Chapter 284: Good Stuff

Chapter 284: Good Stuff

“Your face looks so excited… have you really never experienced this before?” Noticing Zheng Yichen’s strange expression, Dan Marina asked. Qin, sitting beside Zheng Yichen, also found his reaction odd—really like a country bumpkin…

“Well, I’ve seen it before, but never in person.” Zheng Yichen shrugged. Though Earth had auctions too, even viewable online, they weren’t easily accessible to ordinary people. Before his trip to this world, he’d never experienced an auction house firsthand. Thinking about it now, he felt pretty excited, ha.

“It’s actually no big deal. Unless you want to buy something, you’re just watching a bunch of idiots drive up prices.” Dan Marina remarked. Generally, things sold at auctions often fetched higher prices, especially those that hadn’t appeared frequently before—even if they later flooded the streets.

After all, bidders would push hard for special items, but they weren’t fools. Items clearly listed with malicious intent… well, that usually didn’t happen. The auction organizers cared about their reputation, so only noteworthy items made it to the platform. In such cases, selling at a slightly elevated price was acceptable.

Organized by the Sanctuary Church with minimal chance of disruptions, the auction proceeded smoothly and swiftly. First up were the fleshy “Arcane Treasures” sealed in containers. At first glance, it looked like some organ-trading market.

Okay, some limbs and other parts really came from humans. But this was the Otherworld, not Earth. Though human-derived, once classified as “artifacts,” even the Sanctuary Church wouldn’t destroy them on “humanitarian” grounds. Of course, if they encountered evil spellcasters desecrating corpses, Sanctuary knights would draw their swords and charge.

Here, these matters existed in two distinct categories.

During this segment, Zheng Yichen mostly watched the bidding wars unfold. The Sanctuary Church had played it smart. Though they could internally absorb the items, they weren’t strictly necessary. Being products born of Sorceresses, they avoided using them if possible. Selling them off not only collected massive funds but also settled public unease… perfect, right?

A vast, seemingly “virtuous” organization like this was agonizing for its enemies.

Am I one of those enemies? Zheng Yichen pondered. While not fully siding with the Sorceresses, he lived among them. Choosing the Sanctuary Church? Impossible—they’d never saved him. Experiences shaped one’s stance.

“Look over there—the Dark Church.” Dan Marina pointed toward several figures cloaked in black.

“They dare to come?” Zheng Yichen raised an eyebrow. Initially, he’d imagined the Dark Church as some mighty force locked in an eternal showdown with the Sanctuary Church. Not quite.

Though powerful and leading many factions, the Sanctuary Church remained indisputably larger. Still, as a leader of malevolent factions, the Dark Church held deep reserves—second only to its rival. But the top player boasted a scale surpassing all others combined. Zheng Yichen wondered what magical fertilizer let the Sanctuary Church grow this big. Yet entities of this scale couldn’t be toppled easily.

Like nuclear-armed nations: even vastly unequal, conflicts ended in threats, not war—fighting became a last resort. The Sanctuary Church wasn’t about total annihilation of evil. They tackled destabilizing events through allied forces as long as stability held.

Wiping out the Dark Church was unfeasible; their death throes would rattle the world in ways even the Sanctuary Church couldn’t stomach. And if the Dark Church fell, its satellite factions would panic, sparking domino effects. Any effort against them had to be gradual.

Thus, despite lesser strength, the Dark Church could challenge the Sanctuary Church—to a degree. Conflicts remained “small-scale,” though, fearing any major escalation that might provoke total annihilation.

“Why wouldn’t they come? This is a fair auction. Anyone acting peacefully and not officially wanted can attend safely.” Dan Marina shrugged it off, gesturing at other groups and whispering their affiliations—mostly unsavory. Yet among one group, Zheng Yichen sensed something familiar…

“The scent of Azure Wrath…” he mumbled, shaking his head slightly. He wondered how that Magic Weapon Evil God had fared. Judging by their failure to win even a single “finger”—despite repeated bids—they seemed pitifully broke.

But observing them, he saw no disappointment. A senior member maintained composure while the others looked as wide-eyed and curious as Zheng Yichen—likely first-timers here too. Well, at least they had followers active in the world, probably with decent numbers.

“Odd. Why isn’t my Magic Potion up yet? Reserved for the grand finale?” Zheng Yichen muttered, eyeing the dwindling items. Though packed with centuries-old wondrous effects… so what? He had people beside him millennia old here.

Besides, those effects were irrelevant to him; some were less practical than the muscle simulator he’d made for Lily back then. Wearing that artifact kept muscles constantly active, adjustable even while sitting—a 24/7 training device if you powered through fatigue. Useful? Far better than the “exercise enhancers” auctioned off.

Magic artifacts housing rare spells? Zheng Yichen had zero need. Between his comprehensive Magical Grimoire and connections to top spellcasters, why eye these trinkets? Without wealth or his network, collector’s instincts might’ve kicked in.

Now? He could craft any item he wanted, avoiding the bidding frenzy.

“Final spot might be tough,” Dan Marina replied. “But your potion’s uniqueness should put it among the last few.”

“Guess we’ll wait.” Zheng Yichen yawned, scanning the hall. With nothing he wanted, boredom hit like a dull university lecture. Time to zone out with his… well, Magic Weapon Summoning Book.

He opened the book idly, browsing its Forum but not posting—that’d draw attention under his current face. Switch accounts? Exposing the “Tianwang” ID here was unwise with sanctuary Church’s Saintess having seen him alongside Dan Marina. Ordinary situations might fade from memory, but she guaranteed lasting recall.

Being vividly remembered by a lady felt nice, but context mattered. Abandon this true-faced Avatar? Absolutely unthinkable.

Posting risked exposure. A new account? Possible, but poorly timed. He’d considered binding one to this exposed identity anyway—no point hiding what was already seen. If low profile was dead, he’d embrace standing out… after upgrading his Alchemical Avatar to prevent identification. Needed an expert for that.

Lost in Forum posts—many discussing this auction—he snorted at a Sanctuary Church “official announcement.” Seriously, these guys? Cutting-edge? Whatever, since he benefitted. Fine by him: pay mana, get service, like gods granting wishes… though “gods” whose powers could be revoked anytime were “imitation gods” at best.

Zheng Yichen snapped his Magic Weapon Summoning Book shut instantly upon hearing “magic potion,” eyes glued to the stage. His creation’s auction debut had arrived—previous Magic Cycle sales were bid battles, not formal auctions.

“Fourth from last? Tch, must be some items stealing the finale?” He clicked his tongue but kept watching. Many showed keen interest in this uniquely effective Magic Potion, especially since it was sold as twenty-vial packs.

Sanctuary Church’s guarantee of “tested, flawless effect” heightened enthusiasm. The Paralysis Potion listed as a “set” with Fixation Potion drew some interest too, but its niche use seemed purely supplementary in comparison.

“Win it!” commanded a masked figure in dark robes. If genuine, this Fixation Potion held immense value—especially for Dark Magic learners. Unlike gentle Light Magic, even minor training deviations invited harmful exposure to the Dark Element.

These destructive energies acted like freezing cold on warmth-seeking humans: initial adjustments inflicted inevitable damage, leaving permanent injuries in spellcasters once resistant. But with this Fixation Potion? They could safely build resistant mana reserves before training, avoiding life-long scars.

Even advanced spellcasters faced similar risks learning new High-Rank Dark Magic. For all Dark Magic learners, this was truly… good stuff.