Chapter50-RUN!

As Owen watched Melina speaking confidently on the stage, he finally understood why she hadn't told him where she would appear.

It seemed she had anticipated that his curiosity would bring him to Auction Hall Three.

"I'm sure you've all been waiting for quite some time, so without further ado, let's officially begin today's auction. Please bring out the first item," Melina announced.

As soon as her voice fell, the center of the stage floor sank, and an iron cage rose from the opening.

Inside the cage was a barely clothed, filthy woman. Her pointed ears indicated she was an elven girl.

Melina calmly glanced at the elven girl in the cage and said, "As you can see, the first item up for auction today is this elven slave. After a bloodline test, it was confirmed that she possesses one-third royal elven blood. Having her as the first item certainly sets a strong start. The starting bid is 30 million gold coins, with a minimum increment of 1 million. The cap is 50 million. If the bid exceeds 50 million, this item will automatically move to Auction Hall Four."

Almost as soon as Melina's voice faded, bids started pouring in.

"32 million."

"33 million."

"35 million."

After several rounds of bidding, the price had already crossed the 40 million mark, approaching the limit.

Seeing the indifferent faces of the bidders, Owen felt a chill run down his spine.

He had never thought of himself as a saint, but watching an elven girl locked in a cage and sold as a commodity was something he found difficult to stomach.

However, inside the auction hall, it seemed that only Owen was uncomfortable with the situation.

Even the other women and Melina on stage showed no signs of emotion.

To them, the girl in the cage was not a person, but merely a product with a price tag.

"47 million. The price is close to 50 million. If anyone raises the bid further, the item will likely move to Auction Hall Four. Does anyone wish to continue?"

Looking at the calm, expressionless man bidding in front of him, Owen clenched his jaw, his face growing darker.

A living, breathing person—valued at 49 million gold coins.

The elven girl's vacant eyes suggested she had long become accustomed to being sold as a commodity.

There was no trace of fear in her gaze; in fact, there was no trace of any emotion at all.

"Does anyone wish to continue bidding? If not, the price for the first item will remain at 47 million."

In all honesty, the price had already gone far beyond expectations.

While elven slaves had been auctioned before, their prices usually ranged around a few million.

This case was special due to her royal blood and her exceptional beauty, even though she was covered in filth. Anyone could tell she had the potential to be an extraordinary beauty.

"47 million, going once... 47 million, going twi—"

"49 million."

Yes, just before the hammer fell, Owen fulfilled his agreement with Melina and raised the bid to the limit.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Melina's lips slowly curved into a smile, a glint of amusement flashing in her eyes.

"49 million. Someone has bid 49 million—the highest price in this area. If there are no further bids, this item will remain here.

49 million, going once!

49 million, going twice!

49 million, sold!"

As the hammer fell with a heavy thud, Melina's face bloomed into a smile as she glanced toward Owen in the corner. "Congratulations to this gentleman for winning the first item of the day. The funds will be automatically deducted from your account, and the item will be delivered to you after the auction concludes."

"Give her something to wear," Owen said, tossing a robe. The emblem of Crossbridge Academy on its chest was particularly eye-catching, and everyone in the hall saw it clearly.

"As you wish."

Since the elven girl was now Owen's property, it was his decision how to treat her, and Melina had no authority to interfere.

The robe was passed into the cage, and the elven girl hesitated for a moment, looking at Owen as if to ask, "Is this for me?"

After some hesitation, she slowly draped the robe over her shoulders, curling into a small ball. Her frail body trembled slightly beneath the robe.

"Wait... yes, I understand."

On stage, Melina suddenly lowered her head and, after a brief moment of contemplation, calmly said, "I've just received word that there's been a slight change in the auction rules. From now on, auctioned items will be handed over to the buyers immediately, rather than waiting until the auction ends."

As she spoke, Melina deactivated the lightning barrier around the cage and opened it.

"So, buyer, you may take her with you now."

Catching the cunning gleam in Melina's eye, Owen smiled knowingly.

A "sudden change" in the rules? It was obvious Melina was giving him special treatment.

After all, if things unfolded the way she had hinted, and the apocalyptic disaster struck before the auction concluded, Owen would have wasted nearly 50 million gold coins for nothing.

Leading the elven girl out of the cage, Owen returned to the corner.

Looking closely at her profile, Owen couldn't help but be amazed.

As expected of a member of one of the most beautiful races in the world, even her side profile was almost perfect.

Her features were delicate, and her golden shoulder-length hair fell softly around her face. Her elven ears, thin and slightly reddish, looked soft to the touch.

"Do you have a name?"

Owen's sudden question startled the elven girl. She turned her head toward him, looking confused and tilting her head slightly, clearly not understanding his question.

"Do you not understand me? Elves speak the human language, right?"

"Name... don't understand."

"What do you mean by 'don't understand' a name? Hmm... let me put it this way. A name is your identity. People will call you by your name. Once you have a name, you're no longer someone else's slave, no longer just a commodity."

"I don't have... a name."

Hearing the elven girl's soft yet brief voice, Owen sighed deeply and said in a steady tone, "My name is Owen. From now on, I'm your companion."

"Master?"

"No, a companion. You don't understand right now, but you will soon."

Owen took out a handkerchief, dampened it with water magic, and gently wiped away the dirt from the girl's face.

Her fair, smooth skin finally emerged, and even someone as worldly as Owen couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she was.

But...

Owen had fulfilled his agreement with Melina by buying the girl, but now he was faced with a new problem: What should he do next?

Taking her back with him didn't seem appropriate.

But after thinking it over, Owen realized he didn't have anyone else he could entrust her to.

The elven girl seemed to be only in her teens, but elves were a long-lived race, and this girl was likely over a hundred years old, though she still had a youthful appearance.

"What a headache…"

Meanwhile, the auction continued.

The second item was a forbidden-tier magic scroll, seemingly capable of casting a large-scale destructive spell.

It sold for 39.5 million gold coins, but Owen wasn't impressed.

To Owen, forbidden-tier magic could be cast at any time, so he had no interest in it.

But for most others, a scroll sealed with forbidden-tier magic was a treasure that could turn the tide of a battle.

Used properly, it could heavily injure or even kill a sage-tier mage.

"And now, we present the third item—a damaged mana core of a Nine-Eyed Serpent. Originally half-god tier, the mana core's quality has dropped to sage-tier due to the damage. Starting bid is 34 million, with minimum increments of 1.5 million."

Some items are destined to be sold in the higher auction halls from the start.

For example, this mana core.

If it were in perfect condition, it would easily fetch over 100 million gold coins.

Even in its damaged state, it was worth about 70 million.

So being auctioned in Hall Three was merely a formality.

"50 million gold coins... Since the bid has reached the maximum for this hall, the item will now move to Auction Hall Four."

The buyers knew this item couldn't be acquired for less than 50 million. Even if they tried to stall at 49 million, the auction house would have planted bidders to push the price to its proper value.

So within three rounds of bidding, the price had already reached 50 million, and the auction quickly moved on to the next item.

As the crowd continued to place their bids, Owen noticed, out of the corner of his eye, a figure shrouded in a black robe entering the auction hall.

For some reason, seeing this figure made Owen feel uneasy.

The aura emanating from the figure made Owen's heart race with alarm!

Owen couldn't even discern the figure's level of power, but the instinctive feeling of repulsion was undeniable.

Even more strange, no one else in the hall seemed to notice the figure's presence except him.

"Congratulations, the buyer has successfully purchased the Dwarven Master Craftsman's Wolf Fang Necklace for 37 million gold coins. Now, let's move on to the seventh item of the day."

A stunning woman walked onto the stage, swaying her hips as she carried a tray with a rather luxurious-looking box.

After opening the box, Melina introduced the item. "Our seventh item, of unknown origin, has baffled even our most experienced appraisers. However, one thing is certain.

This item can significantly enhance the physical body's strength by several levels.

However, since its side effects are unknown, the starting price is 30 million gold coins. Buyers, please consider the risks before bidding. Minimum increments are 500,000."

Items like this often appeared in auctions.

The auction house didn't care about the provenance of the goods. They were merely a platform, a mediator.

You bring your items, and they sell them.

It's as simple as that.

Whether the original owner came seeking revenge later was not the auction house's concern, and everyone was well aware of this fact.

This item was no different. No one cared where it came from. As long as you paid, you could take it home.

However, "significantly enhancing physical strength" was a vague concept.

Did it raise strength to a specific level, or did it multiply the current strength?

The former is a fixed increase, allowing someone to leap from one level to a hundred.

The latter depends on the individual's base strength.

Even if it multiplies strength tenfold, if the base is one, ten times one is still just ten.

But honestly, Owen was somewhat tempted.

If he had the money, he would definitely bid. After all, it was something that directly affected the body.

Although the side effects were unknown, Owen believed he had the ability to figure them out.

While Owen didn't need it himself, he could always give it to Elaine or Fiona.

Judging by the intense bidding, it was clear how popular this item was.

After more than ten rounds of continuous bidding, the price had already soared to 45.5 million.

It was obvious that everyone was highly interested in this item.

However…

Owen glanced again at the figure in the black robe, frowning.

There was something oddly familiar about this figure, but no matter how hard he tried, Owen couldn't recall who it was.

He attempted to use his Eye of Truth to see through the figure's disguise, but to no avail.

All he could see was a blurry mist, as if some force was deliberately erasing the person's presence—unseen, unheard.

On any other day, Owen might not have been too concerned.

After all, he himself had hidden his identity, so he wasn't in a position to criticize others.

But this person's disguise was overly cautious.

Perhaps their intent was to avoid drawing attention, but it only made Owen more suspicious.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, the bidding continued.

Looking at the bright red piece of flesh on the tray, Owen felt a wave of nausea.

His body instinctively recoiled.

He couldn't understand what those almost fanatical bidders were thinking.

It was as if the flesh had some kind of magical allure, unconsciously drawing in everyone present.

The price had already climbed to 49,999,000, just one more bid away from being transferred to the next auction hall.

It seemed that this item's competition was nearing its conclusion.

And then, the figure in the black robe finally spoke.

"One gold coin."

The moment the words were spoken, the entire hall fell into complete silence.

Everyone turned to locate the source of the voice, some frowning in displeasure at the rude behavior.

"Security! Get this person out of here! How could you let someone like this in without proper screening?"

"Stop wasting time. Let's move on."

"Uh... we ask the buyer not to make frivolous bids," Melina kindly reminded, preparing to announce the winner of the item.

However—

A flash of cold light appeared, and Melina suddenly felt her body restricted by some unknown force.

She was completely unable to move.

Her hand, poised to drop the hammer, remained frozen in midair, unable to lower even an inch!

Sensing the surge of magic, security personnel immediately approached the figure from both sides, issuing a stern warning: "Using magic inside the auction hall is forbidden. Leave at once!"

"If you don't cooperate, we will be forced to—"

Before the security guard could finish his sentence, his body began to swell like a balloon, his skin stretching to its limit.

In just a few breaths, his body exploded, flesh and blood splattering everywhere in a gruesome display!

"I said, one gold coin."

As soon as the words were spoken, it felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the auction hall.

The atmosphere became suffocatingly tense!

At that moment, a long-forgotten voice echoed in Owen's ears—it was the system.

For the first time, the system had taken the initiative to warn him.

Unfortunately, the message sent a chill through Owen's heart.

[Run!]