I Arrived At Wizard World While Cultivating Immortality Chapter 642: Auction and New Strange

About a quarter of an hour later, a middle-aged woman in a dark blue uniform stepped onto the platform.

Her uniform bore a striking resemblance to Victor Raine’s, differing only by the addition of one golden bar on her collar, making it four in total.

Her hair was immaculately styled, she wore no makeup, and her expression was serious yet not unkind.

“Welcome, everyone,” her voice, though not loud, carried clearly throughout the entire hall. “I am Elena Walker, the head of auction affairs for the Association’s Mist Capital branch.”

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the assembled attendees.

“The auction is about to commence. The rules remain as always: the highest bidder prevails, transactions are strictly cash-based, and all sales are final once the lots depart the premises. Please ensure your numbered paddles are kept secure. Raise them to indicate your bid.”

Jie Ming lowered his head, glancing at the wooden numbered paddle that a server had presented to him upon his arrival.

The numeral '37' was clearly inked onto its surface.

“The auction begins now.” Elena Walker gently clapped her hands. A door on the side slid open, and two servers entered, carrying a tray draped with a red cloth.

Jie Ming’s eyes fixed on the tray, a gleam of anticipation shining within them.

This was the primary reason for his presence at this exclusive internal exchange meeting.

The details regarding this auction were among the pieces of intelligence he had successfully gathered earlier that day by extending his spiritual sense across the entire city.

Periodically, the Spirit Medium Association would host a discreet internal auction following their lectures. The participants typically comprised Association members, influential merchants, and discerning individuals like himself who had obtained information through various clandestine channels.

The items up for auction predominantly consisted of diverse gene drugs, alongside crucial information, raw materials, and even completed artifacts directly related to Stranges.

Jie Ming settled back into his chair, his fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest.

Through his dealings with various brokers, he had managed to amass a considerable sum of wealth.

However, this accumulated wealth held little intrinsic value for him. He found greater purpose in spending it.

In his eyes, the currency of this world served solely as a medium for acquiring research materials.

He had no need for money to validate his accomplishments, nor did he feel the necessity to save for a distant future.

Moreover, should a financial shortfall ever arise…

His thoughts drifted to the considerable hoard of coins he had confiscated from black-market brokers and opportunistic bandits, safely stored within his inner world. He then cast a glance at the other attendees in the hall, feeling absolutely no financial apprehension.

The auction proceeded without a hitch.

The initial selection of lots featured a variety of gene drugs—those officially sanctioned, commonly available, and exceedingly rare varieties.

The bidding was notably spirited, as acquiring these specific items represented a primary objective for many present.

Jie Ming, however, felt a distinct lack of interest in these officially produced gene drugs. He perceived them as having been overly processed, thus diminishing the residual power of the Stranges within them.

In his professional assessment, their research value was considerably inferior to that of the illicit, prohibited drugs.

His true fascination lay elsewhere.

The fourth lot presented was a black stone slab, no larger than his palm, intricately carved with complex runes across its surface.

Elena explained its function as a single-use material designed for the containment of Stranges, sourced from a northern mine with a notably low annual yield. The starting bid was set at fifty silver coins.

Jie Ming promptly raised his numbered paddle.

“Number 37, fifty silver coins.”

From another section of the hall, a paddle was raised. “Sixty-five silver coins.”

Jie Ming responded by raising his paddle once more. “Eighty silver coins.”

“Number 37 bids eighty silver coins. Are there any further offers?”

No other paddles were raised.

Jie Ming successfully acquired the black stone slab for the sum of eighty silver coins.

A server promptly delivered the slab to him. Payment was rendered on the spot, and he carefully stored the item away.

The seventh lot consisted of three fragments of Stranges, each sealed within a block of resin, identified as Hazard Grade.

The starting bid was established at 120 silver coins.

Jie Ming submitted another bid and ultimately secured them for a total of two hundred and thirty silver coins.

The eleventh lot was a research manuscript detailing a specific Threat Grade Strange. This document was authored by a senior investigator affiliated with the Association.

The manuscript meticulously outlined the Strange’s origin, its behavioral patterns, and the intricate process involved in its eventual sealing.

The starting bid was set at three hundred silver coins.

The competition for this item was considerably more intense.

Three separate buyers engaged in a bidding war with him, but Jie Ming ultimately prevailed, acquiring the manuscript for five hundred and fifty silver coins.

He continued to participate, bidding decisively on item after item.

He unhesitatingly placed bids on every material and piece of data directly associated with Stranges. The cost, to him, was merely a numerical figure.

The individuals seated around him began to take notice.

Jie Ming’s expenditure patterns were, after all, remarkably conspicuous.

Other attendees often displayed hesitation when bidding, carefully deliberating their options and waiting for others to make a move before deciding whether to follow suit.

However, this particular individual was notably different.

Whenever he desired an item, he would raise his paddle without any apparent hesitation, as if financial considerations were entirely irrelevant to him.

Whispers began to circulate throughout the hall.

“Who exactly is Number 37? I don’t recall ever seeing him before.”

“I have no idea. His attire is quite modest, yet his bidding is incredibly assertive.”

“Perhaps he belongs to a wealthy family? Deliberately choosing to dress in a low-key manner?”

“Doesn’t seem like it. His aura… doesn’t feel like someone from those families.”

Jie Ming paid no attention to these discussions.

His gaze remained fixed on the lots on the platform, waiting for the next one.

Then, the final lot was brought up.

Waiters carried up a silver-white metal box about the size of an A4 sheet of paper.

The box had no decorations on its surface, but Jie Ming’s gaze locked onto it the instant he saw it.

There was an extremely faint energy fluctuation on the metal box’s surface—so weak that even ordinary Spirit Mediums might not detect it. However, Jie Ming’s spiritual perception precision far surpassed any existence in this world. He could clearly “see” that fluctuation.

The box itself was a sealing vessel.

And a very high-level one at that.

Elena Walker walked to the box and placed her hand on the lid.

She did not open it immediately. Instead, she first looked around the hall, confirming that everyone’s attention was focused on her.

“The final lot,” her voice was slightly lower than before, as if emphasizing its special nature. “A completely sealed Strange. Grade… Hazard Grade.”

A low commotion rippled through the hall.

Jie Ming’s eyes brightened.

A complete Strange.

Up until now, he only had two complete Stranges on him.

More importantly, the Strange before him… had been sealed by the Spirit Medium Association.

This meant that not only did the sealed Strange itself hold research value.

The sealing technology was also valuable for research.

One could even say that, considering Jie Ming already possessed several complete Stranges of the same grade, the research value of this sealing technology might even surpass that of the complete Strange itself!

The material of the sealing container, the structure of the various patterns, the method of energy locking, the principle of suppressing the Strange’s activity…

All of these together represented the accumulated research essence of thousands of years of humanity in this world confronting Stranges!

It was no exaggeration to say that this was the true core technology of this world’s civilization.

“Starting bid,” Elena Walker’s voice pulled Jie Ming’s thoughts back. “One thousand gold coins.”

The hall fell silent for a moment.

One thousand gold coins.

This was a number that could bankrupt the vast majority of the middle class.

Even among those present, many could not produce that much cash.

But bidding still began.

“One thousand one hundred gold coins.” A middle-aged man in the front row raised his paddle.

“One thousand two hundred gold coins.” A woman in the back row immediately followed.

“One thousand three hundred gold coins.”

“One thousand five hundred gold coins.”

The price climbed rapidly.

Although the people present came from different backgrounds, most had come to this auction for the same purpose—to obtain greater power!

So what did a completely sealed Strange mean?

To the people of this world, it naturally meant the possibility of using some kind of ritual to seal it into one’s own body and become a Spirit Medium! It was a path to transcendent power.

Although the process carried a significant mortality rate, this was genuine transcendent power, not something obtained through gene drugs!

For those who craved power but had no connections, such an opportunity was more precious than anything.

“Two thousand gold coins.” The middle-aged man in the front row bid again, this time with a large increase, as if declaring his determination to win.

“Two thousand two hundred gold coins.” The woman in the back row did not retreat.

“Two thousand five hundred gold coins.” A hoarse voice sounded from another corner.

Jie Ming did not bid hastily.

He sat quietly in his seat, listening to the price rise step by step while observing the expressions and postures of the bidders. The middle-aged man in the front row had a flushed face and sweat beading on his forehead.

The woman in the back row maintained a calm expression, but her fingers were trembling slightly.

The owner of the hoarse voice sat in the darkest corner of the hall. One could sense a cold, yin aura from him.

When the bidding reached three thousand gold coins, only three people remained.

The middle-aged man, the woman, and the shadow in the corner.

At three thousand five hundred gold coins, the middle-aged man withdrew.

His face turned pale, his lips tightly pressed together. The numbered paddle in his hand creaked from how hard he gripped it, but he ultimately did not raise it again.

At four thousand gold coins, the woman also withdrew.

She leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, as if trying to calm some intense emotion.

The shadow in the corner raised his paddle.

“Four thousand one hundred gold coins.”

Elena Walker’s gaze swept across the hall. “Four thousand one hundred gold coins. Any higher?”

The hall was very quiet.

“Four thousand one hundred gold coins, first time.”

Jie Ming raised his numbered paddle.

“Number 37 bids four thousand two hundred gold coins.”

All eyes turned toward him.

The figure lurking in the shadows shifted its head. Jie Ming could feel two intense gazes boring into him, as if attempting to scorch holes into his face.

“Four thousand three hundred gold coins,” the shadowed individual’s voice rasped even further.

“Number 37, four thousand four hundred gold coins.”

“Four thousand five hundred gold coins.”

“Number 37, four thousand six hundred gold coins.”

The two rivals exchanged bids, the price steadily escalating like a staircase.

All other attendees fell silent, observing the duel between the two bidders.

Jie Ming’s expression remained utterly unfazed.

His numbered paddle was raised with consistent rhythm—never rushed, never delayed, showing neither anxiety nor impatience.

The shadowed figure began to waver.

Its bidding rhythm slackened. A longer interval prefaced each increase of its paddle.

“Seven thousand gold coins,” Jie Ming declared a new sum.

A wave of gasps swept through the hall.

Seven thousand gold coins.

This figure had already surpassed the total wealth that the majority of individuals present could ever amass.

The shadow participant remained motionless for an extended period.

Jie Ming sensed the gaze fixed upon him, as if engaged in profound contemplation or meticulous calculation.

Ultimately, the shadowy figure lowered its paddle.

“Seven thousand gold coins, first call,” Elena Walker’s voice resonated through the hall, tinged with palpable excitement.

She had not anticipated this particular item would command such a towering price, vastly exceeding the typical four-thousand-gold-coin benchmark for Hazard Grade Stranges.

“Second call.”

“Third call.”

The auctioneer's gavel struck with a resonant thud.

“Sold. To Number 37.”

The corners of Jie Ming’s lips curled into a subtle upward curve.

A waiter promptly delivered the lustrous silver-white metal box to his designated seat.

The box possessed a weight surprising for its appearance, likely around fifty to sixty pounds.

Moreover, a collection of other items he had previously secured were now stacked beside his chair.

Using his suitcase as a convenient screen, Jie Ming discreetly retrieved currency from his inner world.

Gold and silver coins were arranged meticulously on the tray, precisely matching the required sum.

A portion of these metallic currencies originated from dealings with black-market dealers and brigands.

Another segment… had been “newly minted” by himself within the confines of his inner dimension.

This was made possible through the miraculous application of alchemy.

By processing certain scrap metals and reconfiguring their molecular structures within his inner world, he possessed the capability to forge coins indistinguishable from genuine ones.

Jie Ming entertains no apprehension regarding the authenticity detection of these coins, as the metallic composition he transmutes via alchemy boasts a superior purity compared to that utilized by this plane's official mints.

Furthermore, alchemy grants him the faculty to artificially age the coins. When intermingled with authentic currency, their fabrication becomes undetectable.

Jie Ming proceeded to stow the silver-white metal box and his other acquisitions into his suitcase, rose to his feet, and made his way towards the exit.

The remaining patrons in the hall continued their spirited bidding on subsequent lots.

A few more mundane articles followed, but Jie Ming's interest had waned.

His objectives for the day had already been comprehensively fulfilled.

He stepped through the grand oak doors and retraced his path along the corridor.

The ambient illumination from the gas lamps cast dancing, fragmented shadows upon the aged red brick walls. His footsteps produced a rhythmic echo within the confined passageway.

Abruptly, Jie Ming’s senses registered a subtle shift.

He detected it.

Trailing behind him, several sets of watchful eyes.

Despite the multitude of curious glances directed his way, Jie Ming effortlessly discerned a few distinct gazes among them.

The sentiments conveyed by these particular gazes were undeniably perilous.

Without question, encountering a lucrative target like Jie Ming had evidently stirred avaricious intentions in some individuals.

Jie Ming displayed no outward acknowledgment of this perceived threat.

His stride remained uninterrupted. As if entirely oblivious to the scrutinizing attention, he proceeded calmly and unhurriedly out of the exhibition center’s main entrance.

Meanwhile, representatives from the Spirit Medium Association had also become aware of the developing situation.

Within a discreet chamber adjacent to the auction hall, Harding affectionately patted Dirk, jolting his colleague, who was intently monitoring the surveillance feed, back to the present.

“Let’s go,” Harding prompted.

“For what purpose?” Dirk inquired.

“After all, the gentleman invested a substantial sum in acquiring our merchandise. It’s only fitting we offer some form of post-purchase service, wouldn’t you agree?”

Dirk offered a resigned shake of his head and lazily rose, falling into step beside Harding.

“Very well, consider it a means to pass the time…”