Chapter 116: The Auction ( Part 4 )

"Should I purchase more?" Shane thought for a moment before shaking his head. Although he could purchase more of them, he felt that he could still get better items if he stayed here.

Furthermore, he believed that the Flamethrower wouldn't be sold out yet.

Amidst the commotion, Travis, the Clan Leader of the Drakeheart Vanguard, leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Clever move..." He said to his clan members. "It draws out the big spenders early."

He muttered while looking at the group of people heading outside to purchase the Flamethrower. He didn't have any plans of joining them at all.

Ding!

The auctioneer allowed the crowd a moment to digest the news before continuing.

"Now, let us proceed to our second item..." She said, her voice carrying over the renewed buzz of conversation.

"This is a Recruitment Stone—a rare artifact that guarantees the summoning of a human inhabitant from the Fiend Continent with a 50% Loyalty rate. A valuable ally in our struggle for survival."

At the same time, the Item Description also appeared on their BidLink Communicator.

[ Normal Recruitment Stone: A single-use item that a Survivor can trigger in order to recruit a helpful but typical inhabitant of this continent. The summoned person will have a guaranteed 50% Loyalty to its summoner.

Note: This item cannot be upgraded. ]

'This is a lot better than the one being sold in the Reputation Store.' Shane thought after seeing the item description.

The one he had seen before in the store was Random Recruitment Stone. Although both of them could summon someone with 50% loyalty, the one being sold here seemed to be a safer choice.

Anyway, the bidding started as the auctioneer announced that the starting price was 50 points. Soon, the Survivors began placing their bids.

[ Bidder 1364 bids 55 Points. ]

[ Bidder 1798 bids 57 Points. ]

[ Bidder 1237 bids 60 Points. ]

...

[ Bidder 1256 bids 70 Points. ]

[ Bidder 1521 bids 90 Points. ]

Shane thought for a moment before deciding not to bid on this one.

He still had 2 Recruitment Stones he hadn't activated yet since he still had to find a better way of procuring food. Although they could live right now thanks to bread and various items, crops, herbs, and occasional ingredients or even seasonings that would appear in the store, it wasn't a long-term solution if they wanted to have more people in the estate.

Soon, it was won by a female Clan Leader as he heard the crowd congratulating her.

She managed to win the Normal Recruitment Stone for only 190 points. It was quite low in his eyes, but it was a decent amount for the others.

'Still... That price is too low... Are they worried that the person will just be another mouth to feed and might even betray them?' Shane mused.

The third item was unveiled, and a collective intake of breath swept through the crowd as the Bio-Barrier Generator was presented.

The description on the BidLink Communicator read:

[ Bio-Barrier Generator: This advanced device emits a protective dome of bio-energy, creating a safe haven from the undead. It's powered by renewable bio-fuel, making it essential for long-term survival.

Effects: Creates a barrier with a radius of 20 meters, lasting up to 12 hours on a single charge.

Special Effect:

"There's no way he used an Item Upgrade Crystal... Perhaps he found a treasure trove? I heard that gold bars could also be converted to Points."

"Right... I read that in the chat too!"

"Isn't he too lucky?!"

The other Survivors couldn't help but express their dissatisfaction whenever they compared their points to Bidder 1101.

Several Clan leaders hesitated as they felt that if they fought now, they wouldn't have enough points to purchase the Machine Gun and Laser Rifle later on.

After all, the barrier was still a defensive item. What they needed right now was an offensive item that could allow them to kill zombies instead of keeping them at bay.

After some hesitations, they gave up competing against Bidder 1101.

"Going once... going twice... and sold to Bidder 1101 for 1,000 Points!" The auctioneer announced as her gavel struck the podium to confirm the sale.

The fourth item was then brought to the stage, and the auctioneer immediately introduced it.

It was a Holographic Decoy Projector!

Once again, it was another defensive or support-type item!

[ Holographic Decoy Projector ( Exceptional ): Confuse and distract the undead with this cutting-edge projector. It creates realistic holograms that mimic human activity, drawing zombies away from actual survivors.

Effects: Can project up to 5 decoys simultaneously, each lasting for 10 minutes.

Special Effect:

Echo Mirage: The decoys emit lifelike sounds, further enhancing their ability to divert zombie hordes. ]

The bidding for the Holographic Decoy Projector started at 80 Points, and Shane observed as the bids steadily increased.

[ Bidder 1603 bids 85 Points. ]

[ Bidder 1710 bids 90 Points. ]

[ Bidder 1834 bids 120 Points. ]

Shane weighed his options. While the projector was an ingenious device, its usage was too limited and with his current strength, he doesn't want to distract the zombies and wanted their attention instead!

Because of this, he opted to pass on this item, saving his resources for something that might be more critical to his survival strategy.

The projector was eventually won by a young person who seemed like an up-and-coming Survivor for 345 Points—a fair price for such an innovative piece of equipment.

***

The auctioneer's voice rang out once more...

"Our next lot is a vital resource in these trying times—fuels! They are essential for powering generators, vehicles, and heating systems, fuel is the lifeblood of any survivor's camp."

Soon 10 Gallons of Diesel, 10 Gallons of Gasoline, and another 10 Gallons of Propane were sold!

[ Diesel: It is a heavy, oily fuel commonly used in diesel engines. It is less volatile than Gasoline and is often preferred for its efficiency and torque. Diesel is derived from crude oil through a refining process and is widely used in transportation, industry, and agriculture. ]

[ Gasoline: This fuel, also known as petrol, is a highly flammable fuel used in spark-ignition engines such as those found in cars, motorcycles, and small engines. It is a refined product of crude oil and is a crucial energy source for modern transportation. ]

[ Propane: It is a colorless, odorless gas commonly used as a fuel for heating, cooking, and powering vehicles and appliances. It is stored in pressurized tanks as a liquid and vaporizes into a gas when released. Propane is known for its clean-burning properties and versatility as an energy source. ]

These items were certainly incredible and something that Shane needed!

Shane didn't feel shy about taking all of these fuels, so he decided to go all out!

Shane bought the 10 gallons of Diesel for 780 Points. He bought the 10 gallons of Gasoline for 620 points, and finally, he was able to obtain the propare for 1,120 points after one crazy Clan Leader tried to compete against him!