2026-04-17 16:16:31The auction hall's atmosphere shifted violently as massive doors at the rear burst open. Heavy footsteps echoed through the suddenly silent chamber, each one deliberate and threatening. A formation of twelve warriors clad in gleaming enchanted armor marched inside, their presence radiating lethal power. The crowd instinctively recoiled.
At the center of the formation strode Dominic Santoro, heir to the infamous Santoro Family. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his handsome features twisted into an expression of absolute superiority. A blood-red cape billowed behind him, and his hands crackled with barely contained magical energy. Two A-rank awakeners flanked him directly—silent enforcers whose very presence made the air feel heavy.
Dominic's gaze swept across the auction hall like a king surveying his subjects. When he spoke, his voice boomed with arrogant authority. "Attention, insects! The Santoro Family has decided to claim all items in tonight's auction. Anyone with half a brain will refrain from bidding."
Gasps erupted throughout the hall. Faces paled. Hands trembled on armrests.
"This is outrageous!" someone whispered.
"But what can we do? That's the Santoro Family..."
"Crossing them is suicide!"
The auctioneer's face went white as parchment. He opened his mouth to protest, then caught sight of the A-rank warriors and wisely closed it again. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
Dominic smiled coldly, satisfaction evident in his cruel eyes. "Smart choice, all of you. Know your place beneath my family's boots. You're all worthless dirt compared to—"
A thunderous gong interrupted him.
The entire auction hall shook as brilliant light erupted from the Crystal Suite—the most exclusive booth reserved only for the highest nobility. Enchanted runes blazed to life across every wall, and a massive holographic announcement materialized above the stage in letters of pure gold:
"CRYSTAL SUITE PRIVATE BUYOUT ACTIVATED"
"ALL REMAINING ITEMS PURCHASED AT 5X STARTING PRICE"
"TOTAL: 1,000,000 GOLD COINS"
Absolute silence crashed over the hall like a tidal wave. Every single person—from the lowest servants to the highest nobles—froze in shock. One million gold coins. The sum was beyond comprehension for most people present.
Dominic's confident smile evaporated. His face flushed red with fury. "What?! Who dares—"
Inside the Crystal Suite, Isabella Moretti stood so abruptly her chair toppled backward. Her ice-blue eyes were wider than Marco had ever seen them, her perfect composure shattered completely.
"You... you pressed the buyout?!" Her voice actually cracked with panic. "Are you insane?! That's one million gold coins! ONE MILLION!" She grabbed Marco's collar, her usual cold indifference replaced by genuine fear. "Even I don't carry that much liquid wealth! Do you understand what happens when you can't pay? They'll execute you! They'll confiscate everything! They might even come after me for bringing you here, you absolute moron!"
Envoy Marcus had gone completely pale, swaying on his feet. "Lady Isabella, we must flee immediately! If he cannot pay, the auction house's enforcers will—they have S-rank protectors—we'll all be—"
"Relax," Marco said calmly, gently removing Isabella's hands from his collar. "I can pay."
"You can't possibly—" Isabella stopped, staring at him. Something in his absolute confidence made her pause. "You... you really have..."
Below, the auction hall had erupted into chaos. Nobles shouted in outrage. Merchants frantically calculated the impossible sum. Guards moved to defensive positions.
Dominic's face had turned purple with rage. Magical energy exploded around him, cracking the marble floor beneath his feet. "Someone in that suite dares to humiliate me?! To steal what belongs to the Santoro Family?!" He pointed upward, his voice dripping with venom. "I don't care if you're a Duke's bastard or a King's lapdog—you just signed your own death warrant, garbage! When you can't produce that gold, I'll personally tear you apart and feed your worthless corpse to—"
The Crystal Suite's door opened.
Marco stepped onto the balcony overlooking the auction hall, completely composed. Every eye locked onto him—this unremarkable-looking young man who'd just claimed to possess a fortune that could buy entire cities.
Isabella appeared behind him, her expression rigid with tension. She'd regained her icy mask, but Marco could feel her preparing to either flee or fight depending on what happened next.
"You?!" Dominic's eyes bulged with recognition. "You're that nobody from the academy! The unawakened trash who somehow bought his way into the Watchers' Legion!" He threw his head back and laughed—a cruel, mocking sound. "This is perfect! An insect trying to play with lions! When you can't pay, I'll make an example of you that will—"
Marco reached into his coat and withdrew a storage pouch. Unlike the one he'd shown Isabella before, this one was larger, made of dragon-hide leather enchanted with spatial expansion runes. He tossed it casually down to the stage.
It landed with a thunderous crash that shook the entire building.
The auctioneer stumbled forward, his hands shaking so badly he could barely grip the pouch. He opened it, and immediately his legs gave out. He collapsed to his knees, staring into the pouch with an expression of religious awe.
"It's... it's real..." he whispered. Then louder, his voice breaking: "It's all real! One million gold coins! Highest quality mint! I've never... in my entire life... this is..."
The hall exploded into pandemonium. Nobles leaped to their feet. Merchants fainted. Even the stoic guards broke formation to stare in disbelief.
Isabella gripped the balcony railing so hard her knuckles turned white. "He actually... he really has..." She turned to look at Marco as if seeing him for the first time, her ice-blue eyes filled with emotions she couldn't quite process.
Dominic stood frozen, his mouth hanging open stupidly. His face had gone from purple to ash-white. The magical energy around him sputtered and died as shock overwhelmed his rage.
One of his A-rank advisors leaned close and whispered urgently in his ear. Whatever was said made Dominic's expression twist with humiliation and fury. "The entire Santoro treasury... our annual revenue... barely half that amount..."
Marco looked down at Dominic with calm indifference. "I believe the items are mine now. Unless you'd like to outbid me?"
The challenge hung in the air like a executioner's blade.
Dominic's fists clenched so hard blood dripped from his palms. His entire body trembled with impotent rage. But he couldn't speak. Couldn't respond. Because everyone in that hall now knew the truth.
Even the mighty Santoro Family's resources were worthless compared to the ocean of gold Marco Deluca commanded.
The silence stretched, heavy with tension, as Dominic Santoro stood utterly defeated—not by strength, but by wealth so vast it rendered power itself meaningless.
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CHAPTER 71
The sun had barely risen over the eastern mountains when Isabella's column marched out of the fortress gates. One hundred fifty soldiers in House Deluca's colors—deep blue and silver—moved in disciplined formation, their boots striking the frozen ground in rhythmic unison. The Vex siblings rode at the front, their Elite-rank auras pressing against the dawn like invisible walls. And somewhere in the shadows between the ranks, Riven Blackwood moved unseen.Isabella led from the center, her white hair streaming behind her like a banner. Her ice-blue eyes scanned the horizon, calculating distances, estimating travel times, planning for every possible contingency.Two hours to the northern route,she thought.Three hours to Lord Harrow's p
CHAPTER 70
Three days passed like the calm after a storm.Workers repaired the damage to Marco's study, filling the hole in the floor and reinforcing the stone tiles with additional defensive wards. The Vex siblings returned to full duty, Lyra's wound healed and her vigilance sharper than ever. Alessandro finally slept—twelve uninterrupted hours—emerging from his quarters looking more human than he had in weeks.And Riven Blackwood, the Shadow who had become a guardian, established himself in a small chamber beneath the estate's lowest level—a dark, windowless room that suited his nature perfectly."The Viper has left the city," he reported during the morning briefing. "My contacts confirm he's retreated to his home territory, three hundred mi
CHAPTER 69
The noon meal arrived with sunlight streaming through the dining hall's tall windows. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, casting rainbow reflections across the long oak table. Silver platters bore roasted meats, fresh bread, and delicacies from across the continent. Servants in House Deluca's colors moved quietly, filling goblets and clearing plates.Marco sat at the head of the table, his golden eyes calm, his expression unreadable. To anyone watching, he appeared completely at ease—a lord enjoying his lunch, unaware of the danger lurking in the shadows.But his hand rested on the defensive talisman hidden beneath his jacket. His mana sense extended to its maximum range, brushing against every corner of the room. And seated at his right hand, Isabella's ice-blue eyes never stopped scanning.
CHAPTER 68
The first test of Riven Blackwood's loyalty came sooner than anyone expected.Barely twelve hours after the warehouse meeting, as dawn painted the eastern sky in shades of gold and rose, a messenger arrived at the estate with urgent news. The Santoro Family, desperate and cornered, had made a fatal miscalculation."They've hired a second Shadow," Morwen reported, his pale face grim. "Not to replace Riven—to finish the job he abandoned. They're doubling down."Marco stood by the window of his study, watching the sun rise over his half-constructed fortress. The news should have terrified him. Instead, he felt a cold calm settle over his bones."How do you know?"
CHAPTER 67
The morning after the Shadow's attack, Marco summoned his entire council to the war room. The atmosphere was tense, charged with the memory of near-death and the knowledge that the threat was far from over.Lyra Vex sat in a chair by the window, her side bandaged, her face pale but determined. Her brother Theron stood behind her, his massive arms crossed, his eyes never leaving Marco. The Elite-rank bodyguards had failed to stop the Shadow—but they had survived, and that counted for something."The Shadow will return," Morwen said from his customary position in the shadows. "Probably within the week. It knows your defenses now. It will adapt.""Then we need to adapt faster." Marco stood at the head of the table, his golden e
CHAPTER 66
The morning sun streamed through the windows of Marco's study, casting golden light across the maps and ledgers that covered his desk. He had been working since dawn, reviewing fortress construction reports, trade agreements, and the growing list of noble allies. The past two weeks had been productive—thirty-seven minor nobles pledged, three major houses expressing interest, and the fortress walls rising higher every day.But Fiora's expression when she entered the study told him that productivity was about to be interrupted."We have a problem," she said, closing the door behind her. Her face was pale, her hands trembling slightly. "A big problem."Marco set down his quill. "Tell me."
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