NOVEL NEXT Chapter 61: Auction Begins!
Arthur teleported back to the hospital. The room's white walls appeared in front of him, glancing at the bed where Charlotte usually lay, he found it empty.
His breath hitched. 'Where is she?' he thought, scanning the room frantically. His eyes darted toward the bathroom door.
'Maybe she's in there,' he reasoned, walking toward it with hurried steps. He knocked gently at first.
"Charlotte? Are you in there?"
Silence.
The silence gnawed at his nerves. He knocked again, louder this time. "Charlotte?" Still no answer.
A cold dread spread through his chest. 'I don't care. I'm going in,' he thought, twisting the doorknob open.
The bathroom was empty.
Arthur exhaled sharply, relief and confusion mixing in his mind. "Okay… maybe she's gone for tests or something," he muttered, stepping back into the room.
He flagged down a passing nurse. "Excuse me, where's Charlotte from Room 207?"
The nurse, a young woman with a kind expression, glanced at the chart in her hands. "She's currently undergoing her first treatment. It started about fifteen minutes ago."
Arthur felt a pit form in his stomach. "Can I see her?"
"I'm sorry, sir," the nurse said apologetically. "No visitors are allowed during treatments. Only medical staff can be present. The session will last about four hours."
Arthur nodded slowly, the weight of the information settling in. "Thank you," he murmured.
After realizing that he couldn't see Charlotte for the duration of her treatment, Arthur decided to step out and grab something to eat. The restless energy coursing through him needed to be let out, and sitting idly in the sterile hospital room wasn't an option.
He made his way to a nearby convenience store.
Arthur quickly browsed the shelves, after some time of thinking it through, he finally picked a salmon sandwich meal deal that came with a drink and a small fruit box.
His eyes scanned the store briefly before heading to the self-checkout station. Moments later, he was outside again. His next destination was the large hospital garden. It was a rare oasis of greenery that made you feel refreshed.
Arthur found a quiet bench under the shade of a blooming tree. The cool breeze brushed against his face, carrying the faint scent of flowers and freshly cut grass.
He unwrapped the sandwich, taking slow bites as he observed his surroundings.
Patients and visitors alike wandered through the garden. Arthur allowed himself a small moment of silence, letting the tranquillity of the garden enter his mind.
'This isn't so bad,' he thought, popping open the fruit box and skewering a piece of melon with a tiny fork.
His gaze wandered to the distant skyline. 'I just hope her treatment goes smoothly.'
After finishing his meal, Arthur discarded the packaging in a nearby trash bin and stretched his legs. The tension in his shoulders began to ease as he took one last deep breath of the garden air.
Returning to Charlotte's room, Arthur sat back on the guest bed. The familiar sight of the empty bed where Charlotte usually lay filled him with a feeling of longing, but he pushed it aside.
Instead, he looked at the ring on his fingers. Find more to read at empire
'Time to get back to work,' he thought before his body disappeared from the room.
'I can't slack now,' he thought, as he appeared in the village once more.
[Welcome to Armageddon]
Glancing around him, Arthur noticed the village bustling with more players than usual. Clearly, the word of his auction had spread far and wide, drawing in more eager buyers.
"Damn, so many people here waiting for my rare item," he muttered under his breath, a small smirk forming on his lips. This was the kind of turnout he thrived on.
As he approached his usual auction spot near the village fountain, his smirk faded. A player, clearly an amateur, had set up shop in his space, surrounded by a few curious onlookers.
Arthur frowned, his steps quickening.
Arthur's eyes narrowed as he looked at the person occupying his usual auction spot. The bustling crowd of players around the village square only added to his irritation. This was his territory, and he wasn't about to let some opportunist tarnish his name—or his profits.
"What are you doing here?" Arthur's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that caught the attention of a few nearby players.
The self-proclaimed seller puffed up his chest. "What am I doing here? I'm here to sell the rare item that everyone's been waiting for."
Arthur raised an eyebrow, his arms crossing over his chest. "Oh? The rare item? You mean the one I'm about to sell? Because last I checked, I'm the person people are waiting for."
The man's face flushed slightly, but he didn't back down. "You're bluffing! There's no way you're the one they're waiting for."
Arthur tilted his head, an amused smirk spreading across his face. "Really? And your username isn't even Fateless." He gestured to the imposter's username tag, which read FireLord45.
The players who had begun gathering around the commotion exchanged glances, whispers rippling through the crowd. Some of them recognized the infamous player Fateless from rumours.
"I think I remember hearing from my friend that the person's ID is Fateless, not FireLord45." A player muttered under his breath.
"Yeah, I think so too."
"Lucky for you," Arthur continued, taking a deliberate step closer to the imposter, "none of the regulars are here yet. Otherwise…" He let out a soft chuckle, his tone dropping, "Well, let's just say they don't take kindly to frauds."
The imposter's bravado faltered, his eyes darting to the growing number of spectators. "I—I'm not a fraud! I just…" He stammered, his words dying off as Arthur's cold stare pinned him in place.
Arthur leaned in slightly, his voice dropping so only the imposter could hear. "If you value your inventory—I suggest you leave. Now."
The imposter swallowed hard, his defiance crumbling under the weight of Arthur's confidence and the murmurs of suspicion from the crowd. With a huff, he grabbed his wares and muttered under his breath before retreating into the crowd.
Arthur watched him go, shaking his head slightly. Turning back to the gathering players, he clapped his hands to draw their attention. "Alright, everyone. Let's get this show started."
Excitement moved through the crowd as players began to form an orderly queue in front of Arthur's usual auction spot.
Arthur stood confidently at the stall, looking at the growing mass of players. He raised his hand slightly, signalling for their attention. His calm presence immediately silenced the murmurs.
"All right, everyone," Arthur began, his voice carrying effortlessly over the crowd. "Thank you for your patience. The auction will begin shortly."
He glanced at the horizon and then back at the eager faces before him, flashing a smile. "Here's how this will work. We'll start with some uncommon items to warm things up, and then we'll move on to the main attraction."
"The rare item."
The crowd erupted in cheers, but Arthur raised his hand again, his smile widening mischievously. "But wait… there's more. I've decided to surprise you all today. Instead of one rare item…" He paused for effect, letting the anticipation build. "I'll be auctioning off two rare items!"
The reaction was instant.
"What?! Did he just say two rare items?"
"No way! Two rare items? How does he even get his hands on these things?"
"He's selling rare items like they're cabbage at a market! This guy's insane!"
Arthur let out a small chuckle as he watched the crowd's excitement boil over. He scanned the sea of players and quickly spotted two familiar faces pushing their way to the front.
The wealthy owner of Softmicro and Lieutenant Adam.
'They're here,' Arthur thought, his eyes gleaming. The real payers had arrived, and this auction was about to get interesting.
After letting the players chatter for a few moments, Arthur raised his hand again, quieting the crowd. "Let's not waste any more time. The auction starts now!"
"Item number one: an uncommon sword," Arthur declared, holding the gleaming blade high for all to see. The crowd leaned forward in anticipation, their eyes glinting with interest.
"This sword is the perfect starter weapon for those looking to pack a punch in their next battle," Arthur continued, his tone confident and engaging. "The bidding starts at 1 silver coin. Let's see some action!"
"1 silver coin and 10 bronze coins!" shouted a young player at the front, raising his hand excitedly.
"1 silver coin and 25 bronze coins!" countered a man toward the middle of the crowd, his tone measured but determined.
The bidding war escalated quickly, with offers flying in from every corner of the audience.
"1 silver coin and 50 bronze coins!"
"1 silver coin and 75 bronze coins!"
"2 silver coins!"
Arthur smirked as the final bid settled at 2 silver coins. "Sold!" he announced, trading the sword to the eager young player. The young player grinned ear to ear, clutching his new weapon as if it were a treasure.
"Thank you so much, sir!"