Chapter 82: The Shocking Power of the Moonlight Elf Wine

“Although this Secondary Dark Veil Stone has no offensive power, its effects on the battlefield make it a deadly weapon!”
After saying this, the silver-haired elder called over a waiter outside and gave him a few instructions.
Watching the price keep rising, Donald never expected the item he had casually thrown in to become so popular. He had originally planned to use three other items as the final lots, but now there was an additional item that was just as valuable, which would greatly increase his profits.
Thinking about what the elder had said, Donald realized that this item could unleash unexpected power on the battlefield.
Imagine two armies at war—one side suddenly uses a magical artifact to plunge the enemy’s vanguard into darkness, and then if the archers behind them fire another volley, it would be easy to defeat those who were now blind.
So he said to the silver-haired elder, “It’s just a low-level magical artifact. I never thought it would be so sought after! Only after you explained did I realize that if it falls into the hands of an army and is used properly, it could even determine the outcome of a war. Unless the enemy has mages or priests who can counteract magic, they will surely suffer heavy losses.”
“Oh? Can mages and priests easily counter the effects of this Secondary Dark Veil Stone?”
Seeing that the elder seemed concerned, Donald explained, “Only spellcasters above Bronze level can cast a barrier that renders secondary spells ineffective. Simple magic has no effect on such area-based spells, and it’s likely the same for high-level spellcasters.”
After hearing this, the elder said, “Then I’m relieved!” Then he saw that the winner had already been determined—a rather unremarkable noble had bid 1,800 gold sols for the Secondary Dark Veil Stone. This was the highest bid so far at today’s auction.
So far, the items already auctioned had brought Donald nearly 5,000 in profits, leaving him with a solid profit of 4,000 gold sols after deducting costs.
After that somewhat unfamiliar noble bid on the magical artifact, he followed the auction house’s waiter to the back to settle the payment, ignoring the remaining items.
Donald glanced skeptically at the elder beside him. Angewa smiled and shrugged, saying, “Well! It was my man who bought it, but you won’t get a penny less from the auction fee!”

Donald’s expression darkened slightly upon hearing this. He thought to himself, “As expected, those in business aren’t honest people. There’s no such thing as honest trading. It’s not surprising that the owner of this auction house placed puppets within his own auction house. But going forward, I’ll need to be careful when dealing with him—otherwise, I might not even realize I’ve been deceived!”

Magic items are disposable, while equipment can be used for a long time—this is the difference between the two types of magically enchanted items. The high price at which one such magic item was bid for clearly took many people by surprise.

Next, the final items up for auction captured everyone’s attention. The auctioneer pushed forward three items, all covered with black cloth, hiding what was inside. Then, boldly, the auctioneer lifted the covers from the first two items, revealing their true nature.

The first two of these three items were the only two enchanted pieces Donald had brought: the Orc Gloves and the Boots of Agility. As the name suggested, the Boots of Agility were red boots that appeared to be made from the soft skin of some scaled creatures, giving them considerable elasticity. They would fit most adult men well. The Orc Gloves, on the other hand, were spiked leather gloves that granted their wearer a 30% increase in strength. The gloves themselves also functioned as weapons, with sharp protrusions on the joints—delivering a painful blow if struck.

The first item up for auction was the Orc Gloves. “These gloves are suitable for almost all types of warriors, except assassins and thieves—especially those skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Even swordsmen and knights will gain significant strength and enhanced attack power when wearing them. Even if they lose their weapons, they can still maintain a level of combat effectiveness, unlike those fighting bare-handed.”

After allowing two guests to come onstage to test the gloves’ effects, the two nobles of knightly background and the swordswoman adventurer were very satisfied with them.

The bidding began, and most capable bidders offered bids, whether they were determined to acquire these enchanted items or not. In the end, the Orc Gloves were sold to Viscount Macbeth for 3,100 gold sols.

In the VIP room, Donald couldn’t stop smiling. This item was just one of the cheapest and weakest among the many pieces in the Book of Truth, costing only a dozen gold sols. In his eyes, Viscount Macbeth who bought it was a real fool.

Next is the auction of the second pair of Agile Boots. This item doesn’t receive as much attention as the Gorgon Gloves before it, but the bidding is still fierce. In the end, someone bid 2,700 gold sols to take these boots home.

Donald noticed that the adventurer who had bid on both the Life Elixir and Development Dust seemed to want to bid again, but seeing the intensity of the bidding, he raised his hand several times only to lower it again.

“He must be short on money and had no choice but to give up,” Donald thought to himself.

“Next is the final treasure of today’s auction!”

The auctioneer said as he pulled back the black cloth on the stage. On the tray were three exquisite crystal bottles, each only about the size of a fist, filled with a crystal-clear light red liquid that appeared especially magnificent under the auction hall’s lights.

Many people already guessed the origin of these crystal bottles. That genius mage was best known not for his strength but for his Moonlight Wine, which was famous throughout the kingdom and even exported abroad. But if it were Moonlight Wine, though rare, it wouldn’t likely be auctioned as the final item.

Judging from the capacity of the bottles, it would take only two or three cups to empty them—not even enough for a drunkard to enjoy!

Thus, many people were eager to know more about this final treasure, and many guests couldn’t help but urge the auctioneer to explain.

“These three final items are called Moon Elf Wine, precious treasures brewed by the master of Moonlight Wine. Let me announce one thing first: the master originally brought five bottles, but two of them were already purchased by our auction house at the highest bid later and presented to our King. The remaining three will now be up for bidding by everyone.”

Donald had prepared these top-quality wines as the finale of this auction. They were red wines in which one-fifth the amount of Purification Elixir was mixed with Moon Essence, which Donald officially named Moon Elf Wine.

After tasting them personally, Donald concluded that the combination of the Purification Elixir and Moon Essence produced unexpected effects, different from using each alone.

This Moon Elf Wine could now be considered a medicine rather than just a drink!

This wine can instantly heal injuries of moderate severity or less, and it is also highly effective for fatal wounds. It can also restore an intermediate mage’s full mental energy. Its effectiveness in battle is on par with some rare high-grade alchemical potions. Moreover, the purifying effects of this potion have changed after being combined with the life-rich essence of the moon—it not only removes negative curses and purifies mental energy but also enhances the potential for weak mental abilities. If an ordinary person consumes one or two bottles of Moon Elf Wine and doesn’t have extremely poor aptitude, they are likely to develop the talent to become a mage apprentice.

Thus, purchasing these three bottles of Moon Elf Wine is almost equivalent to gaining at least one chance to become a future mage—a truly priceless opportunity!

To date, Donald has only prepared five bottles of this top-grade potion, all of which have been put up for auction. However, when Donald mentioned that its effects could be even more beneficial for King Celt XV’s illness than the previous moon essence, Anguva, the owner of the auction house, immediately decided to negotiate with Donald to buy two of the bottles at the highest auction price.

After the auctioneer explained the effects of this miraculous wine, it shocked everyone present. Although the previous two types of moon wines were remarkable, they were merely equivalent to ordinary low-grade alchemical potions, which could still be purchased if one was willing to spend money. But the effects of this Moon Elf Wine were only comparable to those of elite evolution potions created by ancient alchemical masters, capable of altering an organism’s attributes and talents.

Especially among the nobles, who wouldn’t want a mage in their family? Even if it’s just a mage apprentice, it still brings great honor to the family. Even Macbeth, the lord of Giantstone who had sat calmly since entering, seemingly unconcerned with the auction, stood up in shock, his face soon filled with ecstasy. It seems this viscount, now nearly sixty years old, shares the ambition and desire of the younger ones to become a noble and powerful mage!

After waiting for the excitement and chatter in the audience to subside, the auctioneer announced the start of the auction for the first bottle of Moon Elf Wine. This auction was only open to powerful nobles and factions in the entire North County; nobles, merchants, and adventurers with assets below tens of thousands of gold sols simply did not qualify to bid.

The first bottle of Moon Elf wine was quickly sold for 5,500 gold sols, with the buyer being Eustace, the most powerful merchant and nobleman in the North County. It was still this experienced man who bid first; starting with the second bottle, the price soared and competition intensified, with many regretting not having bid higher earlier. In the end, the second bottle of Moon Elf wine was purchased by a young priest—a acquaintance of Donald’s, namely Father Martin, the church assistant deacon introduced to them by Sir Jesse. Originally, he had come to the auction just for fun; the invitation sent to the church was simply tossed to Martin by the bishop without even a glance. Yet unexpectedly, he reaped unexpected gains as the value of the auction items kept rising, prompting Martin to bid on a few items in the name of the temple. Although the money he carried probably didn’t exceed 100 gold sols, no one would think this young priest was unqualified, given the powerful forces behind him that no one present could afford to provoke. It wasn’t until the Moon Elf wine appeared that Martin, who understood the situation well, decided to bid at any cost to acquire one bottle. Even if it meant spending tens of thousands of gold sols, as long as he could gain the bishop’s approval, he wouldn’t face any punishment and might even be rewarded for his quick thinking.