"So this is an auction house"
Arlo did what every story character would do and came to an auction house.
Where else could he sell the item in his possession for the highest price?
The place he came to was the Blue Whale Auction House. It was an establishment bigger than many schools, with branches all over the world. Calling it the Amazon of his previous world wouldn't be far off the mark. At least, that's what Arlo knew.
After admiring the magnificent building for a bit longer, Arlo headed inside.
The interior was large and crowded.
The Blue Whale company didn't just deal with auctions; they also sold various items conventionally. In fact, it was known by many as a place where anything could be found, provided you had enough money. Currently, staff members were moving among many stands, assisting customers.
"Welcome, sir. What can I help you with?"
As soon as Arlo entered, a beautiful woman approached him and spoke with a lovely smile. Everyone working here was either a beautiful woman or a handsome man. Furthermore, they always had a practiced, beautiful smile on their faces. In this regard, it could be said that their service was top-tier.
"Hello, I wanted to submit an item to be put up for auction."
The woman spoke without letting her smile falter.
"Then please follow me, sir. The auction procedures are in the back."
The attendant led him through a corridor to a hall that was emptier than the previous one. At the end of the hall, there were 3 doors and a desk with 2 staff members in front of it. Besides that, there were a few seats where people inside could sit and have a drink.
"You will handle the procedures at the desk opposite, sir. I can only bring you this far. I hope you make a profitable transaction."
The attendant said her final words and left, and Arlo headed toward the desk.
"Welcome, what did you come for?"
Another beautiful woman greeted him, and Arlo spoke without hesitation.
"I want to submit an item for auction."
"Of course, sir. We need to inspect the item before putting it up for auction. Do you agree to this?"
"I do."
"Alright then, what kind of product were you intending to submit for auction?"
"A pill."
"Very well, sir. Your number is 8. Please enter the third room when your number is called. The product will be inspected there. Until then, you can sit and have a drink in the resting area as you wish."
"Understood."
Arlo shrugged and headed toward a seat, taking an orange juice before sitting down. The taste of the fruits here was also better than in his previous world. The difference was probably due not only to magic but also to the absence of artificial fertilizers.
Arlo waited there for a while, sipping his orange juice, before his number was called, and he slowly headed to the 3rd room.
The room was arranged extremely simply. There was only a table in the middle and two chairs facing each other. The rest of the room was empty. An elderly-looking man was sitting at one end of the chair, looking at him.
"Please, have a seat."
The old man invited him to sit, and Arlo nodded and sat down, taking out the box of the Ascent Pill from his inventory 'which was disguised as a small spatial pouch' and placing it on the table without prolonging the matter.
"An Ascent Pill."
The old man showed no reaction upon hearing this. It seemed he had seen treasures like this or even much better ones. He slowly opened the box and looked at the pill. He first smelled it, then took it in his hand and turned it over. After completing these processes, he put the pill back in the box and closed the lid.
"A genuine Ascent Pill. We can exhibit this at an auction. We have our weekly auction in 2 days, and our monthly auction in 2 weeks. Since the monthly auction will attract more people, the selling price might be higher there. Which one would you like to participate in?"
"The weekly auction is fine. No need to wait 2 weeks."
Arlo chose the weekly auction without hesitation. The main reason for choosing this was the system. Since he was developing quickly in a very short time with the system's quests and rewards, the money from this Ascent Pill might become insignificant in 2 weeks, or he might find something better to sell. Also, due to the unpredictable quests of the system, the more money he had on hand, the better.
"Very well, our auction house demands 5% of the sold amount after the sale. Do you approve of this?"
"I approve."
This was also a routine matter. After all, they weren't organizing these auctions for the sake of humanity.
Upon hearing this, the old man first picked up the box, then took out a contract and a card.
"This contract is a document proving that you have given us the right to sell the pill. It states the compensation we will provide if anything happens to the pill before the auction, and that we are not responsible for situations that occur during and after the sale. Please read and sign it properly. And this is your participation card for the auction. As a seller, you have the right to use the E-level private room. You can enter this room during the auction by showing this card."
Arlo indicated that he understood, quickly read the contract, and signed it after finding no issues. Then, he took the card and left the room.
"Fast and efficient. I like this place."
Since his business with the auction was over, he decided to buy the anesthetic material and healing potion while he was there. He hadn't been able to buy enough material with the money he had last time because he forgot about his big winnings.
---
A quest has been defined.
Quest Description: Smiling is like the glue that holds humanity together. With a smile, people can feel good, become friends, or even lovers.
Quest: Break the smile on a staff member's face.
Quest Reward: 15 EXP
---
'I was expecting something like this.'
Arlo was already accustomed to this situation, so he caught the attention of a staff member. As another beautiful woman approached him, Arlo sighed.
'All these women could have been models or at least minor internet celebrities in my previous world, but here they are just attendants. If people from my previous world saw this place, they would probably line up at the door.'
"Welcome, sir. What were you looking for?"
"Hello, do you happen to have a banana that has survived storms, been slapped by a monkey, and been stared at while a tiger passed by it?"
"No, sir."
Arlo couldn't help but be surprised by the woman's answer, given without a single change in her smile.
'A powerful opponent.'
"Well, do you happen to have a banana that has survived lightning, been slapped by a baby's butt, and been stared at while the baby's uncle passed by it?"
"No, sir."
"Well, do you happen to have a banana that has survived rain and mud, been slapped by the wind-generated slap of a dragon from 10 kilometers away, and been looked at by a small snake that is in love with that dragon while passing by it?"
"…"
The attendant finally reacted, her eyes twitching, and her smile becoming distorted. It was clear that she wanted to give the boy opposite her a good beating.
---
Quest completed.
Quest: Break the smile on a staff member's face.
Quest Reward: 15 EXP
---
Name: Arlo Klser
Level: 7th-Level Mage Apprentice
Abilities: Fireball (Medium) , Fire Wall (Medium), Line Movement Technique (High), Ancient Blacksmith King's Body (Basic)
EXP: 212/500
---
Although the reward was small, it was still a good profit considering how quickly he completed it.
"I was just joking, ma'am. I couldn't be stupid enough to ask for those, could I? I was going to buy anesthetic material and a healing potion. Would you help me?"
The woman's smile became even bigger than before, and she spoke.
"Of course, sir. I will bring you the 'best' anesthetic material and healing potion."
"…"
'Why do I feel like I'm being threatened?'
Arlo gulped as he watched the woman walk away cheerfully.
' The system's reward might be less than I thought. '
…
Arlo sighed as he 'safely' arrived home. He was going to get a genuine beating one day because of this system.
Fortunately, the attendant woman was conscientious and brought him decent materials. She even had such a benevolent smile that Arlo only tested the materials he bought twice. If that's not unconditional trust, what is?
After arriving home, the first thing he actually wanted to do was take a shower, but Arlo stopped because what he was about to do could make him even dirtier.
He sat on a chair and, with the habit he had acquired during the pain gamble the previous day, used the Training Combat Potion and the anesthetic material. After poking and lightly hitting himself a few times, he realized that the upper part of his arm was truly numb, so he picked up a stick he found outside and hit his arm hard.
Since the force from hitting with the stick was stronger than the punches received during the pain gamble, he smiled as a warm energy circulated inside him.
If someone saw him from outside right now, they would probably be scared. Someone who hits himself and smiles about it?
That was the very definition of masochism.
But Arlo didn't care. Of course, the reason he didn't care might also be because he was the only one here, but he didn't want to think about that right now.
After that, he continued in a cycle of heavy hitting, anesthetic, training combat potion, and healing potion supplement.
Fortunately, the Ancient Blacksmith King's Body Ability was not selective about the location of the hit. Thanks to this, he continued to hit his shoulder area, which was more durable and less likely to turn into a serious injury.
While Arlo continued this cycle, when he felt mentally, though not physically, exhausted, the finish line finally appeared in front of him.
---
Quest completed.
Quest: Raise the ability to Medium mastery.
Quest Reward: 60 EXP
---
Name: Arlo Klser
Level: 7th-Level Mage Apprentice
Abilities: Fireball (Medium) , Fire Wall (Medium), Line Movement Technique (High), Ancient Blacksmith King's Body (Medium)
EXP: 272/500
---
Arlo grinned as he lay down on the bed with relief after seeing this message.
"Who can defeat me with this kind of ingenuity?"