Chapter 1340: Battle of the giants
A Short While Earlier...
"Oh no... Ohhh no!!" Robin clasped his head between his hands, his voice a strained whisper as his eyes widened in disbelief. The verbal inferno between Lord Hedrick and Lord Zaryon was reaching critical mass—each word between them felt like a tremor shaking the very foundation of the hall.
Not long ago, his only worry had been whether his credits would be enough. But that concern had been swept away like a leaf in a storm. The real danger was no longer about the price—it was about survival. How, in all the spiraling heavens, was he supposed to bid against two monsters like these?
Mere minutes ago, the auction had felt manageable. Intense, yes—but still a financial affair. Robin had been confident, even if cautiously so. He remained cloaked and concealed, perfectly hidden among the hundreds of clouded observers, his mask and anonymity shielding him from prying eyes. As long as he remained just a number on a screen, he could participate carefully.
But everything changed the moment the fairy at his side whispered their names.
He’d felt as if something cold and ancient had reached into his chest and gripped his heart with frostbitten fingers. And then came the real horror—the fairy didn’t just tell him who they were... she explained why they were here. What each of them wanted. What was at stake. And how close this auction is to igniting an actual cosmic war.
"I shouldn’t be here... I really shouldn’t be here..." Robin muttered, beads of sweat forming beneath his mask despite the fact that there was no air in this soul-bound realm.
Desperately, he glanced around at the other cloud-seated figures. Maybe—just maybe—one of the other lords or power-holders would step in. A third bidder, a wild card, could fracture the duel into something more manageable. A money fight, a gamble of resources. Something Robin could win.
But no such miracle arrived.
Every other participant sat motionless. Some leaned forward, brows furrowed with intensity, trying to calculate the fallout of the Hedrick-Zaryon conflict. Others leaned back, lips curled in amusement, watching like gleeful arsonists hoping to see the fire spread to the rafters.
"Damn it, no one’s moving! No one wants to toss themselves into the furnace..." Robin pressed his fingers to his forehead until they ached. This feeling... this raw helplessness—it had been centuries since he’d felt like this.