Chapter 385 Chapter384-Kingserp, the Provocateur
Finally, Kingserp fell silent. If it had been just Adam, he might not have cared much. But with Blue Sea also in the fray, offending both the Creation and Blue Sea Guilds, even someone as mentally unorthodox as Kingserp needed to weigh his options carefully.
It wasn't that Kingserp was afraid of Blue Sea's involvement.
In his mindset, fear was a concept that simply didn't exist. After all, over the years, the Dawn Guild had clashed with members of both Creation and Blue Sea Guilds, and all those frictions had fizzled out without serious consequences.
Kingserp knew well that neither Adam nor Blue Sea would completely turn against him. After all, the Dawn Guild was a gathering of eccentrics, and no one wanted to fully antagonize such a group.
Kingserp's silence was merely him assessing the value of continuing to raise his bid. In the end, he concluded that while it might not hold much significance, challenging the guild leaders of the top two guilds globally in front of so many players was a matter of substantial interest. Being inherently impulsive, Kingserp made up his mind and continued, "Heh, I didn't expect Guild Leader Blue Sea to be truly interested in this. Well, in that case, I bid one hundred and thirty million!"
Blue Sea and Adam exchanged a look, each seeing a sense of helplessness in the other's eyes. Bidding against such a madman was indeed a frustrating affair. But they couldn't just give up, considering the immense value of the treasury associated with the Key of the Saint. They had no choice but to grit their teeth and accept the situation, even if it meant being tricked into spending more.
"One hundred and forty million," Blue Sea stated, his usual smile gone, his eyes downcast, barely concealing the anger flickering within.
Unexpectedly, Kingserp, who clearly noticed the change in Blue Sea and Adam's expressions, showed no sign of backing down. His attitude became even more brazen. Today, he seemed determined to disrupt everyone's plans.
He raised his hand, smoothly announcing the next bid. "One hundred and sixty million!"
The players in the hall simultaneously gasped in shock. No matter how precious the treasure, the price had now escalated to such a height that the eventual buyer would likely face a loss. It was clear to any astute observer that Kingserp was acting as a spoiler in the auction.
It was a mystery what grudge he held against the other top guild leaders to push matters to such an extreme in full view of everyone.
Adam finally couldn't hold back anymore. He stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, his gaze sharp and intense like a hawk's, fixating on Kingserp in the opposing box.
"Isn't this enough? Have you not considered the consequences of continuing this game?"
Kingserp's sinister and unpleasant laughter echoed through the auction hall. "What you're saying doesn't make sense, Adam. It was you who said the highest bidder wins. Why are you breaking the rule now?"
"I've already said I intend to buy this item as a decoration. If Guild Leader Adam feels he can't meet the price, then just give up!"
Adam's eyes narrowed slightly, a cold, piercing light almost tangible in their depths.
"Kingserp, your Dawn Guild still has to operate in the gaming world. By taking things this far, are you seeking to declare war against us?"
For reasons unknown, Kingserp seemed completely unfazed by Adam's threatening tone, continuing to provoke, "So what if I am? Do you think you can cross Sunset Mountain to start a Guild Battle with us?"
Adam slightly furrowed his brow, feeling a sense of helplessness inside. He knew that Kingserp was stating the truth. With Sunset Mountain as a natural barrier, the guilds of the two factions simply couldn't wage war against each other. Even though Guild Battles had already been initiated, they were confined to guilds within the same faction. Against the dark guilds, they were powerless.
"While it's true that the highest bid wins, what you're doing is excessive, blatantly toying with us!"
Snowla's crisp voice was filled with anger. "If you dare, just hide forever in the Dark Realm. I refuse to believe that, as the game progresses, cross-faction Guild Battles won't be initiated!"
Kingserp chuckled coldly, "We'll deal with that when the time comes. Even if you manage to cross Sunset Mountain, the outcome of any Guild Battle is far from certain."
This was the confidence Kingserp relied on. He was well aware that even if players like Adam could enter the Dark Realm, they wouldn't likely defeat his Dawn Guild on its home turf due to the restrictions on cross-regional movement.
According to the game's rules, players from different factions looking to enter another faction's realm could only do so in groups of no more than ten from the same guild. This was to prevent large-scale guild personnel transfers before the initiation of cross-faction Guild Battles.
For example, both Kingserp and Karthus, who attended this auction, were accompanied by only nine guild members each. In Kingserp's view, the progression of any game is gradual. Even if cross-faction Guild Battles were to open in the future, the number of guild members Adam and others could bring to the Dark Realm wouldn't be substantial enough to pose a threat.
Seeing Adam, Blue Sea, and others furrowing their brows in frustration, Kingserp felt a surge of satisfaction. He turned to Isabella on the stage, a cold sneer on his face. "Looks like this item will be mine. Hurry up and finalize the sale, woman!"
Kingserp's words were impolite, causing Isabella to slightly frown, but she dared not say much. She was a businesswoman whose success was largely attributed to this game, and naturally, she couldn't afford to offend a capricious guild leader like Kingserp.
"Mr. Kingserp bids one hundred and sixty million. Is there a higher offer?" Isabella maintained a strained smile as she asked softly.
She deliberately paused for a moment, but no higher bids were heard, bringing a tinge of regret to her heart. The hall fell into an eerie silence.
Adam and Blue Sea both looked troubled, hesitating. They had the capacity to raise the bid further; one hundred and sixty million was far from their limit. But the problem was that continuing to bid seemed pointless. Kingserp would surely follow suit.
"He's insane, spending one hundred and sixty million just to spite us!" Blue Sea felt as if he had swallowed a fly, finding the situation utterly distasteful.
"One hundred and sixty million for the first time!"
"One hundred and sixty million for the second time!"
As Isabella waited a moment longer and no further bids came, she began to finalize the sale of the Key of the Saint according to the auction procedure.
"One hundred and sixty million for the third time, sold—"
Just as Isabella was about to pronounce the item sold, a languid voice suddenly rang out from the second floor. "One hundred and seventy million!"
Isabella's gavel paused mid-air, and she instinctively looked up.
Not just Isabella, but nearly everyone in the hall turned towards the source of the voice. There stood John, hands clasped behind his back, silently appearing before the floor-to-ceiling windows of the box. His face was obscured by the fearsome Asura mask, making it impossible to discern his expression. Yet, through the mask, one could see his eyes, sparkling like stars, filled with a subtle amusement.
Isabella's lips unconsciously curved into a charming smile. She, too, hadn't wanted to sell the item to Kingserp, not because of any grudge against Dawn Guild, but purely because she found Kingserp's attitude distasteful.
"Mr. Galewind bids one hundred and seventy million. Does Guild Leader Kingserp wish to continue bidding?" Isabella asked, her voice softer in her delight.
The revelation of John's bid sparked a flurry of whispers among the attendees.
"Galewind is joining the bidding for this item?"
"I don't see why not. If the key is truly that valuable, it's just like Galewind not to give up."
"One hundred and seventy million… Converted to cash, that could fill an entire room. What exactly is Galewind's real-world identity to toss around such an amount?"
"I'm curious too. In my mind, such a sum in an auction is only within reach for the top guild leaders. How can a solo player like Galewind have such funds?"
"Who says he's not a trust-fund baby?"
"Come on, a trust-fund baby with Galewind's skills? Hard to believe."
"Stop guessing. Everyone knows how popular this game is. As the top player, Galewind probably has earned way more than this amount!"
"True. The earning power of top players is beyond our imagination."
…
Seeing John enter the bidding, many on the second floor breathed a sigh of relief. They had no way to deal with Kingserp, but John was different. At the last auction, it was he who personally sent Kingserp back to the respawn pool, and not even the swift penalties of the system could stop John!
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