are the Max family."

"Maybe it’s not that simple with the Max family. Don’t think so negatively. Perhaps they studied the herb themselves."

"How ridiculous is that? The Max family wasn’t even interested in these herbs. They were studying other herbs! To be able to learn how to cultivate an herb that other families have struggled with for ages, how could it possibly succeed within a few dozen days after meeting the future lady?"

"Exactly. But didn’t we hear that the Fernal family plotted against that young lady? Now they’re getting their comeuppance. How does it feel!? They really mess with the wrong person."

"Right. I heard that both the eldest and second young lords of the Setter family are very protective of that young lady. If anyone picks a fight in the future, it better not be with her, or they might end up like the Fernal family."

"Alright, alright, let’s not talk about other matters. Let’s see what powerful item the Setter family will bring out next."

Seeing everyone return their attention to the final auction item, the auctioneer smiled and prepared to proceed with the next part of the event.

"I believe everyone is ready to see the final auction item. However, I must ask everyone to remain calm. This last item may be so shocking that it might be hard to handle. Please try to take a deep breath in and out to relax," the auctioneer gave a final warning before clapping his hands to signal the unveiling of the item.

The highly anticipated auction item was placed in a clear glass case, revealing it for all to see. Upon seeing the peculiar item, everyone exchanged puzzled looks.

"What? A collar?"

"Is this supposed to astonish us?"

"Is the Setter family playing a joke?"

"This looks like a beast collar, doesn’t it? Is the Setter family interested in beasts? They seem to have several items related to this."

"Sigh! If it’s really a beast collar, I’d feel so sorry for the Ten-Clawed Serpent," the crowd murmured in unison. What they saw was just an ordinary collar, though it appeared sturdy, made of high-quality iron ore. Nevertheless, it seemed useless, not even attractive as an accessory.

The auctioneer chuckled at their reactions. He didn’t explain it himself but invited the appraisers back on stage. This time, he asked all the appraisers to come up, even though they were reluctant. However, this was an invitation from the Setter family, so they couldn’t refuse!

"Now that all the appraisers are here, everyone should know how skilled they are. The Setter family invited appraisers representing all kingdoms to verify this wonderful discovery."

"Participants might not yet understand the value of what looks like a beast collar. So, let me first introduce the capabilities of this item as explained by the Setter family." The auctioneer paused briefly before continuing, and his next words made everyone’s eyes widen in shock!

"This item, the Setter family calls it the “Slave Collar.” The eldest young lord of the Setter family discovered it while conquering the 6th-floor city. Next to it was a manual explaining its usage. The instructions are simple: the user drops their blood on it to claim ownership, then places the collar on the neck of the “slave” to complete the process.

"The slave wearing the collar will follow the blood owner’s orders strictly. The slave will never betray or harm the blood owner. This collar can also be used on beasts, ensuring they obey without any need for loyalty. Of course, this applies not only to beasts but also to humans."

As the auctioneer’s voice trailed off, everyone’s faces froze in shock. Initially, they were disheartened upon hearing that it could be used on beasts. Though it wasn’t terrible to turn disobedient beasts into slaves, people in the Ares Kingdom held different beliefs compared to other kingdoms. Thus, most nobles lost interest. That was until they heard, "It applies to humans” as well!

"What do you mean it applies to humans? Does it mean if we put this collar on a human, they will become a slave who cannot defy us?" One noble asked excitedly. He didn’t even wait for the appraisers to verify its properties; he immediately raised his hand to confirm the truth.

"Yes, if anyone resists, the collar will first “torture” the wearer. If they still refuse to obey, the master can command the collar to “explode,” killing the slave instantly."

The auctioneer knew how shocking his words were, but this was indeed the collar’s effect. His role was to present the facts about the auction items accurately, so he wouldn’t distort anything.

"My God!! This is insane. How can such a thing exist?"

"This isn’t right at all. If someone suddenly brings this collar to us, wouldn’t that be disastrous?"

"This kind of thing shouldn’t even exist in this world. What slave collar? This is too catastrophic!!" Many people expressed their disagreement, with some even wanting to destroy the item.

Everyone in the Setter family anticipated this reaction. They didn’t show any signs of panic and allowed the auction to proceed. They were confident that they hadn’t broken any auction rules or kingdom laws. Therefore, no one could oppose this auction.

As the murmurs of discontent grew louder, the auctioneer observed the Setter family’s demeanor and saw that they remained composure, so he continued with the auction.

"In that case, as the auctioneer, I will start the bidding now. There are 2 slave collars available. Starting with the 1st one, the bidding will begin at 1 million gold coins. Anyone who wishes to place a bid, please state your offer."

"This is madness! Are they not listening to us? The Setter family has gone insane. What are they trying to do?"

"Who would be crazy enough to bid on such a terrifying item!? They’re truly mad."

"If anyone bids on this, the Cherine family will sever all ties with them. You are too cruel."

"The Hart family will do the same."

"So will we! This collar must not be used. It is wrong!"

The protests grew louder. However, before the voices could die down, a noble family raised their paddle.

"The Femon family bids 1 million gold coins." As soon as the auctioneer announced the bid, all eyes turned to the Femon family, who sat calmly, unaffected by the outcry. Regardless of what others said, if the Femon family obtained this item...they would use it well!

"Th-That! The Femon family has lost their minds. Don’t think just because you’re a major family, our Hart family will..."

"The Jarlon family bids 1.1 million gold coins!" The protester didn’t even finish their sentence before another prominent family, long-time servants of the royal family, placed their bid.

"Th-Those people are..."

"The Recres family bids 1.3 million gold coins. Does anyone wish to bid higher?"

"..................."

"The Max family bids 1.7 million gold coins."

"......................"

"The Jarlon family now bids 2 million gold coins!"

"................."

"Ah, now Prince Joseph has joined the bidding at 2.1 million gold coins!" The auctioneer continued to announce the bids, with prominent families from every kingdom jumping in, not giving him a chance to count even to 1.

The initial voices of protest gradually quieted. It was as if they were being repeatedly slapped in the face. The price had skyrocketed from 1 million gold coins to 5 million gold coins in mere seconds!!

"Please enlighten the Sacred Church regarding the slave collar. If it is misused, what will be done?" While the bidding was heated, a representative from the Sacred Church requested a pause in the auction.

Their dignified demeanor encouraged the initial protesters to rejoin the fray.

"Yes, this is too dangerous. You can’t just allow anyone to enslave others like this!"

"Indeed, we think this is too much."

"Exactly." They eagerly joined in once they had strong backing.

Steven, seated above, had been waiting to address this matter. He smiled as he stood up elegantly. The family head looked around before speaking.

"This is not a problem at all because the secret manual included not only the “Slave Collar” but also the “Key” that goes with it. This means both slave collars come with keys to unlock them. Of course, if the wearer of the slave collar really commits a wrongdoing, there are other ways to deal with it, such as “killing” the collar’s owner."

"You see, it’s not difficult to destroy the slave collar. Otherwise, the Setter family wouldn’t dare auction it. However...the Setter family currently has a limited number of these collars. We believe that after further exploration, we will find more. We have already used some on local beasts so that they could protect the city on the 6th floor and reduce the Setter family’s manpower. Only a few pieces are available for sale."

"Our intention, the Setter family, is simply to reveal that there are many other secrets hidden from the 6th floor onward. In the 7th floor, we might find thousands of such slave collars or even high-ranking races that possess these collars. This is so every family can study and understand them, and in the future, be prepared to handle these items..."

Upon explaining this wonderous idea, it seemed as though a light was shining around the head of the Setter family. People were already fearful of the unknown, so Steven’s words were very reasonable.

"In that case, for the benefit of everyone, the Sacred Church will take on this responsibility. We will study the slave collar thoroughly. The Church bids 3 million gold coins!"

"!!!"

"!!!"