Wasteland Echoer.

Chapter 67 Auction and robbery
  The venue was filled with gas lamps and rare electric lights. In addition to the bright and bright light, the "Sun Scarlet Star" flag of the Sunida Town Explorers Association and the "Silver Double-Headed Eagle" flag of the Zine Empire were also displayed every day. Hanging side by side at a distance on the wall covered with yellowish wallpaper.

Walking along the water-splashed cement road to the end, Luo Nie easily pulled the golden handle, opened the door studded with red leather, and entered the particularly deserted auction venue.

"The 15th auction item, the heart of a forest-infected hare, has been declared unsuccessful due to no bidders. After the auction, if there is anyone who wants to know who purchased this item, you can contact the Materials Sales Department of the Explorers Association."

The speaker was an old man wearing a metal lace monocle. His voice was hoarse as if he had swallowed coal. Without the relatively new loudspeaker produced by the local factory in Sunida, he would have lost his voice in the huge and empty venue. He listened like a rabbit but couldn't hear anything clearly.

Luo Nie, who was wearing a neat and clean brown leather jacket, deliberately pulled Sayi to find a corner of the empty staircase venue and sit down.

Due to the principle of simplicity in everything and the spiritual impact of "Raleye Evening Prayer", I was able to obtain the right to participate in the auction.

The Explorers Association, the organizer, chose a participation system rather than an invitation-only system.

To put it simply, participants do not need to register. The number plates issued during the "Evening Prayer" performance are the numbers participating in the auction.

There is no limit on the number of people in each auction, and the final transaction will be determined by the price.

As for capital verification, it is completely unnecessary.

The rules of the auction are to pay the money on the spot and pick up the goods after the auction is completed, commonly known as "pay with one hand and deliver with the other hand".

If they repent, according to the rules of Sunida Town, the Explorers Association has the right to shoot and kill the repentant without mercy.

For middle and lower-level materials purchased in bulk, a reduced-price auction is used in the venue with the letter "C" hanging on the right at the end of the cement road. This was a semi-independent vassal of the commercially developed Republic of Niceland that was annexed by the Zine Empire before the New Year. Invented way.

In general, the price is low and the purchase volume is large. If these two conditions are met, you can take the photo.

The "A" auction of weapons and the "B" auction of props related to ranked monsters adopt the rule passed down from the first era, the Dragon Age, to the highest bidder.

"The 18th auction item, the magic potion that induces chaos." The old man's hoarse voice reached Luo Nie's ears, briefly interrupting his thoughts of observing the surrounding environment.

"A magic potion that induces chaos?" Luo Nie whispered, his blue eyes filled with confusion.

"A potion that induces chaos? I seem to have heard Sister Natasha mention it." Sai whispered in Luo Jie's ear in a childish voice.

"What do you say?" Luo Nie asked.

"If the upper-level professional [Chaos Inducer] who has passed the sequence card test wants to remain invisible and mentally unaffected after the assassination, and try to perfectly use the assassination ability, he needs to take potions at all times. It is not a one-time use, sister Natasha I said you need to take medicine for a long time," Sai explained.

"Do upper-level professions...do all upper-level professions need to be like this?" Luo Nie turned his head and looked at Sai, curiously.

"The upper eight professions belong to the good order group, and you need to keep your soul pure at all times, as long as you keep yourself clean and stay optimistic. But the lower eight professions belong to the chaotic order group, leaning towards the evil camp. Therefore, you need to always use external forces to purify the chaotic power in the body to maintain your spirit. Stable. For example, [Goddess of Love] Sister Natasha, he has always maintained a kind heart and helped us survive as much as possible, so his power has always been stable." Sai replied, his brown eyes dimming a little instantly .

"Natasha... you have always emphasized that she is a lost person of fraternity. But through you, I did see his 'love'. People filled with anger will become hateful, and people filled with interests will become cunning. People who are filled with crisis will become sensitive, while people who are filled with love will be full of hope. If I have the opportunity to return to Socra, I will buy a tomb for Natasha in Socra church at all costs so that her The soul ascends to the kingdom of God." Luo said with clenched fists.

"Thank you, brother Luo Nie. Because of you, the four seasons are warm..."

The children's songs from the Eastern countries that Natasha taught him suddenly appeared in Say's mind.

But as the hammer fell heavily, the old man with gray hair in a black dress on the stage said hoarsely again:

"Mr. No. 66 bid SGD 650, congratulations."

"It's so expensive." Luo Nie complained.

……

Although the auction has come to an end, auction items No. 19 and 20 still caused fierce competition in this empty venue.

A man in a tuxedo and another heavily armed man wearing a silver-white soldier's uniform and holding a "Sogra A-02" fought fiercely.

As a thick male voice read out the prices alternately, the originally low-priced auction items No. 19 and No. 20 were eventually sold at a premium of fifteen times.

After the final climax of the auction caused by the penultimate and third auction items, only a few participants, including Luonie and Sai, were left.

Mixed with a short dry cough, the old man wearing a single piece of metal lace glasses fumbled for an iron box from under his feet.

Unlike the other items that were auctioned just now, this item didn't seem to receive much attention. There was no glass cover or metal cover to protect its safety. Instead, it was taken out directly by the old man's hand and placed on the podium in the middle.

"This is... the last item in this auction. Auction No. 21, this is a half mask, related to the Crusted Empire. A faint breath of magic power can be detected. But after evaluation, it cannot be determined how much there is. Value, so I put it last. The starting price is 20 Singapore dollars, with an increase of 5 yuan each time." The old man said, pushing up his glasses.

After subconsciously glancing at the expensive diamond-encrusted watch, he swung the hammer and made a crisp knocking sound.

"S$25. No. 56." Luo Nie shouted in a feminine voice.

Although there were more than a dozen rows apart, Luo Nie's mechanical eyes with azure light still provided him with correct information.

The mask was made of military green cloth, with a half piece of the coat of arms engraved with a "double-headed eagle" on the top, a round lens protruding from the glasses, and a half pipe connected to some kind of breathing gas at the mouth.

correct! It's the left half of the mask dropped after defeating the "hair ball" monster.

The half-piece of crest on the top of the mask will not have any effect even if the strongest magic power is poured into it, but if the two halves of the crest are merged, it may produce extraordinary effects.

"S$30, No. 78." A green voice came from a few "people" sitting in the first row.

"S$35, No. 56." Luo Nie didn't hesitate at all and chose to increase the price.

The person calling out prices in the front row seemed surprised by Luo Nie's increase in price. He turned his head wearing a dark yellow metal mask that looked like a bird with a long beak exposed and glanced back. Then, he continued to increase the price. road:
  “S$50.”       “S$55.”

"S$60."

"S$65."

……

"S$205, No. 56."

As Luo Nie once again shouted out the price in a soft voice, Luo Nie won the final victory in the competition for auction item No. 21 with a confident smile.

Forcibly suppressing her inner joy, Luo Nie walked quickly along the red carpet towards the podium.

Dylan, the lost man he met in Sunida's "Lost Tavern", told him some information about the mask during the conversation. In addition to being somehow related to the "hairball monster", it may also be related to the "mechanical machine" that opened Silent Highlands. "Daughter of Yuan" is related to the secret heraldry.

If the combination of these two half-masks not only has some extraordinary power, similar to summoning monsters, but can also detect the gods of the silent highlands, he will be one step closer to obtaining the core of "wisdom" shared by mankind.

As Luo Nie handed over two large hundred-dollar bills with the cityscape of Socrata printed on them, and dropped five silver coins, he took the mask from the old man's hand and put it into the original metal box. Pick it up and prepare to leave.

However, just as he was pulling Sai along the carpet to leave, several black lines and afterimages suddenly flashed before his eyes.

Just when he realized the danger and turned around quickly, trying to use the power of the plant-based magic source to form a spirit, a pure black dagger with a dragon carved on the surface was pressed against his chest.

"I hope you can give us this mask. It is not only the key to detecting the gods, but also the key to 'summoning'. I remember that I discussed this with the child you brought. What, you also want to activate its power? "

Luo Nie looked along the dagger, and the person speaking was the man wearing the long-beaked metal mask who had just competed with him for auction item No. 21.

After pulling Sayi behind her body, Luo Nie asked in a deep voice:

"Who are you? How much information do you know about this mask?"

"I am a lost person whose profession is [Hunter]. You can call me 'Forest Glory'. Of course, I am also a current member of the Explorers Association. This prop is very important to us, at least, to the Church of Hope. It is an existence comparable to the gods." "Forest Glory" raised his head and looked at the bright ceiling, with some praise in his tone.

"Is this mask comparable to a god?" Luo Nie repeated doubtfully.

"Haha. You spent SGD 205 on the prop, but you don't know anything about it? Do you choose to compete with us just based on what I said to the child behind you and your feelings? You were originally going there At Greenland Forest, we previously thought that the auction was just a formality, but now it seems that it is going to be a battle.

My teammates, get ready! The troublesome old man and almost all the guests who participated in the auction have left. We are determined to get this sequential monster! Moreover, the rules here allow killing! "

"Forest Glory" tilted his head and stared at Luo Nie, then waved a few times with his free left hand.

"Da da da."

Accompanied by the sound of leather shoes hitting the ground, several people who were sitting in the first row behind "Forest Glory", who were not too tall and had a body shape similar to children, quickly came over and surrounded Luonie and Sai. .

Seeing that only Luonie, Sai and a few people brought by "Forest Glory" were wearing metal masks with slender bird beaks left in the bright and empty auction hall, Luonie's eyes turned. , after swallowing subconsciously, he sighed deliberately and said:
  "In this case, it's fine if I want to give this mask to you. But you must tell me its origin and purpose."

"That's nature." "Forest Glory" paused and said:

"It is one of the sequential monsters, MB-1499 Klassen's mask. It is currently divided into two pieces, one of which was taken from your hand, and the whereabouts of the other piece are unknown. But you can sense its existence if you get this piece. "

"Legend has it that this is a mask made by scientists from the old Crusad Empire before the New Yuan Dynasty. It was originally intended to be used to protect against the radiation produced by the explosion of a certain developed weapon of mass destruction, as well as the march of the army. He was attacked by poisonous gas and other attacks. However, after passing through the magic source power and Xinyuan, the extraordinary power caused a mutation." "Forest Glory" paced back and forth:

"We hoped that the Church got it a few years ago and did several experiments. Generally speaking, people wearing the Klassen mask will be transported into the blood-red wasteland where all kinds of beasts live, or into the city with the crimson moon. . There are some seemingly normal humans living inside, but if you wear masks to communicate with them, it will have some unpredictable impact on yourself and the corresponding humans in reality."

"If you use the magic source power to form a spirit and wear it, your eyes will become blood red but you will not be transported to any place. Instead, your power will increase. But as the number of uses increases, you will fall into madness."

"So, sir," "Forest Glory" said threateningly with an inexplicable "giggle" laugh:

"Now, can you give us the mask? Don't worry, we will exchange it for equal value."

"I think you may have overlooked the two most important key points of the mask, and I have already found out one or two." Luo Nie calmly explained without any emotional fluctuations in the face of the threat.

"Oh? What is it?" "Forest Glory" asked with interest.

"First, the other half of the mask is in our hands. We obtained it after a life-threatening battle. Second, it seems that you have also noticed the crest on the mask. This is related to the god of the Silent Highlands, It is also the object that I will need to explore soon." Luo Nie said in a low voice.

At the same time, he tried his best to use the spirit of conversation to prepare to use the power of magic to take Sayi and take the opportunity to escape.

However, "Forest Glory" didn't seem to be interested in his "statement". Instead, he asked his "teammate" next to him to take the black dagger and continue to press it against Luo Nie's chest. He took out a yellow dagger from his pocket. A revolver made of copper with a metallic color.

Immediately afterwards, he took out a bullet from his pocket, opened the revolver of the pistol, loaded it and quickly closed it.

After a few vigorous rotations, he held the brass barrel, pointed the handle of the gun in the direction of Luo Nie, and said with a slightly twisted excitement:

"How about we use a game to decide who owns the mask?"

"What?" An ominous premonition flashed through Luo Nie's mind.

"'Cruise Roulette', bet your life!"

　In fact, after reading this, everyone should be able to guess that the so-called "Cruzder" Empire is based on the Russian Empire.

　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)