Clinging to the Witcher world to become a god of martial arts

Wizard Tower, Hall of Shadows.

The air was thick and black, filled with the chilling aura of shadows, and several towering columns stretched upwards, disappearing into the darkness of the dome.

Below is a smooth, mirror-like obsidian floor, seemingly blending into the shadows.

Lorne, who had just been teleported there, couldn't find anyone and had no idea how the auction would be held in such a dark environment.

He had no choice but to take out the invitation given to him by Euryn from his moonlight pouch.

An invisible wave emanated from all directions, and a bright magical pattern appeared on the invitation.

My consciousness wavered for a moment.

When I came to my senses again, I found myself in another space, with noise filling my ears and strange sights appearing before my eyes.

Once Lorne could fully see his surroundings, he realized it was a huge circular theater.

All seats, including the one I was sitting in, were suspended in mid-air, surrounding the central circular main stage.

The only light source in the circular theater comes from the light that is confined to the auction platform by a device, which perfectly showcases the auction items.

All the bidders' faces were hidden in deep shadows, and their voices were muffled, though they could easily shout out their bids.

"Rare material, Star Iron, 10 grams, 20 merit points."

"once."

The host on the stage said expressionlessly.

Lorne stared wide-eyed, but still couldn't see the items on the auction table. He simply imitated the wizard beside him and used his mental perception to scan them.

Under the shadows, the surrounding guests perceived a hazy, gray scene, devoid of any visual imagery.

The object on the clapping table was clearly visible; it was a small cluster of shimmering metal shavings.

Ten grams of metal, naturally, doesn't amount to much in total.

With over 400 merit points, Lorne began to worry, wondering if that would be enough. The price of such rare materials alone was so high.

Will the Wizard's Sword be very expensive?

"Rare material, Star Iron, 10 grams, 20 merit points."

"twice."

"Rare material, Star Iron, 10 grams, 20 merit points."

"Three times, deal!"

"Let's congratulate guest number 147."

The host spoke with some excitement, which, though seemingly in a professional manner, still elicited a tidal wave of agreement and applause from the audience.

"Next item: Raven's Nest Cloak, from the wizarding faction Raven's Nest, standard equipment for mid-level wizards within the faction."

"The main body is woven from raven feathers and shadow spider silk, and has basic stealth and scent concealment functions. It also has some practical functions, such as the ability to use raven speech."

Starting bid: 5 merit points, minimum increment of 1 points.

Lorne suppressed his impulse and did not make a bid.

Anyway, the uniform robe I'm wearing now has the ability to block spiritual perception, and with the aura brought about by cultivating the Nine Manifestations of the Soaring Dragon, this cloak isn't a necessity.

"21 merit points." Soon, wizards began to bid.

"22 merit points!"

"25 merit points..."

The price climbed steadily, eventually settling at 35 points.

"Wizard artifact, Raven's Nest Cloak, 35 merit points."

"Three times, deal!"

"Let's congratulate guest number 269."

One item after another was auctioned off, with the sounds of guests bidding and the host's voice echoing throughout the theater.

Most of them were materials and special potions, and some were wizard artifacts that Lorne didn't need in terms of functionality.

After waiting for several hours, the target finally arrived.

"The next lot, Whispers of the Deep, is a wizard's sword, crafted by Master Blacksmith Bacon."

"Forged from dark, cold iron, its core functions are mental ice blast and mind freeze, which have a strong effect on wizards with weak mental strength."

Starting bid: 20 merit points, minimum increment of 4 points.

Just after the host finished explaining the rules for increasing the price, a voice suddenly announced, "30 points."

It carries a sense of determination to win.

30 points? It seems this item will be difficult to compete for... Lorne thought to himself, "Oh no, I only have 400 merit points left, I need to think this over carefully."

If the price exceeds your expectations, you'll have no choice but to give up.

It would take a lot of effort to upgrade the "Heavenly River True Qi" from the stage of star core condensation to the stage of the Zhou Tian River, not to mention other requirements.

He didn't have a formal position in the Wizard's Tower, and his accumulated merits were dwindling with each use, so he couldn't squander them all at the auction.

"31 merit points."

"32 merit points."

"34 merit points."

"..."

The guests' calls for higher prices were deafening, and the prices of Deep Cold Whispers continued to rise, increasing little by little.

"50 points." Another swift and decisive bid increase, clearly from the wizard who made the initial offer.

After this bidding, the subsequent bids from other wizards became less frequent and gradually subsided.

The primary target group for the wizard's magic sword, Whisper of the Deep Cold, is first-tier wizards, and for the vast majority of first-tier wizards, 50 merit points is a considerable amount.

A normal wizard's ordinary job only earns a few dozen merit points a month. After deducting necessary expenses such as training rooms and meditation rooms, it is already quite difficult to save 5 points.

For most low-level wizards, it would take a year to accumulate 50 merit points.

Exchanging a year's savings for a wizard's artifact is still too expensive.

"60 points." The voice announced the number again, amidst the scattered bidding sounds.

After this, the remaining sounds disappeared completely, like stones falling into the sea.

"Wizard's Sword, Whisper of the Deep, 60 Merit Points."

"once."

"Wizard's Sword, Whisper of the Deep, 60 Merit Points."

"twice."

"The Wizard's Sword..."

"70 points." With the other wizards ceasing their bids and the bidding for Whispers of the Deep Cold about to end, Lorne finally made his offer.

It increased by 10 points in one go.

The other person remained silent for a while before replying, "80 points," just as the host was about to speak.

"90 points." Lorne didn't hesitate at all.

"95 points."

"100 points."

"105 points."

"110 points."

After several rounds of bidding, the price seemed to exceed the other party's expectations, and the pace of bidding became extremely slow.

"Wizard's Sword, Whisper of the Deep, 110 Merit Points."

"once."

"Wizard's Sword, Whisper of the Deep, 110 Merit Points."

"twice."

"113 points..." The other party hesitated greatly when making the offer, and the increment became smaller, most likely indicating that the price had reached its limit.

"120 points." Lorne was determined to get the Deep Cold Whisper, and a score of just over 100 was still within acceptable limits.

The moment the price was quoted, a mental message came from the invitation in Lorne's hand.

It was a clear, cool female voice.

Lorne glanced at the screen and said, "Give me Whispers of the Deep, and I will give you equal compensation."

Let? Compensate?

impossible!

"Wizard's Sword, Whisper of the Deep, 120 Merit Points."

"once."

"Wizard's Sword, Whisper of the Deep, 120 Merit Points."

"twice."

"Wizard's Sword, Whisper of the Deep, 120 Merit Points."

"Three times, deal!"

"Let's congratulate guest number 358."