<h4>Chapter 388: Auction List</h4>


    Sein was interested in bidding on ck magic initiates or ck squires, but not to dissect them for study or make them work as his assistant.


    As a divine tower mage, he lived at the very core of its regtions and did not wish to tarnish his reputation.


    Those genuinely interested in these unregistered individuals were likely mages not affiliated with the divine tower or those with a dark disposition.


    Sein only intended to gain a deeper understanding of ckhaven in the Western Archipgo directly from those ck magic initiates and ck squires.


    Until now, his knowledge of ckhaven was limited to what he had learned from magic tomes and Master Morsidor’s notes.


    He knew only that ckhaven was located in the northern part of the Western Archipgo in the Magus World—a region marked by chaos and sin, beyond the reach of the divine towers and the orders of the knights’ influence.


    It was a forbidden zone for all ordinary knights and mages.


    The specifics of ckhaven, including its environment and the survivalws, remained a mystery to Sein.


    However, the behaviors of Morsidor and other full-fledged ck mages indicated that it was far from a benign ce.


    The practice of experimenting on magic initiates by full-fledged ck mages seemed routine, evident from the sale of these initiates and knights as merchandise.


    From another perspective, being sold could also be seen as a fortunate escape for these ck magic initiates and ck squires from ckhaven.


    Having once been a ck magic initiate himself, Sein deeply understood the preciousness of living freely under the sunlight.


    At the Imperial Pearl Auction, he observed more than forty magic initiates and squires on disy.


    He scrutinized the auction list, paying particr attention to certain “auction items”.


    Beyond the initiates and squires, Sein also browsed the range of other items that would be featured.


    Although the Imperial Pearl Auction was thergest at the Monique ck Market, it was not considered entirely illegal.


    Thus, Sein noted that the list did not include any ranked knights or full-fledged mages as merchandise.


    However, it was still possible for native creatures with a life level of Rank One and above to be auctioned, though such urrences were rare.


    Over the past few centuries, the Monique ck Market had witnessed only four such urrences, with the most recent one over 130 years ago.


    Decades earlier, the southern coast hadunched a siege against ck mages, led by the Divine Tower of Dawn.


    It was likely that in light of such history, the Monique ck Market was cautious about provoking further controversy.


    Despite the absence of more sensitive items like knights and mages, the Imperial Pearl Auction offered an array of valuable items.


    To Sein, the auction list seemed like a mountain of gold.


    He only realized that his savings of over ten thousand magicoins were rtively modest when he saw an item at the end of the list in the crystal ball.


    It was the broken heart core of a peak Rank Three creature, with a starting bid of eleven thousand magicoins.


    That was just the starting price. Without knowing the exact value of a Rank Three creature, Sein could not predict how high the bidding might go.


    Sein knew that his mentor, Master Lorianne, had a peak RankThree peak Fire-Breathing Dragon King imprisoned in herboratory.


    Byparison, a living Fire-Breathing Dragon King would undoubtedly hold greater value than a mere broken heart core from such a creature!


    “Master Lorianne is really rich!” Sein could not help but exim.


    The peak Rank Three creature’s broken heart core was undoubtedly the auction’s main highlight. However, Sein had no interest in it since he could not utilize such an item at his current stage.


    As he browsed through the auction list, he focused on items that were both useful to him and within his financial reach.


    Despite the array of enticing items, Sein knew he could not bid on everything that caught his eye.


    Hence, he had to make some tough decisions about whether to participate in the bidding for some of the items.


    As he continued scanning the list, one particr item caught his interest—a rtively rare pink-tailed mermaid, with a starting bid of three thousand magicoins.


    ***


    The auction moved forward smoothly. In the center of the auction hall below, a yellow-robed mage introduced the first item, which the attendants brought in


    It was a red coral imbued with a subtle hydro elemental glow, standing at almost three meters


    The coral’s vibrant red hue made it a beautiful decorative item but also a valuable piece of magic artifact. Positioned in aboratory or a special venue, it could enhance the concentration of the hydro element in the surrounding space.


    Aside from that, Sein knew that it could be sliced into smaller pieces to be used as raw materials for alchemy and potion experiments.


    The starting bid of the coral was quite high—thirty magicoins, which was a price beyond the reach of ordinary magic initiates.


    The items offered at the Imperial Pearl Auction were generally of a certain ss, and this coral, with its stunning appearance and practical value, was no exception.


    It represented a promising start to the auction, and even Sein was tempted by its appearance.


    Indeed, the starting bid for every item on the list was no less than three magicoins. Items like the Oxygen Pearls Sein had acquired from Half-Sharkfolk in a city along the southern coast would not qualify for inclusion in an auction of such caliber.


    In the end, the Red Sea Coral fetched forty-three magicoins from a bidder seated in one of the boxes on the third floor— a figure Sein considered slightly high.


    Yet, the value of auction items could vary greatly depending on the buyer’s perspective.


    From an alchemist’s perspective, Sein valued the coral at thirty-seven magicoins and would have held that as his highest bid.


    However, a hydromancer attending the auction might have perceived the value of the coral differently.


    Sein did not linger on the coral. His attention shifted to the next item—a magic wand for initiates.


    Although it did not quite match the quality of Sein’s Acid Wand from his earlier days, it was close.


    With a starting bid of seven magicoins, it was evidently aimed at the magic initiates seated in the hall below.