Chapter 397 - The Auction Begins
Get a glimpse of "Farming in a Parallel World and Becoming a God" Chapter 397: The merchants who attended the auction, most of whom were well-versed and experienced, had seen... Continue the adventure now!
The merchants who attended the auction, most of whom were well-versed and experienced, had seen more luxurious auctions and constructions with their own eyes, which werenât particularly astonishing to them.But if the aspect of time was considered, it was terrifying.
This construction efficiency could only be matched by magic after combing through the surrounding regions; no one else could compare.
The purely natural Elf style also intrigued many people.
It gave them a clearer understanding of the strength of the new owner of the Weizemay Manor.
"The time has come. The Weizemay Manor Ghost Grape Wine Auction officially begins," an ethereally pleasant voice announced from the auction stage, its volume not loud but instantly permeating the whole auction hall.
Many merchants were surprised to discover that the voice didnât emanate from the auction stage but rather from around them, off the tea tables, where a delicate pot held a single trumpet flowerâthe source of the voice.
Audio Transmission Flower.
These flowers could be used for short-range sound transmission between two or even several blossoms.
Some knowledgeable merchants recognized the origin of this flower.
It was quite delicate and demanded a specific growing environment, typically found deep within forests or the Fairy Wilderness.
Occasionally mages would utilize them in their Mage Towers.
But to unveil so many at once was a rare sight.
Yet, thinking of the abundance of Pikespirits the hosts possessed, everything seemed logical.
On the auction stage, where only their voices were heard and not their forms, three graceful silhouettes slowly materialized from nothingness, with Princess Regina of Battle Valley leading the way, flanked by two beautiful Half-Elf girls, each holding an exquisitely carved blackwood gift box.
Invisibility?
Fading technique?
No.
Neither invisibility nor fading technique shifted from presence to absence.
Rather, they manifested gradually from absence to presence, just like a Ghostâs slow emergence.
Most importantly, there was no sensation of the Magic Aura.
The mystery likely lay in the knee-length black cloak behind them; it must be a Magic Cloak.
Many merchants were not merely traders but also Combat Profession Practitioners, among them a number of skilled spellcasters with exceptional insight and discernment.
Their gaze fell on the cloak behind the ladies.
From past experience, they knew the hosts of the auction wouldnât put on such a flashy display without reason, especially in the presence of so many distinguished individuals, and often it hinted at promoting a product.
Could it be that this Magic Cloak was also an item for todayâs auction?
If it were merely a show of skill, many merchants wouldnât mind, but if marketed as a product, that would pique their interest.
"I now proudly introduce to you the first auction item, the Ghost Eye Blindfold. This blindfold is woven from the essence of Shadow Energy, allowing the wearer to see through invisibility and spectral entities related to the Shadow Plane. We have ten pieces in total, with a starting bid of ten thousand Gold Coins, and each increment must be no less than one hundred Gold Coins," Regina said, while taking a black silk scarf from the blackwood box held by the Half-Elf girl - half a meter in length and three fingers wide, enough to tie over the eyes, delicate as a cicadaâs wing, which, to their surprise, couldnât be penetrated by the morning light.
"Whatâs this trickery? Isnât today the Ghost Grape Wine Auction? Why are there other items up for bid?"
"We want the Ghost Grape Wine, start the auction for it now."
"Idiot, shut up, this is a Magic Item, ten pieces with the same function. Do you know what this means? It means they can be mass-produced."
"Do you understand how valuable such Magic Items are to those non-spellcasting Combat Profession Practitioners, which can see through invisibility and spectral creatures related to the Shadow Plane? Their worth is no less than that of the Ghost Grape Wine."
"If youâre not interested, others are."
As Regina unveiled something other than the Ghost Grape Wine at the outset of the auction, it caused quite an uproar.
After all, many merchants subconsciously regarded this event as a dedicated auction for Ghost Grape Wine.
But upon hearing it was about offering Magic Items by the dozen, each distinct in capability, incredibly potent in a certain field, and exceptionally useful for some specialized professions, the crowd quieted considerably.
For spellcasters, the value of such a Ghost Eye Blindfold was relatively low.
But for purely melee professions like Barbarians and warriors without spellcasting abilities, it was costly.
They were at a natural disadvantage when facing entities with invisibility or those who could move through the Shadow Plane at will.
With this blindfold, defeating spectral entities would remain challenging but having a higher chance to escape was invaluable.
Regina added from the auction stage: "Should you worry about the quality of the items, you may inspect them before the transaction post-auction, and if thereâs any issue with the items, a double compensation is guaranteed, vouched for by Lord Ilmet, Lord of Battle Valley, and Grand Inquisitor Valon of the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice."
The audience had earlier noted the tables set at both sides of the auction as well as the seated figures in the back.
Initially presumed to be a mere formality for the auctionâs credibility, their presence turned out to carry the weight of a warranty.
Lord Ilmet and Grand Inquisitor Valon stood simultaneously, speaking in unison: "I am willing to guarantee all products auctioned today, and should any problem arise, if Mr. Gaven, the owner of Weizemay Manor, fails to resolve it, I shall take responsibility."
Trust has always been a major issue, especially for someone like Gaven who hadnât previously established a renowned reputation. When high stakes were involved, others found it hard to extend sufficient trust.
But for figures like Lord Ilmet and Grand Inquisitor Valon, recognized for years in the Valley for their upstanding reputation, particularly the latterâa Quasi-Legendary Holy Warrior of unimpeachable integrityâhighly affirmed even by those who disliked him.
Accordingly, their endorsement markedly raised the estimation for the host, Gaven, by several degrees. To pull both distinguished figures as guarantors required immense influence.
"I bid ten thousand and one hundred," a male voice broke the silence after a brief period of discussion and consultation.
"The gentleman bids ten thousand..."
"I bid eleven thousand."
"I bid twelve thousand."
"I bid fifteen thousand."
After the silence was broken, the price of the Ghost Eye Blindfold skyrocketed, doubling in less than three minutes. Then, the bidding calmed down and finally settled at twenty-one thousand one hundred gold coins.
With an average of two thousand one hundred per item, the price couldnât really be considered too high.
If we had promoted it in advance like the Ghost Grape Wine, attracting the relevant merchants, bidding over thirty thousand wouldnât have been difficult.
Now, all the merchants were holding back, mostly here for the Ghost Grape Wine. They didnât want to drain their funds before the main event.
It looked like there were other items to be auctioned as well.
"Let us now proceed to the second lot of todayâs auction, these three Ghost Cloaks on us. Once activated, they allow you to enter a shadow state. As long as youâre in the shadows, you can remain invisible for an extended period, and even under the sunlight, you can stay invisible for five minutes. There is a fifty percent chance to avoid physical attack damage. The starting bid is thirty thousand gold coins, with each subsequent bid not less than three hundred gold coins. The auction starts now."
"Forty thousand."
"Fifty thousand."
"Sixty thousand."
"Sixty-one thousand."
"Sixty-four thousand."
"Sixty-six thousand."
The moment the effects of these three items were announced, a frenzy erupted below.
This was a piece of magic equipment that was incredibly practical for all Combat Profession Practitioners, useful for both escaping to save oneâs life and for stealth attacks or infiltration.
The most formidable feature was being akin to a shadow in the darkness, resulting in fifty percent physical damage immunity.
Once the cloak is wrapped around you, the hit rate of close combat attacks against you is cut by half.
Even if not for selling, it was an excellent choice for personal use.
"Seventy-one thousand, the lady bids seventy-one thousand. Any more bids? Seventy-one thousand once, seventy-one thousand twice, seventy-one thousand three times, sold."
"The third lot up for auction does not come from Weizemay Manor, but from the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice in Taser Valley. This Holy Light Liquor, infused with divine energy, is a must-have for those whose bodies have been ravaged by evil beings like ghosts and specters, or for good-hearted people who have long resided in evil places. It will expel evil energy from your body and can also serve as a medium for casting holy spells.
There are ten cases, each containing ten bottles. The starting bid is ten thousand gold coins, and each subsequent bid must be no less than one hundred gold coins. The auction begins now."
No one hates money.
Not even the paladins from the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice.
When they realized infusing Holy Light into the liquor could significantly increase its value, and with Mr. Gavenâs organization of the Ghost Grape Wine Auction to help establish its reputation, they naturally wouldnât just sit by and do nothing.
Instead, they had the priests and paladins in the monastery who werenât on missions, working overtime to produce Holy Light Liquor.
Unlike Ghost Grape Wine, if the negative energy inside is excessive, it might cause irreversible damage to the body.
The positive energy in Holy Light Liquor has more benefits, especially in specific situations.
These Holy Warriors earnestly pushed the infusion of Holy Light into the liquor to its limit.
The Holy Light contained within Holy Light Liquor is ten times that of regular holy water.
Using it as holy water, splashed onto the undead, the lethality would increase several times over.
In Mr. Gavenâs opinion, the best use would still be to turn it into Holy Light Incendiary Flasks and throw them into a crowd of the undead, where itâs estimated that the killing power could be comparable to the Fireball Technique. á´ĘÉŞs á´Ęá´á´á´á´Ę ÉŞs á´á´á´ á´á´á´ ĘĘ É´ovel(ę°)ÉŞre.ná´t
The Monastery of the Hammer of Justice brought a hundred cases, but Mr. Gaven held back ninety.
He only auctioned off these ten cases to establish a base price, and then referred to this auction price to buy the remaining ninety cases, which practically didnât cost any cash. The two partiesâ accounts had many offsets. After reconciling, the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice likely still had to pay Mr. Gaven.
"Eleven thousand."
"Twelve thousand."
"Fifteen thousand."
Just as Gaven had anticipated, the auction for Holy Light Liquor was not too intense.
It wasnât that the merchants failed to recognize the value of Holy Light Liquor; rather, it wasnât that difficult to produce.
Any cleric could infuse Light energy into the liquor, transforming it into Holy Light Liquor.
Felen did not lack churches or clerics.
It was expected that, following this successful auction, Holy Light Liquor would become widespread, with varying qualities.
In many situations, it would replace holy water.
Indeed, even Weizemay Manorâs Ghost Grape Wine would face this predicament.
Evil god priests and the like could also channel negative energy and naturally could produce Ghost Grape Wine.
Fortunately, compared to clerics, these evil god priests were relatively scarce and were universally condemned, not daring to sell openly or show their faces.
To enhance competitiveness, Mr. Gaven still opted for premium packaging and adding security features to his own brand of Ghost Grape Wine, preparing to establish his own exclusive brand.
The auction price for Holy Light Liquor finally settled at fifteen thousand gold coins, essentially setting the market rate at one hundred fifty gold coins per bottle.
That was more than fifteen times its original value.
It could approximately match the market price, with many churches selling their holy water for one gold coin per cup.
The holy energy needed to create a barrel of holy water couldnât even produce a single bottle of Holy Light Liquor.