Inside the dimly lit auction hall, a cold, almost nerve-prickling air lingered.

Sure, given that it was winter, it was certainly warmer in here than outside. But compared to the rest of the hotel, which was uniformly warm no matter how lightly you dressed, the temperature in here was noticeably lower.

Did they lower the heating on purpose? I mused. I think I’ve heard that places like malls or casinos deliberately keep the temperature down to encourage quicker decision-making.

After all, feeling cold heightens sensitivity and naturally increases psychological tension. If this was part of the organizers' strategy, I had to admit—it was clever.

Still, I regretted coming here in lighter clothing, thinking the hotel would be uniformly warm. If I had known, I would’ve brought at least a light jacket.

I tried to hide my discomfort by tucking my hands under my arms, bracing myself against the chill.

“Yuria, are you cold?”

“….”

“Here, wear this. I’ll be fine.”

Alice, sitting beside me, must have noticed my subtle shivering. She chuckled lightly, then took off her thin cardigan and handed it to me.

This left her in a sleeveless dress that exposed her shoulders. But she didn’t seem the least bit cold—perhaps she ran naturally warm.

Not wanting to reject her kind gesture, I accepted the cardigan without hesitation. No point in being stubborn and catching a cold. I just wanted to wear something, anything, to stave off the chill.

As I quietly basked in the warmth left behind by Alice’s cardigan, the auctioneer on stage cleared his throat and picked up the microphone.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Enigma Auction, hosted by Saint Maria!”

Clap, clap, clap!

The audience erupted into thunderous applause at the words of the eagle-masked auctioneer.

When the applause subsided, he continued speaking smoothly, his tone brimming with energy.

“Tonight, legendary treasures—the only ones of their kind in the world—will make their appearance! Who will seize this opportunity and claim the honor of owning a great legacy? There’s no need to wait any longer. Let’s begin with the first auction item!”

He wasn’t wasting time with unnecessary chatter. I liked the pace already.

But "legendary treasures"?

What kind of items did they have to make such a bold claim? They’d better not disappoint me, or I might just hack into Saint Maria Hotel’s website as a form of protest.

Thinking such rebellious thoughts, I focused intently on the staff member carrying the auction item onto the stage.

The item was wrapped in what looked like a thin silk cloth, and judging by how the fabric draped, it seemed to be placed atop a square case.

After setting the item on the stage, the staff member stepped away, leaving the auctioneer to stride across the platform. With a dramatic flourish, he yanked the cloth away.

“Oooh, how beautiful!”

“What is that…?”

Gasps rippled through the audience as the first auction item was revealed.

I couldn’t help but widen my eyes as well.

The silk cloth had concealed a necklace, its wooden design inlaid with vibrant, natural gemstones that sparkled under the stage lights.

At a glance, it was clear this item had something to do with elves.

The auctioneer, seeming to confirm my suspicions, placed his hand atop the case and grinned beneath his mask before speaking with a confident tone.

“Many of you seem to have already recognized the value of this piece! That’s right—this is an artifact in the form of a pendant from another world: Sylvarien’s Moonlight! Verified by appraisers to have been used by a high-ranking elf, it’s a genuine treasure without question!”

Wait, what?!

It wasn’t just any necklace—it was a magical artifact used by an elf?!

I gasped, unable to hide my astonishment at the auctioneer’s announcement.

Judging by the murmurs that began spreading across the audience, I wasn’t the only one floored by the reveal.

“A high elf’s artifact?”

“No way!”

“Unbelievable. If it’s genuine, it’s certainly worthy of being called a treasure.”

The crowd’s reactions were a mix of disbelief and awe.

Well, no one could’ve expected this. The event had only been advertised as a rare goods auction, with no hints about the specific items. Who would’ve guessed?

Of course, with artifacts, their value can vary dramatically depending on their functionality.

What could this pendant do? My curiosity piqued, I turned my gaze toward the auctioneer, waiting for his explanation.

“The Sylvarien’s Moonlight has an extraordinary ability—it can cleanse the wearer’s skin! Scars, permanent tattoos, and other marks can be restored to their original, pristine state. For anyone in need of such a pendant, this is an opportunity you can’t afford to miss!”

...Well, that’s underwhelming.

The fact that this item was once used by a high-ranking elf and could magically cleanse the wearer’s skin was enough to ignite excitement among certain attendees, particularly some women, who were already swept up in the allure of the pendant.

When the auctioneer demonstrated its effect by having a woman with visible scars briefly use the pendant—making her scars fade almost instantly—the reaction from the crowd became even more explosive.

“Well then, let’s start the auction! The starting bid is 10,000 credits. Simply place your wristband near the panel on your seat to participate!”

Ding. Ding. Ding…!

It seemed most of the people attending this auction were wealthy individuals. As soon as the item’s capabilities were demonstrated, the bidding skyrocketed.

10,000… 100,000… and before long, it had hit 1,000,000 credits.

Eventually, the furious bidding slowed down at 1,770,000 credits—enough to buy a high-end sports car.

A pendant designed solely for skincare sold for such an outrageous price... It was unbelievable.

I couldn’t help but stare, dumbfounded, at the staggering amounts of money being exchanged.

What was even more surprising was that this was only the beginning of the auction.

After the first item was taken offstage, the auction continued, unveiling more and more unique items.

The second item was a rope that, when tied to a person, forced them to speak only lies—a magical artifact, of course.

The third was a glowing doll that looked ancient, another artifact.

The fourth was an old, dull sword that couldn’t cut even a cake but was sturdy enough to support the weight of an elephant—another artifact.

By this point, the theme of the auction had become clear.

“So this auction focuses on artifacts… No wonder they brought in someone like Victor to guard the items.”

Artifacts were magical items from a now-destroyed otherworld, capable of altering lives depending on how they were used.

It wasn’t surprising that some people might want to steal these items outright rather than bidding for them.

No matter how tight the security, nothing compared to having a human weapon like Victor guarding the goods.

Given Victor’s elite status as a top-tier Fixer, hiring him was worth every penny for the organizers.

However, as the auction went on and the seventh item was revealed, I found myself underwhelmed.

While everything presented so far was technically an artifact, none of them were particularly impressive. Most were closer to curiosities or trinkets than groundbreaking items.

They were nowhere near the level of Greg’s appraisal glasses or Lexi’s flesh-tearing serpent—artifacts that defied convention entirely.

“Well, it’s only natural to save the main event for later. Besides, there’s still the second and third days of the auction. It makes sense for the first day to be a bit more subdued.”

With that thought, I began to relax. It didn’t seem like anything major would happen today.

But just as I let my guard down, a strange sensation washed over me as the eighth item was brought onstage.

It felt as though faint whispers were brushing against my ears—indistinct yet unsettling.

The sensation reminded me of the times I had encountered artifacts like the Tesseract or Echo. My senses sharpened instinctively.

“And now, we present the eighth auction item!”

Whoosh!

The auctioneer yanked the cloth away with a flourish, revealing the item beneath it: a cracked, round glass orb with pieces of metal embedded in its surface.

At a glance, it was impossible to discern its purpose.

The audience exchanged puzzled looks, clearly unsure of what to make of it. The auctioneer, unfazed, cleared his throat and began explaining.

“This is a magical amplification device known as an Orb, reportedly used by a grand mage. It enhances mana flow and allows for more precise spellcasting. However, as you can see, it is in an unstable condition due to the metal fragments embedded within it. Please take this into consideration when bidding!”

A damaged Orb once used by a grand mage.

Its value had undoubtedly decreased compared to its original state. However, since it retained its core functionality, it could still be utilized in some capacity.

Naturally, this artifact was likely to spark intense competition among bidders, just like the previous items.

But my focus wasn’t on the fact that it was an Orb used by a grand mage.

What caught my attention was that the metal fragments embedded in the Orb were not ordinary debris. They were unquestionably connected to the Invaders.

My expression hardened as I stared at the stage.

It seemed this auction was about to get much more complicated.