"What are you going to do now?" Asked Daniel to the red carp with curiosity. He was fully aware of the fact that no other living being inhabited the lake, and that the red carp would have to live on its own for who knows how long.
After thinking about it for a few moments, the red car said "The winds are gone.. I will try to turn this wasteland back into the beautiful sea it once was." Its tone was nostalgic, and filled with emotions. He then added "Maybe one day, when everything will go back to how it was, I'll receive company from the deep abyss world."
Daniel would have invited the red carp to join his group, if only it didn't have a clear objective in mind. But instead, from the way the red carp had responded, and from the emotional baggage that those words carried behind them, Daniel could see that those were objectives that the red carp had dreamed of pursuing for a very long time.
With a flick of his wrist, Daniel made a large sphere of water appear in the air.
This large sphere of water contained thousands of different types of fish and aquatic beasts, as well as some aquatic plants. He then took out a few high level water sphere from his spatial ring, and gave them to the red carp.
"I don't know how long before these aquatic beasts will grow enough intelligence to be of company to you, but these spheres will certainly help you out with your objective." Said Daniel with an amiable tone. He really did wish the best for this red carp, which despite its oppressive power and old age, was friendly, curious, and good-willed like most could only hope to be.
Now free from the terrifyingly powerful winds, Daniel opened a portal in space, which hardly could be called portal anymore, and looked more like a giant rift that lead directly into the underwater cave, and right above the lake where the red carp lived.
Once through it, the red carp went back into the dark waters of the cave, and turned to look at Daniel before saying "It's been a pleasure to meet you, humans." Then, he dived deep into the dark waters, and disappeared before Daniel could even respond.
Daniel approached the body of water, and squatted right next to it. He then dipped his fingertips into the water, and sent a wisp of sound essence through the entire body of water. This wisp of sound essence only carried two words.. "Take Care."
—–
The next day, Capital city, Government office.
"Mr. Hiel! It's nice to see you again."
"My pleasure, Governor Lien. I came to visit to ask for something." Said Daniel after sitting on the chair in front of the governor's desk. Next to them, standing near the door, was the middle aged woman that had taken Daniel to meet the governor the first time he had arrived to the capital. Daniel could now recognize the power of this woman at the seventh stage of immortal cultivation.
The governor inched forward while placing his elbows on the desk, and suddenly turning serious "Is it in regards of the antidote for the virus?.. Did you make it?" He asked with a low tone. He was the person in charge of the safety of the planetary government, and to him, for Daniel to fulfill his promise and to find a cure for the virus of the Transparent Thorn Elder, was extremely important.
Daniel smiled at the politician that looked at him as if he was a fat piece of meat, and simply said "No.." He immediately noticed that the enthusiasm on the face of the governor dim greatly, and before it could disappear completely, Daniel added "It's about something better."
The brows of the governor rose in interest, as he asked "Ohh.. ask away then!"
—–
The next day, Daniel was walking alone in the usually lively marketplace inside his company building. There was nobody there that day, as the entrance to his pocket dimension had been denied to anybody who hadn't received an invitation to spectate the auction that would take place in a couple of hours. Only the owner of the restaurants had been allowed to work that night.
In a matter of minutes, Daniel arrived in front of a big metallic gate, above which a massive white banner could be seen waving thanks to an artificially constructed wind. Depicted on this banner, was a simple golden scale, and aside from a golden-threaded outline, there was nothing else on it. Past this gate, was a garden path made out of pearly white stone, and at the end of this path, was an impressively large building, which in size, reminded people more about the massive stadium in which the collective had held the games, than a common auction house.
This auction house had a peculiar shape, and didn't look like anything that Daniel had ever seen before. The exterior of this building appeared like a massive globe made out of glass, from which it could not be seen through, and which had been flattened to a point where it reminded the shape of an upside dish placed precisely above another dish.
This large disk of glass was supported by massive constructions of stone, which kept it perfectly in place. Placed all around it in various circular formations, were numerous light spheres that kept the area well illuminated despite the general setting of this floor of the building had been set to night time.
All around the building, was a large grassy garden, with numerous different trees and benches on which people sat in wait for the event to start.
Daniel quickly recognized a few people in the area, and in order to avoid them, he directly teleported into the building, appearing right in the middle of the stage. There, he got what he would have described for years as 'a peek inside Alis's mind'.
The chairs, the private booths, the very stage, and even the counter were made in such a manner, that if it hadn't been for Daniel's comprehension of essence, he could not have recognized from which material they had been made of. Despite the oddness of their shapes, he could not deny that they gave him a feeling of class, and odd fineness in their simplicity.
"Do you like it?" Asked a silvery voice which Daniel hadn't heard in awhile.
"It's definitely unlike any other auction house I've seen." Responded Daniel while turning to look at Alesia, and Ligart, which was walking right next to her. "It looks beautiful." He then added.
Satisfied by Daniel's reaction, Alis smiled brightly "Great.. My job is done here then, I'll let you handle jumpy here.. I've had enough of him for a single day." She said while looking at a visibly nervous Ligart, before turning around, and leaving through one of the exits placed in between the stands around the stage.
"Ha.. haha.. She is joking.. I am not nervous.." Said Ligart anxiously, as big droplets of sweat ran down his sideburns. He was clearly lying, and Daniel was fully aware of it.
"It's not like you to be nervous about talking to people." Said Daniel before giving him a sound slap on both sides of his shoulders, and shaking him off of his nervousness with a hint of pain. "You can do it. Just present the items, and when you get to the end, present me and I'll come and take it up from there."
Ligart took two deep breaths while brushing his sore arms, then, clearly calmer than before, he nodded at Daniel, and said "Okay, I can do it.. I can do it." He then turned around, and followed Alis in one of the passages around the stage.
".. And change your clothes! Hehe.." Said Daniel out loud as he saw the wet stain that covered Ligart's back. He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of one of his most extroverted friends suffering from stage anxiety.
He then walked towards the entrance of the auction hall.
Waiting for him behind the counter placed right next to the massive double door, were a beautiful twenty years old girl, and a handsome young man of around the same age. These two people were two members of Daniel's group, which after asking to be of help to the group, were offered the role of welcoming people into the hall, as well as handing over the rings which contained the money that the participants of the auction had allowed them to control before being allowed in.
Daniel had decided to handle the event exactly how he would handle the academy in the future. Only people which had received an invitation, along with two early-approved people could join for each group, and their funds had to be handed over to a representant of Daniel's bank, so that it could be verified that only money and goods were being taken in, and that no army or potentially lethal weapon was hidden into their spatial rings.
"What time is it?" Asked Daniel to the handsome, and well dressed young man.
The young man quickly tried to check for the time on his clock, but the beautiful young girl next to him beat him to it, and said "It's one minute to nine.. Should we open up?" She then asked with expectation.
These two young people had spent the past couple of years working for Daniel's group, and just like everybody else, they had hardly met him in person. But due to the massive changes that being in his group brought, as well as being able to be part of a group that was devoted to doing good, was enough of a reason for the majority of the members of his group to idolize Daniel.
Daniel quickly noticed that the young man was much more nervous than the young girl was, so, he turned towards him, and said "Don't be nervous. These people will come thinking that they are better than us, but they'll leave hoping for us to have noticed them." He then turned towards the much calmer girl, and asked while looking at the large door "Maya, correct?"
"Yes!" She said as a bright smile appeared on her face, and before sending a slightly smug grin at her co-worker. She was clearly extremely happy about the fact that Daniel knew her name.
"You welcome the people in, while Zeb will hand their belongings to them." Said Daniel casually, making the smug grin on Maya's face disappear, while also lifting Zeb's morale up a notch.
For a few moments Daniel quietened down, and at exactly nine, he turned towards Maya, and said "Now."
Maya quickly walked around the counter, and after approaching the large double door, she turned around to look at Daniel, which had quietly disappeared from where he was standing. "You'll do great." Were the words that reached the ears of the two young people, before she took a deep breath, and finally opened the doors.
Standing by the sides of the large double door, were four middle aged men in white armor. Anyone that looked at these people when they wore their usual attire, would recognize them as guards under the employment of the government.
Their presence was part of the favor which Daniel had asked to the governor.
Maya graciously walked out of the double door, and with a voice powerful enough to reach every corner of the garden, she said "The Auction will commence in two hours. The guests are welcome to enter and take their seats. Don't forget to stop to the reception to withdraw your funds." She then bowed politely, and walked back in.
In an relatively large warehouse placed underground, were the numerous objects that would be put for auction during that night, along with their names, a brief history of the objects, and their starting price.
This many objects included ancient weapons, numerous alchemical items, various types of tomes which contained skills and arts, and finally, a small box which contained a single dull, grey pill.
Ligart was pacing back and forth in between these objects, while reading once again the various descriptions, and trying to commit them to memory.
