"Welcome, what may I do for you today, dear customer?" an Artificer asked.
"Sir, do you make Mimic Lanterns here?" Alex asked the balding middle-aged man with glasses.
"Of course, we do. Do you have a Mimic Core Shard?" the Artificer, who went by the name of Paul, asked.
"Yes, I do," Alex answered. "How much is it?"
"If you’re looking for quality, it will be fifty gold coins," Paul stated. "If you want extra special features added, like seeing invisible things or creatures within five meters, it will cost you a hundred gold coins."
"So expensive..." Alex frowned.
Although he could now be considered rich since he had over five thousand gold coins, he still didn’t want to be a spendthrift. After all, it was better to have money and not need it than to need money and not have it.
"Good things are always expensive," Paul commented. "Of course, I can also add more features if you want, but the price will increase accordingly."
After a bit of haggling, Alex paid Paul a hundred and fifty gold coins to make him a Mimic Lantern with special abilities.
There would be three enchantments that would be added to the lantern.
The first one was the ability to see invisible things and creatures within a five-meter radius.
The second one was to detect traps within the range of the lantern’s light.
Last, but not least, was an ability that Alex managed to get as a freebie after a bit of negotiating. This was none other than Pathfinder’s light.
When the lantern’s light shone over the ground, recent footprints, trails, and faint traces left by creatures or people would glow with a soft, bioluminescent light.
In short, the Mimic Lantern would now possess a tracking ability, which would be extremely useful during adventures or dungeon expeditions.
After finalizing his commission details with Paul, the young man and his little partner went to the market place to buy brittle vials, as well as the ingredients they would stuff inside.
Harmonia was the capital city of the Kingdom of Avalon. Naturally, it was a very lively place.
It was the central hub of the kingdom, so there was no shortage in the flow of materials inside the city.
After buying what they needed, Alex and Dim Dim took a stroll in the city while eating some barbecued skewers they had bought from a food stall.
"Dim Dim, let’s visit the auction house," Alex proposed. "Maybe we will find something good."
"Dim." Dim Dim had no reason to disagree.
There was only one auction house in the City of Harmonia, making it one of the most important establishments in the city.
Its name was the Velvet Vault, and anyone could ask them to auction something as long as it was valuable.
People with gold to spare often visited it in the hope of securing some useful items that were being auctioned.
Auctions were held daily. During the weekdays, auctions began at eleven o’clock in the morning. But during the weekends were held at three o’clock in the afternoon.
’Today is Friday, so there’s still an hour before the auction starts,’ Alex thought.
Since he wanted to get a decent seat, he hurried to the Velvet Vault. Upon reaching the entrance, a staff member supplied him with a mask to hide his identity.
"Dim Dim!" Dim Dim also asked for a mask from the usher. She giggled in response.
"Fine, I’ll make an exception for you since you’re cute." The lady personally placed the mask on Dim Dim’s face, which automatically adjusted to its size.
"You’re welcome, little one."
Alex was then led to the auction hall. He picked a seat that was near the aisle so that he could leave without worries.
There were a decent amount of people already. Some were seated in the VIP rooms, which had their own balconies. Alex could tell by the number of people on the balconies that the VIP rooms were about half-filled.
He didn’t have the money or influence to be able to get a VIP seat on his own, but that wasn’t important to him at all.
He continued to observe the people in his surroundings until the bidding finally began.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for visiting the Velvet Vault," a beautiful lady with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a sweet smile greeted everyone graciously. "You’re in for a treat because we have some good items today. I am your host, Anya, and I hope all of us will have a good time.
Anya paused, letting the room settle before continuing.
"I’m sure that many of you are regulars, but for the sake of our new customers, allow me to tell you the rules, so that none of you will break them by accident!
"First and foremost, all bids are final. No refunds, no second chances. We pride ourselves on the integrity of our auctions, so please bid wisely.
"Secondly, bidding increments will start at ten gold coins, but it may vary depending on the item’s rarity and demand.
"Third, any disruptive behavior will lead to immediate removal from the premises, and possibly a ban from all future events.
"Lastly, if you win an item, payment must be settled immediately after the auction session at the cashier’s desk, located just outside this hall."
The lady’s smile widened as she swept her gaze over the crowd.
"Now, without further ado, let the bidding begin!"
From the back of the room, two assistants carried in a long, polished wooden chest covered with fine velvet cloth.
Anya stepped forward and took off the cloth, revealing the item that would be auctioned.
"First item up for bidding," she announced, "a rare enchanted dagger, said to have been forged in the fires of the Eldrin Mountains. Starting bid will be fifty gold."
Murmurs ran through the crowd. Alex’s eyes narrowed as he watched a few wealthy bidders eye the dagger eagerly.
Alex was quite familiar with the bidding process in ELO, but this was his first real life experience.
All the bidders were calculating how far their competitors could stretch their purse and estimating whether the item would be worth the gamble.
As the first bids were called out, Alex’s mind raced with plans. He wasn’t just thinking about how he could acquire treasures, but how he might be able to find an edge in this game of wealth and influence.
After all, in a place like the Velvet Vault, every coin spent could be the start of a new opportunity... or a costly mistake.