The Achievement Junkie

As they left the main hall and started up the stairs, Eliza asked, "Young Master Jack, can I please know what you're looking for?"

"I came to see if you have any rare beasts worth my attention, or possibly if you had any bestial storage rings."

Eliza's eyes lit up when Jack mentioned something so valuable. To her, it confirmed that he deserved the gold emblem because only people of that status would talk so casually about something so valuable.

"It's a good thing you came this weekend. At the end of every week, we host the biggest auction, and you might find what you're looking for there. Of course, that's if you're lucky enough to afford it," explained Eliza.

"That's not an issue. If you have it, I'm buying it," stated Jack, oozing confidence. Jack then looked to Maura and added, "If you see anything you like or you think you'll need, I'll get it for you."

"Okay." She blushed when Jack offered her whatever she wanted. It really did feel like she and he were shopping together on a date like her mother suggested.

Getting the vibe that Jack and Maura were a couple, Eliza asked, "And how should I address your woman, young master?"

"Um… I--"

"You can call her Maura." Jack interrupted Maura.

Though he didn't want to start a relationship, given the situation he didn't want to risk someone trying something with Maura. For that reason, he felt it best to let Eliza think that they were a couple for the time being.

"Very well, I'll remember that. Here's the entrance to the third floor." Eliza stopped at the top of the stairs and opened the door. As they stepped into a new hallway, Eliza pointed to a room to their right and gave them a key.

"That's room 6, it's been reserved for you so feel free to wait inside for the auction to begin. There are all sorts of drinks inside, but there's also a small contact crystal that connects to the front desk if you want any food or need anything else. After the auction is over, I'll come to find you and help you claim your purchases."

"Thanks, Eliza. We'll call if you need anything."

They both bowed to each other, Eliza bowing much lower while Jack only slightly. As they parted ways, Jack pulled Maura into the room and locked the door.

Looking around, they were blown away. It was the most luxurious place they had ever seen, beyond their imaginations. There was a chest loaded with frosty energy to store over one hundred different drinks. In the center of the room, there were couches and recliners that felt like clouds. And the view of the stage was stupendous, even though there was no window.

While Jack was curious about the wall, Maura explained the little she knew about the auction house. "Jack, we should be on the third floor, this is crazy! Only the strongest and most powerful people stay in these rooms. Most noble families can't even enter here easily."

"Then, do you know what's up with this wall?"

"I've heard that it's special, that anyone inside can see outside but no one outside can see inside. These are the best rooms possible, but why would we be here?"

Jack moved his fingers around the golden emblem of the Fat Goose Auction House. That was when he realized that is was because of Lilly. It should be because Jack had made an insane purchase that only powerhouse organizations typically make. He was sure that Lilly offered him the golden emblem because of that purchase.

With a smile, Jack stored the emblem and made a mental note to thank Lilly the next time he purchased something from her. When she said they'd get the VIP treatment, she wasn't kidding.

"Look, Jack, the crowd's starting to enter the other floors."

They sat down together on the central couch and watch the crowd grow and grow. Soon, a beautiful woman appeared on the auction stage, and both of them recognized her.

"Eliza?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, please keep calm and take your seats. This weekend's great auction will be starting soon," explained Eliza, keeping her warm smile the whole time. "Until then, we're going to open up with some smaller items to get everyone excited. How's that sound?"

The crowd cheered as everyone scrambled to find their seats. All eyes were on the beautiful woman on stage as the curtain behind her opened for the first time.

"To kick things off, we're going to auction off a newly created atlas of the world!"

Eliza stepped back toward a large book on a pedestal. "This atlas is the most recent and accurate to date. It gives you a detailed view of each nation's topography and geography. Also, it gives brief descriptions for each region depicted on its many pages. It is the cartographer's masterpiece that took over ten years to complete and perfect."

Not too many people were interested but they all thought it was interesting and fitting to be an item sold during the opening act.

In his private room, Jack took a deep breath and made sure not to jump the gun. He wanted that atlas and he was going to get it no matter the price, but he didn't want to come off too hard too early either.

"Remember, here at the Fat Goose we're able to trade for both gold and other items. So long as the auction house acknowledges the trade as fair, it will happen," explained Eliza. "Now, let's start the auction off at one thousand gold for the world's greatest atlas!"

"One thousand!"

The first bid sounded out loud and clear. It lasted for a couple of moments until a second and a third followed it. It quickly reached three thousand gold, but the bids were slowing down.

"Three thousand two hundred!"

As Jack's voice rang out from the room, everyone in the crowd and on the stage could somehow hear him. When everyone realized that voice had come from the third floor, no one dared bid again. They wouldn't want to offend anyone that powerful and they were all certain that whoever was in that room had more money than them.

Noticing that it was Jack bidding on the atlas, Eliza chuckled to herself. "Three thousand two hundred going once! Going twice! Sold!"

"Gong!"

Suddenly, the sound of a gong filled the room. The book and pedestal were taken away and replaced with the next item for auction.

It was a set of lv. 30 high-tier armor. Most everybody on the first floor went wild over it, but Jack and the others on higher floors didn't care about that.

Smiling, Jack felt excitement welling up inside of him. It was his first-ever experience with an auction and he was considered a high-roller with too much coin to spend. He liked the sense of thrill from competing with bids.

"Congratulations, Jack! You got the atlas." Maura was glad to see Jack so happy. Just a while ago, she was only able to see coldness in his eyes and he would always keep his distance. Now, he was smiling and filled with enthusiasm like the first time she had met Jack.

"Don't mention that, it's just a coincidence that I needed some maps to help our travels. And what better than that great atlas," Jack laughed and grabbed himself a bottle of fine wine. Pouring himself a glass, he glanced back to Maura and asked, "Do you want some?"

"Sure." Maura grabbed a glass for herself and happily joined him for a drink. "What else are you trying to find. You mentioned something earlier about a special ring, right?"

"Bestial rings," corrected Jack. "Bestial rings are special storage rings that can store living breathing creatures for a certain amount of time. Their at least peak-tier and the lowest levels available are lv. 30. Those ones can store beasts for up to a week without them needing to come out for air. The higher-level ones are better, but they're rarer as well."

Surprised that Jack would even know about such an item, Maura laughed and took another sip of wine. Every time she learned more about Jack's plans, she would realize how much Jack knew about the world and how little she knew herself.

"Eliza mentioned that we may find what we're looking for, so I'm excited for the actual auction to start. All of these items are good, but it's only the opening act."

They looked back to the stage and watched it go on for a while. After almost an hour, the entire room was packed to the brim and they were bringing out the final item before the auction would officially begin.

Jack wasn't paying too much attention, but that last item caught Jack's eye and piqued his curiosity.

Doing her job, Eliza riled up the crowd to get ready for the auction to begin. "And finally, before we start the auction, we at the Fat Goose are offering this rare monster fossil. It's a fossilized egg and we have no clue what it once was. Though it's useless to keep and hatch, it's still a rarity so we felt it was worth at least two thousand gold as a starting bid."