"?" Robin raised two fingers, pressing them together and holding them in front of his chest, mimicking the gesture the fairy had shown him. "Hmm?" He furrowed his brows in mild confusion as a shimmering window suddenly materialized in the air before him. It hovered silently, glowing faintly. The interface looked like a translucent pane of glass, rectangular in shape with a soft blue hue in the background. Elegant white text floated at its center: "Nine days?!" Robin blinked, astonished. His head tilted slightly as he glanced around the grand auction hall again, trying to reconcile what he saw with what he had just learned. the fairy explained gently, her wings fluttering with a faint, crystalline sound. Whistle~ Robin let out a low sound of appreciation, eyebrows raised as he nodded slowly. "So the old trick of swooping in early and snatching the prize before stronger bidders arrive doesn't work here, huh? That's clever. Ruthless... but clever." the fairy replied, smiling with a calm professionalism. Robin smirked, crossing his arms loosely. "Hmm... I wonder if it's really about the seller's well-being, or just your share of the 25% commission you're so eager to collect." He chuckled softly, but it wasn't malicious—more impressed than critical. He scanned the crowded seats around him. "...Still, with this kind of traffic, this kind of visibility, I'd say you do earn your cut." The grand amphitheater surrounding him was packed with avatars and bidders—at least sixteen hundred, if not more—all silently participating in the auction. Their expressions were blank, focused, many resembling mannequins more than people. The bidding gestures were automated, synchronized, almost mechanical. Still, with this level of engagement, Robin wouldn't be surprised if the Moonlight Radiance Boots surpassed a million Essence Crystals long before the nine days ran out. the fairy said with a small shake of her head, her tone modest but clear. Then she gave him a knowing smile. "Why didn't they go for that then? ...Oh, wait—let me guess. The commission cut?" Robin arched a brow, amused. "Only, she says…" Robin sighed heavily and laughed, clearly exasperated but also impressed. He shook his head, trying to smother his rising frustration. The Spirit Network really was a finely tuned machine designed for wealth extraction. With dream-forgers like Morpheus at the helm of such a monstrous enterprise, it was no wonder no one else in the universe could rival his economic reach. Not even someone as fearsome and tyrannical as Interas could challenge him when it came to financial influence. "Heh~ so, how do I check what the next planetary gear item on the auction block is?" Robin exhaled, rubbing his temples. Just thinking about all those percentages, numbers, and rules was starting to wear him out. The fairy pointed gracefully toward a luminous corner of the wide blue control panel that floated beside him like a magical artifact from the ancient ages. Her tone held a melodic rhythm, like someone reciting a sacred chant. She rested her hands neatly in front of her again and continued with an elegant smile, Then she leaned forward ever so slightly, "Hmm, this tab here?" Robin muttered as he tapped on the 'Planetary Gear' category. A new interface unfolded like an ancient scroll, revealing lines of glowing items. He began scrolling slowly through the list, eyes narrowing with growing concern. "Everything here is outrageously priced... So if I choose to pay with soul Units, how exactly do you take them from me?" The small fairy didn't flinch. She brought her hands together in a respectful gesture, her wings fluttering softly behind her. "Wait, excision?!" Robin's voice rose a pitch, his eyes widening. "You mean you people actually cut pieces of the soul domain itself? You don't just extract energy—you remove part of the soul?!" the fairy replied without hesitation, as if it were no more significant than drawing a breath. Her calm explanation only deepened Robin's horror. "No, thank you," he said firmly, crossing his arms. "I'll stick with energy pearls, thank you very much!" To extract chunks of one's soul domain just to make a purchase—even if painless—was revolting. No wonder the Spirit Society was so feared across galaxies. Their power wasn't just in their wealth—it was in their ability to redefine the rules of reality. The fairy bowed her head slightly. Tap. Tap. Robin continued scrolling upward through the interface, his expression hardening. More gear and weapons emerged with each flick—each item etched with detailed auction timelines. Some were scheduled to appear in a month, others a year, others not until entire decades had passed. The longer he stared at them, the more something unsettling began to twist in his chest. It wasn't just the prices. It was the scale of everything. The fact that the Lord of the Soul Society could casually extract fragments of soul domains like they were coins in a fountain—that was terrifying. Robin suddenly felt small, like an ant looking up at a god who could crush him without noticing. "Alright," he muttered under his breath. "No point lingering in here anymore. Let's see what other parts of this cursed Soul Society I can take advantage of before—" He was just about to close the auction panel when something glimmered in the corner of his vision. His eyes locked on it instinctively. "…Fourth-Grade Planetary-Displacement Gear?!" Robin froze, his breath catching in his throat.