Hitman with a Badass System

The Alistair family, frustrated and determined to claim the liquid armor, shouted across the auction hall at the Blacksmith Guild pavilion. They directed their words at Rurik, mistakenly assuming that the one bidding from within was a blacksmith.

"You there, blacksmith! Do the right thing and let go of the armor! It belongs in noble hands!"

Little did they know that it was Raphael, not Rurik, who had been relentlessly raising the bid.

Other noble families, not wanting to be outdone or bullied by House Alistair, chimed in, rebuking their audacity.

"Who do they think they are, trying to dictate who gets the armor?"

"They're just scared that they won't be the ones to claim it!"

Amidst the tense exchange, Rurik responded with a jovial remark, attempting to diffuse the tension with humor. 

"Well, if you're offering to buy me a drink after I let go of the armor, maybe we can talk!"

His lighthearted comment drew a few chuckles from the crowd, momentarily breaking the tension in the hall. However, the bidding war continued unabated as noble families persisted in their pursuit of the liquid armor.

Meenal, ever the adept auctioneer, skillfully diffused the heated argument among the nobles and redirected their focus back to the bidding. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she teased the crowd, 

"Come now, my dear nobles, let's not bicker like children. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Her words had an electrifying effect on the crowd. The idea of securing the rare liquid armor drove them to raise their bids even more enthusiastically, creating a stir of excitement in the auction hall.

Following Raphael's bid of one point four billion, the nobles wasted no time in pushing the price higher:

"One point five billion!"

"One point six billion!"

"One point seven billion!"

The rapid succession of bids showcased the fierce determination of the noble families to possess this unique treasure, and the auction hall buzzed with energy and anticipation.

Raphael continued to raise the bids with a calm and unwavering demeanor, outbidding each noble family in turn. His persistence and deep pockets left the noble families astonished, and their frustration grew with each bid they lost.

As Raphael consistently outbid them, a sense of animosity began to brew among the nobles. They turned their collective ire towards the Blacksmith Guild pavilion, resenting the Blacksmiths who had disrupted their plans to acquire the liquid armor.

Commoners who were watching the spectacle gasped in shock, unable to believe the sheer audacity of the bidding war. The tension in the auction hall was palpable, and the conflict between the nobles and the Blacksmith Guild intensified.

Despite the hostility directed at him, Raphael remained composed and continued to calmly raise the bid:

"One point eight billion."

The noble families, determined not to be outdone, fired back with their own bids:

"Two billion!"

"Two point two billion!"

Soon, the Alistair family, the Kael family, and the Silverbrook family were now locked in a fierce bidding war, each determined to outdo the others in acquiring the liquid armor. Their bids were flying fast and furiously.

"Three billion!"

"Three point five billion!"

"Four billion!"

As the rivalry between these powerful noble families escalated, Raphael, who had been calmly observing, finally spoke up in a nonchalant tone. He seemed to grow weary of the drawn-out competition.

"You know, I'm getting a bit tired of this," Raphael mused casually.

Suddenly, he raised the bid to an astounding ten billion, stunning everyone in the auction hall. Gasps of shock and amazement filled the air as all eyes turned to the Blacksmith Guild pavilion. Even Meenal herself couldn't hide her astonishment at the audacity of the bid.

The abrupt jump from a few billion to ten billion left the noble families reeling, their competitive spirits momentarily crushed by the sheer scale of the bid. The auction hall fell into a hushed silence as they tried to comprehend the magnitude of the offer made by the mysterious bidder from the Blacksmith Guild.

Suddenly, a member of the Kael family attempted to speak, his voice trembling with frustration and disbelief. "Blacksmith Guild you-"

But before he could finish, Raphael once again intervened, his tone nonchalant as ever, as he raised the bid even further.

"Fifteen billion."

The auction hall erupted into a collective gasp of astonishment. The sudden increase in the bid left everyone, including the noble families engaged in the fierce bidding war, utterly stunned.

Michael and Rurik, sitting in the Blacksmith Guild pavilion, exchanged bewildered glances. They couldn't help but be amazed by Raphael's seemingly limitless wealth and his effortless ability to casually raise the bid to astronomical amounts. 

After hearing the last bid, Meenal, her voice tinged with surprise, echoed, "Fifteen billion going once,"

"Sixteen billion." However, the Alistair family was determined to seize the opportunity and swiftly countered with their own bid.

Rurik, seated beside Michael, couldn't help but voice his thoughts. 

"Lad, that armor is undoubtedly remarkable, but it's not worth fifteen billion," he muttered, his disbelief evident in his tone.

Raphael, who had been quietly observing the proceedings, snickered almost as if he found the situation amusing. 

"Twenty billion." With a deliberate motion, he calmly outbid the Alistair family once more

The collective gasp of shock that reverberated through the auction hall was palpable. It was a bid that defied all expectations, leaving both commoners and nobles alike astounded by the unprecedented scale of wealth on display.

The nobles, including members of the Alistair and Kael families, exchanged smirks and suppressed chuckles as they heard Raphael's audacious bid of twenty billion.

"Good luck buying an armor for twenty billion," one noble sneered.

"Seems like someone has more money than sense," another chimed in.

The Alistair family and the Kael family decided to put an end to the escalating bidding war, their pride intact. , 

"We're out." One of them said.

 "I can do this all day. So It's wise to save your coins and face," Raphael, unfazed by their withdrawal, responded with a hint of amusement,

As the noble families ceased bidding, many in the auction hall began to wonder who this arrogant bidder was. They whispered amongst themselves, trying to deduce the identity of the enigmatic figure who had just shattered all previous records for an auction bid.

"It doesn't sound like Rurik," one noble remarked.

"No, it definitely doesn't," another agreed.

Meenal, still in a state of shock over the twenty-billion bid, couldn't help but comment on the extraordinary turn of events with a touch of humor. 

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, I assume no one is going to outbid that," she said with a wry smile.

With no further bids forthcoming, Meenal carried on with the auctioneer's tradition. She began to announce,

"Twenty billion going once..."

As she continued, "Twenty billion going twice..."

The auctioneer's gavel was poised to strike, and the anticipation in the hall was palpable as Meenal reached the climax of the auction. 

"Sold to the gentleman in the Blacksmith Guild." She concluded with a smile,

Meenal couldn't help but express her curiosity about the bidder. "I'll be quite intrigued to meet this person," she mused, a playful tone in her voice. 

"I really hate that the VIP pavilions have those tinted glasses. It prevents me from seeing our mysterious benefactor." She added with a chuckle.

Among the commoners, there were mixed reactions to Raphael's successful bid. Some cursed him for having wealth and seemingly getting everything he desired, while others commented on the power of coins in this world.

"He's got coins, so he gets the beauties," one commoner grumbled.

 "If you have coins, it seems you can have anyone you want." Another remarked,

It took everyone a few moments to come out of the intense bidding war they just expereinced. 

Meenal, still riding the excitement of the intense bidding war, couldn't resist making a comment. 

"Well, that was quite the thrilling bid, wasn't it?" she chuckled. 

"I think I'd like a cooler, less heart-pounding one after this."

With a flick of her wrist, Meenal opened the portal once again. Through it floated a small, glowing metal plate, about the size of a palm. On the surface of the plate, an intricate rune was engraved, emitting a soothing blue light.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, take a look at this. What you're seeing here is a travel rune, specifically used in the Divine Portals." Meenal gestured to the glowing rune on the metal plate.

 "I'm sure many of you are aware of the ongoing war between God Rainar and God Kranar. It's a conflict that has unfortunate repercussions for those living in the affected areas." She adopted a more serious tone.

Then, pausing for a moment, Meenal let the gravity of the situation sink in before she went on. 

"Now, some of you might be wondering what this has to do with our lovely rune here." She asked before answering her own question.

"This travel rune is unique because it can be used in portals that do not have access to Nimbosia, the kingdom of God Rain, Rainar, or Thunderdale, the kingdom of God Lightning, Kranar."

Michael couldn't believe his luck. It just so happened that he was in need of travel runes for the portable portal he had acquired when he explored the rune and met Azazel's recording. The realization made him lean forward in his seat, his eyes fixed on the glowing rune.

"If we can get our hands on that travel rune, we won't need to rely on a divine portal to go back to Nimbosia," Ayag, who always had a knack for seeing opportunities, whispered into his ear.

Michael nodded in agreement. Acquiring such a rune could be a significant asset, giving them more independence in their travels between realms. He was determined not to let this opportunity slip through his fingers.

Suddenly, Raphael, who had been observing the proceedings calmly, let out an ominous chuckle.

 He turned his gaze towards Michael and said in a low voice.

"You should bid on that travel rune to make a swift exit from Goldspire. It will allow me to finish my job without any further delay,"