Crestmoore pulsed like a living beast, its cobblestone streets choked with every race from Aeneria's farthest reaches, drawn by the Starveil Auction House's legendary call. Draconians, scales glinting like molten Aurorium, barked offers for Zenoite ingots, their Fire Qi sizzling the air. Gnome tinkerers, Lightning Qi sparking from wiry beards, peddled whirring gadgets, dodging beastkin mercenaries whose fur rippled with predatory menace. Merrow traders wove Water Qi mists to cool their pearl-laden stalls, while orc smiths roared over blade prices, their hammers crackling with Lightning Qi. Night Elves, cloaked in Mist Shadow, slipped through alleys, eyeing rare loot, while Day Elves, their Crystal Qi staves glowing, haggled with haughty grace. Even a few Ether Nomads, their Nature Qi trailing like verdant mist, bartered for herbs. Cultivators of all ranks—Beginner Novice to Heavenly Lord—crowded the city, some soaring overhead on glowing flight arrays, their Middle Great Legend cultivation a testament to their power.
The air buzzed with Basic Elements like Fire and Water, Advanced Elements like Ice and Lava, and rare Legendary Elements like Star and Light, though none dared flaunt the forbidden Chaos or Ether.The Starveil Auction House, a marble fortress with crystal spires piercing the night, capped attendance at 500 elite bidders, its Formation Guild arrays barring the thousands swarming Crestmoore's markets and taverns.
Killyaen, the qi-blind elf cursed by N'Nazmuz, felt the 30 kg pressure slowing his steps, each footfall cracking the stone faintly as his stamina drained. His groin guard, etched with "Supreme Sword Sleeps Here," drew smirks, but his scavenging greed burned hotter than a Lava Dragon's breath. Varkoth, his Peak Scholar Darkness Basilisk Emperor, coiled as a Shadowveil bracer, hissed silently, his unscannable aura unnerving passersby. Killyaen swaggered through the crowd, his gold-flecked eyes scanning for curves and coin, his provocative narration lusting over absent allies. "Bera's blazing hips, Tira's tattooed canyon, Lila's Zenoite cliffs—damn, they'd kill me for staring at this merrow's tidal curves," he muttered, dodging a Water Qi splash from a barmaid after a crude wink.
Before the auction, Killyaen shoved through the throng to Crestmoore's Forge District, a smoky maze of clanging anvils and glowing forges. Tharok Ironvein, the grizzled Dwarven blacksmith, stood at his anvil, his Peak Master Earth Qi grounding the forge's heat. "Yer Pyroclast dual swords are good as new, elf," Tharok rumbled, handing over the gleaming blades, their Fire Qi edges sharp enough to cleave a Zenoite Krovar. Killyaen, his curse weighing heavy, grinned despite the strain. "Tharok, you're a bloody legend. Roen's claymore trashed these, but they're sharper than Tira's tongue now." He tossed 50 Level 3 Spirit Stones for the repair, his spatial ring lighter but his greed sated. Tharok chuckled, waving him off. "Get to the auction, prankster, before yer girls roast ye for spending."
At the Beast Tamer Guild, Killyaen checked on Stinky, his Peak Novice Earth beetle, now the size of a human head, his jade-green shell pulsing with raw power. Elder Korn, a Peak Scholar Wood cultivator, tossed Crystal Worm dung into a reinforced pen, muttering, "He's too big for anything but a pen now, elf. Needs more dung to hit Expert." Stinky headbutted the bars, sparking laughter from beastkin tamers. Varkoth, jealous, snapped at smoked Gromble meat from his Shadowveil pouch, hissing "fleshling pest" through spiritual sense. Killyaen dropped 30 Level 1 Spirit Stones for extra dung, boasting, "Stinky's my empire's cornerstone, outshining Bera's fiery melons!" The guild buzzed with tales of his "beetle legend," amplifying his fame.
Inside the Starveil Auction House, Luminous Crystal chandeliers cast rainbows over velvet seats, the air thick with auras from Heavenly Lords to Beginner Novices. Draconian princes in Lavastone armor, Night Elf spies cloaked in Shadowveil, and gnome tycoons sparking Lightning Qi filled the hall. Killyaen lounged alone in a VIP booth, secured by Vynix Sparkforge, a Peak Master Lightning gnome bribed with 20 Level 3 Spirit Stones. Vynix had whispered earlier, "Yer items are finale-bound, elf. Star Claymore, Roen's Beast Core, saber teeth, and that Crystal Orchid—prices'll shatter the vault." Killyaen, unaware anyone knew his items were on offer, grinned, his curse cracking the booth's floor. "Good. Let's bleed these bastards dry."
The auction kicked off with a Fire-etched Warhammer, Rare-grade, Fire Qi, 50 Level 4 Spirit Stones. A draconian smith bid 60, countered by a Greenskin Orc at 70, their Nature Qi flaring. The hammer's flames scorched the platform, settling at 85 Level 4 Spirit Stones for the orc. A Moonstone Amulet, Uncommon-grade, Wood Qi, 30 Level 3 Spirit Stones, sparked a duel between a merrow priestess and a gnome alchemist. The priestess's Water Qi clashed with the gnome's sparks, ending at 50 Level 3 Spirit Stones for the gnome.
A Shadowveil Cloak, Legendary-grade, Darkness Qi, 20 Level 6 Spirit Stones, went to a Night Elf for 40 Level 6 Spirit Stones after a tense bid war. Killyaen's cackle echoed, his curse slowing his gestures but not his grin.A Starbloom Scepter, Legendary-grade, Star Qi, 15 Level 6 Spirit Stones, drew a beastkin chieftain and a Day Elf mage, their Light Qi clashing. The elf won at 28 Level 6 Spirit Stones, her staff blazing. A Crystal Wyrm Scale Armor, Rare-grade, Crystal Qi, 100 Level 4 Spirit Stones, fetched 160 Level 4 Spirit Stones from a draconian knight, its shimmer reminding Killyaen of his sold Wyrm loot. A Luminous Crystal Orb, Rare-grade, Light Qi, 25 Level 5 Spirit Stones, went to a merrow sorceress for 45 Level 5 Spirit Stones after outbidding a gnome tycoon. A Thunderstrike Gauntlet, Rare-grade, Lightning Qi, 80 Level 4 Spirit Stones, sold to an orc shaman for 110 Level 4 Spirit Stones, its sparks crackling.
Killyaen's earlier items hit the block next. The Ice Wolf pelts, Uncommon-grade, Ice Qi, 150 Level 3 Spirit Stones, drew a merrow trader and a beastkin hunter, settling at 210 Level 3 Spirit Stones for the hunter. The Glowvine bulb, Uncommon-grade, Wood Qi, 150 Level 3 Spirit Stones, sparked a gnome trickster and an orc shaman, ending at 190 Level 3 Spirit Stones for the gnome's "prank traps." The Zenoite shards, Uncommon-grade, Earth Qi, 150 Level 3 Spirit Stones, soared to 230 Level 3 Spirit Stones, won by a draconian forgemaster.
Killyaen's eyes locked on a Lunargent Veil, Legendary-grade, Mist Shadow Qi, 50 Level 6 Spirit Stones. Its shimmering folds promised stealth beyond his Shadowveil pouch, perfect for pranks or dodging Bera's fireballs. His fingers twitched, greed flaring, but the thought of his girls' wrath stopped him. "Tira'd singe my braid, Lila'd bury me, and Bera? She'd melt my groin guard," he groaned, passing on the bid.
Instead, he focused on a Starforged Tunic, Rare-grade, Star Qi, 10 Level 6 Spirit Stones. Its radiant threads could bolster his non-Qi combat, and his scavenging instinct screamed to claim it. He bid 15 Level 6 Spirit Stones, outpacing a beastkin chieftain, and snagged it at 20 Level 6 Spirit Stones, his grin wide despite the curse's weight.
The finale arrived, the hall hushing as the auctioneer unveiled Killyaen's Star Claymore, Rare-grade, Star Qi, 20 Level 6 Spirit Stones. A Day Elf bid 25, countered by a draconian prince at 30. The elf pushed to 40 Level 6 Spirit Stones, winning with a radiant flare. Roen's Beast Core, Rare-grade, Fire Qi, 50 Level 4 Spirit Stones, drew a merrow alchemist and a beastkin chieftain, settling at 80 Level 4 Spirit Stones for the alchemist. Roen's saber teeth, Rare-grade, Fire Qi, 15 Level 5 Spirit Stones each, sparked a Night Elf and an orc warlord, ending at 30 Level 5 Spirit Stones each for the Night Elf.
The Crystal Orchid, Legendary-grade, Crystal Qi, closed the show, its radiant petals pulsing with ancient power. "A relic of primordial groves, unmatched in alchemy or arrays," the auctioneer boomed, setting the bid at 10 Level 6 Spirit Stones due to its rarity. The crowd gasped. A merrow alchemist opened at 10, countered by a draconian prince at 15. A Day Elf mage, Crystal Qi glowing, bid 20 Level 6 Spirit Stones. A Night Elf, Mist Shadow Qi swirling, raised to 30, chilling the air. The merrow offered 40 Level 6 Spirit Stones plus a Water Qi Orb, Uncommon-grade, 20 Level 4 Spirit Stones. The Day Elf countered with 50 Level 6 Spirit Stones and a Starbloom Sprig, Rare-grade, 30 Level 4 Spirit Stones. The Night Elf bid 70 Level 6 Spirit Stones, sparking roars. The auctioneer, sensing history, extended the bidding. A gnome tycoon shocked all with 80 Level 6 Spirit Stones and a Luminous Crystal, Rare-grade, 50 Level 4 Spirit Stones. The Night Elf, enraged, bid 100 Level 6 Spirit Stones. The merrow pushed to 110 Level 6 Spirit Stones plus two Moonstone Amulets, Uncommon-grade, 60 Level 4 Spirit Stones. The Day Elf, trembling, offered 120 Level 6 Spirit Stones, her spatial ring emptying. The Night Elf, unyielding, bid 150 Level 6 Spirit Stones, adding a Shadowveil Cloak, Legendary-grade, 35 Level 6 Spirit Stones. The crowd held its breath as the merrow and Day Elf bowed out. The Night Elf won at 150 Level 6 Spirit Stones, the Orchid's value soaring to the heavens, cementing Killyaen's hidden legend.
As the auction ended, Vynix Sparkforge slipped into Killyaen's VIP booth, his Lightning Qi beard crackling. He carried three spatial rings, each gleaming faintly. "Yer haul, elf," Vynix said, tossing them over. Killyaen checked each: one held his auction earnings—150 Level 6, 60 Level 5, 80 Level 4, and 630 Level 3 Spirit Stones from the Ice Wolf pelts, Glowvine, Zenoite shards, Star Claymore, Roen's Beast Core, saber teeth, and Crystal Orchid. Another contained the Shadowveil Cloak, Legendary-grade, Darkness Qi, its folds shimmering with concealment power. The third held the Starforged Tunic, Rare-grade, Star Qi, its radiant threads pulsing faintly. Killyaen stashed all three rings in his own spatial ring, his curse weighing on his movements but not his grin. "Vynix, you're sharper than a Zenoite blade. Pleasure doing chaos with you." He tossed the gnome a single Level 5 Spirit Stone, which Vynix caught with a spark-fueled wink before vanishing into the crowd.
Alone in the booth, Killyaen donned the Starforged Tunic, its Star Qi threads glinting under the chandeliers. The curse's 30 kg pressure made adjusting it a chore, but its radiance boosted his confidence.
At The Iron Bloom, he swaggered in, the tavern's crowd gawking at his new tunic. "Behold the Supreme Elf, draped in starlight!" he boasted, dodging a thrown mug as the crowd roared. None knew what he'd sold, but his new tunic sparked whispers of his wealth. He toasted alone, his provocative narration flaring. "Bera's blazing melons, Tira's tattooed canyon, Lila's Zenoite cliffs—they'd roast me for this tunic, but damn, I look good." Varkoth hissed "lusty fleshling" from his Shadowveil bracer, and Killyaen cackled, boasting of Stinky's pen-bound glory at the Beast Tamer Guild. The curse scarred the tavern floor, but his masochistic laugh echoed, his wealth unmatched.
The tavern roared, betting on Stinky's next fight, as Crestmoore's streets pulsed with the Supreme Elf's legend.