The price of twenty gold stunned every player in the room.
Nobody who could get into the Black Wing Auction was a nobody, yet even they balked at that number.
Sure, the players here had access to a decent war chest from their guilds, but most of them were looking at ten-odd gold. Even the wealthiest guilds only had a bit over twenty. No one was going to mobilize that kind of capital over two daggers, no matter how insanely overpowered they were. At level fifteen, they could instantly elevate a skilled assassin to top-tier, but they offered virtually nothing for a guild.
Even the ones who could afford it wouldn't blow twenty gold on a pair of daggers.
Once the gavel came down a third time, confirming the buyer, the crowd's shock quickly turned to mockery.
"What an idiot — spending twenty gold on two daggers. Must be trying to suck up to someone big."
"Haha, one less competitor."
"Twenty gold — what a whale!"
Shi Feng paid the twenty gold, collected the two daggers, and the next item went up for auction.
Shadow of the Abyss — one-handed sword, dark-gold rank (upgradeable twice), required level: 20.
Attack: +273.
Strength +30, Agility +25, Stamina +22, Attack Speed +2.
20% chance to deal triple damage. 10% chance to reduce the target's damage output by 20% for 30 seconds. Effects do not stack.
Equipped Skill — Abyssal Might: Attack Speed +100%, Damage +30%, lasts 15 seconds, two-minute cooldown.
In the Divine Realm, weapons and equipment fell into two broad categories: upgradeable and non-upgradeable.
The vast majority of gear could not be upgraded. Only a rare few possessed that capability. Typically, items of epic rank would automatically scale up with the player's level, but below epic, such traits were exceedingly uncommon.
"Upgradeable twice? No wonder it's a premium auction item — it can be boosted all the way to level thirty. A player could use this until forty-five without ever needing a replacement." Shi Feng was quite pleased. He could equip the Shadow of the Abyss the moment he hit level twenty and never have to waste time hunting for another weapon.
The sword wasn't just suited for swordsmen — shield warriors and guardian knights could wield it too. If a tank picked it up, their HP would jump substantially, their damage would spike, and holding aggro would become far more stable. Most importantly, the twenty-percent damage reduction on the target made it an absolute monster for boss fights, which was invaluable for tackling raid dungeons.
Compared to the two gold-rank daggers from before, this dark-gold Shadow of the Abyss was leagues more useful for a guild.
But the reserve price was steep.
Fifteen gold was enough to make most guilds back off on the spot, reduced to helpless spectators.
"That sword is mine! Nobody better try to outbid me!"
"Who the hell are you? The Supremacy guild has its eye on this sword. Anyone who bids against us is asking for trouble!"
"You think you're the only top-tier guild here? We're the Bloody Thirst War God. Anyone who dares to compete — you're dead meat."
…
Because the reserve was so high, and a fierce bidding war could send the price into the stratosphere, the top-tier guilds began issuing warnings to one another, hoping to scare off competition and snag the sword cheap.
"Fools," Shi Feng muttered, shaking his head.
Did they really think only players could buy items here? The reserve was fifteen gold, but in Shi Feng's experience, it would take at least twenty-five to actually secure the lot. Otherwise, an NPC would snatch it up. These first-rate guilds seriously thought a few threats would let them game the system?
As the bidding opened, the price of the Shadow of the Abyss climbed fast.
It hit twenty gold almost instantly.