The Celestial Horizon Auction was hosted within the Grand Obsidian Theater, a towering, multi-tiered amphitheater carved directly into a volcanic glass mountain on the edge of the imperial district. The air inside was dense with the scent of burning spices and the high-frequency hum of anti-theft barriers. Far above the sea of wealthy merchant princes, sect leaders, and noble houses sat the isolated Imperial Box—a luxurious pavilion floating on localized gravitational anchors, shrouded in a one-way privacy screen.
Markus, Sloane, and Isolde Aurelian stepped onto the velvet carpet of the floating box, where the Grand Regent was already waiting. The monarch stood up immediately, offering a polite, respectful nod that did not escape the notice of his elite royal guards.
"Matriarch Aurelian, Patriarch Blackwell, Young Markus," the Grand Regent greeted, gesturing toward the plush, gold-trimmed seats overlooking the massive auction stage below. "Your arrival is impeccable. The opening lots are just being prepared."
Markus took his seat, his long dark coat falling perfectly over the armrest. He didn't waste time on idle pleasantries. Before the first item could be wheeled onto the stage below, he looked directly at the Grand Regent, his silver-blue eyes flashing with an analytical glint.
"Your Grace, I noticed the auction ledger requires all bids to be processed in high-quality mana stones," Markus noted flatly. "While the Eternity Guild possesses infinite liquidity, carrying thousands of standard crates across continental borders is a logistical inefficiency I prefer to avoid. I have a proposition to streamline our transaction."
The Grand Regent leaned in, his interest instantly piqued. After feeling the staggering density of the primordial mana core gifted to him the previous evening, his desire to accumulate more of the ancient resource had become an obsession. "I am listening, Lord Valerius."
"We establish an immediate currency exchange," Markus proposed calmly. "The Eternity Guild will provide you with a direct supply of medium-grade primordial mana stones. In exchange, the imperial treasury will guarantee an exchange rate of 1 Medium Primordial Stone for 1,000 High-Quality Mana Stones."
[SYSTEM TRANSACTION SPECIFICATION]
>> Exchange Vector: Eternity Guild Base Assets ↔ Imperial Treasury
>> Asset Conversion Ratio: 1 : 1,000
>> Primordial Tier: Medium-Grade (Pure Origin Unaligned)
>> High-Quality Tier: Standard Imperial AAA-Grade Mana
The Grand Regent's breath hitched slightly. Mechanically and spiritually, the trade was an absolute windfall for the empire. High-quality mana stones were a renewable, mass-produced commodity harvested from local dungeons, but primordial stones were a finite relic of the pre-fracture universe.
"A magnificent rate," the Grand Regent agreed, his voice hushed to prevent any external scrying arrays from catching the terms. "But how do you intend to process your bids tonight without the physical assets currently present in the capital?"
"Simple," Markus replied, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the armrest. "I will bid freely on any lot that catches my eye, using the imperial line of credit. At the conclusion of the auction, the total debt will be tallied, and I will pay the imperial treasury the exact equivalent entirely in medium-quality primordial mana stones."
The Grand Regent smiled, a look of profound satisfaction washing over his features. "An elegant solution. Consider the imperial treasury your personal funds for the evening. Your bids carry the full backing of the crown."
Down on the obsidian stage, the primary auctioneer stepped up to the runic podium, slamming a heavy brass gavel. A massive holographic screen flared to life above the stadium, announcing the start of the Celestial Horizon Auction.
Down on the central stage of the Grand Obsidian Theater, the head auctioneer held the entire assembly of imperial elite completely captive.
She wore a striking, blood-red dress tailored with a deep cleavage that prominently highlighted her full DD cup bust, while the completely open back of the gown revealed her pristine white skin against the dark, polished volcanic glass of the stadium.
Yet, despite her alluring presence, she commanded the chaotic bidding floor with an absolute, unyielding grace and elegance—turning what could have been a rowdy merchant brawl into a disciplined, high-stakes symphony.
High above the clamoring crowds, Markus tapped the runic signaling node on his armrest, summoning the floor manager directly to the Blackwell family's private floating pavilion.
Within moments, a sharp-dressed woman stepped through the privacy screen, offering a deep, deferential bow to the Grand Regent before turning to Markus. "How may the house serve the Eternity Guild this evening, Lord Valerius?"
"I wish to list some items of mine," Markus stated flatly, his silver-blue eyes remaining fixed on the stage below. "I have a few select items I intend to put up for immediate open bidding."
The floor manager offered a polite, professional smile, though her posture remained highly disciplined. "The Celestial Horizon itinerary is exceptionally strict. The protocol dictates that we can only accommodate emergency late-stage additions if each individual item is valued at a minimum baseline of 100,000 high-grade mana stones."
Markus didn't utter a word in response. He simply leaned forward and casually laid five distinct weapons across the velvet-lined presentation table.
The weapons were pristine relics he had personally harvested from the primordial universe. The moment they were exposed to the room's atmosphere, the ambient temperature sharply fluctuated, and a dense, heavy wave of unaligned cosmic source strings rippled through the air.
The floor manager's professional composure instantly shattered. She backed up half a step, her eyes wide and her breath catching in her throat as her own mana core violently shuddered in response to the raw, ancient signatures radiating from the forged metals. Realizing she was standing in the presence of epoch-defining artifacts, she frantically pressed her emergency transmitter, summoning the theater's chief imperial appraiser to the box.
The elderly appraiser arrived seconds later, breathless and clutching his specialized runic monocle.
After a grueling, silent ten-minute audit, the old man looked up at Markus, his voice cracking with profound awe as he delivered the official house valuations for the five-item lot.
***
Lot 1: Geo-Anchor Dirk
Structural Composition: Deep-Crust Tectonic Slate
Dominant Law Signature: Earth Element (Pre-Fracture Gravity)
Appraiser's Certified Valuation: 500,000 High-Quality Stones
Lot 2: Abyssal Tide Stiletto
Structural Composition: Condensed Primordial Hydro-Iron
Dominant Law Signature: Water Element (Absolute Fluid Density)
Appraiser's Certified Valuation: 950,000 High-Quality Stones
Lot 3: Pyro-Crucible Greatsword
Structural Composition: Unbound Star-Core Ore
Dominant Law Signature: Fire Element (Pure Primal Plasma)
Appraiser's Certified Valuation: 1,300,000 High-Quality Stones
Lot 4: Boreas Tempest Saber
Structural Composition: Sky-Severing Azure Timber
Dominant Law Signature: Wind Element (Absolute Atmospheric Shear)
Appraiser's Certified Valuation: 1,900,000 High-Quality Stones
Lot 5: Thundercrack Genesis Halberd
Structural Composition: Void-Forged Fulgurite Alloy
Dominant Law Signature: Lightning Element (Primordial Judgment)
Appraiser's Certified Valuation: 2,500,000 High-Quality Stones
***
As the signatures were registered, the ambient energy inside the private box shifted dramatically. Sloane's eyes narrowed as he felt the intense, suffocating heat vibrating from the Pyro-Crucible Greatsword, his own fire-aligned core humming in savage approval. Beside him, Isolde Aurelian's gaze swept over the Boreas Tempest Saber, tracking the subtle, razor-sharp micro-vacuums playing across its edge with a knowing, regal smile.
"These... these are not merely weapons, Your Grace," the appraiser stammered, turning toward the equally stunned Grand Regent. "They are intact blueprints of the pre-fracture universe. The earth, water, fire, and wind signatures are entirely unadulterated by modern spatial degradation. And this halberd... the raw lightning element bound inside its core is a conceptual trigger for heavenly tribulation. It is entirely priceless."
Markus calmly swept his gloved hand over the table, allowing the floor manager to carefully secure the five elemental weapons into the house's high-security transit vaults.
The Grand Regent's eyes flashed with sharp, absolute clarity. Recognizing the profound martial and political shockwaves these five artifacts would send through the eastern nobility, he turned to the trembling theater staff with unyielding imperial authority.
"Revise the schedule immediately," the Grand Regent commanded, his voice carrying the heavy, resonant weight of the crown. "List these five weapons as the final items of the auction—the absolute star items of the show. Let the houses bleed their treasuries dry for a taste of primordial sovereignty."
The floor manager and the chief appraiser bowed politely, their expressions filled with a mix of awe and frantic urgency. They carefully secured the pristine elemental artifacts into specialized containment cases and began to step backward out of the floating pavilion. As they withdrew, two elite imperial guards clad in heavy, gold-rimmed plate armor stepped out from the shadows of the dais, their hands resting firmly on their pommels as they fell into tight formation behind the staff to secure the priceless cargo.
Down on the stage, the blood-red gown of the elegant auctioneer shimmered under the spotlights as she slammed her gavel, completely unaware that the list of the Celestial Horizon Auction had just been entirely rewritten from the imperial box.