Chapter 372 Chapter371-The Second Round of Auction
A set of Silver Tears, starting at 20,000 gold coins, astonishingly escalated to a value of 140,000 gold coins, fiercely bid up by the guild leaders of two of the world's top ten elite guilds. And it seemed the price would continue to soar. The multitude of players in attendance were dumbfounded by this spectacle.
At this moment, Kingserp's expression grew increasingly grim, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Adam, guild leader, where did my Dawn Guild offend you? To warrant such relentless targeting?"
Adam let out a scoff, his face exuding dominance as he replied, "Targeting? You think too highly of yourself. Since when do I, Adam, need to consider such trivialities? It's simply that I find you unpleasant to the eye, nothing more. If you disagree, outbid me!"
Kingserp fell silent. Though both were among the top ten elite guilds globally, their overall strength wasn't vastly different. However, upon closer inspection, there were indeed gaps between the top ten elite guilds. Adam's Genesis Guild undoubtedly stood out among these, arguably possessing the strongest paper strength. Moreover, they were backed by several super conglomerates in the real world. In terms of financial power alone, Kingserp's Dawn Guild couldn't really compete with the Genesis Guild. It wasn't that Kingserp couldn't produce 140,000 gold coins; even adding a zero wouldn't be an issue, but the real question was whether it was worth it.
After a tumultuous inner debate, Kingserp finally sighed in a contrived manner. "Alright, since Adam, the guild leader, is also interested in this set of Silver Tears, I shall give you this respect!"
Adam's lips slightly curled up, and he didn't pursue the matter further.
"140,000 gold coins, any higher bids?" Isabella, on stage, asked the players with a light laugh.
No one in the audience raised a further bid. Instead, they engaged in hushed, excited discussions, all focused on the recent head-to-head confrontation between the two VIPs from the second floor. Even someone of Kingserp's stature had chosen to step back.
At this point, naturally, no one dared to openly challenge Adam's authority. Eventually, the second set of Silver Tears was successfully auctioned off to Adam for the steep price of 140,000 gold coins. The remaining eight sets of Silver Tears also mostly fell into the hands of the big shots on the second floor. Only one mysterious wealthy player on the first floor managed to snatch a set for nearly 200,000 gold coins, an astronomical sum.
BlazingStorm, hidden among the crowd, was overjoyed. Now, the first set of Silver Tears he had acquired for 100,000 gold coins seemed like a huge bargain. After all, all subsequent sets of Silver Tears were auctioned for prices far exceeding the 100,000 gold coins he had paid.
In a certain box on the second floor, John lay leisurely on a large sofa, gently swirling the wine in his glass. He appeared languid, but in reality, his attention was fixed on the first floor's movements. His divine power wasn't withdrawn either, but continuously locked onto the AGHHO assassin hidden among the crowd. As for the auctioned items, John showed no interest. The items in the first round of the auction weren't enticing enough to catch his eye. The Silver Tears, which caused a frenzy among the players, were even less appealing since they originated from him; it made no sense to buy his own creations.
Loving_Lollipop, sitting beside him, was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. "Galewind, aren't you planning to buy anything?"
John lifted his eyelids and said nonchalantly, "What's the hurry? The first round of the auction is just an appetizer. The main event is yet to come..."
Loving_Lollipop smacked her lips and said with a hint of awe, "So this is what a top-tier auction is like. It's quite an eye-opener... Hundreds of thousands of gold coins are being thrown around without a second thought. How can these people be so wealthy?"
John flashed a peculiar smile and said lightly, "This is just the beginning. Wait until the second round of the auction starts, then you'll understand what real wealth is... Just a heads-up, the second round won't be using gold coins for payment, but real-world currency instead."
Loving_Lollipop's eyes widened in surprise. "Real-world currency? Isn't this an auction held within a game? Why can real money be used for transactions?"
John glanced at her with a hint of irritation, "It's obvious you don't keep up with the official announcements. Right after the game's public beta ended, the developers already introduced a system for converting gold coins to real-world currency at a fixed rate... Real-world money can be used in this game too..."
Loving_Lollipop scratched her head awkwardly and chuckled, "I really haven't paid much attention to that. After all, I don't need that feature. The pocket money I get in real life is hardly enough, let alone spending it on the game."
John put down his glass, a trace of puzzlement in his eyes, "That doesn't seem right. With your current strength in the game, earning money should be easy. Haven't you ever engaged in converting virtual currency to real money?"
Hearing this, Loving_Lollipop's smile turned more awkward. "Big shot might not know, but even though my Dragon Slayer Warrior's hidden class is powerful, it's also extremely costly. Most of the money I earn usually goes into maintaining this class. How could I have anything extra to convert into real-world currency?"
John nodded in understanding.
Actually, Loving_Lollipop's situation is something many solo players encounter. This is a rather awkward aspect for gamers: to become a strong player with formidable capabilities, a substantial investment is necessary. Solo players, after all, fight alone without extra resources at their disposal, making their development in the game quite strained.
Moreover, the more powerful and unique the class, especially special or hidden classes, the greater the expenditure in terms of money and resources. Therefore, some solo players, even if they have the opportunity to switch to such classes, may not have the resources and financial backing to support their growth.
John thought for a moment and then said with a light chuckle, "That's exactly why I suggested you join a powerful guild. Only with the resources of a guild can you fully unleash the true potential of your hidden class. Don't think you're already a true strong player. You're still far from it."
Loving_Lollipop looked enlightened.
...
On the first floor's stage, Isabella then auctioned off a few epic-tier equipment and items. She then said with a light laugh, "Alright, dear players, the first round of the auction has now concluded. Congratulations to those who successfully bid on items! For those who didn't, don't be disheartened. The second round of the auction is coming up, and I believe the equipment and items then will delight you even more."
"Now, let's take a short break. I encourage everyone to refresh themselves and patiently wait for the second round of the auction to begin." Isabella clapped her hands gently, and the well-prepared attendants started serving snacks and drinks to the players. She then stepped down from the stage and found a quiet corner to rest.
After over an hour of intense auctioneering, Isabella was thoroughly exhausted. After all, as a player with a life class and no level-induced strength enhancements, she was essentially no different from an ordinary person.
During the intermission, John was on the lookout for any moves from the AGHHO assassins. Surprisingly, they made no moves. They continued to float casually among the crowd, feigning engagement in conversation with nearby players, seemingly waiting for a specific moment to act. Those players, unaware of the true identity of these AGHHO assassins, enthusiastically interacted with them, completely oblivious to the fact that they were conversing with NPCs, not actual players.
It must be said, the AGHHO's assassins indeed had the right to be called the pinnacle of assassin career players. A true assassin is not the solitary, silent figure lurking in dark corners for an assassination quest, as many imagine. On the contrary, these individuals are specially trained to excel in disguise. They can blend in better than ordinary people, hidden in plain sight among crowds. If it weren't for John's Eye of Artemis and divine power, even he would find it challenging to identify the real AGHHO assassins among the many people.
After about half an hour's break, the auction resumed. Both the numerous players on the first floor and the big shots in the second-floor boxes perked up at the sound of the bell, knowing that the auction's main event was about to begin.
Isabella, having freshened up her makeup, returned to the stage with renewed energy. "Thank you all for your patient waiting. Let's continue with the auction. As veterans of the Morning Breeze Auction House, you are familiar with the characteristics of the second round, so I won't delve into details here."
"Let's get started directly. I believe everyone is eager, and I don't want to keep you waiting!" Isabella winked playfully, eliciting knowing smiles from the audience. She then gently waved her hand towards the audience.
Dozens of fully armed, solemn NPC career players escorted attendants carrying several boxes onto the stage. "The second round of the auction will follow the same rules as before. All items will be presented to you, and we will auction them in order of their numbers."
As all the boxes were placed on the long table, Isabella slowly approached the front. The spotlight shifted timely towards her. The first box was opened, and a dazzling light instantly shone out.
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