Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Chapter 115: The Auction ( Part 3 )

'These things are mine…' Shane thought as he finally entered the Auction Hall.

As soon as he entered and found a seat, he didn't wait long before it started!

The auctioneer, a figure of elegance and authority, took to the stage, and the hall fell silent. "Welcome, esteemed Survivors…" the auctioneer began, her voice echoing through the chamber.

"Today, you vie for treasures that could alter the course of our shared destiny. Bid with wisdom, bid with courage, and may fortune favor the bold."

Shane, surrounded by other strong Survivors, felt a surge of adrenaline.

This was it—the moment where preparation met opportunity, and he was ready to seize it with both hands.

As Shane gazed at the lady wearing a red dress on the stage, he couldn't help but feel curious whether she was also a resident of the Fiend Continent or perhaps another Survivor like them. Well, he wouldn't be surprised if it was just an image that was created by the Apocalypse System.

Anyway, the auctioneer was a striking woman with an air of sophistication. She radiated an aura of confidence as she addressed the audience once more.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Survivors of all walks…" she began, her voice a melodic timbre that resonated through the hall.

"Before we commence, a gentle reminder to utilize your BidLink Communicators for the bidding process. Simply select the item from the catalog that will appear, enter your bid, and confirm your bid by accepting the prompt that will appear. Our system ensures a fair and transparent auction, so bid with confidence."

The crowd listened intently as she demonstrated the device, her fingers deftly navigating the sleek interface.

After confirming that everyone understood the process, she continued.

"And now, without further ado, let us begin with our first item—one of the highly sought-after items, a beacon of hope against the darkness that encroaches upon your world!"

The glass case in the center of the stage illuminated, revealing the Flamethrower that Shane had seen outside...

Soon, their BidLink Communicator showed the item description.

[ Inferno Wielder – Flamethrower ( Exceptional ): Crafted from the remnants of a world gone by, this Flamethrower is a marvel of engineering, capable of unleashing a torrent of fire at your enemies, humans, or undead!

Effects: +50% Burn Duration, +30% Range

Special Effect:

Hell's Fury - Ignites the surrounding area, creating a barrier of flame that repels incoming hordes.

Cost: 5 Zombies Cores/minute

Basic Requirement: Liquid Fuel ( Recommend 90% Diesel and 10% Gasoline ) ]

"The bidding shall start at 40 Points…" The auctioneer announced, her eyes sweeping across the sea of faces before her.

Shane felt his pulse quicken.

The Flamethrower was a powerful tool, one that could turn the tide in any skirmish against the undead. It was also quite interesting that he could load it up with Zombie Cores so they could use its Hell's Fury effect!

It was obviously not a common Flamethrower!

He gripped his BidLink Communicator, his mind already calculating the value of such an item.

Around him, murmurs of excitement and strategy filled the air as other survivors prepared to place their bids.

Nonetheless, the hall didn't have all the 1,000 Survivors… Only about 600 of them had actually entered to participate. It appears that some of them who don't have plenty of Points decided to enter the Market Bazaar Bidding instead!

It wasn't too surprising.

After all, once a bid was placed on the items they selected, the others only have 2 hours to compete with the first bidder before the highest bidder takes it away.

Since the Grand Auction Hall would take 3 hours to complete, they would have a high chance of obtaining items in the Market!

Anyway, Shane believed that the best items would still be in this Grand Auction Hall so he decided to visit this place first.

Ding!

A bell rang out and the auctioneer's voice cut through the anticipation… "Let the bidding begin!"

Shane entered his bid, the first of many he planned to make today.

[ Bidder 1101 bids 50 Points ]

He was assigned the number 1101 by the BidLink Communicator.

As the numbers on display began to climb, he settled into the rhythm of the auction…

[ Bidder 1159 bids 51 Points. ]

[ Bidder 1825 bids 55 Points. ]

[ Bidder 1242 bids 58 Points. ]

…

[ Bidder 1456 bids 73 Points. ]

[ Bidder 1125 bids 75 Points. ]

Shane saw the current bid and felt that it was slow to climb up….

75 Points was basically 75 Zombies Cores, a price similar to 5 Cast Iron Skillet!

There was no way this Flamethrower would just be that cheap!

After realizing that the other survivors were simply observing the limits of others, Shane decided to step up the bidding.

[ Bidder 1101 bids 500 Points ]

"…"

The hall, previously filled with the soft clatter of incremental bids, fell into a stunned silence as Shane's bid echoed through the space.

The number 500 glowed boldly on the display, casting a new light on the proceedings. Murmurs erupted among the survivors, their expressions a mix of disbelief and intrigue.

"Who is this Bidder 1101?!" a voice called out from the back, the question hanging in the air like a challenge.

"Crazy! That's worth 100 Item Upgrade Crystals!" another exclaimed, their tone a mixture of admiration and envy.

"What the heck! Why did you do that! The Flamethrower should just be worth 100 Points!" someone else gasped, their eyes wide as they stared at the display, as if it might change if they looked hard enough.

Travis, the Clan Leader of the Drakeheart Vanguard, frowned with his arms crossed, his brow furrowed as he assessed the situation. "This changes the game…" he muttered under his breath. "Whoever this is, they're here to play hard."

Another clan leader, a woman known for her strategic mind, tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Bold move. Either a bluff or they have resources we've underestimated…" she whispered to her second-in-command. She was the same woman who was disappointed at the rules stating that fighting was prohibited.

Her name was Natalie Cross, the Cland Leader of the New Haven.

Another young Clan Leader clenched his fists as he saw the bid... It was simply too high. Even with his 40 members in his Clan, he was only able to gather less than 3,000 Points!

"We can't let this stand. We have to respond…" He said, though uncertainty laced his words. His name was Hayden, and he created the Blue Moon Clan as it was related to the Talent that he had obtained.

Shane, sitting calmly amidst the storm of reactions, felt a small smile creep onto his face. This was exactly what he had hoped for—a chance to shake the foundations of the auction and assert his presence. This would allow him to take more items from the Auction Hall.

He watched as the other bidders hesitated, their fingers hovering over their own devices, second-guessing their next move.

The 500 points were simply too high, and this was just the first item in the Auction Hall! They would still see 99 more items!

They were unwilling to spend most of their Points on the first item!

"Whatever, this Bidder 1101 won't be able to bid again. Even if he could, he shouldn't have enough to fight against us!"

Everyone had such thoughts as they decided not to compete for now.

The auctioneer, maintaining her composure, glanced at the display and then out at the crowd. "Bidder 1101 leads with 500 Points. Do I hear any further bids?" she asked, her voice steady but tinged with the excitement of the moment.

The hall remained in a tense silence, the only sound being the soft hum of the BidLink Communicators as the survivors waited for someone to outbid Shane. But the silence stretched on, and it became clear that no one was willing to match his bold move.

"Going once… going twice… and sold to Bidder 1101 for 500 Points!" The auctioneer finally declared, her gavel striking the podium with a finality that resonated through the room.

Shane's small smile widened just a fraction.

He had secured the first item, setting a precedent for the rest of the auction. But before the crowd could fully process the outcome, the auctioneer had another surprise in store.

"Ladies and gentlemen…" She announced as she looked at the Survivors for a moment before she continued.

"In light of this first bid for this event, the administrators of the hall have decided to offer an additional 10 Flamethrowers for sale outside the hall, each at the winning bid of 500 Points. This is a one-time event and will not be repeated for other items."

A collective gasp swept through the survivors.

"It's a good thing that we didn't compete to make it higher."

"Hmph… It should've been 100 Points. He shouldn't have increased the price too much!"

Some were happy with the additional Flamethrowers, but the others shook their heads in disbelief. They exchanged glances, weighing their options.

Anyway, the tension eased into a flurry of activity as a few Survivors rushed out to secure their own Flamethrower at the set price.