There was a long couch on the balcony, which gave a great view of a massive aula below. Rows and rows of seats covered the ground, sloping up to give everyone a good view of the podium, which was still empty. Thousands of people were already sitting there, the front rows filled, while people were moving in from the entrances and finding spots. The sound didn't reach them, showing there was another sound muffling skill in effect. A massive crystal slab sat behind a raised speaking chair, and an empty card with the words 'please remain seated until we begin' was showing on it.

"We will start in roughly ten minutes, so if you have any questions, please ask them now," Driseog said.

Irwin thought for a bit, then nodded. "If I see a card I like, how do I buy it?"

"You will need to place a bid, and you can do so by simply speaking the amount you wish to place," Driseog said, tapping his foot on the ground. "The crystal entity embedded in the room will forward your request. If you end up winning the card, it will be brought here at the end of the day."

Irwin hummed as he leaned back, wondering if there was anything else he should know.

"How many soulshards can I spend?" he asked.

"From the current way things are going, I would say you have at least two hundred and fifty thousand credits already," Driseog said.

Irwin grinned, barely believing how many soulshards he had now. Not able to think of anything more to ask, he quietly waited for the Auction to begin.

When the room below was stuffed full with thousands of people, and the hazy balconies opposite them showed figures everywhere, a familiar, towering Viridian appeared from a door behind the podium. Irwin saw people below him stop their conversations and focus on the man, and although he didn't hear it, he guessed the room was growing quiet.

"Thank you all for coming here today," Lord Gebladir Urdwellan said, his voice booming throughout the massive room, and as it did, whatever muting skill was stopping the sounds from reaching Irwin stopped.

The voice echoed around, and soft whispers came from all throughout the room.

"Most of you already know me, but for some of our off-world guests, let me introduce myself. My name is Gelbadir Urdwellan, the current ruler of Scour. Today, we celebrate the first millennium of our habitation of this beautiful world by having an auction! It isn't the first, nor will it be the last, but it will be the biggest since we arrived!"

Irwin gazed at Lord Urdwellan in awe. He'd spoken to them multiple times, but he'd never guessed he would have such a booming voice and outgoing personality when faced with tens of thousands of people.

"Now, to start this off with a bang, I'll be auctioning off a card of my own collection," Urdwellan said. He moved to the massive screen on which a large card showed. The massive green borders showed it was an Emerald one, while an image of a tiny being with a nimble body covered it.

"Verdant Sprite," Irwin read out as he quickly went over the card's specifics. Although it wasn't something he could use, he couldn't hold back a whistle.

"Fifty-thousand soulshards," a calm voice called out.

Whoever it was didn't matter, as the first bid caused a massive eruption of more bidding.

Irwin blinked in surprise as he leaned back.

"The first card always has this effect," Driseog said.

Irwin didn't respond as he watched in awe as the first card finally sold for a hundred and seven thousand soulshards. He had no idea who got it, but he did notice that Lord Urdwellan had left at some point. A small, wide-chested Viridian stood in his place.

"And the next card!" he boomed as another card appeared on the massive crystal tablet.

Time passed by faster than Irwin had imagined, and as he watched, he was surprised at how much difference there was between the price the cards went for. He also didn't see anything useful, which probably shouldn't surprise him, but still saddened him.

Hours flew by, with the most interesting moment being when Irwin recognized one of his own cards. It sold for seventeen thousand soulshards, a staggering amount that left him stunned.

"Not bad, that one did better than I anticipated," Driseog said as he began making notes on a tablet he had on his lap. "If the others do as well, I might have to increase my estimate upward."

Irwin just swallowed and nodded as he continued watching.

Finally, long hours later, the day ended, and Irwin sighed. He'd seen nothing of interest for himself, but he'd been more than a bit surprised at some of the insane amounts of soulshards that had been paid for some of the cards. The high point was a Ruby Rank sword with an active battle shape. It had gone for a staggering two million three hundred thousand soulshards, leaving Irwin reeling in his stool.

"Now, that was an enervating, though slightly slow, first day," Driseog said as he rose and looked at Irwin. "Will you be joining me again tomorrow?"

Irwin instantly nodded as he got up from his seat. "Definitely! Although I didn't find anything for myself, it was really interesting.

"Indeed it was," Driseog said with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow then! Just follow the same route as we did when we came here. I still need to finish some business, and I'll wait for you at the entrance tomorrow."

Irwin hesitated, then nodded. "Till tomorrow then," he said.

As he walked through the building, he sighed.

"That wasn't exactly what I'd expected," he said as he looked at Ambraz, who had been mostly quiet. "So many soulshards for a single Ruby Rank card!"

"Bah! Peanuts! That thing was under ninety percent, and even then, it was just a Ruby Rank card! If it had been a perfect card and sold on the main branch, it would have sold for over ten times this. More if it had been a more useful card! Besides, you should see what the services of a Diamond rank smith are worth! They don't even sell cards. They just wait till someone contacts them to forge their heartcard or reforge their soulcard," Ambraz said.

Irwin sighed as he listened to the Anvil.

"Well, keep an eye out for something I can use," he said.

The rest of the evening passed quietly, with Greldo still wandering the mission centers, looking for a card, and the others busy with their own things. Irwin didn't see Balarn and Yogog anywhere, but he wasn't too sad because it meant he had dinner with Scintilla.

The following two days passed similarly, with Irwin's cards starting to draw somewhat of a crowd. Especially the perfect cards, even though they were usually low ranked compared to others, seemed to be in high demand, and by the end of the third day, Driseog had been more than pleased.

The fourth day continued as the previous ones, and Irwin was leaning back, slightly bored.

Perhaps I should just skip the rest of the days? he thought as he stared at another card he didn't need.

Finally, an hour until the end of the fourth day, an Amethyst card appeared on the screen, and Ambraz shuddered softly.

"Buy that," he whispered in Irwin's ear.

Startled, Irwin looked at the card. It depicted a squarish shape, perhaps a rock. He frowned but didn't hesitate, by now knowing that the usual starting bid for Amethyst cards wasn't that high. Well, unless they were special summons or dealt with teleportation… or elemental affinities like his own first card.

"Three thousand," he said, feeling just a bit nervous as it was the first time he did a bid.

"We are starting at three thousand! Do I have-" The man barely finished when he raised his hand again, interupting himself. "Four thousand!"

"Five thousand," Irwin said, licking his lips.

"Five- Six thousand," the man shouted.

Irwin fitted his teeth and continued to increase the price. As it hit thirteen thousand, he felt like shouting. What was going on? Not a single Amethyst had gone over eleven thousand! What was up with this card, and did someone besides Ambraz know?

"Smith Irwin, are you sure you want this card?" Driseog asked from the side. He'd been quiet so far, making little comment.

Irwin didn't even have to look at Ambraz to know the other hadn't changed his mind. If at all, the constant vibrating Irwin felt told him he was more interested.

"Alright," Driseog said as he nodded.

"Twenty-six thousand," he said calmly as he tapped his foot on the ground.

Irwin blinked, and his mouth fell open.

The man down at the podium wasn't as easily rattled, instead smiling widely.

"Twenty-six thousand! Now we are getting on fire! Come, come! Is there anyone else?"

It was quiet, and as the seconds passed, they finally shrugged.

"Twenty-six thousand going once, going twice… sold! And let's continue on with-"

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Irwin didn't even listen as he looked at Driseog. "Why did you bid so much?"

Driseog shrugged. "Because apparently there's something odd about this card, and at least one other person in this hall knows that besides you. However, with how little this person overbid each time, it was evident their finances were being stretched thin. If you had continued like this, there was no way of knowing how far this person would be willing to go. Besides this, since the price I gave was so much higher than yours, most people will think a third party got involved."

Irwin blinked, then nodded as he leaned back. "Thanks," he said as he thought about the insane amount of soulshards that had just been spent on a single Amethyst card.

He barely noticed any of the cards that followed, and all he could think about was why Ambraz had wanted it. Would this be a card he could use? For his third slot? Or was it something special like those Derlin cards?

When the man finally called at the end of the first day, he looked up at Driseog, who was filling in things on his crystal tablet.

"How long till the card shows up?" he asked.

Driseog looked up with a slight interest before thinking for a moment. "It should be here within the next ten minutes. It usually doesn't take too long for the cheaper cards."

Irwin nodded, though he felt slightly annoyed at the same time.

Time ticked by, and after what had to be an hour, a knock came from the door. Irwin jolted up and ran to the door, opening it to see an older man with a small envelope.

"This is the card that was purchased from this room. Thank you for your patronage."

With a nod, the man handed over the envelope before turning and walking away.

Irwin stared after him before closing the door in surprise.

"Don't I have to pay for it?" he asked, turning to Driseog.

"The purchases from this room will be deducted from my Greenbark Mission Center," Driseog said.

Irwin nodded before focusing on the envelope. He hesitated, then waved at Driseog. "I'm going to head back and check this card! I'll try and be back tomorrow, but if I'm not, I trust you will keep an eye out?"

"No problem," Driseog said with a wide smile.

Irwin grinned back, appreciating the other for not asking any questions about the card. Instead, he waved again, turned, and paced away.

"So…" he whispered.

Ambraz let out a soft laugh. "You will see when we get to the smithy, but… do you remember that card that let you rub your hands to create heat with friction?"

Irwin nodded, vaguely recalling that he'd been thinking about using that to offset his cold weakness. Wondering absently what had happened with that card, he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"You will see," Ambraz said with a laugh.

Irwin increased his stride. Because he left pretty fast, the first people had only just started pouring out onto the square, so he easily reached the smithy before the masses hit the streets. He couldn't help but fiddle with the envelope in his pocket as he walked, but he didn't feel like taking it out where anyone could see it. There was at least one person who had wanted the card, and he didn't feel like having to talk with whoever it was.

As soon as he closed the door of his room, he took out the envelope, ripped it open, and took out the card. Staring at the simple purple card, he triggered his Eyes of Blaze skill.

Card: Vaelite Ore

Type: Amethyst, Hidden

Owner: -

The wielder gains the ability to imbue a piece of metal to hold a large amount of kinetic energy when it's struck. The next time the metal hits something, all of the kinetic energy explodes.

Passive: Slightly increases resonance sense.

Active: Imbue at most a fist-sized amount of metal with the properties of Vaelite.

Irwin frowned, staring at the card, then at Ambraz. After all the things that had happened, he was pretty sure Ambraz wasn't actively trying to harm him, but somehow, this card seemed dangerous. Besides it having the hidden attribute, which confused him, what should he do with it? Combine it with his hammer? Even then… how would this increase his energy capacity, as Ambraz suggested? Or, if not that, increase his movement speed?

"I… can you explain what this does?" he asked as he put the card down and sat at the desk.

Ambraz let out a soft laugh. "Ahhh, whatever would you do without me? Let's start by saying that the card, as it is right now, isn't all that special. The thing is, it's Vaelite! Now, this doesn't tell you anything, nor anyone else on this planet… well, besides the other person bidding. But know that it's very, very rare! It is not on the level of a Derlin card, but it is definitely in the tier below it. Now, it's not that surprising for it to be found in a world like this, nor is it odd for nobody to know about this. Like Purperion, it's a thing diligently kept secret by many families. But-"

Ambraz let the word linger.

"Anvils of the Gods know," Irwin said with a big grin.

"Damn right!" Ambraz said, letting out a nasty laugh.

"So. What do I do with it?" Irwin asked, trying to figure out what he should do with the card.

"Simple! We are going to reforge it along a very interesting path, and then you are going to slot it as your final card!"

Irwin nodded. "Alright… and what will the card do?"

"What? And spoil the surprise?" Ambraz said with an evil laugh. "Come now! Let's get this thing up to Emerald and make sure you give it your all. It needs to be a hundred percent!"

Irwin hesitated, wondering if he should push the Anvil for answers, then shrugged. The other's enthusiasm was contagious, and he wanted to see what card had Ambraz excited.

"Fine. Let's do this," he said, ignoring the fact that it was late and he had to get up early the next morning.

--

"Ugh… is he still hammering?" Greldo growled as he entered the smithy.

A deep hum, accompanied by a steady beat, filled the entire building, and some of the strikes so hard things in the drawers rattled.

Scintilla hung across the chair, biting in what looked like a red fruit shaped like a heart.

Greldo sniffed, and the scent of blood trickled in through the intense smells of metal, soot, and ash.

Nope, not shaped like a heart, he thought as he shook his head.

"He didn't stop all night," Scintilla said.

"How did you even sleep?" Greldo asked as he dropped into another chair.

"I didn't," Scintilla said before she sniffed. "But that's fine. Hotstuff can pay me back when he is finished!"

Greldo couldn't help but grin at her before shaking his head.

"You two make such a cute couple," he said.

Scintilla's grin widened beyond what a human could do, showing a few of her sharper canines. "Jealous? I'm sure there are some sisters in town that would fall head over heels for those pretty red eyes of yours," she said.

Greldo cocked his head, then shrugged. "I might hold you to that later," he said.

Before they could continue their banter, the steady thudding stopped, and the humming slowly silenced.

"Guess he can pay you back sooner than later," Greldo growled as he looked at the door that led to one of the private smithing areas.

Scintilla nodded, and they waited quietly.

--

"That… was harder than I expected," Irwin said, sitting on the ground beside the Anvil, catching his breath.

"You don't say," Ambraz growled. His voice was weary, and a sound reminiscent of a yawn came from him.

Irwin hesitated, then pulled out another of his stack of mostly useless cards and tossed it to the mouth, which was just opening for another yawn. He grinned as Ambraz made a startled choking sound before he began chewing.

"Thanks," the Anvil muttered with his mouth full of cardshards.

Irwin nodded as he pulled himself up and looked at the green-bordered card atop Ambraz.

Card: Vaelite Body Enhancement

Type: Emerald, Hidden, Reforged by Irwin Roddington

Owner: -

The wielder gains the ability to imbue parts of its body with the properties of Vaelite. Kinetic energy is contained within the body when something is struck, allowed to be expended upon another strike.

Passive: Increases resonance sense

Passive: Trace amounts of Vaelite suffuse the wielder's body

Active: Imbue part of the wielder's body to harness Kinetic Energy.

"It's still dangerous," he said with a shudder. "What if I do that and my hand explodes? Besides, why did it lose the ability to augment other objects?"

"First off, I'd suggest beginning with your hammer," Ambraz said with a snort. "Second, remember with Coperion Body? It had to go from only your hands but a stronger metal to your entire body. Well, that's usually how the first reforges with metal cards go. They can change greatly."

Irwin nodded.

"Anyway, as useful as it is right now, the current card is not what you really need!

"It's not?" Irwin asked as he looked at the card, finding he agreed. So… did that mean they hadn't reforged it right? Or did it need to go up another rank? He knew that would mean they would have to wait for a… pretty long time.

He couldn't deny it was impressive, but would even one more rank help it that much? He was interested in the resonance sense, wondering if that would help his reforging. But even then… What would happen if someone hit him twice? Would he explode?

"No, it's not," Ambraz said with a grin. "First of all, it's not as dangerous as it sounds… yet. But, it will be after we create your heartcard and combine it with Coperion Body to create a Kinetic Coperion Body variant."

Irwin blinked as he slowly began to realize what Ambraz wanted to do.

"That would mean I'd have a less-than-optimal card until I get my Heartcard," he said.

"Worse," Ambraz said, his gray lips curved up nastily. "It means that you can't have Urdwellan and his rustbucket help you but have to wait till you can do it yourself."

Irwin cocked his head.

"Why?" Ambraz said, beating him to the punch.

"First of all, because I don't trust them to do it right," Ambraz said. "That half-baked wannabe anvil wouldn't know how to choose the right path if it was the only one in front of him. Second, because it's not smart to have someone else know what the mechanics of your eventual first soulcard will be."

Irwin was about to say that he trusted Lord Urdwellan before holding back and thinking about it for a bit. He did trust the man… but how far? Ambraz implied letting someone know what his soulcard could do could prove dangerous.

"What's the danger of someone knowing your soulcard?"

"They can counter it or nullify it," Ambraz said with a snort. "It's the reason those fools that prefer creating a Quartz rank heartcard just so they can get to their soulcard faster will never be able to win a true battle. Anyone that can figure out the ins and outs of their cards will just counter it, and they won't have anything else to fight with."

"But… wouldn't someone be able to figure it out if you used it?" Irwin muttered.

"Did you notice how few soulcarded you have seen that actually use their soulcard?" Ambraz snapped before continuing before Irwin could answer. "Most use the handcards they have beyond that, usually empowered by their soulforce to look really impressive. "

Irwin blinked as he cocked his head. "What about Crithann?"

Ambraz sighed. "He seems to be the exception so far. Besides having used his soulcard where many others could see it, he also gave you some information on the inner workings of what he is doing. Perhaps if it had been him, you could have asked him. But remember how he said he didn't want his cousin to know? Well, I think that means we shouldn't either. Just because someone is a good guy and your friend now doesn't mean you should trust them with all your secrets. A secret is only a secret if nobody but you knows!"

Well.. you would know, Irwin thought, but he held his thoughts to himself.

"So… what would slotting this do for me then?" he asked.

"You wanted a movement card, right?" Ambraz asked. "Well, what do you think would happen if you start running while using this?"

Irwin frowned. "I'd keep hopping up every second step… that or my feet would blow up?"

Ambraz let out a barked laughter.

"Remember your first card?"

Irwin frowned, and suddenly, something clicked. His first card had allowed him to do something that wasn't on the card!

"The hidden type," he whispered.

"Exactly! It's one of the other things hidden from public knowledge," Ambraz said with a nasty grin. "You will be able to control exactly when and where to expand the kinetic energy. Besides… your coperion body can hold heat. After we create your heart card, it will be able to hold kinetic energy instead. More interesting, your flame card gives off heat so you can use that to create kinetic energy too!"

Ambraz seemed to become more and more excited as he kept talking.

"How… would I keep myself from blowing up?" Irwin asked as he shuddered.

"Practice and by using the energy if it builds up too much," Ambraz said with a derisive snort. "Which is perfect because you will need a while to reach Ruby Rank, giving you a lot of time to practice!"

"A while?" Irwin asked, shaking his head. "Like ten years?"

"Well… you still have to remain here for a while to work off your debt to Tensor, right? But, no. I'd say a year, perhaps two, and you will have gotten there. Remember, you have me! Not some puny wannabe rustbucket," Ambraz said with a wide grin.

Irwin nodded, getting more and more excited.

"What about the Purperion?" he asked.

"Well, sadly, that means it will also take more time. I'll just have to suffer in silence…"

Irwin snorted, then laughed. "Fine. So what do we do? Do I slot it now, or do we wait till we can reforge it to Ruby?"

"Don't slot it yet. Keep it at least until we return to Grianfál," Ambraz said. "Otherwise, you have to explain why you don't want Lord Urdwellan's help."

Irwin nodded his head, then pocketed the card.

"Now, let's head back to the Auction and see what else you can find!" Ambraz said.

"Alright," Irwin said.

And after that, I really need to sleep, he thought.