The bidding for the 'Echoes of the Past' ended with Aetheron winning the bid for 3000 Quintessence. Ebonheim glanced at him—the god sat with a satisfied expression on his face, his aura glowing a brilliant yellow-orange; she couldn't help but think that Aetheron had wanted this ability all along—why else would he bid so much on it?

The information screen for that Divine Ability drifted towards Aetheron flickered briefly before disassembling into shards of light that seeped into his translucent head. Ebonheim watched as his eyes fluttered, as though he were experiencing some sort of strange dream, then opened wide again as though he had just awakened. As the glow faded from his eyes, he turned to Ebonheim and gave her a triumphant smile.

Ebonheim managed to give Aetheron a weak smile in return; she wasn't sure she wanted to admit her confusion, but she wasn't sure she could hide it anymore. She waited for him to say something, but instead he turned back to watch the display again, so she finally broke the silence. "Are the Divine Abilities listed in the auction special? Can't you just acquire the ability yourself by just asking the Akashic System?"

Aetheron turned his head and stared at her with a quizzical expression on his face; he blinked for a few moments, then tilted his head as he replied to her question. "You must not have been properly instructed by the System upon your awakening. That, or you have not paid attention to its explanations at all."

As he spoke, his aura dimmed to a dull grey color; his gaze wandered to the sky above them as he continued. "Aside from the powers we are born with, the only way for us to acquire more is by bidding for them through the Divine Auction. One cannot simply ask the System to bestow upon you another ability."

She shifted her gaze to the prompt hovering in her peripheral.

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

[Do you wish to acquire this ability?]

Maybe later. She looked back at Aetheron and met his gaze. "So...do we just accumulate Quintessence each year just to spend them here to get stronger?"

Aetheron nodded as he replied, "That is correct—it would do well for you to understand that acquiring abilities is more paramount than hoarding your Quintessence to ascend to the next Divine Rank. While doing so increases your overall power, if you lack the ability to utilize what you have then you will be left with fewer options when dealing with outside threats to your domain, or attempts to it."

That made sense...so then why was she able to acquire new abilities on her own without having to participate in the auction? Were her powers the exception to this rule? Ebonheim pondered about that for a moment, but her thoughts were interrupted by a chime from the central screen as it listed another Divine Ability on display. This one had an initial bid of 600 Quintessence.

Ebonheim remained silent and watched the other deities bid on this ability—none of them seemed to be interested in acquiring this one at first, but after a half hour, several more bids emerged at once, increasing the total price to 1150 Quintessence before finally being acquired by the deity with the form of a gigantic worm.

The auction continued for hours on end. Some abilities were left without a bid, remaining unclaimed. Throughout the event, Ebonheim kept glancing at the Akashic System visible only to her, and watched as it also displayed the abilities listed on the auction screen. Just like before, each one could be acquired just by spending a fraction of what the other gods had spent in the auction to acquire them.

She furrowed her brow as she pondered over this strange phenomenon. Why was she even allowed to acquire them like this?

The time for the artifacts came, and the bids started slow. This time, the information presented for the items was minimal and vague.

[Crown of Celestial Vision: A radiant crown that grants the god wearing it the ability to perceive the subtle shifts of quintessence in their domain, providing insights into the state of worship and devotion among their followers.]

[The initial bid would be 400 Quintessence. The bidding will end in one hour. If no bid is presented within fifteen minutes of the initial bid, the auction for 'Crown of Celestial Vision' will end and the next Divine Artifact will be displayed.]

Oh, that seemed like a really useful item—Ebonheim would have been interested but doubted she'd win with her measly 962 Quintessence. However, she watched as several bids emerged from across the amphitheater, until eventually being won by the goddess that resembled polished alabaster for 850 Quintessence.

The next artifact was up for bid:

[Cloak of Illusions: A shimmering cloak that allows the god to project illusions, making them appear as anything they desire. This is particularly useful for gods who wish to interact directly with their followers while hiding their divine identity.]

That one was won by the god that resembled a towering golem.

[Harp of Harmony: This divine harp can inspire peace and tranquility when played, soothing conflicts within a god's domain and fostering unity among their followers.]

Ebonheim had a hunch that Ariastra, the goddess would want to get it...and she was right.

In the end, Ebonheim didn't manage to win any of the artifacts on display, despite her curiosity about each one. While she did learn some valuable information about the auction, she ended up just watching the event unfold.

Aetheron had managed to acquire two more Divine Abilities. As for Ariastra, she ended up only acquiring the harp.

When the auction ended, Aetheron turned to Ebonheim with an eager expression on his face and asked her, "So, how did you find the auction?"

Ebonheim pondered over his question for a moment before answering. "It was interesting." After a few moments, she added with a sheepish grin, "I should save up on more Quintessence for next time. Oh, when will the next auction be?"

Aetheron stood up from his seat and stretched; as he did so, his glass-like structure rippled and shifted like liquid metal, sending sparkling shimmers across his form. "Next year. There will be another auction one year from now—if you've saved enough Quintessence by then, then perhaps you will get a chance to win what you desire. However, your invitation is not always guaranteed. The higher your divine rank, the less likely that you would be regularly invited. It is one way to ensure that gods of higher Divine Rank do not monopolize all of the boon presented here."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

One year... a lot could happen in that time frame. Ebonheim pondered over how she could gather more Quintessence, but before she could think about it more, the other deities stood and began to move towards the exit of the amphitheater.

Ebonheim turned to Aetheron and asked, "Where are they going?"

Aetheron looked back at her and answered in a matter-of-fact tone, "Most likely back to their respective domains. We are given four days after the auction ends to mingle and converse with one another should we choose to. Afterward, we are forcibly ejected from the Sanctum."

Ebonheim blinked in response, then tilted her head to one side. "Wait, why?"

Aetheron shrugged and said, "Aside from attending the auction, many use this time to build alliances or form new partnerships—it is not unusual for them to share information regarding their domains." He paused for a moment, then continued, "However, I find it bothersome—some tend to be brusque in their dealings with one another, often leading to conflicts."

"You seem to get along well with some of them, like Ariastra and Nephri," Ebonheim said.

He raised a slender hand and rested his chin on it as he replied in a calm tone. "Indeed." He paused for a moment before adding, "Some are more challenging to deal with, though." As he spoke, his aura shifted to a light purple hue—he seemed to be thinking about something again. "Although, I do find that Ariastra has a calm demeanor when compared to some other deities, and Nephri is surprisingly...knowledgeable."

His gaze wandered back to Ebonheim again. "If you ever wish to have a conversation with any of us in the future, we would not mind if you joined us."

Ebonheim nodded and smiled at Aetheron, but before she could respond, he raised a slender hand and floated up into the air. As he did so, his body slowly transformed into a shimmering orb of light, then began to move towards the exit with a blurry trail of light behind him. Ebonheim turned to Ariastra and spoke to her as she stood up from her seat.

"Will you be going too?" she asked.

Ariastra shook her head. "I wish to stay for a bit longer—I am curious about your mortal form." As she spoke, her strings swayed gently in the air around her. "Would you like to accompany me while we converse?"

Ebonheim nodded, then followed Ariastra's movements as she drifted across the aisle and moved towards the exit with her. Ariastra led her through the hallways, away from the grand entrance of the amphitheater and towards a small, secluded corner of the complex. As they walked together, they passed several deities coming and going; most seemed to ignore Ariastra's presence and remained focused on their own conversations.

Ariastra came to a stop at a small room where a pool of glowing water was formed within a luminous basin. "I find it fascinating," Ariastra said with a gentle voice as she turned to Ebonheim. "I've only met a few others whose forms were nearly identical to that of a mortal, but never one that matched so precisely."

Ebonheim shifted her eyes to the water and smiled. "Well, it just sort of happened that I look the way I am. Aside from being teased for my height by a few of my friends, I really enjoy being like this." As she spoke, she brought her hand closer to the water and ran her fingers over its surface—It felt smooth and cool against her skin, yet there was also a tingling sensation that crawled across her palm, like tiny prickling needles. "I can't imagine being any different."

Ariastra tilted her head to one side. "What do you mean by 'being teased'?"

Ebonheim brought her hand back and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she replied. "You know, about my height, and things like that." When Ariastra continued to stare at her, Ebonheim explained further: "Well, people seem to tease me about being small—they say I look cute or childish." As she spoke, she turned away to hide the blush she could feel warming her cheeks. "But I don't mind it—I know people mean well."

Ariastra nodded at Ebonheim's reply, but remained silent for a few moments before saying, "How often do you interact with the mortals within your domain?"

Ebonheim brought her knees to her chest and hugged them as she replied, "Every day. If I'm not sleeping, I'm usually out and about—and if not, I spend my time in my hut."

Ariastra's eyes widened as she listened to Ebonheim's answer. "You interact with them frequently?" As she spoke, her strings shifted with a gentle melody as though in response to her surprise.

Ebonheim nodded, then closed her eyes and settled back into the seat; she rested her chin on her knees as she replied, "Oh, yes, I spend most of my time with the villagers. Is that surprising?"

Ariastra continued to stare at her in silence for a few moments before giving her a slow nod. "Yes," she replied at last. "It is surprising." As she spoke, her strings shifted to a quiet rhythm. "Most of us do not interact with our subjects unless there is a need to do so. Those that do tend to...not last long."

Ebonheim gave Ariastra a puzzled look—her tone sounded odd, like she was telling her something she shouldn't be telling anyone else. "What do you mean by that?"

Ariastra narrowed her eyes as she replied, "There were several deities in the past who have tried to get close to their subjects only to be betrayed by them. In the end, they either lost their domain or were driven mad." Her strings swayed gently, shifting to a somber tune. "It has happened time and time again—most deities will eventually figure this out, but there are always some who are not mindful enough."

That did sound alarming, but Ebonheim couldn't imagine the villagers ever turning against her; they were kind and gentle people, and they cared for her as much as she did for them.

"Oh," Ebonheim said as she leaned forward and placed her palms on the water's surface again. "Well, I doubt that would ever happen." As she spoke, she ran her fingers through the water's surface again, creating ripples in its otherwise calm surface. "I love my people—they're my family."

Ariastra watched Ebonheim play with the water for a few moments before continuing to speak. "For the sake of a young one such as yourself, I advise you to be more mindful. It is best not to draw too much attention to yourself, lest you find yourself in an undesirable situation." As she spoke, she shifted her gaze to Ebonheim's face—her eyes seemed to be pleading with her, as though she was warning her. "Take care to maintain a low profile while you interact with your followers."

Ebonheim brought her hand away from the water's surface and studied Ariastra's expression; something about her seemed different to what she had seen before, but Ebonheim couldn't place her finger on what it was.

"Why do you say that?" Ebonheim asked as she placed a hand on her chin in thought. "If I'm careful, I'm sure that nothing bad will happen."

Ariastra shook her head and said, "That may not be the case. While I do not doubt your good intentions, mortals are not always so innocent." As she spoke, she glanced back at Ebonheim, her eyes twinkling like two stars. "Just be aware."

As they continued their conversation, Ebonheim learned about Ariastra's home: her domain, the city of Byllias, was a peaceful city, known for its grand music and culture; Ariastra was a patron deity that promoted art and music among its citizens. It was also a popular destination among travelers and merchants on their way to other cities.

Ebonheim found her company pleasant. Ariastra was kind and thoughtful—she was curious about many of the things Ebonheim did and asked about them often. They spent the next day exchanging stories about their lives in their respective domains and spent their time chatting about many topics, ranging from the mundane to the mysterious.

At the end of their time together, Ariastra asked Ebonheim to accompany her to Byllias next year. Ebonheim had no problem agreeing—the time she had spent with Ariastra was interesting, and she wanted to learn more about her domain and her people. As she watched Ariastra depart, she couldn't help but wonder why Ariastra had been so wary about her interactions with mortals before. Ebonheim was sure that Ariastra just meant that humans can sometimes be tricky, but the more she pondered about it, the more she began to suspect that she had a different reason for being so concerned.

After all, why else would she warn her about interacting with her people?