Chapter 75

"Wow, there are so many people."

"Skuna-kun, you've gone too far ahead."

"I'm sorry, Koneko-maru-san."

I followed the young girl, who was a demon, as she boldly moved forward in a place she had never been to before, walking down the path to the capital's auction house. It seemed that Skuna-kun had defeated the Mysteria Rabbit since then, and with the financial shortage completely resolved, he seemed enthusiastic about today's auction.

"Can we bid if we find something we can buy?"

"Of course. Today's auction is called a regular auction, which is held once every two weeks. There might not be many rare items, but since we're also putting up items for auction, let's enjoy it casually."

"That's right. I hope I can buy some materials for accessories."

My wife, Wanda, who was walking beside me, said this, as if affirming my words.

Today is the day of the auction I had promised to go to with Skuna-kun. Initially, it was supposed to be just the two of us, but my wife decided to come along today. My wife, Wanda, is a player who puts a lot of effort into making accessories. We get along well, sharing materials for our production jobs. The design of the red wolf outfit I gave to Skuna-kun was mostly thought up by my wife, and the choker he is wearing was also made by her.

"I want to meet you in a scene that doesn't involve combat." My wife said this with a serious expression, and I couldn't stop her.

"Do you have any target items, Wanda-san?"

"From the list of items for sale... perhaps the rainbow agate. Gemstones are a staple for accessories."

Despite some initial concerns, the two of them quickly hit it off. They are now talking about the auction's contents. It feels like I'm leading them, but considering my wife's and my age, it might feel like having a daughter.

Perhaps because we only see Skuna-kun through streams, he seems to be in a good mood today. No, it's not just that he's in a good mood... he seems very relaxed. His demeanor is similar to when he streams with Rinne-kun, as seen in the archives.

"I want to buy a good weapon."

"It would be nice if we could get some materials. The third wave starts today, and the event begins in four days, so it's best to be prepared."

"Well, it would be nice to buy something, but since we're also putting up items for auction, I'm also curious about the selling price."

"That's true. But it's a bit questionable whether we need the money."

"I made a lot yesterday... hehe."

Skuna-kun looks a bit embarrassed, but when I heard that he had hunted a lot of Mysteria Rabbits, I was surprised. He apparently made nearly 1 million in one day, which is enough to buy a cheap house.

For Skuna-kun, who is working hard on the game, a house might be unnecessary, but with 1 million, he could easily buy top-tier equipment. The idea of targeting Mysteria Rabbits for a while until the event ends, while holding iron balls and knives, was quite impressive.

I've seen Skuna-kun defeat Mysteria Rabbits in streams, and that's why I bought the items from him. Skuna-kun's throwing skills are abnormal. Throwing objects hundreds of meters away isn't unusual, especially with heavy weapons, but throwing items are designed to have a longer range than regular items. With high stats, it's possible to hit targets hundreds of meters away, and Skuna-kun does this.

The problem is his throwing accuracy, which seems to read the future. In WLO, the accuracy of throwing is entirely dependent on player skill. Whether you hit or miss depends entirely on how you throw. Even with some assistance, it only ensures a straight throw, not tracking the target. If you miss, you miss, and if the target moves, you might miss. You need the skill to hit and the ability to predict and read ahead.

I don't know why Skuna-kun chose throwing, but there might be no better player at it in this game. Her skill is more like sniping, considering the deviation. Hitting 100 out of 100 is usually impossible.

Moreover, she can apparently see how and where the thrown object will bounce. She can tell how much force and where to hit to make it bounce in a certain direction. When I heard this, Wanda and I were genuinely stunned. As the NPC Kuhaku-kun said in the stream, her eyesight is in a different dimension.

"You? What's wrong?"

"Ah, sorry. I was just thinking. Here are the entry tickets."

I handed the entry tickets to the two of them at the auction house reception. It's not a membership system, but you need to buy the tickets in advance. I considered the possibility of another person joining, but since Toka-kun couldn't come today, it worked out well.

The regular auction is not like the fictional type where items are auctioned one by one on a stage. It's more like an auction at a fishing port. First, the items are displayed in a large auction hall, and each person applies a bid amount. Once the bidding time for each item is over, the person who bid the highest amount gets the item.

My item for auction is a torso armor. It's a unique piece made using the gem from the Mysteria Rabbit, and this time, I created a cloak.

The "Illusion Cloak" has a rainbow appearance but comes with a stealth effect, making it a highly advanced item at this stage. However, while the effect is advanced, the defense is non-existent, and it needs to be supplemented with other parts and accessories.

The "Illusion Cloak" starts at 100,000 Iris. After paying 150,000 Iris to Skuna-kun for the gem and considering the other materials used, I hope it sells for over 200,000 Iris.

"The rainbow agate starts at 10,000... let's try bidding. Oh, a white obsidian, that's rare. It wasn't on the list... let's bid within our budget."

"What's white obsidian?"

"A special mineral that is very soft and doesn't break. It's strong against blunt force but weak against sharp objects."

"Wow."

While I'm curious about whether my item will sell, it's my first time at an auction, so I should enjoy it. I'll follow the two of them, who are looking at the items with enthusiasm.

"Oh... look at this, dear."

"Huh? What is it, Wanda?"

My wife called me over to a display of "Flare Metal" ingots, a high-attribute metal. This is a more refined version of Red Metal, and there's currently no way to obtain it. Or rather, this auction is the only way.

It wasn't on the list, so it might have been a secret item or simply a late entry. Seeing this rare metal for the first time, I couldn't help but get excited. Compared to the Red Metal from the Scorching Rock Cave, this Flare Metal has a deep crimson color with a dull but heavy luster.

When you're into production, like forging or making accessories, you tend to gather information about rare materials. But to see a high-attribute metal in person is quite something. The initial bid is 200,000 Iris, and it's already over 1 million. It's probably attracting the attention of high-level adventurers.

I was a bit drawn to it, but I don't have the financial means to buy it. However, thinking that I might get such items in future auctions, my heart skipped a beat.

"If it were a bit cheaper, I would have recommended it to Skuna-kun. I remember Menas giving him an attribute crystal?"

"Ah, that's a shame. But in the surrounding areas of Zeronoa, high-attribute metals haven't been found yet. The performance of weapons should match the player's level for a better experience. It's not necessary yet."

Agreeing with my wife, I turned my attention to Skuna-kun, who was looking at the items a bit away from us. He seemed interested in something, with a gleam in his eyes.

"Skuna-kun, did you find something?"

"Ah, Koneko-maru-san, look at this."

At first, it looked like there was nothing to see. I was puzzled, but suddenly, a glass case with an item appeared in front of me.

"Whoa!?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it just appeared suddenly... Could you see it, Skuna-kun?"

"…? Never mind, look at this."

Skuna-kun, not understanding my surprise, pointed to the item description. The item was a shiny, white thread-like material, which looked like some creature's fur.

"The 'Phantom Fur of the White Wolf'... Is it a named material?"

"That's right. The seller said they didn't defeat it but found it."

"Found it...?"

I was a bit perplexed. The setting of this world, as discussed by the WLO analysis team, is a popular topic. I'm quite familiar with the setting, as I often check the information. The combination of "white wolf" and "phantom" naturally brings to mind the "Phantom White Wolf," a named boss monster on par with the "Solitary Red Wolf" and the "Pack of Black Wolves."

"Even if it's not real, it's quite cheap, so I thought I'd bid on it."

Indeed, for a named material, the price is low. Even for a relatively weak party named monster, the value of a single material is immeasurable, yet the starting bid is only 10,000 Iris. Moreover, no one had bid yet, except for Skuna-kun's 11,000 Iris.

It's clearly too cheap, and it's odd that such a topic-worthy item is being overlooked. However, considering the mysterious phenomenon that just occurred, a conclusion can be drawn. Simply put, no one else noticed it.

"Phantom" is a good word. The material itself must be giving off an incredible stealth bonus.

"Sure, why not? Even if it's fake, 10,000 Iris isn't a big deal for you now."

"Right."

"What are you doing...!?"

My wife, noticing Skuna-kun and me nodding in an empty space, came over. She seemed to notice the suddenly appearing glass case but didn't react as obviously as I did.

"I'm bidding on this."

"Oh, a monster material... That's good. It would be easy to use in accessories."

Unlike me, my wife, who isn't very interested in the game's setting, seemed to be looking at the material purely for its appearance. Indeed, this silk-like fur would be easy to process and quite convenient to weave. It wouldn't be enough to make armor, but it would be perfect for a part of an accessory.

Still, I think...

Considering the depth of this game's setting, it makes sense that Skuna-kun found it because of a deep connection. The problem is the seller who claimed to have "found" it. How did they find and auction such a material?

Moreover, if Skuna-kun hadn't found it, it might not have sold at all. The idea of "finding" it is unclear. Monsters disappear as polygons when defeated, dropping only materials. So, did they defeat the white wolf? No, even black wolves are only known by name, and defeating a white wolf is impossible for players.

Perhaps only a powerful NPC like Kuhaku-kun or the recently discussed "Heaven's Eye" could do it.

Wait. Didn't the "Heaven's Eye" visit this capital, Feias, a few days ago, which is why it's a topic of discussion? This NPC might have put their own materials up for auction with a made-up reason.

This explanation fits the presence of the white wolf material. However, the question of what would happen if the material didn't sell to anyone remains unresolved.

"Maybe it was just a coincidence that someone found and listed it..."

"Dear, the auction for Metal Wolf fur has started over there."

"What! I'll go right away!"

"Wolves come in many varieties."

While Skuna-kun, who seemed excited about the possibility of getting good items, was distracted, I rushed to the Metal Wolf fur auction. Unlike the white obsidian, this is a good item for fur, being resistant to cutting.

Since it's from a rare monster and appears only in the "Abandoned Mine" between Grifis and Zeronoa, very few players can obtain it. It's an item I want to get when I can.

"There are no blunt weapons at all..."

Skuna-kun, looking for new weapons in the hall, muttered disappointedly.

"Hehe, both players and NPCs don't favor blunt weapons much."

"There was a two-handed staff over there earlier."

"Really! I'll go check!"

"Sure, I'll show you."

Pleased by Skuna-kun's enthusiastic reaction, my wife led him with a smile. In the end, we spent nearly half a day at the auction house, taking breaks in between.

My wife, Wanda, loves cute things and enjoys decorating them. We have a son, but no daughter.