CHAPTER 930: THE SECRET AUCTION (PART-3)

"You and your friends have been trying to kill me for months now, after all. isn’t that right, Kate, the Arbiter?"

The words were spoken quietly, but Orion realized that they might not be ex-couple, but there must be something else between them, as this stranger used the words, friends, and not simply you or your people...

As if confirming the bad blood between them, Kate leaned forward, her voice low and venomous. "And I will kill you if I get the opportunity. Someone like you shouldn’t exist in this world."

Alexander chuckled at that too, as if he didn’t take her words seriously. "That righteous tone again... always so noble, so predictable. It doesn’t suit a hybrid like you."

As Kate stiffened at those words, Alex looked past her, his gaze landing on Orion.

For the first time, Orion met his eyes directly, and he instantly felt something. He could see a kind of calm dominance that stripped away any illusion of equality between them. He knew that the other party was strong, but when they met eyes, Orion felt as if the other party was a superior being."

Alex’s smirk softened into something almost playful. "That mask of yours is quite cute," he said lightly. "But it doesn’t really suit someone who’s born with divinity, does it?"

Orion’s entire body went rigid.

A faint hiss escaped Kate’s lips as she turned toward him, eyes wide. "Why don’t you get..."

Alex raised a hand casually, cutting her off. "I’m not talking to you, Kate."

He sighed, almost theatrically as he gazed at Orion, looking into his eyes. "Unfortunately, though, you’ve already hit your cap, and at the current stage, you’ll never be able to draw out the full potential of the power you are holding. And quite coincidentally, despite with different burdens, backgrounds, and powers, both of us share the same issue. The curse of mortality... Here..."

He took out his business card and slid it across the table, toward Orion, "But someone like you is worth keeping. If you are ever looking for a job, a place where you can be protected and also the place where you can unleash your talents to your best, you can contact me."

His tone then shifted slightly—colder, almost like a warning whispered from a god to a mortal. "But if you are not, you should remember this, mister. There are techniques and artifacts out there that can sever your bond with the Spirit King... and even capture it. So be careful when offending the whales."

And with that, he straightened up again, his smile back in place.

"See you around, Kate," he said casually as he turned to leave.

Kate’s eyes blazed as she clenched her fists beneath the table, her knuckles turning white. "Get lost."

Orion, meanwhile, didn’t move. If anything, he was slightly disappointed by this person. Orion thought this guy is someone as powerful as his father. That kind of vibes he was giving earlier, but seeing that this fellow Alexander was so wrong about his mortality, Orion lost interest in him. He crushed the visiting card but kept in his pocket to throw it away later on.

After a while;

He lifted his gaze toward the massive chandelier above, light flickering like stars caught in glass.

A faint melody filled the air as the grand staircase at the center of the hall lit up with golden strips of soul energy-light. Conversations faded. Heads turned. From above, a man and a woman descended gracefully—both dressed in formal, dark attire, holding a pair of cue cards in their hands.

They moved with practiced poise, their steps in sync until they reached the stage. The man addressed the guests first; his smile was professional yet warm.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We welcome you all to tonight’s exclusive event. I’m your host: Raydon. And this is my co-host: Sharon."

Polite applause rippled through the hall.

After the usual introductions, the man’s tone shifted into a more formal register.

"As informed beforehand, today’s auction will proceed in two rounds.

The first round is the blind auction."

He raised a card in demonstration.

"An item will be presented. Each guest will write their bid on the cards provided to you. Our staff will collect them, and the highest bidder wins."

"Once your payment is confirmed, the item will be delivered to your table immediately, and we’ll proceed to the next lot."

He paused, scanning the crowd with a calm, neutral smile.

"However, failure to make payment after bidding will result in the item going to the second-highest bidder. The first bidder will receive one strike. A second strike will result in immediate eviction of the guest and their companions from the auction hall."

A murmur went through the audience. Orion quietly adjusted his mask, while Kate only smiled faintly in understanding.

The hostess beside the man took over, her voice smooth and elegant. "Now, before we begin, allow us to repeat the rules."

She gestured lightly toward the hall as she continued.

"Rule one: Once the auction begins, no guest is allowed to leave the manor until the event concludes. If you leave midway, regardless of reason, re-entry will not be permitted."

"Rule two: Guests are expected to remain at their seats during bidding. There will be a three-minute interval between each item. You may use that time for emergencies or breaks. However, returning during an ongoing bid is strictly forbidden."

"Rule three: During the bidding sessions, signal jammers will be activated. This will render all communication devices—phones, earpieces, and soul energy-linked transmitters—completely useless. You may converse freely with your companions between the rounds."

Several hunters frowned subtly at that. Even Kate’s lips twitched, clearly noting the organizer’s intent to isolate everyone completely.

"Rule four: Guests must maintain discipline. No arguments, no threats, no use of force toward other guests or the organizers. If you have a dispute, handle it after the auction."

The hostess leaned forward slightly, her smile never faltering. "Just bid. Pay. Collect your prize."

"And finally... the most important rule."

The lights in the hall dimmed slightly, the atmosphere tightening.

"As some of you may have already noticed, this entire manor is no ordinary building. It has been transformed into a dungeon. A safe one, yes—but still bound by the laws of a dungeon’s domain."

There were immediate murmurs among the guests.

Orion didn’t need her reminder, for he had already learned of it.

The hostess raised a hand delicately, calming the crowd. "Do not be alarmed. There are no monsters here. However, the dungeon laws will soon activate—sealing your soul energy, suppressing mental-type abilities, and disabling enhanced vision or any detection skills."

The man followed up, "These measures are taken for the fairness and safety of all guests. So, when it happens... do not panic. And please be understanding."

A cold blue pulse rippled across the marble floor. Everyone instinctively straightened in their seats as the soul energy flow synchronized with the room’s enchantments. The dungeon laws were activated.

A pale blue pulse rippled outward, enveloping the entire room in a translucent field. Every Arcana Master felt the same sudden tug—as though invisible hands had reached inside and turned off a switch.

Everyone stiffened as their connection to their soul energy core went silent, like a candle snuffed out in the wind.

Meanwhile, Orion was calm. He remained unaffected.

Meanwhile, at Table No. 13, Alexander Magnolis leaned back lazily, his gaze unfocused for a split second as his system responded differently from the rest.

*Ding!

[Dungeon Law Attempt Detected]

[Applying resistance...]

[All restrictions nullified.]

A slow grin crept across his face. He could feel the soul energy still humming within his veins, unbound and fluid. He tilted his head slightly, scanning the crowd.

"As expected," he murmured to himself. "Only a handful might resist this much."

His eyes flicked briefly toward Table No. 3, where Nianxi sat composed and calm, her aura faintly stirring. "Half-resisted, huh? That’s impressive."

Then Alex’s senses extended further—to the front row, Table No. 2. A subtle surge of power pricked at his perception, faint but undeniable as his gaze fell on Selene.

A small smile formed on his lips. "Well, that’s interesting. Didn’t expect her to pull that off, apart from Nianxi. On the other hand..."

Finally, his gaze swept toward Table No. 9—where Kate and Orion sat. For a fleeting moment, his eyes softened at the sight of Kate.

"Not that it matters... those laws don’t work on arbiters anyway."

His gaze then drifted to Orion beside her. "Well, he doesn’t have soul energy anyway..."