Warlock Apprentice

“One-fifty thousand, called by Number 19!”

“One-eighty thousand, called by Number 177!”

“One-ninety thousand, called by Number 19!”

Flora floated behind Sunders and whispered, “Hey, professor. It’s just a gourmet wizard. We don’t need to spend money on that. Just find the time and go look for one from Fairytown.”

By “look for one”, Flora meant to search for whoever they see fit, knock the victim out, and bag him back.

Sunders did not answer Flora directly. Instead, he asked, “Do you believe Greya’s dead?”

“Two hundred thousand, called by Number 327!”

Devildare humphed in mild anger.

“What, you’re angry? Let’s fight it out then. I’ll be right here,” Lydia continued her taunting.

Instead of facing Lydia’s harassment, Devildare turned to Twilight.

“Continue the auction.”

Twilight nodded. “Please wait just a little moment, Lady Lotus. Have a look at our last item, you’ll surely be pleased.”

After those words, the protective magic array inside the auction hall suddenly brightened up as it ran at full force. Now it needed to consume hundreds of magic crystals each minute.

Meanwhile, a dozen wizards appeared on the stage in different positions, either in public or in inconspicuous corners, putting every angle of the stage under their observation.

It meant the auction house did regard the last item as something important.

The display of force convinced all audiences to sit upright and wait carefully. Even Lydia stopped her verbal assault.

Before today, no one heard anything about any precious items showing up during the auction, yet the house placed such solid bulwark here as if they were going to present some unequaled treasure found in the last century.

However, this was not planned at all.

Devildare sighed in frustration. Someone sent them the item just before the commencement of the auction. He first offered to buy the item as the auction house, yet the seller insisted for the item to be sold in public. Devildare tried again by convincing the seller to wait until the grand auction at the end of this year, so the house had time to attract more participants and earn more benefit. Yet the seller never agreed, and the seller only demanded the item to be presented right now.

Also, Sunders was here because Devildare sent him an urgent invitation.

“Please take a look at this.” Twilight wave a hand and a sealed-up glass case appeared on the stage.

The case contained a cloth doll with a grim design.

The doll was not big. It was only as tall as half an adult’s arm. It looked so simple that it only had several strings hanging on its round head as hairs. Another long string was attached on its back so whoever owned it might hang it on something else.

But on careful inspection, people could sense the terrifying aura coming from the doll. The simple hairs could not cover the doll’s eyes, which showed black and crimson concentric circles that were pulsing with a strange glimmer.

All wizards inside the hall, including Sunders, gasped at the item.

They were expecting Twilight Auction to use some high-tiered alchemy item or something similar as the finale, not… this.

This got to be the most valuable item provided by the auction during the last decade!

At this moment, the wizards all considered their trip today worthy, no matter whether they could get the item or not.

To apprentices, the toy doll was nothing special. It was just a bit creepy.

Only wizards would notice the small secret hidden within.

To wizards, the appearance of the doll somewhat darkened the auction hall. Then a black, screaming shadow emerged from it and loomed over their heads. They saw a pair of blood-red eyes on the shadow as well as a bloody, grinning maw.

Even the anti-magic case could not prevent the horrible shadow from showing up.

This was something not yet comprehensible for apprentices.

…

“No doubt about it… that’s a Mystery Item!” A wizard stood up in excitement. It appeared he could not hold back the urge to run up the stage so that he could look at it closely.

“Mystery Item??” His comment ignited everyone’s enthusiasm.

Most apprentices had no idea what a “Mystery Item” was. However, they still knew there was something they could not see, judging from how the real wizards around them acted.

“Yes, a Mystery Item which showed itself in this world for the first time.” Twilight smiled at the gawking wizards. “I’ll call it the ‘Cursing Puppet’ for now.”

Twilight only revealed the item’s name. There was no introduction.

The truth was that she did not know anything about the item either. The seller who was just as secretive as the doll did not even allow them to have a preliminary examination of the item. If they insisted, he would simply take it back and sell it somewhere else.

A Mystery Item without an owner.

Any auction, including the ones held by Floating Mech City, would definitely place this one as a grand conclusion.

Successfully selling the item would earn Twilight Auction great fame across the world. That was why they accepted it despite the seller’s extremely tough requirements.

“I believe that there’s no need for words. We’ll start at a hundred thousand magic crystals, and it shall also be the minimum increment.”