Chapter 352 - The Demon Race’s Request, the Origin of the Ea

Monica looked at Vincent, who spoke in a deep tone. She could not help but shiver.

She saw disaster from this man in front of her. Perhaps the entire Elf Race would undergo drastic changes because of this man in front of her.

However, at that moment, Monica did not know what kind of man she would be following in the future. Was he just a passer-by in the Black Hole world? Or was he here to fight against the Gajero? Was he a god of the plague who was here to bring disaster to the Elf Race?

No matter which possibility it was, Monica knew that the man in front of her was very dangerous. She had to be careful when following him in the future. At the very least, she had to make him think that she was sincerely obeying him so that she could survive!

At that moment, a voice suddenly came from the auction hall outside the window.

“Please take your seats, our auction is about to begin! We have prepared a few rare treasures for you today, you won’t want to miss it!”

Vincent, who was in the small room, heard the voice and looked down. He saw a middle-aged auctioneer standing on the auction stage, laughing and giving his opening speech.

Since the auction had already started, Vincent could not be bothered to continue pretending. He immediately removed his authority to modify and casually pulled open the curtain.

After seeing the curtains being pulled open, Dave and Catherine, who were sitting in the room, turned their heads in surprise. They exclaimed with a slight shock, “It’s over so quickly?”

Vincent was stunned at first. He then said with some embarrassment, “Your Highness is sitting in the room. How can I be unreasonable? We were just chatting earlier. Now that the auction is about to start, I still want to consult Your Highness about the many tricks inside!”

Dave nodded with satisfaction after seeing Vincent’s sincere respect for him. He then said, “I still have some private matters to discuss with Catherine. Later, you’d better close the curtains. If you have a question, just open the curtains and ask me, and I will naturally answer it for you! I have also promised you before that I would give you a gift today, so in the auction later, just choose one that you like and tell me. I will buy it and give it to you!”

Vincent nodded and said, “Thank You, Your Highness. I won’t disturb you anymore!”

After saying that, Vincent closed the curtains again. However, he did not use the authority to modify the surroundings like earlier. Instead, he just leaned close to Monica’s ear and whispered, “I am not very familiar with the matters of the Elf Race. Tell me what is the common currency here? And what are the most valuable resources here?”

Monica nodded and quickly said, “The common currency of the elves is crystal coins condensed in the underground veins. A crystal coin can be used to buy a meal or a good piece of jewelry. If you save more, then the coins can be used to support a person’s life for a day! And the most precious resource here is the Origin Divine Tree. That is an existence that all the elves would flock to. A small piece of the Origin Divine Tree can be sold for tens of thousands of crystal coins. If the size of the Origin Divine Tree is big enough and is complete, it can be sold for millions or even tens of millions of crystal coins!”

Vincent asked curiously, “What is the use of the Origin Divine Tree? Why is it so valuable?”

Monica explained carefully, “The Elf Race has always believed that the world possesses the power of origin and that this power is reflected in the divine trees that occasionally appear in the forest. These trees are filled with spiritual energy. Spears that are made using the branches of these divine trees are as sturdy as any weapon forged from metal. The bows and arrows that are made from the tree trunks also possess special effects such as penetration and acceleration. At the same time, every high priest in every city has a staff made from the main trunk of the Origin Divine Tree. This staff can amplify spells while reducing the consumption of psionic energy. Moreover, it is exceptionally sturdy and extremely difficult to damage!”

After listening to Monica’s explanation, Vincent could not help but lower his head to look at the short staff on her waist. He then asked, “This staff of yours is also made using the Origin Divine Tree, right?”

Monica could tell that Vincent was curious so she had no choice but to take out the short staff on her waist and offer it to Vincent with both hands. She replied, “This staff is made using the scraps of the Origin Divine Tree. Therefore, it is not suitable for battle. It can only be used in a special service industry like mine!”

Vincent picked up Monica’s short staff and looked at it carefully. He soon returned it to her and said, “If you follow me in the future, you won’t be in the special service industry anymore. When I have the opportunity, I will get you a real staff. I guarantee that you will be able to cast two decent spells!”

Monica put away her short staff. She did not take Vincent’s promise to heart. She only said very politely, “Thank you for your generosity!”

Vincent smiled and did not say anything further. He wanted to check her staff to confirm the characteristics of the Origin Divine Tree. At the same time, he wanted to confirm the guess in his heart. The Dark Elves in Dark Yuan City had all used spears that were made using the Origin Divine Tree. When he fought with the Dark Elves in Dark Yuan City, their spears were so strong that they were able to withstand his Return Journey of the Dead.

However, Vincent could not understand how that was possible. This was because he did not see a single tree that matched the characteristics of the Origin Divine Tree along the way from Tias mountain range. Yet, in a small, remote city like Dark Yuan City, everyone had weapons that were made using the Origin Divine Tree.

Did this mean that all the Dark Elves and even the elves had weapons made from the Origin Divine Tree? However, where did they get so many Origin Divine Trees?

Vincent could not help but turn to look at Monica and ask, “Where does this Origin Divine Tree usually grow? I’ll chop one down when I’m free!”

Monica shook her head and said, “There is no trace of the Origin Divine Tree now! Previously, in Elf World, the Origin Divine Trees were very abundant. However, they were all chopped down and made into weapons. Some nobles even used the Origin Divine Tree as a building material. It could be said that it was very extravagant! After the arrival of Gajero, every believer in every city had to collect the Origin Divine Earth which the Origin Divine Trees grew on for him. As a consequence, there were no more Origin Divine Trees left. Therefore, the Origin Divine Trees that are still in circulation on the market are very expensive!”

Vincent frowned slightly and said, “How did you know that Gajero is collecting the Origin Divine Earth?”

Monica looked in the direction of the hall with some worry, as if she was afraid of being heard by Dave and Catherine outside. She lowered her voice to the minimum and said to Vincent, “Every year, the envoys of the Demon Race will ask for the Origin Divine Earth from the major cities. However, the Origin Divine Earth is hidden deep in the ley lines. If you want to collect it, you have to go deep underground. Every month, Hell’s Rose will close for one day, because the City Lord will go down to the ninth level and collect the Origin Divine Earth through the bottomless abyss. Although this information is a secret, it is occasionally talked about by the elves in Hell’s Rose. I heard it from the conversations of others by chance!”

Vincent nodded and said, “Gajero is trying to drain the elves of their resources! But these so-called nobles actually sold their world without any hesitation. How despicable!”

Although Monica believed in Gajero, she also knew that Vincent hated Gajero the most, so she did not dare to speak up for Gajero at this time. She could only sit beside Vincent and listen quietly.

After sighing a few times, Vincent fell silent. The relationship between Gajero and the Dark Elves had gradually become clear in his heart. The reason why Gajero controlled the elves and made the vast majority of them become his believers was to encourage the Dark Elves to hand over the Origin Divine Earth voluntarily.

It could be presumed that the huge consumption over the years had caused the Origin Divine Earth to become very scarce. If this continued, the entire Elf Race would probably collapse!

However, the vast majority of the Dark Elves had yet to realize the seriousness of the problem. Perhaps they still thought that Gajero was really a true God who would bring them beauty!

“It seems that if I want to change the Dark Elves, I have to first let them see Gajero’s true colors!” sighed Vincent in his heart.

Just as Vincent made up his mind, the auctioneer’s voice was heard from outside the window again.

“Next, let me introduce the first item for today! This is a rare top-grade fire spirit crystal, which contains the most abundant and purest fire energy attribute! Fire spirit crystals had always been regarded as a precious treasure amongst the elves who believed in the fire element. However, after the arrival of the Great Gajero, the elves in Elf World no longer needed that kind of weak power. The fire spirit crystal has also become an ordinary ornament. However, this pure fire spirit crystal was a rare top-grade item in the world previously! Therefore, the starting price for it in this auction is 1,000 crystal coins!”

After hearing this, Vincent could not help but raise his head to look out of the window.

He saw a stone that was filled with fiery red light placed on the auction stage. Red patterns were slowly flowing within it as if it was a ball of flames that was wrapped in crystal.

No matter how inexperienced Vincent was, he could still recognize that this fire spirit crystal contained boundless fire attribute energy. If he could obtain the fire spirit crystal, then his strength would definitely increase to a whole new level!

Vincent could not wait to raise his hand. He wanted to pull open the partition and ask Dave to help him buy the fire spirit crystal.

However, before Vincent could raise his hand, someone in the hall below had suddenly raised his hand first.

“1000 crystal coins!”

Vincent could not help but feel surprised when he heard the dull and expectant voice.

It was not strange that someone would call out the reserve price for a piece of supreme-grade fire spirit crystal.

What was strange was that Vincent recognized the owner of that voice. It was Linus, who had just arrived in Devil Flame City today!

Vincent put down his hand and stood by the window to look down at the crowd. Very soon, he saw Linus sitting in the corner.

He really did not expect that this High Priest who had just taken office in Dark Yuan City would actually discover the Hell’s Rose auction house on the day he arrived in Devil Flame City. It seemed that he had underestimated this fellow previously. Since he dared to bring his men all the way here, he must have had reliable connections to provide him with help along the way!

However, Vincent was puzzled. Linus was a strong believer in Gajero. Why would he want a fire-type material?

If Vincent remembered correctly, Linus had once said that he was a Fire Elf. Could it be that his father’s death had convinced him to return to the embrace of the Elf King?

If that was the case, Conrad’s sacrifice was still somewhat meaningful and worth it. Vincent was also happy to see Linus return to his old ways. He immediately gave up on the idea of asking Dave to help bid for the fire spirit crystal. He gave way for Linus to purchase it instead.

…

At the same time, in the auction hall, a companion who had followed Linus into the auction house saw that Linus was suddenly interested in a piece of fire spirit crystal. He could not help but ask curiously, “High Priest, we are using the funds of Dark Yuan City for this trip. Why did you buy the fire spirit crystal for no reason?”

Linus sat upright in his seat and replied calmly, “That blasphemer has the fire ability, so he will definitely be interested in this fire spirit crystal. We can’t keep looking for him. Instead, we should think of a way to get him to take the initiative to find us, and this piece of fire spirit crystal is the best bait!”

After hearing Linus’s explanation, a few of his subordinates were suddenly enlightened and praised, “The High Priest is really good at strategizing! Such an effective and practical method, why didn’t we think of it?”

Linus smiled slightly and stopped talking.

Just as the auctioneer had said, ever since the elves converted their faith to believe in Gajero, very few elves had the desire to purchase a fire spirit crystal. Even the Dark Elves who wanted to buy it just wanted to use it as an accessory or ornament. Thus, there were very few bids. In the end, Linus bought the piece of top-grade fire spirit crystal for only 3,000 crystal coins.

Vincent stood in the private room and watched as the fire spirit crystal was handed over to Linus. At the same time, he also considered the fact that it would easily arouse suspicion if he requested to purchase the fire spirit crystal, so he decided to give up.

However, Vincent’s heart still yearned for the fire spirit crystal!

Following the successful sale of the first auction item, the host struck while the iron was hot and introduced the second auction item.

“Next, please allow me to introduce the first exquisite item for tonight. It is a ring forged by the craftsmen of Hell’s Rose. It was personally held by the High Priest of Devil Flame City. He had requested the great god Gajero to bestow magic power upon it! This special equipment is known as Demon King’s Groan. It records three powerful magical spells. Each spell can only be cast once a day. Moreover, when casting a spell, it will not consume one’s psionic power. At the same time, there are no requirements or restrictions on race. The attributes of the equipment and the divinity behind it are comparable to any top-tier equipment. Therefore, the starting bid is 10,000 crystal coins!”

“I’ll bid 10,000 crystal coins!”

“I’ll bid 15,000 crystal coins!”

“I’ll bid 20,000 crystal coins for the great god Gajero!”

The Demon King’s groan was more practical than the fire spirit crystal. Thus, the moment the auctioneer raised the reserve price, it attracted the attention of many elves.

At the same time, Vincent, who was upstairs, also yearned for the ring. It was not that the ring’s attributes were very powerful, but the demon spells recorded in the ring could allow Vincent to reverse-study the characteristics and weaknesses of the Demon Race. Therefore, he really wanted the ring!

Vincent raised his hand again. He was preparing to pull open the curtains and ask Dave to buy the ring for him.

However, when Vincent raised his hand, Monica, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa suddenly stood up and hugged Vincent’s arm. She hurriedly said, “No! Don’t ask His Highness Dave to buy this thing for you!”

Vincent looked at Monica in surprise and asked, “Why?”

Monica said helplessly, “Because the auctioneer just said that this ring was personally held by the High Priest of Devil Flame City. He had arranged for this special item to have the ability of the gods. In Devil Flame City, the High Priest and the City Lord have always been enemies. The fight between the two parties is no longer a secret in Devil Flame City! Therefore, if you ask Prince Dave to buy the special equipment made by the High Priest, he will definitely get angry!”

Vincent could not help but frown slightly when he heard that. He then asked, “Logically speaking, the High Priest and the City Lord should be loyal believers of Gajero, so how could they not be on good terms with each other? Besides, how could the demons who stayed in the Elf World not stop their fight?”

Monica shook her head with a blank look and said, “I don’t know about that. But it is said that the oracles in Imperial City have always ignored the fight between the City Lord and the High Priest. There are also some who say that the oracles have different opinions about them too. Some of the oracles support the City Lord whilst some of the oracles support the High Priest. Therefore, the two of them always felt like they had something to rely on, so they continued to fight each other without sparing any effort!”

Vincent suddenly realized something and sighed. He said, “I see, all of this is just a means to balance the demons! By encouraging the conflict between the City Lord and the High Priest, the two of them would restrain and balance each other. This way, they would not be able to break away from the control of the demons and could only become two dogs that are constantly fighting for the favor of the demons!”

After listening to Vincent’s evaluation of the City Lord and the High Priest, Monica could only shut her mouth and remain silent. She did not have Vincent’s courage, neither did she have Vincent’s fearless mentality. Therefore, such words could easily cause trouble. Monica never dared to say it out loud. She did not even dare to think about it.

However, after thinking about it carefully, Monica felt that what Vincent said made sense. She even felt that Gajero’s image was not that of a high and mighty God. Instead, he was more like an extremely terrifying demon!

Vincent noticed that Monica was still hugging his arm. She was standing there in a daze. She had completely forgotten to let go of him. He could only let Monica hug him and turn his head to continue watching the ongoing auction outside.

In the end, the Demon King’s Groan was bought at a price of 100,000 gold coins by a Dark Elf wearing a black robe that covered his face. After the elf received the Demon King’s Groan, he immediately turned around and left. It seemed that he was worried that someone might follow him after the auction and take the opportunity to snatch the special equipment away from him. Thus, he chose to leave early to ensure his own safety.

Soon, the third item was presented on the auction stage. Vincent only took a glance at it and instantly lost interest.

This was because the third item was a gorgeous longsword inlaid with countless gemstones!

To a person who used a sword all year round, the sword was just a decorative item belonging to a noble. It was far less practical than a sword on the battlefield.

However, at that moment, Dave’s voice suddenly reverberated throughout the entire auction room.

“I want this sword!”