The secret gathering of NPC extraordinary ones, Marvin was attending one for the first time. In his previous life, players never needed to attend such meetings; if they wanted an elixir formula, they would simply post on the forums, groveling and begging in all sorts of interesting ways, and someone would eventually reply. If all else failed, they could pay a studio to provide the finished elixir, with all the material gathering and preparation taken care of.

  That is why, including Marvin, nearly all players knew every bloodline path and elixir combination by heart. When a formula was mentioned, their eyes would go wide with excitement.

  After everyone had chosen their masks and robes to hide their distinctive features, they passed through a hidden door in the changing room and entered a secret underground bar. In the center of the bar lay an open, circular space with a solitary chair placed at its center. Surrounding it were several makeshift private rooms, all shrouded in darkness.

  Under Yvonne's experienced guidance, the group found a relatively large private room, large enough to accommodate three people. Clearly, the organizers had not expected five people to arrive together, so the five of them had to cram into this small space.

  "Every private room is shielded by shadow wards," Yvonne's voice echoed inside their minds through her psychic ability as she explained, "Duskwalk is also an elixir sequence. As far as I know, Duskwalk I enables one to use shadows to block the emission of light and sound. Thus, nothing can be seen or heard from outside, yet one can observe there from within the shadows. If you need to speak up, you must use the voice emitter on the wall and press the button at its side."

  Nova, who was closest to the wall, scrutinized the device and began taking notes.

  It wasn't long before, perhaps because everyone had arrived, a masked host clad entirely in a dark robe walked to the center of the space, sat on the solitary chair, and, using a voice modulator that gave his words a hoarse quality, announced, "The auction begins."

  "First, we start with a free trade segment."

  No sooner had he finished speaking than one of the voice emitters in a private room began to blare out an urgent message: "Private Room 7, for sale—a set of meteoric armor."

  With a graceful gesture, the host reached out. From the shadows of Private Room 7, a long, tendril-like shadow emerged, drawing forth a suit of all-encompassing, ink-green armor. It circled each private room on display.

  "That is—" Nova stared in disbelief at the shadow, exclaiming.

  "That too is an ability of the Duskwalk sequence. It allows one to manipulate any shadow as if it were an extension of one's arm, to retrieve objects or ensnare enemies," Yvonne explained.

  "I will now introduce the details of this meteoric armor, so that no newcomer will miss it due to inexperience," came the voice from Private Room 7, punctuated by a soft laugh. "Meteoric iron is a rare and high-end material. The Pendragon Church academically defines it as 'Lothystein Stainless Steel.' It is a special type of steel with a unique structure from beyond the heavens. Unlike ordinary iron, its iron atoms are stacked in a multi-angled spiral crystal, filling its interior with spring-like microscopic structures. Thanks to this special configuration, meteoric iron can absorb external impacts by converting all kinetic energy into stored energy within its springy structures."

  "In other words, the more meteoric iron is struck, the harder and more resistant it becomes, and it is far less susceptible to damage."

  "Legends say that the very first suit of armor made of meteoric iron was crafted by an orc tribe living in the northern regions of the Black Sea, in a land called Sarmatia. A suit fit for battle required a grown orc blacksmith to forge it at least one hundred thousand times over a period of half a month, ensuring it could withstand the blows of armor-piercing war hammers." The voice from Room 7 snorted coldly, clearly disdainful of the orcs' primitive methods. "Of course, I used modern factory equipment. With six-axis machine drill bits, I stamped every point on the armor over three million times. The final product can even resist direct hits from anti-material sniper rifles."

  "I do not have a sniper rifle," the host said in his hoarse voice. "Why not test it with a handgun instead? What do you say?"

  "Agreed," came the confident reply from Room 7.

  The host withdrew a handgun from his cloak and pressed it against the armor, pulling the trigger. After several shots, spent casings clattered to the ground. The shadow tendrils then gathered the meteoric armor and circled it again, clearly showing that not even bullet holes or cracks had marred its surface.

  Soon, a rustling sound could be heard. It was needless to say that diligent Nova had resumed her note-taking.

  "The model of this armor is 180XL. Except for those with giant bloodlines, it should not be too large for anyone to wear. For those of smaller stature, one may wear thick clothing underneath for added comfort. This armor is made in the style of ringed scale mail, without restricting joint movement," the voice concluded, "I wish to trade it for the formula of Decimal Wine I, or alternatively GearSpike II or Titan II. I will make up any shortfall in price. If no formula is available, I will substitute 100 pounds in cash."

  "100 pounds," someone called out immediately, and another room began bidding, "120 pounds." Then a wealthy man bellowed, "200 pounds," attempting to scare off his competitors with a heavy offer.

  Observing this lively bidding scene, Yvonne turned and explained, "Armor and weapons are always in high demand because anyone can buy them. But what is truly sought after are items imbued with extraordinary abilities. The rarest, ironically, are the formulas and materials for extraordinary abilities. If the formula does not belong to your bloodline sequence, no other formula holds any meaning for you."

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  "450 pounds," the bidding climbed, and most people were frightened off by the 13th bidder's offer. One person tried to add more, but the wealthy bidder immediately countered, "500 pounds."

  500 pounds! A suit of armor for 500 pounds! In many countries, 500 pounds could buy a whole estate, with land and property that continuously generates income.

  "500 pounds. Is there anyone willing to bid higher?" the host scanned the room.

  "Tsk, tsk," the bidder from Room 7 was clearly shocked to see the price and hesitated before asking, "Really, there is no formula for the ones I asked?"

  "Pass me a pen and paper," Marvin suddenly turned to Nova. "I have a formula."

  "Alright," Nova tore off a sheet and handed it over obediently.

  "I have a formula," Marvin scribbled quickly, then pressed the voice emitter button.

  "You have a formula?" Room 7 exclaimed with delight. "What formula? Decimal Wine I? Gearspike II? Titan II?"

  "Decimal Wine I," Marvin answered. From the shadows, he deftly extended a tendril from the host and swirled it to snatch the paper roll from the host's hand.

  "How did you come by the formula for Decimal wine I?" Yvonne asked, half-curious and half-suspicious.

  "Back when I worked for a studio, I once dealt with materials for the bloodline of Mechanics. I happened to remember it," Marvin said with a wry smile and a hint of nostalgia, as if to say, "That was a long, carefree time."

  "Do you require verification of its authenticity?" the host inquired, having taken the formula but not immediately passing it to Room 7.

  "Please verify it," Room 7 hesitated before saying.

  Formulas can certainly be counterfeited. For instance, Room 7's occupant is an extraordinary one of Gearspike I. With the same-sequence resonance and spiritual intuition, he could verify the authenticity of a Gearspike II formula, but for a new sequence like Decimal Wine I, he was powerless.

  The fact that this secret gathering could be held under the watchful eyes of the church demonstrated that the organizers were well-connected, with access to an abundance of Level I elixir formulas (and far more valuable Level II or III formulas, which they would not allow to be scrutinized). As long as the organizers did not widely disseminate the formulas, Room 7's purchase of the Level I formula would not be at a loss. So he ultimately chose verification.

  The host nodded and then pulled out a mobile phone. He took a picture of the formula's contents and posted it on a social app.

  After a while, the familiar notification sound chimed. The host glanced at his screen and said, "I have an old friend from the Decimal sequence. He says the formula is genuine."

  "Then I have no objection. The deal is settled," Room 7 declared.

  "Hold on," the wealthy bidder from Room 13 tried to interject, "I offer 600 pounds."

  "Sorry," Room 7 said firmly, "I am determined to secure the Decimal Wine I formula. Even if someone offers 1000 pounds, I will buy it."

  "Room 3," the bidder from Room 13 said, "if you are willing to let go of this armor, I can have it delivered to the Chark Gate. The price will not disappoint you."

  "I will consider it," Marvin replied.

  "Chark Gate? That is the main gate of the imperial palace, correct?" Nova reminded immediately. "Could it be that the bidder from Room 13 is one of the palace guards?"

  "Perhaps they are the Royal Mercenaries from Valanjia," Yvonne remarked. "Only Krovasians would be so obsessed with a suit of armor."

  The formula was delivered to Room 7, and the host sent the armor in through the shadows. Marvin held it, examined it carefully, then handed it over to Alice.

  "For me?" Alice asked in astonishment. She had not contributed anything to this transaction.

  "We are a team," Marvin said. "Armor is primarily provided for the defender, is that not natural?"

  Even with Alice's thick skin, she had no words to say at that moment. After a long silence, she managed a quiet, "Thank you."

  Subsequently, more items were sold at the gathering: crystal balls and pendants for divination, an ancient dragon scale said to be imbued with extraordinary material properties, and several bottles of elixir. When the sale segment ended, the bidding phase began.

  It was now Room 3's turn. Marvin pressed the voice emitter switch and said, "I wish to purchase the following formulas, with cash settlement: Bloomcore I, Justiciar X, Hemoleech I, and Lilith's Sigh I."

  "Justiciar X?" Room 16 exclaimed. "Host, may I request a private conversation?"

  "One pound every ten minutes," the host said. Then, a shadow tendril slowly extended and connected Room 16 with Room 3.

  "Let me confirm," came a crisp female voice from the tendril, unmistakably that of a girl of about fourteen or fifteen, "Are you saying that Justiciar X has the ancient name of 'Arbiter X'?"

  "Arbiter X is its ancient name from the Third Epoch," Marvin replied.

  "Then I happen to have the Justiciar X formula that you need," the girl said. "The price is 100 pounds. However, if you can tell me exactly what Justiciar X elixir does, I can lower the price by 40 pounds."

  Unquestionably, she had acquired the formula by chance, so she did not even know what effect the corresponding elixir had.

  "Justiciar X," Marvin said, "first, it increases both the extraordinary one’s physical and mental strength; second, true to its name, it inclines the consumer toward righteousness; and third, when the consumer fights evil foes, they will unleash even greater combat power."

  "It makes the consumer lean toward righteousness? I see," the girl said, a look of reluctant understanding in her voice, "Deal, the formula is yours."

  Sixty pounds in cash was exchanged, and a paper containing the Justiciar X formula was sent via a tendril. Marvin then handed it over to Alice, who eagerly inspected it. The paper featured a distinctive three-part format typical of Pendragon's "Symphony of Blood and Fire":

  Main Ingredients:

  Three Feathers of the Valar Eagle

  Subsidiary Ingredients

  One pair of Eyes of Shadow Insects

  One hundred milliliters of Riverwater of Garr Valley

  A pinch of Diamond Powder (size of a fingernail)

  Processing:

  Take one hundred milliliters of Riverwater of Garr Valley, bring to a boil in a beaker, then add one pair of Eyes of Shadow Insects. Continue boiling until the liquid becomes black and opaque, then add a pinch of Diamond Powder. When bright particles appear in the liquid, gradually add the Valar Eagle feathers one by one. Once the liquid stabilizes, it is ready for consumption.

  "Does this formula require authentication?" Alice asked.

  "It should be genuine," Marvin said. "I have a vague recollection of it."

  "Eyes of Shadow Insects come from the Syrian desert. I have ways to obtain them," Yvonne remarked.

  "Valar Eagles nest atop St. Sophia's and the Golden Executive Palace," Marvin added. "Garr Valley is located in a southern province of the West Senaro Empire. You might ask a merchant in Zephandrel."

  Within minutes, these few words resolved the matter of the extraordinary materials, leaving Alice in tears. Was this the benefit of joining a team? It was overwhelmingly efficient.