Chapter 384 Chapter383-The Fierce Competition for the Key of the Saint
Many players on the first floor had no idea what the Key of the Saint actually was. However, for the big shots on the second floor, the story behind this item was no secret. In the game Godslayer, there have always been some extremely secretive dungeons. These dungeons were known to very few.
Even if someone accidentally stumbled upon information about such dungeons, they would not share it. This is because these dungeons are usually the treasuries left behind by some ancient, significant figures. Neither players nor NPCs in the game would share such a lucrative secret with others.
Of course, there were also some lucky individuals who would incredibly fortuitously blunder into these dungeons during certain events. Such people generally became rich overnight or rose to fame quickly, transforming from an unknown entity into a renowned powerhouse. These types of dungeons were collectively known as treasury dungeons.
The guild leaders of the top ten global guilds naturally had their special channels to obtain information about these dungeons. But for the average player, without such channels, these dungeons remained a complete mystery.
Observing the Key of the Saint displayed on the stage, players in the first-floor hall started whispering to each other.
"What is this thing? Why have I never heard of it before?"
"I have no idea. It looks like a key, but it seems unusually large. I wonder what it opens?"
"The description of its attributes is too brief. It reveals no extra information at all!"
"Can open some sort of treasury? What kind of treasury?"
...
Ordinary solo players and the guild leaders of smaller guilds looked on in bewilderment. In contrast, the informed big shots on the second floor were all visibly excited.
Isabella's charming face maintained its smile as she spoke softly, "This Key of the Saint was consigned to our auction house by a client. Frankly speaking, if it wasn't for the client's specific request to auction this item, our auction house would have been quite reluctant to part with it..."
"Following the client's instructions, the starting bid for the Key of the Saint is thirty million in cash, with each increment not less than ten million."
Upon hearing Isabella's words, the auction hall erupted into a buzz of astonishment.
"What? Just for a key, and it's starting at a higher price than a top-tier legendary equipment?"
"I really don't get it. How is this thing worth that price?"
"This starting price has already deterred most people. Now it's just a matter of seeing if any of those big shots on the second floor are willing to pay up for this!"
"Are you kidding me? Didn't you hear Miss Isabella say their auction house wanted to keep this item for themselves? That alone indicates this key is extraordinary. There might be a huge secret involved!"
"What joke is this? It's just a game. What kind of secret could be so costly?"
"Indeed, with a starting bid of thirty million and increments of no less than ten million, the final price could very well surpass a hundred million... Spending hundreds of millions of cash for a chance to open a treasury? What kind of treasury could possibly make that money back!"
"Well, that's beyond our knowledge. Anyway, it's not something we can afford to dabble in!"
...
As the players engaged in heated discussions, the leaders of the top guilds in the second-floor boxes had already started their eager competition.
Blue Sea was the first to speak, laughing heartily, "My Blue Sea Guild bids thirty million, to start things off on a good note. Let's get this going, everyone..."
No sooner had Blue Sea finished speaking than a crisp female voice rang out, "Black Rose Guild bids forty million. I'm really interested in this thing. Anyone who wants to compete, feel free to try!"
John's face revealed a slightly amused smile. Snowla, as ever, spoke with lethal sharpness.
Karthus, the guild leader of Shadowrealm Guild who had earlier quarreled with Snowla, quickly followed with his bid: "Fifty million!" The mocking look in his eyes was obvious; he was clearly aiming to spite Snowla. After all, during the auction of the six daggers earlier, Karthus had been outmaneuvered by Chillminder and Snowla, spending nearly ten million more to secure them. Now presented with an opportunity for retaliation, how could he not seize it?
In reality, the Key of the Saint held no purpose for Karthus. The members of Shadowrealm Guild, based in the Dark Realm on the other end of Sunset Mountain, were primarily players with dark attributes. Although they could move freely on Godslayer Continent under the game's system protection, a treasury key of Godslayer Continent, with their identity, was essentially unusable to them.
Therefore, when Karthus announced his bid, it was primarily to irk Snowla. Predictably, upon hearing Karthus's bid of fifty million, Snowla's eyebrows shot up in anger, ready to burst into a tirade.
However, before Snowla could even speak, Adam's commanding and deep voice intervened, "The aura on this Key of the Saint likely belongs to a powerful figure from one of the human empires. Your dark attribute guilds don't even qualify to open it. Why cause unnecessary chaos here?"
Karthus chuckled and responded with a serious tone, "Adam, your point seems a bit unreasonable. As you said before, an auction is all about each party using their own skills, and the highest bidder wins... If I'm interested in this item, what's wrong with making a bid?"
"As for what I do with the Key of the Saint after purchasing it, that's my own affair, isn't it? It shouldn't concern you, Adamguild leader, should it?"
It was evident that Karthus held some wariness towards Adam. Although his words were confrontational, his tone was markedly more cautious.
Adam shook his head somewhat helplessly. He knew he couldn't really control the behavior of someone like Karthus who was bidding maliciously. Even though his Genesis Guild was ranked at the top among the global elite guilds, he wasn't an absolute leader. What other guild leaders decided to do wasn't really within his jurisdiction.
After pondering for a moment, Adam replied in a calm and collected manner, "You make a valid point. In that case, my Genesis Guild will bid sixty million. Those who wish to continue, please do."
A flicker of surprise passed through Karthus's eyes, but he didn't hesitate to continue, "Seventy million!"
Adam's expression remained unchanged, his tone still as placid as ever, "Eighty million."
Karthus paused for a moment, not immediately raising the bid further. He could sense a hint of impatience in Adam's voice. His initial intention had been to irritate Snowla, but if it ended up seriously offending Genesis Guild and Adam, it wouldn't be worth it. Although Karthus was known for his hot temper, he wasn't foolish and usually knew where to draw the line.
However, Karthus's hesitations were irrelevant in the face of his unpredictable and capricious ally, Kingserp. While Karthus was still deliberating, Kingserp, unable to wait any longer, blurted out, "Ninety million. Karthus is right, the auction goes to the highest bidder. I find myself quite interested in this thing too. Wouldn't be bad to buy it as a decorative piece!"
Spending ninety million for a seemingly useless item to serve as a mere decoration - perhaps only someone with Kingserp's eccentric mindset could indulge in such a whim.
Adam lifted his eyelids, casting a glance at Kingserp, his penetrating gaze seeming to slice through the layers of dark mist enveloping Kingserp. Suddenly, he chuckled lightly and said, "I didn't expect Guild Leader Kingserp to have such a refined taste, willing to spend ninety million for a decoration. In that case, I wouldn't want to disappoint you. I bid one hundred million."
The audience was stunned. They couldn't comprehend why a seemingly purposeless, broken key would rapidly escalate to a nine-digit figure in the auction. Even the bidding for the previous legendary equipment hadn't accelerated this quickly. Some of the more astute players shifted their gaze back to the Key of the Saint, their eyes reflecting deep thought. Perhaps... this item truly was that precious?
In the box on the second floor, Kingserp's cold laughter echoed through the shadows: "Heh, Guild Leader Adam is quite domineering, bidding a hundred million directly? Then I'll add another ten million – one hundred and ten million!"
Adam finally couldn't help but frown slightly. Although this amount was still within his tolerance and far from his mental limit, Kingserp's deliberate overbidding was becoming increasingly irksome. It was clear that Kingserp was convinced of his inevitable victory with the Key of the Saint, thus daring to bid so recklessly, utterly unafraid of actually ending up with the item!
Just then, Blue Sea from the neighboring box chuckled lightly, "Since everyone is competing so fervently, let me join in too. One hundred and twenty million!"
After initially calling the first bid, Blue Sea had remained silent, leading many to assume he had given up on the item. His sudden bid of one hundred and twenty million took everyone by surprise.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel