Chapter 350: Battle Between Superpowers

"Two Chaos Crystals?" Daniel murmured to himself in surprise.

Even the Myraid Devourer weapon had started with one Chaos Crystal. Still, on second thought, it made sense. After all, the true abilities of that weapon weren’t widely known.

And no one was really aware of the danger that weapon could pose in the future. But that wasn’t the case with this scroll—everyone knew it could practically destroy the greatest advantages of the empires.

As expected, once the auction began and it was revealed that the starting price was at least two Chaos Crystals, many people immediately backed out.

Even though most participants were wealthy, two Chaos Crystals weren’t something they could just casually spend.

More importantly, everyone knew the empires would likely be willing to pay ten times that amount. So for those who already thought two was too much, it was better to just back out now.

"We, the Elthanor Empire, are willing to pay five Chaos Crystals," a voice came from a VIP room bearing the royal crest of Elthanor.

The gazes of those sitting in the rows outside the VIP rooms were filled with shock—five Chaos Crystals! That first bid alone had added three to the price.

What was even stranger was that they had openly stated their identity. From many people’s perspective, that was a foolish move. Sure, identities weren’t hidden here, but there was no need to show off, right?

However, those with more experience in such auctions knew that the Elthanor Empire was doing this to use its reputation and influence to intimidate others.

Unfortunately, this was just a shot in the dark. In a place where so many superpowers were present, such a tactic wouldn’t work.

"Snort... only five Chaos Crystals? Has the Elthanor Empire fallen that low? We’re willing to pay ten Chaos Crystals," an older, gruffer voice sounded from another VIP room.

Everyone’s eyes widened and turned toward the VIP rooms, searching for the identity of the one who spoke. But when they saw who it was, cold sweat ran down their faces.

The one who had spoken was a representative from the Red Demons’ Palace—one of the participants who wasn’t human. Many of the attendees felt a chill when they realized this.

Everyone knew that the House of Ten Thousand Treasures was always neutral, never directly siding with or opposing any race, and treating all fairly.

But even demons? Throughout history, they had been one of humanity’s greatest enemies.

Still, the fact that they had been invited here and even Kyros hadn’t said anything made it clear that nothing could be done about it—in the best case, people could only snort in frustration.

"Hmph, did you really think we’d let you vile demons win? Just to keep this thing out of your hands, we’ll bid too—thirteen Chaos Crystals." This time, a middle-aged man’s voice rang out.

This time, the attendees didn’t need to think long to recognize the voice—most of them were already familiar with it.

The speaker was the deputy patriarch of the Valenberg family.

"Wow... these people are filthy rich," Andreas muttered, feeling utterly broke as he watched the bids being thrown around.

Not even ten minutes had passed, and the price had already reached fifteen Chaos Crystals! Where did these forces even get such insane wealth?

"Why did we even come here? I doubt we’ll be able to buy anything," Ilaris grumbled, though it was more of a sarcastic remark.

Even if she couldn’t afford anything, just seeing such legendary treasures was still enjoyable and an interesting experience.

"Nothing we can do. This is basically a game between the richest forces in the world. Naturally, we don’t have the slightest chance," Daniel said indifferently.

Even though he had six Chaos Crystals, it wasn’t enough to even be worthy of placing a bid here. To actually participate in this auction and buy something, he’d probably need ten times his current wealth.

’The Golden Tooth auction doesn’t even compare to this—it’s practically a joke.’ Now he also understood the difference between this auction and the one he’d attended two weeks ago.

The auction continued at a steady pace. The first item still hadn’t been sold, and there was already fierce competition among the major powers.

Several other large and well-known empires, like the Trevan Empire—considered one of the Ancient Forces—also placed bids.

Ancient Forces had existed for centuries, even millennia, and naturally the wealth they had accumulated over all those years was beyond calculation.

Even the Elthanor Empire couldn’t compare to them in terms of assets and was forced to withdraw. The Red Demons’ Palace also couldn’t keep up and gave up.

The only forces still going head-to-head were the Valenberg family and the Ancient Trevan Empire, and it was clear neither intended to back down.

Of course, there were other Ancient Forces present as well, but they didn’t seem to care. Many of them, like other powerful factions, didn’t actually view the empires as a threat and were confident they could destroy them if necessary.

"Wouldn’t it be better if you backed down? We can negotiate," the Trevan Empire’s representative said tiredly.

The Valenberg family was also an Ancient Force and just as wealthy. Some of the largest industries on the continent were in their hands, and if they truly wanted something, there was little anyone could do to stop them.

The price had already reached thirty-one Chaos Crystals. Continuing any further could easily lead to bankruptcy. But on the other hand, if this scroll ended up in the hands of a force outside the empires, it could cause a disaster.

"The word ’retreat’ doesn’t exist in the Valenberg family’s dictionary. Wouldn’t it be better if you backed down instead? Don’t worry—we definitely won’t use this thing against you," the Valenberg representative snorted, speaking with sarcasm.

But his words caused shock and murmurs among the attendees. At first, many really thought the Valenberg family only wanted to stop the demons from acquiring it.

But now, thinking deeper, it seemed there were other motives behind their desire to obtain the scroll.

"Why does the Valenberg family want this scroll so badly? Do they really hate the Elthanor Empire that much?" Andreas whispered.

"I don’t think so..." Daniel replied, then continued.