Chapter 46 (painful reflection)

As the auction bid continued, Drake and the others seated properly. "Please, senior, you can meet us at the end of the auction." Mark said, respectively. His voice was audible enough for Malachi on the second floor to hear.

"Yes, I will certainly compensate for it." Malachi replied with a sign of relief. "There's no need for that. Think of this as our way of eradicating evil and embracing goodwill." Mark responded.

Drake looked at him surprisingly, wondering why Mark would give up the Elixir when he clearly needs it. "But Mark, I am curious why you are giving it up, especially as a fist combatant who relies on strengthening his body. The human body has its limit on how much strength it can develop." His shock was evident.

"That's true under normal circumstances." Mark replied, "But my family technique allows us to break beyond human limits. There's even a legend in my family that it can elevate our physique to a transcendent level." He said a smile spread across Drake's face.

"I see, so that's why you believed you could become stronger without the academy's support." He concluded

The auction has two categories, which are the Elixir bidding and the weaponry bidding. "That all for the elixir category. Let's move on to the next category, the weaponry auctioning." Lily said, ringing the bell once again to signal the transition.

As she finished, an auction staff member strided up to the podium where Lily stood, holding a tray covered with a blue cloth. "The first weapon up for auction." Lily declared and pulled back the cloth, revealing a set of star-shaped darts.

"Is the Ripple Star Dart?" She held up one of the darts. "This Ripple Star Dart is a moderate resonance-grade weapon and one of the tools left behind by a well-known figure from the prominent Leif assassin family, Greg Leif."

At the mention of the famous assassin, the auction buzzed with shock, making Drake curious about the notorious figure. He turned to Mark. "Who is that famous assassin?"

Mark cleared his throat. "To make it brief. Do you remember Hunter Leif from our class?" Drake nodded. "The one with a cold gaze and white hair who rarely talked with anyone." He said.

"Yes." Mark continued. "He and this famous assassin both come from the prominent Leif family; in other words, Greg Leif is actually Hunter's uncle. The Leif family is known for their assassination techniques. Originally, they weren't a family but an organisation that worked for money by eliminating people on behalf of their clients. But overtime, they became a family thanks to their techniques and amassed wealth." Mark explained.

"I see. No wonder Hunter's has a cold gaze." Drake thoughtfully said. Back at the podium. Lily continued. "The bidding price starts at 10 gold coins." She had barely finished her sentence when bids started pouring from all sides. "15 gold coins."

A man among the clientele on the grand floor placed his bid. "25 gold coins." "30 gold." Bidding continued.

Meanwhile, Ronan sat silently, his mind still in turmoil from what Drake did to him, feeling frustrated by his inability to retaliate. Suddenly, "100 gold coins." A voice called out from another room on the third floor.

Both Drake's and Ronan's rooms recognised the voice, belonging to Hunter Leif. He had come to reclaim what belonged to his family. Both Drake and Ronan decided to back down, not wanting to make an enemy of him.

Another tray was brought to the podium for bid. Lily pulled the clothes, revealing the next item. A grey scabbard. Lily picked it up and moved towards the edge of the podium, closer to the crowds.

"This sword is called the 'Sliver Moon Blade' because it glows white like a moon in the dark sky." She drew the sword from its scabbard, displaying a 2.3-foot sliver blade with a grip about 7 inches long.

"It's also a moderate resonance-grade weapon. There's even a rumour that the sword can pierce through a rock like a knife through a cake." She slid the sword back into its scabbard. "The bidding price starts at 300 gold coins," she said, ringing the bell twice.

"Let's the bidding begin." She announced. This unique sword caught everyone's attention, including Drake and Ronan. The room filled with noise as bids came in for the sword.

Meanwhile, both Drake and Ronan kept their eyes on each other, each planning their next decision as Drake decided to let go of the sword, aiming instead to embarrass Ronan.

He coughed loudly, prompting Mark and the others to wonder what he's up to. Ronan, already convinced that anything he bid on will be outbid by Drake, raised his sliver badge. "500 gold coin." He called out, shocking the crowds, who began to see him as reckless for going high. Ronan waited for Drake to respond, but no reply.

Although Drake has 498 gold coins remaining from Lena and 304 slivers from Maximus and also has interest in this unique sword, he chooses to make this sacrifice to give Ronan an unforgettable memory: "500 gold coins going once, going twice." Lily rang the bell three times. " Congratulations to room 10 on the third floor for successfully bidding the Sliver Moon Blade.

Ronan shouted out of desperation. "Wait, it was a slip of the tongue. I didn't mean to bid on it." He quickly tried to backpedal, worrying about violating one of the auction's strict rules that stated, "Don't bid beyond your financial means, or you will be deemed to be playing a prank on the auction," with the offender facing severe penalties.

The crowds burst into laughter; even Lily, who usually composes on the podium, couldn't help but laugh.

Drake seized the moment. "What's all this? Aren't you ashamed?" You brought your arrogant and immature behaviour into the auction, filled with people from different places. If I were you, I wouldn'tbe able to hold my head high again." He mocked him, fuelling the intense atmosphere.

"Hey, who are you, a nobody to insult him?" Griffin retorted. "Fine, you bootlicker,instead of you pleading for your master, here you are exchanging insults." Mark fired back at Griffin.

Roman's embarrassment grew as others that he had provoked, especially the man from the bronze floor whom he denied the bid.

The heated scene finally subsided when a voice came from a room on the sliver floor. "I will take the sword, but I only have 350 gold coins." Victoria called out.

After a long deliberation, Ronan was forced to pay the difference to complete the 500 gold coins, and the auction resumed.

"The next auction item." Lily said, pulling the cloth on the tray. "Is the Starmap Seepter?" She announced