Meanwhile, inside the Devil's Jewel Palace, both Anastasia and Adrian were in their rooms, examining the equipment Yuta had given them with calm and careful looks, inspecting every inch of it; After all, Yuta wasn't a completely trustworthy person to them.
In Adrien's room, his eyes were fixed on the jewel of the King of Games' suit, a blue jewel with light green veins, the size of the palm of a small child's hand.
However, Adrian's gaze was not directed towards the jewel alone, rather he was moving his gaze between it and the system window, specifically at the following phrase:
"Sardi, the Master of Rankings, created it in the Beginning Era, the Third Era of the Fourth Era, and bestowed it on his descendant as the beginning of the War of the Paths approached."
According to his memory, there was no such thing; No character called the Master of Classifications appeared, and there were no eras with those names. However, the Game King Suit was already there, but no one was able to use it.
"The Game King's suit was an unusable object; Because it is a tool designed for one person only. This character never appeared, and no one was ever able to buy it, under the pretext that someone bought it for themselves and prevented others from obtaining it."
"But it's in my hands now. However, how will I benefit from it? As far as I remember, in the original run of the game, Adrian Xomias was a minor villain who was initially defeated by the hero and then never appeared again. It doesn't make sense that this is something he would accept, but..."
Adrien's tone of voice was calm as he looked at the jewel, before closing the system screen and placing it on the table.
He tried to remember a character who could use the Game King's Suit in his world, but he couldn't find any character who fit this description.
Then, an expression of shock, realization, and embarrassment appeared on his face; He realized that he had not thought about the fact that he was a player in an absolute zero game.
This meant that he was able to use it, but it seemed illogical at the same time.
How could they put something that no character would be able to use, yet, after looking at everything that had happened over the past months, he realized that something wasn't right going on, but he wasn't sure what it was yet.
Was Absolute Zero just a starting point, or is this a real world? Or is what is happening the result of changes made by someone who entered the game millions of years before its events began?
He carefully picked up the jewel, then placed it on his forehead and began to supply it with his strength.
The gem began to glow with a mixture of blue and green, while sky blue sparks shot out from it and pierced his head, causing him severe pain.
Suddenly, the jewel rushed straight into his mind, making him fall to the ground without being able to do anything. He couldn't even scream, as if his brain had stopped working.
After several minutes had passed, Adrien began to open his eyes very slowly, while the unbearable pain in his head made it extremely difficult to do so.
However, his facial features turned to confusion when he realized where he found himself.
He got up from the ground and walked around a beautiful and strange garden at the same time.
"Strange...but so familiar. "Does this have anything to do with the King of Games suit, or the Ranking Master, or what the hell?"
His tone was calm as he looked around, trying to find the owner of this garden or anything that might clue him into why he came here.
As he was walking around, he noticed a sixteen-year-old young man standing in front of a pool of water, looking at it calmly, with a slight smile on his face that was difficult to determine whether it expressed confidence, comfort, or emptiness.
Adrian turned towards him, and his gaze bore a degree of tension and caution, in addition to his feeling of danger and his desire to know the identity of this person, and whether he was the reason behind his presence here, and why he came to this place in the first place.
He grabbed his shoulder and looked at him with an expression of tension and caution, then asked him:
"Are you the reason I came here, or are you subordinate to him?"
Adrien's tone was questioning as he stared at him.
However, that person's facial expression did not change, which made Adrian even more nervous.
He removed his hand from him, then directed his gaze towards the pond that the person was looking at.
Suddenly, his features turned into shock when he saw his reflection in the water; It was completely different from his current appearance.
His reflection was of a young man in his twenties, with extremely exhausted features, dark circles under his eyes, and a face that bore no desire to live.
On the other side of the pond, the reflection of a sixteen-year-old young man appeared, with dark brown hair, eyes of the same color, and a face full of pimples of varying sizes. However, he seemed more energetic than him.
Adrien turned his gaze back to that person, then sat down on the ground, a slight smile on his face that matched his reflection's smile.
He spoke in a questioning tone, looking at his reflection in the pond:
"You're the master of classifications, it seems, aren't you? However, why did you choose me as your descendant? "I'm just an idiot who can't do anything except cry and hide in his house, play stupid games, watch anime, and read manga, novels, and comics."
That person did not utter a single word as he looked at him.
However, his reflection in the water changed, revealing his true form: a young man with coal-black hair and eyes the same color.
He looked at Adrien for several seconds before speaking in a calm tone:
"Adrian Xomias, why did I choose you as my descendant? Hmmm... I didn't even choose you for the path you're on. There are twelve descendants, including you, and every one of them is worthy. I did not choose you for this reason alone, but because you are all worthy of this role."
"So, it's best to focus on completing the absolute zero game scenarios and continue on your way. In the end, the absolute zero game is not the end of the road, but there are other things waiting for you after that."
Adrien looked at him for several seconds without saying anything, his words were too shocking.
The end of the absolute zero game is only the beginning of what is to come, and on top of that, there are eleven other descendants,Along with entities he knows nothing about.
It was like an iceberg; What he knows is only the visible top of it, while the greater part remains hidden beneath the surface.
However, he was unable to do anything but complete Season 6 and the game's scenarios.
But what benefit will he gain from ending it?
This question was starting to appear in his mind little by little.
The Ranking Master noticed this, a slight smile appeared on his face, and he looked at Adrien for several seconds before speaking in a calm tone:
"You'll know in time. All you have to do is wait, Adrian Xomias..."
He snapped his fingers, then continued his speech in a tone that carried some sarcasm:
"But you have to complete this scenario, otherwise you won't be able to complete the rest."
Adrien didn't say anything, and kept looking at the Ranking Master.
Then he closed his eyes and opened them again, to find himself in his room again, while the system screen was in front of his eyes.
The system's two windows appeared in a color that mixed light blue and sky green.
[Two good passive abilities have been obtained: King of Games and King of Cheaters.]
[A portion of the Ranking Master Jewel, known as the Game King Suit: 1/12, has been collected.]
Adrien fell to the ground again, while looking at the system screen.
He realized that he still needed to search for the other parts of the jewel. After all, there would be not just one classification, but twelve parts, with only eleven more to go.
However, he felt some relief.
As for the King of Games' ability, he knew how it worked from explaining the King of Games' suit, while the King of Cheaters' ability was very simple, but powerful at the same time.
"Can I use my abilities without any conditions, or are they only for video game stories?"
Adrien's tone was calm as he looked up at the ceiling.
The system window appeared in a color that was a mixture of off-white and teal.
[Yes, the King of Game and King of Cheats abilities can only be used in video game stories.]
[Host, would you like to see information about the two abilities? Yes or no?]
Adrien pressed the "No" option, then let out a sigh of relief.
After all, the events of Absolute Zero were also taking place in the First Origin World, making him able to use both abilities in it.
However, he had not learned how to use them yet.
"I haven't learned to use them yet, and using any power without testing it and knowing its side effects will cause me problems while trying to complete the scenario."
His tone was a mixture of exhaustion and firmness.
He got up and headed towards his bed to get some rest in preparation for the first day of the festival.
He wasn't too worried; After all, the scenario would start on the third day of the festival, and as for today and tomorrow, he would just have to use it to prepare.
Meanwhile, Anastasia was sitting in her bedroom meditatively, looking at the items Yuta had given her.
After that, she put it inside her storage ring without saying anything.
Her focus was on her mission of infiltrating the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction during this day and the next.
However, she didn't think much of it; She had to act naturally so as not to draw attention to herself.
She got up and headed towards the balcony overlooking the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction, where people were flocking to reserve their seats.
As for her, she didn't need that; Because she is among the people invited by the auction bosses as guests of honor.
She spoke in a tone of slight sarcasm:
"There are only a few hours left until the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction begins. However, there will not be many problems, after all, this technology has only appeared in the past months, and there is no way they have gained excellent knowledge of it in such a short period of time."
"The tool comes from a future tens of centuries away, while its users still live in the Middle Ages. What is the use of a sword if its bearer is a coward?
After that, she left her room and went out to walk around Yusaki City, hoping to get some information about the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction.
However, she was confident that she would not find important or new information; She had gathered a large amount of information over the past two days she had spent inside Yusaki City, so it was difficult to find something new.
But she didn't care, and continued to wander around the city, hoping to find any information that would help her penetrate the auction easily.
"Very strange... It seems they have succeeded in preventing the leakage of internal information. "The auction leader seems to be a very dangerous person."
Several hours passed without Anastasia being able to obtain any important information about the auction, which made her feel very upset; She was hoping to find something useful, but life had a different view in the end.
I decided to return to the Devil's Jewel Palace to prepare for the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction, as there were only three and a half hours until it started.
Since she was a guest of honor, she had to arrive early.
After an hour and a quarter of wandering around Yusaki City, Anastasia arrived at the Devil's Jewel Palace.
She found Adrien sitting on the couch, browsing the list of items the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction would be offering over the next two days.
I decided to let him do what he was doing; After all, her goal was predetermined, which was to purchase the Sagittarius Ruler's Bow.
It was part of her plan to hack into the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction and get the bow she and Yuta agreed to buy in the morning.
As for Adrian, he was busy looking at the list of items that would be offered at the auction, ignoring Anastasia's entry and going up to the first floor.
He said to himself as he placed the list of materials on the table:
"There will be five rounds, with ten bids in each round. So, the auction will end at four in the morning, that is, in nine hours."
"Which means I have eighteen hours to find a way to hack the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction and end this damned scenario."
He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of extreme annoyance, before summoning the system screen and looking at the ceiling with tired and anxious eyes, fearing an unexpected disaster would occur.
[Game Name: Absolute Zero - Part 1]
[Age rating: 16+]
[Game Type: Romance (Dating) - Fighting - Melancholy - Shounen]
[Game stages: Season 1]
[Phase 1: Joining the Hero Academy - Completed.]
[Phase Two: Ceremony and Weapon Selection - Completed.]
[Phase Three: Midterm Exam in the Virtual World - Completed.]
[Phase 4: Saving the Academy from Demon Attack - Completed.]
[Phase 5: Saving the character Sylvarnia - In progress.]
[Mission information: Rescue the supporting character Sylvarnia from the clutches of the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction and return her to her original world.]
[Quest Duration: Until the end of the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction.]
[Mission Conditions:]
[Arc Hero Attendance, Anastasia McGilvorn - Achieved.]
[Presence of one of the main characters in the First Origin World - achieved.]
[Participating in the auction as a registered character and purchasing at least one item - partially achieved.]
[Destroy the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction.]
[Sylvarnia must be saved on the third day of the festival - Round 2.]
[Note: It is forbidden to exceed any of the following scenarios, otherwise the host will be penalized.]
Adrian looked at the system screen for several seconds, specifically at the fourth and fifth conditions, which would determine the success or failure of the mission in the first place, as well as the second part of the third condition.
"Okay, okay... I've fulfilled the first three conditions. "There is only a little left, and all this will end, and I will return to my worthless world."
His tone was calm as he relaxed on the couch.
After that, he got up and headed towards his room to prepare himself for the auction that would start in an hour.
After all, he was the guest of honor, and he should have been there from the beginning.
Thirty-five minutes after the preparations for the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction began, both Adrien and Anastasia were heading towards their private rooms inside the auction, ignoring the stares of the fanatical nobles and representatives of the sects and clans, who looked at them with a mixture of arrogance and curiosity.
However, they decided to ignore it and continue on their way; There is not long left until the start of the auction, and the first round is only twenty minutes away.
Several more minutes passed, until they reached their rooms and sat down, waiting for the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction to begin.
Adrian spoke in a tone of great sarcasm, looking at Anastasia out of the corner of his eye:
"Lady Anastasia McGilvorn, it seems you've changed your mind about purchasing the Archlord's bow. But you have to be careful; It seems that he is under tight security. After all, this auction contains the most expensive and rare art objects."
Anastasia looked at him calmly, her gaze holding hidden annoyance.
She held the glass of wine and a slight smile appeared on her face, before she released her energy, smashing the glass.
Then she turned her gaze to him and spoke in a calm tone:
"Who said I was determined to buy it? My goal is to get the Bow Ruler's Bow, and steal some stuff as well. "In the end, I don't have a single penny."
Adrian had nothing to say in response to her words; He thought she was hiding her money from him, but he discovered that she didn't actually have a single penny.
As for him, he decided to buy anything simple, regardless of its type or price. Because the system did not specify whether the requested item was expensive or cheap.
He decided to wait for the start of the Crimson Cat Eye Auction without saying anything else, as there was not long left until the first round began.
Some time passed, until the stands were filled to capacity, as were the guest rooms of honor, which were occupied by a number of important figures, such as Utah Caseral, auction presidents, and major dealers.
Suddenly, a loud sound rang out, making everyone silent, while all eyes turned towards its source.
The auction had begun.
[Gentlemen and Ladies, today we announce the start of the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction. As we do every year, the auction will start at 8pm and end at 4am. It will consist of five rounds, each round containing ten bids.]
[Of course, we will start with the normal offers, and then gradually move to the best. We hope you get what you came for.]
The venue was silent for several seconds, before a round of applause erupted from the audience.
However, the auction host's facial features did not change.
He continued speaking directly, and took out a piece of paper from his suit pocket, while a slight smile appeared on his face.
[Well, our first offering will be a Novice Ruler-rank Phoenix Gem. The starting price is forty-five thousand gold coins. Is there a bidder?]
The place was silent for several seconds, before someone in attendance raised his offer.
The host spoke in an enthusiastic tone:
[The Desolate Moon Clan delegation raises the bidding to fifty thousand gold coins! Is there anyone who increases?]
No one raised their offer above fifty thousand gold coins within the next seconds, which made the Desolate Moon Clan delegation feel very relieved.
But life has another opinion.
Adrian raised the bidding to sixty thousand gold coins.
This caused the host's confusion, and also angered the Desolate Moon Clan delegation, as Adrian raised the price by ten thousand gold coins at once.
[Master Adrian Xomias is bidding sixty thousand gold coins! Is there anyone who increases?]
It was only a few seconds later that the host spoke again, more enthusiastically, as he directed his gaze towards the guest of honor's room number six.
[The owner of room number six is bidding two hundred and thirty thousand gold coins! Does anyone want to increase the amount?]
No one came forward to bid, so the matter was settled.
[no one? Then, the Novice Ruler-rank Phoenix Gem will go to the owner of Room Number Six!]
Both Adrien and the Desolate Moon Clan delegation sighed in annoyance and confusion, wondering who the person in Room Six was.
However, it seemed that the Desolate Moon Clan delegation would not give up easily in pursuit of the jewel that Yuta Caseral had won.
On the other hand, Anastasia was looking at Adrian with obvious sarcasm, which made him feel annoyed.
But he did not think about it long; He had to buy at least one thing, regardless of its type or price.
It didn't take long until the system screen appeared before his eyes, making him feel very surprised.
[Phase 5: Saving the character Sylvarnia - In progress.]
[Mission information: Rescue the supporting character Sylvarnia from the clutches of the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction and return her to her original world.]
[Quest Duration: Until the end of the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction.]
[Mission Conditions:]
[Arc Hero Attendance, Anastasia McGilvorn - Achieved.]
[Presence of one of the main characters in the First Origin World - achieved.]
[Participating in the auction as a registered character and purchasing at least one item - achieved.]
[Destroy the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction.]
[Sylvarnia must be saved on the third day of the festival - Round 2.]
[Note: It is forbidden to exceed any of the following scenarios, otherwise the host will be penalized.]
"Is Yuuta the one who bought the Phoenix Gem from the Apprentice Ruler rank? He is the second person, after Anastasia McGilvorn, to fulfill one of the conditions for completing the scenario. This means that buying something is an achievement for him as well. But why did he decide to buy it instead of me? Why did no one bid on it in the first place?
Adrien was talking to himself, while looking towards the stage, specifically at the Desolate Moon Clan delegation, whose members were staring at Room Six with looks that did not hold any good intentions.
He canceled the system message, then continued watching the rest of the shows quietly, while his thoughts were occupied with the remaining two conditions, which would be the most difficult compared to all the others.
He communicated with Anastasia via telepathy, as he feared there were surveillance cameras or spy tools inside the room.
"There are only seven offers left until the end of the first round. Do you have any idea how to hack an auction and find out its blind spots?
Anastasia did not say a word, but kept looking at her phone without interest in the auction.
Her neglect made Adrien extremely upset.
Then she answered him telepathically:
"I hacked into the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction System, as I told you before. The tool comes from a future tens of centuries away, while its users still live in the Middle Ages. What is the use of a sword if its bearer is a coward?
"The technology has not been around for so long, making the firewall against cyber attacks non-existent or very weak. "I don't know why Yuta did this, but I was able to hack into the systems of the people who tried to imitate him without anyone realizing it, even though I was not able to hack into his phone."
Adrian did not say a word, but pretended to follow the auction, even though he felt that there was something else on Yuta Caseral's mind.
"There is a question on my mind. What if Yuuta was the founder of the Scorpio Organization? After all, even the heads of the Scorpion Organization Council did not know his identity, except for the current leader of the organization. "After witnessing the event, I heard Magic Emperor Aster say mysterious words to Yuta, which have to do with Venerable Heaven Shatterer."
Adrien's tone was calm as he looked towards room number six.
Anastasia felt like laughing with obvious sarcasm, then replied:
"Yuta Caseral is only fifteen years old, while Venerable Heaven Breaker is over a thousand years old. "Stop babbling nonsense and focus on saving that girl, Sylvarnia."
Adrien closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind of the embarrassment and anger he felt.
However, he still doubted it; After all, when he saw Yuta's information, he was seventy thousand years old.
This made the possibility of him being Venerable Heaven Breaker extremely high, even though he had helped him back then, and even though being one of the experiments of the Scorpion Organization, under Experiment Number 000002546 within Group D, was known.
"But Yuuta in the original path had nothing to do with the Scorpion Organization. It seems that the course of real events has changed very dramatically within this world, unlike my original world. Yuto, you have made me ignorant of the truth of this world, as if it is just a game to you."
Some time passed, until the first round of the auction ended.
Both Anastasia and Adrian left their rooms, to meet Yota Caseral, who was walking around quietly as if nothing had happened.
Yuta spoke in a calm tone:
"How are you, Mr. Adrian Xomias, and Lady Anastasia McGilvorn?"
Adrian answered calmly, as they walked around the auction:
"We are fine, Mr. Uta Caseral. But are you the one who bought the Phoenix Jewel from the rank of Novice Ruler?"
However, Yuta did not answer his question, making him certain that it was him who did it.
After all, there was no one else who could help him complete the conditions except the people who fell within the requirements for completing the scenario.
Yuta turned his gaze to Anastasia, who was admiring the paintings hanging in the hallway, and then spoke:
"You seem very happy, it seems. "Is there anything that pleases you, Lady Anastasia McGilvorn?"
Anastasia looked at him calmly and with complete confidence.
"I have fulfilled my part of our agreement, Mr. Uta Caseral, and it is time to fulfill yours. Isn't that true?
Yuta looked at her with ambiguous eyes for several seconds, before speaking in a surprised tone:
«Oh! So fast? Well done, Ms. Anastasia McGilvorn. Of course, I will fulfill my part of the agreement. After all, a promise is still a promise."
On the other hand, the Desolate Moon Clan delegation was heading towards Room Six, its members' features reflecting their intense desire to obtain the Phoenix Jewel that Yuta Caseral had won.
One of the students spoke:
"Elder Zhao Bao, wouldn't it be better if we thought first before making any move? After all, no one would dare to anger the Desolate Moon Clan, which is one of the most powerful clans in the Central Continent, unless he was someone with great power and influence, especially since he was one of the honored guests of the auction."
Elder Zhao Bao did not say a word, but continued heading towards the Guests of Honor Room Number Six; His focus was on obtaining the Phoenix Jewel.
However, he stopped walking, and looked at that disciple.
He took a deep breath, then stared at the door in front of him.
Although the distance between him was not that great, he knew that such a foolish act would not be appropriate for his position as an elder of the Desolate Moon Clan.
He spoke as he stepped back and prepared to leave, and his facial features bore shame and embarrassment at his impulsive behavior, the consequences of which he had not thought about or planned before taking it.
"Disciple Zhao Ming, you are right. Acting impulsively makes us mere worthless fools who are not worthy of belonging to the Desolate Moon Clan."
"We will step back this time, and plan what we will do before taking any step next time. Well, Zhao Ming, thank you; You made me see the right path.
A look of embarrassment appeared on Zhao Ming's face as she listened to the words of the Desolate Moon Clan's Elder, Zhao Bao.
Then she spoke in a voice of clear gratitude, clenching her hand:
"Ya… Desolate Moon Clan Elder, Zhao Bao, it is my honor."
A slight smile appeared on Zao Bao's face, and he looked at her for several seconds before gently patting her head.
After that, they continued on their way away from the guest of honor's room area.It was almost time for the start of the second round of the Crimson Cat's Eye Auction, and there were still more resources they needed to purchase.
On the other hand, Yuta was heading towards his room, while smiling slightly and turning off his phone.
"Um... looks like I got lucky this time. Two allies at once, and it's a lot of fun. Zhao Ming and Adrian Xomias... very interesting. For this, I must have it; "She's not like Adrian, who I can't have."
"However, Alessandra still remembers her allies. It would be bad if Alessandra decided to interfere. Even though she is weaker than me, she still has power over this world, after all. "Tom is also very important in the War of the Paths, and making him an enemy would be of no use."
"Nothing is ever easy. She, Amin from Ain Sultan Restaurant, and Cai Feng from the Seven Star Clan should be recruited into Versalkin Academy. Going to the Heavenly Immortals Academy will be extremely beneficial to them, and will help them develop."
Yuta sighed deeply, trying to clear his mind of overthinking.
Then he turned his gaze towards the stage, only to discover that they had reached the fourth round a long time ago.
He leaned back in his own chair and started laughing loudly at his thoughts, so much so that he did not feel the time passing.
After all, the Paths War was an extremely difficult stage, in which he would face other Paths Masters.
He decided to relax and enjoy the events of the auction, while speaking to himself some words that calmed him down a little:
"There's no need to think that way. In the end, they are the ones who have to develop and improve. As for me, I will help the world overcome obstacles so that its people can develop and become stronger than they are now."