The silence in the Star-Light Auction House was so thick you could hear the heartbeat of the person standing next to you.
One billion dollars.
For a single diamond.
Even for the billionaires in the room, this was madness. This wasn't an investment anymore; it was a war of ego.
The man in the black Hanfu, whose name was whispered among the elders as Master Yan of the Capital's Yan Family, stood on the balcony with his arms crossed. His gaze was like an eagle's, sharp and condescending.
"One billion, going once," the auctioneer's voice cracked. He was a veteran of thirty years, but his hands were shaking so hard he nearly dropped his gavel.
Master Yan looked down at Ethan, his voice echoing with a strange, resonant power. "Young man, I saw what you did outside. Buying a mall and crushing a few cars is a fun game for a child. But the 'Dragon Heart' is not a toy. It belongs to the hidden families. Sit down, and I might forget your arrogance."
Ethan stood in the center of the aisle, his ruined suit making him look like a ghost in a palace of gold. Beside him, Luna Valentine leaned in, her voice low and urgent.
"Boss, be careful. The Yan Family... they aren't just rich. They are one of the 'Ancient Four.' They control the rare earth minerals of the entire continent. Their liquid cash is incalculable."
Ethan looked at the blue screen flickering in his vision.
[Secret Task: Win the Dragon Heart.]
[Budget: Unlimited.]
[Current Bid: $1,000,000,000.00]
Ethan felt a strange heat in his chest. It was the Aura of the Sovereign skill activating. The pressure coming from Master Yan, which made others in the room want to kneel, felt like nothing more than a light breeze to Ethan.
Ethan didn't look at the auctioneer. He looked directly at Master Yan.
"One billion?" Ethan said, his voice quiet but carrying to every corner of the room. "Is that all the 'Ancient Four' can muster? I thought you said the real players were here."
Ethan raised his hand. He didn't even use the paddle.
"Five billion," Ethan said.
THUD.
A woman in the third row literally fainted. The auctioneer hit his head against the microphone, creating a loud, jarring screech that echoed through the hall.
"Five... five... did you say five billion dollars?" the auctioneer gasped, his eyes bulging.
Master Yan's calm mask finally shattered. He gripped the marble railing of the balcony so hard it began to spider-web with cracks.
"Five billion? You brat! Do you even know what that number means?" Master Yan roared. "You're mocking the auction! No one has five billion in liquid cash just sitting in a spending account!"
"I do," Ethan said. He turned to the auctioneer. "Check the account associated with the mall acquisition. You'll find the funds are already being held in escrow."
The head of accounting for the auction house scrambled to his terminal. Ten seconds later, he looked up, his face ghostly white. He nodded slowly to the auctioneer.
"The... the funds are verified," the accountant whispered. "Five billion dollars is available for immediate transfer."
The room erupted. People were standing on chairs, screaming, and taking photos. This wasn't an auction anymore; it was a historical event.
Master Yan's face turned a dark, bruised purple. He was the "God of Wealth" in the Capital. If he lost to a nameless "trash" in a ruined suit, the Yan family would become the laughingstock of the upper crust for a century.
"Six billion!" Master Yan screamed, his voice turning hoarse.
"Ten billion," Ethan countered instantly, not even letting the auctioneer speak.
"Twelve billion!"
"Twenty billion," Ethan said, yawning slightly.
The numbers were becoming surreal. Twenty billion dollars could buy several small countries. It could fund a space program. Ethan was throwing it around like he was buying a pack of gum.
Master Yan staggered back. Twenty billion was his absolute limit of authorized funds without calling a family council. He looked at Ethan, and for the first time in his life, he felt a genuine sense of terror.
Ethan wasn't bidding like a man who was spending money. He was bidding like a man who was trying to get rid of it.
"You... you're a madman," Master Yan hissed. "You'll ruin the economy! No one spends twenty billion on a diamond!"
"I'm not spending it on a diamond," Ethan said, walking slowly toward the stage. "I'm spending it to see the look on your face. And so far? It's been worth every penny."
"Twenty billion, going once!" the auctioneer screamed, his voice reaching a fever pitch. "Twenty billion, going twice! SOLD! To the gentleman in the front row!"
BANG!
The gavel fell.
[Ding! Secret Task Completed!]
[The Dragon Heart Diamond has been acquired.]
[Reward: +50 Attribute Points.]
[Reward: S-Rank Skill 'Eyes of Truth' Unlocked (Can see through any object or lie).]
[System Note: $20 Billion has been deducted from the unlimited task budget. Your personal balance remains untouched.]
The security guards brought the "Dragon Heart" out in a reinforced glass case. It was the size of a pigeon's egg, glowing with a deep, crimson light that seemed to pulse like a living organ.
Ethan stepped onto the stage. He didn't wait for the ceremonial gloves. He reached into the case and picked up the diamond with his bare hands.
Immediately, his new skill, Eyes of Truth, activated.
The crimson light of the diamond faded in his vision, becoming transparent. Inside the crystalline structure, Ethan saw a series of microscopic, laser-etched lines. It wasn't a map of a place; it was a set of GPS coordinates and a digital key code.
[Coordinates: 34.0522° N, 118.2437° W — Deep Sea Vault, North Atlantic.]
[Asset Detected: The 'Eternal Gold Reserve' — $100 Billion in physical bullion.]
Ethan's heart skipped a beat. This diamond was the key to a fortune that dwarfed even his current daily budget.
"Boss," Luna said, appearing at his side. Her eyes were wide with a mix of awe and fear. "We need to leave. Now. Master Yan is already on his phone. He's calling for the 'Black Guard.'"
Ethan looked toward the balcony. Master Yan was gone, but the atmosphere in the room had shifted. Several men in nondescript black suits were closing in on the stage from the side exits.
"Let them come," Ethan said, tucking the $20 billion diamond into his pocket as if it were a common marble. "I need someone to test my 'God of Combat' skill on anyway."
Just as the first guard reached the stage, the heavy front doors of the auction house were blown off their hinges.
BOOM!
A woman in a tight, red leather suit rode a high-tech Ducati motorcycle right into the center of the auction hall, skidding to a stop in a cloud of white smoke. She pulled off her helmet, revealing a face that was stunningly beautiful but scarred with a thin line across her left cheek.
"Ethan Clarke!" she shouted over the chaos. "If you want to live to spend that money, get on the bike! The Yan family just put a $1 billion bounty on your head, and every mercenary in the city is five minutes away!"
Ethan looked at the woman. His Eyes of Truth flashed.
[Name: Raven.]
[Identity: Leader of the 'Shadow Lotus' Mercenary Group.]
[Current Status: Hired by your late grandfather's secret estate to protect the Heir.]
Ethan's eyes widened. Grandfather?
"Luna, get in the Bugatti and head to the Mall. Lock it down," Ethan commanded.
"But Boss—"
"Go!"
Ethan leaped off the stage, vaulted over the motorcycle's rear, and grabbed Raven's waist.
"Drive," he said.
"Hang on tight, Rich Boy," Raven smirked. "This is going to be a lot faster than a Bugatti."
As they roared out of the auction house, bullets began to fly, shattering the crystal chandeliers above. Ethan looked back and saw Master Yan standing in the wreckage, screaming into a radio.
Suddenly, a System notification popped up, glowing a violent red.
[Ding! New Main Quest: The Great Escape.]
[Task: Survive the night while being hunted by the city's underworld.]
[Reward: 100% Ownership of the 'Global Mercenary Alliance' and the 'Invisible Stealth Suit'.]
[Special Condition: For every minute you are in a high-speed chase, you earn $10 Million.]
Ethan gripped the motorcycle tighter as Raven leaned into a sharp turn, weaving through the neon-lit city streets at 150 miles per hour.
"Making money while being shot at?" Ethan laughed, the wind whipping his hair. "This is the best breakup I've ever had!"