Bang!
The moment the man placed his bid, a loud noise echoed through the hall. The audience instantly grew restless. A few people glanced around the floor with startled expressions.
The man exhaled slowly, glancing at the orb in his hand. Kim Suhyun’s face twisted with shock and anger, his clenched fist pounding the auctioneer’s podium. Soon, several officials who appeared to be managers hurried over.
“Requesting a pause. Thirty minutes—no, twenty minutes will do. Isn’t this the same city? If you contact them, they’ll bring it right away.”
“Mercenary Rod. That’s not grounds for stopping the auction…”
“No, it’s not that we don’t have the money.”
“Once you enter the auction hall, you can only use the funds you brought. We’re truly sorry.”
As the two sides argued, the man smiled faintly. The other three also glanced at the orb, their faces lighting up with satisfied smiles. One of them discreetly gave a signal. The man quickly snapped back to focus—the auction wasn’t over yet.
“Five million three hundred thousand! Aren’t you going to proceed?”
“Ah…!”
A woman let out a breathy gasp. Her face was flushed with embarrassment as she nervously glanced around the floor, clearly unsure what to do. But when the man pressed again, she finally declared the winning bid in a hesitant voice.
“F-five million three hundred thousand gold coins… I’ll take it…”
Only then did the man lean back comfortably in his chair. Grasping the glass on the armrest, he smiled quietly.
For a moment, it had seemed like he was cornered, but in the end, he pulled off a last-minute comeback. The combined effort of the operation team had toppled the mighty Mercenary clan. The liquid in his glass tasted a bit bland, but it soothed his parched throat with a sweetness that felt almost indulgent.
The remaining items were auctioned off quickly. The eighth item, a feather-light, lavish priestess’s robe, sold for 3.5 million gold coins. The ninth, a pair of sleek jet-black boots, went for 2.8 million.
The operation team had exhausted all their funds, while the individual bidders watched silently, wary. They had no choice. Anyone with half a brain had realized what had just happened. When whales fight, the shrimp’s back breaks—no one wanted to get caught up in a gold war that started in the hundred-thousands.
The tenth and final item appeared once more: a small, round, mysterious white orb radiating a subtle aura.
The man checked the orb just in case, but soon relaxed. Kim Suhyun ground his teeth in fury but never placed a bid. With the operation team quiet, the individual bidders lost interest, and the orb sold at its starting price of 500 gold coins.
And so, the fierce blind auction finally came to an end. Without looking back, Kim Suhyun strode out the entrance.
The man smiled bitterly. This was the way of the world here. Only the desperate survive. He had tried to gauge reactions through the orb, but Kim Suhyun had failed to notice. Honestly, he felt more relief at having beaten the Mercenary clan—the top clan—than any guilt.
“Mercenary Rod, don’t take it too hard. We pulled every last coin except the minimum operating funds just to win.”
With that thought, the man hummed a tune as he walked. He still had to retrieve the secretly placed orb, and above all, he was too curious to wait any longer about the effects of the violet orb.
The process of paying the bid and receiving the item didn’t take long. His hand trembled slightly as he handed over the hefty 5.3 million gold coins, but when he saw the violet orb nestled in a luxurious wooden box, his mouth fell open in awe.
The organizers included a Goose Appraisal as a complimentary service. The man accepted it without hesitation—he preferred to verify things himself.
Stepping out of the auction hall feeling light, three users gathered around him as if by appointment—the same ones who had teamed up earlier. The man showed them the Goose Appraisal and spoke.
“I’m not planning to run off with this. But I have something to say before handing it over.”
“Yes, we know you paid the highest price. We’ll send the difference later.”
The woman in the robe replied quickly, clearly eager for him to just use the Goose Appraisal already.
After receiving the same confirmation from the other two, the man began preparing to use the Goose Appraisal. As he muttered the incantation under his breath, all four watched with a mix of excitement and anticipation. Countless thoughts raced through their minds, but they all shared one question:
Why had the Mercenary clan been willing to pay over four million gold coins for this? What kind of power did it hold?
As soon as the man finished the incantation, the Goose Appraisal glowed. The previously blank record filled with dense text. The man and the three others all breathed sharply. With trembling hands, he held the record steady and read carefully.
After a moment…
“……”
His face went blank. He blinked rapidly, squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. He read it once more, thoroughly.
No matter how wide he opened his eyes, the Goose Appraisal’s contents didn’t change. Twice, three times—always the same.
The moment he realized the truth, the world seemed to spin. The 5.3 million gold coins flashed through his mind, disbelief spreading like a web, draining his strength. He collapsed heavily into his seat.
“Th-this…?”
“Well? Come on, say something.”
“Uh, uh, uh…?”
“W-what’s wrong all of a sudden?”
The woman eyed him suspiciously, then snatched the record away. The Goose Appraisal read:
‘Potion of Activation’
A potion created by a self-proclaimed genius female alchemist from the Hall Plain. She made it to enhance her magic after lamenting her own lack of ability, but the result was somewhat different from her original intent. Still, it’s not a failure. Upon consumption, the body’s senses become more acute, and the flow of magic increases by 0.5 times. The enhanced abilities gradually return to normal after twelve hours.
Potion of Activation.
When taken, it heightens bodily senses and increases magic flow by 0.5 times for twelve hours.
The potion was genuine. Judging by the description, it wasn’t a terrible effect. It could be useful for tracking or combat situations.
But…
“Ugh…?”
“What is this? What the hell is this? How did this happen?”
Was it worth 5.3 million gold coins? Well…
“Ughhh…?”
“Ahhhhhhh!”
At best, it might sell for under a thousand gold coins.
‘Potion of Magic Enhancement’
An ancient potion brewed from several rare herbs. Over the years, the recipe was lost, and some of the herbs have gone extinct, making it nearly impossible to recreate. Users with magic ability below 95 points (residents) can expect an increase of 2 to 4 points upon consumption.
“Heh heh.”
Reading the description floating in the air, the man grinned broadly. How could he not be pleased? To buy a potion of this caliber for just 500 gold coins was practically a steal. He almost felt sorry for the scheming seller and the operation team who had wasted their money.
Anyway, this should solve Vivian’s problem, right? With another magic potion obtained from the ‘Abyss of Annihilation’ expedition, she should be fine. Maybe she could even summon the Third Legion—or this legion, or perhaps the First Legion—to see Gehenna and Suna… Ah, maybe that’s wishful thinking.
He carefully placed the pure white potion back into the wooden box and tucked it safely into his coat. He tried to hold back his laughter, but it kept slipping out. Glancing sideways, he saw Ko Yeonju looking pleased as well. A soft humming drifted from beneath her veil as she read the Goose Appraisal. With a bundle of items in her arms, she looked like she’d just finished a shopping spree.
“You bought a lot, huh?”
“Hm? Oh, gifts.”
Ko Yeonju turned around with a bright smile. In her arms were a set of dark red arrows and a white priestess’s robe.
“Arrows for Im Hanna?”
“No, she doesn’t need arrows. Sun Yuwon will like them.”
“Hmm. And the robe?”
“That’s for Heeyoung. She inherited the Awakening Secret Class, so it’s a congratulatory gift.”
Nodding at her explanation, the man thought it made sense. The Shadow Queen’s eye for detail was impressive; the robe probably had decent stats.
“Oh, congrats on the potion purchase.”
“Congrats? Why?”
“At first, I didn’t get why you wanted help… but really, you have to give Suhyun credit. I’m curious what expression that scheming user will have when they get paid tomorrow.”
“Hopefully they don’t get stabbed on the way home.”
He smiled bitterly, fiddling with his right hand. After chatting for a while, Ko Yeonju tilted her head.
“By the way, what’s that?”
“Hm?”
“What you’re holding in your right hand. Did Suhyun buy something too?”
“……”
He hesitated briefly, cleared his throat, and held out his hand. A black diamond connected by a thin jet-black chain shimmered faintly.
“Forcecus Admas… it’s a necklace.”
“Forcecus Admas? Sounds like it has some cool abilities.”
“Well… I just infused my magic into this gem…”
“Ah~ So Suhyun’s going to use it? I don’t know how well it works, but isn’t it a bit too pretty for a man to wear around his neck? Hehe.”
“Hmm. This jewel permanently preserves the absorbed magical power…”
“Uh? Yes, yes.”
“What I mean is, there’s only one case where the preserved magic disappears… that is, when the original user who first released the magic dies…”
“Uh, Suhyun? Sorry to interrupt, but why are you suddenly talking like this? I don’t understand a word you’re saying.”
“I’ll give it to you.”
“…Huh?”
What the heck. In the end, I averted my eyes and held out the necklace. Damn it, why can’t I get my words out properly all of a sudden?
“……”
I waited for ten seconds, but the feeling of the necklace in my hand didn’t fade. Glancing sideways, I saw Goyeonju had stopped walking. Of course, I had stopped too.
She didn’t say a word for a long time. It almost looked like she was trying to collect herself after a shock. Feeling a bit awkward, I quietly stepped closer and fastened the necklace around her neck myself. The black diamond slid down her slender, graceful neckline and suited her perfectly. It was like a mix of sensuality and elegance.
Still, Goyeonju didn’t move. I lifted the veil to check her face.
“Gasp.”
The moment I saw her face, I was startled. She was like a statue of ice—her eyes distant, mouth slightly open as if she’d lost her mind. Then, just as our eyes met, her body suddenly melted into my arms.
“G-Goyeonju?”
“…Yo.”
“Pardon?”
“…Myo.”
“What did you say?”
“J-just wait a moment. Please stay still like this. Don’t say anything. I’m begging you.”
Suddenly, the arms wrapped around me pressed gently against my back. Goyeonju buried her head in my chest and closed her eyes softly. For some reason, her breathing was rough and her shoulders trembled. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I stared off into the distance.
Then—
“Beep…”
A vibration came from around my waist, followed by a faint whimper.
“Beep beep…”
At first, I tried to ignore it, but the buzzing and noise only grew louder.
“Ah, seriously.”
Maybe Goyeonju noticed it too. She bit her lip, stepped back a little, and irritably looked down. Hanging from her shoulder strap was the baby Chaos Mimic, whining.
“Why, why are you crying again?”
“Beep mope…”
“Really, this is a once-in-a-century opportunity. How can you cause such a disturbance?”
“Beep aaaah…”
“Ugh, I can’t deal with this… Suhyun, can you do something about it?”
“…Huh?”
Reluctantly, I took the baby Chaos Mimic from Ansol. The moment I touched it, the vibrations intensified and it cried even louder. I shrugged. I had no idea why it was acting like this, but I figured it was best to pick up the pieces Goyeonju had dropped.
“Beep, beep?!”
I gripped it firmly with both hands, and the baby Chaos Mimic flinched. I could see its mouth purse tightly.
Then I—
“Beep…?”
—slowly relaxed my grip and gently opened it side to side.
“Wait, just stay still for a moment.”
“?”
“There we go… good…”
“?”
I felt like question marks were floating in front of me, but I decided to ignore them. I gathered the scattered arrows, carefully folded the shrine maiden outfit, and softly closed its mouth. The vibrations and crying gradually subsided.
“I’ll carry this for you.”
“Huh? No, that’s not necessary…”
“I have the parent Chaos Mimics with me. Being with their parents seems to calm them down.”
“Oh, if that’s the case…”
Saying that, Goyeonju pressed herself close to my side again. Whatever it was, it seemed to make her happy. Her flushed eyes stared straight at me, and a contented smile played on her lips.
A little while later—
“The necklace… thank you. I’ll treasure it forever.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“By the way, can I ask one more favor?”
“What is it?”
“Could you walk slowly? As slow as you can…”
“…Alright.”
Without another word, we strolled through the dark streets.
It had taken about twenty or thirty minutes to get here, but on the way back, it took us nearly an hour.