Chapter 291: The Auction Realm
Kai’s eyes swept across the endless platform, taking in the diversity of survivors gathered here. The outfits alone told him stories of their backgrounds, their struggles, and the paths they had taken within the Versailles Continent.
Most wore the standard Survivor Gear provided by the System... They were sturdy vests, reinforced cargo pants, and boots designed for utility rather than style.
It was the uniform of practicality...
Still, others looked far rougher. Some wore dirty mechanic’s clothes, grease‑stained jackets, and patched trousers.
They even carried tool belts instead of weapons, their survival was clearly tied to machines and scavenged technology...
Then there were those in combat gear. They wore leather armor strengthened with shoulder guards, bracers, and layered padding.
Their outfits were mismatched, probably scavenged from different battles, but functional. These survivors looked like mercenaries in Kai’s eyes.
Then, he noticed another group clad in urban scavenger attire... hooded jackets, torn jeans, and makeshift masks covering their faces. Their gear was pieced together from scraps, even badly welded armor plates in place.
And then, a smaller but striking group of people wore ceremonial combat uniforms like a robe... They looked almost like warrior‑priests.
’Interesting bunch...’
Kai’s gaze lingered on these varied outfits. However, he soon realized how much attention he was drawing to himself. Unlike the patched leather, grease‑stained cloth, or System‑issued gear, his attire was unmistakably advanced.
What he wore now came from the Superior Grade Stealth Gift Pack... the advanced camouflage gear.
None of them had probably even heard anything about the Superior Grade Gift Pack.
Even though the stealth mode wasn’t activated, the suit itself was striking.
A black full‑body suit covered him from head to toe, sleek and seamless.
The slim helmet concealed his features, its visor tinted dark, while the fitted black shoes completed the ensemble.
Indeed, no face or skin could be seen with his gear on.
It wouldn’t be surprising that he’d attract attention at all.
The suit hugged his frame perfectly as every line seemed engineered for efficiency. It wasn’t bulky like armor, nor ragged like scavenger gear... It was clean and quite intimidating...
Even inactive, the suit radiated an aura of professionalism, the kind of gear only elites could possess.
Anyway, Kai could feel eyes on him. Some of them were even pointing discreetly at him. His outfit marked him as someone different...
"I wonder where he got that suit..." one survivor muttered.
"Maybe I should ask if he bought it somewhere. It doesn’t look like anything the Gene Traders ever offered."
Another voice chimed in. He was quite skeptical about the design. "I think it’s handmade, maybe? Some kind of custom work? If someone in his world can make gear like that, I’d pay anything for it."
A group nearby debated quietly as well...
"What if his shelter has a craftsman? Imagine if they’re selling suits like that. Ohhh... We should look around here... maybe there’s a stall offering something similar."
"No, forget that," another replied. "This is the Auction Realm. We might even find something better than what he’s wearing. But still... damn, he looks cool."
Kai caught a laugh from behind him.
"Cool? He looks like a shadow. I bet he’s using that to sneak at night... I feel like that guy could vanish right in front of us."
Someone else whispered with a grin, "I wonder if he has a wife. Whoever she is, she’s lucky. He looks like one of those elite operatives or something back on Earth."
The murmurs grew, blending admiration with suspicion.
As Kai thought walked around to look at the stalls, he continued getting the same comments.
Still, after a few moments, they realized that he wasn’t the only one wearing the same outfit.
As a matter of fact, all members of the Codebreakers Guild are wearing the same thing!
This wouldn’t just help them identify themselves, but also help them get their Guild famous.
At this time, no one was aware of their Guild, but soon, if one of them were asked or if they announced it, it would surely spread immediately. Kai did not doubt that at all.
The Codebreakers Guild had an incredible full black outfit...
"They must be in the same shelter."
"That wouldn’t be surprising. Or perhaps, they found the same seller."
Kai smirked faintly beneath the visor. He didn’t need to respond... the suit spoke for itself. The Superior Grade Stealth Gift Pack wasn’t something these survivors could even imagine owning. To them, it was a mystery, a symbol of power and exclusivity that they couldn’t obtain just yet.
The whispers continued...
"If he’s got gear like that, what else is he hiding? Weapons? Tech? Maybe he’s already rich in Survivor Medals."
"Or maybe he’s bluffing. A suit doesn’t mean strength. Let’s see how he does in the Auction."
Kai could only shake his head as he continued walking.
He could feel the weight of their stares, the curiosity, and the envy. It didn’t bother him... in fact, it was useful. Attention meant influence, and influence might help his Guild some day.
Just like that, the crowd’s voices faded into the background as Kai focused on the city stretching before him.
"Guess I look cooler than I thought."
***
Kai moved deeper into the platform and saw countless stalls.
The Auction Realm had rows of vendors shouting prices, survivors trying to haggle and weapons displayed like trophies.
The first stores he passed specialized in cold weapons. Blades of every shape lined the racks... machetes, longswords, spears, and crude axes forged from scavenged steel.
Some were polished, others looked like they had been hammered together in desperation.
’Well... You’ll get what you pay for, I guess.’ Kai mused.
Survivors tested their edges, swinging them experimentally, but Kai barely slowed.
He already had access to a reliable axe and didn’t need another crude blade.
Next came the firearm stalls.
He found rifles, shotguns, and pistols were stacked neatly...
Ammunition crates sat beside them, marked with conversion rates for Survivor Medals.
Kai studied them briefly, but nothing caught his attention.
He already had a carbine rifle, grenade launchers, smoke grenades, stun grenades, and even an emergency thruster pack. Compared to his arsenal, these weapons felt ordinary.
Still, there were a few things that stirred his curiosity.
"These things look amazing..."
One stall displayed flamethrowers with their tanks were heavy and intimidating.
Another showcased chainsaws, modified with stronger teeth and spirit‑conductive engines. Explosives were also on sale... bundles of dynamite, crude mines, and improvised charges.
"Now... The Diggers will feel this, right?"
Kai’s eyes lingered on these. They weren’t necessities, but they were tools of chaos, weapons that could change the tide of battle in unexpected ways.
He didn’t rush. The Auction hadn’t begun yet, and Kai knew better than to get pressured into early purchases.
There were too many stalls, too many sellers. Somewhere in this vast city, better deals were waiting. He walked calmly, ignoring the merchants who tried to lure him with promises of "rare stock" and "limited offers."
It wasn’t long before he found something more familiar... a Gene Store. Its entrance was marked by glowing sigils, and inside, shelves were lined with vials and capsules.
Kai stepped in, his visor scanning the inventory.
He immediately recognized the Gene Stimulants... small injections that temporarily boosted strength and reflexes. Beside them were Gene Enhancement Serums, designed to permanently improve their physique and even compatibility with genetic weapons.
He spotted Blood Boosting Serums, meant to accelerate recovery, and Heart Revival Serums, emergency injections capable of restarting a failing body.
Other items filled the shelves... Spirit Amplifiers, which increased energy output for a short time.
Neural Accelerants, capable of sharpening reaction speed, and Bone Hardeners, designed to reinforce skeletal durability.
It was a treasure trove of genetic modifications, each vial glowing faintly with promise.
However, he found all of them to be so expensive...
"Holy... 20 Survivor Medals of one Spirit Amplifier? What a scam..." Kai muttered.
Of course, he already noticed these absurd prices from the cold weapons being sold, but he thought that it was only because of their rarity.
But now, he has just realized that this whole city itself was too expensive!
"W-what?"
Just now, Kai realized that even a 1 liter of bottled coconut water was being traded for 1 Survivor Medal.
"Incredibly absurd." Kai muttered as he shook his head.
In any case, Kai soon moved deeper into the gene store, but before he could examine further, several more customers entered. They weren’t here for the serums... they were here for him.
"Hey," one of them said, eyes fixed on Kai’s suit. "Where did you buy that?"
Another stepped closer, circling him. "That outfit... it’s not from the Gene Traders. Tell us where you got it."
Kai ignored them, continuing to scan the shelves. But the men didn’t leave. They surrounded him, their hands gripping his shoulders.
"Remove it," one demanded. "We want to test if it fits us."
Kai frowned beneath his visor. His fists clenched instinctively. He wanted to punch them, to break their arrogance, but he recalled fighting was prohibited here. Any violence inside the Auction Realm meant disqualification. He couldn’t risk it.
Still, there was no way he would let them continue.
