Denise glared toward the VIP room where Emperor Philip resided, his expression full of contempt. It felt as though his prized possession had been forcefully snatched away from him.
Read latest stories on empire
His blood boiled, and his eyes grew red with anger. Unfortunately, the beautiful women who had been in his company earlier had already left, leaving him with no outlet for his frustration.
"What the hell is going on? Why does everything feel so unlucky today?!" Denise muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.
Not only had he failed to indulge in the pleasures he anticipated before the auction began, but his most trusted servant, Gordon, had inexplicably vanished as well.
"This is humiliatingānot just for me but for the entire Drake Clan. Iām certain the other heirs will use this as an opportunity to gain an advantage over me. How utterly frustrating!" Denise sighed heavily, his unreadable expression fixed on the marble floor of his VIP room as he struggled to rein in his emotions.
Moments later, the door to his room swung open abruptly, and Captain Seth of the Magic Knights entered with an uneasy expression.
āStrange⦠Why isnāt Gordon with him? Could he have failed to locate him?ā Denise wondered, his brows furrowing as he observed the tension in Captain Sethās demeanor.
"Captain Seth, where is Gordon? Isnāt he with you?" Denise immediately asked, his sharp eyes scrutinizing Sethās every move.
"Please forgive me, Young Master," Captain Seth replied, bowing his head in shame. "I was unable to find Sir Gordon anywhere in the stadium."
"What? You couldnāt find him? How is that even possible?! This is unbelievable!" Denise exclaimed, his voice rising in shock. The notion that his men couldnāt locate Gordon felt inconceivable.
Taking a deep breath, Denise tried to calm himself, but the weight of the situation bore heavily on him.
"Tell me everything," Denise demanded, his tone cold and his teeth clenched. "I want to know every detail."
"Yes, Young Master," Captain Seth replied. He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before recounting the events, sparing no detail.
Several minutes later, Seth finished his explanation, outlining why they had been unable to locate Gordon despite hours of searching the Imperial Stadium.
Deniseās eyes narrowed as he processed the information. Then, with a dangerous glint in his gaze, he turned to Captain Seth.
"Then why didnāt you search the VIP rooms? Especially VIP room number one. Iām certain heās there!" Deniseās voice dripped with menace as he stared Seth down, demanding an explanation.
"Well⦠we donāt want to offend the Emperor or the other Ten Great Families by invading someoneās privacy. Furthermore, VIP Room Number 1 is heavily guarded by specially appointed servants," Captain Seth explained, his words resonating throughout the room.
Denise thought for a moment after hearing this and agreed that it would indeed be unwise to test the patience of the Ten Great Families. However, he reasoned that Yuan wasnāt a member of any of the Ten Great Families, nor was he allied with them.
"Captain Seth, although we canāt search most of the VIP rooms, there is one room we can investigate," Denise said, a wide grin spreading across his face. "And this time, Iāll join you. Letās see who dares to stop us."
"And which VIP room is the Young Master referring to?" Captain Seth asked, tilting his head in confusion as he studied Denise.
"VIP Room Number 1. They must be the ones hiding Gordonāperhaps even torturing him as we speak," Denise replied, his expression growing serious. However, he couldnāt suppress a flicker of lust as he recalled the beautiful women he had glimpsed earlier.
He continued, "All we need to do is give them a surprise visit and catch them red-handed while they torture Gordon. Iāll take care of the restāIāll ensure they compensate me handsomely."
ā
"The next item on our list is even more valuable than the Silver Dragon Fang Swordāthe legendary blade wielded by Lord Gabriel himself. This is a Mythic Grade Treasure, twice as powerful as any Legendary weapon!"
Teressaās melodious voice echoed across the stadium, filled with excitement and anticipation. She seemed eager to see the audienceās reaction to the extraordinary item she was about to present.
"A Mythic Grade Treasure?! Is this for real?!"
"This is incredible! A Mythic Grade Treasure appearing at an auctionāitās beyond belief!"
"I canāt believe it! I never imagined Iād live to see a Mythic Grade weapon with my own two eyes!"
Shocked whispers and excited murmurs rippled through the crowd, electrifying the stadium with anticipation. The atmosphere was charged as countless people dreamed of winning the auction and claiming the treasure for themselves. Even members of the Ten Great Families couldnāt hide their desire to possess such a priceless artifact.
"I never imagined that a Mythic Treasure would appear in this auction. Thankfully, because I didnāt win the previous items, Iāve saved enough funds to secure this treasure for myself," Ajex muttered, an excited grin spreading across his face as he glanced at Teressa with a curious look.
His caretaker, Kenny, nodded with a knowing smile. "Indeed, Young Master. Perhaps it was destiny that you didnāt win any of the earlier auctions. With the wealth weāve retained, weāre in a prime position to claim this treasure."
"Youāre absolutely right, Kenny. No matter what kind of weapon this is, Iāll definitely get my hands on it," Ajex said, determination gleaming in his eyes. A small but confident smile curled his lips.
Moments later, a servant appeared on the stage, carrying an intricately designed wooden box. The box was large enough to hold either a short sword or a dagger, immediately capturing the audienceās attention. Excitement rippled through the crowd as people began speculating about the weapon inside.
The servant approached the center of the stage and opened the box with precision, revealing a magnificent dagger. The weapon instantly radiated an intense wave of mana, so powerful that it caused commoners with low magical affinity to almost faint from the pressure.
"T-This pressure⦠itās undoubtedly from a Mythic Treasure!" someone exclaimed, their voice trembling with awe.
The crowdās eyes were drawn to the daggerās beauty. Its purple blade shimmered with a lustrous glow, and a mystical aura surrounded it, mesmerizing everyone present.
"This Mythical Dagger is called the Purple Poison Blade," Teressa announced, her melodious voice captivating the audience. A seductive smile graced her lips as she continued, "This weapon possesses a deadly poisonous ability. Even a superficial scratch from this blade can kill a person within seconds."
Gasps erupted from the audience as Teressa elaborated, "This dagger defies logic with its unparalleled lethality. Its poison is so potent that it could easily kill a powerful Magic Knight, Mage, or Warrior in mere seconds. And to make it even more fearsome, no known antidote exists for its venom."
The crowd was spellbound as Teressaās voice carried throughout the stadium. She smiled, scanning the captivated audience before concluding, "I can see that everyone is eager to begin the bidding. So, without further delay, Iāll announce the starting price of this beautiful dagger."
"The starting price for this Purple Poison Blade will beā50 million gold coins!" Teressa announced with a wide grin, her excitement evident. "And now, the bidding for this extremely rare treasure begins!"
The moment Teressa finished speaking, someone in the crowd wasted no time making the first bid. It was no surprise, given the treasureās extraordinary value.
"70 million gold coins!" a voice called out, setting the tone for a heated auction.
As the bidding for the Mythical Treasure commenced, elsewhere in the city, a group of mysterious individuals dressed in black outfits moved silently through the shadows.
Their faces were concealed by golden masks, and their movements were precise and deliberate, as though they had spent years training for this moment. Their presence was so well-hidden that no one on the streets noticed them slipping through the darkness.
"I just received confirmationāthe item weāve been searching for has appeared at the auction, and the bidding has already started," one of them said in a low, serious voice, their words cutting through the silence as they continued their calculated march.
"Is that so? Well, this is about to get much more interesting," another replied, their tone laced with amusement. "This is the perfect opportunity to strike fear into peopleās hearts once again. Iād love to see the expressions of those so-called hidden families when we make our grand entrance!"
With practiced ease, they leapt from building to building, moving like shadows across the city. Their swift, fluid motions spoke of years of professional training, their presence barely registering as they made their way toward the stadium.
In mere moments, the group stood atop the stadium, looking down at the bustling auction below with amused expressions. Their eyes gleamed with anticipation as they awaited their leaderās command to commence their operation.
The plan was clear: create chaos, seize the item, and remind everyone of their terrifying power. With the forbidden spells at their disposal, they intended to make a statement so chilling that it would echo in the hearts of all who witnessed it.