Silk(Host): Next up, we have a lot that is honestly my favorite for the night! These squirrel like creatures are as vicious as they are beautiful to look at. Their lavender colored skin, blue-green scales... All the way down to their razor sharp pink claws!
Silk(Host): These aggressive critters also seem to cooperate with each other, as I discovered when I captured them. From what I have gathered, they are omnivorous. And quite territorial. They are also smart enough to recognize a significant threat to themselves, and will actively avoid such confrontations.
Silk(Host): It is currently unknown if these creatures can be trained or not, though I intend to find out myself- I specifically captured the first that attacked me for just such a purpose... I quite admire the scrappy critter!
Silk(Host): This lot is for seven, a mix of males and females. Whether you want them as a pet, or to train them for something more... This is likely to be the only time I offer these creatures, as I have already left their home behind and currently have no plans to return!
Silk(Host): With that in mind, let's start the bidding at 30,000 credits!
Oliver felt his heart race as a thrill shot through his body. He really did like the cute little squirrels. The bright colors, and their aggressive nature, made them an interesting find. He couldn't imagine that there wouldn't be interest in them... And, as the bids started to roll in, he was not disappointed.
Grill Master Rusty: I bet those critters would be good barbecued... I'll bid 30,000!
Star Dancer: You want to eat these poor cuties! How could you be so heartless! 35,000!
Pack Master: 40,000.
Hunts Master Adrian: You people... want to eat them? Or keep them as pets? Foolish! 45,000!
Oliver cheered silently as the tension in the auction rose alongside the bids. He knew the squirrels would appeal to a good variety of people for a number of reasons. Now, all he need was for them to keep fighting over them and drive the price higher...
Until one particular bid brought his rising hopes to a standstill.
Arch-mage Soo: I believe these... squirrels... will make excellent familiars for my young apprentices...
Arch-mage Soo wishes to bid (Spell Tome of Bind Familiar) and 30,000 credits.
Spell Tome of Bind Familiar: A grimoire used to teach the reader the spell Bind Familiar. Single use. Requires Intelligence 16+ to use. (Bind Familiar is a Rank 2 spell)
Estimated value: 22,000 credits.
Accept Bid? (Yes/No)
Oliver's breath caught in his throat at the bid. He had played enough games to have a reasonable idea of what it meant. It was common, at least in the games he knew, for magic users to have familiars... Though, depending on the game, those familiars had different purposes. Some assisted with casting spells, other were for protecting the mage... And some offered different benefits.
He couldn't be sure exactly what effect the spell would have, and it wasn't quite a beast taming spell like he was considering trying to find, but he knew he wanted it.
But was it worth giving up on the budding bidding war? He stood to make quite a lot if he let it go on...
Silk(Host): Arch-mage Soo, I must admit that I am certainly partial to such a bid... But, considering the interest being shown by others, I am afraid that it is not enough to sway me. I apologize for having to reject your bid.
Before he could say more, or the bidding war continue much further, Oliver was pleasantly surprised to see that the Arch-mage wasn't done... Apparently, he really wanted these squirrels as familiars for his apprentices.
Arch-mage Soo wishes to bid (Spell Tome of Bind Familiar), Ring of Mana Regeneration(Least), Minor Mana Potions(5), and 30,000 credits.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Ring of Mana Regeneration(Least): A ring designed to gather ambient mana and assist in its absorption, increasing the speed at which the wearer recovers their mana.
Estimated value: 14,000 credits
Minor Mana Potion: Crafted by an apprentice level alchemist using common ingredients, this Potion will instantly recover 40 mana when consumed. Single use. Caution: Repeated consumption of Potions in a short time span may cause Potion Sickness(nausea, vomiting, and loss of Potion effect). It is recommended to only consume one(1) Potion per hour.
Estimated value: 200 credits(each)
Accept Bid? (Yes/No)
Oliver couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was an incredible bid, as far as he was concerned. The ring alone was worth grabbing, as more mana regeneration meant he could use his spells more often. Even if it was the least version of such a ring- and he was incredibly excited at the prospect of their being better ones out there- it still had a lot of potential for him to use.
The mana potions were another shock. While it said they were made by apprentices, and only used common ingredients... They were absolutely precious to him. Each one represented another spell he could cast in a pinch. Sure, they were apparently fairly cheap by the system's standards... But he hadn't even thought about things like potions yet!
Sure, he could rationalize the oversight. He had a whole Multiverse full of possibilities in front of him! It was easy to overlook things here and there... But the potential of there being Potions! Were there healing potions? Invisibility? Flight!?
The possibilities were almost overwhelming. Yeah, they were single use... But, if the price of the Minor Mana Potions was anything to go by, he imagined he could get quite a variety of potions without breaking the bank... And, now that he had been slapped in the face by their existence, he could easily post Bounties to get more.
“Maybe I should keep a notebook of all the possibilities available...” Oliver muttered to himself as he grabbed a notebook from the warehouse to do exactly that.
Silk(Host): My apologies, everyone, but it seems we have quite an interesting bid here! Unless someone can offer better, this cute little critters will be going to the Arch-mage...
Oliver waited for a few seconds, just to see if anyone really could top the bid. The auction fell silent as everyone contemplated if it was worth it. In the end, the squirrels went to the Arch-mage... And Oliver got some nice new items and a spell. Which he would have to check out more closely later, as the auction was still in progress.
Silk(Host): Well, that was certainly exciting! But we aren't done yet!
Silk(Host): Our fourth lot is a Laser Pistol! This is a technological weapon that focuses light into a deadly beam of energy. It is most effective against flesh and blood targets, though it is still capable of damaging things like wood and stone, just to a lesser extent. It has an effective range of several hundred feet, dependent upon the user's accuracy. It's power is reduced at greater ranges, though it may still be capable of causing damage.
Silk(Host): Do note, as a technological weapon, it may not work in all environments... Or even on some worlds. This is a fully functional weapon, already loaded with the required fuel cell to power it, and the seller takes no responsibility for environmental factors that may limit its use for the buyer. The seller also takes no responsibility for any damage caused by the buyers use(or misuse) of the weapon.
Silk(Host): Now, shall we start the bidding at 10,000 credits?
Oliver was honestly a bit disappointed. Considering the past interest in weapons from his auctions, he had expected the Laser Pistol to sell for more than it had. In the end, a warlord had picked it up for just 30,000 credits... Which wasn't bad, just less than he had hoped.
Of course, not every item could be a hit. It was inevitable that some sales wouldn't really go his way. It was also possible that some parties that would have been interested simply didn't make this auction for various reasons.
A disappointment, but not a big one. He certainly wouldn't dwell on it.
Silk(Host): Now, the final lot for the night! I'm sure many of you are curious about it.
Silk(Host): Do you have a place that you want to protect from aggressive beasts? Perhaps a city or village, filled with people, and out on the edge of wild lands?
Silk(Host): What I have here are two relics, part of a set, that ward off lesser beasts. These statues are practically all that remains of a fallen civilization... So perhaps they are of interest to collectors as well?
Silk(Host): Though out of concern for everyone's well being, I will offer this bit of caution... The aura of the statues, which wards off beast, may incite aggression from truly powerful predators. So don't expect them to scare off a Dragon... And, again, I take no responsibility for your use or misuse, or the consequences of your mismanagement of the Relic.
Silk(Host): And, with the warnings out of the way, I present to everyone two Statues of Osquin Primarch! Bidding starts at 40,000 credits. Do I have any takers?
Primarch Belus: This...! How!? I must have these statues! 50,000 credits!
As the bids began to roll in, Oliver could only stare in shock... A Primarch was bidding... Was it an Osquin Primarch in another Universe? The civilization was lost here in his Universe, but it was definitely possible it survived in others...
And, if it was an Osquin bidding... Surely he would get a good price. How could they let a relic of their people, even from another Universe, go to a stranger. It might end up sitting in a museum somewhere if they did!
And if the bidder hadn't considered that possibility, Oliver had no problem with pointing it out. He only stood to gain from stoking the fires of a bidding war, after all.