Zerath had finally arrived in the vicinity of the auction site. He was clad in a black cloak that hid most of his features. He moved silently there.@@@@

    He glanced down at the detection artifact in his hand. The moment he stepped closer to the building, the artifact shone brightly

    Zerath was a bit surprised and smirked. He looked at the building. "It''s here. There''s no doubt now... They really have it."

    Zerath carefully approached the building where the auction would soon take place. As he entered it, he was surprised the moment he saw the center display.

    He froze as he could not believe that his target, the red Red Dragon Blood Essence, was casually being put in the center of the room.

    Zerath frowned and muttered to himself. "What the hell? How could they just put it out in the open like that?"

    He clenched his fists as he was frustrated. "Damn it. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought. Stealing it won''t be easy with it right in the middle of the hall, surrounded by people."

    He took a deep breath. He forced himself to stay calm. He needed to think. Charging in recklessly wasn''t an option—this wasn''t some low-level operation where brute force would suffice.

    The Volcarias were known for their strength and vigilance, and Zerath knew that making a single mistake here could cost him everything.

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    He held his head. "I need a plan. A distraction, something to draw their attention away long enough for me to grab it and get out."

    He turned away from the hall for a moment. He scanned the surroundings. He noticed a few guards stationed discreetly at various entrances, but they didn''t seem overly concerned

    It was clear they didn''t expect anyone to be foolish enough to try and steal something under the Volcaria family''s nose.

    Zerath muttered to himself. "They''re too confident. That might work in my favor. But I''ll still need something more—something that will guarantee I can get in and out before they react."

    His gaze flicked back to the artifact in his hand. "No matter what, I can''t leave without that essence. This is my only chance."

    ---

    The night had arrived. Daxton moved around the perimeter, patrolling as usual.

    He wasn''t expecting any trouble—after all, this was the Volcaria family''s territory, and few would dare to stir up chaos here.

    But just as he turned a corner, a faint, unusual smell caught his attention. He paused, sniffing the air. "Burnt...?"

    The scent grew stronger, and before he could react further, a bright orange glow erupted in the distance.

    Daxton was surprised as he saw flames rapidly engulfing part of the wooden structure. The fire spread quickly, fueled by something highly flammable. "What the—?"

    Daxton immediately cursed under his breath and turned to the nearby guards. "Damn it! Get the others! Rescue the items before it''s too late!"

    The guards nodded, rushing off to follow his orders. Chaos erupted as more flames spread through the building.

    Daxton gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay calm. His first thought went to the most valuable item on display—the Red Dragon Blood Essence. "I need to secure it before something happens."

    But when he arrived, his heart sank. The item on the display had gone. The important essence was nowhere to be seen.

    Daxton shouted out loud. "What the hell?!"

    He scanned the area frantically, hoping that perhaps it had fallen or been moved in the confusion. But no—it was gone.

    He clenched his teeth and muttered. "How can this be happening?" He then realized that the fire was not an accident. It was a distraction.

    It meant that someone had planned this.Someone had stolen the essence right under his nose.

    Daxton cursed and clenched his fist in frustation. "Damn it!" He didn''t know how it had happened, but one thing was clear. He had to act fast before things got even worse.