Limitless Path

The eye watering price that dissuaded Beth was a minimum bid of one mithril coin, with increments required to be at least five diamond coins. Of course, the minimum was nothing compared to the frenzy that happened for such a piece of high-level equipment, as even several VIPs on the fourth floor got involved in the bidding from the start, not to mention the other third-floor boxes. After a ton of rapid back-and-forth, the sword eventually went to a third-floor guest for eleven mithril coins, a crazy sum for a single piece of equipment, but, considering the piece's power and stats, not that unbelievable. Beth was a bit disappointed, but she was also a little excited; it was always great to see really powerful, cool items and dream about what she could eventually get her hands on.

Those dreams were interrupted by the midway point of the auction, with two big lots to be sold one after the other. Coming down off the high of the sword, a huge selection of gems from Beth's consignment was up for the first of the two big midpoint items. Megahn did a great job of stirring up the already hot audience, getting their blood pumping before revealing the massive array of uncut gems with a classic-magician-like pull of a cloth from a large table. The guests were suitably impressed, loudly voicing their shock at such a massive number of high-quality stones, before the bidding began in earnest. A handful of cheeky contenders on the first floor tried to wade into the waters at the beginning, but even the balcony guests were quickly muscled out by the third-floor boxes. It wasn't long after that three of the high-end VIPs from floor four joined the fray, getting heated as they threw out cutting comments at each other. Apparently, not only were they familiar with each other, but several of them were upset they had missed out on the crystalized titanium and were determined to make up for it.

It was all money to Beth, and she cackled gleefully as the esteemed guests got into an angry bidding war over this lot of gems. Not only were they driving the price quite high out of spite, she knew there were more lots to come. If she could get lucky and have the gem-hungry VIPs get into one or two more bidding wars over the other lots, she and Blood would be making out like bandits. Not only that, but the rubies had yet to make an appearance at all, and based on both Selene's words and some research Beth had done, she knew that those gems, especially being the deep versions, might just bring the house down.

Not that the large lot of gems between grade four and grade seven weren't setting the place alight as it was. The bids, even though they were only required to be one diamond increments on the large lot, were going up by five or six diamond coins each call-out, having long broken through the one mithril coin mark and now approaching the two mithril coin mark. That was when the person who won the titanium, if the voice was anything to go on, called out a shocking bid of three mithril coins, hoping to swoop the lot. Not to be outdone, several more large upticks were called from the fourth floor, driving the price over four mithril in just half a minute or so. The bids slowed after that, with only two people bitterly contesting, and insulting each other to the point Megahn reprimanded them for their behavior, before one of the VIPs eventually caved and stopped bidding. That still put the price at five mithril, five diamond when Megahn made the third call and declared the lot sold, making Beth a very happy camper.

"You seem awfully fascinated with gems…" Val said, giving Beth a look with slightly narrowed eyes and a tilt of her head.

"I told you; I had some stuff consigned," Beth replied with a big grin, seeing Val's eyes widen slightly at the comment.

"No…those were yours?" Val asked, looking back down at the stage where the gems were just being wheeled away.

"And the early lots, and the titanium," Beth grinned. "I think every gem being sold today, at least that's unfinished, is from me."

"Congratulations," Val said with a small smile. "It's rare to earn such a great amount, even from a good trove."

"It's not in our pockets yet," Beth answered with a shrug.

"Ha! You're an Emerald Member; they only charge a couple percent for the consignment. You'll make a killing off this," Val said with a short, sharp laugh.

"I hope so," Beth said, showing Val the fingers of both her hands being crossed, which got a genuine smile out of the reserved woman.

During their brief discussion, Megahn had cleared the stage and gotten ready to introduce the next item and, Beth had to say, the resources and power of the Seven Lights Trading Firm was on full display. What the other attendants rolled out next, on a small stand that seemed a mountain based on what sat on it, was a tier four skill crystal. It was a one-time use crystal, as even Seven Lights wouldn't be as crazy as to auction a multi-use crystal at a monthly auction, but the piece was still stunning, especially as the midpoint high before the auction took a short break to allow guest time to stretch, eat, and refresh themselves.

"I don't know that I need to extoll the value of such an item," Megahn began with a wicked smile. "But indulge me as I do it anyway!" This got a good laugh from the guests throughout the venue, their excitement bubbling through at the incredible item up for sale.

"This, as you can no doubt see, is a tier four skill crystal. Alas, as this is the monthly auction, it is but a one-time use crystal. However, make no mistake, the value of this crystal is possibly the highest of any item we will present today, including the finale items. This is the skill World Shattering Strike, a tier four skill that is capable of destroying an entire world. Of course, one needs to reach the requisite level with the skill, but the power of this offensive skill is unrivaled. Furthermore, the skill can be used with any kind of weapon, but it is especially powerful when used with the body directly. To top it off, the skill is capable of cracking apart the space around the wielder, provided they have sufficient power. The minimum bid for this lovely skill is ten mithril coins, with increments no lower than ten diamond coins!"

Beth was practically salivating by the end of Megahn's explanation, but the hope in her eyes dimmed at hearing not just the price by the minimum bid. The minimum bid was another way to assess the assumed value of an item, as well as a gauge for how high the price might realistically climb; with a ten-diamond minimum, the value and potential price was rather plain to see. It didn't take long for the reality to bear out the guesses, either, as the price quickly rocketed past twenty-five mithril coins as the bids showed absolutely no signs of tapering off. A fierce war had broken out between quite a few people, including many on both the third and fourth floor. The bids only started slowing down once the price had soared beyond ninety mithril coins, and the final winning bid was one orichalcum, ten mithril coins, a truly shocking amount of money. It drove home just how true Tera's words about skill crystals being unimaginably valuable were, with a single-use tier four crystal going for starship-level money.

"We really are poor bastards," Beth sighed after the crystal sold.

"What do you mean 'We?'" asked Val with a slightly quirked brow.

"Could you have bought that?" Beth asked with a slight frown.

"Well, no," Val started and Beth scoffed.

"Then I meant we," Beth said.

Now that the item had sold, the auction took a quick, twenty-minute break to give people some time to relax. It wasn't necessarily hugely beneficial to allow the audience to cool down, but it wasn't that bad either, as sometimes an audience could get exhausted if they weren't allowed to have a break. The auction was also quite long, as it had stretched a couple hours already and the second half was still going to be longer than the first, not to mention the finale items at the end, which would likely have a long build-up and a long bid cycle each. Beth and the others took a minute to relieve themselves before returning to the booth and preparing themselves some new drinks.

When the auction resumed, the crowd was still a bit fired up, but there weren't any crazy bidding wars as there had been on the midpoint items. There were a few fights over some pieces of armor that were rather high-quality, but the prices didn't soar to any kind of extreme level. Once they had moved through a section of high-end armor and some weapons, the items started getting far more interesting, and the excitement started to build again. They were still a way from the finale, but they were on the lead-up to it, and people's blood was starting to run hot. Beth also had to hand it to Alex and Selene; it really felt like they were doing everything they could to get the best possible value for her, as the remainder of her gems, minus the ruby, appeared just as the audience was getting excited.

This lot was smaller than the middle lot, where the bulk of their gems had been sold, but it was still an impressive amount, and now it was all truly high-quality stuff. When the two tables of uncut gems, all of which were grade eight and nine, were presented to the hall, the place went absolutely nuts. Megahn could barely get through her description of what was present before the gloves were off, with even the fourth floor VIPs making a move right from the start. It was all gravy to Beth, a massive smile splitting her face as the price soared through first fifty diamond coins, then a mithril coin, then smashed past two and kept right on going. The large middle lot of gems had gone for just over five, but that was a bidding war that took quite some time, and the true VIPs had stayed out until the price was already starting to climb. Now, everyone was going nuts, and it was clear the high grade made the gems incredibly desirable.

"I wish I had more than a single mithril coin," Val sighed. "I would love to have a stockpile of resources like that."

"If I'd've known, I would've saved you some," Beth commented off-handedly. It was the first time she truly saw Val lose her cool, as the tall woman turned to her with incredibly wide eyes and a gaping mouth. She worked her jaw for a few moments, but no sound came out, and eventually Blood reached up and shut Val's open mouth, getting a light swat on the hand for her trouble.

"Those are your gems?!" Val hissed at Beth.

"Yep. Mine and Blood's," Beth responded with a grin. "And all those shouts right now sound like sweet, sweet money in my pocket."

"I hate you," Val hissed before sitting back and sighing. "Not only are you going to be rich after this, but those materials are of such good quality. The enchantments I could do with those would be…startling."

"There's always more out there," Beth replied with a shrug, her face still split in a huge grin. Val just crossed her arms, which had an interesting effect considering she had an extra joint in each arm, and turned her head away from Beth, frowning at the stage as the bidding war continued.

"Finally, a lot that has some quality," a deep voice suddenly echoed from the fourth floor, Beth feeling a pounding in her skull for a second just from that VIP speaking. Even Val stiffened, though whether that was from the mental pressure or because she recognized the person, Beth couldn't say. Not that it would be particularly strange for it to be the second, as Val was certain to know many of the movers and shakers in the Milky Way. "I bid ten mithril coins."

The second statement from the voice shocked many present, Beth not least of all, as they casually bid almost double what the current rate was. That took the wind out of the sails of everyone on the balconies and the third floor, but it wasn't enough to foil the fourth-floor VIPs. It was at this point that Beth also realized just what it meant to be able to sit on the fourth floor for the monthly auction, able to view all products sold on all planets and bid on them.

"Fifteen mithril coins," the woman who had placed several bids and even won a few items earlier said.

"Twenty mithrils," called a third voice.

"Twenty-five," the woman replied with just a touch of venom.

"Forty mithril coins," the deep voice reverberated again, this being enough to silence everyone else.

After a few moments, Megahn stepped in, saying, "I hear forty mithril coins for this high-quality lot of deep gems. Do any of our other esteemed guests wish to up that bid?"

After nearly ten seconds of silence, Megahn started the countdown, and even the slightly upset woman didn't interfere. Beth was so giddy she almost bounced out of her chair, even considering the Seven Lights firm would be taking two of those mithril coins for their consignment fee. So far, she had made more than forty-three mithril coins off the gems they had found, including the consignment fees she would have to pay. That wasn’t even the end of it, as the ruby still hadn't made an appearance, and even if it didn't go for a very high amount, she was likely still to walk away with close to fifty mithril coins. It was, of course, due to several high rollers being present who had a great desire for gems. Given a different scenario and a different timing, she might have walked away with little more than the just over one mithril Selene had offered her, but the heat of the auction had blown the price up beyond any reason.

After her lot of gems, it was one high-value item after another, with elixirs, pills, potions, legendary natural treasures, spatial items, and more brought out and sold. It was only after a few hours of this that the finale finally arrived, the last items of the month going up for auction. The first of those wouldn't disappoint, either, as this is where the last of Beth and Blood's items were placed, with the rubies finally making their appearance. The lot was not very large, in terms of overall quantity compared to the other gem lots, but it was in quality and rarity that it counted. Deep rubies were very highly prized, and the fact that there were so many and of such high quality really brought the house down. This time, Megahn didn't even get to finish by stating the opening bid before the numbers were flying, the displayed price on the screen behind her flying up fast enough the numbers were barely legible.

For these gems, there was no overawing bid from one of the fourth-floor guests, but instead everyone fought tooth and nail to have the gems. Beth just watched the number climb, the screen continuously refreshing as the price soared higher and higher, her grin stretching from ear-to-ear. Val turned to ask her about the auction, but didn't even have to say anything when she saw the look on Beth's face, it being quite clear this was another of her lots. She just crossed her arms again and sat back in her chair, frowning unhappily as the bids continued rocketing towards the heavens.

The thing that truly shocked Beth in the end wasn't the price, though that was plenty eye-watering, but the fact that an unknown and heretofore unheard third floor guest bought the lot for one orichalcum and one mithril coin. Perhaps that price was a bit symbolic, as they didn't actually need to bid that much to secure the win, but Beth didn't really care. She had now netted nearly one-and-a-half orichalcum coins, which meant they were secure in terms of money for quite some time. The only thing they had left was to get their hands on the life essence Blood needed and they could both do their rebirths.