Warlock Apprentice

Just as the appraiser predicted, his items were scheduled in the first half of the session.

The auction did not sell all the necklaces at once. Instead, they divided them and presented one each time several other lots were sold.

Angor’s products were low-class storage holders. He originally estimated that each item would earn him twenty to thirty thousand crystals, but the actual bidding price went a little higher because there was competition. This was also the reason why he took the items to the auction instead of selling them to other shops.

After paying auction commission and part of the income to Sunders, Angor believed that each necklace would bring him about ten thousand crystals. Selling four meant 40,000 in total. This was a big fortune even to some of the most powerful wizards.

Despite that, when compared to the prices of other lots, forty thousand crystals was like a drop in the ocean—completely negligible.

Angor was hoping that he could use the money to buy some materials that he might use in the future, but in the end, he simply gave up because the final bid of every single item would reach at least ten thousand.

He might be able to afford one or two lots, but he was not going to stock something he couldn’t use any time soon.

Sunders, on the other hand, won several spell mediums that were commonly used by wizards to cast spells easier. At the same time, such items could assist wizards to create new forms of spells. As a truth-finder wizard, most of Sunders’ spells were unique. Still, the gentleman would like to constantly discover new ones.

The auction entered a brief resting session after the 100th item was sold. There would be ten minutes for them to rest. In addition to letting their customers catch some respite, the auction also meant to tell them that those who couldn’t participate in the competition for the better items should leave as soon as possible.

During the “2nd session”, Angor noticed that the starting bids of the items were still acceptable.

There were more interesting entities being shown here, such as otherworldly slaves.

“This creature can only speak lies…”

“This is a Finkenel. While 95% of its body resembles us humans, its internal layout is completely different…”

“Someone sent us two slaves. A Multi-Eyed Demon and a Grave Ghoul…”

Most of the slaves were extremely expensive because bringing them here required a huge amount of effort, such as transporting them across thousands of different planes. Listening to Melantha’s explanation also helped Angor earn some basic insight into the countless foreign planes out there.

There was a 3rd session of the auction. Angor knew that he could do nothing more than observing it since the bids would start at seven digits minimum. These lots were only intended for high-level wizards.

Soon, Angor’s Bloodrose Vein was brought up.

The bid for the simple yet generally useful material easily reached 230,000 crystals, which was 30,000 higher than the appraiser’s estimated value.

Angor had to give 150,000 to Sunders as well as a percentage as the commission fee, leaving him a net profit of about 60,000 crystals.

The successful sale made him understand why so many wizards, including Sunders, considered Nightmare Realm a treasure vault. Each wizard-level monster was like a walking pile of money, and the Nightmare Realm was full of them! Too bad Angor couldn’t defeat them yet.

As the auction approached its end, even though he was not the one buying, Angor still felt his heart racing in excitement when the following bids reached ten million or more.

When it was time for the last two items, Melantha took out a scroll from a safe storage and showed it to the participants.

Angor looked and did not find any energy signatures on the item, which meant it was an ordinary scroll used for recording information instead of a magic scroll.

There was only a simple line of words written in an ornamental style used in ancient times, which was exposed on the outside. There was no other decoration or binding on it.

“It’s written by wizards from the old days?” Angor muttered. The texture of the scroll suggested that it existed before paper was invented.

But he denied that idea when he noticed that he could actually read the line of words.

“‘Travel in Dreamland’?” he read the name aloud. “Is it like the traveling diary written by Feinwerder?”

Sunders, who had been staying quiet most of the time, gave Angor a quick answer, “Yes, that should be it.”

It took Angor some time to comprehend those words, which were irrelevant to his question. “Is that the scroll that contained Nightmare Realm-related information that you mentioned before?”

Sunders nodded. “I heard that the scroll is called ‘Travel In Dreamland’.”

“Did ancient wizards call Nightmare Realm the ‘Dreamland’?” Angor wondered.

He went through his memory, but he did not find anything that was related to such a name.

He thought his professor might be cultured enough to provide an answer, but Sunders only shook his head upon hearing Angor’s next question.

“I’ve heard about the Fantasy Realm and Fantasy Plane. But no, I know nothing about this ‘Dreamland’ place.”

Melantha was now speaking to everyone using her magic-enhanced voice, “Travel in Dreamland is a travel journal left by a wizard from primeval times.”

The other wizards looked at each other in doubt. What was so special about someone’s journal? Even the journal of an ancient wizard did not hold much value because “modern” wizards would usually do better and faster jobs traveling to other planes and realms. They did not understand why the auction decided to place the scroll so late in the queue.

Unless… the item contained some special information or that the item developed its own intellect and became alive, like how Elder of Books of Brute Cavern was born from a book.

Some of the wizards who heard about the scroll beforehand, including Sunders, remained patient and waited for Melantha’s further explanation.

“Before you believe this to be another ordinary travel diary, I should tell you that according to our most trusted appraisers, the ‘travel’ written in the title referred to the Nightmare Realm…”

Someone immediately protested. The name of Nightmare Realm was made known to wizards several centuries ago, and only a few people managed to get there and return. How did the auction ascertain their conclusion?

The “most trusted appraisers” might not be as credible as they claimed to be.

Without minding the opposing ideas, Melantha continued, “The consignor told us that the scroll holds some secrets related to some of the core areas of Nightmare Realm, which includes but not limited to, the locations of wonderful treasures. Now, we shall begin bidding at 600,000 magic crystals. If anyone is interested, you know what to do.”

This was the highest starting price seen today.

Melantha waited for a while, only to see several impolite apprentices booing at her. Then she glanced at the third level where the VIP rooms were located. Truth was, the scroll was intended for VIP guests since only a selected few among them knew how to explore elements related to the Nightmare Realm.

Yet Melantha was getting a bit uneasy when she saw no response from the VIPs either.

“Nobody heard about this ‘Dreamland’ before, Melantha, and the auction only gave us empty words. How do you prove to us that the scroll is really connected to Nightmare Realm?” Someone who sounded pretty old spoke from Room 011, which was right next to Sunders’ room.

“That’s Old Qetesh from Sleepless City. So he came as well… Just right. He once found a fortune from Nightmare Realm too.”

“You mean—” Angor widened his eyes.

“Yes. He once entered Nightmare Realm and somehow escaped alive while bringing some extra items with him.”

Any wizard who went into the Nightmare Realm would tell others that the place was deadly and horrific. Yet every time that there was a rumor or clue about Nightmare Realm, these wizards would go after it faster than anyone else for they knew better than anyone else that great fortune accompanied great danger.

Melantha was a little astonished to hear Qetesh’s comment, but she recovered soon enough and put on her professional smile as she said, “As per our agreement with the current owner of the scroll, we cannot read the content. I apologize, Mister Qetesh, for we cannot prove that ‘Dreamland’ is Nightmare Realm.”

“‘Our most trusted appraisers’, or so you said. So what exactly did they do?” Qetesh’s words sounded like sarcasm this time.

“I can assure you that what I have said is the truth.” Melantha frowned as she thought about the individual who refused to entrust the other item to Sky Auction. “Mister Qetesh, do you think we, Sky Auction, will ruin our hard-earned fame by presenting a fake scroll to so many customers? Please trust me. I have a reason when I said our conclusion is dependable.”

When seeing Melantha using the name of Sky Auction as “insurance”, Qetesh decided not to argue with her.

However, not everyone trusted Sky Auction’s dignity.

“This is my first time coming here, and I don’t give a damn about your credit. You better do something to convince me that I won’t be buying a piece of junk, or don’t waste my time.”

Angor listened to the female voice that he couldn’t recognize and looked at Sunders again, hoping for a hint.

“She… why did she come here?” Sunders frowned.

“Who is that, professor?”

Sunders hesitated for a bit and decided to tell his student. “That’s Sennefer, a very powerful Bloodline wizard, and one of the high commanders of Moonfrost Union who are in charge of their expedition teams. She stays at the other planes most of the time.”

“Sennefer? The ‘Witch of Wasteland’?”

Sunders nodded to confirm.

“I see. Sennefer…” Angor repeated the witch’s name, about which he heard a lot from Nausica.