GrandMaster Level

"Raven-n-n-n…"

Raven didn't say anything but just stare at the screen. She didn't seem to even worry about outcome. Ethan was sweating enough to make a thin layer of sweat below his seat. He is just hoping that someone else bid higher than that.

"This item goes to… 25!"

Ethan was looking at the screen and Raven repeatedly. What the hell will they do now?! These might even tear them apart and sell them out just to get their money. Should they run? Of course, they should.

"…Raven-n, let's run. We might still have chance to-"

"…Shut up…"

Ethan turned silent at her calm and annoyed words. He wants to say lots of things and his lips keep trembling as if they want to say many words but he is unable to do that since she told him to shut his mouth.

"Do you think I don't know what I am doing?"

"…"

"…Just wait and watch… I have plans. You don't need to worry about anything. I also have enough money on me to buy those guns ten times and there will still be enough to buy another set of ten."

"…"

Ethan starts calculating in his mind. Five to ten will cost around five billion-

"Billions…!"

Raven just glanced at him with annoyance from the corner of the eyes. She returned her focus to auction and waited for her items to come. Ethan keeps mumbling about something that she didn't want to hear or understand.

It was finally there… the Mind Seed! Screen starts showing specification about the items and its benefits. The silver stone with diamond-like structure contains a condensed silver ball which forms a spherical aura around it.

Anything helpful to S-Ranks or above in Human Domain can't be bought with just money. This auction was same thing but they only wanted to keep it open to everyone in name. There is no way anyone will even bother to bid against Collin.

"It's called Mind Seed. It is helpful in improving mental strength of the consumer. It can even help those to level-up their Rune proficiency level in expert level or above. It can also improve charm of user so bachelors better empty your banks now…"

Ethan looked at him dryly at his bad joke. Can someone even laugh at it?

"Bid starts with one… billion…"

[1,000,000,000 C]

Ethan still felt thrilled as he heard the amount. It shows the meaning of S-Rank overall. Ethan glanced at his side and looked at Raven who was sitting with calm and indifferent attitude. Bid had already starts and she hadn't done anything but Ethan has a feeling that she won't just sit tight…

"Two billion…"

[2,000,000,000 C]

And he was right. She had already done her bid before anyone else. Ethan starts hating her whims, can she be more reliable?

"…Is that what you think about your boss?"

!

"…I still believe that you are most beautiful woman I had ever meets and will meet in my life."

[3,000,000,000 C]

"…So, you are saying that only body and face is going on for me?"

"No, No way. You have wonderful personality like an angel…"

[4,000,000,000 C]

"…I don't like being compared with them…"

"…Fairy…?"

[5,000,000,000 C]

"That sounds childish…"

"…"

[6,000,000,000 C]

"… I- I admire you…"

"Hmm…That can save your life…"

She put her finger on her lower lips as if she is contemplating if it's worth sparing him or not.

"…Since when are we dealing with my life?"

Both of them were in casual conversation with each other… at the least one of them believes it to be casual. There is a room besides them diagonally which holds the pair of two people. One of them was gritting his teeth while staring at the room that he assumed to be 25.

"…These trashes! Does they not know that I am the one bidding for it?"

The one who talked was none other than Collin Morgan. He was getting frustrated by this bid. He already expected it to fall in his hand but these people… he can't believe that there are people who will stand against him!

Money is not a problem for him. He had more than enough to buy ten of them but the problem is scarcity! Mind Seed had shown itself after three decades again, he didn't even want to imagine when it would be found again. He wants to get it in his hand at all cost!

[10,000,000,000 C]

Bid had finally reached in ten billion. He can't believe that it reached at this price! If bid increases more by same amount then even he would have hard time catching up to it.

"Ten Billion… one, two, three … sold!"

Phew.

Collin sighs in relief. He was a worried for a second about what would happen. It seems they don't have enough money on them. It's good but that doesn't mean he will let them off.

"… Let's pay a visit to this 25 later…"

"…Sure."

His partner agreed without much thought. Everyone know that today, Collin Morgan, One of the strongest RuneMaster is coming in this auction for Mind Seed. He wonders if who is it that tried to bid against him. He is genuinely interested in them…

He didn't wait for too long and mind stone was delivered to the room. His face was all gleamed when he saw the attendant entering the room with an airtight square glass case and a silver stone was shining with a spherical aura.

Glass opened in a mechanical manner. Attendant was in awe as he looked at the aura around it. It just gives him a feeling that it contains something mysterious. He looked above the esteemed guest but notice a frown on his face. The esteemed guest opens his mouth after some time.

"…Is this some kind of prank?"

"Yes sir…?"

"…This is fake!"

Collin erupted in anger. Mana turns heavy and choked the air out of him. The Mind Stone falls and breaks in small pieces and the light around dims down until it turn into white stones.

Collins charges out of the room and spread his mana sense. He was able to check whole building with it and something catches his eyes.

Boom…

A loud explosion rang out and shaking whole auction house. Whole building is visibly shaking and things are falling down out of balance with it. Collins starts drawing runes for teleportation.

!

He felt a huge circulation of mana in his mana sense. He focused more and noticed that a thread of mana between the certain points and huge circle which covers the whole auction house.

"What is going?"

"…Are we under attack?"

"…What the hell?"

"… Call the manager!"

Everyone comes out of their room as to see what happened. The magnitude of earthquake was too high, caused by explosion. In middle of that, Collin was looking like he had eaten shit. He can see everything and tell that he might have lost his chance to acquired Mind Seed forever!

"…Sir, Collin. Do you have any idea about what is going on?"

"…We are trapped here…There is a huge rune drawn which covers the whole auction house if he someone tried to leave the area of rune or mess with it. It will cause an explosion strong enough to obliterate this auction house from the face of the earth."

"…Sir, You're a RuneMaster! You can easily solve any runes with a flick of hand! So, hurry up!"

"…I can't… It was design in a way so that it will explode if someone tried to solve it…"

His expression was grave. He didn't think something like this would have happen. He utterly regrets letting it comes out like this. He should have just use his connections to get in first place. He lost all chances of obtaining it now!

He wasn't here when the Mind Seed was found. If he was, he wouldn't even let it see the light of the day. He would have done everything he can to get it!

"Sir…"

Manager finally shows his ugly head in front of him. He wants to grab his head and smash into all this shining walls of auction house. It's his entire fault!

"…Sir, Please help us, we don't know what happen but it seems we are under attack…"

Collin was trying his best to calm himself down. He can't kill him now there might be some chance to get the mind seed back.

"Sir, we are willing to pay any price, if you can-"

Smash.

Collin flicked his hand and huge mana smash the manager into his beautiful walls. Collin took a deep breath. He needs to do it because he might end up killing this guy otherwise.

Many People climbs floor and starts gathering in this floor as they heard about him and manager.

"…Sir, Collin, What is going on?"

He just gave a short brief to them that made them understand that it is not something he can do.

"…A Rune has been drawn using this auction house as a center if tried to escape or disturb the rune then it will explode that will causes an explosion strong enough to turn this whole building into dust. It also blocks my mana sense."

Everyone looked at each other in shock. Someone of such level had done something like that anyone didn't even get a sniff of it. He suddenly imagine what would happen if the same person had tried to kill them. They wouldn't even know how they would die!

"…But…What was their motive?"

Everyone turned toward the voice and fell into thought. What was the reason for all of this? Their heads turns toward Collin almost simultaneously. All of them were able to guess what happened after looking at his expression. He was the only one who doesn't seem to be looking good in any shape.

But none of them even bother to ask him. They knows that asking him anything along the line will be same as rubbing salt to his wound and depending on his mood, their lives will be least of their worries right now!

!

Collin raised his head and felt that runes drawn over the auction house had vanished. Time is up! His figure vanished and stands above the auction house over a hundred meter height…

He expands his mana sense. His mana sense can very well explored over kilometers but nothing comes to his sense that might be related to culprit of this whole incident. His mind suddenly traced back to 25. What if they are related to this incident?

Collin would never go with such a dumb guess but currently even if someone lied to him, he will rather believe it than ignore it.

The mind seed is not just any resources that he can found. It is a rare resource that enhances the quality of mental strength! It will same as drawing runes but the effect it will cause will be twice as normally it should be. He is willing to do anything to get his hand on it! He believes that Mind Seed is the thing that will let him increase his proficiency level and reach legendary Grandmaster level!

In Human Domain, There is no Human who had reached the proficiency level of Grandmaster in Runes. Human at best had only reach RuneMaster level. If he becomes one then he would be writing a history by himself! He would become a legend!

His figure vanished from the sky. He would stops at nothing to get his hand on Mind Seed. It's his only way to reach the level he always dreamed of… He would do whatever it takes to reach this level, even if he had to destroy this auction house and kill everyone in this building by his own hand!