Building Interstellar Empire With Universal Synthesis

"Holy hell! 200 million?"

​The crowd gasped at the astronomical starting price, but a sharp voice immediately cut through the murmurs.

​"210 million!" a man shouted, adjusting his designer silk blazer. He stood next to a woman draped in shimmering furs who nodded approvingly.

​"220!" a rival bidder countered from the other side of the circle.

​The couple didn’t hesitate. "250," the man said with casual arrogance.

​"260!" the rival snapped back, his face reddening as he checked his digital wallet.

​The woman beside the first man leaned in coquettishly. "Honey, I need that ring for our trip to the Nebula Sector. Imagine the shopping we could fit in there."

​The man smiled and raised his hand again. "300 million!"

​The rival bidders gave up, thinking the price had gone too high for a spatial ring. The auctioneer clapped. "Is there any brave warrior who would like to bid?"

​No one responded. The auctioneer sighed and began to call it off.

​"300 million going once... 300 million going twice..."

​The couple exchanged a hug, thinking they had already won. However, just then, a voice from behind them shattered their daydream.

​"310 million!"

​Everyone’s eyes turned at once. As the path cleared instinctively to make way, a young man with striking dark hair stepped in.

He was taller than most, his face unreadable and his posture relaxed.

It was as if he had come here for a stroll rather than to bid for a hundreds of million-dollar item. His casual jeans and shirt also made him appear very ordinary, unlike the others who wore fancy clothes.

The man in the silk blazer scoffed, looking Neo up and down with blatant disdain.

​"You? Boy, do you even know how many zeros are in 300 million?" .

His partner laughed. "Hehe, he’s probably some street rat looking for attention. Look at those clothes!"

​Neo remained unfazed, "320 Million," he said, shocking the couple’s glee.

"Litle punk, you want to fight? Fine, my husband will show you," the woman shrilled.

Not wanting to disappoint his wife, the man raised his hand.

"350!"

Neo bid, "351!" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Teeth clenched, the man bid again, "360!"

Once again Neo increased the amount by 1 million.

"361!"

The couple scowled openly.

Each time the couple raised the price, Neo countered with 1 million extra, making the couple angrier.

The surrounding crowd went silent, sensing the growing hostility.

Neo, of course had no intention of creating new enemies. He just wanted that Spatial Ring.

But, others were not as understanding as him.

​"380 million!" the man yelled, his face now a deep shade of purple.

He stepped toward Neo, trying to use his height to intimidate him.

"Back off, kid. You’re playing in a league you don’t belong in."

​Neo didn’t blink. "400 million."

He didn’t even look at the man.

"Damn! This kid is fierce!

"Who is he?"

"Don’t know. Never seen him here before."

"Haha, I like it. He’s giving that jackass couple some run for their money!"

Hearing the comments, the woman’s face contorted with rage.

"This is a joke! He’s a fraud!" She turned to the auctioneer, pointing a trembling finger at Neo.

"Mr. Del, I demand a balance check! There is no way this peasant has 400 million dollars. He’s sabotaging the auction!"

​The man also stepped up beside her, "My wife is right. Check his account now. If he can’t pay, I want him removed and banned from Delta Square."

​The auctioneer, Mr. Del looked between the furious couple and the silent young man. He knew well that appearances could be deceiving.

​"Young guest, if you don’t mind, could you please provide us with proof of your funds?" he asked cautiously.

​The couple smiled, feeling they were about to witness a humiliating show. However, things did not go as they planned.

​Neo casually threw one bar of dark adamantite to the experienced auctioneer. Before the auctioneer could even speak, his eyes widened. That dark color, that sleek texture, and that density told him exactly what it was before he even touched it.

​Once he caught the bar, his hands started trembling.

​"This—this... Where did you get this?" he echoed, his voice shaky.

​The couple grew annoyed, lacking the eye to identify the valuable treasure.

​"What are you getting all excited for, Mr. Del? Isn’t it just a bar of shiny trinket? Throw him out immediately!"

The crowd also thought the auctioneer was overreacting.

​"Shut up!" the auctioneer barked, his eyes mad with fervor. "Do you know what this is? This is called Dark Adamantite. This single piece is worth billions."

​"Billions?" The amount shocked everyone, not just the couple.

​"Impossible! How can this poor bum have such rare material? He must have stolen it from somewhere!" the man said, unwilling to admit defeat.

​"Exactly. Arrest him! He is a thief and an arrogant bastard!" the woman added in a shrill voice.

​As soon as she said the word "bastard," it happened.

​Slash!

​Her left arm was cut off, blood spraying into the air. When she registered the burning pain on her severed limb, she let out a horrific scream. "Ahhhhh!"

​Her husband was stunned. The crowd was stunned. Even the auctioneer looked as if he had swallowed an egg.

​Neo just threw a shiny pill to the stunned man, saying coldly, "Remember, I hate that word."

​The man’s eyes clouded with a fear he had never known. Without delay, he scrambled to his wife’s side and fed her the pill.

As soon as the pill dissolved inside her stomach, the severed arm began to regrow at a rapid speed.

From tiny infant stage to the adult phase, it took only a few seconds.

​They realized what this meant.

As such, all of them took a step backward, while the auctioneer looked at Neo as if he were watching a God of Wealth.

​"300 million going once, twice... Final! This Spatial Ring belongs to this handsome young man."

​Clap. Clap. Clap.

​The crowd clapped in sync instinctively, as if it were woven into their very being to praise superiority.

As for Neo? He finally got what he wanted.