I am the Arcane Archer, and all my skills are self-created.

The auction house in Ironforge, located in the city's commercial center, is a magnificent building entirely constructed of black iron and gold, with two enormous gargoyle sculptures at the entrance adding to its imposing presence.

When Li Wu and Hua Zitong entered the auction house, they were immediately stunned by the scene inside.

The hall was very spacious, enough to accommodate thousands of people. Rows of mahogany chairs were arranged in a fan shape, facing a tall auction stage at the front.

At this moment, the hall was full of people, but without exception, they were all NPCs.

They were dressed in various ways: some were heavily armored warriors, some were mages wielding staffs, some were wealthy merchants, and there were even a few nobles who looked intimidating.

In the entire hall, there were only two players: Li Wu and Hua Zitong.

"It seems we've arrived just in time; the auction is about to begin," Hua Zitong said softly.

The two found two seats towards the back and sat down, intending to observe the situation first.

Soon, a burly dwarf auctioneer with a large beard walked onto the auction stage.

He picked up a small hammer and slammed it heavily on the table.

"clang!"

The crisp sound instantly silenced the previously noisy hall.

"Welcome everyone to Ironforge's weekly auction!" the dwarven auctioneer's voice boomed. "Without further ado, the usual rules: highest bidder wins! Now, let's look at the first item!"

As he finished speaking, a scantily clad bunny girl NPC, carrying a tray covered with a red cloth, swayed her hips as she walked onto the stage.

The auctioneer yanked off the red cloth, revealing a massive two-handed axe gleaming with blue light.

[Bloodthirsty Battle Axe (Rare)]

[Type: Weapon (Two-handed Axe)]

[Level Requirement: LV20]

[Class Requirement: Warrior]

[Attributes: Strength +35, Constitution +15]

[Special Effect: Each of your attacks has a 15% chance to trigger the "Bloodlust" effect, increasing the damage of your next attack by 20% and restoring health equal to 10% of the damage dealt.]

When Li Wu saw the attributes of this axe, his eyes widened.

A rare weapon! Its stats are far superior to any of the superior weapons he'd ever seen before. Especially the "Bloodlust" effect—it's practically tailor-made for warriors.

"The Bloodthirsty Battle Axe, a level 20 rare weapon, crafted by the dwarven overseer of the Black Iron Mine! Those standing here are all connoisseurs; its value speaks for itself!"

"Starting bid: 100 silver coins! Each bid must increase by at least one silver coin! Now, begin!"

As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, a chorus of bids erupted from the audience.

"One hundred and one silver coins!" A burly man who looked like a mercenary leader was the first to raise his sign.

"One hundred and two!" Another middle-aged man who looked like a nobleman glanced at him disdainfully.

"One hundred and fifteen silver coins!"

"One hundred and twenty!"

The price soared and soon exceeded one hundred and thirty silver coins.

One hundred and thirty silver coins for a level 20 rare weapon—that's really not expensive.

In the end, the Bloodthirsty Battle Axe was successfully auctioned off to a seemingly wealthy warrior NPC for 142 silver coins.

The next few items were also rare equipment around level 20, with each item fetching a price between 130 and 150 silver coins.

Li Wu was extremely envious, but he also knew that although these equipment were good, they were not suitable for him.

His Arcane Bow is a bound, growth-type weapon and doesn't need to be replaced. What he needs now is leather armor.

Just when Li Wu thought that the auction would mainly feature rare equipment, an item that caused a sensation throughout the venue was unveiled.

It was a staff that was entirely black, with a purple crystal embedded at the top.

The moment it appeared, the temperature in the entire hall seemed to drop a few degrees.

[Rotten Heart Staff (Epic)]!

When the word "epic" was uttered by the dwarf auctioneer, the entire auction hall fell into a deathly silence.

All the NPCs stared intently at the staff that exuded an ominous aura, their eyes filled with greed and fervor.

Epic equipment!

This is an extremely rare find at the current stage of the game!

Each one of them is enough to cause a bloodbath!

Li Wu's heart skipped a beat.

He recognized it because of this staff.

Isn't this the epic staff that Hua Zitong drew from the loot after they killed the regional boss [Rotten Behemoth - Grassos] in the newbie village?

Because it didn't suit her profession, Hua Zitong could only temporarily put it in her backpack. Little did she know that she had just taken it out to auction it off!

"【Rotten Heart Staff】, a level 25 epic weapon!" The auctioneer's voice trembled with excitement. "Its power needs no further explanation! It comes with three god-tier special effects: 'Withering,' 'Life Drain,' and Area Burst! Owning it is equivalent to possessing the power to dominate the battlefield!"

"This treasure was entrusted to us for auction by a mysterious adventurer. Now, its starting bid..."

The auctioneer paused deliberately, whetting everyone's appetite.

"One gold coin!"

"hiss--"

The moment this number was announced, a collective gasp filled the room.

One gold coin!

That's a thousand silver coins!

This starting price has already exceeded the total selling price of all previous lots!

Li Wu felt her breathing become rapid.

He glanced at Hua Zitong beside him and found that she still looked calm and collected, as if what was about to be auctioned off was not a priceless epic equipment, but a worthless fire poker.

What is this woman's concept of money?

"One gold coin! Anyone bidding?" The auctioneer looked around the room.

After a brief silence, an elderly man sitting in the front row, dressed in a magnificent robe, slowly raised the plaque in his hand.

"Two gold coins." His voice was hoarse, but full of undeniable confidence.

"My God! It's Master Marcus, the chief elder of the Mage Tower!"

"He actually came in person!"

There was an exclamation from the crowd.

"Hmph, Marcus, you think you've got it figured out?" A sinister voice rang out from another direction. "Three gold coins!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a mysterious person shrouded in a black robe, whose face could not be seen, holding up a sign.

"They're from the Shadow Council!"

"They're also interested in the staff!"

The bidding process became extremely intense from the very beginning.

"Five gold coins!" Elder Marcus of the Mage Tower raised the price again, his expression unchanged.

"Seven!" the man in black robes retorted defiantly.

"Ten!"

Prices skyrocketed, like a rocket.

Li Wu sat below, completely numb.

He felt like a country boy who had just arrived in the city, completely shocked by the city dwellers' spending power.

He now finally understood why Hua Zitong had said that the two hundred gold coins worth of guild tokens were nothing to those super guilds.

In this game, the true top-tier resources are worth far more than the average player can imagine.

Finally, when the price soared to thirty gold coins, the black-robed man from the Shadow Council finally chose to give up.

"Congratulations, Master Marcus! You've successfully acquired the epic staff, [Heart of Rot], for the staggering price of thirty gold coins!"

The dwarf auctioneer's gavel fell heavily, sealing the deal!

"clang!"

As the hammer struck, Li Wu felt his heart skip a beat.

Thirty gold coins!

Get rich!

They've become incredibly wealthy!

After deducting the auction house's 10% commission, they will still get twenty-seven gold coins!

This amount of money is more than ten times their original total assets!

Li Wu's mind went blank; he could even feel his hands trembling slightly.

Hua Zitong, standing beside her, simply smiled faintly, as if everything was within her expectations.

She turned her head, looked at Li Wu's naive and unsophisticated appearance, and a playful smile appeared on her lips.

"Don't get excited," she said softly. "The game has only just begun."