Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Black Market Auction (4)
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The auction had come to an end. My overwhelming final bid left the crowd in awe, shock, and fear, but in the end, the winner was me.
"Congratulations. You spent quite lavishly. It was entertaining. That said, sweeping up every item in the latter half of the auction is a bit worrisome. There are people with extremely strong pride, after all."
I flashed a smile at the branch manager—someone I'd lost count of how many times I'd seen—and opened my inventory.
From the seventeen items I'd won, I set aside three that seemed useful to me and handed the rest over to him.
"What is this?"
"Please deliver these to the people who wanted them, on my behalf. And let them know it's a small gesture of goodwill from me."
"Heh heh heh. You really are entertaining. Very well. I'll see to it personally. Here are the clothes and the rune. I'll step out and wait."
Rune: Crown of the Evolution LordRank: Ancient Grade: SSS+ LV 1Description: A rune born from the crown of a great conqueror and lord who ruled countless ancient dimensions, imbued with profound mystery. Legend has it he bestowed the blessing of evolution upon all his subordinates.
Abilities:
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Subject of EvolutionRank: Ancient Grade: SSS+ LV 1Description: A qualification granted only to the being at the center of evolution.
Abilities:
"This is insane."
It was a rune whose effects you could benefit from even without summons. Normally, you get just one spare point per level up. This granted the magic to double that.
Put simply, it meant you could grow twice as fast as everyone else.
And that ability applied not just to you, but to your summons as well!
"Is this what a rune is?"
No wonder Earthlings, unaware of authorities, hailed it as the ultimate ability. Depending on the comparison, it might even rival authorities in power.
Unfortunately, I couldn't use the rune just yet. Ever since destroying and clearing the tutorial, I hadn't entered the Abyss.
You need to enter the real Abyss—not the tutorial—for the additional systems to unlock, including rune usage.
'Tomorrow at dawn, I'll head straight there.'
Between stopping by the association and the auction, night had fallen. Physically exhausted from earlier, I planned to head home for rest and set out for the Abyss at first light.
I carefully stowed the rune in my inventory, changed into the new clothes, donned my mask, and stepped outside.
"Hahaha! Tell him we're grateful. To receive such a favor when we wanted it but had given up."
"He seems keen on hiding his identity, so convey that we gratefully accept his kindness. And if he needs anything later, we'll grant most requests."
My plan had worked perfectly. The branch manager was mobbed by crowds conveying thanks and goodwill in my stead. I slipped away quietly, suppressing my presence.
'Thanks for the hard work.'
The branch manager, drenched in sweat, shot me a pitiful glance as I fled, but no way was I getting stuck in that crowd instead.
Leaving the auction house, I headed straight to the top floor of Black Money. Since I was already here, I figured I'd consign the golden items ahead of time.
And see Seo Ye-rin while I was at it.
The secretary spotted my perception-interference mask, asked no questions, and simply phoned Seo Ye-rin to report my arrival.
Permission granted shortly after, she bowed slightly and gestured to the door. I offered quiet thanks and entered the president's office.
"What. Happened. At. Auction?"
"Ah! The auction's all wrapped up. I snagged the rune for one trillion."
Seo Ye-rin's eyes widened at my words, then she pulled the candy from her mouth and giggled in amusement.
"So. What. Brings. You. Here."
"Just checking in, seeing your face, and dropping off more to consign."
I opened my inventory and handed over about thirty more Pure Gold Ingots. She accepted them nonchalantly now, as if unsurprised, opening her subspace and stowing them away.
Her indifference sparked an odd defiance in me. Like, 'You see something like this and act unfazed?'
An utterly arrogant, brazen thought. Harboring it against an S-rank hunter, no less.
'Tch, the stat's influence?'
Impulses clashing with my usual temperament had been bubbling up since earlier. Even my massive auction bids had been half-impulsive.
If it came to this, the stat's meddling was a sure bet.
'Probably tied to the instability issue.'
Tsking softly, I shook my head to refocus and reopened my inventory. I'd planned to hold this back, but the damn stat-fueled impulses were too strong—I needed to reveal it early to settle my nerves.
One of the items auto-unlocked once Tower of Gold ownership topped 10%.
Like pure gold, magic stones, or coins, it had loose restrictions. And it held value so immense, countless people would kill for it.
"Planning to sell this too. Feature one at the next auction."
I pulled out another ingot. Smaller than the gold ones, but still too hefty for one hand.
It gleamed. Solid. Nearly transparent silver.
"This is...!!!"
Seo Ye-rin gawked at it in my hand. The candy stick snapped under her grip, the candy clattering to the floor unnoticed.
Her eyes locked solely on the ingot.
"Pure Mithril Ingot. Should fetch more than gold."
Mithril—one of modern era's premier metals. Top-tier among them, easily.
God's metal orichalcum, star-life-forged meteorite iron, world's hardest adamantium—supreme rarities scarce even per world. Mithril ranked just a notch below.
Plus, Tower of Gold variants boasted 100% mana purity. Any gear crafted from it would see massive ability boosts, with chances for bonus effects.
Naturally pricier than gold. The ultimate material for hunters craving superior weapons.
Seeing her reaction cleared my pent-up frustration, filling me with smug satisfaction as a chuckle escaped.
She narrowed her eyes at me then.
"Ahem. Anyway, just one lump at the next auction alongside the rest. More if the response is good."
"This. Will. Sell. Big. Guaranteed."
Sure thing. Smiling, I added ten more to her subspace, slipped her a bonus one after she glared—realizing I'd teased her—and stood.
"Business done. Heading out."
Seo Ye-rin ignored my farewell, inspecting the mithril from every angle. True to her mage nature, her curiosity was insatiable.
"Analysis."
She'd already launched into Word Spirit magic for study.
"No send-off? Feeling unloved."
Grumbling under my breath, she finally waved me off. That last glimpse in tow, I left the black market, reached home, rinsed off, and crashed into sleep.
"Damn it!"
Meanwhile, back at the auction house, one man scowled as he stormed into Room 3.
"How dare a pathetic hunter from some backwater country mock me?"
But he was too late. The room's occupant had already fled the black market.
Hallus Rockefeller—the blond heartthrob—grimaced, muttering curses in the empty space before turning away. He recoiled in shock at the woman who appeared out of nowhere.
"Wh-what the?!"
Xiao Ling confirmed the room empty, smacked her lips in disappointment, and eyed the fool before her.
'No talent. No effort. Not even guts.'
Pathetic. Utterly worthless—she wanted to crush him underfoot. Sharing air with him turned her stomach.
That's why she'd humbled him at the last auction. Without family backing, he was nothing. Barely awakened on their dime, too cowardly for real fights... Without elixirs, that realm was a pipe dream for this loser.
Once floated as her fiancé, him wanting her—it shamed her.
Petty to the core: auction over, greetings done, straight here.
No need to guess—he'd come for revenge on Golden Lord.
Spot on. Had Golden Lord lingered, Hallus would've roughed him up badly before she arrived.
To both, the enigmatic Golden Lord lacked real power. D-rank at best.
Actually E-, but Shin Juha's downgraded rank fooled no one—S-rank Xiao Ling pierced his strength instantly.
The issue? Hallus sensed the gap too. Not precisely, but enough to know he was superior.
He'd sworn payback all auction long. Not revenge—that was for equals. This runt? He'd hunt cruelly, as usual.
Toy with him thoroughly, leave him unable to sneer again.
Even if cozy with black market brass, peddling impossible Pure Gold Ingots. Hallus was Rockefeller direct lineage.
Half-killing one lowbie? No sweat. Idiotic notion.
Even Rockefellers scrambled for this golden auction.
Last time, crowds came—but many skipped.
Who'd believe it? No lies, sure, but absurd claims? Nah.
Rockefellers played observer, stance TBD.
Info hidden from the family-discarded wastrel. He had no clue they craved gold.
Hence the stunt. Failed, lucky or not.
"Pathetic. Live productively for once. Stop mooching. Disgusting."
No Golden Lord? No point staying. She shot a icy glare and left.
Alone, Hallus channeled his rage from her brutal scorn into that damn upstart, summoning minions to unmask Golden Lord.
The black market's worst nightmare had begun.