VIP at the Auction House

*Cough. Cough, cough...*

Xue Ren pressed a hand to his chest. The dark mist coiling around his body had thinned considerably.

He glanced at the wound on his side — blood was seeping through again. His expression was grim.

He had surfaced just outside a Residential Zone.

If he could avoid it, Xue Ren had no intention of leaving the city. The wilderness held too many unknown variables, and he was a careful man — he didn't like betting on luck. Not that luck had ever favored him. As far back as he could remember, he'd always believed his luck was rotten to the core. If he'd had any, he wouldn't have been born into that family, living a childhood no better than a stray dog's.

*So what if my luck is rotten? I can still rise above the rest. I can still have power and privilege that others will never know.*

*My fate is mine to decide.*

The Shadow's voice stirred within him, cold and deliberate:

*...Yes. I can hunt other Gene Warriors. Other city districts are off-limits — too dangerous, too easy to get exposed. Gang members are a viable option. And that young man who came looking for Xue Wang — the investigation indicates he's a Gene Warrior, lives in the slum. He qualifies too. If nothing else works, I can always hunt Gene Warriors out in the wilderness.*

Xue Ren's eyes flickered. He kept running through his options.

When his body was no longer absorbing, he would take in Spirit Crystals — carefully. A couple thousand a day was enough to get by.

*First, heal the injuries. That bitch...*

He made his way to a training hall and rented a Gravity Room.

The next morning.

Lu Yuan finished his early session, washed up, and stepped out of his room — and found Li Qinghe stepping out of hers at the exact same moment.

"Morning, Qinghe-jie."

Jerf glided out of the dining area, his voice warm and unhurried:

"Master, breakfast is ready. Today's menu is carrot and egg rolls, pan-seared steak, and creamy corn milk — providing you and Miss Li with a fully balanced meal."

"Thanks for the trouble, Jerf."

"It is my honor to serve you."

Li Qinghe appeared in the hallway still brushing her teeth. She glanced at the laden table and mumbled through a mouthful of toothpaste: "This much for breakfast?"

She went back to finish washing up and came back out. Lu Yuan caught the exhaustion on her face.

"Qinghe-jie, did you sleep badly?"

She stretched her arms wide and yawned. "First time sleeping on a bed that soft. Took some getting used to."

"So Qinghe-jie is picky about her mattress," Lu Yuan said. "Go ahead and nap after breakfast if you're still wiped out."

They sat down together. Lu Yuan switched on the wall screen. Morning news was playing. A sharp-looking anchor delivered the report in a measured voice:

"Two more explosions struck the southern district last night. Investigation indicates high-energy explosives were used, suspected to involve gang activity. Details remain under investigation..."

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Another explosion?"

Li Qinghe watched the broadcast in silence, her expression cooling. Something cold passed through her eyes.

"Tomorrow I want steamed meat buns and soy milk," Lu Yuan told Jerf.

Li Qinghe glanced at him, amused. "Still can't get enough of your buns, can you."

"Come on, having a robot isn't so bad, is it?" Lu Yuan laughed. "Jerf's got a massive recipe database — excellent cook. This way you don't have to bring me buns every morning."

The memory came without prompting. Back when he'd had nothing, Li Qinghe's daily buns and soy milk had been the difference between eating and going hungry. Those mornings were etched into him.

After breakfast, Li Qinghe went back to her room to sleep in. Lu Yuan returned to his own and opened his Light-Brain to browse the Battle Net.

He soon came across a post on Xili City's local forums:

**"What's Really Behind the Recent Slum Explosions"**

*"Friends in Xili City have probably seen the slum explosion news quite a few times by now. As someone who actually lives in the slum, I can tell you with full responsibility — this is absolutely not a gas leak or gang infighting. I didn't pay much attention before, but I witnessed last night's events with my own eyes. The second explosion was deliberate. Before it went off, there were Shadows all over that area. There might be some kind of evil Gene Warrior conducting strange rituals..."*

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow and clicked in, curious.

His pupils contracted slightly as he read through.

*If this is real...*

*That's genuinely terrifying.*

Judging by the replies, everyone who'd read the thread felt the same chill crawling up their spines.

Lu Yuan thought it over. The Shadow seemed to be confined to the slums — and he'd already moved out. It probably wouldn't come anywhere near him.

That thought was oddly reassuring.

"Good thing we got out of there quickly, Qinghe-jie," he said toward the hallway.

Li Qinghe snapped out of her thoughts. "Yeah."

Whatever was happening out there, powerful people were handling it. He was just an ordinary First-rank rookie. None of his business.

Feeling considerably lighter, Lu Yuan happily moved on to browsing other posts. After a while, he browsed the shop and picked up a few items, then settled in to study Black Steel Force.

As always, his first stop in Sandy Rock City was a C-class suite.

The Light Gate finished its repair cycle at four that afternoon. He chose not to enter. Not until eight the following morning did he step through into the Land of Origin.

Before going in, he stopped by the Auction House to ask about timing. Three days remaining. He let out a breath. Just made it.

With three days to spare and no reason to leave the city, Lu Yuan stayed put and trained. When his body stopped absorbing, he'd take in Spirit Crystals. When it was saturated, he'd head to the training hall and rent a Gravity Room. He kept the daily cost conservative — a couple thousand crystals was enough for meaningful progress.

For an average Gene Warrior, saving up even 2,000 Spirit Crystals was a real challenge. But Sandy Rock City was vast, and Gene Warriors who regularly worked the Ancient Sea Oasis could produce that much without even blinking. With a city this size, there was no shortage of people who could meet the bar.

The results were solid. Crimson Copper Light's tempering climbed past forty percent, and his strength had grown again in a way he could feel.

After three days of this, his reserves had dropped to just over eight thousand Spirit Crystals.

By the third day, barely three hundred remained.

*Good thing the auction starts today. Another day and I'd be completely broke.*

That morning, Lu Yuan wrapped up his training early, washed up, and headed out.

Before leaving, Gelin had already messaged him — they'd go to the auction together.

By the time Lu Yuan arrived at the Auction House, it was already a sea of people. The main gates stood over thirty meters wide, and every Gene Warrior in sight was lined up in a queue stretching back through the plaza.

He heard Zhuo Ming calling his name and turned. Zhuo Ming was waving at him from across the crowd, Gelin and the others at his side.

Lu Yuan walked over. Gelin smiled: "Knew you'd show. This is your first auction, right?"

"There's an entry requirement?" Lu Yuan asked, eyeing the long queue.

"Of course," Gelin said. "They verify your assets — you need either a deposit of more than 2,000 Spirit Crystals on record, or an item consigned for auction. Otherwise you're not getting through."

"Makes sense. Without a threshold, it'd be even more of a madhouse."

"We're only here because we consigned our items," Zhuo Ming said, clearly thrilled just to be attending. "Otherwise I'd never qualify."

Lu Yuan nodded. He hadn't known that.

Just as their group joined the line, Liu Xi came walking toward them with several people in tow. She went straight to Lu Yuan, grinning broadly.

"Brother Lu Yuan, long time no see. I had a feeling you'd show up — just didn't expect to run into you right at the door."

Lu Yuan hadn't expected to see her here either. He gave a nod and a smile. "Director Liu, same to you."

"Ha! Want to come in with us? I've got a private box — decent view, comfortable environment."

That Liu Xi had a box was no surprise. As a director of the Tianfu Consortium, the Spirit Crystals at her disposal far exceeded the threshold.

Lu Yuan paused for a beat, then smiled.

"No need. I have a box too."

A silence fell over the group.

Then Liu Xi, Gelin, and Zhuo Ming all froze, staring at him.

"Yuan-bro." Zhuo Ming's voice climbed an octave. "Are you — are you serious right now? Private boxes are for VIPs with over 100,000 Spirit Crystals!"

Liu Xi's eyes had gone wide. "Brother Lu Yuan, you mean... you've been assigned a box?!"

His personal funds exceeded 100,000 Spirit Crystals?

Just him, alone?

Most importantly — how long had it been since his Awakening? And he already had that much?

Everyone else was equally speechless.

Lu Yuan just smiled.

"Let's head in."

"How is it?" Zhuo Ming asked as the crowd carried them forward, practically buzzing with energy. "First time at an auction, right? Pretty lively? Tons of people?"

Lu Yuan glanced around. Easily a thousand people within sight, packed shoulder to shoulder as far as he could see.

"There are quite a few," he agreed.

The gates were open. They stepped through together.