After a dozen impressive items had been auctioned, one finally caught Ery's eye—the [Domain Traversing Talisman], a tier 7 artifact imbued with potent spatial powers.
This artifact allowed its user to break into another's domain, a highly coveted ability for any magus, and one that could prove invaluable for Ery's mastery over the law of space. Its capabilities intrigued him deeply, not only for its practical use but also for the potential it held to further his spatial comprehension.
When the bidding began at 20 million spirit stones, Ery considered making an early move. However, it beca clear that this talisman was far more popular than he had anticipated.
Within minutes, the price skyrocketed, doubling and tripling as the auction hall filled with competing bids from eager nobles and seasoned magus. Soon, the price had reached a staggering 300 million, making it the most expensive tier 7 artifact of the evening.
Ery sat in contemplation, weighing his options as the numbers continued to climb. He felt the strong temptation to throw everything at securing the talisman. His thoughts raced—he could stretch his funds, sacrifice a future purchase, or maybe even gamble with his next profits to claim it. But even as these thoughts flashed through his mind, he grounded himself.
Was it worth such a price?
But as the bidding frenzy intensified, he realized that many who joined the bid were wealthy Nephilim nobles, individuals who could afford to throw hundreds of millions around simply to flaunt their wealth and gain recognition among their peers. The whole bid seed less about the items and more about flexing status.
Realizing this, Ery eased back into his seat, quietly reminding himself that as much as he desired the talisman, it wasn't worth the astronomical price. Ery chose not to blow all his hard-earned spirit stones on just one artifact. Instead, he resolved to wait patiently, watching as precious item after precious item was snatched up by eager bidders. So of the items sold for staggering sums, with several breaking past the billion spirit stone mark. As the auction progressed, Ery grew more resigned to the idea that he might leave empty-handed. Then, as the auction neared its later stages, a seemingly insignificant item was brought to the stage—a battered and worn-out tier 7 wooden staff.
[Elder Druidic Staff]
Unlike the earlier grand displays of opulent weapons and armor, this staff was in poor condition, its surface chipped and cracked. Even the runes engraved on it were faded, with nearly half of them completely broken. This made the staff, whose main function was to enhance spells or spirit power, almost entirely useless.
The auctioneer, a seasoned master of his craft, pointed out the rare material the staff was made from—[Soulpine], a tier 8 material coveted for its magical properties, potentially used in high-level formations or to craft sothing entirely new.
"Let's start the bidding at 10 million spirit stones!" the auctioneer announced.
As expected, not many seed interested in the decrepit staff. The grander items had already captivated the attention of the wealthier bidders, and to most, the damaged staff seed like a waste of money and effort. Ery had been on the lookout for another nature staff ever since his old one was either destroyed in the celestial battle and his latest one consud by the Elysian tree. Despite its poor condition, the staff intrigued him—if nothing else, the rare [Soulpine] material could potentially serve as a valuable offering to the Elysian tree.
Unfortunatly for Ery, the seasoned auctioneer was still able to stir interest from a few bidders, driving the price up to 60 million spirit stones. Ery, who had initially planned to let it go, found himself making a last-minute decision. He put in a bid for 61 million.
To his surprise, that was enough to secure the winning bid. He had won.
Walking over to the auction desk to make his paynt, Ery almost hesitated, realizing just how much he was about to spend on what looked like a decrepit, broken staff. It was only when he touched it, though, that sothing strange happened.
As soon as his fingers brushed against the wooden surface, he felt a sudden tremor ripple through his domain. His senses flared, his connection to nature montarily heightened to a level he hadn't felt in years.
"What's going on?!" he muttered.
The seemingly useless staff had triggered sothing deep within his core, a strong connection to the Elysian tree. Sensing its importance, Ery left the auction venue, back to his residence to investigate.
Once settled, Ery sat in a lotus position, holding the damaged staff firmly in his hands as he entered his Magus domain. He also called upon Twik, who had proven to be able to communicate with the Elysian tree more clearly.
"Kuang... kuang..."
Twik gently took the staff from Ery's hands, carrying it toward the towering Elysian tree.
Ery braced himself, fully prepared for the possibility that the tree would simply consu the staff, just as it had done with his previous one. Having spent 61 million spirit stones on it, the thought of losing such a sum stung.
But then, sothing unexpected happened.
The mont Twik brought the staff close to the tree, a soft, warm glow began to emanate from the staff's surface. The cracks that had once marred its form slowly started to close as if the staff was being healed by the tree's energy. Runes that had faded almost entirely began to reappear, glowing faintly at first, then gradually becoming more vibrant.
The entire process was srizing, and Ery watched in awe as the staff transford before his eyes, repairing itself in a way he hadn't imagined possible. The once dull and broken artifact now glead with renewed vitality, its wooden fra pulsing with an energy that seed to resonate perfectly with the Elysian tree's aura.
Ery couldn't shake the feeling that the tree might be trying to make ands for having devoured his old staff by helping him with this new one. His initial joy, however, was short-lived. Suddenly, the staff cracked and splintered, breaking apart into fine dust.
"...."
"Are you ssing with ?" disbelief flooded his voice.
As the remnants settled, he noticed sothing glimring among the dust—a needlelike fiber, a rare and precious material often considered the heart of a tree. The realization that such a valuable component had been hidden within the staff astonished him. But even more remarkable was what happened next: through the gathered energy around the Elysian tree, Ery saw how the fibers began to consolidate, coalescing into a solid, light green crystal the size of a coin.
"Ku kuang... Hold it," Twik urged, as the shimring crystal levitated and hovered into Ery's palm.
"What is this?!" Ery asked, both curious and bewildered.
Ery then felt a profound connection.
The presence of the Elysian tree resonated within the crystal, sending a gentle hum of energy that seed to pulse in sync with his own heartbeat. It was as if a fragnt of the tree's essence had been captured within this tiny gem, and Ery instinctively knew that it held imnse potential.
This unexpected developnt sparked a wave of curiosity in him, urging him to find a way to activate the crystal and unlock its secrets.
Ery focused, directing the flow of nature energy from his palm into his nature core. As he did, he felt an effect reminiscent of a nature staff, deepening his connection to the natural world and enhancing his ability to cast even more potent nature spells. A thrill coursed through him at the thought of the possibilities this crystal could offer.
What excited him the most was the realization that by harnessing the power of the crystal, he could summon the very roots of the Elysian tree itself. He envisioned multiple, towering roots erging from the crystal, each imbued with a terrifying strength.
"Let's give it a try!"
With so practice, Ery managed to summon a small portion of the Elysian tree, bending it to his command. However, it wasn't long or high enough to be particularly useful; it rely covered his forearm. With focused intent, Ery shaped it into a unique gauntlet, featuring a single light green crystal set in the center of his palm like a jewel.
Instead of a nature staff, Ery now possessed a distinctive gauntlet, which he decided to call the [Elysian Vembrace].
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