Chapter 381 - 381 The Auction’s Final Item

Having missed out on the magic absorbing cloak, Marcus sat back into the couch he was on with a defeated expression.

However, at the same time a woman in another box, the one who had won the cloak had an unending grin on his face.

"It looks like it was worth coming after all. To think that I could obtain such an item." Duchess Ophiria said out loud.

Certainly, she had just spent the majority of her wealth on this one cloak, but more money could be earned while items like this only appeared very rarely.

'Now I wonder who I should let use it first. Should I let Wade have it for his work as an investigator, or should I let Gideon use it as another layer of protection. Well either way, I have secured another artifact for our family.' Duchess Ophiria thought, trying to best gage where this new item would benefit her family the most.

Still while Duchess Ophiria reveled in obtaining the powerful cloak, everyone else felt a sense of bitterness that they could not obtain the item.

And of course, it was not for lack of trying. Everyone had gone all out with their bids, not holding anything back, and Duchess Ophiria had won simply because she had the most money left.

In fact, many people were beating themselves up over earlier purchases that had made it so they did not have enough money to win the last item, one of which was Marcus.

'Damn, if I had held back on buying the adamantine, I would have been the winner. Ugh but I came here for the adamantine to begin with, but how was I supposed to know that such an item would be up for auction. And that means that the last one is probably going to be even more valuable, and I will not get it either.'

Though as Marcus mentally berated himself, he quickly realized he was being foolish. He had accomplished his goal and while that cloak would have been nice, in the end there was nothing he could do about it now.

Looking back there were definitely other things he could have done, but the events had already played out and all he could do was move forward.

'I will just have to hope that the final item is not as enticing. Maybe there is still hope left.'

Staying positive, Marcus got himself ready for the last item in the auction.

However, as it was being brought onto the stage, unlike any item before it there was a black cloth draped over it. 

Looking down at it, Marcus wondered what it could be.

It certainly was not large as the impression caused by whatever was under the cloth was square and only about a foot long in every direction.

Yet, Marcus quickly realized even that was misleading as this last item was likely sealed within a box.

"I can see that all of you might be wondering what item might be hidden under this cloth. Well, let me tell you it is an item that I am sure all of you will recognize the second you see it."

After saying that, Amelia pulled back the cloth over the final item up for auction, and sitting in a clear box, was a golden orb.

"A unique skill orb!" Marcus said out loud as he saw what the final item was.

Naturally many had the same reaction as him, and a stunned silence soon followed.

"It appears that we were right to save this for our last item. We had toiled quite a while between this and the previous cloak, but for the recognition that this orb brough we just had to have it as our final item."

Amelia then picked up the box the orb was in and held it aloft so that everyone could get a better look at it, and to build up the excitement in the crowd.

"This unique skill came to us fairly recently as a retiring adamantine adventure sold it to us so that he could live out the rest of his life in luxury after many years of perilous adventuring. Now I am sure that all of you would like to know what skill is within this orb. Although as all unique skills, its name only gives a basic understanding of its powers, the one within this orb is called Winter's Grace."

As the name of the unique skill that was sealed within the orb was announced, many people began talking, speculating on what it might do. And with a name like Winter's Grace, it definitely had some sort of cold based powers.

"Since this is our last item, and you have all been here long enough, I will not beat around the bush. The starting bid for this item will be eighty-thousand gold coins, have at it."

Getting right down to business Amelia quickly allowed for the bidding to start, seeing that everyone was at their limits.

"Eighty-nine thousand."

"One hundred thousand."

"One hundred five thousand"

Immediately the bids came one after another, shooting up past a hundred thousand gold coins nearly instantly.

"One hundred twenty-seven thousand."

Giving out his max bid as soon as possible, Marcus knew that for a unique skill orb there was no reason to hold back.

Yet even after offering up all of his remaining money, the few people with more than him, raised the bid even higher, similarly willing to spend everything they had.

'Damn it. Once again I do not quite have enough.'

Lamenting over his lack of funds, Marcus tried to think of something, going over anything he could when something came to mind.

'Ugh, why did I not think about this sooner.'

With a new plan formed, Marcus reached out his mind and reconnect with Mrazivý.

'Mraz how much money do you have left.'

After sending out his message there was a short paused, before Marcus got back from Mrazivý, 'Why do you ask?'

She was a bit confused by why Marcus wanted to know this but when she got his next message, her eyes went wide and understood.

'I am a bit short of money to win this item but if we pull what we have left together we might be able to win. So how much do you have left?'

'I see, that is pretty smart. I have a little over twenty-one thousand left. So, you think that will be enough?'

'I do not know but it is worth a shot.'

With Mrazivý's support Marcus now had a bit more money to use, and was able to get back into the bidding right before the end.

"One hundred forty-six thousand seven hundred. Going once, Going-"

"One hundred forty-eight thousand three hundred."

Bidding everything he had along with Mrazivý's money, Marcus just barely edged out the previous high bid.

"One hundred forty-eight thousand three hundred." Amelia said almost in a daze.

It was a staggering sum that was nearly the same as the amount the powerful magic absorbing cloak had gone for, making it the second item in a row to bring the auction house so much money.

And this unique skill orb honestly could have gone for more, if anyone had anymore money. As the auction had progressed, everyone's funds had dwindled, and now, the combination of Marcus' and Mrazivý's wealth just barely edged out as the highest.

"Going once. Going twice.. Sold to our esteemed guest in box number eleven."