n

n

n

n

"Inferno Iron, 35 Miles.

"

nThe other party didn't back down.

nChristos gritted his teeth and made the junior raise the bid once again.

n

"Nether Copper, 36 Miles. The maximum has reached.

"

n

"Inferno Iron, 35 Miles and a Blue Moon Pearl lake farm of 5 square miles.

"

nChristos slammed his fist on the armrest. But there is no sound. It is the virtual space after all. The junior turned to take a look at him.

nHis expression is obvious. He is asking him what to do. Christos' companions are gesturing him to stop it there. The price has increased way too much and they still didn't buy into the theory that Christos explained.

nHowever, after gritting his teeth for a few seconds and noticing that Joker might just hand over the pack.

nHe decisively made the decision.

n

"Nether Copper 36 Miles, Star Sand Mine, 12 Miles.

"

nThe bid was made. Star Sand is an equally valuable resource. It is mostly used as a catalyzing agent during alloy making process. It is harder to obtain. Even in the mine, it doesn't have a large output. But still, a twelve miles mine made everyone gasp.

nSam raised his eyebrow.

nThis is indeed a bit unexpected. However, he could only smile. This is a great deal. Usually, a hundred thousand coins couldn't possibly buy that big of a mine. Maybe, one tenth of the price offered by christos.

nBut the scarcity created by Sam himself made him earn quite a big amount.

n

"Sold.

"

nThe other party didn't raise the bid and Christos heaved a sigh. He went over the budget. He might have to convince the league to make the big families bear some cost to get those students out. They are important factors in the Inter Academy tournament.

nHe cannot let them deal stay rotting in some Gambler Academy prison.

nAs he was thinking, one hundred thousand coins reached his physical body outside.

nThe auction continued and just like Christos predicted, the price kept on getting higher and higher. People are throwing mines, blueprints, valuable herbs and elixirs like they are nothing. Of course, they would. Because the coins are not just coins anymore. Those coins are the only key to save their lives. To save their properties. With every delayed payment, they will lose a bit of themselves. So, they are pouring ** tone of resources into them.

nSam felt pretty good about himself. However, judging by the expressions, he knew he accomplished more than he wanted.

nBy the end of the auction, he made several interesting observations.

nFirst one is, most if not all of them are now a bit more hostile towards Hub. In their opinion, not only did hub put them in such a weird situation of almost losing themselves, now it is taking advantage of them by not being flexible when it should be.

nThese arrogant snobby brats, who got whatever they wanted by fair or unfair means are now facing a steel plate that they cannot rust away with their money, strength and background. So, now in their opinion hub is acting unfair to them.

nThe second observation is an interesting and useful one.

nThe hostility is brewing among themselves. The groups that came in relatively friendly terms are now openly hostile against each other. After all, everyone wanted coins, but there are only so many of them.

nAnd added to that fact, a lot of them asked Sam or Joker about the next auction and Sam immediately rejected any chance an auction happening immediately. Even though he did have some thoughts of auctioninig further, provided how profitable the whole gig is, now that he can make them hate each other, it would be stupid of him to not make use of it.

nThe auction was over.

nEveryone collected their coins and left the Hub. The same thing happened in all the other branches. Everyone who gained the coins are very very cautious of what might happen.

nThey are afraid that someone might just rob the coins. For that reason, several instructors and elders were dispatched from the academies to make sure that their students wouldn't be hurt.

nAs for the independent cultivators… they are too poor to even get a decent chance at bidding. If Sam's guess right, they will be the first ones to go in the next week's payment. He would have to take some measures to collect and operate a whole lot of property and resources.

nThe Academy realm turned to extreme silence that night. Tensions are sky high.

nAnd that night, Christos had to hold a meeting with the league members. Many of them are angry at the decision he made to get the kids out at that sky high price. It is not that they didn't believe their kids are valued that high.

nIts just that they didn't believe the kids of other people should be valued enough to dig out their own pockets.

nThe meeting was just basically, all the old men bitching about how they cannot afford this and that. But they all knew that they don't compensate for the lack of resources on the smaller families side, the balance will break.

nNobody wants that now, do they?

nSam listened in on this call in amusement. He enjoyed it very much. The next meeting between Gambler Academy and Christos was set to the next day. Sam wanted to finish this as soon as possible and fleece as much as possible from Christos.

nOf course, that is not all that was planned by him that night.

nHe has some travelling to do.

nHe wore his disguise and covered his face to the extreme before he left the Olympian region. There are two places he is targeting at the moment. Norse and the Xia.

nHe used the space gate within the hub and went there. He met with Ivar.

n

"How are things here?

" Sam asked, out of courtesy.

n

"Stop it with those questions. It is not like you don't know what is happening here.

"

n

"Well, it is just out of courtesy. Anyway, just make sure that you have my back. If something really bad happens, I want you to interfere in the way that I asked you to.

"

n

"Why do you even want me to interfere? If my speculations are true, you could escape easily as long as the Deans and Elders are not there.

"

n

"That might be true, but we need to create an image here. Whether I win or get my ass kicked, the image should be present. I am hoping that you checked the footage properly and learned to imitate it?

"

n

"That I did. You can rest assured. If push comes to shove, I will fight exactly like that Idiot. Even though it would be an insult for myself. I will bear with it.

"

nSam just smiled and disappeared from the spot. Right now his target is a first grader from the Thor Academy.

nHe is neither the top most, nor is he the most influential by any means. However, he managed to get the ticket for the auction by virtue of Sam's rigging. But this guy is bold enough to buy a pack of coins by himself.

nAnd he also realized that the Thor Academy is not exactly secure for him at the moment. He even thought of that before the auction and made preparations for it. He used a transference token as soon as he stepped foot outside the hub building. He disappeared into the forest where he already arranged a location for himself.

nEven that preparation is wild. In one day, he hired a higher grade commoner from the city to clear a dangerous place within the forest. A place that rarely anyone ever goes to. As soon as that person finished the job, he then hired a different high grader and killed the first one.

nTo make sure that his hiding place is not revealed. He went to that hiding place right now.

nAnd just like he imagined, some people were searching for him. The moment he won the bid, people targeted him. They went all out in their efforts to search him, but he was nowhere to be seen within the city premises.

nHim on the other hand, just went ahead and chilled in that hiding place.

nAs for why he wasn't in the pocket dimension like most first graders… he already realized the threat provided by the delayed payments and stayed back to earn some coins. He was already well near that target. But when the auction presented itself, he stopped proceeding further.

nSam was really impressed by this guy's planning and the way he operated.

nHowever, he happened to be one of the few that belonged to the hit list prepared by Ivar. His family dabbled in many unscurplous things and Ivar had no hesitation when he was asked to help Sam screw him over.

nSam reconfirmed this man's location with the wrist band and took off on harbinger.

nIt was a valley that no one ever visits because of its lack of spiritual energy and no lack of disgusting creatures.

n

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