OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Kiera looked at Emir, surprised, but he signaled that she should ask questions later.

The bidding for the capsule continued, with more and more hunters placing their offers.

It was clear that some of the attendees bid for it simply because they were interested in it.

The item was rare and unknown, a clear enough reason for their curiosity.

Meanwhile, others may have been curious about it for other reasons similar to this one.

"4 million for number 61," he called out, seeing Emir raise the sign once again.

The bidding had escalated quickly, and Emir could tell that many of the other hunters were starting to gain interest in the capsule as well.

Emir also noticed a man seated some distance away from him.

The 'villain' was desperately bidding for the item, raising the bid ever so slightly.

However, he soon stopped, not wanting to risk his life over the unknown.

Watching that caused Emir to silently snicker, but his joy was interrupted as he heard someone utter:

"5 million."

The word originated from a childish voice, way out at the back of the venue, in one of the many private rooms hovering over the auction house.

It was one of the Blackwood family members, and he could see a small smirk on their kid-like face as they made the bid.

He knew what reputation the Blackwood family held.

They were known for being ruthless in controlling the auction house.

Some of them even came here to just play around and jack up the bid for no other reason than to pray on the less fortunate.

Emir, however, wouldn't give them the satisfaction of winning the item that he had his eyes on.

"6 million for number 61." The auctioneer called out, seeing Emir raise his number once more.

The bidding continued back and forth, with the price rising higher and higher, as they fought for the item.

Emir felt his heart racing as the auctioneer called out the bids, each one bringing him closer to victory or defeat.

The price continued to rise, reaching 20 million UC, but the bids slowed down right after.

It seemed that most of the attendees had reached their limit of curiosity.

Or that they simply didn't see the value in the unknown relic and wanted to save up for the things that they truly wanted.

Emir took a deep breath and raised his sign once again.

"21 million for number 61."

The room fell silent as many turned to look at him.

Emir felt Kiera's hand on his shoulder, but he didn't turn to look at her.

His eyes were focused on the capsule, and his mind was racing with possibilities.

The auctioneer looked surprised that anyone would desperately bid for an item such as this, but he quickly regained his composure.

"We have a bid of 21 million UC for number 61. Do we have any other offers?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

Silence.

"Going once... going twice... sold to number 61 for 21 million UC!"

The auctioneer announced, slamming his gavel down as it echoed through the silent venue.

Kiera looked at Emir with a mix of shock and admiration and said:

"You did it! But..."

"What exactly? Like, what's so special about that capsule?!"

Emir smiled at her.

"I got a feeling that this item will be worth much more than what I paid for it."

"Besides, sometimes you have to take a risk to get ahead in this world."

[Lyra, you have any idea how to use that thing?]

[Not right now, unlike other relics, this one seems to be Nano-bot related so I can scan it, but you have to be in contact with the capsule so I can judge its use.]

[Alright, let's wait for the auction to end then.]

The auction continued on, with items getting more and more expensive as time went by, reaching hundreds of millions.

The final item was an old-world augmented suit priced at one Valora, roughly equating to 1 billion UC.

It was bought by that kid, Max.

Emir theorized that it might've been only presented here for him.

…

After everything was over, Emir exited the auction venue with Kiera by his side.

He held onto a case tightly, which safeguarded the enigmatic capsule.

It was passed onto him by a discreet staff member who approached him moments after the bidding concluded.

In the auction, payment was not made directly, as the organizers had already scanned and identified everyone upon entry.

Therefore, they simply deducted the payment from their accounts after any purchase had been made.

If the credits they had weren't sufficient, then the hunters would end up owing a debt to the Blackwood family, which in turn would become a debt to the UEF.

A debt that would continue to haunt them for their entire lives.

The Blackwood family covertly encouraged this kind of conduct, simply because the more hunters they had in their ranks, the stronger they became.

Many a hunter fell for this trap and came here hoping for a shot at greatness.

While they may get indebted, they would receive top-of-the-line equipment that they would never be able to afford otherwise.

These hunters tended to underestimate the insane interest rates associated with such debts.

Which made it nearly impossible to leave the family's grasp.

As for those who came here while wishing to conceal their identities, they would need to indicate this and demonstrate their purchasing ability beforehand to prevent any fraudulent activity.

Eventually, Emir and Kiera returned to check on the relics.

The dealer had sent Kiera a message informing her that the appraisal was complete sometime before the auction ended.

Upon arriving at the shop, the dealer greeted Emir with a smile as he looked up from his terminal.

"Welcome back," he said.

"The appraisal is complete. Would you like me to provide more information about the relics you're planning to sell?"

Emir asked, "Is there a fee for this?"

He chuckled while slapping his knee.

"No, of course not! You've already paid us handsomely for our services. Consider it a freebie."

"And if you bring more relics to sell, I'll be happy to provide more information in the future."

"Great," he replied, "let's hear it."