Upon entering, he spotted the skeletal merchant, Duo Gene, busy organizing the incoming orders.
As time progressed, Fungha shop had garnered a modest reputation within the merchant alliance.
The consistency in quality and swift delivery had rapidly amassed him a loyal customer base.
Good morning, Lord.
Duo Gene greeted, bowing as he noticed Fongo's entrance.
Fungho had come with the intention of utilizing orders to purchase the marble flooring required for a level 10 building.
But unexpectedly, Duo Gene had matters to discuss.
What is it? Fong Hao inquired, seating himself at the counter.
Duo Gene produced a slip of paper from beneath the counter and presented it to Fong Ho.
Merchant alliance invitation note.
This invitation grants access to the local merchant alliance auction.
An invitation? Funho questioned.
Indeed, my lord.
The Merchant Alliance will host an auction at Outpost 032 in 2 days.
This invitation serves as your entry pass.
Duo Gene explained.
Funhow had heard of the Merchant Alliance auctions during his first visit to their outpost.
Such auctions were infrequent and lacked a fixed schedule.
The items up for auction are indeed exceedingly rare and precious commodities.
Attending the auction, aside from the members of the commercial alliance, are the prominent figures of the local elite.
There exists a considerable likelihood of encountering the bone king Odis, the immortal monarch who introduced himself into the commercial alliance.
At this thought, Fongo suddenly pondered the chaotic nature of the gathering.
Would his meager combat skills pose a danger? Is there a limit on the number of participants for this invitation? Fongo inquired.
Duo Gene contemplated for a moment before responding.
There is no fixed number requirement.
However, the alliance's premises stipulate a maximum of 10 individuals per faction.
The commercial allianc's location serves as a neutral public area and a venue for the sale of high-end goods.
To prevent potential conflicts among factions within the premises, the rule of not exceeding 10 individuals was established.
Typically, only two or three individuals attend from each faction.
If conflicts do arise, they would likely escalate into war rather than mere brawls among a handful of individuals at the alliance as premises.
Therefore, a limit of 10 individuals can be accommodated.
Indeed, my lord, Fong Ho nodded in understanding.
He could bring along a few more heroes.
It would not do to appear diminished in stature amongst the titans at the auction.
After tucking away the invitation, Fong Ho continued, "Duan, do you have marble flooring for sale?" Duo Gene opened the display behind him and began to inspect the goods.
Ultimately, his gaze settled on a particular compartment.
My lord, we have 500 units of marble flooring available for sale priced at 1,000 battle coins.
Duo Gene announced, "Good heavens, 1,000 battle coins.
" This price genuinely startled Fong Ha.
Battle coins are a highly valued currency, implying that each unit of marble flooring costs two battle coins.
Two battle coins could suffice to purchase a slave from the market.
With just 50 coins, one could procure the company of a lady of any race at the Alliance Tavern to enjoy the moonlight.
Such exorbitant prices for flooring.
Is there truly only 500 units? The level 10 lord's manor requires 800 units of marble flooring, and 500 is insufficient.
My lord, marble flooring is commonly found, yet currently only one vendor offers it and they possess merely 500 units, Duo Gene replied.
Fonhow thought for a moment.
Given that it is ordinarily available and 500 units would not suffice for the upgrade, there was no immediate need for haste.
Are there any blank purchase orders available? The purchase orders are updated every 7 days.
Currently, Duo Gene handles them, primarily filling them with rare materials lacking in the territory, except for special requests.
There are some, "My lord, I would like to utilize one to fill in the order for marble flooring.
" Funhouse stated, "The main city and the secondary city will require marble flooring for future upgrades.
If he were to purchase it each time, the consumption would be excessive.
It is more economical and practical to produce it himself.
" Understood, my lord.
wealthy yet concise, he swiftly produced a blank purchase order, inscribing the acquisition details for the marble flooring design.
Once completed, he cast it into the mailbox behind him.
All that remained was to await the sale of the blueprints.
After a brief respbit, Funha departed from the merchant allianc's construction site.
He arranged for the crafted staff to be delivered to the northern orc village while he accompanied by Anja traversed several affiliated cities to assess their developmental status.
In the blink of an eye, two days had elapsed.
On that midday, Fong Hoa emerged from the Lord's manor, accompanied by Anja, Dimitra, and Lurana, who had arrived the previous night with plans to visit the merchant allianc's headquarters.
Lorena had remained in Leis city and previously Fongghao had observed her entering the lord's manner late at night which led him to suspect a potential connection between her and the lord's estate.
However, Lorena's unwavering loyalty dispelled any notions of betrayal leaving Fong how intrigued this eccentric woman.
Surely she could not have developed an affection for the lord Aubrey could she? It seemed unlikely that someone of Luranna's discernment would be drawn to him.
Such musings left Fong how perplexed.
As for inviting Lorena to accompany him to the auction, he did so not with an authoritative tone, but rather conveyed that he had received an invitation to the Merchant Alliance's auction with an available spot, inquiring if she wished to join him for a change of scenery.
Upon receiving the message, Lorena hurly returned that very night, eager to attend the auction alongside Fong Hao.
He led the trio to a shop where they exchanged sufficient battle cards and retrieved the teleportation scroll for the merchant alliance's headquarters.
Tearing open the scroll, a soft blue light enveloped them.
And as they stepped into it, the world around them spun in a dizzying whirl.
When they opened their eyes again, they found themselves on the streets of the 032 headquarters.
The well-maintained roads and lush flower beds created a pleasant atmosphere in stark contrast to the previous desolation.
The streets now bustled with numerous individuals grouped by their respective races.
Their lavish attire suggested notable status within their communities.
Is this the new merchant alliance headquarters? Lorena inquired.
Her curiosity peaked as she surveyed her surroundings.
Have you never been here before? Fungho asked, surprised.
Given Luran is standing, she should have visited the headquarters previously.
I have been, but not to this location.
I recall the former headquarters was situated at top a massive turtle shell where one could hear the sound of crashing waves from the city center, Lurena responded.
It appeared the merchant alliance had relocated.
Or perhaps there were multiple headquarters.
If there was a 032, could there not also be a 031 or 030? You're exaggerating.
Where could such a gigantic turtle be? Anja expressed her skepticism.
Lorena unperturbed, smiled, and replied, "The world is vast, little girl.
" Anja merely pouted, choosing not to continue the debate.
In any case, he was convinced that she was merely boasting.
Funhow glanced at the lavish gold watch on his wrist.
It was now 1:12 p.
m.
The auction was scheduled for 2:00 p.
m.
, precisely after the conclusion of the previous event.
They had timed their arrival to avoid the midday meal outside.
It's almost time.
Let us proceed to the auction.
Fong Hao declared, leading his companions toward the central area.
When he first arrived at the outpost, he had been introduced by the skeletal merchant Rul.
At that time, Rul had shared insights about the Commerce Alliance s auction, including its location.
As they advanced, they soon reached the stone fortress designated for the auction.