Kaito could imagine Kaede's clenched jaw as he added, "Really, how shameless can they be? I've already marked down the ones who spoke ill of you. Genesis Studios will make sure they regret it the next time they step outside town."
Kaito chuckled softly at his cousin's fiery tone. "Hahaha… they're just water armies. Dominion's dogs barking to save face."
Still, inwardly, he sighed. He had hoped today's auction would be a clean celebration, but it seemed Everhold Dominion had already planted people to sour the atmosphere. It was natural, of course. No guild—especially one as large and arrogant as Dominion—would accept humiliation easily. Losing hundreds of members to a single man was an embarrassment they could never wash away.
Even now, the top brass of Everhold Dominion probably pretended to dismiss him, as if Raen was beneath their notice. But Kaito knew better. Their caution toward him was growing with each passing day. They could try to shift the blame onto Gravemind or some other scapegoat, but deep down, they knew the truth—he was a threat.
Kaito's expression hardened beneath the mask of Nocturnis. "If that's how they want to play it," he thought coldly, "then next time we meet, I won't be polite. I'll make sure Dominion crumbles before me and learns just how wide the gap between us truly is."
With that silent vow burning in his chest, Kaito quickened his pace toward the town square. The crowd, the murmurs, the tension—all of it awaited him. And soon, the auction that would shake South Glade was about to begin.
….
As soon as Kaito arrived at the town square of South Glade, the sight before him was almost overwhelming. A massive crowd had already gathered, buzzing with anticipation, craning their necks, and waiting for him to announce the start of the sale. The tension in the air was thick—like merchants before a grand market opening, everyone was poised to rush the moment the auction began.
Kaito did not keep them waiting for long. He moved toward the makeshift stage in the center of the square, his presence drawing even more eyes. At that moment, his cousin Hiroto hurried up to him, clearly baffled.
"Big Brother Kaito," Hiroto muttered, frowning, "why do you need to show up in person? The prices you set are already so low, people are scrambling for them. You don't even need to be here."
Kaito's lips curled into a sly grin, his gaze sweeping across the sea of faces. "Hiroto, I'm not a philanthropist. Do you think I would just hand out hundreds of pieces of common and bronze equipment for free? Prices may look cheap, but compared to the current market, they're still high. And if I don't show myself, people might think they can take advantage of the situation."
Hiroto paused, taken aback by his cousin's calculating tone. For a brief moment, he understood—Brother Kaito wasn't here just to sell. He was here to control the crowd, to show authority. Nodding silently, Hiroto didn't press further and quickly disappeared back into the throng.
With that, Kaito deactivated the Mask of Nocturnis, revealing his true appearance. His fame alone was enough to suppress would-be troublemakers. If he had remained hidden, others might have dared to stir chaos, but now, with Raen himself standing before them, no one could easily act out.
The reaction was instant.
"Master Raen! I'm your fan!" one player screamed, pushing forward desperately. "I don't even want gear—I just want to take a screenshot with you!"
"Stop shoving! My breasts are getting squashed!" a woman shrieked from somewhere in the middle of the crowd.
A male voice bellowed back, "Breasts? Forget that, my balls are getting crushed!"
The town square erupted in chaotic laughter, but it only added to the madness. The entire plaza had turned into a sea of heads, bodies pressing together so tightly that Kaito broke out into a cold sweat. This was precisely why he usually kept the mask on—anonymity had its uses. Now, however, circumstances forced him into the spotlight. Dominion's planted troublemakers were surely lurking somewhere among the masses, and the only way to suppress them was to show himself directly.
Just as Kaito steadied himself, a familiar voice cut through the din. "Kaito, this is the big speaker I bought from Zephyr— It can still be used more than eighty times!"
Pushing through the crowd with some effort, his second uncle appeared, holding a large conch-shaped magical amplifier. Kaito had introduced him to Zephyr and Velena earlier, telling his uncle that if he ever needed something and Kaito was unavailable, he could go to them and make requests in his name. Clearly, the advice had paid off.
Before Kaito could thank him, Aika, who had followed close behind, wrinkled her nose in disdain. "What do you mean it can only be used eighty times? That's terrible quality." Her tone carried the bluntness only a younger sister could get away with.
A ripple of chuckles went through the cousins who overheard. It was obvious Aika still hadn't fully adjusted to the mechanics of virtual worlds. To her, the idea of an item having "uses" was laughably impractical—why couldn't something just last forever? Kaito only smiled faintly, shaking his head. His little sister's naivety was endearing, but it also reminded him of how different this world was from reality.
It was good to have the speaker. Kaito wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, silently grateful to his second uncle for thinking ahead. Without it, there would have been no way to calm this sea of people. Even if no hostile troublemakers were lurking in the crowd, just getting thousands of players to quiet down and listen was a challenge in itself.
Taking a steadying breath, Kaito raised the magical loudspeaker high. His voice, amplified severalfold, boomed across the entire square.
"Everyone, please quiet down! I am Raen!" He deliberately stopped, letting the weight of his name ripple across the gathering. Heads turned, conversations faltered, and even those at the far edges of the square stopped talking, straining to hear.
Once he had their attention, Kaito let his lips curl into a smirk and continued, "The Equipment Sale Conference—and the celebration of Captain Grave mind's successful ascension to the stage—is about to begin!"
His tone carried mockery, sharp and cutting. It was a sarcastic jab aimed directly at Grave mind, the so-called leader of Everhold Dominion during their last confrontation. The crowd erupted into laughter and jeers. Many players had seen the battle firsthand through the various videos posted on the forum, and more had heard stories of how Raen had cut through Everhold Dominion like wheat before the scythe. To declare Grave mind as though he had been the "star of the show" was a humiliation disguised as praise, and the crowd loved it.
A cheer spread through the square. Excited voices overlapped:
"He really said it! Grave mind's 'ascension,' hah!"
"Master Raen is ruthless—I love it!"
"At least we'll get something today! With hundreds of kills, there has to be enough gear for everyone to try!"
The air buzzed with anticipation. Hope gleamed in every eye; even those who normally couldn't afford equipment were waiting eagerly. If they were lucky enough to snatch a piece, their strength could leap forward instantly.