Apocalypse Gachapon Chapter 1961: Surprise at the auction

"This is a set of medicine produced by the Changxu Water Race."

The debut auction piece swiftly ignited the enthusiasm among all attendees.

White Robe unveiled the container resting on the ornate metallic pedestal. Within it lay four tiny vials.

"From one-turn up to four-turn, these are remedies crafted by the Changxu Water Race. Their healing scope spans from outer wounds to inner damages, from debuffs to stubborn conditions, and they handle them all. Twenty one-turn pills target external injuries. Fifteen two-turn pills address internal ones. Ten three-turn pills work on both internal and external harms, while also neutralizing most known poisons. Five four-turn pills enable limb reattachment; their speed is roughly five times quicker than standard post-op recovery in a med pod, with flawless results."

Once White Robe concluded his explanation, a ripple of soft gasps echoed from the crowd below.

In truth, across the cosmos's species, even at the height of the Changxu Water Race's power, their four-turn remedies weren't abundant. Now, amid their downfall, even one-turn versions have grown rare. Folks mostly relied on potions from other species and alchemists.

Yet, the Changxu Water Race's remedies held a slight edge; they infused the essence of the Holy Sigil, a core universal force. Consuming such potions ensured almost flawless merging with the body, from uptake to full effect.

A complete medicine collection, totaling fifty pills, equipped to manage every sort of affliction. Securing this bundle alone would secure care for all injuries, big or small. Indeed, the opening lot of this sale had effectively sparked the bidding urges in the audience.

"The base bid stands at five hundred Moonspan Gold."

White Robe's brow creased as his eyes scanned the room. Noticing the sly grins on numerous faces, he quickly grasped what was happening. Still, he remained composed and pressed on, "This base price is exceptionally modest. Forget the usual market value. Simply the chance to snag so many varied-grade and plentiful remedies in one go is uncommon."

"Five hundred."

Right after White Robe wrapped up, a voice lazily declared a bid. It didn't increment even a bit—the opener was five hundred, so that's exactly what they called.

White Robe glanced that way. It came from the Paija Race envoy, a prominent group from nearby Ken City, likely a senior official.

He peered around, even grinning and greeting several others with waves.

A gleam flashed in White Robe's gaze.

The truth was obvious; the Star-Eye Clan faced intimidation.

These folks had plainly conspired in advance to avoid upping bids, aiming to offload every Star-Eye Clan item today at mere base prices.

In auctions, base prices often dip under market rates. Selling all at those lows would spell massive losses for the Star-Eye Clan.

"One thousand!"

While these covert allies anticipated the Star-Eye Clan's humiliation, a call rang out from a shadowy nook.

The group swiveled to identify the bidder. Should it be a Star-Eye Clan member, that violated protocol, demanding intervention.

But spotting the bidder's features, they held their tongues, for it bore the clear, distinctive traits of the Bai'e Jie Race.

From the upper level of the auction venue, Ye Zhongming, viewing the feed on the glowing display, lifted his cup and toasted his companion, remarking, "I remain grateful for your support."

Jie Su raised his own cup, touching it to Ye Zhongming's with a grin, replying, "If they can scheme together, they ought to tolerate us pushing the bids. To be precise, they're the rule-breakers; we're merely playing by them."

"Yet it demands real power and boldness to back us." Ye Zhongming reflected deeply. Observing the remedy on the screen, now bidding at one thousand two hundred Moonspan Gold, he realized the Bai'e Jie folk, sheltered by the Su Race, as the proverb notes, 'backing from the mighty smooths the path,' feared neither the Paija Race nor any other, save the supreme giant races.

For the Bai'e Jie were a formidable mid-tier species, their might nearing major-race levels. The sole barrier to major status was their somewhat limited numbers.

Jie Su just smiled, offering no retort.

"I figured you'd be sidelined for some time."

Jie Su had moved solo, sans clan consent, to aid the Star-Eye Clan in clinching top spot on the Novice field, leading to his Elder's retrieval. Ye Zhongming assumed he'd face demotion or exclusion from succession, at minimum some penalty. Yet, here was Jie Su in Dark Strip City so soon.

"I braced for severe repercussions, but... the Elder passed your remarks to the clan, resulting in just a token deduction of ten cosmic years from clan resources."

Ye Zhongming burst into laughter at that. "Come on, you've got no favors to seek from me, so why the exaggeration? For a vast entity like the Su Race to brush off such an issue so casually over my minor self-praise would be absurdly lenient."

Jie Su shrugged it off, eyeing Ye Zhongming as he noted, "It wouldn't hinge solely on your words, of course. But undeniable is the immense promise in both White Robe and yourself, making the clan wary. Moreover, we've hit a transformative age hostile to cosmic natives yet favorable to our kind. All species chase evolution. Thus, with perfect conditions and synergy, my issue shifted from grave to a 'potential boon.'"

In fact, Jie Su hadn't foreseen the shifts upon his clan return. Yet, with Ye Zhongming before him, it all felt somewhat dreamlike.

White Robe's promise was real; the clan had spotted it earlier but stayed neutral. Now, Ye Zhongming's emergence prompted covert nudges toward engagement. Jie Su pondered if the clan truly favored this unprecedented Novice victor.

The sale proceeded. Thanks to the Bai'e Jie 'disrupting the scheme,' other groups saw suppressing prices was futile. Worst case, the Bai'e Jie could scoop up everything and hand it back to the Star-Eye Clan. This wasn't a neutral-hosted event with fees.

So, the auction normalized. Races bid per their wants, price levels, and venue dynamics.

As deals climbed higher, Star-Eye Clan viewers of the broadcast thrilled, while outsiders stirred.

Unaware of the Star-Eye Clan's acquisition costs, they gauged via market norms. With many items rare despite tags, values soared. Their math showed that, nearing the final two pieces and subtracting estimated market costs, the Star-Eye Clan had netted beyond ten thousand Moonspan Gold!

They'd truly pocketed a tidy sum!

Should those ultimate two items, utterly absent from markets, draw premium bids, and if the Star-Eye Clan hadn't overpaid for them... then a massive windfall awaited.

The assembled bidders straightened up, eager for the close of the last pair.