'Never imagined I would turn to into an arms dealer.' Oliver mused to himself with a chuckle.

The day had gone more or less as he had hoped. With Sophia safely sleeping away, the attackers he had captured handed off to Henley, and the commissions nicely padding his account, it was time to execute the final step- at least it would be the final step for the day, as he knew this was just the beginning.

Opening Auction House...

Initiating Virtual Space...

Distributing Invitations...

The MDMS Auction House is now open for business!

Anonymous has joined the auction.

The Iron Lion has joined the auction.

King Durnin Stonebeard has joined the auction.

John Smith has joined the auction.

Mad_Smile has joined the auction.

Lady Moonthistle has joined the auction.

Admiral Thk-Thk has joined the auction.

Rothko has joined the auction.

The Bloodgorger of Myrn has joined the auction.

S!n6u1@r!+y has joined the auction.

Viscous Prime has joined the auction.

The list of people that joined flew by faster than he could keep track of, an almost impossibly long list of names. Like the last auction, he expected many of them to act only as silent observers. Whether they were uninterested in the items for sale, had no use for them, or were simply there to gather information mattered little to him. All that mattered were his own gains.

Though like last time, there was a bit of an ethical dilemma.

Oliver pushed aside those thoughts. What others did with the items he sold was on them, not him. It was impossible for him to know all the consequences that could arise, but, again, those consequences were on them.

At least that's what he tried to convince himself.

Small conversations popped up in the chat, and he smiled at some of the names he recognized. The number of people that joined slowed to a trickle, then stopped. With a deep breath to clear his mind and prepare himself, Oliver jumped straight in.

Silk(Host): Welcome once again! I know everyone is excited for another auction, but the focus this time will be a little different.

He could practically feel the curiosity running through the virtual crowd as he paused to build a bit of tension.

Silk(Host): While credits are always welcome, I would like to encourage everyone to consider the barter option as I will be placing a higher emphasis on them. Particularly items useful for protection and self-defense. The life of a merchant can be dangerous at times, as I'm sure many of you know.

Oliver gave them a moment to consider his words and ready themselves before he launched the first auction.

Silk(Host): All five of our items this time are the same, and I'm sure some of you will be very interested. It is a type of weapon referred to as a pistol, a handheld weapon that is capable of launching a projectile faster than the speed of sound. In the right hands, it is an incredibly effective weapon. It comes already loaded with 18 rounds. As a bonus, I have included a guide for basic handling and maintenance of the weapon.

Silk(Host): Please keep in mind, this is a dangerous weapon, able to cause severe injury or death. It is your responsibility to ensure proper handling to avoid any accidents. This is also a complex device, making use of both chemistry and physics that I am unable to fully explain as that is not my area of expertise. As the seller, I take no responsibility for the pistol failing to operate due environmental factors beyond my control.

Oliver suppressed a grin as a furor swept through the chat. He knew this would be a popular auction. Not only did the pistols appeal to those in need of a weapon to defend themselves, but also collectors... And potentially even curious minded individuals of other worlds, interested in unraveling its secrets.

He just hoped his warning about the risks was enough to keep them from accidentally killing themselves.

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Silk(Host): We will start the bidding at 100 credits.

Oliver was prepared for the uproar he caused, but the near instant barter offer he received was a shock. Both for the speed at which it arrived... And its uniqueness.

The Bloodgorger of Myrn wishes to bid (Athame of bloodletting).

Athame of Bloodletting: A ritual dagger that has been used in a hundred blood sacrifices, wounds from this weapon cause increased blood loss and are more difficult to heal.

Estimated value: 3,300 credits.

Accept Bid? (Yes/No)

As interesting as the dagger was, Oliver was quick to decline the bid. Moral issues aside, it was difficult for him to see its benefits when he had access to guns.

Silk(Host): Apologies to The Bloodgorger of Myrn, but your offer doesn't quite fit my needs at the moment. Though you do have my thanks for bringing such an interesting item to my attention.

Arch-mage Soo wishes to bid (Tome of Lesser Lunar Lance).

Tome of Lesser Lunar Lance: A grimoire used to teach the reader the spell Lesser Lunar Lance. Single use. Requires Intelligence 15+ to use. (Lesser Lunar Lance is a Rank 1 spell) Unlocks the 'Mana' sub-attribute upon use.

Estimated value: 7,000 credits.

Accept Bid? (Yes/No)

Oliver slapped a hand over his own mouth to keep from crying out in surprise and awe. Someone offered a magical tome! A literal magic tome that would teach him a spell... His mind reeled at the possibility. What exactly does it do? How does it work? Would magic even work on Earth? What other spells could he possibly find and learn?

Excitement rippled through Oliver as he mentally clicked to accept the bid, only for another prompt to instantly replace it and complicate his feelings.

Viscous Prime wishes to bid (Adaptive Stealth Armor, 'Lita' variant).

Adaptive Stealth Armor, 'Lita' variant: Bio-engineered body armor, offers minor protection against most forms of physical harm. When exposed to damage in excess of the protection offered, or new forms of damaged not protected against, the armor evolves, increasing the protection offered against that type of damage by a small amount. Capable of mimicking numerous forms of mundane clothing. Note – Though it lacks sentience, this armor is classified as a living entity, and sustains itself by absorbing blood. Exposure to new and unknown lifeforms may cause unexpected evolutions. Caution is advised. Requires Vitality 15+ to use.

Estimated value: 25,000 credits.

Accept Bid? (Yes/No)

For a moment, Oliver was stumped. Bio-engineered armor? Someone literally made a living armor that adapts to protect its wearer more every time they get hurt. It was absolutely mind blowing in both concept and usefulness. Assuming he survived whatever damaged made it past the armor, he would likely never need to change it for something better as it would just grow to be better armor.

But he could also see a number of issues with accepting the bid. For starters, it drank blood. He had no idea how much, how it would affect him, or even if the process hurt. And unexpected evolutions? Could the armor suddenly turn into a blood thirsty monster that eats people? And if the race that made it wasn't human, would he be considered a new and unknown life form to the armor and thus cause such an evolution?

And to top it off... If he accepted the bid, he would potentially miss out on acquiring his first magic spell. And who knew how long it would take for someone to offer him another.

Oliver only debated with himself for a moment before accepting the bid. As much as he wanted to experience magic, Lesser Lunar Lance was clear both low level and offensive in nature. While it would undoubtedly be useful, he already had access to guns. While he wasn't an expert with firearms, he knew what to expect from them. And he could always ask Polina to teach him...

He ignored the armor being deposited in the warehouse for the moment and continued with the auction.

Silk(Host): As I mentioned at the beginning, all the items are the same. Virtually identical, in fact, and so no real introduction is needed. Let's start the bidding on the second pistol!

With the second pistol up for sale, the buyers erupted into a frenzy as none wished to miss out. He wasn't surprised when the bids started out with a bang.

S!n6u1@r!+y wishes to bid ( S!n6u1@r!+y's Enneahedron).

S!n6u1@r!+y's Enneahedron: A 9-sided die created by the entity known as S!n6u1@r!+y. When rolled, this die produces a random beneficial effect for the user depending on which symbol it lands on. Note – Only the entity known as S!n6u1@r!+y knows what effects the die may produce, and its definition of beneficial may differ radically from that of the Host. Caution is advised. Requires Willpower 47+ to use without suffering side-effect 'Insanity'. Caution is HIGHLY advised.

Estimated value: 11,235 credits.

Accept Bid? (Yes/No)

Prototype Buyer E117925 wishes to bid (Tactical Personal Drone).

Tactical Personal Drone: This is a personal drone developed for small scale urban reconnaissance. Possesses flight and stealth capabilities. Stealth mode renders the drone virtually imperceptible visually, though sufficiently advance radar or magical detection may detect it. Internal battery is capable of sustaining up to four hours of flight, or up to thirty minutes of flight if the stealth drive is engaged, before recharging is required. Note – TPD can be linked to Host's cell phone for operational convenience, or linked to an integrated neural up-link(not included).

Estimated value: 15,000 credits.

Accept Bid? (Yes/No)

Admiral Thk-Thk wishes to bid (Psi Blade Manifestation Technique).

Psi Blade Manifestation Technique: This technique will teach the user how to gather their psychic energies to manifest a Psi Blade. Psi Blades typically take the form of the bladed weapon the user is most familiar with, though individuals with sufficiently high Willpower are capable of modifying the blade when manifesting. Requires Intelligence 15+ and Willpower 15+ to use. (Psi Blade Manifestation is a Rank 2 psi ability) Unlocks the 'Psi' sub-attribute upon use.

Estimated value: 18,000 credits.

Accept Bid? (Yes/No)

Oliver's eyes gleamed with excitement at the bids rolling in. And there were still three more pistols up for sale after this one! Now all he needed to do was decide which bids to accept... Though he definitely wasn't interested in rolling the crazy dice, both literally and figuratively.

What would help him the most, both now and in the future?