There was a pause as everyone settled into their seats; Ebonheim turned to glance at the other deities in the amphitheater, watching as they exchanged intrigued glances and muttered amongst themselves about which item to bid on. She listened for a moment, hoping to catch the topic of discussion, but couldn't quite make out what was being said. When she glanced at the two deities beside her, they had also turned to watch the proceedings with rapt attention.

Suddenly, Ebonheim felt something wet drip onto her shoulder and turned to find a deity looming behind her. It had a shimmering, watery body in the shape of a long serpentine creature that flowed and undulated like the gentle currents of a flowing stream.

There were tiny, iridescent fish-like entities that swam within its liquid form; they gave off a faint, ethereal glow that shone through the translucent membrane of its body as it moved. It had no legs and instead coiled around itself as it drifted through the air. The head of the serpentine deity was flat and elongated, with two swirling pools of shimmering water for eyes. When it tilted its head at Ebonheim, a spray of mist spilled from its eyes.

Ebonheim watched as the mist settled on her shoulder, forming droplets on her skin.

As it spoke, its watery voice echoed across the room, rippling and quavering with each movement. "I did almost mistake thee for a mortal who had trespassed upon our divine convocation," it said in a tone of gentle reproof, then flicked its long tail as though swatting at an inconvenience. "Yet thou art clearly divine." It blinked its swirling eyes and tilted its head at her again, with droplets falling from its gaze. "Why dost thou take the form of mortals, o' strange one?"

Ebonheim glanced at Aetheron for help; the deity beside her had not yet moved to respond to the serpentine deity's question.

Aetheron turned to meet her gaze, then rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he studied her. "I am curious as well. When I first saw you, I thought it strange that your form looked indistinguishable from a human's." He reached over to give her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "A body of flesh is...unusual, even among divinity." As he spoke, his eyes roamed across Ebonheim's face; the color of his aura seemed to brighten as he gazed at her. "How curious."

As Aetheron continued to examine her, Ebonheim shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, then turned her attention back to the serpentine deity that had spoken to her. Its eyes twinkled with amusement as it watched her, the water within them shimmering and swirling like a slow-moving current. After a moment, it flicked its tail again and turned its gaze to Aetheron, "It has been a full moon since thou didst grace our auction." Its voice sounded slightly apologetic as it regarded Aetheron. "How fare things in thy dominion?"

Aetheron shrugged, his gaze distant as he answered the serpent deity. "Nothing new." As he spoke, his aura dimmed to a neutral hue; his expression was somber as he turned to the god again. "The mortals have been causing some trouble—a band of thieves has been preying on travelers through my city." His tone was pensive as he continued, his gaze wandering to the sky above them. "However, it will not last long." His voice was soft and solemn, yet full of resolve. "They shall fall, and the mortals will learn to obey."

There was silence for a moment after he had spoken; Ebonheim noticed a few of the other deities glancing in their direction, then turning their gazes back to the auction. The serpentine deity tilted its head at Aetheron and flicked its long tail in amusement. "Thy dedication to thy dominion is verily unmatched."

Its gaze flicked to Ebonheim once again. "Strange one, who bears the form of mortals, I greet thee." As it spoke to her, its eyes swirled with gentle waves; Ebonheim tried not to stare at the creatures within its liquid form as the deity continued to speak. "My name is Nephri. I watch over the city of Azure Oasis." As it introduced itself, it waved its tail at her. "Pray, what be thy divine name?"

Ebonheim gave Nephri a small smile in return. "I am Ebonheim." She pondered for a moment on how to explain herself, then shrugged as she continued. "I'm the goddess of a village called Ebonheim."

Aetheron and Ariastra turned their gaze towards her at once; Aetheron's eyes widened as he studied her with renewed interest, and Ariastra emitted a discordant note from the strings within her body as she stared at her. Nephri's eyes widened with surprise as well; before it had a chance to reply, another deity chimed in to speak to them.

Before either of them could speak, Nephri let out an audible gasp as well—it was a low, gurgling sound like water rushing into a deep crevice. "Thou hast persuaded thy worshippers to take up thy name as theirs?" Its voice was filled with awe; when Ebonheim nodded, Nephri stared at her for a moment longer, then spoke again in a soft voice. "How bold...and envious. Rare indeed is such an accomplishment amongst us."

"What do you mean?" Ebonheim asked.

Nephri glanced at Aetheron and Ariastra; Aetheron seemed to understand and nodded at her to proceed, so it continued. "Many a god hath tried to convince their worshipers to adopt their names as theirs, but alas, their efforts have oft been in vain." Nephri slithered closer to them, the creatures within its liquid form swam in slow-moving eddies as it spoke again. "Mortals can be stubborn beings, their pride oft getting in the way of their true desires."

Ebonheim noticed its liquid form making a puddle on the ground as it moved, but she decided to keep quiet about it. More importantly, she never realized how big of a deal it was for a deity to share the same name as their domain. It seemed so ordinary to her—she hadn't even considered how strange that was until now.

"Well, the circumstance around the name of my village is a bit unusual," Ebonheim explained with a sheepish grin. "So, please pay it no mind."

Nephri flicked its tail in response; the creatures within its liquid body glittered and shone in response to the movement. "Indeed, a rarity of great measure." It coiled around itself once again and began to glide across the amphitheater towards another deity from across the aisle. "Very well—we shall engage in discourse again at a more fitting time."

As Ebonheim watched Nephri slither away, she turned to Aetheron and Ariastra again; both of them seemed to be lost in thought as they gazed at her with varying degrees of curiosity and wonder. "What is it?" she asked them.

"Nothing," replied Ariastra in a gentle, lilting voice. "I am simply intrigued by your form." She shook her head and turned back to face the stage again.

Aetheron was more forthcoming with his answers than she expected. "I find myself curious about you as well." As he spoke, his eyes roamed across her face and down her body again. "That mortal form is fragile and unimpressive, yet you seem to be at home in it." When crossed his arms over his chest and leaned forward slightly as he continued to regard her. "But when it comes to acquiring the humans' devotion, that form is most advantageous."

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Ebonheim shifted uncomfortably as he studied her; she didn't like being the focus of so much attention at once and couldn't help but feel self-conscious now. Aetheron continued to stare at her even as she shifted in her seat, so she tried to smile to make herself look more appealing to him—Engin had said it would be better to appear confident while talking to gods, but now she wished she had just stayed home instead. She needed to change the subject before he kept staring at her like this.

"So, how does the auction work?" she asked.

Aetheron gave her an amused smile as he replied. "You will see soon." As he spoke, he gestured to the screen hovering above the stage with his long finger. "It will begin momentarily." Ebonheim blinked in response; she wanted to ask more, but the translucent deity's aura shifted to a deep green color—his aura was reacting to the energy he felt in the air—so she held her tongue and turned to watch the display.

The lights on the platform flickered as the first Divine Ability shimmered into view; the inscriptions glowed a brilliant silver as the words scrolled across the screen:

[Name] Echoes of the Past

[Effect] This power allows you to access the temporal imprints of any object or location within your domain. You can peer into the history of the object or place, viewing past events as though you were a spectator. When using this power, you witness the historical timeline of the chosen target as if viewing a recording. You have the ability to fast-forward, rewind, and pause these historical scenes, but you cannot interact with or alter the events witnessed. This power may grant you access to lost knowledge and hidden truths, enabling you to better understand historical events and guide your domain more effectively.

[Range] Touch (for objects), self (when used on a location)

[Target] Single (an object or location)

[Duration] The viewing duration is up to your discretion, however, each viewing session can last up to 1 hour.

[Cost] 32 Essence

[Requirement] Lesser God - Ascendant Stage

Aetheron inclined his head towards her and said, "A fascinating ability—I imagine many will find it useful." As he spoke, his aura shimmered to a deep blue color; Ebonheim assumed that meant he was excited about something.

Ebonheim was intrigued by the idea of this power—the ability to access and view historical events from the past sounded amazing. Maybe she could use this power to learn more about her domain's history, or understand what happened during certain times in history, or even see events from different perspectives. That would certainly be helpful. She didn't think she would ever use it for personal gain, though—she didn't like the idea of digging into people's private lives and learning about things they didn't want shared.

"Is that power something you might like to bid on?" she asked as she turned to him.

"Among other things," Aetheron replied with a smile. "This is just the beginning—there will be many more to bid on." As he spoke, he leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "Although, this is a fine choice to start us off." His eyes flicked towards the floating screens, then back to Ebonheim again. "We shall see how much interest is shown in the ability before the bidding begins."

Ebonheim was curious about the other Divine Abilities being offered, so she looked down at the floating screens by the base of the platform. However, the details on the screens were illegible. After a moment, she turned to Aetheron again and tilted her head as she spoke. "Why can't I read the details on the screens?"

Aetheron shrugged as he replied. "Because their mystery means that one can gamble on waiting for a chance that the next power on the bid will be greater than the last. It is a strategy some choose to use." As he spoke, his aura shifted to a dull green; his eyes focused on the main bidding screen in atop the stage as he continued. "I do not engage in such strategies—they are unreliable, and I prefer to avoid the risk." As he spoke, his eyes never left the bidding screen and his voice took on a stern tone. "That is why, when I see something that intrigues me, I do not hesitate to place my bid on it, regardless of what the other gods might think."

Ebonheim's eyes widened as she listened to his words. He seemed to be passionate about his bidding strategy—she had to admit that she was intrigued now. "How often do you win your items?" she asked.

Aetheron paused, then held up five slender fingers and wiggled them in the air.

She nodded at him, impressed, then turned her gaze back at the bidding screen. Another message appeared below the Divine Ability's description:

[The bidding for 'Echoes of the Past' will begin. The initial bid will be 1000 Quintessence. The bidding will end in one hour. If no bid is presented within fifteen minutes of the initial bid, the auction for 'Echoes of the Past' will end and the next Divine Ability will be displayed.]

Ebonheim's eyes widened as she stared at the number on the screen. A thousand quintessence?! That was so much—what did the other deities have to offer for something so valuable? And a thousand was just the start—the actual price would be even higher if they managed to win the auction.

She glanced to her side and willed the Akashic System to show her the amount she accumulated since her ascension:

[Quintessence: 962/16000]

So much, but so little all at once. If the rest of the Divine Abilities and artifacts were even half as valuable as this one, she doubted she could afford any of them. Even though she didn't want to leave empty-handed, it looked like all she could do was watch—at least that would be educational.

As the bidding began, Ebonheim studied the deities sitting in the amphitheater. The only deity to bid on this ability so far was Aetheron; his aura remained a deep blue color as he made his bid for 1400 Quintessence.

[The current bid is 1400 Quintessence by Aetheron]

One of the other gods—the being with a translucent crystal-like structure—gazed at Aetheron with a neutral expression on his face before adding another bid for 1600 Quintessence. Aetheron tilted his head in response and gave him an amused smile before responding with 1800. The crystalline deity narrowed his eyes at Aetheron, then countered with an offer for 2000 Quintessence.

As they battled, Ebonheim realized that she had been wrong about Aetheron and his excitement—his aura was an intense orange color now. She glanced at him to get his attention and asked, "Why did you bid so high?" As she spoke, she tried to keep her tone neutral—she didn't want him to think she was judging him. "It's not worth that much, is it?"

Aetheron turned to her and replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "It is." He paused to gaze at the bids on the screen with a serious expression on his face before adding, "And I am not bidding high just to be competitive—I have a good reason for wanting this Divine Ability." As he spoke, his aura glowed to a fiery orange and then dimmed again—Ebonheim guessed that his mood was shifting again, even though she wasn't sure why. "Although you have only been here for a short time, you should already know that each Divine Ability has its own worth and it is rare for a particular ability to show up again in the next auction."

Ebonheim crossed her arms and tilted her head to one side, giving Aetheron a quizzical look. Something didn't seem right about all this. She glanced to her side once again and prodded the Akashic System in her mind to display an ability similar to what was presented at the auction. After a moment, an ability appeared in her mind—the same ability as the one displayed on the screen, with one major difference:

[Divine Ability: Echoes of the Past will require 100 Quintessence to acquire]

[Do you wish to acquire this ability?]

She blinked as she looked at the Akashic System again, then back at Aetheron who raised a slender hand and increased his bid to 2100 Quintessence.

The main central screen revised the current bid:

[The current bid is 2100 Quintessence by Aetheron]

Ebonheim rubbed her eyes and stared at her her own Akashic System screen. Its message still hovered in front of her view.

[Divine Ability: Echoes of the Past will require 100 Quintessence to acquire]

[Do you wish to acquire this ability?]

What...what's going on? Couldn't they just get the ability like this instead of getting it through the auction?