CH155 - CH156

CH155

After the auction of the second-level wizard array, several more items were presented.

Helag's main feeling was one of poverty.

From the start, he hadn't been able to participate in any bidding, with his four thousand magic stones barely making a dent.

Bored, he sipped his wine and suddenly asked, "Mr. Brack, can I take a look at that second-level wizard array? I'm curious."

Brack paused, then chuckled, "Sure, but this requires a lot of prerequisite knowledge, which is almost nonexistent in the Barren Lands. Even if you look, you won't understand it. Here you go."

He handed over the thick book from his space ring.

"Thanks!"

Helag thanked him and took the book, feeling the cover's texture like an animal's fur.

Opening it, he found incomprehensible formulas and parameters.

"Deep Blue, scan and record all information on this second-level wizard array."

Though Helag couldn't understand it, he had Deep Blue record everything.

After a quick scan, he returned the book to Brack, smiling wryly, "I really can't understand it."

Brack laughed, "That's normal."

[Second-level defensive wizard array scanned and recorded] Deep Blue notified.

Helag closed his eyes, seemingly resting.

"Deep Blue, can you analyze this second-level wizard array?"

[Lacking prerequisite information and data.]

Helag sighed internally, realizing even Deep Blue couldn't analyze it.

Without the necessary knowledge and data, any forced deductions by Deep Blue would likely be flawed.

However, this didn't mean the recorded array information was useless. Once he acquired the prerequisite knowledge, the array could be utilized.

Two hours later, the auction continued, with few bids from the second-floor boxes. Some had even left.

The items now were lower-priced, attracting more bids from the hall.

This was customary; the best items were auctioned first, intended for the second-floor guests, allowing them to leave early without wasting time.

Soon, the dragon blood Helag needed was up for auction.

The auctioneer took the stage, with a table behind him holding rows of test tubes filled with bright red dragon blood.

"Ladies and gentlemen, next is dragon blood from a second-level dragon! Ten portions total! Each starts at one thousand magic stones! Minimum bid increment of two hundred magic stones!"

"Now, let's start the bidding for the first portion!"

"One thousand two hundred magic stones!"

"One thousand four hundred magic stones!"

After a brief pause, someone bid, "One thousand six hundred magic stones!"

After this bid, there were no immediate counterbids, as there were nine more portions, and most weren't in a rush.

Helag thought for a moment and bid, "One thousand eight hundred magic stones!"

His bid drew attention, but seeing it came from Box Six, the crowd returned their focus.

After Helag's bid, the room fell silent.

The price was already high, and coming from Box Six, the Terchy family's box, the hall's occupants didn't think they could outbid them.

"First portion of dragon blood, one thousand eight hundred magic stones, going once!"

"One thousand eight hundred magic stones, going twice!"

"One thousand eight hundred magic stones, sold! Congratulations to the gentleman in Box Six for winning the first portion of dragon blood!"

The dragon blood was quickly delivered, and Helag paid one thousand eight hundred magic stones, leaving him with two thousand three hundred.

Helag's strategy for bidding high on the first portion was simple: with ten portions available, if he missed the first, he could wait for others.

However, if most thought the same, the fewer remaining portions would drive prices higher.

As expected, subsequent portions never fell below one thousand eight hundred magic stones.

The last two or three portions reached two thousand six hundred magic stones.

Holding the pure dragon blood, Helag felt a strong connection to it.

Since solidifying Great Dark Heaven as his innate spell, Helag had developed a keen sense for bloodlines.

Small animals elicited no response, and magical creatures gave faint signals, but this dragon blood felt potent.

An hour later, the auction neared its end, with various slaves from different races being auctioned.

By the end, few remained in the hall or boxes.

The auctioneer, still enthusiastic, announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, let's conclude today's auction with a perfect finale. Next is a genuine elven maiden! A pureblood elf from the Elven Plane!"

His words quickly captured attention, as a stunningly beautiful elven girl was led onto the stage by two women.

The elf's proportions were perfect, her looks captivating, as if naturally enchanting.

She glanced around nervously, clutching her thin clothing.

"Elven Plane? That's no small feat, must have come from the Land of Dawn!" someone exclaimed.

The Barren Lands could not invade other planes, let alone capture creatures for the slave trade.

This elf, from the Elven Plane, must have been captured by wizard organizations from the Land of Dawn and sold to the Barren Lands.

The auctioneer continued, "Indeed! She was sold from the Land of Dawn. As you know, elves have high magical affinity, unaffected by wizard radiation, making them ideal assistants."

"Whether for spell experiments or potion making, an elf assistant is invaluable. And, elves are known for their beauty, as you can see. To ensure auction value, we've confirmed this elven maiden is still pure," he added with a knowing smile.

"Elves also have long lifespans, allowing you to train them as assistants without worrying about their short lifespans like ordinary people."

CH156

"This elven girl is just over a hundred years old, quite young by human standards, so don't miss out," the auctioneer continued enthusiastically.

Elves typically live around a thousand years, with higher bloodlines potentially living even longer.

The elven girl didn't seem to understand the language but was aware of the situation and her fate. Her eyes were filled with tears and despair.

Her pitiful appearance only piqued more interest from the audience.

Helag sat up straight upon seeing the elven girl.

He felt a special sensation, an instinctive bloodline response from Great Dark Heaven.

To Helag, the girl's bloodline was incredibly strong, nearly rivaling the Primordial Thunder God's bloodline.

"How could an ordinary elf have such a powerful bloodline?" Helag pondered. "Unless she's not an ordinary elf."

"Ladies and gentlemen, the starting bid for this elven girl is one thousand magic stones, with increments no less than two hundred magic stones," the auctioneer announced.

This was a high price for a slave, and the auctioneer's lengthy introduction aimed to justify it.

"A thousand magic stones for a slave? That's too expensive."

As expected, someone in the audience complained about the price.

The auctioneer glanced at the speaker, a third-level wizard apprentice, and said, "What's expensive about it? This high-quality elf is still pure and from the Elven Plane. It's not expensive at all. Those who can afford it won't mind the price, and those who do won't buy."

"One thousand two hundred magic stones!" someone quickly bid.

Helag considered bidding, knowing the girl's strong bloodline would be useful.

But with only two thousand three hundred magic stones, he wasn't sure if it was enough.

While he pondered, the price reached one thousand eight hundred magic stones.

At this point, bidding slowed.

After all, she was just an elven slave, and these wizards had seen them before.

Aside from her beauty, there was nothing special, and spending so much seemed unnecessary.

"One thousand eight hundred magic stones, going once!" the auctioneer began.

"One thousand eight hundred magic stones, going twice!"

"Two thousand magic stones!" Helag's voice rang out from Box Six.

Heads turned to see Box Six's bid again.

Brack turned, surprised, "Didn't expect you to be interested in this. Well, you're still young, haha."

Helag knew Brack misunderstood but didn't explain.

With the two thousand magic stone bid, no one else was inclined to bid further.

"Two thousand magic stones for an elven slave, the Terchy family really doesn't value money."

"As the auctioneer said, those who can afford it don't care about the price, and those who do won't buy."

The hall buzzed with chatter, many unable to comprehend spending two thousand magic stones on a slave, marveling at the Terchy family's wealth.

After observing, the auctioneer said, "It seems there are no further bids. Two thousand magic stones, going once!"

"Two thousand magic stones, going twice!"

"Two thousand magic stones, sold! Congratulations to the gentleman in Box Six for winning this beautiful elven girl!"

With the auctioneer's words, the evening's auction concluded perfectly.

Soon, auction staff brought the elven girl to Box Six.

She hesitated upon seeing Brack and Helag, afraid to approach.

Accompanying her was a woman wizard in her thirties, who tugged the chain, forcing the elf forward.

"Mr. Brack, Mr. Helag, here's the elven girl you purchased. We can finalize the master-servant contract shortly," the wizard said.

Brack smiled, pointing to Helag, "Helag bought her."

"Here's two thousand magic stones." Helag retrieved two thousand magic stones from his space ring, forming a small pile on the floor.

The wizard quickly scanned them with magic, collected the stones, and produced a parchment.

The parchment bore many words and strange runes, emanating magical energy.

"This is a master-servant contract, Mr. Helag. Please drop a blood drop here," the wizard instructed.

Helag examined the parchment, hesitating before looking at Brack.

Understanding, Brack asked, "Ms. Pom, may I see the contract?"

"Of course, Mr. Brack," Pom replied, handing over the parchment.

Brack reviewed it and told Helag, "No issues, take a look."

Helag took it, asking, "Deep Blue, scan for hidden issues in this contract."

[Scanning…]

[Scan complete. This is a standard master-servant contract, no issues found.]

Deep Blue confirmed, and Helag double-checked several times.

Pom's mouth twitched at his caution, thinking, "Mr. Helag is really careful, it's just a common master-servant contract."

Since the Moonlight Forest contract incident, Helag has been particularly cautious about such agreements.

Satisfied there were no issues, Helag dropped a blood drop in the master's section of the contract.

Pom then took the elf's finger, slicing it with a dagger to drop her blood into the contract.

Her blood, unlike a human's, was red with a shimmering glow.

The parchment emitted a faint red light, then shattered into light particles, entering Helag and the elf.

"After signing, the servant cannot disobey any order. The master can activate the contract's restriction, causing instant death. If the master dies, the servant dies too…"

Pom explained the contract's terms, all favoring the master, rendering the servant a complete slave.

Slaves must obey all commands from their masters.

Even if unwilling, the contract's compulsion would force the slave's body to act on the master's orders.