The Stargazing Witch & The Dungeon Planet
Chapter 77: The Auction Part 3

Chapter 77: The Auction Part 3

The Rudzik Fighters officer asked, “You want something to eat?”

I lied and replied, “No, I already ate.”

The extended ad break was nearly over, and the Rudzik officer had left for a moment to grab some more food. He picked up some potato chips and soda. 

I did ask Espr if the man–whose name was Matthew, which I also learned from Espr–had any lie detection skills, and according to them, he did not. If he had, I would probably have moved away; I just didn’t want to deal with that for the last portion of the auction. 

Lie detection skills were rare, shockingly. They were a skill that a lot of average people would appreciate, but they came with a few hurdles that people had to overcome to acquire them first.

Issue one, they didn’t come until one was at a higher level, at around level 100; for most people, that was a high level. Issue two, the Vocations that came with lie detection skills didn’t always have the best skills for most professions. Meaning they didn’t inherently help in the acquisition of many jobs. Of course, there was the chance that one could randomly acquire a lie detection skill outside the influence of their Vocation, but that was still a rare event.

Matthew shrugged. “Your loss.” And dug into his bag of chips.

Espr how did he even find me? 

I was curious about how he actually discovered me. I mean, of course he used a skill, but I wanted to know what kind, as it would be useful to know about if I dealt with it again in the future. Because I doubt he was just spamming a Soul Page appraisal skill as that would be a massive waste of mana.

(" Hmm, I know, but I am going to need you to pay a price for it this time. ”)

Never mind; I will just ask him instead.

I leaned up slightly and turned over. “Sigh, still, how the fuck did you even find me.”

He paused after eating a chip. “Complete coincidence; if it wasn’t for my skill and that luckily for me, I would happen to be walking by you. If that didn’t happen, I would have the displeasure of taking care of some bruised children for another few hours.”

I corrected him. “What you were meant to say was ‘unluckily’.”

“Maybe.” He threw a few more chips into his mouth. “I didn’t even realise it was you initially, you looked mostly different.”

I replied, “Unsurprisingly, I have more than one set of clothes.”

“So do I, but they all look the same.”

“Your funeral, then.”

He nodded. “Agreed, I hate company policy, but being on the job requires you to follow the simple rules at least.”

“You can quit and change jobs.”

He raised his eyebrow. “Speaking from experience?”

“No, just giving the obvious suggestion.”

"Well, I do like my job; everyone usually has something they don’t like about where they work.”

“Then stop complaining to strangers who don’t want to hear about it.”

The man complained with a simple, “Ouch.”

Soon the auction’s final act started and the first two items were what had been shown off publicly before.

Name: Adding A Bit 

Description: A great item to help with all your mana needs! All effects don’t negatively interfere with other skills or equipment! 

Main Function: Can double the user’s mana of anyone below level 300!

Side Function 1: Double’s mana regeneration!

Side Function 2: Can store concreted mana up to the average’s level 200s (About 2 000 000 MU – Mana Units)!! Doesn’t fade away (For at least a year XD).

Side Function 3: Glows in the dark.

Side Function 4: Helps with sleep…

Name: You Fucked With Me, I Fuck With You!

Description: You HATE someone? Well, congrats most people in the universe do! But sometimes you hate someone just that little, tiny, bit, EXTREMELY MORE!!!!!! If you do, this item is perfect for you!

Main Function 1: Once you have met the person you hate while in possession of this item (Yes, some strong negative feelings are required, sorry those who thought this would be a great spy tool), you can show how far that person is away from you at all times. Tracking blocking skills DO NOTHING to stop this wonderful device.

Main Function 2: When you are near (near = on the same continent) the person you hate (Also forgot to mention, this device can store [Five Hated Individuals]), that person feels triple the amount of pain (This feature is togglable and is off by default).

Main Function 3: Can steal mana from a hated target when within 5 kilometres of the target. The drain is about 0.1% of their mana per minute.

Side Function 1: It can connect to the internet, to a limited extent. 

Side Function 2: Has a notepad, clock/alarm, and many other nice daily tools!

Side Function 3: The ‘screen’ will always be clean, no matter what stains may touch it.

Looks like the descriptions haven’t changed.

(" Did you expect them to? ”)

No, but it could’ve happened.

Matthew asked, “You want either of them?”

“I think everyone wants one of them.”

“Come on, have a little bit of having.”

(" Exactly, you always say that to me ”)

Because you are Espr and find a mix of joy and frustration out of it, with annoying strangers just adds the latter.

(" Don’t lie, you are having some fun ”)

Whatever you say.

(" Correct, I am in your head ”)

Attached to the soul more like.

I did decide to answer Matthew's question. “Adding A Bit, it just has more practical uses in all cases.” It wasn’t a completely honest answer, more half-arsed than anything.

In truth, choosing one of them was hard. The biggest was that I didn’t know the specific characteristics of either of them. Adding A Bit usage seemed to dip after level 300, but by how much? Because any increase in mana regeneration was still good, and an extra tank of mana was still great.

‘You Fucked With Me, I Fuck With You!’ had the same issue, I for sure hated Dominous Hood a lot, but that hatred might not be enough to activate the ability. They were simple vermin that must be exterminated. There were a few people whom my direct hatred for them should make the item activate, however, the condition ‘Once you have met the person you hate while in possession of this item’ held back its potential for me.

“Yeah, that’s reasonable.”

Then the next few items went by, and each one had a long fight to claim them.

Name: Momentary Blitz

Description: Momentary Blitz is an ordinary-looking wristband. Sometimes simple designs are good.

Main Function 1: Allows the user to copy one of their movement skills into this item. That skill can be used at no cost twice a day. 

Main Function 2: It helps the recovery of stamina, not by much, but it does help at no cost to the user! 

I wasn’t too interested in the third one.

It’s okay.

(" It would be good for your brother ”)

I mean? Yeah? It would be good for anyone with a movement skill.

Name: My Meal Only Ends When I Say So

Description: A storage ring that can store all kinds of food! Each is perfectly kept at the perfect temperature and the like! They will never degrade and will be ‘paused’ until the user takes them out of the storage. Warning, this can’t store non-food items, sorry.

Main Function 1: As mentioned in the description, it can store food. How much? About three tons! 

Main Function 2: Uses the user’s mana to duplicate food 

Side Function: Can warn the user about the quality of the food about to be stored or taken out. Also, it can check for problems with the food.

Matthew said, “Now this is one I want.”

“Chuck a bid onto the pile then.”

“...It’s already above half my yearly paycheck.”

“It is going up fast. Even if it is not that useful, it would still be very valuable as a collector's item.”

“What are you talking about? It is amazing.”

“You're right.” With my first statement, I was referring to the main crowd who came here for the more exciting items. Like what the first three were.

Even for me, who didn’t need to eat, I still enjoyed eating, and the storage being that large meant I could eat whatever I felt like at any time. Plus, with extra food to spare because of the duplication ability.

Matthew asked another question, one that I felt had ulterior motives for asking. “Don’t you get sick of wearing a helmet all day?"

My eyebrow was raised; no one could see it because of the helmet in question. “Why are you asking? Do you have a problem with me wearing one?”

He shook his head. “No, I just genuinely hate wearing them; they always feel too stuffy.”

I asked, “Are you wearing helmets with poor air circulation?”

He sighed sadly, “No, doctors say it’s a mental thing.”

Honestly, I did wish to remove the helmet. I had been wearing it for so long now, and the feeling of my face being completely covered did get to me sometimes. However, I didn’t know if it was because of my mental state or the horn bumps causing it–the latter of which was an easy way to blame the situation on Espr.

There were two more lifestyle items after ‘My Meal Only Ends When I Say So’. The first was a healing item called the Pristine Figure. That was designed to keep the body healthy; it allowed for people to live longer lives without any hassle or actually needing to take care of themselves, besides that, it didn’t do much.

The one after that was called ‘A Note For Every Day’, and in simple terms, it was a super tracker and calendar. This one confused me, as a lot of apps and technology could do what this item was pitching. Though it apparently displayed its information in a similar way that the Soul Page did, which was crazy to think about.

Name: Frozen Edge Blade Name Here

Description: A gigantic metallic blade of ice-cold metal. It looks pretty ordinary, if I do say so myself. Besides the fact that it is three times the size of the average greatsword, never ask why I made it that big.

Main Function 1: Generates and stores ice energy. This can be used by the linked user or by this weapon's other functions.

Main Function 2: Has a float and weight control function, allowing the weight to be adjusted, it can also just float around the linked user; the floating ability does cost mana. (Warning, this doesn’t make the weapon ‘light’; the weapon is far heavier than it looks). 

Main Function 3: Grants the linked user resistance to low and below-freezing temperatures. 

Side Function: Can release the ice energy stored in a myriad of ways (which I am not going to list here, but it is pretty easy to figure out one unless you are stupid).

(" The first weapon; something you would like? ”)

I mean, yeah, it is crazy, but I don’t think it is something I could utilise well. Also, what is with that name?

Matthew gasped, “Damn, how is that not a dungeon artefact..?”

I shrugged. “Be a once-in-a-millennium genius and break what was thought humanly possible.”

“You aren’t the most fun conversation partner, are you?”

(" I would have to disagree with that statement  ”)

“I tend to keep talks with strangers short.”

Then the next item appeared, which was truly a shocker.

Name: Divider

Description: A stone-like longsword.

Main Function 1: Can cut any mana construct without resistance (There may be a limit, I haven’t found it yet, this statement is true with the following abilities.).

Main Function 2: Can ‘Slash’ through curses, this doesn’t remove them outright, but does make them a lot weaker.

Main Function 3: Can ‘Cut’ through solid objects with a simple small cut.

Main Function 4: Greatly enhances the user strength, perception, and awareness.

Main Function 5: Overtime repairs itself from any damage received.

Side Function 1: Will destroy any scabbard used for it, and can’t be placed in storage.

Side Function 2: Will injure anyone who is under level 200 hand if they try to grab it.

What the fuck? How did someone make something like this?

(" Now I didn’t expect something like this to appear ”)

The other items seemed unbelievable, but possible when you consider who made them, but Divider was in a whole other league. The effects were something only a dungeon artefact ever rivalled.

Matthew was just wide-eyed staring at the screen.

I can’t believe he chose to sell this one…

The bid for Divider was chaotic and lasted far longer than any of the previous Craftalot item bidding wars. Even once it was done, everyone was definitely questioning who won the item in the end.

Afterwards, another simple item was displayed, ‘To Save a Penny’. It was part storage, financial assistance, protective device, map, and simple first aid device. It managed to calm the heightened emotions caused by the previous auctioned item.

However, before the next item appeared, the feed blinked for a moment.

Well… looks like something is about to happen.

Then the feed to the auction crashed, and I immediately changed my perspective with [Star Mapping] to look at the first segment. 

I stood up. “There is a massive hole in the segment one tower.” 

Matthew turned to me and exclaimed, “What?!” Then he turned away to answer his coms.

There wasn’t much panic among ordinary people, as they didn't know what was going on, but before the people who did could do anything, a large number of small ships jumped through the supposedly deactivated transport tunnels.

…I didn’t expect that to happen…

I had a feeling what was coming was going to be more difficult to deal with than expected.