120: Hecate's Feast

Chen Feng hid in the shadows of a second-floor private box, overlooking the glittering venue below like a calm ghost.

The entire auction house felt like a massive, living, peculiar creature. The walls were not cold metal, but a translucent material that flowed with a soft light, stretching, twisting, and merging the shadows of the guests together.

The air was thick with the scent of exotic spices from over a dozen different races, mixed with the smell of wealth and desire.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and distinguished beings who have transcended the constraints of form."

An elegant yet eerie figure appeared on the central floating platform. It had a human-like upper body but grew six slender, flexible arms. Its voice echoed directly in everyone's mind through some kind of resonance device.

"Welcome to Hecate's Feast. Tonight, we shall witness the miracles of the universe together and touch concepts that exist only in legend. Now, I declare the auction officially open!"

The Six-armed Auctioneer gave a light wave with one of its hands.

The first auction item was presented.

It was a sealed crystal bottle containing a handful of golden stardust that burned continuously yet never extinguished.

"‘A Bottle of Light from a Dead Star’!" The auctioneer's voice was full of allure. "It comes from the core of a white dwarf that collapsed three million years ago—the universe's sole memento of its own magnificent funeral. Whether for collection or as the centerpiece of your private museum, its value is immeasurable! Starting bid: five hundred thousand credit points!"

"Five hundred and fifty thousand!"

"Six hundred thousand!"

Bids rose one after another, eliciting a small wave of admiration.

Chen Feng had no interest in this; his gaze, like a precision scanner, swept rapidly over all the bidders.

Soon, the second item appeared.

"‘The Primogenitor's Tear’!" the auctioneer called out loudly. "A curiosity sealing the complete genetic sequence of the first ancestor of an ancient race! For those buyers who pursue the ultimate in life and long to glimpse the mysteries of evolution, this is your Holy Grail!"

Before the words even finished, a man in a white monk's robe with a fanatical expression suddenly raised his paddle.

"Three million!"

He directly quoted a figure far exceeding the starting price, scanning the room with a hostile gaze as if anyone bidding against him was a heretic desecrating a holy relic.

A brief silence fell over the venue.

"Good," Chen Feng thought to himself. "The first target has appeared."

"The capital flow of the 'Gene Purification Cult' has been confirmed."

Inside the Alliance's mobile surveillance van, an analyst reported to Shadow Chaser-J.

"Characteristics are 'substantial but limited,' and the behavior pattern matches that of fanatics—they will pay any price for their 'holy relic.' Threat level: High."

J nodded, signaling to continue observation. He was like a patient fisherman, quietly watching the fish below the surface start to fight over the bait.

The auction continued.

A recording crystal named 'The Last Sigh of a Lost Civilization' was taken by an artist-like buyer at a high price.

"Su Li," Chen Feng whispered through an encrypted channel, "record the bidding habits and increment patterns of all major bidders, and estimate their capital ceilings."

"Building the model now," Su Li's calm voice came through.

After a few flashy but unsubstantial 'appetizers,' the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed.

The auctioneer's voice became more solemn than ever before.

"Everyone, the next item may be the most mysterious and... undefinable one tonight."

A metal Rubik's cube that constantly flickered between reality and illusion was presented in the center of the stage. At times it was clearly visible, and at others, it turned into a probability cloud, as if the universe were playing a Schrödinger-esque joke on you.

"schrödingers lockpick!"

"No one knows its origin. Its principles cannot be explained. We only know one thing," the auctioneer paused, his voice full of mysterious temptation, "it can act upon 'concepts.' Whether it is a physical lock, a logical lock, or... a lock of fate."

"To allow more fated individuals to participate in this game of causality, its starting price," the auctioneer smiled slightly, "is ten thousand credit points!"

The outrageously low starting price instantly ignited the room.

"Fifty thousand!"

"One hundred thousand!"

"One hundred and fifty thousand!"

Bids rang out one after another, the price soaring like a rocket.

An Agent of Chen Feng's—a four-armed clan craftsman who looked somewhat nervous—began to raise his paddle and follow the bids unhurriedly under Chen Feng's remote command.

"Two hundred thousand."

His voice was unremarkable amidst the many fanatical bids.

"One million!"

The fanatic from the Gene Purification Cult entered the fray again with a powerful, oppressive price.

His hostile gaze scanned the room once more, finally settling on Chen Feng's nervous Agent.

An invisible war had begun.

Through the Agent, Chen Feng engaged in the first round of confrontation with the fanatic, the price climbing steadily.

However, at that moment, two other completely unknown capital sources joined the battle through two other unremarkable Agents.

"One million one hundred thousand."

"One million two hundred thousand."

The scene instantly became chaotic.

Chen Feng's brow furrowed tightly for the first time.

Tonight's difficulty far exceeded expectations.