164 THE HEART OF RA
"Welcome to Silver City," Arom said with a smile that looked more rehearsed than sincere.
His tailored silver-gray suit gleamed under the dome's filtered light, and his thin eyes narrowed just enough to betray his disdain.
Zairgid returned the gesture with equal precision—his own plastic smile. They exchanged handshakes that lasted a heartbeat too long.
After a few minutes of polite small talk, Arom finally excused himself, leaving his entourage of assistants to escort Zairgid and his companions to their hotel.
As they walked through the terminal, Damen leaned closer and whispered, "Why is Arom here? I thought he vanished months ago."
Zairgid exhaled sharply through his nose. "My father banished him here after he found out he was scheming behind his back."
Damen frowned. "So that's where he went—Silver City."
"Yes. He came here to manage our Aukouma Auction branch, the one responsible for trading meta-artifacts. The business is not bad." Then his tone hardened. "Ignore him if he becomes rude. We still need him to organize the upcoming auction."
Damen nodded silently, but his instincts told him this wouldn't be the last time they crossed paths with Arom Aukouma.
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A large truck rumbled through the gates of Aukouma Auction, Silver City. Zairgid came down to receive it just as Liorea and Kail jumped out.
"Where did you steal this truck?" Zairgid whispered under his breath.
Liorea smirked. "We didn't steal it. It was parked nearby, so we borrowed it to deliver the meta artifacts. I can't exactly show these people that I used spatial dimension to bring them here."
Zairgid nodded with approval.
Liorea's power was rare and unique — the kind that attracted unwanted attention. If too many knew she could manipulate space itself, hiding anything in front of them would become impossible.
A woman in a dark suit and high heels approached, flanked by two assistants. She inspected each crate carefully, marking notes on her data pad before ordering the goods to be sent into the auction vault.
When she finished, she turned to Zairgid.
"Sir, all the meta-artifacts have been documented and secured," she reported crisply.
Zairgid didn't glance at her data pad. His eyes lingered on her instead.
"What's your name?" he asked.
The woman blinked, surprised. "Erm… Kassely. I'm the auction manager."
"Good," Zairgid said with a faint smile. "I'll be seeing more of you soon."
He turned away with his friends, leaving Kassely slightly flushed.
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Later, the auction began.
They sat in their own private suite overlooking the grand chambers below. Auctions in Silver City weren't like those in Melrose — there, they were parties for the rich.
Here, they were business.
Eight holo-screens flickered to life before them, each showing one of the simultaneous auction halls. Customers could bid openly in the halls or privately from suites like theirs.
"This is interesting," Kail said, leaning forward. "Everything's done electronically. Aren't you afraid of being hacked?"
Kassely, who had been assigned to attend to their suite, replied smoothly, "We have the most secure system Silver City can buy. Multiple failsafe layers. It's not easy to cheat in our auction unless we meet a Quantum Mind."
"Quantum Mind? What happens if a Quantum Mind hacks your system?" Damen asked.
"The SIA would be notified immediately, and they would send a team to deal with the intrusion. A Quantum Mind wouldn't risk being found here", she replied.
Kail nodded in understanding.
The technology and power of meta humans in Silver City was far greater than Melrose city. It was wise not to use his powers unnecessarily here.
Then, the auction came alive at once — alien hides, cores, body parts, and rare ores flashing across the screens.
The buyers were relentless, and soon most of their items were sold.
Just as the event was about to wrap up, the main screen lit up. All other displays vanished, leaving only one central feed.
"What now?" Liorea asked, raising an eyebrow.
"This," Kassely said with quiet pride, "is the special event of the auction. Everything before this was for ordinary items. What follows now are treasures."
"Special auction?" Damen leaned forward. "What's available?"
A holoscreen materialized before them, scrolling through descriptions of rare artifacts — each more exotic than the last. Damen skimmed through the listings until one entry seized his attention:
The Heart of Ra.
He wanted to identify the artifact, but it wasn't possible through the digital interface.
"Can I see the Heart of Ra in person? It's hard to judge from here," Damen asked.
"Of course," Kassely replied.
She walked to the window and drew back the heavy curtains.
The suite opened to a breathtaking view — an enormous central hall surrounded by tiers of private boxes stretching four stories high.
Below, under blinding white lights, the special items gleamed within unbreakable glass casings, guarded by meta-field barriers.
The atmosphere buzzed with restrained anticipation; even from this height, Damen could feel the tension in the air.
Bidders could place their offers through the holoscreen or watch the auction unfold live through the viewing panels. Damen chose the latter.
His gaze locked onto the Heart of Ra displayed on the central pedestal. His pupils contracted as he activated his identification ability.
Name: Heart of Ra
Description: A conduit capable of generating immense plasma energy. When properly channeled, it can be used to construct plasma cannons.
A thrill surged through him.
"I don't have a proper ranged attack," he murmured. "Could the Heart of Ra let me fire plasma from range?"
He remembered his battle against the Deacon of Ra and the Sun Scorpions — how their searing plasma and laser beams had cut through metal like molten butter.
The memory made his pulse quicken, his imagination already alight with the possibilities of wielding such power himself.
Then it came to the turn of the Heart of Ra.
The announcer gave a short description of the artifact, but Damen barely listened. He already knew everything about it.
The bidding began.
"Ten million!"
"Fifteen million!"
"Thirty million!"
Kail's heart raced as the numbers climbed. "It's already up to fifty million aurs," he said with wide eyes.
Liorea gave him a flat look. "Fifty million is nothing. That's just enough to buy the head of a conglomerate in Melrose City."
"What's the use of the Heart of Ra that it can go for such a high price?" Kail asked.
"It's the core component for plasma cannons," Kassely explained without looking away from the screen.
Damen leaned forward. "And how much does a plasma cannon cost?"
Liorea answered, "About a hundred million aurs, last I checked."
"So, the Heart of Ra already costs half the price of a full plasma cannon?" Kail asked, astonished.
Kassely nodded slightly. "The bidding interest for the Heart of Ra is unusually high today."
The numbers flashed again. "Sixty million aurs."
Damen suddenly spoke. "Seventy million," he declared, pressing his palm to the holoscreen to confirm the bid.
Zairgid spun toward him. "Are you out of your mind? The Heart of Ra isn't worth that much!"
"It's a bit overpriced," Damen admitted coolly, "but something like this doesn't come around twice."
Liorea smirked. "Seventy million. You'll win for sure at that price."
The announcer's voice echoed through the speakers:
"Seventy million once…"
"Seventy million twice…"
The hammer was about to fall when a voice cut through the air.
"Eighty million aurs!"
A new bid flashed across the main screen — and every suite turned their attention toward whoever dared to outbid Damen.
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