Chapter 324: Joke
At this moment, the battle aura surrounding Saren Charlotte was growing dimmer and dimmer. The fire serpent coiled around his arm radiated a despair-inducing heat...
"Damn it, where have the guards gone? Hurry up and save me! I'm your Black Iron VIP, you can't treat me like this!"
Saren Charlotte's shrill scream echoed through the auction hall, lingering for what felt like an eternity...
But no one answered him.
Inside the auction hall, there were not only dozens of Grand Swordsman guards, but also several Grand Swordmaster-level captains, a mage like Richie, and even a Title Mage overseeing everything. These were the necessary safeguards to maintain order at the Blackhorn Auction. The reputation of the Blackhorn Consortium was more than just talk.
Yet now, none of those who should have been upholding order moved a muscle.
They all remained quietly in place, as if oblivious to the chaos unfolding before them...
"What are you doing!" As his battle aura grew weaker, Saren Charlotte could feel waves of agony radiating from his arm. The terrifying heat was driving him to the brink of madness. "I'm your Black Iron VIP!"
Despair consumed Saren Charlotte...
The searing pain and heat on his arm made Saren Charlotte feel dizzy, the world before his eyes fading into black and white, sounds growing ever more distant...
"Enough, cousin..." At that moment, William Merlin finally spoke up, saving Saren Charlotte. "His grandfather and yours share some history..."
Leon frowned.
But in the end, Leon still withdrew Saedus.
"Huff, huff, huff..." Having barely escaped disaster, Saren Charlotte collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath as if utterly drained after breaking free from Saedus's restraint.
It took several minutes before Saren Charlotte finally regained a bit of composure. By then, he no longer dared provoke Leon, only casting him a glance filled with both fear and hatred before quickly retreating over ten meters away...
It was like spotting a viper in the grass—terrified that even the slightest delay might invite a venomous bite.
He kept retreating for over ten meters before finally stopping, but even then, he didn't dare look at Leon. His face darkened, and he vented all his anger on Richie.
"Richie, what is going on with your Blackhorn Consortium? I'm your Black Iron VIP! If something happens to me here, can you bear that responsibility?"
"My apologies, Young Master Saren." Richie smiled as usual, elegant and composed. "The one you attacked was a Golden VIP."
"I don't care about any Golden—" Saren Charlotte's words froze mid-sentence. He stared at Richie, mouth agape, eyes wide, then cautiously probed, "You... what did you just say? Go...Golden VIP?"
"Yes, Young Master Saren, you just attacked a Golden VIP." Richie nodded with a smile. "So, you might be facing some trouble. For example, you and your family may be required to explain yourselves, and that Golden VIP has every right to hold you accountable. Trust me, this is bad news for you. If it comes to that, the Blackhorn Consortium may have to blacklist you and your family..."
...Saren Charlotte was utterly stunned, swallowing hard. "R-Really a Golden VIP?"
"Yes, a Golden VIP."
No way... After double-checking, Saren Charlotte was nearly in tears. This was just rotten luck—getting into a minor scuffle at the Blackhorn Consortium and running into a Golden VIP...
This is no joke...
Saren Charlotte knew all too well how serious it was to attack a Golden VIP on Blackhorn Consortium turf...
This really isn't a joke...
With just a word from that Golden VIP, all those Grand Swordsman guards, the Swordmaster captains, even Richie the mage and the overseeing Title Mage, would attack him without a second thought—maybe even kill him on the spot!
And afterward, the Blackhorn Consortium would have every right to pursue the Charlotte Family for responsibility. At that point, even the family head would have to step forward and explain.
"I... I really didn't know!" Saren Charlotte was on the verge of tears.
He truly hadn't known—that was a Golden VIP...
Besides, aren't Golden VIPs supposed to be in the top-level boxes? Why was one sitting in the auction hall? That's just misleading...
"Young Master Saren, I'm just a minor manager of the auction. Explaining to me won't help..."
"Richie, Richie..." By now, Saren Charlotte was completely panicked, nearly grabbing Richie in desperation. "You have to help me! I really didn't mean it—help me, and the Charlotte Family will be grateful to you..."
"I've already said, Young Master Saren, I'm just a minor auction manager. You attacked a Golden VIP—this is beyond my authority..." Richie shook his head helplessly. "But privately, I can offer a suggestion: try pleading with that Golden VIP. If he forgives you, then the Blackhorn Consortium won't take any action..."
"Plead, plead, right, I understand. Thank you, Richie." Saren Charlotte, hearing this, forgot all about his fear, hurriedly thanked Richie, forced a strained smile, and nervously walked toward Leon's seat.
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"Marfa, cousin..." At this moment, Ross Merlin's feelings were just as complicated.
Originally, Ross Merlin had planned to clean up the mess after the conflict, save his distant cousin, uphold the Merlin Family's reputation, and cash in a huge favor to trade for Stan Watson's map.
But now...
Ross Merlin suddenly realized that all his careful plans had fallen apart. They hadn't needed his help at all—the conflict was resolved directly, and in a way he could never have imagined.
That scene just now had truly frightened Ross Merlin.
A single burst of flame had instantly crippled several battle-hardened Grand Swordsman, and then terrified Saren Charlotte—a level four Swordmaster—so badly he nearly wet himself.
Such terrifying power was beyond anything Ross Merlin could have imagined...
Ross Merlin thought to himself: even if he took the field personally, with the protection of several top Grand Swordsman, he'd still need to use the Fountain of Eternity to defeat Saren Charlotte, a level four Swordmaster.
But his distant cousin from Thousand Sail City hadn't even moved; he simply unleashed a burst of flame, and the whole world went quiet.
What did that even mean...?
Even if that burst of flame was just a magical artifact, it was still astonishing. Without enough power, who could possibly control such a formidable artifact?
At this moment, Ross Merlin realized that his distant cousin from Thousand Sail City was far less simple than he'd imagined.
How laughable that he'd always thought this was just some ordinary wealthy merchant—maybe a bit of money, but no real experience or power. He figured he could just offer a little incentive and trade for the map. Looking back, everything he'd said before was a joke...
Alchemy techniques, magical knowledge—someone with two million gold coins to throw around could get any skill or secret they wanted. Two million gold could even buy out a Title Mage.
As for his own two prized top-tier Spirit Artifacts...
Now they seemed even more like a joke...
That burst of flame just now—he'd seen it clearly. Its power was at least True Spirit-level. His two top-tier Spirit Artifacts were nothing in comparison.
And that wasn't even the most important thing...
The most important thing was, from that terrifying flame, Ross Merlin realized something...
Ross Merlin understood: if he really tried threats or even force to seize the map, what would his distant cousin, wielding a True Spirit Artifact, do to him...?
That was Title Mage-level power. If it erupted in full, even as a level five mage with the Fountain of Eternity rune, he might still be no match for a True Spirit Artifact. If it came to that, escaping with his life would be questionable—never mind getting Stan Watson's map...
The more he thought about it, the more cold sweat ran down Ross Merlin's back...
He opened his mouth, but couldn't find any words...
"The map, right?" Leon spoke first. "We'll talk about it when we get back..."
"Ah?" Ross Merlin was startled, then his face lit up with joy. "Good, good, we'll talk when we get back, we'll talk then..."
Ross Merlin's mood right now was like riding a roller coaster. His heart had sunk to the bottom, but with Leon's words, it soared again. That map was simply too important to him...
"Don't bother me again for now."
"Of course, absolutely..." Hearing there was hope for the map, Ross Merlin was eager to please.
After finishing with Ross Merlin, Leon's gaze returned to the auctioneer, who was energetically introducing the next item—a skin from a Dark Venomous Python. No doubt, this item came from the Tower of Mercury, since only the Mercury Plane under its control could yield such a creature.
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