Chapter 64: An Unusual Spread

3 billion Holy Light Coins, huh…

Converted to the United Kingdom’s exchange rate, that’s 600 million gold coins, and that’s just the starting bid. Truly an astonishing price that can only be described as unbelievable.

But frankly, what truly piqued Miss Vilyric’s interest was the pearl itself and the almost indifferent attitude of a certain Saint of Bright Light nearby.

As the auctioneer mentioned earlier, demons are the arch-enemies of the Holy Empire and the Church of the Goddess. Not only in Mingguang City but even in places like Saint Star and lesser areas, anything related to demons would provoke uproar and would see the Temple unleashing all efforts to eliminate it.

That’s a nearly cost-irrelevant, somewhat radical all-or-nothing approach—anything involving demons must be thoroughly purified.

While it’s possible to vaguely guess that this may be some sort of plan concocted by the Lingyin Merchant Association and the Saint of Bright Light to satisfy their mutual needs, it would be a lie to say that Miss Vilyric wasn’t curious about the background.

Sensing such thoughts brewing, the Oracle sitting next to Miss White Fox merely “observed” the situation below while stroking his beard, explaining casually.

“Hehe, Miss Xī is probably pondering whether this Enchantment Pearl is truly as magical as advertised, and why our Lingyin Merchant Association dares to sell this item which contradicts the teachings of the Goddess, enough to be classified as [Forbidden]?”

Stealing a glance at the Saint beside him, he noticed her calm demeanor even after acknowledging the White Fox Girl’s gaze, smiling and nodding in response. Unable to contain her curiosity, Miss Vilyric could only reply honestly.

“Indeed, so is there some trick to this? Or is it simply a fake?”

“The Enchantment Pearl… is indeed real. Our Lingyin Merchant Association would never ruin our reputation like this, and the two points I just mentioned can actually be explained with one answer.”

The Oracle lowered his head slightly, and although a piece of black fabric covered his eyes, it certainly didn’t prevent his true gaze from reaching where it should, he said calmly.

“This Enchantment Pearl is incomplete.”

“What?”

Before Miss White Fox could continue questioning, this usually reticent odd old man unexpectedly began to elaborate.

“The real Enchantment Pearl is indeed one of the treasures possessed by the King of Corrosion, wielding an unimaginable power to mesmerize. However, this treasure was shattered into two pieces during a demon invasion long ago, in the battle between the King of Corrosion and some powerful being. What our Lingyin Merchant Association possesses is merely one half.”

“The relationship between the two is akin to that of a potion and its catalyst. Just as a catalyst loses its value without the main component, the potion, even with its incredible power, can only exert a tenth of its might without the catalyst. Thus, even if it falls into the wrong hands, it wouldn’t incite a great upheaval.”

“Uh… So in the end, isn’t this just selling fake goods?”

At the unrelenting jab from Miss White Fox, the Oracle merely stroked his beard and chuckled.

“How is it fake? This is indeed the main part of the Enchantment Pearl owned by the King of Corrosion, and it truly possesses a dreadful ability to disturb the mind. Our Lingyin Merchant Association hasn’t falsified any description, and do you really think this information could be hidden from the many top-tier powers gathered below?”

“Uh? Oh…”

Miss Vilyric wasn’t stupid; just a slight hint from the Oracle was enough for her to comprehend the rationale and motive behind it.

The bidding below had soared to 700 million Holy Light Coins in a very short time, and it seemed on the verge of crossing the 1 billion mark. The entities or organizations participating in such fierce bidding at least had national backing, and it was even possible for one or two level-breaking old monsters to be hiding among them.

With the intelligence capabilities of these guys, they must have known that today’s auctioned Enchantment Pearl was just half of the real thing, but they still flocked to it furiously. Naturally, the reason could only be one.

They were competing for that “possibility.”

The possibility of possessing a complete Enchantment Pearl.

It was akin to piecing together a treasure map; an individual piece might seem worthless, but considering the huge benefits of completing the entire map, it was indeed enough to make these moneyed folks fight tooth and nail.

Thus, one question naturally followed.

“Has there been a clue about the whereabouts of the other half?”

This time, it wasn’t the Oracle responding, but the Saint of Bright Light sitting on the other side, who had been quietly observing the crowd frantically bidding below.

“While we haven’t pinpointed the exact location, reliable information indicates that the other half of the Enchantment Pearl is currently within the Holy Country’s borders, most likely in the eastern region near the City of Angels.”

Within Yuna’s clear blue eyes, a flash of golden light seemed to pass.

“The recent surge of demonic disturbances in the Holy Country—you must have heard about it being discussed here, Miss Xī. What do you think, why did those demons suddenly appear in the east?”

“Oh, that’s…”

Hmm… How formidable could this Enchantment Pearl be, causing demons from another world to launch a full-scale invasion just to get their hands on it?

It was a bit hard to gauge from such a distance, and I wondered what the complete version would be like. However, considering that the four Demon Lords are said to possess god-like powers, even being unable to enter this world themselves, it’s not unimaginable.

In the midst of laughter, the bidding below actually broke through the 1 billion Holy Light Coins mark. The bidders seemed to have gone a bit crazy, starting to add valuable treasures like magic crystal ores along with their insufficient funds, going all out as if they were ready to sell their homes and families to secure it.

Really ridiculous…

The Priestess couldn’t help but gasp; the 1 billion Holy Light Coins was such a staggering number that Miss Vilyric could no longer form a clear understanding of its value.

One must know that a top-tier purple magical weapon that even ordinary legendary strong could use in their coffin was valued at around 10 million United Kingdom gold coins, at most fluctuating by two to three times.

Uh, so how many would equal 1 billion then?

While I didn’t know the exact annual tax revenue of the Holy Empire, I estimated it to be a huge amount at least over several years. If the Lingyin Merchant Association sold such items daily, it really wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they could rival nations.

Amidst such aimless contemplation, Miss Vilyric suddenly sensed something unusual.

Wait a minute, something seems off?

Listening to the increasingly absurd quotes and collateral demands below, practically sounding like they were about to sell off their wives and children, the incessant loud shouts, along with the auctioneer’s deliberate avoidance of looking at the pearl glowing with a hazy pink light…

Miss White Fox’s silver-blue eyes gradually narrowed beneath her mask.

It was understandable to spend huge sums to compete for that possibility, but weren’t these guys behaving a bit too crazily?

   

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