Chapter 569: Unexpected Frequency
Noon.
The end of the auction preview also signifies that the afternoon auction is about to begin.
Most of the invited guests have now arrived, eagerly anticipating the chance to bid on their desired items in the afternoon.
The gathered elites and wealthy individuals are enjoying their leisurely lunch, exclusive to them.
Everything was supposed to be just so until a tremor that affected the entire hotel caused everyone to halt their actions.
Amid this anomaly, which felt like an earthquake, ordinary people screamed in fright, and the sounds of metal cutlery and dishes clashing resonated throughout the venue.
The staff, having experienced the initial shock, swiftly performed their duties to calm the frightened guests, but the effect was minimal.
Such a large-scale disturbance was clearly an incident, and quite rare. However, considering that the Magic Capital is not located on a fault line and that this tremor was just a single wave that quickly stopped, many began to calm down.
After all, extraordinary beings are generally familiar with great challenges; even if it was indeed an earthquake, they wouldn’t be afraid. They quickly speculated about the possibility that a conflict had erupted between some high-profile individuals.
However… even the battle of the two teaching assistants at the time wouldn’t cause such commotion, which left them quite confused.
Just then, a guest sitting by the window, amidst the shock, suddenly heard the sound of glass shattering outside, drawing the attention and curiosity of many.
Could it be that extraordinary beings were actually fighting?!
Conflicts among extraordinary beings are nothing unusual for those from the Extraordinary Academy. However, ordinary people were terrified because they lacked the power to protect themselves; their fates depended only on whether the nearby benevolent extraordinary beings could save them. Each of them had a bright future, and none wished to end their lives here.
“This… someone seems to have jumped down!”
A person sitting beside the bed shouted, immediately attracting the curiosity of many. Some even ran to the edge of the large window without putting down their cutlery.
Looking down from a height, broken glass was falling from the sky, shattering loudly upon hitting the ground on the first floor.
Amidst the chaos, figures that had jumped out of the broken windows also landed directly on the ground.
The crowd watching the scene took everything in; those up high could see the figures clearly.
“That… that seems to be a fallen one from the Fallen Academy?”
“It’s from the Abyss Demon Extraordinary Academy, what are they doing? They were invited in the morning, and now they’re fleeing and jumping out of windows at noon?”
“Seems like they’re being chased, and it doesn’t appear to be just the Witch Academy after them, right? That most eye-catching figure there… is it from the Holy Angel Academy? They can actually fly… so cool!”
Everyone leaning against the window was quite amazed, but they mostly maintained a stance of spectatorship.
An auction, which had already faced two incidents during the preview phase, if the first was merely a conflict among guests, this one was certainly different.
Clearly, the pursuers were individuals from the Witch Academy, and even others from different academies had joined in to help.
Once this information spread, it immediately stirred a huge uproar. Everyone was dining here, and the Abyss Demons were causing a ruckus?
No wonder they had been feasting in the restaurant all morning; it turned out they didn’t have time to eat at noon.
At this moment, speculation arose about what those individuals had done to be chased by the organizers.
Many began guessing negatively.
After all, the reputation of the Abyss Demon Extraordinary Academy had been terrible recently. Not long ago, an entire city was paralyzed, and there were even vile incidents involving the Abyss Demons stealing corpses.
Now that something had happened, it was natural for people to have preconceptions.
Many speculated that the Abyss Demons must have attempted to seize a highly valuable auction item; otherwise, they wouldn’t have drawn such public ire.
Before long, the main person in charge from the dining area came over to calm the guests, urging everyone not to panic.
Amid the crowd’s blockade, he had to briefly explain the situation regarding the auction.
After the preview ended, various auction items were to be transported back to a dedicated storage room. During this time, the Abyss Demon Academy took advantage of the opportunity to steal highly valuable auction pieces.
They were discovered by the staff, who incurred multiple injuries from the security personnel while forcibly attempting to steal the Heart of Cold Wave before fleeing.
Currently, with the help of concerned guests, the organizers are in pursuit of the perpetrators…
After explaining this series of events to the many guests, it was clear that their suspicions were mostly correct.
However, many were still concerned about whether the auction could continue.
Some even inquired whether any other items had been stolen. If the things they were interested in were taken by those damned Abyss Demons, wouldn’t they have come for nothing?
With such noise surrounding them, these questions could only be addressed gradually, and at that moment, many couldn’t eat their meals.
But… most of them were extraordinary beings, so missing one meal didn’t pose a significant issue.
Given the scale of the incident, they certainly had to get involved.
The most curious group turned out to be those from the Witch Academy, and the uninformed witches sought entertainment, employing various means.
“I didn’t expect that just a simple auction would stir up so much trouble.”
At this point, within the restaurant, numerous people had already left due to the sudden incident, which quickly made what had previously been a crowded space feel much more open.
Among those who remained was Tan Han.
As one of the most distinguished students from the first-year cohort at the Witch Academy, she was still notable even now.
This auction would naturally invite Tan Han, while sitting opposite her was Store Manager Shali.
Typically, students who had already graduated wouldn’t receive invitations, but there were always some with special treatment, like Tan Han.
Guests of special identities naturally had the right to bring friends to the auction; they merely needed to inform the receptionist and register.
Of course, Shali could also enter the auction through verification of funds and similar methods, akin to wealthy patrons, but it was just a means; it wasn’t difficult for them, just a matter of preference.
“It’s true. They love stirring up trouble; from my perspective, it’s likely they staged this themselves.”
Shali indeed holds a bias against the All-purpose Association’s auction, speaking with ill intent.
If she hadn’t been worried about Tan Han being bullied here alone, she wouldn’t have bothered coming.
If it were up to her, she feels she could put on an auction with her small treasury, but she absolutely wouldn’t do it.
“Shouldn’t be the case, right? Isn’t that self-sabotage?” Tan Han asked with some skepticism.
“Such auctions originally served as a platform for resource exchange among the Witch Academy; they gradually transitioned to involve various extraordinary academies. With the All-purpose Association backing it up, they wouldn’t risk ruining their reputation over such matters.”
“Feels… really different from when my parents used to take me to auctions…” Tan Han lamented.
“Of course, this started merely as an activity for a club within the Witch Academy, hence it naturally varies from formal outside auction processes, and the process became a unique feature that no one has deemed problematic; one just has to adapt. This world is essentially one giant amateur theater.”
“Is that so? Amateur theater…” Tan Han echoed without further comment.
She was invited here largely because she had heard about the “Heart of Cold Wave” being auctioned.
According to Shali, it was part of the crown she possesses, an essential component of Extraordinary Knowledge.
Though she’s not particularly invested, if she has the opportunity to obtain it, she would certainly strive for it.
At the very least… Store Manager Shali has mentioned that if there are no ulterior motives in this auction, she’s willing to fully support Tan Han in obtaining the Heart of Cold Wave.
Not for any other reason, just to bother the All-purpose Association.
Those in the All-purpose Association, weren’t they arrogant?
Don’t they covet her Extraordinary Knowledge?
Now that she’s cleared her mind of all these things, she feels remarkably enlightened, as if there’s nothing else to be concerned about. Thus, many things appear clearer to her.
“Don’t overthink it; enjoy these good items while you can; you can’t usually get them without spending some money.”
“Store Manager, take it easy—even if you eat a lot, they won’t feel bad. Like you said, they can get everything back in this auction.”
“True, sigh… let’s not dwell on that…” Shali momentarily paused with her cutlery, “Change the subject; Little Tan, this auction will likely continue. Did you see anything in the previous preview? I noticed several high-consumption spellbooks that look quite good; they seem suitable for you. Adding more methods for yourself can never be a bad thing.”
“No need for that; even if there are more methods of the same level, it won’t lead to a qualitative leap in my abilities. Besides, Store Manager Shali, the Absolute Zero Crown you gave me should be ready soon after the semester starts.”
“Really?” Shali gazed at Tan Han, instinctively recalling the times when Tan Han was first brought to the Witch Academy.
She could even openly request a spellbook from the academy then—an attitude of “It doesn’t matter if I can use it, I just want it.” It was a stark contrast to who she was now.
When exactly did she change?
“But having more methods makes it less likely to be targeted.” Shali continued to persuade.
“I used to think so too… until I encountered…” Tan Han sighed, but ultimately fell silent, her tone filled with melancholy. Yet this fleeting sense of loss was temporary; she would find a way to convert that pressure into motivation.
“Little Tan, don’t compare yourself too much to the perverts; that’s simply exhausting yourself.” Shali immediately interrupted Tan Han.
She knew well who Tan Han was referring to. She had deliberately held back from mentioning Xiao Han in front of Tan Han, but there were too many legends surrounding Xiao Han related to this auction preview…
“I understand; there’s no need for you to counsel me on that, Store Manager. I know everything in my heart, but I must also confront my own self and face Xiao Han, shouldn’t I? Avoiding discussions reflects fear; I also have confidence that I can reach her level.”
“Alright, alright.” Shali helplessly replied and stopped preaching, returning to her meal.
While everyone else was absorbed in the events of the afternoon, players mingling in the crowd were bewildered by the scene.
What exactly was happening?
Confronted with this unexpected situation, far exceeding their plans, they found themselves caught off guard and didn’t quite understand what had transpired.
All they could do was watch as what was previously contained within their plans, the so-called “Heart of Cold Wave,” a piece of technology core, was taken by a group of repugnant individuals who then fled…
This was the first time these players felt that the extraordinary beings were utterly idle!
The harvest time was right before them, yet they could only watch those individuals break free from their plans!
Although many Children of Fortune remained in the hotel, allowing them to still acquire a significant amount of game qualifications, letting such an important item slip through was utterly disheartening for them.
What was clearly theirs now felt like it was snatched from their hands, truly endangering their experience.
Thus, they needed to report back promptly, letting the game architects decide whether to send in standby players not mingled with the hotel to pursue or to disregard the matter entirely… simply collecting game qualifications.
As soon as the information was relayed back, those busy maintaining the All Worlds Terminal reacted with an emotional outburst!
Yet facing this sudden situation, they had to make a choice.
After all, they were tasked with overseeing the top players in the strategy world and a think tank responsible for data judgment; their analysis and decision-making skills were quite formidable.
So, based on the information retrieved from the player front lines, they quickly arrived at a conclusion: those individuals had likely targeted them directly!
If they let standby players outside the hotel rush in to seize, it was highly likely that those individuals would counterattack, leading to unnecessary losses.
If they wanted to draw them back into the hotel to engage, that was also quite challenging.
However, they quickly decided to let the standby players outside refrain from chasing the stolen shard and instead create some commotion outside the hotel to expose their presence and then quickly hide.
They would observe how those individuals reacted and adjust their subsequent plan accordingly.
If possible, they certainly hoped for a swift resolution. Every second wasted for the All Worlds Terminal meant a waste of resources and a definite loss!
They had to ensure they received equitable returns for this loss!
Whether it’s game qualifications from this world or the tech core fragment, anything valuable was worth it.
However, if they obtained the tech core piece, they faced another question.
That is how to acquire it.
If they aimed to approach that world for material transfer, it would undoubtedly be slow. If the players who had gained the tech core were robbed back by those natives, that would amount to wasted efforts.
It would be best to secure it early for research, allowing them peace of mind.
And they had already rehearsed the process of acquiring the tech core during their time in that small world—the only pity was that they hadn’t obtained the tech core from that small world.
However, just recently, there was good news; it appeared that the world they had discovered collided with that small world and produced a spatial rift.
Thus, they had to expedite their invasion of this world while also acquiring the tech core from this realm, using it as a stepping stone to reclaim that discarded small world, allowing them to gradually retrieve the tech core that had yet to be found.
This large-scale plan was certainly on point. Although many thought it somewhat presumptuous, no one dared to deny the broader strategy.
“The overall plan has been finalized; we architects will grant our decision-making authority for tasks to those players. The remaining specific steps are their forte.”
With that statement, the temporary meeting among the game architects concluded.
Meanwhile, at the auction hotel, the representatives from various extraordinary academies reached their goals in a different manner, indeed forcing the players to reveal themselves through their plans.
But… not in the way they had anticipated.
