Chapter 287

Chapter 287: Chapter 284: "Lasting RadianceYin Zhiyan knew that although the person on stage appeared to be a young boy,

...that incredibly familiar voice was coming through the microphone, carrying an unparalleled impact as it reached her.

This, this voice.

Isn’t this, isn’t this Boss Rabbit’s voice!

At the World Game opening ceremony, she clearly remembered Boss Rabbit’s insufferable voice, and she hadn’t forgotten it to this day.

And now, the voice of this handsome young boy, once overlapped with that past voice, truly and fiercely struck her heart.

...What is this about?

On the auction stage, the young version of Boss Rabbit’s voice continued, with its cheeky tone:

"Long time no see—everyone! Don’t doubt it, I’m still your dearest one!"

"Haha, seeing my appearance, are my dear players especially shocked, especially curious, especially excited?"

"Get lost... Disgusting, damn it..." A player’s shout came from somewhere, sounding particularly foolhardy.

"Mhm, mhm." The white-haired boy heard it but didn’t get angry. Instead, he nodded solemnly: "...Indeed, I’m also having some difficulty adjusting, but, it’s said that considering the acceptance of the players, we couldn’t let my dear players always feel fearful towards me, so I’ve come to see you all with this cute appearance—"

He laughed, his appearance that of a bright and cheerful young boy, but his voice was as annoyingly punchable as ever, making the players watching wish they could beat him up.

"Shh..." A chorus of shushing sounds came from somewhere, with the players today seeming particularly excited and utterly fearless.

Under everyone’s gaze, the young boy leapt onto the highest step of the auction platform, picked up the gavel laid out on the table, and cleared his throat deliberately:

"—So, I declare."

"The World Game, the first world-class auction, now—"

"Bang!"

The fall of the small gavel was quick to spread, like a weighty beat of a drum.

All those who were still joking around were instantly jolted.

"—officially begins!" the boy announced.

The beam of light suddenly brightened.

The auction platform, adorned with various radiant gems, was instantly illuminated by the stark white beams of light, and under the merciless cold light, the colorful gemstones twinkled and glittered.

A square glass cover slowly rose, and at the same time, the first auction item appeared before everyone.

It was a gemstone, a transparent gemstone. The edges of the gemstone were finely cut, sparkling with delicate glimmers under the overhead white light, looking very pretty.

At the same time, the enlarged image of the gemstone appeared on the floating screen so that even the players on the outskirts who couldn’t see the auction platform could still see the lot through the screen.

A deep blue panel floated up before everyone, clearly showing the gemstone’s information.

[Miral Gemstone

Type: Engraving Gemstone

Effect: After engraving on equipment, Spirit +6, gains Passive Skill (Spirit Mitigation Judgment)

Spirit Mitigation Judgment: In the judgment of the difference between enemy and ally Mentality Points, it will automatically add 30 Judgement Points to our side (Points are only for judgment, not representing a real increase).

Starting bid: 100 Points

Buyout price: 250 Points]

The white-haired youth on stage raised his hand, and with a "beep", a giant digital clock emerged behind him, starting a 400-second countdown.

"Now, let me briefly explain the auction rules," he said:

"Each player with bidding privileges, just enter your bid on the panel in front of you, then hit the bid button, and it will be considered a valid bid!"

"Each item has a 400-second time limit. Once it expires, no more bids can be made, and the highest bid wins."

"The entire transaction must be conducted using the existing points of Adventurer Players, and no props or equipment can be used as collateral!"

"Simple rules, right?" The youth flicked his wrist, then added, "However, today, our auction house is introducing a particularly interesting feature!"

As he spoke, Mizushima Kawa Sora and the others, who were already closely monitoring the auction, immediately focused their attention.

"—That is the ’buyout’ mechanism!"

"Besides gradually raising the bid, players can also choose to directly use the ’buyout’ price we provide to instantly clinch the item, completely eliminating the risk of others acquiring the item!"

"Of course, the buyout is on a first-come, first-served basis, so if there’s something you really want, players please hurry up and bid at the start of the auction!"

"Well... my explanation should be pretty straightforward, right?" Saying this, the youth stroked his chin, then suddenly looked up to the most conspicuous glass room within his vision.

"Darling Number One Player—" he abruptly shouted, "What do you think? Can you understand my explanation?"

His voice was extremely loud, as if enhanced by a special system, loud enough for the players on the outer perimeter to hear.

Meanwhile, the screen switched to that large glass room...and Su Ming’an sitting motionless inside on a chair.

Everyone craned their necks, waiting for him to speak.

In the live broadcast room for the outside players to watch, at that moment, the screen filled with comments:

Through the transparent glass, Su Ming’an watched the outside with an expressionless face.

He remained silent, and then simply lowered his head to reach for the fruit on the table.

A fair hand reached out ahead of him, holding the entire fruit platter closer to him.

The beautiful woman in uniform smiled gently at him, offering him the fruit with a fork.

"Damn it, how does this guy have a personal attendant?"

Beneath, the top eighth Player Derek couldn’t help but curse. He sat there, and although he was treated well, it was nothing compared to the luxury above...

Who sits in a private glass room like a lord, with maids feeding them fruit!

Was this guy on a vacation at the auction house!?

Boss Bunny looked quite disappointed without receiving a response from Su Ming’an.

"Sigh... My darling Number One Player actually ignored me this time..."

However, he quickly perked up, striking his small hammer:

"Well then—let the bidding begin now!"

"Tick-tock."

"Tick tock."

Behind him, the giant digital numbers gradually began to decrease, with the timer counting down from four hundred seconds.

At the same time, Su Ming’an also saw the popup window that appeared on his panel.

Players could enter the price they wished to bid within the window and join the auction at any time.

Next to it was a line of red numbers, 250, the buyout price for this gem. As long as a player clicked this "buyout" button, the item would be sold immediately, leaving no chance for others to bid.

However, Su Ming’an would not participate in the auction for this item.

Not to mention that the buyout price of 250 was set too high, but the key point was that the gem’s attributes did not suit him. His Mentality Points were undoubtedly the world’s number one, no one could surpass him on a normal basis, so there was no need to increase his points during judgment.

He sipped on the top-tier beverages provided for SVIPs, leaning on the couch and watching the players’ "fierce battle" below.

Perhaps a large group of players had never seen such a scene that only appeared in fantasy novels before. They were all extremely excited, and as soon as Boss Rabbit’s words fell, the bidding numbers began to float up. The players, like testing out toys, tapped the bidding button in front of them, as the heated atmosphere gradually spread.

Each time someone offered a bid, their name and bid amount would appear on the large screen behind Boss Rabbit, which made the bidding players even more excited. They were like fighting for a spot on television, frantically tapping the button in front of them, hoping to see their own name on the big screen. Sёarch* The Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"I’m on TV! I see my name!"

"Dude, take it easy. Don’t bid some crazy amount like eighty million. If you can’t afford it, the consequences will be really bad..."

Just then, a bright red number swiftly appeared on the screen, suppressing the playful bidders who were slowly raising their offers.

The number was in red, followed by an eye-catching name: Mizushima Kawa Sora.

"Damn, a top player has made a move, why raise it so high suddenly..." someone complained.

"Crap, I didn’t get a chance to record my name..."

Amid the noisy discussion, Mizushima Kawa Sora watched the numbers on the screen somewhat nervously.

Her total points were around four hundred, basically only enough to help her win one out of the six auction items.

She wasn’t confident in her gambling ability. If possible, she’d rather finish the fight at the start, as the gem really appealed to her.

If it could add thirty points to her judgment in Mentality Series skills, then...

Her gaze subtly lifted upwards.

...could she actually manage to control that guy above?

On the big screen, the fluctuating numbers stilled.

Mizushima Kawa Sora watched the top players nervously but noticed that no one contested her bid.

To give up the upcoming items for one gem, these players were not yet willing to make such a big commitment.

With a "thud", the four hundred seconds were up, and the auctioneer’s gavel brought the sale to a conclusive end.

"So, congratulations to our top player, Mizushima Kawa Sora, for winning the first auction item! The product has been mailed to the player’s inbox, please check..."

Mizushima Kawa Sora breathed a sigh of relief.

...It had gone smoothly, without any enemy contesting her bid.

Accompanied by Boss Rabbit’s introduction, the second auction item was brought up.

It was a weapon.

Single-edged, long blade, unadorned spine, the bright silver surface flickered with a subdued hue under the light—it was a knife.

The introduction interface popped up:

Attack Power: 25~35

Durability: 25/25

Equipment Requirement: One-Handed Weapon, Strength Requirement 25 and above

Special Attributes: Comes with High-Level Sharp Attribute, Elemental Resistance Attributes

Passive Skills: When attacking, it attaches Mana Burn property, the attacked who are at the same Rank or lower than the attacker, will have their Mana Shields treated as ineffective, and will continue to suffer weakening of spell damage.

Starting Bid: 200 Points

Buyout Price: 400 Points]

The moment everyone saw this weapon, they all thought Su Ming’an would make his move.

The trials of the Sixth World he faced had been analyzed by many, and several people felt he indeed lacked a weapon, be it sword or blade, and the appearance of this Demon Breaker Blade seemed like an opportunity tailor-made for him.

For a time, people were frantically bidding, trying to see their names on the big screen before Su Ming’an would lock it down with a firm bid.

The top-ranked players below were also waiting, waiting, avoiding pointless competition... until the countdown was nearing twenty seconds.

"Then..."

Seeing the situation, Derek, who ranked eighth on the leaderboard and favored blades couldn’t help but tentatively make a bid.

Silence followed.

On the other side, another knife-wielding player ranked seventy-second made a bid: "300...?"

Silence followed.

The numbers stood still in the center of the screen until the countdown had completely dwindled to zero, and Derek got the growth-type weapon for the price of 360 points.

"Su Ming’an, this guy, is surely holding back for a big move." Atlanda, who was fifth on the leaderboard, muttered to himself.

Not making a bid for that knife definitely meant he was waiting for the final treasure.

Subsequently, the third and fourth items appeared for auction, one being a bottle that recharged daily with healing and mana regeneration, and the other a special identity named "The Proud One." They fetched high prices of 300 and 500 points, respectively.

Interestingly, the precise meaning of "The Proud One" was never explained by Boss Rabbit; he just put a name there. But still, many people bid madly, obviously lured by the special status Su Ming’an held, coveting a similar treatment.

Eventually, this auction item was snatched up by the peak player, Lu, who was sixth on the leaderboard.

Meanwhile, various whispers and discussions could be heard in the areas of the top-ranked and first-class players.

They were strong competitors for high-end auction items, naturally eyeing the final pieces keenly.

"Su Ming’an hasn’t made a move yet, and he didn’t even take that blade, what’s going on..."

"Who knows, maybe he’s had his eye on something from the get-go, who knows what kind of connections he has, he might be able to know the contents of the upcoming auction items."

"Strange, I thought this guy would go ’bang bang bang bang bang bang’ with a six-hit combo, taking all six auction items with the buyout price, that would be his style."

"Noah and Edward haven’t made a move either, they should have no less than four hundred points."

"Acting, these guys, keep acting, let’s see what high price they can fetch in the end..."

Accompanied by the muted buzz of conversation in the venue, the penultimate auction item was presented.

[Skill Scroll·Wind Track/Circling Wind

Type: Skill Scroll

Effect: One-time use prop, after using, the player will learn the skills (Wind Track)(Circling Wind)

Active Skill·Wind Track: Originates from the player, sending out a wind track in any direction. Stepping on this wind track greatly increases the player’s speed. This effect is sharable and can accommodate up to twenty people simultaneously. The distance of the wind track depends on the amount of mana infused.

Passive Skill·Circling Wind: The autumn winds are always present around you, increasing your movement speed by +20%, and providing spell resistance against wind-based magic spells.

Starting bid: 300 points

Buyout price: 500 points]

...It’s actually a skill scroll.

Something that exists only in the fantasies of players, never actually appearing in an instance before.

Initially, a player’s skills were limited to three at most, which could only be increased by advancing in rank. Now, a single skill scroll could permanently increase the number of skills a player has.

More importantly, this scroll contained both an active and a passive skill, with a significant advantage in speed enhancement. It’s a highly versatile scroll that could be applied to players of any class.

The previously calm Derek, Flora, and others immediately perked up—they came for this kind of item.

Flora had been patiently waiting since the Miral Gemstone, letting Mizushima Kawa Sora take the opportunity. But now, she was grateful for her foresight.

Flora promptly made a bid, determination flashing in her eyes.

She had some leftover points from the Fifth World, with 450 points on her. She believed she could definitely win the bid for such an item...

Before the other top hundred players could make a counteroffer, Edward single-handedly raised the price instantly. Sitting in his seat, his expression was dark, his blue eyes fixed intently on Flora.

"What’s this? Why are you looking at me like that, Edward? Even if you have backers, I won’t back down because of that," Flora said with a light laugh, tapping her finger on the table, "450."

She directly raised the bid to her maximum limit and watched Edward’s reactions with intense nervousness.

"..." Edward fell silent for a moment.

His face alternated shades, his hand trembling slightly, but ultimately, he gave up on continuing the bidding war.

However, Flora did not win the item in the end. Instead, it was taken by another top hundred player who stepped in midway, winning with a bid of 480 points.

Edward silently observed this scene.

Despite his earlier hesitation, he was very confident in his decision.

He currently had a total of 580 points, enough to easily snatch up the item at the buyout price. The organization had equipped him well, eliminating the need for him to spend points on props and equipment, leaving him with a substantial surplus.

The reason he had kept these points was primarily aimed at Su Ming’an.

Aside from the beginning when Su Ming’an had garnered attention, he had been very quiet since... unsettlingly quiet, in fact.

Unknown to Edward, he had glanced up countless times only to see the man leisurely drinking a beverage, watching the fierce bidding as if he had absolute confidence in the final destination of the items, seemingly certain of the outcomes.

...Posing.

Keep posing.

Edward felt he had seen right through that person’s nature; he was someone with a special backing. Otherwise, the organizers’ excessive indulgence couldn’t be explained.

Using the Strongest Player as an excuse, others might believe it, but he didn’t.

Edward had thought from the beginning that Su Ming’an was putting on a big act, like someone who wore a mask every day, showing different attitudes towards different things and people, an extremely hypocritical double-standard bearer.

Something that could catch the other party’s interest and restrain them until now must be very special.

That’s why Edward had been patient until now, aiming for a thunderous strike when the time came.

He had the support of the United Group behind him, allowing him to save points, but Su Ming’an was entirely different—a lone player who had to buy everything himself. How could he have more points than him?

The 400 points from the perfect pass of the Sixth World, and the 180 points carried over from the Fifth World, gave Edward a total of 580 points at his disposal. Even the one hailed as a combat-oriented Forging Master, and the publicly recognized rich player ranked sixth, didn’t have as many points as him, let alone a solo combat-oriented player...

He thought this with utter certainty, watching as the final auction item finally came into view under the spotlight.

It was a necklace.

...A necklace?

People craned their necks, curious whether it was a special prop or a piece of jewelry equipment.

Old Man Rabbit, the auctioneer, quieted his noisy chatter, allowing the necklace to be fully displayed.

In the floating screen, the camera zoomed in so viewers could see the flowing substance inside the necklace’s diamond and the magnificent, dazzling patterns on its surface.

It didn’t look like an inanimate object, but rather like a galaxy of stars flowing within the confines of the diamond.

The eyes of millions were utterly transfixed by it, with gasps of admiration coming from young girls, their voices filled with envy, almost piercing through the screen with their desires of "wanting it."

"So beautiful..." Flora couldn’t help but exclaim.

It was almost exactly like the most beautiful necklace of her dreams.

A galaxy around your neck... just the thought felt incredibly romantic.

Under the watchful eyes of the eager crowd, Old Man Rabbit knocked the gavel: "As everyone can see, this is our last auction item!"

"This is an item ranked above Purple Grade... a Gold-Level Legendary Equipment!"

"Top-tier Gold-Level Equipment only appears in the hands of the highest-ranking players of the Forging Series and at our world-class auction. Players cannot obtain this quality of equipment in game instances!"

"Now, let me show you the equipment information for this extremely precious item..."

In the unusually silent auction hall, everyone’s eyes were red with envy.

Envy, jealousy, the almost irresistible urge to snatch away the ring themselves... such thoughts were almost universal.

At the same time, they were all incredibly curious.

This legendary item, of a caliber never before seen, touted as the strongest piece of equipment so far—what kind of earth-shattering attributes would it have?

A panel with a deep blue background slowly emerged before everyone’s eyes, and lines of text began to appear...

"Here it comes!"

Edward’s fingers immediately moved towards the bid box, ready to type in a number.

Simultaneously, hidden among the crowd, several players who had been holding back for a long time also began to pull up their panels, ready for action...

"Whoosh!"

A loud boom rang out.

Before people had the chance to read through the introduction, the panel suddenly closed.

"What’s going on?"

"Darn, what’s happening? I didn’t even get to see the information!"

"Is it a bug?"

The hall erupted in noise as people’s gazes turned simultaneously towards Old Man Rabbit above.

The white-haired young man stood on the stage, seemingly just as bewildered by this turn of events.

"Ah... congratulations..." he said, holding the microphone.

Behind him, the large screen slowly revealed a line of text.

"Congratulations to our Number One Player... who struck like lightning and claimed our last auction item in one second..."

Boss Rabbit’s somewhat bewildered congratulations echoed in the entirely silent auction hall.

Under the envious gazes of the audience, Su Ming’an opened his mailbox and a dazzling necklace fell into his palm.

Under the lights, the thing flowing within the diamond was like a galaxy, extremely beautiful to behold.

He looked at the information for this legendary equipment.

[Noah’s Chain (Gold Level): "Death may conquer the whole world,

but our love will last forever, life never perishing."]

Charm +1 Level (not to exceed SS)

Mentality +5

Durability: 10/10

Equipment Requirement: None.

Special Skill (Lasting Radiance):

Effect 1: You can designate any player to share any hostile damage you receive in the next 3 seconds, cooldown time one hour.

Effect 2: (Locked, unlocking conditions will be activated after the beginning of the Seventh World).]

Charm +1 Level...

Su Ming’an glanced at his own attribute panel.

...Slightly high.

He didn’t know what Charm S represented, but it must be very strong... It seemed that such an effect could only manifest itself in future instances.

Thinking about the skill called "Lasting Radiance," he instantly thought of countless ways to annoy others.

The Effect 1 of Lasting Radiance, a divine 1v1 skill, had virtually no flaws except for a long cooldown time. Combined with the High Tower Invitation, the result was excellent.

Currently, he was in a state where he was exceptionally strong in PvP while slightly less so in PvE. But at least he didn’t have to worry about one-on-one combat under any circumstances.

Aside from the possibility of being worn down in group battles with players, there was hardly any chance of him losing to other players at the current stage.

Unless it involved particularly targeted Curse Series skills or undetectable Law-based abilities.

He moved Noah’s Chain into an equipment slot, replacing Dawn’s Fall.

He chose not to wear it directly; instead, he opted for vanity hiding.

He noticed the many envious looks from top female players below.

...He knew it was a good-looking item, but indeed not suitable for him to wear.

Meanwhile, he saw Edward’s sullen expression.

Following the United Group’s recent maneuver, Edward now seemed rather irritated, perhaps because he had just experienced the Sixth World and was still psychologically recovering.

Mizushima Kawa Sora was also looking up at him, her eyes calm and undisturbed.

She held a bouquet of unwilting Red Roses in her arms, seemingly waiting for someone.

On stage, Boss Rabbit was making the closing speech:

"So, congratulations everyone, the auction is now officially over!"

"All six auction items fetched desirable prices!"

"Thank you, players, for your strong support of the auction. Without your support, we wouldn’t be here today... oh, ohhh, I’m so moved, my dear players..."

As it spoke, it actually started crying, wiping its tears quite dramatically with its paws, the tears on its beautiful face suprisingly convincing.

"Damn! I didn’t even get to see what the Gold Level equipment was!" some people shouted from below.

"Su Ming’an, Su Ming’an, share the attributes with us, everyone’s waiting to see!" someone turned to shout at Su Ming’an, who was still drinking beverages inside the glass chamber.

"Damn, it’s unbelievable, I came here just to check out the final treasure, and all I get is a look, like window-shopping at a jewelry store," someone lamented dejectedly.

"Wait, why do I feel a little moved seeing Boss Rabbit like this...?"

"Are you a furry lover?"

"...But, it feels like today wasn’t a waste. Many iconic scenes for the forums just got added, so many leaderboard players gathered, just the press posts alone are countless..."

"Hey, why hasn’t it ended yet?"

Looking at the still-closed departure passage below, Su Ming’an, who had previously been drinking his beverage, suddenly recalled the phrase "award ceremony" from the invitation.

He stopped sipping from his straw.

"I’m leaving now," he said to the girl named Na beside him, getting up decisively and turning to leave.

"Hey, wait, Sir, we still have the final award ceremony. As the player who won the last item, you should give a speech..." Na immediately stopped him, her action without the slightest hesitation, as if she had anticipated this scene.

"A speech?"

"Yes, just a few words, like a closing remark." Na clasped her hands together, pleadingly looking at him: "Please, Sir, it’s a ritual. We can’t leave until it’s completed..."

Su Ming’an looked outside the glass.

Out the glass windows, an endless sea of chairs was filled with people in various attire, forming a colorful torrent that seemed to have no end at a glance.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, he heard a loud noise.

Following the sound, he saw chaos erupt in the spectator area outside, as people dispersed like waves.

He saw blood flowing within the waves.

Staring at that scene, he suddenly realized something.

"...Na,"

He spoke:

"The spectator seats outside... they don’t have Explosion-Proof Talismans installed, do they?"

Na tilted her head, looking at him.

"Does it matter?" she asked.