Chapter 90: Divine Asset
The interior of the auction hall was dimly lit, the ambient light focusing entirely on the grand, velvet-curtained stage.
The room breathed a heavy atmosphere of old wealth and intense corporate rivalry.
April slid into her designated row, flanked immediately by Xavier and Alexander, with Samuel taking the seat to her left. Right next to Samuel sat an empty chair—the vacancy reserved for the Golden Dragon.
Just as the house lights began to fade to a deep amber and the murmurs of the high-society crowd silenced, a heavy shadow fell over their row.
Nat Collins casually dropped his body into the empty seat, adjusting his crimson jacket with an entirely refreshed, satisfied sigh.
"I’m back," Nat whispered leaning over toward April, his voice a low, rumbling purr. "Told you I wouldn’t be long."
April turned her head, her eyes scanning his face. Right underneath his chin, almost like an insignificant dot against his collar, a fresh splash of blood stood out under the dim house lights.
Without a word, April lifted her own hand, tapping her fingers lightly against her cheek to indicate the blemish.
Nat caught the gesture, his lopsided grin widening. "Ah, right. Missed a spot," he murmured, pulling a pristine white silk handkerchief from his breast pocket.
He casually wiped the drop away and tossed the ruined, blood-stained fabric directly into a nearby disposal bin without a single care.
April looked at his completely relaxed posture. The operative from the Scorpions is definitely dead by now, she thought.
Nat looked entirely too rejuvenated for someone who had just gone to ’blow off steam.’ He had extracted his early toll, and the absolute control he possessed over his domain was terrifyingly clever.
Two rows behind them, Madam Morgan was aggressively biting down on the manicured tip of her index finger, her eyes burning holes into the back of April’s neatly styled hair.
"How... how is that worthless rat connected to those titans?" she whispered frantically to herself, her composure entirely fractured. "They are shielding her like she’s royalty. It makes no sense!"
Liora sat beside her mother, her blue eyes filled with an anxious, deeply troubled bewilderment as she stared at the overwhelming barrier of power protecting the former maid.
Up on stage, the crisp sound of the auctioneer’s gavel echoed through the room.
"I welcome you, Ladies and Gentlemen," he announced, his voice carrying over the hall as the elites began to quiet down. "I won’t waste time on pleasantries and get straight to the point because I know some people are impatiently waiting for these items." He let out a practiced chuckle and then began, his assistant rolling over a tall box and that commended the bidding.
The first item on the list was a high-end, vintage diamond jewelry.
April didn’t even look up from her phone; her thumbs were still aggressively moving the digital blocks of Winecraft.
The second lot featured an exceptionally rare, ancient antique vase. Still, she remained completely unmoved.
The third lot was a massive commercial plot of land within the financial district, but it lacked the specific elevation she needed for her apocalypse shelter.
Xavier, Alexander, and Nat were barely looking at the stage. Their sharp gazes were pinned to April’s profile, tracking her every movement, waiting like coiled springs for her paddle to rise so they could instantly bury the room in millions to secure her favor.
"And now, moving on to Lot Number Ten," the auctioneer announced, his voice booming through the high-end audio system as a massive, heavily reinforced iron transport cage was rolled out onto the stage by four security handlers.
Inside the cage stood a magnificent, large canine resembling a German Shepherd, its coat a striking, sleek mix of midnight black and deep silver.
It stood with an unnatural, unyielding majesty, its piercing golden eyes staring out at the billionaire crowd with an intelligent disdain that perfectly mirrored April’s own expression.
"A very unique lot for this evening, ladies and gentlemen," the auctioneer proclaimed. "This magnificent canine was bred under a highly restricted, classified military program. However, it has systematically rejected every single household it has been placed in. It refuses to accept standard training, and only three of this exact genetic lineage are known to exist globally. If this beast rejects your household, you will never be able to tame it. So bid wisely, folks."
The moment April’s eyes drifted toward the iron cage, a sudden notification popped up before her eyes.
[System Notice: Unidentified Mythical Life-Form Detected.]
[Reclassification Complete.]
Species: Blessed Beast (Canis Divinus)
Status: Divine Creature
Rarity: Mythical (Only 3 Exist Globally)
Description: A creature of divine providence disguised in the form of a common canine to remain hidden from the world for centuries. The Blessed Beast bestows absolute fortune, immense prosperity, and divine favor upon the individual it willingly acknowledges as its master.
April’s breath hitched sharply, her pupils contracting into tight needles. A Blessed Beast?
She had never heard of that before. Those existed?
Well, if there was such a thing as a spatial dimension, then she guessed divine beasts weren’t out of the question. But to think she would find one here by sheer stroke of luck.
To the world, it might just look like a really expensive and rare breed of German Shepherd , but to her who could see beyond its physical appearance, it was her good luck charm.
Who says you can’t survive the end of the world with man’s best friend? she thought, a brilliant, wicked glint igniting behind her eyes. She wanted it. She absolutely needed it.
April reached down, her fingers firmly gripping her bidding paddle. Beside her, Xavier, Alexander, and Nat instantly straightened, their eyes locking onto her hand with absolute readiness.
"The bidding for Lot Ten starts at five hundred thousand dollars," the auctioneer declared.
April clicked her tongue softly. A bit pricey for a pet, but a laughably small price to pay for a divine beast.
She smoothly raised her paddle. "Five hundred thousand." She said, but it wasn’t just her voice that rang out.
There was a sweet melodic voice that rang out from behind her as well. And it belonged to Liora.
