The Auction's Shadow
I arrived at the school gate at nine o'clock. A luxury sedan waited in the distance. Through the window, I could see Cha Jiyun seated inside.
"...Hello."
As I climbed into the car, she glanced at me and lowered her head. I did the same.
"Yes. Hello."
Was it just my imagination? Her eyes seemed filled with suspicion, unlike usual. She also sat pressed against the door, as if trying to put as much distance between us as possible.
"We'll be departing now."
"....Yes."
The car pulled away. Neither of us spoke. Cha Jiyun had never been talkative, but today the silence felt especially heavy.
She was the one who finally broke it.
"...May I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"...I apologize for bringing this up, but could you tell me how you knew about the uncharted dungeon?"
"...."
I stayed silent. I couldn't say I knew because I'd played through the game countless times before possessing this body. A half-baked lie wouldn't work either. With the Samhwa Group's information network, she'd see through it instantly. That would only make things worse.
"......"
When I didn't answer, the silence stretched on. She spoke again first.
"...The reason I'm asking is because I want to believe you. That person..."
She stopped mid-sentence and pressed her lips together.
"What do you mean by that?"
"...I'll ask one more time. Can you not tell me how you obtained that information?"
"No. I'm sorry."
"...No need to apologize. It was a pointless question on my part."
After that, no further conversation passed between us.
The secretary spoke from the driver's seat. "Ah. I have something to report, Miss Jiyun."
"...What is it?"
"It's about the Oriental Guild's intelligence operatives. They've been disappearing one after another recently."
"Have you discovered anything?"
"Yes. We suspect Demonic Humans are responsible. The police investigation has shifted in that direction as well."
"..Another one went missing just yesterday, correct?"
"Yes. Unfortunately. The incident occurred around 2 a.m."
"...."
Cha Jiyun studied me carefully, as if about to ask what I'd been doing last night that made me late today. Was she... suspecting me? She started to speak, then clamped her mouth shut again. Her gaze returned to the secretary.
"...Please continue."
"Yes. We've narrowed down potential suspects, but we're still at a dead end."
"...I see."
Cha Jiyun frowned.
"Their ultimate target is almost certainly you, Miss Jiyun."
"...Yes, I thought as much."
"By eliminating the Oriental Guild's informants one by one, they seem intent on isolating you."
".....Haa."
Cha Jiyun let out a long sigh.
"But don't worry. I'll protect you."
"......I believe you."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"...We've been together for over ten years. Of course I trust you."
"........"
I looked at the secretary. The person currently making Oriental Guild members disappear was none other than Cha Jiyun's own secretary. Yet he lied without a hint of shame. I had no way to expose him. The secretary and Cha Jiyun had spent ten years together. The trust built over that time was immense. In comparison, I'd only known her for less than a month. If I claimed the secretary was the culprit now, it would fall on deaf ears.
Before long, the car arrived in front of the secret auction house.
Click—
The door opened. Cha Jiyun and I stepped out to find a formally dressed attendant waiting.
"Welcome."
He bowed politely.
"Please come inside. I'll escort you."
He led us in. The interior was lined with chandeliers, ornate flower stands, and other lavish decorations.
"I've been hoping to meet you, Miss Cha Jiyun. It's an honor to serve you."
His eyes sparkled as he spoke.
"...Yes."
"Then allow me to take you to the VIP room."
He guided us to a private room containing a desk with light refreshments and two chairs. The space was roughly the size of a studio apartment.
"The auction will proceed over there."
The attendant pointed to a glass window. Beyond it, the auction stage was clearly visible.
"If you'd like to bid on an item, simply press the red button in front of you."
A red button sat on the right armrest of each chair.
"Ah, and do you see the green button?"
A green button rested on the left armrest of each chair.
"In case of an emergency, press that button and our staff will come to you. Enjoy your time."
He bowed once more and left the room.
The auction began shortly after.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. My name is Lee Kimoon, and I'll be your auctioneer today. It's a pleasure to have you. Shall we begin with the first item?"
Masked staff carried a transparent box onto the stage. Inside gleamed a sharp dagger.
"This dagger was said to have always been kept close to Napoleon. Its authenticity has already been verified. We'll start the bidding at thirty million won."
"One hundred million."
"The gentleman over there has bid one hundred million. Do I hear more?"
"One hundred and fifty million."
The price soared without limit.
"Sold for four hundred million. Congratulations."
"...."
As expected from a venue frequented by the wealthy, even the starting bids were on another level. Numerous items passed by in succession.
"We've now reached the final item. You may all look forward to it."
A very old-looking sword was placed on the stage.
"Hmm..?"
"What is that.."
The audience tilted their heads in confusion.
"This sword supposedly fell from the sky in the 1700s. Its origins are unknown, but experts believe it harbors tremendous power..."
The auctioneer piled on every impressive detail he could muster.
"The 1700s was when the gate to the demon realm first opened. Specialists speculate this sword was once wielded by the Demon King of Destruction during his lifetime."
"Has that been confirmed?"
"....No, it has not."
The audience's reaction turned cold in an instant. One of the main reasons people used this auction house was its guarantee of authenticity. If an item later proved fake, they could receive compensation. However, even here, items whose authenticity couldn't be verified occasionally appeared. Naturally, buyers avoided such items, knowing they wouldn't be compensated even if the item turned out to be a fraud.
"We'll start the bidding at ten million won."
As expected of an unverified item, the starting price was low. I pressed the bid button.
"Ten million."
"We have ten million. Any other bids?"
The auction hall remained silent. As anticipated for an unverified item, it seemed I could win it at a relatively cheap price.
"Sold! The gentleman over there has won the bid."
The sword had no effect on ordinary people. But everything changed the moment a Demonic Human held it. When the demonic energy emitted by a Demonic Human resonated with the sword, it could hypnotize others. Those under its influence would become complete puppets. In the future, the secretary would kidnap Cha Jiyun and use this sword to hypnotize her. The puppetized Cha Jiyun would then hand the Samhwa Group over to him. I had to prevent the Samhwa Group from falling into Demonic Human hands at all costs.
I left the VIP room on the second floor and headed toward the auction stage on the first floor to collect the sword.
At that moment—
Crash—
The glass window in the auction hall shattered completely as a man wearing a black mask burst inside. He instantly sliced the auctioneer's throat on the stage.
"!!!"
The audience's expressions twisted in horror.
"Kyaaah!"
"Get out of here!"
Panic erupted throughout the auction hall. The man walked onto the stage and grabbed the sword. He had clearly come here specifically for it. That meant he already knew about the sword's hidden effect. Under normal circumstances, no one at this point in time should have known about it.
['Possessor Exclusive Difficulty' — The timing at which Cha Jiyun's secretary discovers the sword's effect has been significantly advanced.]
What? I had no idea why this notification appeared so suddenly. But at least now I knew who was behind the intruder.
This was all part of the secretary's plan.
I quickly sent a message to Cha Jiyun.
The VIP room door was sturdy enough that it wouldn't break easily. At least not with the strength of Cha Jiyun's secretary, as far as I knew. That meant Cha Jiyun would be safe as long as she stayed inside the VIP room.
But no reply came from her.
I immediately started running toward the VIP room where Cha Jiyun was.