Esdeath and Maruti reached the third floor of the basement, and when the elevator doors slid open, Maruti blinked in surprise. It didn't look like a basement at all. The place was wide, clean, and brightly lit, filled with the faint sound of people talking and the soft clinking of glasses.
Maruti looked around, her golden-brown eyes darting from one corner to another, trying to take in everything. "This doesn't feel like underground at all," she muttered softly.
Esdeath, on the other hand, remained calm and composed as always, her steps steady and her expression neutral.
In front of them was a large circular area, almost like a circus arena. Rows of seats were arranged in a ring around the center, where a big empty circle was marked on the floor — the main stage. But instead of acrobats or performers, that stage was meant for displaying rare items, especially essence stones.
Even though there were hundreds of seats, only a few people were actually present. Everyone there gave off a heavy aura of wealth and power. Most of them weren't just buyers — they were sellers too, carrying essence stones of their own to trade.
Not everyone could afford such rare items, and the atmosphere carried that feeling — quiet, cautious, yet filled with ambition.
Esdeath led Maruti confidently through the seats and towards a private room at the back — the host's room, where people listed their items for auction or trade.
Two tall guards stood outside the door, their iron armor shining faintly under the light. They crossed their spears as Esdeath approached, but she didn't stop. She simply took out a black badge with golden numbers carved on it and showed it to them.
The guards glanced at it once, nodded respectfully, and stepped aside to open the door.
Inside, the room smelled faintly of old wood and expensive perfume. A middle-aged man sat behind a wide desk, wearing a half-white and half-red mask. His build was average, but the air around him showed confidence — someone used to handling big deals.
Before the man could even greet them, Esdeath stepped forward and started explaining what she wanted to exchange — which essence stones she planned to sell and what kind she was looking for in return.
But before she could finish, Maruti suddenly raised her hand in front of her dramatically. "Now, now… Miss Red," she said with a grin, "let the leader do the talking."
Esdeath's lips twitched slightly. "Leader, huh?" she murmured under her breath, but she didn't argue. With a small sigh, she stepped back and folded her arms, letting Maruti handle it.
Maruti walked forward confidently, her blonde wig swaying as she talked with the host. The man listened quietly, nodding every now and then. After a few minutes of discussion, he finally spoke.
"Normally, all auction items are decided one or two days before the event," he said in a calm, smooth voice. "But… I can make an adjustment for you." He paused for a moment before continuing, "If you're selling your essence stones, two percent of the total price will be my commission. However, if you're exchanging them with others, you'll only need to pay ten silver coins."
Even though his smile was hidden behind the mask, his tone made it clear that he was pleased to do business.
"Deal!" Maruti said cheerfully, showing a thumbs up with a big grin.
-------
Meanwhile, at the outskirts of the royal palace, a grand battle arena had been prepared. The ground stretched wide and long — nearly three times larger than the academy's training arena. The air was heavy with tension, and even though there weren't many people present, the few who were there could feel the importance of what was about to happen.
At the very top, seated on a throne-like chair built specially for him, was King Augustus. His sharp eyes looked down at the two figures standing in the middle of the arena. Beside him sat Cassandra, her calm face hiding her excitement and confidence.
Usually, a duel between a royal commander and a student would have been a grand event — one that would attract nobles, knights, and commoners from all over the kingdom. But this duel had been arranged so suddenly that hardly anyone knew it was happening. Most of the few spectators were soldiers and staff who happened to already be in the arena when preparations began.
Down below, in the center of the field, stood Caesar — the First Division Commander. He was tall, standing over six feet, with a broad chest and thick arms covered in dark black armor. His presence alone gave off the pressure of a war general.
In front of him stood Ethan Rothslayer, much smaller in height and build, his academy uniform contrasting sharply with Caesar's armor. Yet, despite his size, Ethan's calm and firm stance showed no fear. His gaze was steady, filled with determination.
The king raised his hand and spoke with a deep voice that echoed throughout the vast arena.
"Begin!"
At once, the atmosphere shifted. The ground trembled slightly from the weight of the two auras clashing before a single move had even been made.
---
Far away from the battlefield, in the secret underground auction, the event had just begun. The large circular room was now filled with people sitting quietly in their seats, waiting for the next item to appear. Esdeath and Maruti were among them, sitting comfortably while observing everything.
A man wearing a dark mask walked onto the stage, pushing a small table with wheels. On it was a large glass box. Inside the box sat a creepy-looking doll, its glass eyes staring blankly into the crowd.
The man began speaking in a clear voice.
"The first item — a cursed artifact. Although it doesn't have an official name, most call it 'Annabelle.' This doll can bring bad luck to those it's bound to, or, if you get a drop of their blood and harm the doll, the same damage will reflect on them."
He paused for a moment and added, "However, the further the target, the weaker the effect. The range limit is one hundred meters. Bidding starts at three silver coins!"
The crowd murmured softly. Some looked interested, while others didn't care.
Esdeath leaned her head on her hand and yawned. "Boring…" she muttered under her breath.
"Four silver coins!" a woman shouted.
"Six silver coins!" came a louder voice from a man with red hair and a monocle.
The bidding went back and forth until it finally stopped at eight silver coins. The doll was quickly rolled offstage, and the lights dimmed.
When the lights returned, the crowd gasped softly. A young elf girl stood on the stage, her delicate body trembling slightly. She was beautiful — long pointed ears, smooth fair skin, and bright green eyes. But her half-torn, dirty clothes made it clear she had been treated like a slave.
The masked worker grabbed her by the arm and lifted it up, turning her slowly so that everyone could see her fully.
"A real elf. A virgin, at that," the worker said smoothly. "I don't think I need to say anything else."
"Five gold coins!" a fat merchant stood up and shouted immediately, his round face glistening with sweat and greed.
"Ten gold coins!" another voice echoed from the back.
"Fifteen gold coins!" came another, louder bid.
The room filled with murmurs and excitement as the bids climbed higher and higher.
Esdeath glanced sideways at Maruti. "I thought you'd be interested in joining the bidding," she said quietly.
Maruti rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Are you trying to get me killed? I already have enough problems in my life!"
The bidding grew louder and louder until a teenage-looking boy wearing a blue mask decorated with little stars suddenly raised his hand.
"Forty-five gold coins," he said confidently.
The worker slammed the hammer down. "Sold!"
Maruti sighed and crossed her legs. "He must be some isekai protagonist starting his slave harem," she thought, shaking her head slightly. Esdeath chuckled faintly beside her but said nothing, sipping her drink.
The next item arrived not long after. A faint green glow came from a crystal stone inside a glass box. The announcer tapped the microphone and spoke clearly.
"This is a Rank C Essence Stone — Wind Blade Essence. Once used, it allows the user to release sharp wind blades that can slice through wood like a knife through butter! The bidding starts at forty-five gold coins — or, if anyone has an offensive water-type essence stone, they can exchange it directly."
But no one had one. Soon, voices rose one after another — fifty, fifty-five, sixty — until it finally ended at fifteen gold coins.
"Heh, I already have that one," Esdeath thought to herself lazily. Her red eyes half-lidded with disinterest.
The next item that appeared on stage made almost everyone lean forward. A beautiful woman was brought out — or rather, a succubus. Her long, glossy hair fell over her shoulders, her curvy body barely covered with tattered fabric. Her eyes glowed faintly purple, and even though she was collared and trembling, her beauty was dangerously alluring.
"She is a mid-ranking succubus," the announcer explained proudly. "Her tail has been neutralized, so she won't drain your essence. And, because of the slave collar, she can't harm her master. She'll take care of your… personal needs — far better than any wife or lover ever could."
The man's tone carried a hint of teasing, and a few chuckles broke out in the crowd.
"The bidding starts at ten gold coins!"
Maruti groaned softly and rubbed her temples. "I already have a succubus — with a real tail, at that," she thought, her cheeks turning a little red. "I don't even know if that's something to brag about or be ashamed of…"
"Twenty gold coins!" someone yelled.
"Thirty-six gold coins!" another shouted immediately after.
The air buzzed with excitement as both men and women started competing for the succubus. Some of the women even looked more eager than the men, which made Maruti glance around in disbelief.
"For a second, I thought half the women here turned into yuri fanatics," she whispered to herself.
Eventually, the bidding stopped at fifty-three gold coins. The succubus was led offstage, and the excitement began to die down.
Maruti sighed. "Still nothing useful…" she muttered, starting to lose patience. But then — the worker brought out the next item, and her eyes widened instantly.
Inside the glass box was a faintly glowing crystal — pure white with golden veins running through it. It pulsed gently like a heartbeat.
"This essence stone is only Rank C by classification," the worker began, "but it's not any less valuable than a Rank B stone. In fact, it's considered one of the rarest Rank C stones after the Longevity Essence Stone!"
The crowd began whispering among themselves in curiosity.
The worker smiled behind his mask. "It's called Success. A time-path essence stone that allows instant refinement of any Rank B essence stone — once."
The room went silent for a heartbeat. Then Maruti's hands trembled slightly and took a deep breath to calm herself.
Unlike Esdeath, who could instantly refine any Rank B essence stone using her mysterious system, Maruti had no such gift. Refining essence stones was hard, slow, and sometimes painful for her. Even Rank C ones took her says maybe weeks — she had barely managed to refine one Rank B essence stone so far, and that was her Self-Healing .
If she could get this essence stone, she could refine one more Rank B essence instantly — saving weeks or month of time and effort.
Raising her hand, she spoke confidently, "Can I also get the recipe for refining this essence stone? I'll buy both together."
The worker shook his head politely. "Unfortunately, the owner doesn't have the recipe. He only stumbled upon the stone by luck. Nor does he have any Rank B essence stones."
He bowed slightly, then announced, "The bidding will start at twenty gold coins!"
At once, the room came alive. The clinking of coins, the shuffling of papers, the rising voices — everyone wanted this item. Although barely anyone had a rank B essence stone, They could sell it for an incredible price later to someone who was a rank A awakened.
"Forty gold coins!"
"Fifty!"
"Seventy!"
The bids climbed quickly, tension growing thicker in the air.
Then, all of a sudden, a loud laugh echoed across the room — confident and sharp like a whip.
It was Maruti.
"Little beggars!" she said boldly, smirking as she leaned back in her chair. Then, raising her hand high, she declared, "One hundred and fifty gold coins!"
The entire auction hall fell silent in an instant.
"S-sold!" the worker shouted quickly, slamming his hammer down on the table with a loud clack!
Maruti leaned back proudly in her chair, a smug smile playing on her lips. Esdeath, on the other hand, sighed and pressed her palm to her forehead. "So much for one essence stone? You could've just bid eighty gold coins instead," she said in an almost tired tone.
"So what? We have so much money, we can literally fill a whole room with it!" Maruti replied with a grin, winking playfully. "We should show off while we can."
Esdeath just shook her head and exhaled softly, deciding not to argue anymore. The next item that appeared on stage was from Maruti's own collection.
The worker stepped forward with a scroll in his hand and spoke into the microphone like device. "This is a set of fire-type essence stones: Rank E Fiery Thrust, Rank D Feiry Phantom, and Rank C Fiery Storm. A strong offensive set with complete refining recipes included."
He paused for a moment as his eyes scanned the rest of the paper, his expression suddenly turning awkward. "Uh… the bidding will start from one hundred gold coins… or you can exchange it for an essence stone that can turn someone from female to male."
A few people in the audience snorted with laughter, while some whispered among themselves. The mood instantly lightened up.
Esdeath rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed again. "Why do you look disappointed?" Maruti asked quickly. "I was just trying my luck while I could!"
"Trying your luck, huh…" Esdeath muttered under her breath, too tired to respond properly.
As the chuckles died down, the bidding began and ended quickly. The fire-type set was sold for one hundred and twenty-four gold coins — not bad for something that caused half the crowd to laugh.
By now, Esdeath could tell the auction was about to end. They hadn't found any Rank B essence stone or something else worth fighting for, but at least Maruti had managed to get something valuable — the Success essence stone.
But just as everyone thought it was over, the lights dimmed again. A faint, rippling glow spread across the hall as the worker brought out the final item.
The moment the box was placed on the stage, the air itself seemed to grow heavier — the pressure unmistakable. It was the aura of a Rank B essence stone.
Inside the transparent glass case, there was no solid crystal — instead, it looked like liquid light, a gentle, flowing substance that shimmered like clear water under ight.
Esdeath's red eyes narrowed slightly.
The worker lifted the paper and began to read. His voice was filled with awe.
"This is a time-path essence stone, called Time Cutting Edge. It belongs to a rare series that goes from Rank E to Rank A. This one is Rank B — and the owner also possesses the refining recipe for the Rank A Time Cutting Edge as well."