'Wow, there's a lot of people here.

'Sukuna, you're going too fast.'

'I'm sorry, Kittenmaru-san.

　I followed the demon girl who was moving forward even though it was her first time here, and walked along the road to the auction site in the Imperial Capital.
　In the event that you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to buy a lot of things.

'If there's something I can buy, I can bid on it, right?

'Of course you can. Today's auction is a regular auction, held once every two weeks, so there won't be many rare items, but ...... well, I'm bidding this time, too. Let's just take it easy and enjoy it.

'That's right. I wish I could buy some materials for accessories.

　As if to affirm my words, my wife Wanda, who was walking next to me, said so.

　Today is the day of the auction I had promised Sukuna-kun. The plan was for me and Sukuna-kun to go alone, but today my wife decided to come along.
　My wife's name is Wanda, and she's been working hard on making accessories. Since we are both production workers, we have been able to share materials with each other, and we have definitely been playing well together.
　The design of the red wolf costume I gave to Sukuna was mostly my wife's idea, and the choker she wears was also made by her.
　I would like to meet her once in a scene that does not involve combat. I couldn't stop my wife from saying that with a fierce look on her face.

'Wanda, do you have an item you're looking for?

'In the listings, I'd say ...... rainbow agate. Ore is the most common type of accessory.

　Despite some misgivings, the two of them hit it off right away. Even now, the two of us are talking about the contents of the auction.
　I feel as if I am leading them, but considering the age of my wife and I, I feel that I might feel like this if I had a daughter.
　Even though we met a few days ago, Sukuna seems to be in a good mood, perhaps because we usually see him only through the webcast.
　No, it's not that he's in a good mood, it's more like he's ...... very relaxed. The atmosphere is similar to the one I saw in the archives with Rinne-kun.
　I don't know why, but I think it's better than being nervous.

'I'd like to buy some good weapons...'

'It would be nice if we could just get the materials. The third group is also entering today, and the event will start in four days, so it's best to be prepared.

'Well, there's nothing better than being able to buy something. I'm also interested in the selling price of the items we're selling.

'Oh, that's right. Well, I'm not sure if Skuna-san needs that money.

''I made a lot of money yesterday, so ...... hehe.''

　Mr. Sukuna looks a little embarrassed, but if you listen to him, you'll be surprised to hear that he overfished Mysteria Rabi.
　It is said that he earned nearly a million dollars in one day, which is enough to buy a cheap house if he is not good at it.

　For Skuna-kun, who is working hard to conquer the game, a house is probably useless, but even so, with a million dollars, he can afford to buy front-line equipment.
　The sight of him smiling with a steel ball and a knife, thinking that he might aim for Mysteria Rabi for a while until the end of the event, gave me quite a shiver.



　I actually watched the scene where he defeated Mysteria Rabi on the webcast, and that's why I actually bought him, but Sukuna's throwing skills are now extraordinary.
　It's not strange that he can throw an object several hundred meters away. It's because, aside from heavy weapons, throwing items have a greater distance than normal items.
　In addition to that, if you have a high status, it would be possible to make your attacks reach hundreds of meters away. In fact, that's what Sukuna is doing.
　The problem is his throwing technique, which is so accurate and precise that it seems as if he can read the future.

　The basic premise is that the hit rate of WLO's projectiles is completely dependent on player skill. Whether you can hit the target or not depends entirely on how you throw.
　Even if there is a certain amount of assistance, it only means that you can throw straight without blurring, not that you can track the enemy.
　If you throw in the wrong direction, you won't be able to hit the enemy, and if the enemy moves, you may not be able to hit the enemy.
　First of all, you need to have the skill to hit the enemy, and after that, you need to have the ability to predict and anticipate.
　I don't know why Sukuna chose throwing, but I don't think there is any player in this game who is as good at it as she is.
　Her throwing is now sniping. It's also extremely advanced, taking into account deviation. It's not normal to hit a hundred targets.

　Moreover, it seems that she can see how and at what angle the ricochet will occur. She can tell the direction of the ricochet just by looking at the target.
　When Wanda and I heard this, we were stunned. As Amber, the NPC, said in the delivery that day, her eyesight must really be in another dimension.

'You?　What's wrong?'

'Oh, I'm sorry. I've been thinking. Here's your admission ticket.

　I handed them both tickets at the auction desk. It's not a membership, but you have to buy it in advance.
　My wife's ticket was for the possibility of one more person coming, but Toka-kun couldn't come this time, so it didn't go to waste.


　Although it was a regular auction, it was not the type of auction often seen in creative works where bids are decided one by one on stage.
　First of all, products are displayed in a large auction room, and each person applies a bid amount to them.
　After the bidding time set for each item has expired, the person who has submitted the highest bid can purchase the item.
　My item is a body armor. This time I made a cloak using the Mysteria Rabbi's jewel.

　It's called the "Illusion Cloak", and despite its rainbow-colored appearance, it has a cloaking effect, making it a very powerful item at the moment.
　However, despite its high performance, it lacks any defense. It has the disadvantage that it can only be compensated by the rest of the body and accessories.
　The Illusion Cloak will be auctioned at 100,000 Iris.
　If I paid Sukuna 150,000 for the jewel and took into account the other materials used in its creation, I would have hoped for a price of 200,000 or more.

'Iridescent agate starts at 10,000. ...... Let's put in a bid for now. Oh, obsidian is so rare. I didn't see it on the list of items. ...... Well, let's bid within our budget.

'What is obsidian?



'It's a special ore that's unbreakable and very soft. It's a mineral, but it's resistant to blows and weak against blades.'

'Really?

　I was wondering if my item would sell or not, but since it was my first time at an auction, I had to enjoy it.
　I'm going to follow the example of the two of you who are happily browsing through the items and have fun too.

'Oh, ...... you, look at this.'

'Hmm?　What's the matter, Wanda?

　My wife called me over to take a look, and what I found was an ingot of a higher attribute metal called "Flare Metal".
　This is an even purer version of red metal, and there is currently no way to obtain it. Or perhaps I should say that this auction is the only way to obtain it.
　Since it was not on the list of auctioned items, it must have been a secret item or the application was simply late.
　This is the first time I've seen this rare metal material, and I can't help but get excited. Compared to the red metal from the pyroclastic grotto, it has a very deep red color, which could be called crimson. Its luster was dull, but it had a weighty light.

　I've been working as a producer of stonework and clothing for a long time, and I've gotten a lot of information about such rare materials.
　The initial bid was 200,000, but the price has already exceeded one million. Perhaps some high-ranking adventurers have their eyes on it.
　I was also a bit tempted, but I don't have the money to buy it. However, the thought that I might be able to obtain such an item by participating in this auction in the future made my heart dance a little.

'If it was a little cheaper, I would have recommended it to you, Sukuna-san. As I recall, Meneas gave you the Attribute Crystals, didn't he?

'Ah, that's too bad. But well, we still haven't found any higher attribute metals around Zeronor. It would be more enjoyable if the weapon's performance was matched to the player's level as much as possible. I don't think that's necessary yet.

　Agreeing with my wife's words, I turn my gaze to Skuna-kun, who is looking around at the merchandise at a distance.
　There seemed to be something that caught his interest, and I saw his eyes sparkle a little.

'Skuna-kun, is there something wrong?

'Oh, Kittenmaru-san. Take a look at this.

　At first glance, there seemed to be nothing in front of Sukuna's eyes.
　When I was wondering what he was talking about, a glass case filled with products suddenly appeared in front of me as if I was seeing a vision.

'Whoa!

'What's going on?

'No, now suddenly ...... did you see it, Sukuna-kun?'

'......?　Oh well, that's not important, look here.

　Sukuna-kun, who didn't seem to understand what I was surprised about, seemed to have gotten tired of thinking about it.
　He didn't seem to care much, and pointed his finger at the seller's product description.
　Looking at the item first, he saw that it was some kind of shiny white thread. It appeared to be some kind of body hair.



''《White Wolf Phantom Hair》...... if it's a named material?''

'Yes, that's right. The seller said he didn't defeat it, but found it.

'Can you pick it up ......?'

　I couldn't help but let out a confused sound.
　The setting of this world, as described by Amber in Sukuna's delivery, is being actively discussed among the WLO discussion team.
　It's a good topic for those who like such settings, and I'm also familiar with it, as I visit the site whenever there is a certain amount of information.
　When the words "white wolf" and "illusion" were combined, it was only natural that the existence of a "white wolf of illusion", a named boss monster on a par with the "solitary red wolf" and the "black wolf of the pack", would come to mind.

'I don't know if it's real, but it's rather cheap, so I thought I'd bid on it.

　It is true that the price is low for a named material. Even for a relatively weak party nameplate, the value of a single piece of material is immeasurable, and the bidding started at only 10,000 Iris.
　On top of that, it seems that no one had bid on it before, and only the 11,000 Iris offered by Sukuna-kun remained in the history.
　Obviously, it's too cheap, and it's strange that such a controversial item has been ignored.
　However, considering the mysterious phenomenon that has just occurred, we can make a guess.
　The simple fact is that no one but Mr. Sukuna has noticed it.
　Illusion is a good word for it. The material itself must be giving off a kind of tremendous covert bonus.

'It's okay. Even if it's a fake, 10,000 won't be a problem for you now, will it?

'Yes, sir.

'What are you doing at ......?

　My wife came towards me, probably curious about Sukuna-kun and me nodding happily in the middle of nowhere.
　Her eyes widened as if she had noticed the glass case that suddenly appeared on the way, but she did not react as bluntly as I did.

'I bid on this,' he said.

'Oh, the monster material. ...... I like it. It will be easy to make into accessories.

　My wife, who, unlike me, was not interested in the game's setting, seemed to have said this purely based on the appearance of the material.
　Indeed, the silky body hair seemed to be easy to work with, and it would be quite useful for weaving.
　It's not enough to make armor, but it's good enough to be used as an accessory.

　But still, I wonder.
　The reason why Sukuna was able to find this material is because he has a deep connection with it, which makes sense when you look at the depth of this game's setting.
　The problem is with the seller who "found" this material.
　How could he have found such a thing, and then put it up for auction?
　Moreover, if Sukuna hadn't found it, he might not have even been able to sell it.
　I don't understand how he found it in the first place. When monsters die, they disappear as polygons and only drop materials.
　So you got it by killing a white wolf?　No. Even the black wolf is still only known by name, and it's not possible for players to defeat the white wolf.
　If it were possible, it would have to be a super-powerful NPC like Amber, or the "Heavenly Eyes" that NPCs have been talking about lately.

　No, wait. As I recall, the "Heavenly Eye" visited the Imperial City of Fierce a few days ago, and that's why it was talked about.


　The NPC threw his own materials into the auction and sold them with a good reason.
　The fact that the material of the White Wolf is here makes sense.
　However, ...... does not resolve the question of what would have happened if the material of the white wolf had not been given to anyone after all.　The question "What if the material of the white wolf is not in the hands of anyone?
　It was a hypothesis I made as a test, but I may have read too much into it.

'Maybe he really just found it and put it on sale by accident. ......'

'You, there's a metal wolf fur auction going on over there.'

'What?　I'll be right there!

'There are so many different kinds of wolves.

　I hurried to the metal wolf auction while ignoring Sukuna's impressions that I was about to get a good deal.
　In contrast to obsidian, it is a good item that is strong against cutting for a fur material.
　It's a rare monster, so it's not easy to gather materials, and more importantly, it appears in the "abandoned mine" between Griffith and Zeronor, so there are too few players who can go get it.
　I wanted to get this item when I could.

'There are no striking weapons at all: ......'

　Skuna-kun, who was looking for a new weapon in the hall, muttered in regret.

'Hmm, striking weapons aren't very popular with players and NPCs alike.

'I just saw a two-handed club over there.

'Eh!　I'll go check it out!

'Well. I'll show you.'

　Perhaps pleased with Sukuna's happy response, my wife also smiled and led him away.
　In the end, we spent almost half a day at the auction site, with a break in between.