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Outside the Imperial Auction House, players stopped to gaze in curiosity as they noticed the once-dilapidated building now bustling with activity and looking rejuvenated.

‘What a massive store. What purpose does it serve?’ was a question on many onlookers’ minds.

At that moment, the building’s main sign was veiled by a heavy red cloth, teasing the onlookers’ curiosity as if modestly cloaked yet alluring. This only tickled their curiosity further, intensifying their desire to see what was hidden beneath.

Not just players, but also passersby were drawn to the mysterious allure. Most of the native NPCs were aware of the building’s original purpose. Now, completely renovated in a different style, it was unclear whether this was a reopening of the same business or something entirely new.

As time went on, the crowd grew, attracting more onlookers and nearly blocking the main street.

“S.K.Y., do you know what’s new here?” Taurus inquired, his curiosity piqued as he observed the auction house.

“I don’t know,” S.K.Y. replied, shaking his head. “They were still working on it yesterday.”

“I remember this place being a ruin. It’s unbelievable how quickly it’s been transformed,” Taurus remarked.

“Isn’t that to be expected in a game anyway?” S.K.Y. mused, pretending to adjust non-existent gold-rimmed glasses.

“That’s true. With magic at play, restoring a building this quickly is certainly feasible,” Taurus agreed with a nod.

“Even if we stay here…” S.K.Y. began, but the sudden commotion ahead cut him off.

Moments later, he watched as someone unveiled not a figure, but the sign hidden beneath the heavy red cloth. With a swift gesture, the red cloth was whisked away to reveal a sign elegantly inscribed with gold lettering.

“Imperial Auction House!”

Upon seeing these bold and imposing words, the NPCs reacted with mild surprise. Their mild surprise was understandable—after all, the building had originally served as an auction house, so its reopening in the same capacity was expected.

What truly surprised them was that someone had seemingly foolishly purchased this place. Everyone was aware that the underground auction was the favored choice in Jade City.

Previously, this establishment had been crushed by powerful organizations favoring the underground auction. There was a prevailing fear that history might repeat itself with its reopening.

Contrasting with the NPCs’ mild reactions, the players were so astounded that they were practically speechless, their excitement palpable. The very auction house they had scoured the city for and failed to locate was, incredibly, that very dilapidated building!

“I thought this game didn’t even have an auction house!” exclaimed a player excitedly.
“I assumed it wasn’t time for one to appear yet.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought too,” another agreed.
“Finally, no more dealing with those scammers!”
“Finally, I can sell the equipment I’ve been holding onto!”

“Exactly, running a stall is too risky. Last time, a player near me displayed rare equipment and ended up getting robbed and killed!”
“It’s inevitable; this game prioritizes strength above all else, leaving the weak to be exploited.”
“With this auction house now open, trading will definitely be safer going forward.”

“That’s a good point. But I wonder, will other servers also open an Imperial Auction House?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe you could check that.”

Lively discussions began to ripple through the crowd.

“S.K.Y., this is fantastic news!” Taurus exclaimed, clenching his fists in excitement.

“Absolutely. This auction house will make it much easier for us to acquire materials and equipment!” S.K.Y. said, gesturing to adjust non-existent gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes gleaming with foresight.

Due to widespread mistrust among players, trading with one another had been a cumbersome process that required significant time and effort to secure multiple items. With the introduction of the auction house and the Empire acting as a guarantor, trust issues evaporated, as all transactions were now managed by a neutral third party.

“Very good, very good. It’s a brilliant decision to open an auction house now!” Taurus exclaimed, giving the game developers a metaphorical thumbs up.

“That’s right. This will make trading between players much smoother from here on out,” S.K.Y. agreed, clearly pleased with the development.

However, had they known this thoughtful act was actually a new scheme orchestrated by the Black-hearted Princess, they would likely have cursed aloud.

While players and NPCs on the Linhnan server were merely surprised, those from other servers were outright shocked. They discovered the reopening of the Imperial Auction House through the Linhnan server’s forums and visited in anticipation. However, they were greeted by nothing more than a dilapidated building.

It was evident that the Linhnan server’s building had been renovated and reopened, whereas the auction houses in their own servers remained in disrepair! This felt grossly unfair!

In response, angry players flooded the official forums with their complaints. Yet, there was silence with no official response forthcoming from the developers.

“Stupid devs, I’m quitting!” an irate foreign player declared.

Previously, a segment of the player base had been upset by the company launching a Closed Beta without any prior announcement. Despite receiving an Uncommon Random Equipment Crate as compensation, their dissatisfaction persisted.

Now faced with yet another instance of unfair treatment, their anger intensified nearly tenfold and seemed unstoppable. Numerous posts about quitting the game surfaced instantly, sparking a significant controversy.

At that moment, game forums worldwide were inundated with posts about players threatening to quit the game. Despite the brewing crisis, the game company remained silent, issuing no official response.

This lack of communication only served to exacerbate the players’ irritation, leaving them with little recourse but to stew in their growing frustration.

Some astute players quickly sensed that something was amiss. Given the absence of any official response or compensation, the situation seemed unreasonable. They speculated that this unreasonable act might not actually have been perpetrated by the game company itself.

Instead, they theorized that the auction house itself might be the key—it could potentially be a mission reward. Mira was the first to propose this theory. She drew parallels to a prior incident involving an underground maze that had originated from the Linhnan server, which was a limited-time opportunity.

“The auction house in the Linhnan server has been reopened, yet ours still stands. This suggests that the auction house concept isn’t unique,” Mira reasoned.

Mira gazed at the dilapidated building before her and mumbled thoughtfully. “Since it hasn’t disappeared, that means we might also have a chance to reopen it. If we can…”

Suddenly, contemplating the possibility, she felt a tremor of excitement.

‘If I can take control of this auction house, the potential wealth could be immense!’

Mira was already wealthy, but of course, more wealth was always preferable. More money meant access to more resources, and with more resources, she could grow increasingly powerful.

“Funds from the Congress still carry risks; I’m far more comfortable using my own money,” she reflected. Determination lit up Mira’s eyes as she resolved to take possession of the Imperial Auction House.

The world wasn’t short of clever individuals. Since Mira had come to this conclusion, others would surely do the same and act swiftly.

“Let’s see how many daredevils will come looking for trouble,” In the Linhnan server’s Imperial Auction House, Yaeger sat perched on an office table, her hand cradling her chin. She looked forward, her dazzling smile unfurling effortlessly.