The venue for the [Platinum] auction was an immersive digital space that seemed almost lifelike.
It was designed to replicate a grand ballroom, complete with glittering chandeliers and polished marble floors.
As Rain walked on the marble floor leisurely. Some people tried to observe him. It's because you can say his current appearance was [Too edgy.]
The walls were adorned with intricate "gold leaf patterns" and "expensive artwork" that seemed to glow under the virtual lighting.
'So much showoff.' Rain was not fond of public events that attracted people like this.
It reminded him of his birthday parties and those office meetings of his previous life. People talked with each other enthusiastically. But most of that was back bitching.
"Pretentious people," Rain thought to himself, as he surveyed the crowd with a hint of disdain. He didn't want to engage with them, instead, he looked for a place to sit.
He had seen enough routines where the main character gets into trouble with someone in these kinds of auctions. So, he wanted to avoid any unnecessary interactions and just enjoy the event from a safe distance.
Soon as you would have expected, Rain got into a private room to sit. That's what would have happened if he was the main character. However, he is just an extra character (former villain), so he had to sit on the main floor.
He walked skillfully while dodging everyone that came into his way. Rain didn't like to touch people.
In a few moments, he found an empty seat from where he could get a clear view of the auctioneer and the items being sold.
However, the auctioneer was still absent as there was still some time before the auction started.
In the center of the hall, there was a raised platform- [Auction Block]. It was decorated grandly.
Rain's seat was quite far from the auction block. After all, he was just a C ranker. Still, even if he was A ranker he could only sit on the front row.
Higher rankers like S rankers and SS rankers were sitting on the mezzanine level floor. That area was located above the main floor of the auction hall, offering an elevated view of the proceedings below.
Rain knew most of the VIP guests were sitting there. They might have many perks and facilities there.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAs he sat in his seat, he found himself becoming increasingly bored with the auction. He couldn't help but think, "It would be so nice if someone would just blow up this auction house. Then I wouldn't have to endure this boredom."
Even though it was impossible, just thought was enough to decrease Rain's boredom to some extent.
Suddenly, Rain heard a voice, filled with enthusiasm. "Hey, Ken! Over here! There are some empty seats!" As he turned to face the direction of the voice, he saw a man with bulging muscles waving at him.
"James?" Rain recognized the man immediately. He knew that if James was there, then it was highly likely that Ken and his group of friends would be present as well.
Rain moved his face slightly to get a better view of the surrounding people and saw a group of men and women standing next to James. He couldn't help but facepalm himself, thinking, "As expected, Ken's group is here." He had anticipated that Ken and his friends would show up at the auction.
However, Rain was slightly surprised when he saw that they were making their way towards him.
There were numerous empty seats surrounding Rain, which was unusual for such a high-profile event. However, the reason for this was because of his appearance. Many C rankers recognized him from their encounters in the arena. He was known as "Thanatos" - the God of Death who greeted his opponents with deathly daggers. If his opponents were even slightly late to the fight, their heads would be rolling on the ground in no time.
He was an abnormal individual who had risen up the ranks in just a single day. He had become an undisputed God of Death in the eyes of others due to his impressive skills and abilities in the arena. His reputation preceded him, and it was no wonder that many people were hesitant to sit next to him, fearing his deadly skills.
In a few moments, Ken and his group made their way towards Rain and sat on the empty seats.
"Why are we sitting here, when we can get into the mezzanine floor area?" Daphne asked curiously. Her appearance was the same as reality. "Fierce cat" name was blinking on her head. From that, you can think that it would be her username.
Ben strongly expressed his concern, "It would be too high profile. If we were to attend, we could potentially find ourselves in trouble." His physical appearance reflected the seriousness of his words.
As it turns out, Ken and his group had received an invitation from Eva and Amy to attend the auction. Eva and Amy had acquired passes through their families and, being among the top 100, Ken and his group were also granted invitations despite not being permanent residents.
However, it was important to note that without the necessary funds, they would be unable to place bids. Attempting to bid falsely would only result in the wrath of the auction house's owner.
'Looks like things have changed because of Ben.' Rain assumed.
"Yeah. We shouldn't be too high profile. As Sister Zoa also warned us about it. There is a chance that members of the [Blood Supremacy Club] will be here." Eva chimed in.
Ken also nodded.
Even though Rain wasn't turning his face towards the group, he was hearing their conversation intently.
'Looks like I won't be able to see a fight between this group and [Blood Supremacy club].' Rain felt slightly bad as he might not be able to see a good show.
As Ken and his group were talking, lights illuminated the auction block.
Everyone expected that a beautiful and sexy lady would appear, but to their surprise, an old man with a potbelly appeared there.
"Hello. I'm your host. Everyone might know me as "Ricky Rich." Because I am too rich. Hahahahaha." He laughed at his own joke.
The people who didn't know him gave him puzzled looks.
"Did he get dumb because of old age?"
James asked everyone in a low voice, with a puzzled look.
Daphne and Noah giggled at James' question.
"Shhh... Idiot." Amy rebuked him quickly and explained, "Don't say rude things. He is the owner of this auction house."
'The owner of this auction house is him?' James was having doubts about his life.
"Sorry for the lateness. I was busy - in eating." Ricky said nonchalantly as he stroked his round belly.
'This guy really has balls of steel.' Rain commented. Ricky had the guts to make people wait and even give this worthless excuse.
"Good morning, everyone! Welcome to the auction house. I am very thrilled to have - all of you here today for this highly anticipated event- [Platinum Auction].
We have a fantastic collection of items up for auction. Whether you're a closet pervert or a man of culture. A BL lover or a fan of GL fantasies. We've got something for everyone.
I was working tirelessly to bring you the very best selection of unique and high-quality items. I had to bring this belly everywhere and collect good times by myself." Ricky said as he tapped his belly.
'That belly is so round, I wish I could make a hole there.' Daphne and Noah stared at that belly intensely.
Unaware of his belly being targeted by the future legendary phantom archer couple, Ricky continued his speech.
"From rare antiques to contemporary pieces, we've scoured the globe to bring you the best of the best. So, without further ado, let's get this auction started and see what amazing finds we can discover today!" Ricky said enthusiastically.
'So boring.' Rain felt like yawning. However, he controlled himself.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmBut James didn't control himself, he yawned and opened his mouth widely.
Surrounding people gave him weird stares.
Ken's group was having secondhand embarrassment because of it.
To their hope, Ricky's voice came at that time and onlookers turned their faces towards Ricky.
Amy gave a hard smack on the back of James' head.
"Now you won't say anything. Otherwise, consequences won't be good." She warned, with a cold voice.
"First up, we have a set of cursed dolls. These dolls have a reputation for bringing misfortune to their owners, and it's said that they come to life when nobody is watching. Are you brave enough to take them home?"
As Ricky said this, a hologram appeared behind him. It contained photos of cute dolls.
Looking at them many girls had stars in their eyes.
"These dolls are so cute."
'Nasty things' Rain grumbled inwardly.
Soon, people started bidding on them. James was surprised to see this. He wanted to stand up and ask the bidders,
"What the Hell is good with those nasty dolls?" However, Amy restrained him.
In the end, a creepy guy with curly hair bought them with 500 gold coins.
"Thank you for the purchase. The item will be delivered to you soon via express delivery." Ricky said.
After that, things started coming up for the auction. A pair of levitating shoes, a singing plant, and a jar of glowing slime which could be helpful at night. Those items were truly one-of-a-kind and sure to spark your imagination.
However, Rain wasn't interested in any of them.
After half an hour, more than 10 items were auctioned.
"Now, we will start round 2 of the auction. Let's have fun. After all, aren't Auctions for fun?" Ricky said enthusiastically.