Chronicles of Forgotten Extra

"Welcome, esteemed guests."

"The Mystic Auction is now in session."

Just as the voice echoed, all the lights in the grand auction hall turned dim except those on stage where the beautiful lady was presenting the items.

All the sounds within the hall also ceased.

It was not because people stopped talking.

Nope.

It was because of the sound suppression barrier covering the hall.

People were still talking, but their voices were muted.

The barrier only allowed conversations between those seated nearby.

Alden took a seat on the couch in his private room.

He was eagerly waiting for items to be presented.

"The rules of the auction are simple," the auctioneer announced. "The highest bidder wins the item."

She paused just for a moment before continuing to speak.

"So without any further wait, let's start the Mystic Auction."

The large screen situated behind her turned on as soon as she spoke.

It was showcasing the first item.

Soon the item was brought to the stage in a glass case.

"The first item today is martial arts manuals or Rare Rank."

"The manual was created by one of the Ascendent Rank adventurers."

"It is a hand-to-hand combat manual."

"The starting bid will be 200,000 Eras."

Huh?

Only Rare Rank.

Alden thought.

The moment the auctioneer finished her announcement, a few numbers flashed on the screen behind her showing the bids of the participants.

He wasn't interested in it.

Not even in the slightest.

But others were.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand Eras."

"Three hundred thousand."

"Three hundred and fifty thousand."

The bid continued to increase, but it was clear that most influential people were not interested in that.

Alden only watched with curiosity as a middle-aged man in the lower hall area made the final bid.

"Five hundred and fifty thousand Eras," the auctioneer confirmed. "Sold to Guest 47."

Alden sighed, watching as the winning bidder relaxed into his chair.

He looked like a lower-ranked adventurer—one who had just secured a valuable upgrade for himself.

The auction continued.

Several more items were presented.

Some rare rank artifacts, potions, and low-tier enchanted weapons.

None of them caught Alden's attention until that item was presented.

An attendant bought an artifact. It was covered with a silk cloth.

When the attendant removed it, the entire room was dumbfounded.

It was… a chair.

Not just any chair.

A completely ordinary-looking wooden chair.

What the hell?

Isn't this supposed to be some grand auction?

Why are they selling chairs?

The auctioneer didn't even blink.

In fact, she was smiling. Clearly a professional.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you may be wondering why this simple chair is up for auction."

"Let me explain."

"This is the Elder's Rest. An artifact discovered in an ancient ruin."

The words were enough to stir up the crowd.

Ancient Ruins.

That changed everything.

They weren't dungeons.

They were traces… traces of the Forgotten Era. Well, at least according to most people.

Very few of them had ever been discovered, with each being filled with artifacts.

But obtaining these treasures was not so simple.

Every ruin had its own trials.

They were challenges that tested those who dared to enter it.

Those who succeeded could claim artifact of immense value—sometimes powerful and sometimes useless.

The auctioneer continued her explanation.

"Any person who sits in it will instantly recover from exhaustion and enter a state of deep sleep within seconds."

"Even someone suffering from mana depletion can recover significantly in just thirty minutes."

Silence.

A magic nap chair, is it?

But then—

"The starting bid is one million."

The bidding war started almost instantly.

"Two million eras."

"Three million."

"Four point two million"

Are they seriously fighting over this?

Although the origin of the chair was shocking, it was still not that great of an artifact .

What use does it even have?

Sure, mana restoration was valuable, but who the hell was going to carry a chair into a dungeon?

And moreover, recovering mana could be simply done by drinking mana potions.

Alden still understood the high price.

The only reason for high price was because it was connected to ancient ruins. Anything related to it was valued very highly, even if it is a small comb.

Some valued it as a collection, whereas some valued it as valuable research material.

The bidding continued.

It finally ended at a staggering 22 million Eras, claimed by one of the VIP guests.

"Sold to Guest 3 for 22 million Eras."

Well, it was obvious.

Who else but VIP could afford to spend so much money on some chairs?

I swear, rich people will spend money on anything.

The next item caught his attention even more so.

This time, it was a small golden-coloured bell with some magical runes carved into its surface.

The auctioneer pointed toward it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce the Bell of Unwanted Guests."

"It is an Elite Rank artifact ."

"This enchanted bell will ring whenever someone you dislike enters a fifty-metre radius around you."

"With this artifact , you will never be caught off guard by an annoying acquaintance … or an unwanted enemy."

That last line changed the atmosphere instantly.

It was ridiculous. But… useful.

Alden thought, looking at the small bell.

This wasn't something just for using as some noble's toy.

It had a practical use.

It could be used against monsters.

For adventurers who slept in dangerous areas like dungeons most of the time, an alarm system like this was priceless.

With this artifact , they won't have to worry about monsters attacking them inside the dungeon.

But still, what's up with that introduction?

The bidding started.

It ended at 1.5 million Eras—purchased by a brown-haired man seated in the lower hall.

It was useful, but many such items were already present in the market.

The auction continued with a few more strange items.

A Hat of Infinite Shade which adjusted itself to always block the sun perfectly.

A Coin of Guaranteed Tails – an enchanted coin that always landed on tails, no matter what.

Each one sold for a good amount of money.

Alden didn't buy anything.

Not like I could afford to waste money anyway.

But the most ridiculous item was something else entirely.

It was a toothpick.

Not just any toothpick.

An indestructible toothpick.

Another item found inside an ancient ruin.

It was crafted from an unknown material and had only one effect – it would always return to the owner's pocket within thirty seconds.

Most importantly, that item was sold for seven million.

I don't know whether to be impressed… or horrified anymore.

Finally after those strange items, something good appeared.

Alden found this item the most interesting until now.

The screen behind the auctioneer changed as a new item was brought forward.

It was a skillbook.

But not just any skillbook.

A B-Rank skill.

Skills were ranked from G-Rank to SS-Rank depending on the dungeon they were found in.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our next item is something truly special," she announced.

"This is Voidheart Manifestation, a B-Rank Skillbook."

Silence.

"It numbs all the emotions of a person, granting them absolute clarity of thought and composure in any situation. Only pure logic remains"

The audience knew its value instantly.

Assassins. Strategists. Warriors.

Any one of them would kill for a skill like this.

Alden found that skill cool as well.

I'm going to buy it.

"The starting bid is 20 million Eras. Let the bidding begin."

Alden exhaled hearing the starting bid.

Never mind.

Way out of my budget.

The price skyrocketed, going past 50 million Eras in mere seconds.

In the end, it was sold for 120 million Eras to an unknown bidder from the VIP section.

Alden could only watch.

Maybe in another life.

But he had no time to think about it.

Because the next item was something he had been waiting for.

A movement technique.

And not just any, but one at the Mythic Rank.

Alden's heart pounded.

This is it.