They all call me an Outer God.

Indeed, this is no ordinary gathering of nobles; even an auction is rife with undercurrents.

Just as those banquets were for political networking, their gatherings were all for the same purpose.

Sacrifice.

Moreover, it was a sacrifice to the world-destroying nemesis, Geherus.

Although Ria and his group have tried their best to eliminate the pollution caused by Gherros, they sometimes face not only external threats, but also traitors from within.

For example, the recent incidents of wealthy nobles poisoning commoners are all acts of pledging allegiance to gain the protection of a jinx.

Only in this way will they believe that Geherus will grant them eternity in the new kingdom. These people are very clear-headed, and it is precisely because of their clarity that they are terrifying.

Because they all agreed that it would be easier to stand on the side of the calamity and assist Him in destroying the world than to stand on the side of humanity to fight against the external enemy. Moreover, Gherus might grant them supernatural abilities in recognition of their hard work, even if they had no merit, and make them a part of the supernatural world.

But even Swarth understood that the first thing to do after the calamity struck was to wipe them out.

"Idiots are doing smart things, while those who consider themselves smart are acting like idiots. Human behavior is really interesting."

In the shadows unseen by the count and his companions, countless golden eyes darted about, taking in every move made.

In the VIP seats, Schwarz finished his plate and inexplicably said this in front of Sullivan. Then, feeling awkward with his mouth empty, he started gnawing on the table.

Sullivan was completely dumbfounded by this scene, but Schwarz ignored the stares of others and just kept eating his "snacks" while waiting for the auction to begin.

He said with a smile, "This performance will be the closing act of my father's grandest show. He has already prepared a banquet for the audience member who is sure to appear, and is just waiting for him to visit."

"I'm more looking forward to the last item than the first one at the auction."

Sullivan was increasingly confused about what Schwarz was talking about, and he figured he probably had a natural generation gap with these people.

Schwarz then looked at Sullivan: "How about we make a bet?"

"You want to bet with me?"

“That’s right, let’s bet that there will be an item that will fetch a higher price than that split gold coin.”

"What could be more valuable than an unlimited supply of gold?"

Sullivan was incredulous. He thought about it carefully but couldn't come up with an answer. Money in this world is practically omnipotent for ordinary people, and everyone knows the value of currency. Therefore, Sullivan accepted the bet without a second thought.

He was certain that no item would fetch a higher price than the first mystery item at auction.

Schwarz bet on the exact opposite.

There was no price to pay in this gamble, but Schwarz told Sullivan that, win or lose, he would learn a piece of the truth.

"You will be absolutely surprised by this truth."

Sullivan smiled and reached for the water on the table to take a sip, only to find that the wooden table had been completely gnawed clean by the other person.

Sullivan stopped laughing.

……

The auction officially begins.

The spotlights on the stage shone brightly, eventually converging on the center of the stage, where a red curtain had not yet been drawn back. Everyone craned their necks, wishing they had X-ray vision, eagerly anticipating what lay behind the curtain.

The people in the audience were buzzing with discussion.

What will be the items up for auction this year?

"Who knows? The first thing is always the appetizer. Maybe the count will bring out his grandmother's old shoes for us to bid on, or maybe it'll be a bottle of last year's red wine." "It doesn't sound like anything good. I'll take a nap first, and you can wake me up when there's something good."

As he spoke, the gentleman sitting in the third row reached out and pulled his top hat down until it covered his eyes, intending to take a break.

His companions were all impressed by his ability to sleep anywhere, but they figured that not many people would want to bid on the first item. In addition, since everyone was rich and noble, their civility and manners meant that they would not make any noise and lose their composure.

From birth, they were destined to be inextricably linked to etiquette—

Until a woman in a long dress and a feathered mask, dressed in red, gracefully and charmingly unveiled the curtain, the gold on the counter behind the curtain gleamed in the light.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a gold coin that can split infinitely. Its purity is beyond doubt. After our jewelers have examined it from multiple angles, I can assure you that its splitting will not cost anything and it can split more and more exponentially!"

"If you don't believe me, I can show you."

As she spoke, the woman in charge of the auction made a few wishes to the gold coins on the counter, and before everyone's eyes, the number of gold coins increased more and more.

The breathing of the people in the audience almost stopped at that moment, and countless burning eyes were fixed on those pieces of gold.

"This is different from the style of previous years where the first item in the auction was always an appetizer..."

Some people couldn't help but clench their fists and swallow hard.

The voices on stage continued.

"Starting bid for this mysterious item: one gold coin!!!"

"!!!!!!!!!"

These words caused a stir among the audience. It has to be said that professionals are indeed professionals. With just a few words, they were able to stir up everyone's emotions. Moreover, as the first item to be auctioned, the starting price was incredibly low.

For the wealthy, a single gold coin wouldn't even cover their daily allowance, but at this moment, the entire venue erupted in a frenzy, like boiling water.

I'll offer ten gold coins!

"I'll offer a hundred!"

"I'll offer ten thousand!"

"One hundred thousand!"

"One million!!!"

"Ten million!!!"

Whoever obtains the mysterious item on the stage at this moment will instantly become the richest person in the world. What is the small price to pay now?

People's eyes were bloodshot; the bidding was no longer an ordinary auction, but a contest of wealth.

Whoever wins the bid will have to empty their pockets; the one with the most money wins. And the winner knows they won't lose out, so they'll sell their property on the spot to get that mysterious item.

The person who originally wanted to sleep was suddenly squeezed in the middle by the people around him. Those people were so excited that they even stood up and argued until their faces turned red, as if they would tear their friends who dared to bid against them to pieces at any moment.

"Stop pushing! I'm going to run out of air, stop pushing!"

"I'll offer 90 million gold coins! Plus thirteen of my own estates!"

"I'll offer one hundred million; if that's not enough, I'm even willing to offer my noble title!"

"I'll sell my wife and children right away, and everything else in the house that can be mortgaged will be sold off. Let's see who dares to take it from me!!!"

(End of this chapter)