073 THE ECHO CORE
The host appeared as a tall man in a polished silver mask, his voice echoed smoothly through the hall.
"Ladies and gentlen, tonight's offerings co from the battlefield of Fortress Myrone — artifacts recovered by licensed excavators. Each piece carries verified ta-resonance, certified by our in-house appraisers."
Dan's pulse jumped.
"Fortress Myrone again?" He clenched his fists under the table.
"Are they really auctioning another relic from that cursed place? Last ti the Eye of Ra almost got
killed," he thought.
"See sothing you fancy?" Zairgid asked him.
Dan shook his head.
One by one, items appeared on stage — charred weapons, fractured energy cores, bones fused with tal. None of them felt right.
Then the final item was unveiled.
A black, palm-sized orb floated inside a containnt field. Blue lightning coiled within it but never touched the edges, as if the energy feared being caged.
The host's tone dropped, reverent now.
"Lot #47 — codena Echo Core. Believed to contain residual ta-patterns from an unknown lifeform encountered at Fortress Myrone. Estimated value: incalculable. Opening bid — two hundred thousand Aurs."
Dan pulled out his phone to snap a picture — and froze.
His DemCoin App opened by itself. A strange glyph flashed on-screen as the system locked onto the Core.
"What the hell…" he muttered, tapping the Appraise button — this was a new feature from the new DemCoin 2.0 update he hadn't tested yet.
A digital hum rippled through his screen, and data flooded in:
Na: Echo Core
Origin: Remnant of unidentified alien construct, recovered from the Fortress Myrone battlefield.
Function: Enhances ta-capacity through resonant duplication of internal energy or ta states.
Compatibility with abilities:
Montum Charge — 86%
Electrocution — 23%
Dan's eyes narrowed. "Compatibility? What's that supposed to an…"
"What did you say?" Zairgid turned toward him.
"Oh, nothing." Dan pocketed the phone, forcing a calm tone. "What do you think this thing actually does?"
Zairgid shrugged. "No clue. If anyone did, it'd be in the brochure. Probably sothing only the research labs can use."
The bidding began.
Corporate labs, collectors, and governnt buyers all joined in, driving the price higher and higher.
"Four hundred thousand Aurs—any advance on four hundred?"
"Should I bid?" Dan's thoughts churned. His app probably wanted him to have it — that was clear.
"Five hundred thousand Aurs," he Dan aloud.
Zairgid nearly choked. "Are you insane? You don't even know what that thing is!"
Whispers rippled through the hall. Up on the balcony, a man with slicked hair and a serpent pin leaned forward, his grin thin and cold.
"Six hundred thousand," the man said lazily.
Dan didn't blink. "One million."
The room fell silent. Zairgid buried his face in his hands.
The masked host's gaze lingered. "One million Aurs to the young man in black. Any other bids?"
The serpent-pin man smirked, then leaned back. "There are so many noob collectors out there. Let the boy have it."
Bang. The hamr fell.
Dan's pulse was still racing.
He's checked the man with the serpent pin. He was Valtor Veyran…. His nesis.
"Great, I've won the bid
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