Chapter 138

Many items were put up for auction, and one by one, each found its owner.

Every item presented by the White Bear Caravan possessed remarkable performance.

Their eye-catching capabilities drove the district leaders into a frenzy.

The calm composure they had at the beginning disappeared, replaced by eyes filled with madness as they bid aggressively.

Naturally, the bidding prices skyrocketed.

It was to the point where one might worry the finances of each district could collapse at this rate.

Amid the feverish atmosphere, Pan Cheongcheon clicked his tongue.

This is insane!

But he had no room to criticize others.

He, too, had been consumed by the frenzy.

When he first came to the auction, he had intended to stand back and observe. But the items presented by the White Bear Caravan were so extraordinary that even he cast aside his doubts and joined the bidding.

He secured the Flame Sword of Astro, the Crown of the Old Serpent, and the Shield of the Fallen Star.

All three possessed unique attributes and could become powerful assets depending on how they were used.

Borin, Cha Jincheol, Pan Cheongcheon, and Raven—all of them actively participated in the auction and secured items.

The Kurup wood necklaces were also put up for auction.

Borin stepped in aggressively and managed to win all of the remaining necklaces.

Even after that, the auction continued fiercely.

“Wow!”

“I can’t believe items like that exist. This is insane!”

Brielle and Levin exclaimed in awe as they watched the auction items.

They were still young and had rarely seen items excavated from dungeons, so everything the White Bear Caravan presented felt astonishing to them.

Until then, Zeon simply observed without participating.

The items at the auction were certainly valuable enough to command high prices, but they were not enough to satisfy Zeon’s standards.

Watching the items find their owners, Zeon thought,

They’re too ordinary.

Items emitted their own unique waves and mana.

The higher the level of the item, the stronger the energy it released.

The items being auctioned now all emitted distinct presences and energies.

But the energy Zeon had felt the day before was on a completely different level.

He vividly remembered that intense, bone-chilling sensation that made his heart tremble.

Just then—

“The next item we present is the Binding Rope of the Warden. It was obtained with great difficulty from the dungeon of Geholls. Its exact function has not yet been identified.”

Alexandro brought out the final item.

It was a rope used to bind prisoners.

Even Zeon had never seen an item of this form before.

The moment he saw the rope, a deep frown formed on his face.

He could feel an ominous energy that couldn’t be put into words.

What is this…?

Zeon stared intently at the rope.

But simply looking at it revealed nothing.

The additional effects of items were not displayed in clear numerical values.

They had to be discovered through direct use by the owner.

If it came from a dungeon, it would naturally have multiple hidden properties.

At that moment, Zeon noticed Damian standing behind Alexandro.

Damian wore a bright, cheerful smile, as if he were enjoying himself immensely.

Sensing Zeon’s gaze, Damian looked back.

He casually waved, acknowledging him.

To someone who didn’t know him, Damian might seem like an innocent boy.

But Zeon wasn’t fooled by appearances.

Damian was no child.

Just as Zeon had grown through eight years of wandering the desert, Damian had also matured through countless experiences.

Eight years was more than enough time to turn a boy into an adult—and an innocent child into a cunning one.

And the only person who truly knew what kind of man Damian had become was himself.

Damian…

As if he had heard Zeon’s voice, Damian smiled even more brightly and nodded.

While Zeon was focused on Damian, the Binding Rope of the Warden was sold to Cha Jincheol.

Having spent a staggering ten tons of magic stones, Cha Jincheol’s eyes gleamed ominously as he became its owner.

That belongs to me.

From the moment he first saw the rope, he couldn’t take his eyes off it.

There was a strange pull coming from it.

He had never felt anything like this before.

He was a subordinate of Kim Kyungsoo, the ruler of the West District.

Naturally, he had received Kim Kyungsoo’s favor and had replaced most of his body with machinery.

On the outside, he appeared human, but beneath the artificial skin, oil flowed and gears turned.

Only his head and torso remained human.

His limbs had been replaced with powerful mechanical parts, so he had no real need for additional items.

Normally, he wouldn’t have been interested.

But the Binding Rope of the Warden was different.

For some reason, from the moment he saw it, he felt a powerful pull—as if it resonated with his very soul.

Though he wasn’t even sure if someone like him, with mechanical limbs, still possessed a human soul.

At that moment, Pan Cheongcheon spoke,

“So, are all the items the White Bear Caravan prepared already sold?”

“Of course not. We still have many items left.”

“Then why not release them all today?”

“If we release everything at once, it wouldn’t be as fun. Besides, we still have the highlight remaining.”

“The highlight?”

At Alexandro’s reply, Pan Cheongcheon’s eyes sharpened.

Every item presented so far had already been extraordinary.

The idea that something even greater existed naturally stirred curiosity.

Raven asked,

“What kind of item is it? Will it be auctioned today?”

“It’s such an exceptional item that we plan to hold a separate auction for it.”

“Hah! That sounds like exaggeration. At best, it won’t be much different from the items here.”

“Of course, the items here are all excellent. We worked hard to obtain them, and they are all valuable. But I can confidently say—the item on the fifth floor is on an entirely different level.”

“The one who obtains that item will possess power on an entirely different level from before.”

At Alexandro’s words, the expressions of those attending the auction hardened.

No one knew exactly what kind of item remained, but for him to speak with such confidence, it was highly unlikely to be anything ordinary.

Borin spoke,

“If it’s truly that extraordinary, I’d like to see it for myself.”

“We need to see it with our own eyes to decide how many magic stones to prepare for the next auction.”

“That’s right. Let’s have a look.”

As Pan Cheongcheon and Raven agreed with Borin, Alexandro shrugged.

“In that case, I’ll show you directly. The White Bear Caravan’s ultimate item—please follow me.”

He led the attendees up to the fifth-floor storage.

Behind them, Damian discreetly released the sealing magic circle.

The moment Alexandro opened the door—

cracks seemed to form across the faces of those present.

“What is this…?”

“Ugh!”

“What the hell is this?!”

Everyone’s complexion changed instantly.

As high-ranking awakened, they all reacted to the abnormal energy flowing out from the storage.

Zeon’s expression also grew heavy.

The same wave he had felt yesterday was pouring out from within.

Damian approached from behind and spoke quietly,

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

“What is that thing?”

“Heh…”

Instead of answering, Damian let out a strange laugh.

At the center of the storage, without any pedestal, floated a crown set with a blue gemstone, radiating a mysterious aura.

Borin, Raven, Cha Jincheol, and Pan Cheongcheon—all of them were captivated by it.

Among them, Borin’s eyes trembled as if struck by an earthquake.

“This mana… it has a scent…”

It was said that elves in Kurayan could perceive fragrance in mana.

The energy there had been so pure and refined, enhanced by the blessing of the World Tree, that mana itself carried a scent.

But the elves who came to Earth could no longer sense that fragrance.

The side effects of terraforming had damaged the planet.

Mana on Earth lacked the purity of Kurayan.

Once, the Ice Queen Serian Moliana had said—

that it saddened her that she could no longer smell mana.

At the time, Borin hadn’t understood.

Elves born on Earth, including herself, had never experienced the scent of mana to begin with.

But now, she finally understood.

The refreshing sensation that filled her chest, the feeling as if her very mind had opened—

No one had told her, yet she instinctively realized:

this was the scent of mana.

Borin asked,

“W-what is this?”

“It is the Crown of the Spirit King.”

“The Spirit King’s… Crown? Are you saying it’s related to the Spirit King?”

“We don’t know that either. The place where we obtained it was a dungeon called the Spirit King’s Tomb. Hundreds of awakened lost their lives clearing it. That’s how difficult it was to acquire.”

“And its abilities?”

“We don’t know. It’s sealed. Perhaps the real Spirit King is sealed within it.”

At Alexandro’s words, the crowd stirred.

Many things had crossed over from Kurayan—

elves, dwarves, other races, even magical beasts.

But there was one thing that had not.

Spirits.

Earth was too damaged for spirits to survive, so they did not exist here at all.

Thus, elves born on Earth had never once encountered a spirit.

A crown that might contain the Spirit King… If the Spirit King were to revive, spirits might appear on Earth again. And if that happens, restoring the Earth might not be just a dream.

Spirits were inherently aligned with nature.

If spirits returned, nature itself would inevitably recover.

Borin felt her heart pounding.

If the Spirit King is truly sealed inside… we must secure it.

The Spirit King could be both a blessing and a catastrophe.

If a benevolent being formed a contract, it would bless the Earth.

But if an evil one did—

it would bring a global disaster.

Borin spoke firmly,

“You’re really going to auction that?”

“Yes.”

“Are you out of your mind? Selling something that dangerous?”

“How can you be so certain it’s dangerous?”

“What did you say?”

“It’s an item that has never once been used. Naturally, we don’t know its exact capabilities. Yet you’re judging it dangerous based solely on its name. I don’t quite understand.”

“If it truly is related to the Spirit King, it must not fall into other districts’ hands. It should be managed by us elves. Sell it directly to us.”

“That won’t be possible. Our caravan has its own rules.”

“If you insist on this, it won’t end well for the White Bear Caravan.”

“Are you threatening us?”

“What if I am?”

“Then I’m sure the others here won’t like that.”

Alexandro smirked and glanced at the representatives from the other districts.

Only then did Borin realize her mistake.

She had revealed her intentions too early, right in front of her competitors.

Raven spoke up,

“Rules exist to be followed. Don’t tell me you think being an elf means you can ignore human rules.”

“The Crown of the Spirit King… I want it.”

“We’ll be the ones to secure that.”

All of them openly revealed their greed.

The Crown of the Spirit King emitted a presence on a completely different level from the items they had already obtained.

They made no attempt to hide their desire.

From the beginning, they were competitors—not allies.

No matter what the crown truly was, they couldn’t allow the North District to take it uncontested.

Damn it…

Borin bit her lip hard.

The situation had already spiraled beyond recovery.

There was nothing she could do now.

“You’ll regret this decision.”

With those final words, Borin stepped back.

Zeon’s gaze sank deeply.

So this auction was all to show this to the elves in the end…

Only now did he begin to understand the full picture Damian was painting.