Chapter 37: Mistakes in the Auction

Chapter 37: Mistakes in the Auction



Our battle raged on, and now we were barely making any increases as we both realized our limits.

"475,000 gems!"

"480,000 gems!"

The tension in the room was palpable as we neared the 500,000 mark.

Our bidding increments had shrunk to mere thousands, a stark contrast to the impulsive dozens and hundreds of thousands at the beginning.

Although what I was doing was undeniably stupid and reckless, I couldn't bring myself to back down.

My mind kept pushing forward, compelling me to press the button as if some unseen force was driving me. This wasn't normal at all. Sure, Clara's smug smirk annoyed me, but I wasn't usually this impulsive.

Wait, something was off. I knew I wasn't normally this rash. Clara's smirk was irritating, yes, but not enough to justify this irrational bidding war.

It didn't make sense. Why was I this angry? Aside from that look she gave me, there was nothing substantial to warrant such intense animosity.

There hadn't been any previous conflict or deep-seated rivalry. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, I harbored a strong hatred for her right now.

It felt strangely natural, almost as if it was the most logical reaction in the world, despite the clear absurdity of it all.

I glanced at Seo, hoping to find some clarity in her eyes. She, too, looked bewildered by my actions. This wasn't just about the auction anymore. Something deeper was at play, manipulating my emotions and decisions.

Wtf was going on? "495,000 gems!!!!!!! From the young man at the back!!!!" The announcer was practically screaming his lungs out as he pointed at me.

Fuck, when did it reach almost half a million? Hadn't only a few seconds passed? This was really getting the better of me now.

"Riley, I think you should stop..." Seo's voice, usually apathetic and emotionless, was laced with worry as she looked at me. Despite appreciating Seo's concern, a part of me didn't want to stop.

[Warning!!!]

[Warning!!!]

[Foreign influence detected...]

[Fate: A Dragon's Sacrifice is shaking]

Wtf? Why did I feel hurt now?

"Riley...!" Seo shouted in shock, her voice breaking its usual monotone. Fuck me, what was going on? And what did the system mean by 'foreign influence'?

"Riley, I think we should get out of here. You're really hot..." What did she mean by hot? I felt completely fine, just slightly dizzy.

[Foreign influence analyzed]

[Please evacuate current position immediately. Detecting high signs of Doom Wisteria pollen in the area. Any more exposure could lead to severe consequences. Please leave immediately!]Upstodatee from n(0)/ve/lbIn/.(co/m

Panic surged through me.

"Doom Wisteria? Excuse me?" The moment I read that line on the system message, my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Doom Wisteria was an extremely rare flower found only in the southern edges of the Great Dragon Valley. Its formidable location mirrored its sinister uses.

Doom Wisteria flowers were typically employed by assassins and devotees of the goddess Lamella, the deity of death in this world.

These flowers were highly prized for their effectiveness in torture and assassination, and their market was tightly controlled by Lumelion, the most powerful assassin's guild on the

continent.

The effects of Doom Wisteria pollen were infamous: high fever, hallucinations, extreme diarrhea in the worst cases, and intense anger spikes.

Almost all the symptoms I was experiencing right now.

If I didn't have even a bit of strength in my stats, I would have died on the spot.

Why the fuck is such an extremely rare and toxic flower being used to contaminate my area? And why isn't it affecting Seo or the other people around me?

Doom Wisteria pollen? was no joke you know so it was weird seeing all this people dong fine despite the really obvious.

The plant's pollen was known to mess with the mind, causing hallucinations, irrational behavior, and in extreme cases, severe harm or even death. I glanced around, realizing how hazy the room seemed, how distorted my thoughts had become.

Although I couldn't see the pollen, as it was an invisible and odorless type of poison, the fact that it was only affecting me meant that someone was targeting me.

Was it Clara? Glancing up, I saw her still in a state of contemplation, wondering whether to fight me to my last bid.

Seeing her look of focus, that couldn't be the case at all.

As someone who practically knows Clara inside and out, I didn't think she would resort to something like poison if someone annoyed her. She'd much rather use her magic swords than anything else.

Although it could be very possible that she was the hidden assassin, considering her high- level skill command of telekinetic magic, manipulating something as lightweight as odorless pollen wouldn't be that much of a problem for her.

But I just didn't see her doing all of that. Seriously, what did I do wrong?

Suddenly, the ground shook. Fuck, now it was an earthquake.

As if things couldn't get any worse....

Now a natural disaster was occurring.

.....

"I don't

ing pranks like this is appropriate for someone of your stature, Liany..." a

man said as he adjusted the tip of his mustache, approaching a cross-legged lady dressed in

revealing clothing.

With her darker complexion and three pairs of earrings adorning her long ears, it was clear she was an elf, but not just any elf-she was a dark elf, a rare species even among the elves.

'Simple-because he was very beautiful'

And another being that the spirits around her kept warning her to get rid of the young man,

which was something she couldn't really understand.

'Old bastard huh....' Boseman couldn't help but shake his head at the irony of her insult, considering she was much older than both his and the duke's combined ages.

Although he wanted to refute her words he chose to stay quite knowing how loud the woman

can be.

Approaching the empty chair in front of her, Boseman sat upright, enjoying the view from her

balcony.

Although his own balcony had its unique quirks, there was something about Liany's tendency

to have themed rooms that elicited a sense of excitement and wonder inside him.

But anyway, ignoring his thoughts, he focused on what he came here for.

"You should stop now, Liany..."

"Huh? Why should I stop?" she snapped, her annoyance flaring.

"The young man you're tormenting right now... is his son-in-law," Boseman said, his voice

steady and serious.

Liany froze, the wind around her ceasing its movement as she processed Boseman's words. "His... son-in-law?" she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," Boseman confirmed. "The young man you've been targeting with your pollen. He's the

soon groom of the duke's daughter, and her very beloved fiancé"

For a moment, Liany was silent, the gravity of the situation sinking in. If the Duke of the

Heaven Duchy found out she had been targeting his son-in-law, the repercussions would be severe. Her position, her empire, everything she had built could be destroyed in an instant. "What did you just say?" she asked, still struggling to grasp the situation.

"Hmm? That young man is Luther's son-in-law," Boseman repeated, his tone nonchalant.

Liany let out a bitter laugh. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her emotions and

mind raced to understand the context behind this revelation. "If he's his son-in-law, does that mean Luther has a child now?"

"Hmm, didn't you know? I thought you would've been the first one to know of it," Boseman wondered aloud. Although Luther was quite secretive about his private life, he was rather open with the people he trusted. It seemed strange that Liany wouldn't be informed about

something as significant as this.

Liany's mind reeled. Luther, the Duke of the Heaven Duchy, was not only a powerful ally but also someone she had once considered a close friend.

The fact that he had a child, and that child was now married, was news to her. How had she not known? Then, suddenly, something clicked in her mind. She watched Boseman closely, her ears perking up as a forgotten detail came back to her.

"Wait a minute," she said slowly, piecing things together. "Luther... Luther's daughter is

getting married to that young man?"

Boseman nodded. "Yes, and it's in your best interest to be on good terms with him. The duke

doesn't take kindly to threats against his family."

Liany's shoulders slumped slightly as she absorbed this new information. Her anger and

frustration began to ebb away, replaced by a growing sense of urgency. She needed to rectify

this situation before it spiraled out of control.

"Liany, how long has it been since you've checked your mail?" Boseman asked, a knowing

look in his eyes. "Around 16 years, I believe....." she replied absentmindedly.

The two then had a realization and slumped to their feet, especially Liany, who smacked her

forehead in exasperation.

She hadn't kept up with correspondence, a failing that now seemed monumental.

Meanwhile, Boseman struggled to hold back his laughter.

To think he would see the day this elven woman would get caught up by her own perception of

time...

He couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle in the whispering air.

In the end, no matter how powerful, no matter how noble, no matter how pure, weak, or

strong, everyone makes mistakes.

"You've really ruined my mood now, Boseman. Was that intentional?" Liany asked, glaring at

him.

"Hmm, who knows? I think you've ruined everybody's mood now though" Boseman said as he closed his eyes and put his cane down, making subtle glances at the people below.

Most of them got hit by a few small debris from above when Liany had stomped the floor in frustration.

Liany sighed deeply, feeling the weight of her oversight.

She had allowed her emotions and negligence to create a potentially disastrous situation.

She needed to act quickly to make amends and prevent further complications.