Sacrifice's Rise: I Became Invincible After Entering Godslayer Temple

As John fell silent, his communication channel started to flash with multiple message notifications.

Blue Sea: Brother Galewind, if you need it, I've got some spare change. I can lend you some.

(Snowla requests to add you as a friend): Brother Galewind, send me your card number.

(Bambooist requests to add you as a friend): Galewind, do you need me to bid on this item for you? Consider it a gift for our long-awaited reunion.

...

John accepted the friend requests, then politely declined their offers.

Emma came up behind John and whispered, "Johnny, I haven't sent out the proceeds from the last auction of that Legendary item. I can transfer it to you first."

John simply smiled and shook his head.

Everyone assumed that his silence was due to a lack of funds. 

However, John was actually just contemplating the best way to outsmart Darklord. 

He had seen through Darklord's little tricks at a glance. 

So, the competition between them wasn't about money at all. 

They both wanted to outwit each other. 

The challenge now was who was bold enough and detail-oriented to guess the other's bottom line.

...

When John fell silent, Darklord actually started to panic inside. 

If John didn't continue to bid, Darklord would become the big loser. 

The price for this Epic equip had already far exceeded its value. 

He would be making a huge loss.

Fortunately, after a short pause, John calmly increased the price by another million.

"24 million."

Darklord felt relieved again. 

He found that Galewind seemed really desperate for this item. 

Even when he had pushed the price this far, the bastard still didn't want to give up.

Well then, let him bleed some more. 

Darklord thought, feeling an insane sense of exhilaration inside. 

His moment of glory was finally here. 

However, in his excitement, he was also reminding himself: this price increase would really be the last one.

"25 million!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Darklord's heart skipped a beat because he noticed a mocking smile on John's face, "OK, you win. Congratulations on successfully securing this precious item for 25 million."

Darklord turned as pale as a ghost. 

It wasn't until Isabella on the stage struck the gavel that Darklord finally realized the truth. 

All his plans had been anticipated by his adversary.

"Wow, someone really spent 25 million on an Epic equip?"

"This Darklord guy is really bleeding cash now."

"Some people are so damn rich, they just throw out 25 million without thinking."

"Who said we first-floor players are all broke? There are plenty of undercover tycoons among us."

...

Most players weren't aware of the grudge between Darklord and John. 

So now they were just genuinely amazed by how rich this Darklord player seemed to be.

But Darklord felt like his world was crumbling. 

What had he done? 

He was going to spend 25 million on an Epic equip that didn't even match his class. 

The praises from the other players sounded like mockery to Darklord, stabbing his heart like a sharp sword.

"What do I do now? I can't really be expected to cough up 25 million, can I?"

Darklord was in a panic, looking at SoulSong next to him with a twisted face, only to find SoulSong even paler. 

SoulSong was numb. 

Having a leader like Darklord made him feel like he was in hell.

"We have to pay. The deal is done, and we have to respect the rules," SoulSong said.

Still unwilling to give up, Darklord scratched his head, searching for a solution. 

"Can we announce that we give up on the item? Real-life auctions have instances of unsold items, right?"

SoulSong replied with a wooden face, "If the lady on the stage hadn't dropped the hammer, you could have announced that. But it's too late now."

"The hammer falls, the system automatically initiates the transaction. The only way out is to refuse to pay."

Darklord's face turned from green to white. 

In the game Godslayer, refusing to honor a transaction contract is a serious offense. 

The system would severely punish players who violated the contract. 

Not only would the guild's credibility drop into the negatives, but all guild members would also be banned from participating in any transactions in the future. 

If the violation was serious enough, the system could even confiscate all the player's assets.

Darklord was very clear that he had been completely outwitted by John this time. 

He glared at John with resentment. 

Their already irreconcilable enmity deepened.

Inside the private room.

Emma curiously asked, "Johnny, are you going to give up on the item?"

John smiled mischievously, "Who said I was giving up? If someone wants to be the sucker, I'm more than happy to let them. I'll just snatch the equip back later."

Emma gazed at John, not repulsed at all by his robber-like declaration. 

On the contrary, she felt that the man she loved should be this domineering.

With a reluctant heart, Darklord accepted the item and put it into his backpack. 

25 million in cash, gone just like that. 

Darklord felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his resentment towards John only grew stronger.

Gritting his teeth, he asked, "SoulSong, how much is left in our guild's coffers?"

SoulSong on the side could only shake his head helplessly. 

"After selling the company's shares, we had nine figures in funds. But now, we've lost a quarter of that. Bidding on those two Legendary Equip might be a stretch."

Darklord's face turned even paler. 

The reason he had been so low-key at the start of the auction was to pool all his resources to bid on the last two Legendary Equip. 

Now, his plan had been ruined by a moment's impulsiveness, getting royally screwed over by John. 

What was once a substantial fund was now dangerously low.

"Can we sell more shares?... I must get my hands on at least one of those Legendary Equip items!" Darklord was desperate.

The two upcoming Legendary Equip items had god-tier properties. 

Even a high-and-mighty player like Darklord recognized their significance. 

If he could get one, his power would skyrocket. 

He must have it!

After a moment of silence, SoulSong responded with a wry smile, "It's tough. Most of your father's company shares have been sold. I have no idea how we can fill the 25 million hole."

Darklord felt helpless, the transaction had been completed, and his account was definitely 25 million lighter. 

How could he recover from this loss?

Just as Darklord was about to seek help from his own father, his communication channel started blinking.

[Wolf Howl has sent you a friend request...]

There are two ways to add friends in Godslayer. 

One is if both players are in the same area, they can add each other as friends by inspecting each other's attributes. 

This was how Bambooist and Snowla added John as a friend. 

The other way is to know the other player's ID in advance, then search for it in the communication channel and send a friend request from a distance.

Darklord looked around but didn't spot any suspicious players. 

He pondered for a moment and accepted the friend request.

Wolf Howl: Mr. Darklord, are you interested in a partnership?

Darklord frowned and replied: Who are you?

Wolf Howl: Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that we have a common enemy.

Darklord: Galewind?

Wolf Howl: Exactly, our guild has a deep grudge against him, and we just can't seem to get the upper hand. Since our grievances are the same, why not join forces?

After careful consideration, Darklord gave his answer: I'm in!

Meanwhile, at another corner, in the Wolf Guild...

Wolf Howl reported to his guild leader, Wolf Prime, "Darklord has agreed to collaborate... Now it depends on our sincerity..."

Wolf Prime cautiously responded, "Isn't this a bit risky? Galewind's identity is too mysterious, and he has deep ties with many top guilds. Even if we team up with Darklord, can we pose a real threat to Galewind?"

Wolf Howl didn't respond. 

Wolf Prime was cautious due to his deep-seated fear of John's power. 

But Wolf Howl wasn't scared. 

In terms of background, no matter how powerful the world's top ten guilds are, could they ever compare to the native forces within the game? 

With these thoughts, Wolf Howl scoffed. 

Even the most formidable players were just small fry in front of the game's local powers. 

As long as he found his NPC master in the game world, why would he fear a minor player like Galewind?

Back in the private suite on the second floor.

John was oblivious to the undercurrents brewing. 

After Shadowchaser, John didn't place any more bids on the items. 

He simply let the other big forces compete among themselves. 

The epic bow-and-arrow item "Forest Hunter" went to Chillminder. 

"Flower of the Netherworld" ended up in Shadowrealm Guild's possession.

As Isabella's hammer constantly tapped on the table, one top-tier item after another found its new owner. 

There was a minor episode during this process. 

An unknown independent player somehow outbid the top powers on the second floor for an item with superior properties. 

It proved once again that this game was full of hidden talents. 

Numerous wealthy players preferred to keep a low profile.

One by one, the items up for auction were claimed until only two sought-after treasure chests were left. 

Isabella, still as composed as ever, introduced the next item with a smile, "The next item up for auction is: Medusa's Tears..."

All attendees were thrilled. 

The real blockbuster was about to begin!