Chapter 76: The Auction


    The herbs listed in this prescription were even more extravagant. Han Ming ran around inquiring and found out that acquiring them would cost at least eight thousand gold coins. Eight thousand gold coins! Just ten days ago, he had exchanged for a thousand gold coins, plus the hundred gold coins from selling Kulo''s hairpin, totaling eleven hundred gold coins. Additionally, he had hunted magical beasts these past few days, obtaining over a dozen small beast crystals, which he exchanged for another hundred or so gold coins.


    After spending six hundred gold coins on herbs for Kulo and miscellaneous expenses, he was left with just over five hundred gold coins, not even six hundred. The prescription required eight thousand gold coins, a sum that left Han Ming utterly stunned.


    "What''s wrong? Can''t bear to part with it?" Kulo was dissatisfied seeing Han Ming''s dumbfounded expression.


    Han Ming grimaced, "It''s not that I can''t bear to part with it; I simply don''t have that much. All my assets combined only amount to about five hundred gold coins, far from what your prescription requires."


    Kulo sat on the bed, casually tying her hair with a red string. Her silver-white hair had regained some of its original fiery red hue, hinting at her natural hair color.


    "Don''t you have six beast cores? Auctioning just one could fetch a hundred thousand gold coins. What''s eight thousand gold coins to that?"


    Hearing Kulo''s suggestion to sell his beast cores, Han Ming quickly clutched his storage bag protectively, eyeing her warily. "Don''t even think about it. I have big plans for those cores."


    Kulo nodded, then lay flat on the bed, declaring, "Fine, then let me die."


    "What?"


    Han Ming had faced coercion, deceit, and disdain, but never such blatant manipulation. How was he supposed to handle this? No one had taught him how to deal with a female rogue.


    Rubbing his temples, Han Ming stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Kulo ignored him, lying on the bed with an air of resigned indifference.


    With a sigh, Han Ming left the inn, standing at the crossroads with an indescribable feeling. Money... it was always about money. Whether in his world or this alternate realm, nothing could be accomplished without it. On Earth, he was poor, but in this world, he vowed never to be poor again.


    Clenching his teeth, Han Ming swore to the air, startling passersby who quickly avoided the muttering madman.


    After calming down, Han Ming realized his warrior strength had reached a breakthrough. After a year of training in the cave, he had unknowingly reached the peak of the second stage, ninth rank, ready to advance to the third stage, War Madness.


    This was the only good news he had received in a long time, slightly easing the sorrow of parting with his master, Li Xiaotian. Why did everyone close to him have to leave?


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Walking alone on the street, Han Ming sighed silently. His burden was immense, representing the sixty billion people on Earth in danger. He was the only one who could avert this crisis, the sole Earthling in this world. His responsibility demanded constant growth and new challenges, inevitably leading to the loss of close friends.


    Perhaps, from the moment he entered this alternate world, loneliness was his destiny. This might be a path of no return, but as a man, he couldn''t retreat.


    Under the dim streetlights, Han Ming''s elongated shadow seemed to stretch endlessly, its meaning elusive.


    "Honored War Madness, your activation is complete. Congratulations," an elderly activator at a neutral mercenary guild in the underground city congratulated Han Ming on his advancement.


    Without a temple, all activators were concentrated in the mercenary guild. Tossing a gold coin to the activator, Han Ming nodded silently and left.


    He wondered if this was the end of his warrior path, the third stage, War Madness. He couldn''t foresee any further opportunities to advance. Previously, he had relied on the Fountain of Life to push his physical limits and Li Xiaotian''s guidance to improve. Now, his progress depended solely on himself.


    Achieving the third stage, War Madness, with a body incapable of cultivating combat aura was nothing short of a miracle, likely unmatched across the Northern Alliance continent.


    Kulo noticed Han Ming''s subdued mood. She couldn''t fathom the weight of responsibility crushing him, a secret only Catherine might fully understand.


    "Tomorrow, the largest mercenary auction house in the underground city is holding a grand auction. I''ll sell a beast core and gather your herbs," Han Ming stated quietly before sitting in the corner to meditate.


    In the darkness, Kulo observed Han Ming, sensing a loneliness that was neither chosen nor escapable.


    At dawn, the streets buzzed with activity as people began their day.


    "Rest well, I''m off," Han Ming said, rising to leave.


    "I''ll come with you," Kulo unexpectedly offered, marking her first voluntary outing since staying at the inn.


    Slightly surprised, Han Ming helped Kulo dress without comment. She hesitated but didn''t stop him, noticing his distracted demeanor.


    When Han Ming presented a water-attribute beast core at the auction house, the staff''s eyes lit up, and they ushered him and Kulo into a VIP room, serving tea.


    "Would you like to auction it for gold coins or exchange for other items?" the staff inquired.


    "Directly auction it for gold coins. Sell it for as much as possible," Han Ming replied, sipping his tea.


    "Very well. Please follow me to a VIP room in the auction hall," the staff eagerly led them.


    The auction hall''s size astounded Han Ming, comparable to a stadium on Earth, packed with an estimated twenty to thirty thousand people. VIP rooms on the second floor catered to the powerful and wealthy.


    Despite the auction''s imminent start, the auction house made an exception for Han Ming''s beast core, recognizing its value.


    Sitting in the VIP room, Han Ming and Kulo observed the bustling crowd through a crystal glass window.


    "Does it hurt?" Kulo asked, glancing at Han Ming.


    "The core was taken from the stone coffin, so you have a share in it," Han Ming replied.


    It did hurt; he had hoped to use the cores for his own needs. But he wasn''t greedy.


    The auction hall was filled with a diverse crowd: burly mercenaries, eloquent merchants, and mysterious figures. Han Ming, aiming to stay low-key, wore a large black robe with a hood covering most of his face, revealing only thin, determined lips and a sharp chin. Kulo mirrored his attire, her emaciated appearance still shocking.


    Han Ming wondered what Kulo''s original appearance was like. Perhaps she was a beauty.


    The auctioneer, a tall, amiable man in a white suit, tapped his gavel, signaling the start.


    "Dear guests, welcome to our mercenary auction house. Here, you can buy or sell at the best prices. Choosing us is your wisest decision," the auctioneer said, his voice calm and confident, reaching every corner of the hall.


    His charm and humor elicited laughter, easing the atmosphere.


    "This auctioneer is quite witty. Big auction houses really have a different standard," Han Ming remarked, acknowledging the professionalism.


    Indeed, every profession has its masters.