210 THE BONES OF BASILISK
The girl whose bread she stole from stood up enraged. "Hey, that's mine!" the girl yelled, raising a chair to strike her.
But before the chair could land, time seemed to freeze. A glowing coin appeared before Kimee, hovering in midair. "Claim your greed counter and feed me," the chicken instructed.
Without hesitation, Kimee touched the coin. It dissolved into chicken feed, and in her mind's eye, she saw a phantom version of herself offering the feed to the chicken. A message appeared before her:
"Congratulations! Your chicken has laid an egg."
A vibrant egg materialized in the air, cracking open to reveal another message:
"+1 Strength Obtained."
Reality snapped back. The chair swung down toward her, but Kimee raised her arm instinctively. To her shock and everyone else's, the chair shattered on impact.
Gasps echoed around the room.
"What… what just happened?" Kimee stammered, staring at her unscathed hand.
The chicken appeared again, as smug as a digital bird could be. "Congratulations. You've gained +1 strength from cracking an egg."
"Are you… my Tamagotchi?" she asked, the realization dawning on her as crazy as the thought was.
"You may call me whatever you like," the chicken replied.
"I'll call you Tamagotchi", Kimee replied to the chicken when she realized her body was not the same. She ran to a mirror to look at herself and to her surprise she was another girl.
"Who am I?" Kimee asked.
"In this world, you are known as Sujira. Disciple of the Temple of Hera."
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[At the Auction Hall of Sodom City]
Leo arrived at the auction and was escorted to a reserved room on the upper floors, granting him a clear view of the coliseum-like venue below.
From his balcony, he could see other VIPs seated in their own luxurious booths. Across the arena, Milwe from the Cergontyn family sat on his own balcony, glaring at Leo with clenched fists. Leo, however, dismissed him with a faint smirk, treating him like a petty sideshow.
The auction began with a flair as the auctioneer, dressed like a magician, appeared in the center of the stage. He captivated the audience with a short magic performance—pulling rabbits from hats and launching fireworks that danced across the ceiling.
Sujira, seated beside Leo, clapped her hands and whistled, utterly enchanted by the display.
"Never seen a magic show before?" Leo asked, his tone amused.
"No, it's my first time. This is so much fun!" she replied, eyes sparkling.
Leo chuckled. "You're an interesting character for an assassin."
"What? I can't hear you over the fireworks!" Sujira shouted back.
"Never mind. Enjoy the show," Leo said, waving her off with a small smile.
The magic show ended as abruptly as it began, and the auctioneer moved on to the main event. "Now that we've been entertained, let's begin tonight's true spectacle. Bring out the first exhibit!"
A large cage was wheeled onto the stage, containing a majestic tigress. Despite her natural beauty and aura of power, it was evident she had been mistreated, her coat matted, her eyes filled with exhaustion.
"This tigress was captured in the northern continent. A powerful magical beast, classified as Svad Tier 1," the auctioneer announced, his voice tinged with pride. "The bidding starts at 100,000 silver dinari."
Sujira's expression darkened as she clenched her fists in frustration. She quickly checked her wallet, counting her money with rising despair. She didn't have enough to make the opening bid.
As the bidding intensified—"250,000! 280,000! 300,000!"—Leo leaned back, watching with a mix of amusement and curiosity.
Finally, he raised his hand and declared, "500,000 silver dinari."
The room fell silent in shock. Sujira turned to him, eyes wide. "Master, why... why are you buying the tigress?"
The auctioneer's hammer came down. The tigress was his.
"Why do you want her so badly?" Leo asked Sujira.
Sujira hesitated, then admitted softly, "I… I like feeding animals."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "This tigress is expensive to feed."
"I'd try my best if she were mine," Sujira said earnestly.
"Fine," Leo said with a shrug. "She's yours."
Sujira stared at him in disbelief. "Are you serious?"
"Consider it a welcome gift to my retinue," he replied.
Grammers, seated nearby, grumbled, "I never got a welcome gift."
Leo smirked. "You've already got Megane, haven't you? Fine, pick out a set of new magic armor from our vault. Maybe then you won't get beaten so badly by the people you like to bully."
"Yes, young master!" Grammers said, his grumpiness replaced with glee.
The auction continued, but neither Leo nor Sujira showed much interest in the remaining items until the final lot of the night was revealed.
A grand cabinet, draped in a crimson cloth and ribbon, was wheeled onto the stage. "This," the auctioneer declared, "is the highlight of tonight's auction. A treasure many of you have traveled far to see."
With a dramatic flourish, the cloth was removed, revealing a glowing set of bones encased in glass.
"What is that?" Sujira asked, leaning forward.
The auctioneer answered with pride. "This is the bones of a Basilisk—a serpent so powerful it rivals dragons themselves. Its hide is impervious to most weapons, making it invaluable to artisans, craftsmen, and alchemists alike."
The bidding began at 1 million silver dinari and quickly escalated. "1.1 million!" "1.3 million!" "1.6 million!" The Toledo and Cergontyn families fiercely outbid each other, their representatives determined to claim the prize.
Finally, Milwe stood and declared, "3 million silver dinari."
The Toledo family slumped in defeat, unable to match the bid. The auctioneer began counting down. "Going once… going twice…"
"Wait," Leo interjected, his voice calm but commanding.
All eyes turned to him as the auctioneer's expression shifted to delight. "Ah, young master Gullee, how much do you wish to bid?"
Leo smirked and raised a golden token. "I bid zero silver."
The crowd erupted in murmurs. The auctioneer paled but quickly composed himself. "Master Gullee this is not a place for jokes."
Then Leo pulled out a Golden Ticket. The auctioneer recognized it immediately.