With the initial bid of seventy thousand mana stones, made by the lady in booth number one, the atmosphere inside the room changed immediately. That figure did not dampen spirits, but rather ignited them like a spark falling on a barrel of gunpowder.
The titans hidden behind their booths awoke one by one. What had been a quiet auction turned into a silent battlefield.
It wasn't long before voices began to echo loudly:
"Eighty thousand stones..."
"Ninety thousand stones!"
"One hundred thousand stones..."
The figures rose relentlessly. Each new bid was more aggressive than the last, as if with each word they were testing each other's will and sharpening the pride of the powerful.
The bids only increased as the minutes passed. It was clear that many coveted the Peach of Alma, that fruit impossible to obtain by ordinary means. Everyone wanted it. Everyone was willing to pay the price, no matter the cost.
Amidst that sea of voices, Kael had yet to utter a single word.
