Chapter 92: Auction Means Gift Fuel
Damian looked her up and down before speaking honestly, "I thought you would want to become a rogue or something."
Vulkara’s eyebrow twitched. "A rogue?"
Damian nodded seriously. "Yeah. You know, small body, fast movements, angry personality, short temper. It fits."
For a moment, the side courtyard became silent.
Violetta slowly turned her face away, trying not to laugh.
Vulkara’s face instantly turned red. "Goddammit, Master! I am still growing!"
Damian blinked. "Are you?"
Vulkara almost exploded on the spot. "Of course I am!"
Damian looked at her seriously for a few seconds before nodding. "Good. Then keep working hard."
Vulkara gritted her teeth. "Why does that sound even more annoying?"
Damian laughed.
Vulkara crossed her arms and turned her head away. "Anyway, I want to learn blacksmithing. That’s final."
Damian smiled slightly. "Why blacksmithing?"
Vulkara’s expression became a little more serious. "Because I want to live on my own later."
Damian paused.
Vulkara continued, "Cultivation needs resources. Weapons need money. Pills need money. Everything needs money. If I can forge weapons, I can earn spirit stones by myself."
Her voice became quieter, but still stubborn. "I don’t want to depend on others forever."
Damian looked at her for a moment.
Then he suddenly asked, "Why not alchemy then? Isn’t alchemy better for earning money?"
Vulkara’s face stiffened.
She looked away and muttered, "Alchemy is too hard."
Damian blinked.
Violetta finally could not hold back and covered her mouth with a soft laugh.
Vulkara glared at her. "What are you laughing at?"
Violetta smiled gently. "Nothing. I just think you are very honest."
Vulkara’s face became even redder. "Shut up."
Damian stared at Vulkara for a few seconds before suddenly laughing. "Good. Very good."
Vulkara frowned. "Why are you laughing?"
Damian stepped forward and placed one hand on Vulkara’s head.
Then he placed his other hand on Violetta’s head.
Both girls froze slightly.
Damian smiled and said, "Fine then. One of you will walk the path of music and dance. The other will walk the path of fire and forging."
His voice became softer. "Do your best."
Violetta’s eyes warmed. "Yes, Master."
Vulkara looked away, but she did not push his hand away. "Hmph. Of course I will."
Damian chuckled and removed his hands.
Then he turned around and waved. "Good. I’m leaving now."
---
Several days passed in a blur.
For Damian, those days were not called training anymore.
They were survival.
Every morning, Selvara dragged him into the courtyard before the sun had fully risen.
Every afternoon, sword lights chased him across the mountain peak.
Every evening, he crawled back to his room like a corpse that had barely remembered how to breathe.
At first, Damian thought his King Grade Chaos Spiritual Root would make his life easier.
He was wrong.
Because once Selvara realized his recovery speed, Qi absorption, and comprehension had improved, her training became even more unreasonable.
One day, she made him dodge sword lights for three hours.
Another day, she forced him to fight without using [Thunder Flash Steps].
On the third day, she made him use [Burning Thunder Sword Art] until his arms could barely hold his sword.
Damian lay on the ground that night, staring at the ceiling with empty eyes.
"This woman is not training me. She is trying to refine me into a sword-shaped ghost."
Still, the results were real.
All of his power had basically increased, and even his Seventh Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation had become fully stabilized.
But Damian still hated every second of it.
After several days of pain, the long-awaited day finally arrived.
It was Saturday.
The sacred day for his business.
Gifting.
Damian opened his eyes before sunrise and sat up from his bed with a serious expression.
For once, no sword pressure came from outside his room, or even sword light that threatened to cut his hair, robe, dignity, and future in half.
Damian slowly raised both hands and almost cried. "I’m alive... and finally, today, I’m free."
He quickly changed into a clean dark robe, tied his hair properly, and checked his storage ring to make sure he had not forgotten anything.
After confirming that everything was ready, his eyes shone with excitement as he looked outside.
"Beautiful treasure chests of the world, your Damian is coming."
Damian walked out of his room with confidence.
In the courtyard, Selvara was nowhere to be seen.
Knowing that, Damian left the mountain peak without any hesitation.
By the time he reached the lower sect area, Damian was already smiling like a merchant entering a rich market. "Hehehe... let’s buy some good gifts for my treasure chests, shall we?"
---
As Damian walked through the lower sect area, he quickly noticed that the atmosphere was livelier than usual.
Many disciples were moving in the same direction, talking among themselves with excited expressions.
Damian raised an eyebrow. "What happened? Did someone discover a secret realm in the dining hall?"
A nearby disciple glanced at him and answered casually, "You don’t know? There’s an auction today in the sect market. I heard several rare items will appear."
Damian’s steps immediately stopped. "Auction?"
His eyes slowly brightened.
A grin spread across his face before he could even stop it. "Interesting..."
An auction meant treasures.
Treasures meant gifts.
And gifts meant rewards.
Damian almost wanted to laugh on the spot. "Hehehe... let’s see if I can get some good treasures to gift later."
However, he quickly calmed himself down.
Going to an auction without money was like visiting a restaurant while broke. It was just self-torture.
Damian tapped his storage ring and smiled. "But first, I should sell some pills."
After all, he had gotten quite a lot during his earlier alchemy practice and also from the return gifts from courtesans.
Most of them were useless to him now, but to ordinary disciples, they were still valuable.
Damian adjusted his robe, changed his expression into that of a proper rich young master, and walked toward the market district.
"Good. First, sell pills. Second, get spirit stones. Third, enter the auction."
His grin became even more shameless. "And fourth..."
He looked toward the direction of the auction hall, his eyes glowing with greed and excitement. "Find treasure chests worthy of my gifts."
