I've Become the King of Villains in the Game-Chapter 389 - 256: Recruiting New Members (Vote for us this month!)

Chapter 389: Chapter 256: Recruiting New Members (Vote for us this month!)

The elderly man named Malediz had once been a high-ranking official in the Imperial Military and had participated in the second overseas landing campaign.

After enduring the war, he accumulated numerous Merit Points.

Upon retiring, the elderly man was awarded the title of Honorary Marquis, and could be considered among the upper echelons of the Empire’s elite.

At the same time, he had been the direct superior of Pompey and Xibert during the war, and had greatly valued them.

However, due to a military conflict at that time, Pompey and Xibert had a disagreement, which eventually led the former comrades-in-arms to turn against each other, never to interact again for the rest of their lives.

This time, it was because Miss Rey, the granddaughter of Mr. Malediz, had developed some health issues that she sought their help, which brought the two men face to face after many years.

...

“Hmm… let’s forget it, Pompey.”

Malediz said slowly, shaking his head.

“General, although I detest Pompey, I must admit that I also know this young man he speaks of… Mr. Jack indeed has talent. Why not let him have a try? Perhaps…”

With a surprised look from Pompey, Xibert spoke in a deep voice.

But before he could finish, Malediz raised his hand to stop him.

“Enough, no more. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I don’t trust that young man named Jack… The problem with little Rey is mystical, not an ordinary intractable illness.

Moreover, I have already found a method of Healing, which is why we are here today, isn’t it?”

Pompey and Xibert looked regretful but eventually nodded their heads.

Since their old boss disagreed, there was nothing they could do.

They were only responsible for giving suggestions; the final decision still lay with Malediz himself. After all, it concerned the most beloved granddaughter of their former boss; they could understand the need for caution.

“Five hundred and sixty Gold Pounds.”

The man bidding against Chen Lun raised his sign again, sending him a warning look.

Chen Lun smiled slightly.

“Six hundred Gold Pounds.”

His casual words were like those of the bidding nobles just now, not taking this amount of money seriously at all.

The man was a bit annoyed but gritted his teeth and raised his sign.

“Six hundred and ten Gold Pounds!”

He was just an ordinary Transcendent who had stumbled into the Mystic Realm.

The money used for bidding was mostly his family’s inheritance, supporting his stumbling progress, but six hundred and some Gold Pounds was almost his limit.

This left him in great anxiety.

He had to have this auction item because he had been stuck at Sequence Nine for many years, and recently he had encountered danger, being followed by a mysterious person.

He was in desperate need of further Supernatural Knowledge to advance.

But now…

“Six hundred and fifty Gold Pounds.”

Chen Lun, not wanting to increase by increments of ten, directly raised the price to a new level.

The man competing with him clenched his teeth, and with a tremble, he hoisted his sign, his eyes shifting from anger to a touch of pleading as he looked at Chen Lun.

“Six hundred and sixty Gold Pounds…”

His mouth slightly open, he silently mouthed “please” at Chen Lun.

Chen Lun saw it clearly but remained unmoved.

“Seven hundred Gold Pounds.”

He increased the price again.

This time, the man finally backed down, slumping into his chair, his body devoid of strength. His despair and pain were so palpable that even the two dignitaries beside him were taken aback.

They could not understand why someone would be so distraught over just a book.

The other guests did not seem interested in the book, staying out of the fray. Eventually, the auctioneer knocked his small gavel three times, declaring that the Mystic Book, “Keyhole,” belonged to Chen Lun.

‘Actually, this book is already a bit overpriced, considering the general price for Supernatural Knowledge at Sequence Eight. Prices are usually between five and six hundred Gold Pounds… But auctions do tend to go much higher than market price,’ Chen Lun thought.

Glancing around, he noticed the man who had failed to acquire the Mystic Book, leaving dejectedly. Dragging his heavy steps, he headed outside.

Chen Lun thought for a moment, then gestured to a nearby waiter.

The waiter bent down, and Chen Lun whispered a few words in his ear.

The waiter nodded and followed the man.

After calling him back and after a brief exchange, the man glanced back at Chen Lun, a surprised expression on his face.

At the same time, his eyes were filled with hopeful ardor.

‘He’s still a Transcendent Combat Power, after all. Buying his allegiance with a piece of knowledge wouldn’t be a bad choice… There’s still a long way to go for the Circus,’ Chen Lun shook his head slightly.

He had the waiter relay a message that he could give the man a piece of Supernatural Knowledge from Sequence Eight – Locksmith but with conditions.

If he was interested, they could discuss it further after the event.

“The next auction item is a material from the Mystic Realm. Its name is ‘Evening Primrose Dew,’ full of rich fragrance and strong medicinal power. If prepared by a special technique, it can even make the ‘Elixir of All Spirits,’ Healing various diseases,” the auctioneer Yuri described, holding a small vial of clear liquid enticingly in his hand.

“As requested by the client, the starting price is two hundred Gold Pounds, with each increment being no less than five Gold Pounds,” Yuri announced.

Chen Lun chuckled.

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The auctioneer’s words were clearly misleading.

Because many supernatural materials could be made into elixirs that heal diseases, not just the Evening Primrose Dew. But these ordinary people didn’t know that, and even if they were in high positions with power and wealth at their disposal, they mostly only had partial understanding of matters concerning the Mystic Realm.

And even if it was preparation, it required a Transcendent of the related Sequence.

Not just anyone could concoct a Supernatural Elixir.

As expected, the guests were intrigued.

“Two hundred and five Gold Pounds.”

“Two hundred and ten Gold Pounds!”

“Two hundred and twenty-five Gold Pounds.”

“Two hundred and fifty Gold Pounds…”

“…”

The fervent bidding began, causing Chen Lun to shake his head inwardly.

He had only come to buy a set of ritual materials and hadn’t expected to encounter such a situation.

These ordinary notables, even if they won the bid for these materials, wouldn’t find them very useful. They were purely driven by the auctioneer’s provocation of their inner desires.

‘It looks like I’m going to have to spend unnecessary money again…’

Chen Lun thought expressionlessly.

“Five hundred gold pounds.”

At that moment, an elderly voice came from a corner.

Chen Lun glanced over with the corner of his eye and saw it was the old man who had been with Pompey Xibert.

“Five hundred and five gold pounds!”

“Five hundred and twenty gold pounds.”

“Five hundred and thirty gold pounds!”

The sounds of bidding hadn’t ceased, continuing one after another.

The old man’s deep voice spoke again:

“One thousand gold pounds.”

This time, there was a bit of silence.

Chen Lun frowned slightly.

‘This price has already exceeded its value by several times…’

He didn’t quite understand why the old man was so insistent on “Sunset Chrysanthemum Dew.” The man hadn’t bid on anything else before.

It was clear that the old man had come for this item specifically, just like himself.

“One thousand two hundred gold pounds.”

Chen Lun tentatively raised his bidding card.

The others present had stopped bidding, apparently reluctant to spend so much money on ingredients for a so-called “Elixir of All Spirits.”

Although they were wealthy, they were not foolish enough to disregard the value of money.

“One thousand five hundred gold pounds.”

The old man glanced at Chen Lun this time.

Seeing how resolute his opponent was, Chen Lun decided not to continue the struggle.

He silently set down his bidding card.

He had a feeling that if he raised the bid, the other party would surely follow suit. Continuing like this would be endless and needless; there was no point in spending so much unjustifiable money on Sunset Chrysanthemum Dew.

Chen Lun remembered Rosa’s reply from before. All the Sunset Chrysanthemum Dew in the stock of the Silver Dragon Trade Association had been purchased by an old noble from Yellow Iron City.

‘This old man could very well be the noble who cleared out the association’s stock,’ Chen Lun thought.

‘If it really is him, then he must have stockpiled a large amount of Sunset Chrysanthemum Dew. When the auction is over, I shall speak with him… With Viscount Pompey and Mr. Xibert acting as intermediaries, I should be able to try and negotiate for him to sell some to me.’

After he withdrew from the bidding, the Sunset Chrysanthemum Dew naturally fell into the hands of the old man.

There were no more notable items in the auction, so Chen Lun simply left the venue and went outside.

In a secluded corner on the third floor of the market, he located the man who was waiting there.

“Sir! Was that message you sent through the servant earlier true?”

The man appeared very excited.

Chen Lun nodded and chuckled.

“If you agree to my terms, I can give you a piece of Supernatural Knowledge, ‘Sequence Eight – Locksmith,’ for free.”

The man first stalled, then his face showed a mix of conflict and struggle.

He understood that knowledge of such value wouldn’t be offered freely without some stringent conditions.

“Sir, forgive me for not introducing myself earlier, my name is Morey.”

The man took a deep breath to calm his emotions, reached out his hand, and said.

Chen Lun shook it briefly and replied:

“Jack.”

“Mr. Jack, may I ask what your conditions are…?”

“Join my team and work for me,” Chen Lun said bluntly.

The other party was only a Sequence Nine Transcendent. Recruiting him was an impromptu decision for Chen Lun, who did not wish to spend too much effort on this matter.

Morey did not seem surprised, but after a few seconds of silence, he asked:

“May I inquire… what is your team?”

“A Transcendent organization; currently we’re few in number, but we’re all partners who trust each other… However, someone like you who joins temporarily needs to sign a contract with me,”

Chen Lun explained,

“I’m sorry, but it is a precautionary measure. I need to be responsible for the other members.”

Morey’s conflicted gaze intensified, his hands rubbing his face as he appeared to struggle greatly.

“There’s no need to rush your decision. I can give you some time to think… After the event is over, I will stay for another hour,”

Chen Lun spoke indifferently.

Morey took a deep breath and suddenly said:

“Mr. Jack, no… there’s no need to wait any longer. I am willing to join your team and serve you. But may I ask you for a favor in return…? It is also one of the reasons why I so desperately seek Supernatural Knowledge.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it,” Chen Lun said with interest.

“Help me kill someone!”

Morey swallowed hard and spoke solemnly.