"Yes! Now I present you with a monster bone that has a skill!"
Gasp!
The audience gasped upon hearing that a skill was being auctioned.
Some tried to stand up and rushed to the entrance to bring more money.
But…
Bump~
Their efforts were in vain as black men in dark suits came to block the entrance.
"What are you doing? Let me go!"
"I don't have enough money!"
"Don't stand in the way!"
"I am sorry, but I can't allow you to go out until the auction is ended for security purposes, Sir."
Soon, they returned to their seats after being unable to bypass the black men.
"If I could just go out."
"Those fucking bastard."
They cursed and lamented their own lack of preparations.
All the while, Liam watched all this happen with those seated.
'But why did they hire only black men for security? Discrimination?'
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry for our guards blocking the entrance. But as mentioned by the guards, we can't let you go until the auction is finished for security purposes, and believe me, it is all for you to be protected."
The host, Jack, then went on to explain to the angry audience why they couldn't go out and apologizes for it.
It helped the rowdy audience to calm down.
But…
"Let's begin the bidding for the last product!"
A new kind of tension arose.
…
"heh"
The people in the vip quarters smirked at the idiots below who squandered their money on useless junk.
Then…
"The bidding starts by 500,000 kottar!"
"Number 77 offers 550,500 kottar!"
"OH! Number 150 raised it to 600,000 kottar!"
***
'Damn rich people. But they don't know they will be soon attacked, idiots.' I smirked internally.
"Number 50 raised it to 700,000 kottar!"
'hehe, waste!… waste more money!'
"Number 80 raised it to 800,000 kottar!"
I watched as the bidding went up.
The crowd of people were shouting frantically each time the bidding went up.
'Ooh!'
'Holy moly!'
The tension was rising.
Soon…
"Number 50 raised the bidding to 100,000,0 kottar!"
The bidding broke the ceiling of a million.
'Maybe I really should rob them. It's not like a hundred or two hundred thousand kottar will mean much to them.'
My inner devil tempted me again.
The number of bidders dwindled and got limited to the VIPs who were in their private quarters.
"Number 80 raised it to 150,000,0 kottar!"
…the real competition began.
And the tension rose to a new level.
People seated clenched the armrest of their seats so as not to stand up and disturb the show that was ongoing.
Gulp~
Gulps of the people around me could be heard.
Some even stopped breathing, afraid they might cause a distraction.
'Godness gracious! How much money do they have?'
I calmed myself by convincing myself that…
'It is fine, Liam, calm, they will soon be attacked.'
"Number 77 raised it to 200,000,0 kottars!"
Crack!
'Shit! I guess I broke the armrest.'
"Number 150 raised it to 250,000,0 kottars!"
'I am just a small fish.'
"Number 80 raised it to 300,000,0 kottars!"
'If I am a fish, then why does my heart ache so much?'
"Number 50 raised it to 400,000,0 kottars!"
I closed my eyes.
"Number 77 returns by raising the bidding to 450,000,0 kottars!"
Tried sitting in the lotus position.
"Number 80 adds another 500,000 kottars to 450,000,0 kottars!"
'What is life?'
"Number 50 raised the bidding to 600,000,0 kottars!"
I entered a nirvana state.
"Number 150 makes a comeback by raising the bidding to 700,000,0 Kottars!"
My soul started self-reflection.
"Number 50 raises the bid to 100,000,00 kottars by adding 300,000,0!"
'What is the meaning of life?'
"100,000,00 one!"
I get back to reality through the audience's voices.
"Son of the mother merry!"
"I can't believe they bid 100,000,00 kottars!"
"100,000,00 two!"
I looked around as the crowd cursed and clenched the armrest so hard their knuckles got white.
The host, Jack's eyes were basically sparkling with stars.
And…
"100,000,00 three!"
Dum, dum, dum!!!
"The bone goes to number 50!"
Jack shouted so excitedly that the audience got quiet for a moment.
After that, as if the realization hit them all at the same time…
"Son of a holy tree!"
"My god!"
"Who is Number 50!?"
Shouts erupted across the enormous hall.
"wooooooo!!"
"Yessssssssss!!"
Some even stood up and screamed their lungs out for the Number 50 as if they were watching the World Cup instead of bidding.
Even the host himself couldn't stop the rising joy in his chest and…
"Yeeesssss!"
He shouted.
With a microphone in his hand.
The attention went to him.
Everybody stared at him silently.
Stareee~
Sensing the audience glare, Jack felt embarrassed.
Cough~
"Ahem…, anyways, we have prepared a last gift for you all."
"My dear guests!"
"This last one is a young boy with the blood of the fabled dragons flowing through his veins!"
***
A boy with hollowed eyes stared forward.
His eyes were glued to the iron bars.
He felt empty.
But…
Growl~
It didn't mean he felt no pain.
'I am hungry.'
Tremble~
He hugged his knees.
'I am cold.'
But…
Squeal~
A mouse came in that empty and filthy prison of his.
…at least he had a friend to talk to. Even if that friend of his didn't respond, he listened well.
For that…
He was grateful.
"Oh, are you back, friend?"
He didn't have to be alone.
"What are you eating?"
He had a friend.
"Why were you late?"
His only comfort in that darkness.
"Did you fight again?"
His light.
Tak, tak~
He heard a muffled stepping sound.
They were faint at first but grew louder as it neared his prison.
The sound halted, and a man stood in front of him on the other side of the bars.
"Tsk, why do I have to bring him?"
The man grumbled to himself.
Clack!
"Hey! Come out, bastard!"
The man opened the door and asked him to come out.
'Are they finally letting me go?'
The boy stepped out of his prison.
"Come on, get moving." The man nudged with a stick.
'G.O.O.D.B.Y.E.M.Y.F.R.I.E.N.D.'
He turned around and mouthed the final words for his friend.
"What are you looking at? I said get moving!"
The boy walked.
Step, step-
The man was behind him with a stick in his hands, pushing him whenever he slowed down.
Soon they reached a flight of stairs going up.
Step, step-
They climbed it slowly.
"Ahem…, anyways, we have prepared a last gift for you all."
He heard a man.
'A gift?'
"My dear guests!"
With every step he took, the voice grew.
And at last…
"This last one is a young boy with the blood of the fabled dragons flowing through his veins!"
He found himself on a stage.
"…"
A man in a dark blue suit was standing on the same stage as him.
The man pointed his hand toward him.
'Why?'
The boy was confused.
He turned to look to his left.
There were people.
A lot of them.
They stared at him.
'Ahh'
A realization hit him.
'I am the gift. I am the young boy with the dragon blood.'
He looked toward it his left once more.
But this time, he saw people starting to stand up.
"ATTACK!"