Chapter 763 Clueless Fool

Hayley’s POV:

Time flew by, and soon the long-anticipated Rock Betting Auction arrived.

Though this event was held annually, last year’s incident had reignited a frenzy of hope. Countless people, all dreaming of overnight riches, swarmed in—each one secretly praying they’d be next to strike it big.

Among them, low-ranking werewolves in particular hoped that winning a lucky bet on gemstones could help them rise above their station.

At exactly 10 a.m., Humbert and I stepped into the venue.

Right at the entrance, we were greeted by long rows of raw stones, displayed like trophies—each one different in size and shape, their rugged surfaces catching the light.

Humbert’s eyes lit up with obsession as he stared, wide-eyed, at those raw stones.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said, breathless with excitement. “These stones, they all look pretty high-quality to me!”

I smiled faintly, just about to tease him, when a man’s mocking voice rang out behind us.

“You call that high quality? Clearly, you low-rank outsiders don’t know anything. Those are nothing. The real treasures haven’t even been brought out yet. When they do, you’ll understand what rare really means.”

He looked at Humbert like he was some poor fool, but when his gaze slid over to me, it turned arrogant and suggestive.

Hera had already caught the foul scent on this guy who made my skin crawl. I couldn’t be bothered to respond. Instead, I turned my attention back to the raw stones with Humbert, eyes sweeping across the displays.

Suddenly, something caught my attention.

“Humbert,” I said, nudging him with my elbow and tilting my chin toward the far corner. “Take a closer look over there. Does anything stand out to you?”

Humbert turned toward it in confusion. “You mean that pile over there? It’s just a messy stack of random raw stones. I don’t see anything special.”

That was Preston’s cue to swoop in with his usual smug tone. “Don’t tell me no one’s ever explained this to you?” he laughed. “Premium stones are never placed out here in the outer hall. Even the ones chosen by last year’s ‘Chosen One’ were all selected from the inner vaults.”

He leaned closer, his voice low and dripping with sleaze. “And with skills like that, you still want to go head-to-head with me? Looks like we’re destined for a little bonding time, huh? Don’t worry, my wolf doesn’t mind playing with a low-ranking Omega like you.”

I ignored him and tugged Humbert toward that pile of stones that had caught my eye. “Take a good look,” I told him.

Humbert clearly agreed with Preston deep down—but I was still the boss, and he followed my lead, obediently picking through the stones, examining them one by one.

I kept busy too. As I scanned each rock, I replayed all the tricks I’d learned from Benjamin, along with everything I’d picked up from the books I’d read since. Occasionally, I’d lift a stone, weighing it in my palm, feeling for its hidden promise.

Most people here had their eyes locked on the inner hall—where, legend had it, fortunes could be made in a single afternoon.

To them, lingering out here in the outer gallery was just a way to kill time, chat, and mingle. Almost no one paid serious attention to the stones right in front of me.

Which meant Humbert and I—seriously inspecting every rock—looked like a pair of fools to the rest of the crowd. We became their subject of gossip.

“Are they serious right now? These stones are no different from ones you’d find on the side of the road,” someone snorted.

“I know, right? I can smell it from here—they’re low-tier werewolves and outsiders, no less. No wonder they’re clueless.”

“I heard she made some kind of wager with Preston. Has she completely lost her mind? Everyone knows the Hanovers are on fire this year—they’ve even got a secret weapon up their sleeve—they’re bound to score the best stones.”

“A secret weapon? You don’t mean-”

“Hey, don’t jump to conclusions just yet. Maybe she is the next Chosen One, haha!”

I blocked out the noise. Carrying one of the raw stones in both hands, I made my way over to the registration table. “I’ll take this one. Please register it under my name, thank you,” I said.

Even the staff member gave me a weird, skeptical look—but to his credit, he stayed professional and completed the paperwork.

I could feel the stares burning into my back—nearly half the hall had turned to look at me with thinly veiled contempt, as if I was just here to play pretend.

Everyone was convinced I wouldn’t be able to uncover anything valuable from that raw stone.

Calm and collected, I waited as the registration was finalized. Just then, a shadow stepped up beside me.