The Auction Begins

As Richard stood at the entrance to the futuristic Saldenburg auction house, his thoughts were momentarily consumed by the peculiar sight of the man he had seen earlier. The man had seemed out of place, an unexpected character in his well-written story. Richard's sharp, inquisitive eyes had widened at the sight of him, and for a fleeting moment, his gaze locked onto the stranger.

Luna, observant as always, noticed Richard's distraction. Her voice cut through his contemplation like a sharp knife through the silence of his thoughts.

"Young master?" she called out, her tone a mix of curiosity and concern. "Is everything all right? You seemed lost in thought."

Richard blinked, his thoughts snapping back to the present as he turned to Luna, wearing his customary calm demeanor. He lightly brushed aside her query. "Oh, it's nothing, Luna. Just a passing thought. Let's not keep the others waiting."

In his inner musings, Richard couldn't help but wonder, about the man from earlier. "I don't remember scripting him to appear at this point in the story. In my novel, he was supposed to stay in the shadows, waiting for his moment. He's not supposed to appear until much later." Richard's precise mind churned with questions. "What brought him here? Was it just a coincidence, or dose he possess knowledge that I don't? No that's impossible, I'm the author, I'll just hope it's not some random plot twist that happened in the background that I really didn't write about."

The group continued into the auction house, passing through the gleaming glass doors. As they reached the reception, Richard presented the golden tickets Shahera had secured, gaining access to the VIP seats.

"This way sir." the auction staff gestured, leading Richard and his trio to the VIP section.

Luna, Luella, and Jarmin exchanged glances of surprise at the VIP treatment, and Richard couldn't help but share in their amazement.

"You know," Richard remarked casually, "I'm just as surprised as you are about these VIP tickets. like i said before, didn't expect Shahera to secure them so quickly."

They took their seats in the exclusive VIP section. However, Richard's attention was quickly diverted as his eyes fell upon the mysterious man once more. There he was, sitting calmly among the elite guests.

Inwardly Richard thought, "The hell, why is he here, I hope he isn't here for that item, things will go south if he is, I don't won't to have to get rid of him early on in the novel, it would complicate a lot of things. Let's just hope, for his sake at least, that he came here for some random expensive painting."

Jarmin couldn't contain his curiosity and enthusiasm. "Boss, are we here to get some random expensive painting or what?"

Richard thought slightly surprised, "That was what I just thought, Jarmin, are you psykic?"

Luella joined in, equally intrigued. "Yeah, we're dying to know, Richard."

Richard offered them a small, cryptic smile. "Well, we're here for a very special item. But don't worry, you'll find out what it is at the end of the auction."

Luna, ever the pragmatic one, voiced her skepticism. "How do you know it'll be revealed at the end?"

Richard leaned back in his seat, gazing at the proceedings on the auction floor. "It's a common practice in auctions, Luna. They usually save the best for last."

Luna nodded, accepting his explanation, but her questioning nature remained intact. "And how long will this auction take?"

Richard looked at his watch, then glanced at Luna. "I'm not sure, but you can keep track of the time if you'd like."

As the auctioneer took center stage, he introduced himself with an air of confidence. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his voice commanding the attention of the well-dressed crowd, "I am your humble auctioneer for the evening, and my name is Mr. Edmund Wallace."

The audience politely acknowledged his introduction with a smattering of applause.

Mr. Wallace then directed their collective gaze to a small table, upon which lay a curious object concealed beneath a vibrant red blanket. With a theatrical flourish, he revealed a glass box, within which rested an enigmatic treasure - a pulsing, purple-hued core. It was suspended within the glass box by a mesmerizing magnetic field.

"This, dear guests," Mr. Wallace began, his tone infused with a touch of dramatic flair, "is no ordinary artifact. It hails from the heart of a formidable creature known as 'Keleondrith,' a poison dragon of unparalleled notoriety."

A murmur of intrigue rippled through the assembly. All eyes remained fixated on the enigmatic core, its deep, shadowy essence hinting at untold power.

Mr. Wallace continued his engaging narrative. "What sets this core apart is its potent combination of poison and corrosive properties. It can dissolve through nearly anything - glass, steel, even the toughest alloys like adamantite. Imagine crafting a weapon from this substance; its edge would cleave through the most formidable defenses with ease, and its corrosive touch would ensure nothing remained intact."

A sense of anticipation hung heavy in the air as the auctioneer paused for effect.

"And, of course," he added, his voice a compelling cadence, "should a mere scratch from a weapon forged with this core make contact with a living being, the results would be... painful, to say the least."

Mr. Wallace gestured to the object of desire within the glass box, his showmanship in full display. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, we shall commence the bidding for this extraordinary piece. We begin at a modest one million.

In the midst of the auction spectacle, Luna couldn't help but notice Richard's single-minded focus on a man seated a few seats away from them. Her inquisitive nature stirred, and in a hushed tone, she leaned closer to Richard.

"Master Richard," she began, her words laced with curiosity, "aren't you interested in any of the other items? There are some rather exquisite pieces being showcased tonight."

To her surprise, Richard's attention remained steadfast on the mysterious man, and Luna's thoughts started to wander. She pondered, "Wait, does young master swing that way? I mean, he was chatting with that girl just this morning when we headed to the academy. So, that can't be it."

However, as Richard's gaze persisted, unwavering and intense, Luna's mind began to entertain other possibilities. Her voice carried a hint of uncertainty as she continued, "But... if he doesn't swing that way then why...?" She trailed off, her thoughts venturing into uncharted territory.

Luna blushed and gently held her cheeks as her thoughts took an unexpected turn. "No, young master Richard is the current heir of the Blackthorn family," she mused, her mind racing. "It's his responsibility to ensure the family lineage doesn't die out. He wouldn't do something like that, would he?"

Just as she was lost in her own thoughts, Richard's gaze shifted, and he noticed Luna's flustered expression. Concerned, he inquired, "What's the matter, Luna? Is there something on my face?"

Luna, still blushing, replied, "No, it's just... please don't look at me right now."

Richard couldn't help but wonder at Luna's unusual behavior. "Luna is usually so calm and composed," he thought, his curiosity piqued. "What could have her so flustered?"

Meanwhile, Jarmin, growing bored with the auction, interjected, "Boss, this is so boring. Aren't we going to buy anything?"

Richard responded casually, "If you want to buy something, you're free to do so, Jarmin."

Luella and Jarmin exchanged surprised glances, and in unison, they asked, "Really?"

Richard nodded and affirmed, "Yes, really."

Jarmin was quick to respond, saying, "Let's go!" Luella added her gratitude, saying, "Thank you, young master."

As the hours passed by and the auction continued, Richard couldn't shake off his racing thoughts. "The auction is almost over, and he haven't bought a single item yet," he reflected. "There's no way he'd come to an auction and not buy anything. My fear might be correct; that man might also be after that item."

The auctioneer's voice cut through his contemplation, announcing, "And now, for the last, most mysterious item in this auction for the night."

"Here it comes," Richard thought, anticipation building.

A member of the auction staff walked in, cradling a mysterious device. It was egg-shaped, silver, and covered in spiky protrusions, with ancient text etched onto its surface. The auctioneer continued, "Now, for our last item. Unbelievably, our appraisal team wasn't able to identify it, so we don't actually know how valuable this item is. But it was obtained in a King-rank dungeon, so it can't be that bad of an item. The price starts at 10 million."

Suddenly, both Richard and the man seated next to him exclaimed, "Twenty million!"

Richard's thoughts raced as he realized, "Darn it, just as I thought... He does know something."