Chapter 361 The Oracle. 2

'...'

Alone in the living room with the deputy director, who had still not regained his spirits, Alice looked at one of the gold coins in her hand with uncertain feelings.

'Is it my misfortune to have attracted the demon's thunder on me? Or is it a disguised blessing for drawing the attention of this same demon to me?' She whispered as she looked at Alvine's face on the gold coin.

"Tss~, what audacity." She said, mocking herself by looking at the gold coin from all angles, still feeling the shadow of death floating above her head.

But despite the fact that she could not control her fears, her curiosity prevailed over everything.

With eyes flickering with fright but yet containing endless determination, she squeezes her arm, which keeps shaking to the point that her nails are embedded in her pulpit, making her bleed without her even realizing it before she crosses the dark portal.

'Heh! She's interesting; I pretended to make the energy of the portals more fierce. But although she had the certainty of walking towards a certain death, she had crossed it while overcoming her fear.' At the same time, Alvine appeared in the living room with eyes rounded by her vicious smile.

"Being lured everything she could risk getting, despite the fact that she knows that I am not a good person, she still could not resist one of the seven deadly sins (that's avarice, or maybe it is envy?) Pff~ doesn't matter to me; the important thing is overcoming the fear of death. I think she will make a good subordinate for Heepha if she is well-fed. I would never have believed the earth could house such a specimen with such a rare talent." He continued with his eyes carried by dark hopes.

He then focused on the old man.

"Forget everything you have just witnessed, including your memories about us. And stop being arrogant, believing that you are special. You only have medium eyes to get a glimpse of the power of your targets. If you could see through this slut, I'm sure you would currently be on your lap, begging her to help you achieve your goals. But given your distorted mind, you can't bring anything significant to this planet." He retorted before crossing the gate that closed behind him.

---

New York City, Wall-street.

-One of the most famous streets in the world; although, I don't know if this is still the case.

Seized by an intense wave of nostalgia, Alvine looked confusedly at the busy street where people passed and came as if it were daylight.

-The aggressive smell of envy, the dull sound of living machines whose sole purpose is to increase their daily earnings by convenient or inconvenient means; most people are demons living among humans, offering their help only if they have something to draw as a benefit.

-Sigh, what a pleasant smell for the nostrils.

"It's a waste of time." Standing beside him, Reha looked at people with bland air as she retorted these words to Alvine.

"That's not the case; this girl would be useful to me," Alvine passively responds while looking at Alice, floating behind him, fainted by the ferocious energy flows of spatial distortion.

'She should soon wake up now. But I never thought she could be so weak; her body was almost tattered when I joined them here. And as I expected, this woman did nothing to treat her.' He whispered with an ironic smile.

'But hey, at least it allowed her to make a breakthrough in the intermediate rank. This fact alone confirms my assumptions about her talent. As for how she could have influenced Heepha's flames, it's always a mystery.' He continued after a quick look at Alice.

After a minute of silence, Alice slowly opened her eyes and looked around confusedly.

'I'm still alive?' This was the first question she asked herself as soon as she opened her eyes.

But she remained indifferent when she saw herself floating in the air like the first time. By dint of living the same experience, humans always end up getting used to it; one of the factors that make them more attractive than other races is their extraordinary adaptability.

"Is it in the building opposite that this auction is taking place?" Suddenly asked Alvine without worrying about his current state of mind.

But when Alice noticed a young adult with curly black hair and brown eyes who seemed to be in his twenties, she frowned.

"Are you...Mr. Dragnar?"

"Ah, that? Attracting too much attention would only complicate our task. So I used a low-ranking trick using my shadow to-- sigh, forget it. Just answer my question." He stopped in the middle of his explanations after realizing his interlocutor did not understand anything.

"... Yes, an agent will wait for us near the elevator and escort us to the last basement. But before going there, we must first register your items with the auctioneer so that he can assess them before estimating their starting price. But...the problem is that this potion is a little...

"Hm? Don't worry, my goal is not money but to attend this auction." He affirmed when he saw the hesitation in Alice's eyes.

"... If you say so."

"So be sure to escort us, Inspectress Alice."

Following this brief recapitulation, the duo, guided by Alice, arrived in front of a giant building with several fifty floors.

But being in this alley, its size was nothing extraordinary because of its neighboring buildings. But it had something that the other buildings did not have, the enriching aura and the imposing atmosphere that differentiates it from the others.

And as Alice had predicted, the trios were welcomed by an escort in a tie suit on-site.

*How do they manage to differentiate from ordinary people to bidders?*

'?!' Alice staggered as soon as she heard Alvine's voice resonate in her mind.

*Don't be so surprised for so little; it becomes tedious in the long run.* He did not explain apart from scolding her.

'Huynh... It is thanks to a device that can detect skill owners. That's why agents manage to differentiate between ordinary people and those who come to bid.'

*Hmm, I see.* He nods while watching a man dressed in a tie suit come towards them while holding a black tablet.

"Bidder or seller?" He asked in a rock voice.

"Both. But we must first have our goods appraised by the auctioneer." Alice also responds with the same tone.

"..." The agent remained silent while his gaze switched between Alvine, Reha, and Alice.

"Well, please follow me." He finally expressed himself after two seconds of silence.

To this end, the agent took over the role of Alice, escorting them to an office just a door from the elevator.

But instead of entering with them, he stopped in front of the door and let the trio enter the office.

-Knock...knock...

"Please."

Sitting there, behind lots of ongoing inspection documents, a woman who seemed to be in her forties was waiting for them on the spot.

She had medium-length gray hair and emerald eyes with elusive gleams, making Alice feel like she was looking at a woman who could pierce all her secrets.

'I've been going from surprise to surprise since I crossed the entrance threshold of this building. First, a security guard with the same rank as this inspectress, and now, a mysterious woman who seems to hide her identity.' Alvine murmured, frowning towards the Chinese-looking woman with her look and her explosive and strange white dress instead of a jacket as he had expected.

But what Alvine found more interesting about the woman was her mysterious smile which was anything but a professional smile.

"Welcome to you, dear customers. What can I do for you?" As her smile grew while welcoming them her way, she also bowed to them.

"..." At that moment, Alvine's mistrust increased when he noticed the most disinterested(Reha) of his small group frowning slightly.

"...We came to attend the auction. But my customer also has some unique commodities for sale." Even Alice also seemed to have noticed the woman's abnormality by seeing the tone of her voice.

"Some unique commodities, you say? Can I take a look?" She asked while continuing to look at Alvine while keeping her welcoming smile.

"Of course, we are here for that, after all." After a period of silence, Alvine decided to change his approach.

He walks towards the woman and taps her desk after sitting on the chair opposite.

-Whuuuuh!!

Simultaneously, three bottles, each containing similar liquids, appeared in front of the woman; they were of the same color, and their bottles had no perceptible difference in size between them.

"Among these three bottles, one can cure your pancreatic disease from which you have been suffering for quite some time, one that would help you extend your life expectancy by restoring your vitality and annihilating all forms of impurity in your cells." He explained himself with a mysterious smile.

The woman frowns in line with Alvine's words. But this lasted only a period before she regained her usual expression.

"Is it wind products at auction, or is it an invitation?"

"Sigh, you should know it since you are good in this game."

"...And what are the effects of the third bottle?" Her smile faded as she asked this question.

"Hmm~, let's say he can help you rest for eternity." He murmured with arched eyes by his mysterious smile.

-!?

"...So I have two chances out of three, huh?" Contrary to what Alvine expected, the woman was still calm.

"We can say that; after all, the title of the Oracle is not a title that can be easily usurped. I think you understand what I'm referring to."

"... I admit that you are right. Looking voluntarily into the future burns vital energy; that's why I'm older than my age. But I, who thought I was ready to die without regret, would never have believed it if someone had told me that I would be unable to swallow my desire and desire to want to live a few more years against the temptation of a stranger from elsewhere."

"...Sigh, I see that you always play comedy. Those afraid of death do not have your empty gaze; it is all the more intriguing because of all the mysteries accompanying this planet."

"Hehe, I wonder who you will be if I become a mystery."

"... Well, now that the presentations are done, let's get to the heart of the matter. What do you know about me?"