"You know, it is quite courageous of you to step up like this," said Mary, studying the chameleon. "Or quite stupid. Do you realize that even if I accept your demand, and end this auction early, you’ll be offending quite a few people. I’m not just talking about whoever submitted Helsi into the auction, but also all the people who were trying to bid for her."

"I know," the chameleon said without hesitation. "But I cannot just abandon her like this. This... this wasn’t supposed to happen."

The weight, the depth of his loss could be heard in his last sentence, when he claimed that things weren’t supposed to play out as such.

Mary nodded, as if appreciating the chameleon’s drive.

"Huh, you’re not bad. You’re also quite lucky. The Innkeeper has decided to accept your dispute claim, and Helsi is being removed from auction."

GoatsAreGoated: My man the Innkeeper comes through! Way to look out for the little guys

BobsBurritos: Yeah man, you can’t just go around killing peoples families and selling them online. You’re not a fast food chain!

AnAugustJuly: Is that how the auction ends? It’s nice that the Inn didn’t condone murdering innocent people, but I was looking forward to an intense auction finale. Can we get something else to replace the last item?

DragonBae: To stand before a stronger force for the sake of one’s beliefs is an admirable act, and one deserving of recognition. The chameleon has my respect.

ShadowOfUnknown: GG, if you survive whatever is about to happen next, I’ll buy you a drink. If you don’t, I’ll pour one over your grave.

The chameleon’s expression changed, with equal measure of surprise and relief filling his expression. Yet before he could thank her, Mary continued to talk.

"But you cannot have Helsi’s body just yet. Since there is a dispute, it needs to be handled."

Mary waved her hand, and both the chameleons vanished from the stage. Of course, she didn’t actually do anything herself. It was Lex who teleported them both away to another area.

He also sent Z a message, as the Innkeeper, to go and oversee the dispute resolution between the chameleon, who had as of yet to reveal his own name, and the original contributor of the body.

The reason Lex didn’t do it himself was because he wanted to observe the whole situation, and watch out for any more hidden traps. It would be too much of a coincidence that a system user’s sister was brought to his auction.

Between his own system and the chameleons, the potential for entertainment was too high for there not to be some kind of hidden trouble.

At the same time, he sent some instructions to Mary, as well as the original contributor to Helsi’s body.

The dispute between them would be resolved within the Inn, and a decision about who the body would be handed over to had to be made. If, in the end, the contributor won out, then they would allow the previous bidders on the body to rebid.

Of course, if the chameleon won out, then he could do with the body as he wished. As for the ongoing auction itself...

"Ladies and gents, that was a bit of an unexpected turn, and the ending was very anticlimactic if I do say so myself," said Mary, treating the whole interlude as if it was nothing special. "So, to make up for an incomplete ending, we’ve decided to bring out a single item from the second segment of the auction, and auction it off now. To give the participants enough time to prepare, there will be a ten minute break before that.

"You might all be wondering why everything in the auction so far only had items and treasures for mortals, and scarcely anything that an immortal might find valuable. That’s because the entire second segment is specifically reserved for immortals.

"The treasures, the prices, the stakes, they’re all of a different league. If you feel like you know what to expect, then consider again. Just so you have an idea of what to expect in the second segment, I’ll reveal the next auction item early. Out of the whole lot, it is the most ordinary.

"The next auction item is a single drop of Blood Essence of a Heaven Immortal Dragon. The bidding will begin at the low, low price of 100 billion MP, and each raise must be of at least

10 billion MP."

Mary paused after that, as if to let the audience absorb what she had said. Yes, it was not the mere blood of a Heaven Immortal dragon, which in itself would be enough to cause entire wars between star systems, and centuries of conflict. Nay, this was blood essence!

Yeah, sure, the Inn had taken to using Pelvailin as the proverbial tap for dragon blood, but this time he himself had provided the blood because he wanted some funds.

Besides, the soul was still too weak to control such a strong body, so weakening it was not necessarily a bad thing, at least for now.

Yet, compared to all the treasures that the staff had gathered in Abaddon, and even some of the items provided by private guests for auctioning, that drop of blood essence was the most mundane.

The Inn, however, did not seem to think so.

For a moment, absolute silence covered the entire Inn, for like the billionth time that day. Then came the noise. The disbelief. The awe.

later_mate: Did... did I hear her right? Did she say... blood... blood essence?

SexyPotato: I’ll marry whoever buys me that! Feet pics included *img.*

RevenantLord: Destiny has brought me here, and now I see. The rise of my empire begins from here.

KidsNextDrawer: For the agency, we must get our hands on that blood!

MamaDragon: This is blasphemy! The Dragon King will hear of this!

EnchantedCottonCandy: What the hell is up with that price jump? Sheesh, talk about making me feel broke.

The whole Inn was going crazy. Of course, a certain chameleon, who was waiting for the opposite party to settle his dispute, couldn’t care less about the auction. He simply waited under Z’s watchful eyes.