Munch~ Munch~

Aren ate some hard bread while resting his feet, sitting on a step of the staircase that led to some apartment complex.

People moved about in front of him. No one paid any attention to him. It was because he looked quite scary.

He had spent several hours trying to find Transformer. It ended in failure. It was clear that the really important stuff wasn't sold in some sidewalk stall.

"The Great Auction is about to start. I heard that they have some rare stuff today. They've been preparing this auction for a whole month!"

"It's no wonder that Black Market has been busy for the last couple of days. I've seen some gang leaders walking alongside some above-the-ground guild leaders!"

Aren listened with his ears perked up, and he stuffed the rest of the bread into his mouth.

'Auction? If there is something valuable somewhere, that must be the place.'

He grabbed the strap of his backpack, stood up, and followed after the two men—while walking, he noticed that there were a lot of people heading in the same direction.

A short while later, Aren arrived at the heart of the Black Market—a grand auction house stood tall like a castle in the midst of the crowded streets.

Its walls of black brick swallowed what little light the ceiling light offered. A broad flight of stone steps climbed towards the entrance, each tread worn smooth by countless footsteps.

At the top, tall doors waited, silent and unyielding, as though they alone decided who might cross the threshold.

Inside, the air was cool and heavy, echoing faintly beneath the vaulted ceiling. Pillars of dark stone rose like sentinels, their massive forms carrying the weight of the hall above.

Shadows clung to them, stretching across the floor, making the vast chamber feel more like a cathedral of commerce than a simple building.

Thousands of seats filled the hall in precise rows, each one angled toward the grand stage where the auctioneer's podium waited like a throne.

From the highest tier, the view plunged downward, a sea of chairs cascading step by step until they crowded near the front.

People of all statuses. Poor and rich alike. Made their way up the broad steps and into the auction house.

While not having money to pay for any of the items, the poor still enjoyed watching the rich spend their money.

"When the bidding is going on, keep your mouth shut, and be respectful!"

"When the bidding is going on, keep your mouth shut, and be respectful!"

"When the bidding is going on, keep your mouth shut, and be respectful!"

The servants of the auction house shouted, standing on every step of the stairs. Their words echoed through the streets.

Aren made his way into the auction house. The seats were getting filled quickly. He just took one at the back, trying to blend in with the crowd.

While looking around the spacious auction house, which seemed like a house of gods instead, he noticed that there were more rooms looking down at them.

High above the sea of seats, lining the upper walls like watchful eyes, were the private rooms reserved for the most privileged guests.

Each was fashioned like a balcony, enclosed by wood and iron railings. They were currently being filled as well with people.

'…I hope I can afford what I came here for. I quickly counted my current wealth, and I have 145 thousand. It's an insane amount of money, and if I just retired now, I could live off that for the rest of my life.

'However, artifacts are expensive. Crazy expensive. I just have to hope that no one else is interested in that kind of artifact, but I don't think I have that kind of luck.'

Aren said.

In that moment, the torches lining the walls were lit up by magic. In a corner, fire magician Adrian snapped his fingers, and the torches burst into flames.

The seats soon got filled. The doors of the auction hall closed. The guards took their place at the entrance.

Privileged guests laughed amongst each other. They were all important people in the underworld.

Gang leaders… Powerful Blessed Ones… Corrupt lawmen… Dirty nobles… Slave merchants…

Clap! Clap!

In that moment, clapping his hands, the handsome-looking auctioneer made his way to his podium with a smile on his face.

With a neatly groomed beard and nice hair, he looked very respectable and didn't seem like he belonged in a dirty place like this.

"Welcome to Coggate! Welcome to Black Market! Welcome to the Great Auction!"

The auctioneer put his hands together and bowed towards the many leaders of the underworld who were seated in their balcony rooms.

"Today, we have hundreds of the finest, most exclusive items available for auction. We will also have several rare treats and surprises in store for you all."

The auctioneer said with a smile.

In that moment, the first item was rolled to the stage. It was a stunning chandelier that would look perfect in one of the balcony rooms.

"Magic Chandelier. It has been said that if you sleep inside a room that has a Magic Chandelier in the ceiling, you will have the sweetest dreams of your life.

"In the Dark Days of Whitesky, the evil Rav'akari started invading the dreams of Whitesky people and ended up stealing their dreams.

"After those days were over, Whitesky people stopped dreaming altogether. They lost that important part of life.

"With Magic Chandelier, you can dream again!"

The auctioneer said with a smile.

In the crowd, many Whitesky people started breathing roughly. It was really hard to believe that there was hope for them to dream again.

"We will start the bidding at 500 Iris coins."

The auctioneer said.

"650!"

"700!"

"750!"

In an instant, people started bidding like crazy, and it didn't take long for it to hit thousand.

"Those who can still dream, like us, have no idea what it is like to live without dreams. I personally don't think I would care if I lost the ability to dream, but I guess that's because I haven't actually lost it!"

In one of the balcony rooms, a beautiful woman said with a smile while fanning herself with a small hand fan.

She was the wife of a powerful criminal lord of the Black Market. She is an Earthling, and after failing to become the Blessed One, she ended up in the Black Market after many interesting encounters.

In the end, with her good looks and tongue that was as sweet as honey, she was able to become the first wife of the criminal lord and was currently one of the highest-ranked people in the Black Market.