Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Vermouth's Claw
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033
-Black Gates appearing most frequently in South Korea.
-Where is Go Yohan right now?
-From Sanctum's problem child to Sanctum's secret weapon.
As time passed, interest in the Black Gates and Go Yohan only grew hotter, showing no signs of cooling off.
-Stay out for the time being. Not that you'll come anyway.
There was also a message from Go Minji.
She said Sanctum was tearing their hair out every day as it was.
Reporters were camping out, hounding them about Go Yohan, and even aside from that, they were discussing countermeasures for the Black Gates moving forward.
It was unavoidable for the number one guild in South Korea.
"The guilds within our reach have decided to form a Black Gate Countermeasure Alliance."
Yun Seung-ah was giving Go Yohan daily reports.
And Go Yohan himself was.
"Again."
"Haaap!"
Serving as a training partner for Lee Jae-kyung.
The church remained utterly serene, as if detached from the chaos engulfing the world.
"We plan to naturally draw Sanctum in and install you as the council chairman."
Go Yohan nodded.
"...Guild Master Go Jaehan seems inclined to go along with it as well."
Yun Seung-ah had visited Go Jaehan a few days prior.
She hadn't gone into detail, but she'd shared a rough outline of how dangerous the Black Gates were and what might happen.
She hadn't gotten a proper answer, and he hadn't asked about Go Yohan either, but his actions allowed them to guess his thoughts.
"I figured as much."
His father, Go Jaehan, was a sharp and resolute man.
Whether involved with Go Yohan or not, he clearly understood the current situation and knew how to act.
"...And Mother?"
"She stepped down from her position as chairwoman of the foundation and has returned to the guild."
His mother, who had served as chairwoman for the Sanctum Middle School and other educational foundations, had stepped down amid the incident and returned to the guild.
That was the end of family matters.
"This is regarding legendary items."
Go Yohan stopped in his tracks.
Lee Jae-kyung's eyes flashed at the opening, and she swung her sword.
Whoooong!
A vivid glow cloaked her blade—one rarely seen even among master-class sword rankers.
Sword aura surpassing sword ki.
It surged fiercely toward Go Yohan's neck, poised to sever it in one stroke.
Thud.
Go Yohan raised his hand and caught it barehanded.
"What the hell."
While Lee Jae-kyung spat out her curse in disbelief, Yun Seung-ah's voice continued.
"We've secured a total of six legendary items."
"Six of them?"
Lee Jae-kyung was the one who sounded shocked.
"I hear the value of those legendary items is nearing a hundred trillion won."
Even as she said it, Lee Jae-kyung looked incredulous.
Top rankers might handle tens of trillions, but a hundred trillion was on another level entirely.
"Six hundred trillion?"
"It was handled through purchases of three items each. We had to pay premiums, so that's the amount used."
"Huh. Feels like a dream. At that scale, it's not even realistic."
Lee Jae-kyung let out another hollow laugh.
She knew the church was starting to take shape, and ever since Go Yohan had permitted overseas expansion, their forces had been growing at a terrifying pace.
Whispers said numerous guilds in South Korea were under the church's influence, and they wielded no small power abroad as well.
She'd expected enormous assets since it all boiled down to money in the end.
"Of course, not all in cash. Investments and such..."
"Skip the complicated stuff."
Even as she said it, Lee Jae-kyung still looked flabbergasted.
Genius, genius...
She knew Go Yohan and the Apostles transcended ordinary humans.
"Insane. Truly."
"Borrowing Greed's words, with this level of ability, failing to achieve that would make them the idiots. She says we're actually taking the harder path."
The scale was beyond what Lee Jae-kyung could even fathom.
Go Yohan seemed even less interested, though.
"To explain, it was in forms like handing over parts of elixir crafting techniques."
"Ah."
That made sense.
"And since they're under Temple's influence anyway, it's more like money circulating internally."
Nod.
Go Yohan nodded.
It was the same in Travania—Go Yohan was hopeless with these kinds of things.
"And about the remaining legendary items..."
Yun Seung-ah bit her lip.
She had no choice; it was bad news.
"Two legendary items are state-owned, so impossible to purchase, and we can't track the whereabouts of the other two."
Go Yohan looked at Yun Seung-ah.
"And the last one is privately owned, but seems impossible to buy..."
"Why?"
"It's outside our influence."
Unavoidable.
"And the remaining one?"
The whereabouts of the final one.
"It's up for auction."
Lee Ha-yeon, who had appeared out of nowhere, answered.
*
*
*
While South Korea buzzed with talk of Black Gates and Go Yohan.
Another issue emerged after a long while.
-World's largest Goldian auction. Host location: Seoul?
-Goldian chooses South Korea, the safest country amid the most Black Gates—the only nation worthy of trust right now.
-Top rankers heading to Korea for Goldian's auction.
-What is the star item of this auction?
News that the world's largest Goldian auction would be held in Seoul.
While Goldian auctions had been held in various places around the world before, this was the first time in South Korea.
Goldian, one of the world's top ten corporations and also one of the top ten guilds.
"Only disclosed to VVIPs—the items for this auction."
Lee Ha-yeon rubbed her tired eyes as she spoke.
Behind Lee Ha-yeon, a small projection floated.
It resembled modern tech but was magic.
Modern tech was great, but security was always a concern, right?
'Magic's more convenient.'
Or was it that the ridiculously complex magic was more convenient?
Either way, what hovered there was part of Lee Ha-yeon's memory—and the invitation from Goldian.
"Ha-yeon, you're a Goldian VVIP?"
Goldian's VIP status required meeting various conditions like assets, fame, and transaction history.
VVIP went beyond that—there were no set criteria.
Even in player powerhouse South Korea, Goldian VIPs could be counted on one hand.
"I have some shares."
"In Goldian...?"
"Yeah."
"Isn't that a place that sells shares?"
"Got it from someone who already owned them."
Lee Jae-kyung just shook her head, as if done speaking.
"So?"
It was Go Yohan.
"The most secretly revealed auction item is a shortsword said to have been obtained from this Black Gate outbreak."
The screen behind Lee Ha-yeon changed.
There, with no description whatsoever, floated a single shortsword.
No ornate decorations.
Chill.
Just looking at it sent a sinister shiver.
"It's the real deal."
Lee Jae-kyung said.
"......"
Go Yohan stayed silent.
No.
"What's wrong, Captain?"
Go Yohan's eyes were darker than usual.
"...Vermouth."
Go Yohan finally spoke.
"You know what that is?"
"Vermouth's claw."
Vermouth.
The orchestrators of the middle realm corrupted by demons—complete beings, dragons.
They were called evil dragons.
Vermouth was among the youngest and most ferocious of them.
'What makes us the strongest race?'
'In the end, perishing by human hands is our fate?'
'God? No such thing exists.'
It was Go Yohan—no, Michael—who had ended that one's life.
Several corpses had vanished after the Dragon War.
And when they later resurfaced...
"And..."
Chaos erupted in Travania.
"It's definitely an evil artifact."
At Go Yohan's words, everyone's expressions darkened.
"We're tracking it right now. But Goldian has their own methods for transporting auction items, so we're facing difficulties."
If she could...
"I was thinking of stealing it..."
Snatching it—that thought had crossed her mind.
With their power, nothing was impossible if they set their minds to it.
"Are we thieves now?"
Go Yohan's retort drew a "pfft" from Lee Ha-yeon.
Pfft.
Go Yohan chuckled.
"In the past, maybe not. But now, we'll become thieves if we need to."
Lee Ha-yeon's eyes lit up.
"But that's the absolute last resort. Track its location for now."
"Yes!"
Lee Ha-yeon smiled, satisfied.
Swipe.
Go Yohan, who had smiled briefly, now stared at Vermouth's claw behind her with pursed lips.
'Evil artifact.'
Seeing it truly drove home that the demons' invasion had begun.
And...
'Might be better to just steal it.'
Go Yohan didn't think things would go smoothly.
A warning might even be necessary.
*
*
*
A few days later, Goldian's private jet landed at Incheon Airport.
Nearly thirty people disembarked one by one.
About midway through.
"So this is South Korea."
A tall blond man stepped off the plane.
"Chairman, you can't move so carelessly."
The dark-skinned man who followed cautioned him.
"Samuel, you're too worried."
The man called Chairman—Goldian's head, Richard—smiled as he spoke.
"I hear South Korea has the best public safety. Moreover..."
That was when it happened.
Flick.
An arrow shot like a beam of light.
Its speed put even sniper rounds to shame.
The man called Samuel caught the arrow heading for Richard with his bare hand.
As if that weren't the end.
KABOOM!
A successive explosion, and black-masked assailants revealed themselves.
"With you here, what do I have to worry about?"
Clearly assassins, yet Richard's face was full of smiles.
Clang!
A sword wreathed in blue flames slashed down, and a lightning-charged spear thrust forward.
KABOOM!
Another explosion, smoke blanketing all vision.
But when the smoke cleared moments later.
"Urk!"
The black-masked figures had all been subdued.