Synthesis-type adventurers

Chapter 21 The Final Deadline

There are only 24 hours left until the deadline when Victor must pay the money.

The underground black market of Rusty Harbor, the secret auction house behind Chiba-ya.

The torrential rain poured down, and thunder rumbled as it poured into the ground through the rusted drainage pipes overhead, creating a series of resonances in the circular hall buried deep in the soil.

The air inside the hall was more suffocating than the thunderstorms on the ground.

The spiciness of cigars, the cloying sweetness of cheap perfumes, and the sour, rotten smell of fermented male hormones mixed together into a viscous substance that filled everyone's throat.

Dozens of masked figures huddled in the shadows, their greedy eyes fixed on the central display stand, like hungry wolves eyeing rotten meat.

On the display stand, a bone-white longsword rests on a black velvet cushion.

The carefully tuned magic lights shone vertically down, giving the sword a halo of flowing mercury, making it appear both sacred and eerie.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the legendary 'Crimson Star'."

Chiba changed into a black low-cut evening dress, her fluffy tail sweeping across the ground.

She skipped all the lengthy introductions, her slender, white-gloved fingers slowly gliding along the spine of the sword.

"Ancient, noble, and—only those of pure blood can wield it." A simple amplification array sent her whispers into everyone's ears, her sweet tone concealing a captivating, tingling sensation. "Starting bid: 500 gold ducards. Or the equivalent in guild orem and other high-grade materials."

"600".

Before Chiba could finish speaking, a number plate immediately shot into the air from the front row of VIP seats.

That man was Victor.

The golden half-face mask couldn't conceal his identity, just as his luxurious silk dress and the large ruby ​​ring on his finger proclaimed his owner's name.

At this moment, Victor sat upright, his posture even somewhat stiff, his eyes burning with a morbid excitement.

"650." A rough voice slowly rang out from a corner of the crowd.

The speaker was a thin, dark figure wrapped in a tattered gray robe—the number one plant arranged by Rhodes, the old blind Jack.

"700!" Victor practically roared, glaring viciously at the corner.

"750".

On the other side, a burly man disguised as a wealthy merchant from out of town held up a sign; his true identity was actually a blacksmith apprentice hired by Tolin.

Victor's hands were trembling.

It was anger, but even more so, it was fear.

The estate has been sold off, and all assets that could be mortgaged have been converted into working capital.

He had no way out and would not allow any accidents to happen.

This is fate, the legacy left to him by that deadbeat Kyle!

This sword must belong to me.

"800!"

Victor suddenly stood up, the chair behind him dragging on the stone floor with a piercing scream.

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

A full 800 gold coins.

In a lousy place like Rusty Harbor, that amount of money could buy the most bustling red-light district, including the land and the girls. The remaining money would be enough to hire a 30-man heavily armed mercenary group to guard your door like dogs for a whole year.

Now, this pile of gold is only used to exchange for an "antique" of unknown origin.

"Ahem... Please be mindful of the auction order, sir."

Chiba narrowed his amber pupils, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

She didn't bring down the gavel immediately, but deliberately paused for two seconds, her gaze sweeping across the entire room.

"800 gold coins! Is there anything higher? This is a relic from the Demigod Era. Missing this opportunity is missing out on an entire era..."

She was fanning the flames, squeezing out the last shred of reason from Victor's mind.

"0.0371!"

Old blind Jack in the corner raised his sign again, but his wrist was trembling.

This was the bottom line Rod set for him.

Any higher, and the play will fall apart.

"Damn it! I'll bet 1000! 1000 gold Ducati!" Victor's roar tore through his vocal cords, sounding like a duck being choked.

He slammed the number plate to the ground, pointed to that corner, and his chest heaved with anger.

"Who else?! Huh? Who else dares to compete with the Hohenheim family for their possessions?!"

He stopped pretending.

Black market rules and secret identities are all burned away in the face of absolute desire.

The entire room fell into a deathly silence.

No one dared to speak.

This is not only because of the staggering price, but also because of the prestigious reputation of the Hohenheim family.

Only Chiba's face broke into a smile.

"1000 gold coins once... 1000 gold coins twice!"

She raised the small wooden hammer that symbolized the deal, but her gaze drifted subtly towards the dark private room on the second floor.

There, a pair of indifferent eyes were watching all of this.

not enough.

Rhodes pondered this in his mind.

Intelligence indicates that Victor sold the manor for approximately 1150 gold coins, and with his existing savings, his total cash reserves are likely around 1250.

Avira's ransom is 800 gold coins, plus the 30% that needs to be given to Chiba... We have to squeeze him dry, leaving him with not even a copper coin left to buy a bottle of red potion.

Rhodes raised his hand and gestured in one direction.

Downstairs, the third person who had been silent all along—a middle-aged man who looked like a fallen nobleman—slowly raised his hand.

Guild 110, Orim.

Orim!

This is definitely hard currency!

Converted to trade Ducat gold coins, that's at least 1100 pieces.

On the black market, Orim commands an even higher premium.

Victor froze on the spot as if struck by lightning, staring intently at the middle-aged man, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

That was his last trump card, the reserve fund he had prepared to bribe the family elders.

But if we can't get the sword, everything is over.

The estate has been sold, and our escape route is cut off.

If he doesn't take this gamble, he'll be a spendthrift, a far more utter joke than Kyle, who died a pathetic failure.

"120... Orim." These words were squeezed out from between Victor's teeth.

After saying that, he slumped into the chair, panting heavily, cold sweat soaking the messy hair around the edge of his mask.

That's 1200 gold coins, or even more.

The middle-aged man shrugged and finally lowered his hand; Rhodes had given the signal to close the net.

"120 Orim! Sold!"

"Bang!"

The wooden hammer fell, and the crisp sound of its impact echoed through the hall.

Victor suddenly looked up, the despair in his eyes instantly turning into ecstasy.

He won!

He is truly the chosen one!

-----------------

Inside a private room on the second floor.

The heavy curtains blocked out the noise below.

A black market worker carried a crystal plate that emitted a faint blue glow into the room.

This is the guild's anonymous ledger crystal, and the numbers on it have already finished ticking—a total of 120 points.

Chiba snatched the crystal, her whole body trembling. She had never seen such a huge amount of liquid funds in her life.

"Crazy...absolutely crazy..." she muttered to herself, looking up at Rhodes sitting in the shadows with a complex expression. "You're a monster."

"But the taste of success is really quite good, isn't it?"

Rhodes emerged from the shadows, flipping an ordinary copper coin between his fingers.

His expression was calm and composed, showing no elation at suddenly becoming rich overnight, nor any smugness at the success of his scheme.

"After deducting your commission and acting fees, the remainder will be transferred to this card."

Rhodes handed over a black crystal card—he had gone to the guild these past two days to get a Black Iron-grade ledger crystal savings card.

"Aren't you afraid I'll get ulterior motives?" Chiba asked, glancing downstairs unconsciously as he channeled magic into the transfer. "It's a mess outside right now. Victor's busy celebrating. If I run off with this huge sum of money and disappear in the chaos, you won't be able to stop me."

"You can try," Rod grinned, the coin between his fingers seemingly coming to a halt. "But I guarantee it will be the stupidest decision you've ever made. After all, people who dare to throw meat into a wolf pack usually have hunting weapons in their hands."

As an ordinary Iron-level professional, his only source of combat power is basic swordsmanship and speed enhancement, so he is naturally no match for the assassin Chiba.

Taking advantage of the fact that the other party was busy with their mission in the past two days and had no time to investigate his specific identity and the deceptively realistic "artifact" from the demigod era, Rhodes also got a small taste of the thrill of playing the role of a big shot.

Chiba's hand trembled, and the crystal almost slipped from his grasp: "Just kidding, don't take it seriously."

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, boss lady." Rod put away the crystal card that had been used to transfer the money, stood up and straightened his collar. "Oh, by the way, just a reminder."

He walked to the door and waved to Chiba with his back to him.

"It would be best to close down for the next few days, or go on a trip to another city. After all, when the 'side effects' of that sword kick in, our young master Victor might... well, lose control of his emotions."

In the hall below, Victor held the "Crimson Star" aloft, enjoying the cheers and applause from the crowd.

The sword gleamed under the light, like a king being crowned.

Only Rhodes knew that beneath that light lay a potential destruction capable of blasting the entire Hohenheim family to the heavens.

Once Victor, the most favored successor candidate, falls, the remaining pack of mad hyenas bearing the Hohenheim name will surely devour this aging wolf, leaving not even a bone fragment.

"Enjoy your final glory, Victor."

Rod whispered and pushed open the door to go out.

The rain in Ruang Pier has finally stopped.