SWNOVELXO Chapter 6: Chapter 6: The Auction
Li Er—Zhao Kuo couldn't shake his curiosity about the man. Without Li Er's initial contributions, Zhao Kuo might never have amassed such resources. In a way, Li Er was his unsung hero. The [Lost One's Statue] blueprint Li Er had gifted—a decorative item that guided directions but eroded sanity—still sat unused. I'll approach him later, Zhao Kuo decided. Maybe recruit him.
Lu Tianming, though… Zhao Kuo sensed hidden depths beneath his charm—a cunning adversary.
Outside the banquet hall, players clustered in groups, but Zhao Kuo lingered. Amid station explorations and forging bonds with Gu Shan and Tang Yingying, he'd neglected a critical task: unlocking his hoarded loot.
Three treasure chests. A first-place "special gift pack." Time to cash in.
Zhao Kuo slipped into a lavishly gilded restroom (absurdly spacious, unsettlingly echoey) and summoned his-stored loot. Three chests materialized.
As he rubbed his hands, ready to channel his Luck stat, the system pinged:
[Detected 3 chests. Merge into an Intermediate Chest?]
New feature post-Lushan Station?
No hesitation. Merging meant higher-tier rewards. "Combine."
The chests fused into a reinforced iron-bound box. Bigger payout. Let's go.
Activating Luck, he opened it—jackpot!
[Planks x100]
[Iron Sheets x100]
[Components x100]
[Copper Parts x100]
[Glass x100]
[Yeast Culture x5]
[Gunpowder x3]
[Steel Plates x5]
[Subway Coins x15]
[Ultra-Rare Reward: Dilapidated Metro Carriage x1]
Dilapidated Metro Carriage
[Crafting: 150 Planks, 100 Iron Sheets, 200 Components, 50 Glass]
[Attaches to your train, expanding storage and capacity. Slightly reduces speed.]
Worth it. Resources were plentiful post-coin exploits. Crowded? Solved. He crafted it instantly, grinning at his now three-car train.
Next: the First Arrival Gift Pack—a mysterious reward from an "unknown entity." Trepidation aside, he opened it.
[Planks x1000]
[Iron Sheets x1000]
[Components x1000]
[Glass x1000]
[Gunpowder x50]
[Steel Plates x100]
[Cotton x100]
[Cola x50]
[Luxury Toiletries Set x1]
[Water Tank Blueprint x1]
[1m² Rice Paddy x1]
[Corruptor's Revolver x1]
[Revolver Ammo x20]
[Subway Coins x500]
[Ultra-Rare: 30-Slot Refrigerator Blueprint x1]
[Unknown Entity's Blessing: All Stats +1]
[Luck Regen +1/hour]
Zhao Kuo's breath hitched. Overwhelming. Advanced materials like gunpowder and steel guaranteed future utility. The cola? Iced, fizzy—a taste of normalcy. The 1m² Rice Paddy doubled his harvests. Paired with Tang Yingying's water condenser, the Water Tank blueprint was perfection.
Corruptor's Revolver
[Kill Him. Kill Her. Kill It.]
[70% chance: Fires an undodgeable bullet.
30% chance: Bullet ricochets to user.]
Luck's on my side. The 30% risk? Negligible with his Luck stat. A conceptual weapon—guaranteed hits—paired with his Lucky Gun? Dual-wielding gunslinger vibes. Only the ammo limit gave pause.
The 30-Slot Fridge solved food spoilage… but required electricity. Steam-powered subway vs. modern appliances. A puzzle for later.
Flushing the toilet (why was it room-sized?), Zhao Kuo stepped out, invigorated. Time to face the banquet—and whatever Yole's planning
Despite a hundred attendees, the grand banquet hall still felt cavernously empty. Zhao Kuo found Gu Shan and Tang Yingying in a corner. Tang Yingying was devouring a slice of cheesecake while clutching a glass of orange juice.
"Eat up! Everything's free here—just can't take it out. So annoying," she mumbled, grabbing a sausage skewer. Two days of subway survival had clearly left her famished.
Gu Shan poured Zhao Kuo a glass of juice, nodding. Having already eaten, he showed no urgency. Across the hall, many players wore disguises—surviving the top 100 meant no one could be trusted.
Zhao Kuo's gaze lingered on Lu Tianming and Li Er. Lu Tianming suddenly glanced around, as if sensing scrutiny. His perception's sharp. Must have a detection item. Lu Tianming's group of four, including Li Er, flaunted their true faces—arrogance or confidence?
Zhao Kuo messaged Li Er: "I see you."
Li Er: "??? Where are you?"
Zhao Kuo: "Can't say. Are those your teammates?"
Li Er: "More like coworkers. We ended up in the same zone and teamed up."
Relieved—Li Er's integrity made him a reliable ally—Zhao Kuo pressed: "Is Lu Tianming a colleague too?"
Li Er: "The boss's son. Know him?"
Zhao Kuo: "We've crossed paths. Not a good guy. Be careful."
Li Er subtly scanned the room.
Lu Tianming leaned over. "Chatting with someone, Lao Li?"
Li Er closed his messages. "A merchant. Has materials I need."
"For that project?" Lu Tianming swirled his wine.
Before Li Er could answer, a gong reverberated.
At the hall's center, a golden lotus pedestal rose and bloomed. "Thank you for gracing Lushan Station," a shrill voice declared. "As its proxy, I regret not greeting you personally."
The lotus petals dissolved, revealing a boy no taller than 1.2 meters in a tailored tailcoat and monocle. His comically oversized top hat drew no laughter—this was Yole, Lushan's acting master.
"Call me Lord Yole." He leapt onto a golden throne, gripping a jeweled scepter. "Enjoy free food, drinks… and lodgings!"
"Ah, but I've also prepared an auction!" He clapped. "Treasures from my collection. Let the bidding begin!"
Zhao Kuo glanced at his puppet guide. So this is why saving coins mattered.
The hall buzzed. Lu Tianming tensed—Zhao Kuo's coin hoard gives him an edge. He'd scraped together 500 coins; Zhao Kuo likely had over 3,000.
An elderly puppet in butler attire struck a brass gong. The first item: a palm-sized Black Witch's Crystal.
"Suppresses demons but drains 20 sanity per use. Starting bid: 20 coins!"
The crowd murmured. Yole watched from his throne, smirking.
Zhao Kuo ignored it—his revolvers handled physical threats. The crystal sold for 32 coins. Top 100 players aren't poor.
Throughout, Lu Tianming sipped wine, unreadable. Zhao Kuo monitored him, wary. The real game had just begun.
"Next up: Bright Headlights! They'll pierce the darkness and light your path. Starting bid: 15 subway coins, increments of 0.5 coins or higher!"
The crowd murmured in disappointment. Most trains already had basic lighting. At this survival-focused stage, few saw value in an extra headlight—especially one requiring electricity. Who's even reached the electrical era yet?
But Zhao Kuo raised his hand. "15 coins."
"Sold—no, wait! A counteroffer: 15.5 coins!" A masked youth shouted.
Lu Tianming joined in. "16 coins." He glanced at Zhao Kuo's direction, eyes unreadable.
Did he recognize me? Zhao Kuo frowned but bid again: "17 coins—my final offer."
The rivals backed down. Zhao Kuo secured the headlight, stashing it in his train's storage. Maybe retrofit it onto the steam engine.
Subsequent items—blueprints, stat-boosting decor—held little interest. He spent 300 coins on another [1m² Rice Paddy], his third, now yielding 6kg of rice daily. Freedom from hunger!
Lu Tianming won two seemingly trivial items, puzzling Zhao Kuo.
Then came the tenth lot. The auctioneer paused theatrically.
"A special contribution from Lord Yole: Luck! The winner will randomly select a treasure from His Lordship's vault and receive his autograph. Starting bid: 150 coins, increments of 5 coins!"
Silence. The prize's value was a gamble. Worse, bidding risked drawing rivals' scrutiny.
Yole tapped his glass. "No bid manipulation. The system monitors your balances. Cheaters face exile."
Bids surged to 205 coins. Zhao Kuo stayed quiet, observing Lu Tianming's calm facade. He knows my stash. Bidding myself = exposing my identity.
He messaged Tang Yingying: "Buy it. 10 coins commission."
She swapped seats and masks stealthily. "1,000 coins transferred. Use only for bidding."
Tang Yingying's eyes sparkled. Cha-ching! She raised her hand: "400 coins!"
The hall froze. Who is this?
Lu Tianming narrowed his eyes. A new player? Or Zhao Kuo's proxy? He bid his entire funds: "496 coins."
Tang Yingying smirked. "500 coins." Not my money—no regrets.
The crowd buzzed. Zhao Kuo leaned back, hidden behind his mask. Let the games begin.