MMORPG: Divine Mech Hunter
Chapter 1260 - Chapter 1260 Chapter 1260 New Way to Make Money

Chapter 1260: Chapter 1260: New Way to Make Money Chapter 1260: Chapter 1260: New Way to Make Money Due to early registration issues, Li Yao and his group were led into a small side hall as soon as they entered the auction hall. Since there were multiple auction events, the main venue couldn’t accommodate everyone, which necessitated several batches.

The Red Fortress was part of the third batch of auctions. The interior was extremely dark, and under the guidance of a Troll girl, they arrived at a small private box that could seat only four people. They couldn’t see who else was participating in the auction.

“Wow, it’s amazing that the game has such clever NPCs and played this beautifully,” Dongdong hummed as he sat in the middle and picked up a large grape to eat. “A small room is one thing, but it’s designed so that we can’t see who else is participating in the auction, preventing any back out. Plus, we can’t bring our own food and can only purchase here, which is really a rip-off.”

“You should make the most of it, eat enough to cover your costs. Speaking of which, it seems like the Orcs had a bountiful grape harvest, and now many are unsold because many places have their distinct types of grapes. Not to mention the Light Faction. Even in the Dark Camp, the High Elves’ royal grapes enhanced with special magic are unique, followed by the Undead’s blood juice grapes, which give a floating, ethereal feeling when eaten. Orc grapes taste better than those in reality, but in Ancient Gods, they are considered average and their wines are not competitive,” Demoness explained.

“That can’t be helped; Orcs are good hunters but poor farmers, and despite their attempts at growing various crops over the years, it seems like only grapes have been a successful harvest,” Li Yao also picked up a grape and tasted it; it was more delicious than those from reality, but still far from the best grapes found elsewhere in Ancient Gods.

Starfire had started significant trade with their own fleet, where Starfire’s players pooled money for business, and the guild provided ships and protection for a cut, making it the largest trading fleet among players.

Every time Starfire set sail, many guilds and players with ships wanted to join for protection, although for the fleet’s safety, Starfire seldom accepted these requests.

Because of this trade, Starfire had no shortage of exotic goods, and every time something good came in, they reserved a portion for Li Yao and the elders, who were now quite spoiled.

Demoness said, “Does the president know what kind of wine is scarce now?”

Li Yao thought for a while before responding, “As for the most popular wine that sells well, I think it would be Winterfall Firewater, which our guild buys regularly from there to sell in the East Continent. As for the most expensive, it might be Hell and Heaven–88,000 Gold Coins per bottle for a ten-year vintage. Angel really relies on that to make money.”

Demoness shook her head, “Hell and Heaven are just a bit more hallucinogenic than the Undead’s blood juice wine, both hyped up by the Neutral Faction, mostly for showing off. The truly delicious one, irresistible…”

Before Demoness could finish, Dongdong interrupted excitedly, “I know, I know, it’s the Night of Ritual, huh huh, it was a gift from the last voyage of the fleet, later found out it cost a thousand gold coins for a small bottle. My sister-in-law and I only tried a small cup each, and the taste, it felt like our spirits were elevated, as if we had become deities, that flavor was unforgettable.”

Li Yao was startled, “Night of Ritual, huh.”

“Yes, that’s the wine. Everyone on the forums is looking to buy it, but sadly, it’s unavailable. People found out that only the Darkspear Tribe of Trolls in the Dark Camp have it, and they don’t sell it, only bringing it out to drink during deity rituals or maybe to gift a bit to wealthy friends. If we knew where else it came from or the method to make it, we’d be rich,” Demoness said regretfully.

“Yeah, many people want to get rich from it,” Dongdong continued, “They guess the Darkspear Tribe can make it but not in large quantities. When considering Trolls, after all, there are several branches like Forest Trolls, Jungle Trolls, and Desert Trolls with countless scattered tribes. Many have killed dozens of Trolls just in hope of this wine, but the drop rate is just too low.”

Li Yao thought for a moment and said, “I remember there’s a Troll tribe in Thorn Valley, which is a spawning site for Jungle Trolls, supposedly called the Brew Fiends. They might have the method for brewing this wine, though it’s a mid-sized tribe and located in a very dangerous area. Once we finish the main quest, we could try taking down this tribe to see.”

Both their eyes lit up at once and nodded in agreement. If this were the case, Starfire could have a new source of revenue. Although Starfire had numerous moneymaking ventures, expenses were equally huge. They had made a fortune on Potions and herbs last time, but it wasn’t a long-term strategy.

Then, a High Elf host took the stage, with a map of the Red Fortress behind her.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I won’t waste your time explaining what lies behind me as I’m sure everyone here understands the value of this fortress. Due to significant interest, the starting bid has been adjusted to 2,000 Gold Coins, with each increment of 200 Gold Coins. If you wish to bid, press the button on your seat armrest, and your booth will light up. Without further ado, let’s begin the auction.”

As the auction started, Li Yao and the others saw lights in various booths flashing repeatedly.

The price quickly reached 5,000 Gold Coins, and at this point, the number of people bidding started to decrease.

However, bids continued, albeit slowly. Even though guilds had money now, 5,000 Gold Coins was still a substantial amount. For ordinary players who might not afford the 500 Gold Coins for advanced horsemanship at level 40, reaching nearly level 50 and still not being able to afford it was common.

“Big brother, why don’t you take over?” Dongdong suggested, looking at the button on the armrest.

Li Yao chuckled and shook his head, “Nice try, but the reason you rushed to sit here was just for the thrill, right? Don’t worry, none of us will compete with you, and we’re determined to get the Red Fortress, so go ahead and bid confidently.”

“Hehe, I knew big brother was the best,” Dongdong beamed as the price hit 6,200 and then promptly slapped the button.

“Booth 64 bids 6,400, any more bids?” the auctioneer called out loudly.

The price fluctuated a few more times, but Dongdong kept bidding whenever she wasn’t the highest or second highest bidder, continuing until only two bidders remained competitive. She stopped when the third wasn’t interested in contesting further.

When the price reached 8,000, Dongdong rapidly hit the button five times, driving the price up to 8,000 Gold Coins. Finally, no one else placed a bid…