Nameless King

Wain drained the jug of wine, and all that was left of the massive piece of meat was a bone. He was fed and satisfied.

"What's next?"

"It's up to you. You can stay with me for a while if you want, but you visited Nord, for a purpose. Right?" Ern muttered.

"Yes." Wain nodded, "I came here because of the auction. It's supposed to start tonight, and I want to buy something. I'm sure you know about it."

"Of course, every Demon in Nord who has at least a few thousand Void Souls will attend tonight's auction, but are you sure you can get in?"

"Hmm? Is there a problem with that?" Wain was puzzled. He didn't understand what could have prevented him from getting to such a large-scale auction.

"Don't forget where you are. This is Demon City, and even auctions have special rules. The auction will be massive, but there will only be three hundred seats, and that's not all. The auction will be held in two stages, and the second stage will show the most valuable and expensive lots. There are only fifty places for the second stage."

"Understandably, given the size of the city, three hundred people is very small, but fifty...that's crazy. How do I become one of the bidders in the auction? Do I have to have a certain amount of money?"

"Yes, a minimum of five thousand Void Souls, but that's not the basic requirement. You have to prove your strength."

"Do I have to fight again?"

"Not exactly. There will be a small contest of two contests four hours before the auction begins. First, you'll just have to hit a special slab with all your might, the bigger the number, the better. In this way, 1,200 people will be chosen."

"Then there will be two stages of arm wrestling, which leaves three hundred people. It's pretty simple. I don't know how the fifty people for the secret auction will be selected, the terms are not disclosed." Ern explained.

"Huh, first I had to fist fight to get into town, and now I have to win a mini arm wrestling tournament to get into the auction. I don't even know if I like it or not, but it sure is unusual."

"If you want to stay in Nord, you'll have to get used to it. There's combat in almost every aspect of Demon life."

"Ern, will you go to the auction?"

"Obviously, I'm curious what lots will be presented there. It's the first such major auction since the merger of worlds. I can't miss such an important event."

"Then let's go together. I hope we don't have to fight each other."

"Good, that's what I was going to suggest to you."

It was about eight hours before the auction began, so Ern and Wain had another four hours. They spent that time talking to each other. Mostly Wain asked various questions about Demons and Nord, and Ern answered them at length.

Ern learned a little more about the humans. He was glad he was the one who got the opportunity. Like the other Demons, he had an affinity for the humans and their unique history.

"What do you do?" Wain asked. He was sure Ern was an influential man, given his role in the arena.

"Nothing worth mentioning. I'm just a simple blacksmith." Ern said calmly, shaking his hand.

'Blacksmith...' Wain had completely forgotten that the Demons were known for their warlike nature and for being the best blacksmiths.

"This is the first time I've met a blacksmith. I'd like to see how you work."

Wain decided to try to recruit Ern to his team. He understood that Ern would not move into his Void like Edena and Lui Bu did, but he just needed a blacksmith he knew.

"Sure, no problem." Ern looked at his watch, "But next time. We've got to get to the preliminaries and the auction."

Wain nodded.

...

Ern knew the city well, and they quickly made their way to the auction site. It was a huge building resembling a dark, abandoned castle in the city's eastern part.

A large crowd had already gathered in front of the entrance to the castle grounds waiting for the trials to begin.

"Who's setting up the auction?"

"The town government. They've gone to great lengths to organize this auction. As far as I know, the lots will be both new treasures found in this world and old ones that have had noble families for a long time, and they have decided to sell them. Besides that, I'm sure there will be many different surprises waiting for us."

Crackle.

A few minutes later, the massive gates opened, and a group of people came out into the crowd. A tall man with white skin, blue hair, and one long horn walked ahead.

"Hello. I want to thank you all for coming here. We're glad that so many people are interested in the auction. Unfortunately, only three hundred of you will be able to attend the auction, and we will decide who it will be right now!"

"Please enter the auction house grounds, divide into several columns and follow the attendants." The man said and headed toward the castle.

There were several thousand people in all in the square, and only one in thirty of them would be able to get into the auction.

"Is that the head of the town?" Wain asked.

"No, but I know who it is. He's a very responsible and serious person, which is good because now I'm sure the auction will go well."

The three thousand bidders were divided into six columns of five hundred people each. Among them were not only Demons but also representatives of many other races. Many strong warriors and travelers could not avoid this auction and came here to show what they were capable of.

"Alright, now I will explain how the selection process will go." The White Demon pointed to the massive slabs behind him, "You will take turns coming up and hitting the slabs. Each of you will have three tries to give your best score. My assistants will write everything down, and at the end, we will make an overall rating. For better understanding, I will demonstrate to you."

The White Demon turned around and walked over to one of the slabs hanging from the massive pillars in front of the castle.