BlueFire yawned.
The auction was at Lot #100, and there was still nothing of interest for him or the guild.
So far, the only noteworthy items had been the recipe for the Tundra Trebuchet and an Epic-grade crossbow. But they had no notable crossbowman in the guild other than himself, and they already owned the recipe for an equivalent siege weapon, so he hadn’t even bothered.
Still, they were only a third of the way through. There were 200+ lots left, and the Auction House presented items in random order. The best could be yet to come.
“Lot 101 is a Desert Crescent Flower this flower can be used to craft powerful medicine and poisons and it's a rare find ladies and gentlemen it's not every day we see one for sale here at the Auction House.”
BlueFire raised an eyebrow. The second Epic-grade item of the auction. That flower was extremely rare in the Sand Sea. Even though his guild went to the Sand Sea regularly, they only had five in their vault.
“Two thousand gold for forty-one do I hear twenty-five hundred the gentleman at 312 three thousand gold.”
As the bids kept climbing, BlueFire shook his head and crossed his arms. He wasn’t going to bid. His guild went to the Sand Sea all the time. With enough adventuring, they'd come across more of these eventually.
“Sold for forty-three hundred gold to 267.”
Lot after lot passed, most too niche or overpriced to bother with. BlueFire tapped his foot, half-bored, half-curious what the next interesting item might be.
“How is it going over there?” came a message from Ogre, his guild leader.
“Uneventful boss.”
“OK. Let me know when you wrap up in there. We just found a new wild boss in the Slow Quicksands, just like you predicted. I’d prefer to have you on the hunt.”
“Got it.”
“Lot 121 Stoneware Amphorae the craftsmanship in these is exquisite and they’re sturdy vessels perfect to impart your favorite brews with flavor.”
BlueFire narrowed his eyes. He didn’t recognize the item's name.
He opened the description.
Lot #121: 15x [Stoneware Amphorae]
Rarity: Rare
Type: Brewing Consumable
Average durability: 21
Average crafting grade: B
Effects: +7% aging success, +5% aging speed
Huh… a container that boosts aging success rate?
It had decent durability, too. For aging brews, it would probably last four batches. And best of all, they were selling fifteen in one go. Containers like these were normally auctioned off one at a time. Their guild’s brewer would definitely want them to increase the chances of a high-grade brew aging even further.
Some of the beasts in the Sand Sea had absurdly thick hides or diamond-hard carapaces. Having the attack power boost from a strong brew was essential in some raids. Not to mention how handy a potent brew could be in a siege.
“Starting bid, one-fifty gold.”
BlueFire raised his paddle immediately. One-fifty for fifteen was a bargain for that many quality brew-aging vessels.
“One-fifty gold for the gentleman over there with number one hundred.”
“Three hundred gold, gentleman sixty-five.”
The bids kept climbing. BlueFire backed out. It was only worth it if the price stayed low, and everyone was jacking up the price now.
“Four hundred and fifty gold to number 289.”
Thirty gold a piece. That was fair. He could’ve gone higher—but the moment had passed. Auctions like this were a game of patience, and overcommitting early was a rookie mistake. What if there was a Legendary item coming up? Or something even better than these amphorae?
He had to save his strength.
“Going once, going twice—”
“Six hundred gold!”
“Six hundred to the lady with the number 302.”
BlueFire’s jaw dropped. The bid had come from an NPC. She wore sand-colored robes and stood stiffly near the edge of the room.
BlueFire tried to make sense of it. He couldn’t remember ever seeing an NPC join a bidding war this deep into the contest. Since when did NPCs do that? As far as he knew, they only scooped up items nobody else wanted.
What is it about this item that’s making the NPC drive up the price like that?
The player who’d been chasing the amphorae hesitated, then someone else jumped in.
“Six fifty!”
“Seven hundred!” shouted the player who had bid for fifty.
“Going once, going twice—sold! To number 289.”
Even though bidder 289 had won, he still looked frustrated. No wonder. He had almost bought it 30% cheaper before the NPC had jumped in.
As the next uneventful lots passed, BlueFire tried to concoct theories that would explain the odd participation of that NPC, but none sounded satisfactory to him.
One rare sword from the Deep End fetched fifty thousand gold, way overpriced in his opinion, and then came something that made his head spin.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Next lot is fifteen Drinking Horns.”
“Huh? Drinking Horn?”
The limelight shone on a horn displayed upright on a black velvet mount, its polished ivory surface contrasted with exquisite black lines crisscrossing it. It was a beautiful work of art.
He tapped the lot description, and his jaw dropped.
No way…
Lot #134: 15x [Einiosaurus Ornamented Drinking Horn]
Rarity: Epic
Type: Drinking Consumable
Average durability: 58
Average crafting grade: B
Effects: Elevates the tier of the brew served in it by one and doubles the duration of the buff.
That was a cheat. It elevated any drink served in it by a full tier. That meant instead of buying a Tier VIII brew, he could save hundreds by buying a Tier VII and serving it in one of these.
And they were selling fifteen? It was just enough for a whole raid team.
“Starting price, fifteen hundred gold.”
BlueFire sat up straighter, hands tightening around his paddle. The energy in the room shifted. Players were whispering, heads turning. This one was going to climb fast.
“Fifteen hundred gold for number 100,” the auctioneer called as BlueFire raised his paddle.
“Three thousand!” came a call from somewhere on the floor.
“Five thousand!”
“Six thousand!” BlueFire chimed in again. It was climbing fast, but with fifteen horns in the lot, anything under ten thousand was still a steal.
“Eight thousand!”
“Ten thousand!”
“Thirteen!”
BlueFire raised his paddle again.
“Sixteen thousand gold from number 100!”
“Eighteen!” came another shout, sharp and fast.
“Nineteen!” BlueFire countered.
“Nineteen from number 100 do I hear twenty?” the auctioneer asked.
Pause.
“Thirty thousand!”
BlueFire squinted. The bid had come from an NPC nobleman.
He considered pushing it further. It was still a good deal. But his instincts told him to hold.
“Thirty-one thousand,” came another player’s voice.
“Thirty-two fifty,” the same NPC cut in.
The auctioneer spun toward the bidder, triumphant. “Thirty-two thousand five hundred gold going once.”
BlueFire stared at his paddle but didn’t lift it.
“Going twice.”
“Forty thousand.”
A gasp swept the room.
ColdHand from the Krakens had finally bid on an item. And, as one would expect from the number one guild in the game, the bid was overwhelming. The message was clear: No one was taking this one from the Krakens.
“Sold! For forty thousand to number 1!”
BlueFire leaned back in his chair. There was no way he could have taken that away from ColdHand. The Ogres were a new guild. They weren’t even in the top 100 yet. Even with the 100k gold he’d brought, trying to outbid the Krakens would’ve been financial suicide.
After a few more suits of armor and another batch of high-grade lumber, the next item came up. The limelight revealed a table lined with clay flutes, each glazed in a different glossy finish.
“Lot #143 fifteen ocarinas the music that comes out of it will lift your moods and cleanse your soul a fine lot for any musician.”
BlueFire tilted his head. “Ocarinas?”
Seeing a single instrument in an auction was rare. But fifteen? His guild didn’t have a bard, but hiring one was right at the top of their wishlist. Again with the weird number. Fifteen.
There was a pattern forming: Amphorae, Drinking Horns, and now Ocarinas. They were all uncommon items, all in lots of 15.
Could it be the same person behind them all?
If so, they had to have Butchering and Pottery as minors. The synergy between those professions wasn’t obvious. Maybe this craftsman had unlocked a hidden combo no one else had figured out.
There might be something here… I’ll have to look into it later.
He didn’t raise his paddle. As tempting as the mystery was, there was no reason to blow gold on instruments they couldn’t even use.
Still, some players clearly thought otherwise. The bidding started low but quickly turned into a frenzy.
Some probably believed that owning all those instruments might unlock the Bard profession itself. But BlueFire doubted it was that simple. Professions didn’t just drop into your lap because you owned a few rare tools.
The ocarinas ended up selling for 2,000 gold.
BlueFire’s fingers tapped idly on the side of his chair. Whoever was behind these lots wasn’t simple. They were someone worth meeting.
The auction had turned from dull to intense in a flash.
The 100,000 gold sitting in his inventory felt too little. He had to be patient. He had to play this smart.
The lots kept turning over, but then—
“The next lot is made up of fifteen sets of four vases,” the auctioneer announced as the spotlight settled on the pedestal. Four earthen vases appeared in the light. He couldn’t see them well from all the way here, but there were several drawings on them, as if they made up a story. “They depict an intricate scene, and their design is unlike anything we’ve catalogued before. Ladies and gentlemen, these are a rare treasure.”
BlueFire leaned forward.
Lot #156: 15x [The One-Eyes and The Bears]
Rarity: Rare
Type: Consumable
Average durability: 43
Average crafting grade: B
Effects: Grants a house owner and three other allies [Retreat] if placed inside a house. Breaks upon use.
He tapped on the details of the [Retreat] skill, and his eyes widened. A teleportation skill?
Teleportation was one of the rarest mechanics in the game, jealously guarded by top-tier guilds who had stumbled upon skills and items that granted it. It wasn’t just about convenience. With the right timing, players could ambush, reposition, or skip dozens of hours of risky travel.
His mouth went dry.
And judging by the hushed whispers sweeping through the hall, everyone else had realized it, too. This was one of those trump cards. Every major guild would want at least one of these sets.
BlueFire clicked his tongue. Too bad the Auction House always bundled items. If they sold them individually, he could have guaranteed a set outright.
“The bids will start at 10,000 gold.”
Immediately, the bidding began to rise.
“11,000!”
“12!”
“15!”
“20!”
It climbed fast, and multiple players were bidding. BlueFire frowned. This was going to spiral, and quickly.
“23,000!” someone yelled.
BlueFire bit his lip. It was time for a bold play. He raised his paddle high. “100,000 gold.”
Heads turned. Glares filled with hatred shot his way.
He had just quadrupled the bid in a single stroke. He had hoped it would shock everyone into backing off.
Moreover, ColdHand and other top guilds surely already had items like this, so they wouldn’t join the race. There was a real chance for him to take the vases back to the Ogres’ coffers.
But there was no such luck.
“110,000 gold!” came a voice, firm and defiant.
“120,000!”
BlueFire had no choice but to drop out. One by one, the other bidders gave up, unable to keep up with the financial arms race.
Soon, only two serious contenders remained: the guild leader of the Basilisks and one of the elders of the Chimeras guild. Apparently, despite their high status, they had no way of their own to teleport.
“150,000,” the Basilisks’ leader growled, each word punched through clenched teeth.
BlueFire ran the numbers. That was 10,000 gold per teleportation. It was expensive but still worth it.
When you factored in gear drop, and XP loss, a single life-saving teleport could save tens of thousands in resources.
Some of the items Ogre wore could sell for over 20k on their own.
He saw the Chimera elder hesitate.
BlueFire had an opportunity here.
“Going once,” the auctioneer called.
BlueFire was already moving. He sent a quick, private message.
BlueFire: Willing to loan up to 50k for the vases. We divide the sets by investment ratio.
A brief pause. Then the Chimera elder’s gaze swept the room and found him. They exchanged a single, wordless nod.
“Going twice, and—”
“160,000!” the Chimera elder called out, a second wind emboldening him.
The Basilisks’ leader all but snarled. “Don’t you dare. 170,000!”
“180,000!” The Chimera elder responded immediately.
For the first time, the Basilisks’ leader hesitated.
“185,000…”
“190,000!”
Silence.
“Going once… going twice… sold!”
BlueFire let out a breath, finally relaxing against the back of his chair. He’d just invested 40,000 gold. It would be enough to cover three, maybe four full sets of teleportation vases, depending on how the Chimeras decided to split them.
It had been a hefty expense, but he didn’t regret it. Having a life-saving card like this could go a long way in the future. He checked his balance. He had just over 60,000 gold left. Still plenty to play with.
And the auction was far from over.
