Contrary to ordinary players' beliefs, the auctions for Stone Forest City's private houses had begun with a bang. The prices rapidly climbed as partic.i.p.ants placed bids like they were fighting over cabbages. They shouted their bids with bloodshot eyes and fierce expressions as if they would take a bite out of anyone who outbid them.
The tension in Dark Night City's Candlelight Trading Firm was electric.
"Are you kidding me? This is just for one month of rent, yet someone's bidding 50,000 Credits? Are these people insane?" the Level 56 female Cleric sitting beside Tian Tong exclaimed, astonished.
The original price, 30,000 Credits, was already quite high, in her opinion. Stone Forest City's private houses were valuable, but they only made it easier for players to reach the Bottomless Abyss and dlowed them to recover Stami^^ and Concentration slightly faster than normal. At most, players with a private house would only get to spend a little more time grinding in the Regional Dungeon than those without. Zero Wing should thank its stars that players were even willing to rent the houses for 30,000 Credits, especially since not many players could afford the price, to begin with.
Yet, hundreds of players were placing one bid after another. Some players didn't get the chance to finish placing their bid before someone else's voice rose above theirs. In the blink of an eye, the first private house's price had risen to 50,000 Credits, and that was just for a one-month lease...
"No. They just recognize the value of Stone Forest City's private houses," Tian Tong said as she shook her head. "In reality, being able to level up faster is a secondary benefit to them. I heard that the Mana in the city is even denser than in the Divine Colosseum. Even after a short stay, players' minds sharpen, and their reaction speed increases. Being able to teleport back to their private houses from within the Bottomless Abyss will also allow players to spend more time training in the city. If players spend a fair amount of time training there, they might be able to improve their combat standards far faster than training elsewhere."
Improving one's combat standards was the foundation for growing stronger in G.o.d's Domain. Levels and equipment were only temporary measures.
To a true expert, nothing was more important than improving their combat standards. This was also why Tian Tong wanted to rent her own private house in the city.
While Tian Tong had explained the reason behind these players' pa.s.sionate abandon to her companion, the bidding for the first private house had risen to 65,000 Credits, which made the ordinary partic.i.p.ants sigh with disappointment.
Seventy thousand!" Tian Tong shouted.
"Eighty thousand!" a Level 68 Ranger almost immediately outbid Tian Tong.
"Two hundred thousand! This first house is mine!" a Level 69 Berserker boldly declared.
An uproar shook the venue as soon as the partic.i.p.ants heard this Berserker's bid.
Two hundred thousand? That's enough to rent a mansion in a city!"
The Dark Night Empire's 26th ranked Berserker is here?"
"No. I've heard that Fei Yu has defeated two of the Blood Jade Family's peak experts. He's now ranked 23rd. Even superpowers have been trying to recruit him."
"It seems Fei Yu will claim Stone Forest City's first private house."
The players present, especially the ordinary players, could not help but silently marvel at Fei Yu's imposing figure. They couldn't understand why an expert like him would be willing to spend 200,000 Credits for a month-long claim to a private house in Stone Forest City. The man was simply insane.
However, before the auctioneer could slam her gravel once, another voice rose through the clamor.
"Four hundred thousand Credits! The Blue Sky adventurer team wants this house. I hope that you all can step aside out of respect!" a Level 70 s.h.i.+eld Warrior abruptly shouted.
As one, the crowd turned toward this Level 70 Guardian Knight, their mouths hanging open in shock.
"What?! Empty Miracle is here, too?!"
Blue Sky was the fifth-ranked adventurer team in the Dark Night Empire, and Empty Miracle, the team's commander, was one of the empire's top-ten Guardian Knights. It was rumored that his strength could even rival that of superpowers' peak experts. The man was a large part of the reason that Blue Sky had earned its current position. One of Starlink's Elders had even tried to recruit Empty Miracle due to his impressive prowess and extraordinary achievements. He was undoubtedly a powerhouse in the Dark Night Empire.
"This is an auction, Empty Miracle! Speak with your money!" A robust, Level 70 a.s.sa.s.sin suddenly stood from his seat. "Our Windwolf adventurer team has no time for your nonsense. Five hundred thousand!"
"Five hundred and fifty thousand!"
"Six hundred thousand!"
"Six hundred and fifty thousand!"
Blue Sky and Windwolf fought, outbidding one another for a time. The watching crowd fell silent as they watched.
"Do they really need to go this far? Isn't it just a private house?"
"That's right! And this is only the first one. Aren't there still plenty available?" "Can't these two adventurer teams let others have a chance as well?"
No one understood why two of the Dark Night Empire's top adventurer teams were so desperate to rent one of Stone Forest City's private houses that they'd continue to outbid each other. The auction had just begun, and Candlelight had promised to present multiple private houses. If the two adventurer teams were willing to set aside their differences, they could rent a private house for a much lower price.
"How can this be happening?" Tian Tong's expression darkened as she watched the scene play out.
She had sold one of her valuable treasures to increase her chances of winning a bid. Before she had arrived at the venue, she had collected 300,000 Credits. She hadn't thought that she'd have any problems winning a private house with so much money on hand. She had even hoped to rent a private house until she reached Level 100 with these funds, but now, she didn't even qualify to partic.i.p.ate in the auction...
In the end, Blue Sky's Empty Miracle had won the first private house for 860,000 Credits, shocking every player in the venue.
However, just as everyone believed that the astronomical price was only a result of Blue Sky and Windwolf b.u.t.ting heads and that the auction would continue at a far more reasonable pace...
"Five hundred thousand!"
"Five hundred and fifty thousand!"
The moment the second private house's auction began, someone placed a bid for 500,000 Credits. The second private house eventually sold for a total of 930,000 Credits...
The third and fourth private houses sold for 880,000 and 890,000 Credits, respectively. Moreover, every winner was an adventurer team's commander. None of the ordinary partic.i.p.ants had even had a chance.
When the auctioneer announced the 11th private house, the various Guild upper echelons in their VIP rooms made their move.
"One million!"
"One million, two hundred thousand!"
Once the various Guilds stepped in, the lowest closing price skyrocketed to 1,500,000 Credits.
"This is insane! These people must be paid actors!" Tian Tong's Cleric companion exclaimed. They have to be!" Tian Tong couldn't bring herself to agree with her friend, and neither could the other expert players in the venue.
All of the auction's victors were respectable individuals in the Dark Night Empire. Regardless of Zero Wing's reputation, it couldn't afford to hire so many VIPs to fight over these private houses so desperately.
As the Guild upper echelons continued to compete, many players realized why Blue Sky and Windwolf had fought so fiercely for the first private house. Obviously, the various Guilds had decided to concede the first ten private houses, which were more than enough for the empire's top adventurer teams.
"So, independent players like us never had a chance of claiming Stone Forest City's private houses." Tian Tong couldn't help her bitter smile as she watched the empire's Guilds rent one private house after another.
A similar scene played out in other kingdoms and empires' Candlelight Trading Firms. For a time, a commotion erupted across G.o.d's Domain.
