26 Scamming Jason
"Hey David, are you perhaps here to buy something?" Jason asked with a mischievous smile.
"No, I was here to eat food. Why else would I be here if I don't want to buy something, you dipshit," David replied while pressing his head. He knew that Jason could hinder him from obtaining the soul stone.
The expansive hall buzzed with anticipation as the auctioneer, a distinguished figure in a tailored suit, stepped onto the stage. A hushed silence fell over the attendees, their eyes fixed on the podium.
"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed patrons of the trade, welcome to tonight's auction conducted by 'Bid Emporium'.Let's quickly go through the rules before we embark on this exciting journey."
The auctioneer's voice resonated, clear and commanding, outlining the procedures with practised eloquence. Bidders leaned forward, absorbing the instructions, eager to engage in the upcoming bidding war.
"Rule number one: Bid cards at the ready. Each of you holds the power to sway the fate of these exceptional items. Rule two: No disturbances during the auction. We pride ourselves on providing a sophisticated environment for our esteemed clients. Rule number three: Once the items are handed over to their respective new owners, it is not the responsibility of our organisation to take action if any feud occurs over that item."
"And now, without further ado, let the auction commence! Our first item is an exquisite longsword. It is of Uncommon rarity and applies the 'poisoned' status effect on enemies injured by this sword. Bidding starts at... a modest value of 1 Silver coin or 100 Copper Coins."
"110"
"120"
"130"
The bidding had begun.
David was not interested in most of the items, knowing that he would quickly hit their level restriction. He just wanted a soul stone to complete the part of his quest Rowe gave him.
He was lost in his thoughts when the auctioneer's voice reached his ears, "The next item is an excellent one. Its name is 'Frostfang Bite, ' a rare-tier sword. It can inflict frost damage to enemies, and the enemies damaged by it have reduced agility. It's a top-tier item for people in Beginner's Town and even a good item for small guilds in the kingdom. The bidding will begin at 10 silver coins."
Suddenly, the crowd became silent, focussing on the new item. David looked to his sides, and he could see both Sarah and Jason were keen on buying this item.
"Sarah, I would like to buy this item as a gift to you, " Jason said, grinning.
"Hah, ain't no way Sarah will fall for that! She is a smart and independent gamer!" David thought.
"Okay", Sarah said to Jason. Sarah's reply once again told David how unpredictable a woman can be.
David tilted to his right, whispering in Sarah's ears, "Why are you listening to that asshole?"
"It's free money", Sarah giggled.
"I submitted that sword, so indeed, free money. Help me out there, okay?" David grinned, ready to extort money from his dearest friend Jason.
"6 Silver coins!" a player in the back shouted from behind, but Jason immediately outbid him, "7".
David joined the fray, "701 Copper coins!"
Other plays quickly joined the bidding war,
"750"
"800"
"1000"
"You guys think you can measure up to me?" Jason grunted as he outbid everyone who wanted the sword. "2000 Copper Coins"
-silence-
It was just the first area, and not many people had gained the chance to earn a lot of money to spend in an auction over an item.
Noticing that the crowd had gone silent, the auctioneer smiled, "2000 going once, 2000 going twice!"
"3000 copper coins!" David spoke up, looking at Jason with a subtle smile.
"35 Silver coins", Jason shouted, but David gave calm replies, outbidding him by a single coin. "36."
"40!"
"41"
"45!"
"46"
"50!" Jason shouted again and looked at David with bloodshot eyes.
"If you want it that badly, you should have it!" David grinned and started to clap. "Let's clap for this young gentleman, who will greatly impress a woman. Even gacha gamers weren't this try hard."
The crowd started to clap and laugh at Jason, mocking him for spending a fortune on a rare sword for a girl.
Jason stomped towards the auctioneer, snatching the sword from her hands. He was about to dismiss the sword when David shouted again, "Are you not even going to give it to the girl now? That's a shame."
"Damnit, this bitch", Jason glared at David before handing the sword to Sarah and sitting at some distance away from them.
"You really are an asshole", Sarah smiled while looking at her new sword.
"Pleasure's mine!" David grinned. He sat back and relaxed, watching the rest of the auction unfold. He had 50 silver coins in his purse and was dreaming about how he would spend his money.
"Maybe Tom can take the Wizard, and I will take her colleague or something. With this much money, I can buy a small cottage and live with her in some village."
While David was daydreaming about how he would spend his money, the auctioneer brought the final item for today's auction.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you again for attending today's auction. I would like to present the last item for the auction to you. A 'Soul Stone'!"
"A soul what? What the heck is that?" some players started to murmur, not knowing the item's usage.
David opened his eyes, "Give the item to me!" he muttered, waiting for the auctioneer to tell the bidding price.
"And the bidding price is 50 Silver coins!" the auctioneer said gently.
"goodbye, hot Wizard. Cottage, life", David thought, as he gave all his money and received the Soul stone in return.
"50 FUCKING COINS!!? Did Rowe expect me to fucking rob a bank or what? How would I have had that much money!"
"What if I was a good citizen and hadn't scammed Jason?"
"This damned world is the reason I have turned into an evil psychopath!!" David grumbled as he stomped from the auction house, heading towards his next destination, 'Boneyard Catacombs'
Meanwhile, in the graveyard, Rowe had been having hiccups for half an hour.
"Who the hell is talking about me!"
