Chapter 142: The Ultimate Equipment in a Dream

"All proceeds have been tallied," Lei Ming said, displaying the entire haul in the channel.

"The two Death Knight leaders dropped one purple item and two red items—a Nightmare Warhorse mount. The Plague Knight dropped two purple items: a Mark of Death, which is a physical accessory, and Plague Armor, a piece of purple plate mail."

"In addition, there's a Plague Scourge Rune, two purple gemstones, and a Plague Aura skill."

"Before we proceed, everyone will receive a 5-gold subsidy, with an extra 5 gold for tanks and spellcasters. This is coming out of my own pocket and won't be counted against the current haul."

The members of the Thunder squad stepped forward to trade with everyone. Chu Cheng and Fang Xi each received a 10-gold subsidy.

"The subsidies for Feng Lingxing and Fang Xi regarding the Astral Labyrinth will be deducted from the boss loot; I'll distribute those later. For now, let's auction the items."

"I'll post the stats for the two red items in the channel. Starting bid is 15 gold. Anyone interested, place your bids."

As soon as he finished, Chu Cheng immediately sent the message he had prepared: "I want the Death-Tempered Ring, 15 gold."

Someone immediately countered: "Death-Tempered Ring, 16 gold."

He raised his bid again: "Death-Tempered Ring, 17 gold."

"Pass."

Death-Tempered Ring (Red/Rare)
Equipment Type: Ring
Requirement: None
Attributes: Constitution +12, Strength +12, Agility +12
Flavor Text: A primitive ring tempered by the power of death.

The two rings he was currently wearing were still old blue-quality pieces, providing only +2 to Strength and Agility; the difference in stats was far too great.

The other red item was a cloak. Although it was a level 30+ piece, its stats were significantly higher than his current Shunting Cloak, but it lacked special effects and wasn't as useful as the shunting skill provided by his current cape, so he didn't need to replace it.

After the rare items were auctioned off, the two purple gemstones were sold to the Thunder squad for 15 gold each.

Next, Lei Ming posted the Nightmare Warhorse:

Nightmare Warhorse (Purple/Epic)
Equipment Type: Mount
Requirement: Advanced Riding
Mount Health: 30,000
Walking Speed: 300
Gallop Speed: 700
Mount Ability: Burst – Increases gallop speed by 100% for 30 seconds upon activation. Cooldown: 2 hours.
Mount Ability: Sure-footed – Can traverse terrain with inclines of up to 90 degrees.
Mount Ability: Rippling Steps – Can walk on water.
Flavor Text: A nightmare warhorse from the depths of hell.

"An epic-tier mount. Aside from not being able to fly, it's top-tier in every category. The aesthetic is also first-class. Starting bid: 150 gold."

He chuckled. "I'll start the bidding at 150 gold."

"180 gold."

"200 gold."

"220 gold."

Lei Ming, Zhang Chaosheng, Zhou Yufeng, and others all placed bids.

Chu Cheng did not bid. Although he coveted it—the horse was tall and imposing, clad in armor that complemented his own black-and-red scales and keratinous spikes, and its hooves burned with nightmare fire, making it a dream for any man—the timing was poor. While he had enough money to bid, he was currently in a growth phase where his capital requirements were massive; it was impossible to spend hundreds of gold on a vanity mount.

He could only watch as they bid back and forth, eventually seeing Zhang Chaosheng secure it for 265 gold.

"Next item: Mark of Death, a physical damage accessory. Starting bid: 150 gold."

Mark of Death (Epic/Purple)
Equipment Type: Accessory
Requirements: Constitution 150, Strength 150
Attributes: Physical Attack +200
Attribute: Attacks have a chance to trigger the blessing of Death's Power, increasing physical attack by 300 for 20 seconds. Cooldown: 2 minutes.
Flavor Text: Death, harvest!

"Top-tier!"
"A brutal damage accessory."

With a base increase of 200 attack, plus another 300 when Death's Power triggered, it was an incredible boost for Chu Cheng, whose base attack was only around 600.

While he was contemplating this, the price had already been bid up to 300 gold.

Chu Cheng immediately whispered to Fang Xi: "How much money do you have on you?"

"Do you want this accessory?"

"Yes."

"I have 682 gold saved up."

Chu Cheng was stunned. "That much?"

"Yes. In the past, any good items were prioritized for Xu Mingli, and I didn't have many places to spend money."

Right, Xu Mingli was also a spellcaster and the team leader; naturally, the best magic gear went to him first.

"Lend me some later; I'll see if I can win the bid."

"We're teammates. What's mine is yours."

Chu Cheng nodded and called out: "310 gold."

The others glanced at him and bid without hesitation: "315 gold."

"330 gold."

"340 gold."

Chu Cheng countered immediately: "350 gold."

The others were not to be outdone and continued to raise the price. It wasn't until the bid reached 380 gold that people began to drop out, leaving only Chu Cheng and the Thunder squad.

Chu Cheng skipped 390 and bid 400 gold. Lei Ming's teammate hesitated, whispered briefly with Lei Ming, then waved at Chu Cheng. "Pass. This item is yours."

Chu Cheng chuckled and cupped his hands. "Much appreciated!"

The 400-gold trade was completed, and he equipped the Mark of Death immediately. "These stats are incredible!"

Seeing his base attack jump instantly brought a smile to his face. With his attack speed, Death's Power would trigger easily. Once his base attack crossed 1,000, his total burst potential would skyrocket to an extreme level. A piece of gear that fit his build so perfectly could truly trigger a qualitative transformation in his combat strength.

No one was dissatisfied; in a gold-run, money talks, and the highest bidder wins. The Thunder squad had used team funds to outbid others countless times before, so they didn't mind being outbid this time.

"Next item: Plague Aura skill. Starting bid: 50 gold."

Plague Aura (Hero Skill): Consumes 25 Hero Mana to summon a plague aura with a 100-meter radius. Deals negative energy damage equal to 1x the caster's maximum attribute to enemies within range and randomly applies a curse or disease every 15 seconds. Lasts 3 minutes.
Note: Each additional 5 Hero Mana consumed extends the duration by 1 minute.
Requirements: Constitution 200, Spirit 200.

"Hmm."

The group looked at each other, and for a long moment, no one bid. The skill was powerful, as most aura skills were, but it didn't fit most hero classes. It was better suited for Necromancers or Death Knights.

Furthermore, the requirements were taxing, demanding both high Constitution and high Spirit. These were two extremes; those focusing on Constitution usually balanced it with Strength or Agility, rarely Spirit. Additionally, the mana cost was high—25 Hero Mana for 3 minutes, with 5 more for each additional minute. Considering that hero classes below the Transcendent tier only had 100 Hero Mana and recovered only one point per day, the consumption was prohibitive.

It was a strong skill, but a bit of a white elephant.

"No one bidding?" Zhang Chaosheng scanned the crowd. Seeing no reaction, he shrugged. "Alright then."

Lei Ming put the skill scroll away. "If no one wants it, I'll take it for the starting price of 50 gold."

"Fine by me."