I was just fishing, how did I become a Great Old One?

Dreamland, Western World, Port Delras-Lin.

This is a magnificent city built of massive black basalt, and the largest trading center in the Dreamland. Countless towering black towers pierce the dusky sky like swords, and the narrow, winding streets are filled with an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue.

Inside the port, strange ships from various dimensions and worlds were moored. There were dream ships with colorful sails, rafts towed by giant crustaceans, and even several triremes with black sails that reeked of foul odors—the infamous black sailing ships, the vehicles of slave traders from the moon.

The atmosphere here is usually gloomy, oppressive, and filled with whispers. Merchants, their faces hidden by thick headscarves, haggle in low voices; slaves, in shackles, carry goods with blank stares; patrolling soldiers, wielding scimitars, are wary.

However, today, this lifeless atmosphere has been completely shattered.

"Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom!"

A powerful, metallic bass rhythm, carried by the sea breeze, crashed into the ancient port.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared in astonishment at the port entrance.

On the horizon, a dazzling "golden road" was cutting through the waves.

It was an ancient warship that had been heavily modified, but at this moment, its entire body was painted in an extremely ostentatious gold color, and its hull was inlaid with countless gems (actually glowing deep-sea shells and Martian minerals), which reflected a dazzling seven-colored light under the hazy light of the dream world.

At the bow of the ship hung a huge sign made of colorful neon tubes, displaying a loop of text in Chinese, Common Language, and Abyssal Language:

[Deep Blue Group - Global Tour - High-Price Purchase - On-Site Payment]

"My goodness... whose vehicle is that?"

A merchant wearing a turban stared in disbelief, dropping the ruby ​​in his hand into the sea.

"It's...it's so tacky! It's practically a desecration of art!"

A poet from Serefais covered his eyes, but his fingers were wide open.

"Whoever it is, there's definitely a lot of money on this ship!"

Greedy eyes gleamed in every dark corner of the harbor.

……

"Ugh—!!!"

The Golden Black Pearl sounded its horn, and the sound, amplified by the loudspeakers, shook several dilapidated buildings along the harbor, causing them to crumble.

"Dock! Dock! Make your movements cool!"

Jiang Li stood at the bow of the ship, wearing a purple spider silk suit, sunglasses, and a slicked-back hairstyle. He had a gold chain as thick as a finger around his neck (which he had retrieved from the shipwreck), and an unlit cigar (actually a piece of dried meat) between his fingers.

The men behind him, including Wang Ergou, Lei Meng, and Liu Wei, were all dressed in black suits and sunglasses, with bulging waistbands (stuffed with condiment bottles and kitchen knives), exuding a mixed aura of "men in black" and "nouveau riche".

Even Big Yellow was squatting at the bow of the boat, wearing a red bow tie around his neck and sunglasses, scrutinizing the "mortals" below with a serious expression.

"boom!"

The springboard was lowered, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Jiang Li was the first to disembark, his leather shoes (made of lizard skin) making a crisp sound as they stepped onto the black basalt dock.

"This is Delras-Lin? It looks quite grand, but the interior design is too oppressive."

Jiang Li took off his sunglasses, looked around, and shook his head.

"It's all black stone, not festive at all. If I ever buy this place, the first thing I'll do is paint all the walls pink and hang some big red lanterns."

The surrounding onlookers: "..."

Pink? A big red lantern?

Is this guy here to cause trouble?

Just then, a group of merchants dressed in local attire and wearing turbans walked over. The one in the lead was short and stout, with a fawning smile plastered on his face, but his eyes, hidden in the shadow of his turban, gleamed with cunning.

"Welcome! Welcome, distinguished guests from afar!"

The businessman spoke in a slightly accented Common Language, while extending his hand, which was covered in rings.

"I am a first-level agent of the local chamber of commerce; you can call me Old Hassan. May I ask where this distinguished gentleman comes from? What business would you like to do for us?"

Jiang Li looked down at the hand.

His nose twitched slightly.

A familiar, unique smell, mixed with fishy and ammonia odor, entered his nostrils.

This taste...

Jiang Li's lips curled into a playful smile.

Isn't this the smell of a moon beast?

Although this guy was well disguised, and might even be wearing a layer of simulated human skin, in front of Jiang Li, the "God of Food" who had eaten countless moon beasts, this disguise was as transparent as a mask.

"Old Hassan, right?"

Jiang Li didn't shake hands, but instead took out a fist-sized ruby ​​from his pocket and casually tossed it to the other person.

"Snapped!"

Old Hassan caught it in a flurry of activity, and upon closer inspection, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The color! The size! The purity!

This is absolutely a top-quality ruby ​​that can only be produced in the most premium ruby ​​mines deep in the cold plains!

"Here's a reward for your guidance."

Jiang Li said casually, as if he had only thrown a stone.

"I want to go to that 'Gods' Auction,' the best private box, the best seat. Also..."

He pointed to the few black sailboats moored in the harbor.

"I'll take all the 'cargo' on those ships, whether it's rubies or anything else. Have your boss clean it... no, I mean tidy it up and send it to my ship."

Old Hassan's hand trembled as he held the ruby.

Although it (the moon beast) is greedy, it is not stupid.

This human actually possesses the Cold Plains' ruby? And he's so generous with it? Just who is he? Could he be the legendary demon who plundered the Cold Plains base?

"What? You think it's not enough?"

Seeing that it was in a daze, Jiang Li took out an even larger sapphire (which he had picked up from Europa).

"Would one more be enough?"

"Enough! Enough! That's more than enough!"

Old Hassan felt like he was about to stop breathing.

It had never seen such an arrogant "fat sheep" in its entire life!

"Your Excellency, please follow me! The auction is about to begin! I will now escort you to the VIP entrance!"

With money (gems) paving the way, Jiang Li and his entourage received state guest-level treatment.

……

On the way to the auction house.

Jiang Li walked at the front, followed by a group of bowing and scraping businessmen and bodyguards.

The streets were lined with stalls selling all sorts of exotic treasures from around the world.

There are singing flowers, dreams in bottles, and the fur and bones of various unknown creatures.

"Boss, look at that!"

Wang Ergou pointed to a stall, "Is that the legendary 'Ghoul Fang'? It's said to ward off evil spirits!"

"What a load of nonsense! I have several boxes of that stuff (tooth loss waste collected from the cleaners at Deep Blue Farm)."

Jiang Li didn't even glance at it.

"Boss, what about that? That purple fruit looks delicious!" Lei Meng pointed to a basket of fruit.

"That's called 'Dream Fruit.' Eating it will make you sleep for three days and three nights. Do you want to sleep until you die?"

Jiang Li commented casually.

He had no interest in these ordinary goods; his gaze remained fixed on the direction of the black sailing ships.

"Rhubarb, can you smell it?" Jiang Li asked in a low voice.

"Woof!" (I smell it! Such a strong fishy smell! Those ships are full of toads (moon beasts)!)

Big Yellow licked its lips, its eyes gleaming green behind its sunglasses.

"very good."

Jiang Li sneered.

"These guys are really doing quite well doing business here, disguised as humans."

"After the auction, we'll go 'stock up'. We ran out of mooncake filling last time, so this is a good time to replenish our stock."

The group arrived in front of a magnificent circular building.

This is the largest auction house in Delras-Lin – the Obsidian Grand Theatre.

Two rows of tall guards stood at the entrance, each exuding a powerful aura of at least B-rank.

But upon seeing the enormous ruby ​​in old Hassan's hand, the guards immediately bowed respectfully and opened the golden gate, which was reserved for the most distinguished guests.

……

The auction house was extremely luxurious inside.

The enormous dome is inlaid with countless luminous pearls, simulating the starry sky. Surrounding it are concentric circles of private boxes, with regular seating below.

At this point, the hall was already full of people (or various creatures disguised as humans).

There were wizards in robes, messengers from the cold plains, and even a few "fishmen" (deep divers) exuding the aura of the deep sea.

Jiang Li and his group were led to the [Supreme Private Room] located in the center of the second floor.

This place offers the best view, overlooking the entire area, and also provides exclusive services.

"Distinguished guests, this is today's auction catalog. Please take a look."

A scantily clad maid with cat ears (possibly some kind of mutated human) respectfully handed over a booklet.

Jiang Li took it and flipped through it casually.

"Hmm... [Whispers of the Ancient Gods]? Listening to it will drive me crazy? No way."

"【Shoggoth's original solution】? I have plenty of that stuff; using it to unclog drains would be a waste."

"【Eevee's statue】? Isn't that the statue of that water lizard? It looks ominous."

Jiang Li's finger stopped when he turned to the last page.

The final item: The Silver Key.

The image shows an ancient key with an intricate design and a silver sheen.

The description consists of only one line: 【Opening the door to ultimate truth and the One who unites all things.】

"This is it."

Jiang Li closed the booklet, propped his feet up on the railing, and lit the cigar (dried meat).

"Ergou, how much money did we bring?"

"Reporting to the boss, we brought five tons of cash (gold coins), two boxes of gems, and... a number of various artifacts as collateral."

Wang Ergou was brimming with confidence, "That's enough to buy the entire auction house!"

"That's good."

Jiang Li took a deep breath of the meaty aroma.

"Tonight, we're the coolest kids in the whole place! Anyone who dares to compete with me, I'll bury them in money! If that doesn't work, I'll unleash the dogs!"

"Woof!" (Ready to go!)

……

Ten minutes later, the auction officially began.

The stage lights went out, leaving only a spotlight shining in the center.

An auctioneer dressed in a red tailcoat and wearing a gold mask slowly rose up.

His voice was magnetic, yet possessed an unsettling allure.

"Ladies and gentlemen, guests from all the heavens and worlds..."

"Welcome to the 999th Dream Gods Auction!"

"Tonight, we will witness a miracle, and we will also witness... a fateful choice!"

"Without further ado, let's get to the first item—"

The waiter pushed in a cage covered with a black cloth.

The black cloth was lifted, revealing a cage inside...

A strange bird with flames burning all over its body and three eyes.

[Fire Phoenix Cub] (actually a high-level fire elemental creature).

Starting bid: 1,000 Dream Coins!

"This bird looks delicious; it'll be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside if roasted."

Jiang Li commented from inside the private room, "But it's too small, not even enough to fill a gap between teeth, I don't want it."

The first item was quickly bought by a wizard in a red robe.

Jiang Li showed little interest in the next few items. Magic scrolls and cursed armor were neither edible nor wearable to him (after all, they weren't as comfortable as spider silk underwear), and were therefore worthless.

until……

"The next item comes from the far reaches of the ocean..."

The auctioneer's voice became mysterious.

"This is an extremely rare piece of... [Deep-sea Ambergris]"

"It comes from a giant abyssal whale that has lived for ten thousand years, and it has the effects of calming the mind, stabilizing the spirit, and even prolonging life! It is an essential ingredient for making top-grade spices and potions."