The Auction Begins
Two days had passed since we exited the gate. During that time, I handed over every mana stone, gold and silver treasure, and item Arin had sorted to President Lee Tae-shik. He examined each piece one by one, occasionally glancing up at me. He never asked where the goods came from, but he couldn't hide his curiosity.
"Quite a haul you've got here," President Lee said carefully as he set a box down. "When ancient-style gold and silver treasures are mixed in, people usually say this kind of thing only comes from A-rank dungeons. Looks like your rank is higher than I thought."
"Not at all. It was a B-rank dungeon."
I kept my answer short, stripping away anything unnecessary and sticking to the facts. I told him we'd stumbled upon a hidden cave inside, found a troll, and after dealing with it, discovered an old skeleton and a chest. "When we opened it, there were items and gold coins inside." That was where I stopped.
President Lee didn't speak for a moment. He probably hadn't completely dismissed his suspicions, but he also knew that B-rank dungeons occasionally produced remnants of otherworldly civilizations or treasure chests. In the end, he didn't press further. Instead, the way he looked at me felt like it had quietly risen one level.
I received the settlement in cash. After selling the miscellaneous items and other gear, the final amount came to 600 million won. Adding the funds I'd set aside separately brought the total to 1 billion. Every last bit of it was now safely stored in my subspace.
More than the fact that this much cash had piled up, one thought came first: it was time to leave the studio apartment. The moment had come to move into a bigger place—my own home, not someone else's space.
I felt a burning gaze on my back. It was Arin and Elly. The two spirits were staring at me in silence. But their meaning was crystal clear. How long do you plan to stay in that cramped space? Their eyes pressed the question. Isn't this enough already?
After finishing the settlement, I headed straight to the Uijeongbu Hunter Department Store. I had secured over twenty item appraisal certificates and sold off all my old equipment as secondhand. In exchange, I replaced everything with new B-rank gear favored by active hunters—focusing on defense rather than flash. Performance that had been proven in the field mattered more than looks. When I was done, 200 million won had left my account. It was a significant amount, but it was directly tied to survival. I didn't feel it was a waste.
I left the sword as it was. There was no reason to change it yet.
Back home, I opened my subspace and laid out the newly acquired items one by one on the floor, beginning my inspection. The first things I reached for were the accessories: two necklaces and two earrings. Though their appearances differed, they all belonged to the same series. When I checked the appraisal certificates, their internal mana structure became clear. If a threat was detected within a certain radius of the wearer, a defensive shield would automatically deploy. If the shield took a hit, it would immediately release a counter mana wave. When close-range intrusion was confirmed, an automatic attack function would activate without any separate command. The biggest feature was that it didn't rely on the wearer's reaction speed.
I set the certificates down and reached a conclusion. These weren't simply strong pieces of equipment—they were closer to weapons designed for survival. I had no intention of keeping them all for myself. One each for my parents and Yoo Mira. I set them aside in a corner of my subspace.
Next came the rings. There were three in total. They looked similar at a glance, but their roles were clearly divided once I opened the certificates. Two of them were physical enhancement types. They boosted muscle strength and stamina by 120 percent and raised nerve reaction speed and movement control by 60 percent. Since they had no side effects and remained active at all times, I could feel the immediate physical recoil as muscle density and blood flow changed the moment they were worn.
The remaining ring was different. Instead of direct physical enhancement, it specialized in mana manipulation. It increased total mana capacity while correcting absorption efficiency, focusing on stabilizing the mana recovery flow itself. At this level, it could serve as a main piece depending on the situation without issue.
The accessories didn't end there. There were three more mana-type support pieces: a necklace, a bracelet, and an earring. Though their forms differed, they all boosted total mana capacity and absorption efficiency by up to 150 percent. Designed to minimize mana loss during the absorption process, they paired well with my combat style of frequently expending and recovering mana.
The last items left were the mithril armor and sword. A single set of mithril armor in a medieval style. It had a quadruple-layered high-grade magic defense effect and raised stamina, agility, and strength by 200 percent—an extraordinary piece. The moment it was worn, an automatic body-adjustment function activated, reshaping itself to match the user's physique. The mithril sword was extremely sharp; even paper would be sliced if it brushed against the edge, and its durability was abnormally high. It raised strength, agility, and mana conductivity by 150 percent, forged solely for killing.
I picked up both pieces for a moment before immediately returning them deep into my subspace. Using them would mean facing enemies I couldn't handle at my current level. There was no need to rush. The equipment I would actually use this time had already been decided: two rings and one necklace. That was enough. Items didn't stack. Wearing multiple at once wouldn't increase efficiency—it would only create more things to manage. What I needed right now wasn't overwhelming firepower, but stable survival and operation.
I returned all the equipment I wouldn't use immediately to my subspace. I planned to put them up for auction soon. If it was power I didn't need, turning it into value another way was better.
I had just closed the subspace and finished organizing the gear when the air rippled gently and Elly spoke first.
"Jihoon. Are you going to attend the auction today?"
I paused and looked up. "I want to go, but I don't know how. It's not like I can just show up and walk in."
Elly nodded. "You said it was held in secret. Doesn't that mean you'd need an invitation or something?"
"Probably."
I rested my chin on my hand. "The location isn't even public. There's no way to access it through normal channels."
At that moment, Arin cut in with a light laugh. "Then how about we sneak in?"
I shook my head immediately. "There'll be plenty of skilled hunters there. It won't be that easy. If we draw attention for no reason, it'll only cause more problems."
Arin thought for a moment, then changed direction. "Then how about we change the approach? Among the things we have, there are duplicates, right? Pick two and put them up for auction."
Elly blinked as if she understood the meaning. "Attend on the condition of submitting items?"
"Yeah," Arin nodded. "We say it like a trade—'let us participate.'"
I mulled over her words. "Then in the end… we'll have to go through President Lee Tae-shik."
"Exactly," Arin said casually. "That guy's connected to the black market, isn't he?"
The problem came next. "What if he asks how I found out?" I continued slowly. "What should I say?"
Elly thought for a moment before answering carefully. "Couldn't you just say you found out by chance? That you learned President Lee is connected to the black market and that you wanted to attend the auction too."
I stayed silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. No need to overcomplicate it. Let's just tell the truth."
Arin added with a smile, "Then we can judge based on his reaction. If it works, we go with it. If not, we'll think of something else then."
The conclusion came faster than expected. "Alright," I said, standing up. "Let's give it a try."
When I opened the door to the Seongwon Industries warehouse, President Lee Tae-shik was standing in front of his workbench. He stopped sorting documents and looked at me, nodding. "Oh, what brings you here?"
"I have something I'd like to discuss."
I gave a brief greeting and opened my subspace pouch. Space warped, and two items landed on the workbench. President Lee's eyes changed instantly. He picked one up, turned it at different angles, then activated his appraisal equipment. A moment later, a low exclamation escaped him.
"Oh… this is quite the piece."
After examining it a bit more, he looked up. "This is pretty good. No, honestly, it's an exceptionally good item. Why didn't you bring it before?"
I took a short breath before delivering the line I'd prepared. "They're not mine. A hunter I know happened to acquire them, but said putting them up in a formal auction would be too risky."
President Lee nodded silently. "So?"
"They asked me to check if these could be moved through the black market auction. That's why I brought them to you first."
He set the items down again and looked at me. "Then why come to me specifically?"
"Actually… I found out by chance. That you're connected to the black market."
For a moment, the air in the warehouse grew heavier. President Lee stared at me without a word.
"The fact that you buy items without caring much about their origins, things like that. Separately, none of it would be a problem, but when I put it all together, it naturally raised suspicions."
A brief silence. He spoke first. "So… did you come here to blackmail me?"
"No." I shook my head. "I have no intention of revealing anything. In exchange, I'd like to attend that auction at least once."
"The auction? You came knowing there's one tonight?"
"No. There's an auction tonight? I just came to ask if these could be put up for auction."
President Lee's gaze sharpened for a moment. Then he looked back down at the items, as if reassessing their meaning. "So they're not even your items, and you didn't come here aiming to attend from the start."
"I didn't come with that intention from the beginning. But if possible, could you also put the items I brought up for auction?"
He didn't answer right away and leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. "Hmm…"
A moment later, he stood up. "Please wait a moment."
President Lee disappeared into the back of the warehouse. A few minutes passed before he returned, his expression slightly different.
"It looks like they can be put up for auction."
He opened a safe, took out an envelope, and placed it on the workbench. "This is the invitation with the location and time. It's not an official invitation, but you'll be able to enter."
I looked down at the envelope.
"There's one condition," President Lee continued. "All attendees must wear masks. Never reveal your face. And… don't cause any trouble. If something happens there, I'm the one who'll be in a difficult position."
"I'll attend quietly and come back."
"Good. I'll trust you this once."
He organized the items again and added, "I'll send the goods over to the auction side. Come at the time written on the invitation. Don't cause any commotion—just watch quietly."
I picked up the envelope. Things were moving faster than I'd expected. "Thank you."
"It's a transaction, after all." President Lee smiled calmly. "As long as we both stay within the lines, that's all that matters."
I didn't say anything more and left the warehouse.
Once outside, the air felt noticeably lighter. I walked a short distance away from the building before taking out the envelope. It wasn't thick. A single sheet of paper slid out from inside. Location. Time. And a short warning: All attendees must wear masks. Identity exposure prohibited.
I scanned the paper once more before folding it. "I need to buy a mask first."
The place I drove to was an alley just off the main shopping district—a small props shop with a sign that was hard to spot. Inside, the walls were lined with masks of every kind: decorative, performance, and practical ones meant purely for covering the face.
I picked up a plain black half-mask with no decorations. It had no unnecessary patterns, just a smooth surface that subtly absorbed light. It didn't cover the entire face, but it blurred the eyes and nose line enough to divert attention. When I tried it on, my vision was barely obstructed. My line of sight remained natural while my expression stayed hidden. It didn't feel suffocating either. This would do.
By the time I finished paying and left the shop, the sun had already sunk low. I checked the invitation again. The location written on it was deep inside an old commercial district. When I arrived at the address, an ordinary-looking building appeared. No sign, the kind of place you'd easily pass by if you weren't specifically looking for it. It was quiet on the outside. Not a single sign of life could be felt, but that only made it more suspicious.
"This seems to be the right place," Elly said in a low voice, glancing around before naturally moving to my side.
Arin silently scanned the building before giving a slight nod. "The fact that there's nothing eye-catching makes it more suspicious. It feels like it was deliberately made that way."
Inside the building, a dimly lit corridor stretched ahead. In the deadened space, I could see several people already moving in the distance. All of them wore masks. No one showed their face, and no one seemed inclined to speak to each other. At the end of the corridor stood a metal door. An attendant stood in front of it, expressionless and silent. When I presented the invitation, he checked it briefly before opening the door without a word.
The inside was a surprisingly spacious hall. Tiered seating surrounded a low platform in the center. The lighting focused solely on the platform, leaving the surroundings naturally swallowed in darkness. Several people had already taken their seats. A strangely orderly silence hung in the air, where even whispers were barely audible.
I sat in an empty seat, slowly catching my breath as I surveyed my surroundings. I could feel the texture of mana—suppressed, hidden, deliberately lowered—mingling together. Arin spoke quietly beside me. "This definitely… isn't an ordinary place."
Elly nodded silently, her gaze already fixed on the platform.
The air in the hall settled subtly. Whispers disappeared, and movement stopped. The lighting on the platform brightened one more level. Gazes that had been hidden in the darkness all turned toward it at once.
I steadied my breathing and leaned back in my seat. There was no need to move right now. Simply confirming what this place would show was enough.
A low signal tone rang out like a bell. The auction had begun.