Capítulo 79: VOL 2 Chapter 24: 5,000,000!!!.
"And what brings Princess Firestone here today?" Erik asked courteously as he looked at Silvana, who responded with a beautiful smile on her face.
"Actually, I'm here partly for the special items, but mainly for the lot of Sage Advancement Potions made by Master Brisanter."
"Oh, how interesting, but I thought taking those potions made it more difficult to advance to a higher level." Erik commented, somewhat curious, since he knew about those potions—or rather, he had read about them, and they didn't exactly have rave reviews.
Those potions were a special type categorized as advancement potions, which existed for each level up to the Sage level. Their purpose was to force an advancement in the consumer. For example, the potions Silvana mentioned, which were to be auctioned, could forcibly elevate a peak Illuminated to a first-rank Sage.
But despite being very useful and powerful, they had a significant social stigma, according to what Erik had read. This was because they had major drawbacks. Firstly, they were terribly expensive, requiring an extremely high level of skill to create—at least peak Arcane level—as well as scarce and highly demanded resources.
Secondly, they could only be consumed by someone who was at the peak rank of the level directly below that of the potion. For example, the Sage Advancement Potion could only be consumed by a peak Illuminated; otherwise, it could even kill the consumer.
But worst of all, if one advanced using a potion, the difficulty of increasing one's power level escalated by several tiers, to the point where simply advancing in rank became prohibitively difficult. Additionally, a mana user who advanced with a potion would always be weaker than someone who advanced by natural means.
"You are correct, Direct Disciple Erik, but reaching the Sage level is almost impossible for many people, and the Illuminated level becomes the peak for most. So, the potion is their only hope to climb higher and live a bit longer. There are many willing to advance in that way, despite its drawbacks."
Silvana commented in a calm and understanding tone, fully aware that for a supreme genius of Erik's caliber, it was at least difficult to comprehend the challenges faced by less capable people. The truth was that the young man was already being quite kind and considerate; someone else in his position might have mocked the moment they heard the phrase 'advancement potions.'
At the same time, the way Silvana looked at Erik changed a bit, appearing much more cheerful and interested. After all, while it was true, she came for those potions, under normal circumstances she would have avoided mentioning it. But she wanted to test the young man a bit, and he had passed with flying colors.
"Well, you're right about that; the difference in life expectancy between an Illuminated and a Sage is almost tenfold, so it might be worthwhile in certain special cases." Erik commented thoughtfully. He then took his notebook from his storage ring and began jotting down several things, which inevitably caught Silvana's attention. She remarked with a smile.
"Yes, you're absolutely right, Direct Disciple Erik, especially in our empire, which has several virtuous generals who have fought for the empire for millennia and deserve a reward."
"Given that they're quite expensive, your generals will be happy with their reward." Erik turned to look at Silvana and commented with slight interest while paying attention to her reactions. She responded with a small smile.
"I hope so, Direct Disciple Erik."
After a couple more comments, the conversation dwindled, and Erik focused entirely on the notes he was making in his notebook. This strongly drew the attention of the pair of women present, but only Seraphina could see what he was actually writing, which brought a smile to her lips. Her young master's notes were a set of ideas under a big title at the top that read [Business Ideas].
While her young master was enjoying structuring an entire profitable and easily operable business model based on the lucrative potions, Seraphina took a beautiful table out of her storage ring. She placed it beside her young master, then prepared tea accompanied by exquisite cookies, which she offered him with a smile.
"Young master, your tea and cookies."
"Thank you, Seraphina."
Erik turned to look at his reliable maid and thanked her with a smile. He then took a sip of tea and brought a cookie to his mouth, returning his focus to his work. Seraphina bowed elegantly and commented in a refined tone.
"It's always a pleasure to serve you, young master."
Meanwhile, Silvana and her butler watched with skeptical eyes as Seraphina served Erik like an efficient assistant, a beautiful and pleased smile on her face. After all, they were fully aware of whom that terrifying woman was and what she was capable of, so seeing her serve a young man with such devotion was, to say the least, surreal for them.
At the same time, the scene filled them with a chilling dread about the capabilities of the young man capable of achieving such a feat. After all, even their emperor had failed miserably when he tried and ended up being the victim of a brutal beating that, to this day, was a topic of conversation across the galaxy, turning him into a recurring joke.
After a while, more people entered the VIP room, all accompanied by what seemed to be assistants. But unlike Princess Firestone, Laura did not introduce any of them to Erik, despite some having an evident interest in approaching him. They attempted to do so, but a simple smile from Seraphina and a couple of powerful and intimidating wolves that emerged from Erik's shadow effectively calmed the situation.
Some time later, a part of the walls decorated with precious stones in the shape of constellations became completely transparent, revealing a panoramic view of an auction hall full of people. Unlike the cosmic tranquility of the VIP room, it was bustling with activity and contained excitement, while holographic screens emerged from the chairs.
Noticing the change, Erik quickly put away his notebook and reviewed the screen in front of him. The screen displayed a small tutorial on how to navigate the details of the auctioned items, place a bid, or simply check the total amount and specific rules of the auction.
The vast hall shone with a mix of golden and silver lights, with rows of seats occupied by a diverse crowd of people from all over the galaxy. Some wore elegant attire similar to what Erik and Seraphina wore, while others donned extravagant outfits that sparkled with jewels and magical artifacts. There was also a large number of people wearing the white robes representative of the Arcane University.
"Welcome, esteemed guests, to Aetherion's Hall! We invite you to this auction full of wonders, where only the worthiest hands can claim the treasures."
At the front of the room, on an elegant platform, an auction podium rose like an altar. The auctioneer announced in an elegant and mysterious tone, which immediately drew the attention of all present, silencing all conversation both in the main hall and in the VIP room. A crystal orb floated up to the auctioneer, then emitted a vivid hologram of a beautiful ceremonial axe, marking the start of the auction.
As the lots changed, one could sense the shifting atmosphere in the hall. Murmurs of admiration, sighs of desire, palpable tensions when two or more bidders faced off in a bidding war. Every gesture, every glance, every pause held meaning in this game of power and possession.
From their elevated position, the occupants of the VIP room could observe everything as if they were gods watching a game of mortals. They could judge, speculate, and, with a simple gesture, send their bids through holographic screens on their chairs, which were announced by several assistants located in the main hall.
After a while of items coming and going in the auction, the magical orb next to the auctioneer projected the image of four extraordinarily beautiful potions, contained in emerald flasks. The liquid shimmered with a golden and silver luminosity, almost as if they contained liquid stars. This caused Erik to glance discreetly at the princess of the Firestone Empire while reviewing the specific data of the item on the holographic screen.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you one of the most anticipated lots of the night: the lot of Sage Advancement Potions created by the great Master Brisanter." the auction master announced in a grave tone laden with authority, followed by a small dramatic pause.
The murmurs in Aetherion's Hall intensified upon the announcement of the lot. Although many artifacts and treasures had crossed the podium that night, this one in particular was eagerly awaited by many presents, causing the air to vibrate with anticipation. The auctioneer added seriously.
"These potions can elevate someone from peak Illuminated level to Sage level—an advancement that not only grants incomparable power but extends the life of the taker from 5,000 years to an impressive total of 40,000 years!"
While the auction master made the formal presentation, people of all kinds exchanged glances filled with calculation and desire. It was not just about possession, but the promise of power and longevity—a prize anyone in the universe would covet, despite its significant drawbacks and limitations.
"We will start the bidding at one million high-purity mana crystals; each increase must be a minimum of one hundred thousand crystals." the auctioneer announced firmly, initiating a furious bidding war unprecedented in the auction so far.
"1,500,000!!!"
"2,000,000!!!"
"3,000,000!!!"
"4,000,000!!!"
"5,000,000!!!"
The figures began to escalate rapidly, mainly due to the bidders in the main hall, who raised their paddles, shouted amounts, or simply made discreet gestures. Meanwhile, in the VIP room, Princess Firestone stared intently at her holographic screen, as did a couple more guests in the room. However, so far, it seemed that no one in the room had placed a bid.
For his part, Erik could only watch in surprise at the outrageous prices being shouted back and forth in the main hall. After all, it had already surpassed 5 million high-purity mana crystals—in other words, the annual salary offered to him by the director for developing his mana condenser.
That amount was almost five times his annualized monthly allowance, making him painfully aware that the business was much more profitable than he had imagined—or, better yet, how poor he really was. Although, to be fair, his monthly allowance was not low at all; with what he spent in a month, someone could buy a house on a less developed planet without much difficulty.
Although the term 'high-purity mana crystals' might sound elegant, the truth was that these were the lowest denomination mana crystals in the Order. They had that name because there were crystals of lower purity, but those were only used for low-level industrial purposes. These were followed by intermediate crystals and, finally, maximum purity crystals, with an intermediate being equivalent to about 50 high-purity crystals and one of maximum purity equaling about 250 high-purity crystals.
Meanwhile, the average income of a worker in the Arcane Order ranged between 30,000 to 40,000 high-purity crystals per year. So, in reality, Erik spent in a month more than double the annual salary of an ordinary person, which was why he was so reluctant to accept more money.
Seraphina looked at her young master with a tender smile on her face, as she could guess what he was thinking. She quickly approached his ear and whispered warmly, ensuring that no one else could hear.
"Young master, you don't have to worry about the prices. There is a fund of 100 million for you to purchase whatever you deem necessary for your journey in the tournament and the exploration of the ruin. Moreover, if necessary, it can be increased."
"..."
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