Chapter 26

Night had fallen, and the slum city grew even livelier than before. Still wearing his wooden mask, Aslan walked toward the city center. Just as the tavern waiter had mentioned, the auction was being held in a large building that looked far more majestic than any of the other structures nearby. There were no guards at the entrance—only two masked individuals standing silently on either side, seemingly judging each person who entered.

Without hesitation, Aslan stepped inside. The room was filled with people wearing all kinds of masks—some ornate, others as plain as Aslan's wooden one. Not a single face could be seen. Crystal lamps hung from the ceiling, casting a soft golden glow that added a mysterious aura to the place.

In the middle of the room stood a large stage. The auction was about to begin. Aslan chose a seat near the center—close enough to see the items clearly, but not so close as to draw attention.

An elderly man wearing a white mask stepped onto the stage. His voice was deep and full of authority.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to tonight's auction! As always, we'll be presenting rare and high-value items. Remember—here, there are no laws except those you agree upon yourselves. No refunds, no complaints. The highest bidder takes all. Now then, let us begin!"

The auction started with common items—weapons, potions, and talismans said to hold various powers. But Aslan wasn't interested in any of that. He was waiting for the items the tavern waiter had mentioned.

Finally, something caught his attention.

"Our next item is quite unique! A doll that can perfectly mimic a person's body!" the auctioneer announced.

An assistant brought out a small, human-shaped doll on a tray. It was pure white, lacking any expression or physical details.

"Don't be fooled by its appearance! This doll can absorb its owner's energy and transform into an almost perfect replica—appearance, scent, even behavior. However, it only lasts for one day, and if it's destroyed while in human form, it can't be used again. Imagine the possibilities for disguise or deception! Your enemies won't even know it's not the real you. Starting bid—five tier-five monster cores!"

Aslan paused to consider. The item was interesting, but not something he urgently needed. After a few rounds of bidding, the doll was sold for eight tier-five cores. Aslan couldn't see who won the item from where he sat.

Then came the next item.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we now present a rare treasure—The Holong Orb!"

The auctioneer held up a small golden orb that shimmered faintly with a mysterious glow.

"This orb is said to bring luck to its owner—whether in battle, business, or everyday life. However, it requires regular sacrifices of monster blood each month. Fail to provide them, and the owner will suffer misfortune. Starting bid—ten tier-five monster cores!"

Aslan narrowed his eyes. The orb was interesting, but costly to maintain and carried risks.

Bidding started quickly. Aslan remained silent, watching the crowd's eagerness to obtain it. In the end, the orb was sold to a large, intimidating man—possibly dangerous, from the way he looked.

Then came the final item—a black crystal ball. At first, the crowd was puzzled.

The auctioneer grinned widely. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached the final—and possibly the most valuable—item of the night!"

"What's so valuable about that? It's only worth a tier-four core," someone scoffed.

"You may think it's just a recording orb. Many of you own such things. But this one is different. What makes it special is what's inside! This orb contains a recording of The Legend—the strongest man of all time—training one of his techniques: the Heaven-Splitting Slash!"

Gasps filled the room. Even Aslan was stunned.

The strongest man in history was a figure who once shook the world with his unmatched power—someone who singlehandedly destroyed a kingdom and made even Grandpa Erwin kneel and beg for mercy.

The Heaven-Splitting Slash was a technique he used in his early appearances. Though he only used it once, it was said to split mountains and obliterate anything in its path—even when used by someone not at a high level.

Almost no one knew how the technique was executed. And now… this orb supposedly contained a recording of that?

"Starting bid—fifty tier-six monster cores," the auctioneer announced.

Aslan's mind reeled. Ten tier-one cores equaled one tier-two. The same ratio continued up to tier five. But tier-six cores were different—one was worth a hundred tier-five cores. Though they only boosted Tors energy ten times more than tier-five, they had permanent enhancement effects—and were extremely rare. Even with everything in his pouch, Aslan couldn't afford this orb.

Thankfully, Grandpa Erwin had once witnessed the legend perform this technique. The concept wasn't too different from Erwin's own magical sword technique, though its destructive power was only half as strong.

"Why would someone auction it off here?" someone muttered.

"Are you stupid? If he tried selling it to nobles, they'd just kill him and take it."

"120 tier-five cores!" someone suddenly shouted.

"150 tier-five cores!" another responded.

Aslan could only watch as the bidding war intensified. The prices far exceeded his wealth. One by one, bidders gave up—until only two remained.

"One tier-seven monster core!" someone finally declared.

Silence.

No one dared to outbid that.

The auctioneer smiled with satisfaction. "One tier-seven monster core. Going once, going twice… sold!" The winner was the same man who had purchased the Holong Orb.

As the auction ended, guests began to leave one by one. Aslan stood as well, his mind still lingering on the recording orb. That technique must have been incredibly special, considering the strongest man always used it at the start of his battles.

"Even useless items linked to the strongest man can fetch insane prices. If not for the rules in this place, there might've been bloodshed."

"I wonder what kind of person enforces the rules here," Aslan said, gazing up at the moon.

To be continued…