Assassin at Range: The Sniper’s Lethal Power

The starting price was once again set at 10 million, and once again, it was Drake who made the first move. But this time, he jumped the price to a whopping 30 million.

BlueMan tried to persuade him: "Drake, while the Tidebreaker Heavy Helm has amazing stats and fits your tanking build perfectly, its required level is 25. By the time you hit that level, even if there's no better equipment available, there will likely be suitable alternatives."

BlueMan's point was clear: there was no need to raise the price by such a huge amount.

Drake waved his hand dismissively and said casually, "No worries. I didn't manage to grab the Guild Token, and my funds are just sitting around. Might as well turn them into real combat power."

He paused for a moment, then spoke with confidence: "Actually, I should tell you the truth. I got a good item that can lower the equipment level requirements by five." Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

That item was also the reason Drake was so confident in bidding for the Bone Crusher's War Hammer earlier. Once he hit level 15, he'd be able to wield that powerful war hammer, and his damage output would skyrocket.

Plus, he had other tank players in his guild to help with boss fights. When leveling, with Sophie, the Holy Fire Priest, around, even without a shield, he'd be just fine.

Upon hearing this, BlueMan couldn't help but feel envious.

An item that lowers the equipment level by five—being able to equip gear earlier than others in the same level bracket was a huge advantage. It was a priceless treasure.

Even Tristan was a little surprised. He hadn't expected Drake to be so lucky. He'd actually found the Master's Token, which was a weaker version of the Proof of the Overlord. The Proof of the Overlord lowered the required level for equipment by 10, while the Master's Token lowered it by five.

It might only be a five-level difference, but the effect was significant.

Drake's announcement only solidified the resolve of the other guild leaders. They couldn't let him walk away with the Tidebreaker Heavy Helm; if he got it, IFA would be even stronger, and their guilds would fall further behind.

Drake had shared that information thinking it would intimidate the other guild leaders into backing down, but it had the opposite effect. If he knew how the others had taken it, he'd probably regret saying anything.

Indeed, the saying "Loose lips sink ships" held true here.

After hearing that Drake could equip items ahead of level requirements, the bidders all ramped up their efforts, bidding aggressively.

Drake immediately felt the pressure, realizing things weren't going as smoothly as he thought. But the more the competition heated up, the more excited he became.

This was exactly what he lived for!

After a few more rounds, the price kept climbing and soon reached 50 million. While this wasn't the limit for the Tidebreaker Heavy Helm, it was already the limit for many of the smaller guilds.

Several of the guild leaders sighed and decided to withdraw.

In the end, only seven people remained in the auction, including Drake and Silent Mystic.

Silent Mystic hadn't won the Bone Crusher's War Hammer earlier, and now she was fully committed to going toe-to-toe with Drake. Especially after hearing about the item that lowered the equipment level, she was determined not to let Drake gain another advantage.

Drake had already secured two Gold Grade items, which boosted his guild's priests significantly, increasing their overall team strength. If Drake also walked away with two Dark Gold Grade items, IFA could very well become the number one guild in ExoGenesis.

The first guild to be created was Blackshade, but since he was a lone wolf player, the guild was always going to be small and elite, recruiting only the best. IFA, however, spanned multiple games and had a wealth of talented players. A little momentum, and they'd be unstoppable.

The resources in ExoGenesis were finite. If IFA took more, the others would have less. Over time, the gap between them would grow.

Silent Mystic's eyes sparkled as she reached out to a few of the guilds that had dropped out, asking for their support in bidding for the Tidebreaker Heavy Helm. In exchange, she promised that the equipment would be shared among them once it was won.

This proposal intrigued several guild leaders, especially since they didn't want to see Drake grow even stronger. They quickly agreed to back her up.

With the new support, Silent Mystic suddenly felt much more confident. She boldly raised the bid: "60 million!"

Drake immediately grew cautious.

This woman wasn't backing down easily. She was out for blood.

But there was no way he was going to let it go. He shot back, raising the bid: "65 million."@@novelbin@@

He bumped it by five million, making it clear he was determined to win.

However, the more aggressive he became, the more the remaining guild leaders began to unite, wary of letting Drake win yet another prize.

Tristan watched the scene unfold from the sidelines, blood pumping with excitement. He almost felt like joining the fray himself.

In the end, he restrained himself.

The truth was, he had no real use for the Tidebreaker Heavy Helm. If it was useful, he wouldn't have put it up for auction in the first place.

Tristan could tell that Drake was now the target of a coordinated attack. Every time he bid, someone immediately outbid him. The message was clear: they didn't want him to get his hands on any more powerful gear.

But knowing Drake, the more he was pushed into a corner, the more determined he became. And with IFA's vast funds at their disposal, they could easily outbid anyone. Even if the price for the Tidebreaker Heavy Helm soared over 100 million, Drake could still afford it.

"Money really can buy anything," Tristan thought.

He actually hoped Drake would win the helm. It was an item that could become a guild heirloom, passed down through generations to build one powerful elite team after another.

Combined together, those teams would make IFA unstoppable.

As the bidding intensified, the situation began to shift. No matter how unwilling the other guild leaders were, they could see that Drake's financial power was too much to overcome.

But it wasn't easy for Drake either. The price for the Tidebreaker Heavy Helm had already surpassed 80 million. The amount was staggering.

At this point, Drake had completely forgotten the original goal. It was now just about who would break first.

Finally, Drake clinched victory with a final bid of 85 million, setting a new record for the highest price ever paid for a single piece of equipment in ExoGenesis.

And that record would stand for a long time—unless an Epic Grade item came along.

"Well done, everyone!" Drake grinned, clearly pleased with his victory.

The other guild leaders, meanwhile, didn't even want to speak. They couldn't believe how much money Drake had. He hadn't even blinked when raising the price.

Where was all this money coming from? Was he just printing it?

It was absurd.

Seeing no further bids, Sophie raised her gavel one last time: "85 million going once, 85 million going twice... 85 million going three times! Congratulations, Drake, for winning the Tidebreaker Heavy Helm!"

Drake held the helm in his hands, admiring it as he ran his fingers over the craftsmanship. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it.

And with the sale of the Tidebreaker Heavy Helm, the total revenue from Tristan's auction surged past 200 million!

In the end, Tristan pocketed over 230 million.

That amount was getting close to the price of a Guild Token.

As the final auction came to a close, Tristan stepped up to the stage, replacing Sophie. He spoke to the crowd with a loud voice: "Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes our auction. Thank you all for your participation!"

The guild leaders applauded, knowing this auction would go down in ExoGenesis history as one of the most memorable events.

And the names of those who participated would be remembered far and wide.

Thinking about it, the guild leaders couldn't help but feel the excitement rising within them.