Chapter 107 - Academy (5)

There were several paths leading to the auction house. Lost in concentration on Helena's hand, I found myself passing through a corner of the vendor zone. After taking a few wrong turns, we ended up in a strange district.

"Hm...?"

The atmosphere was growing increasingly odd. If the area we'd been in was a lively tourist spot, this place was... how should I put it... like a black market.

"Hey, buddy. Wanna buy one of these? I bet your lady friend would love it."

A man with three nose piercings waved a buzzing rod — vrrr, vrrr — in the air. Helena's face, her hand still clasped in mine, flushed crimson.

"Si-woo-nim. L-let's go quickly."

It was an adult shop. Curiosity about what items were inside surged within me. But the most important thing right now was seducing Helena. As she half-dragged me away, I focused my attention, scanning the store as thoroughly as possible.

Dozens of vibrating devices were on display. Truth be told, with my Mixed Origin Qi, I had no need for them, but curiosity was another matter.

'Wait, is that...?'

There was even a nipple-specific vibrator. The description claimed it stuck on perfectly without any adhesive. I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if I attached it to Seo Ji-yoo and just left her alone. I wanted to buy it right then and there.

'I'll have to come alone next time.'

I rolled my eyes discreetly. There were so many useful things everywhere.

"Huh...?"

As I looked around, I spotted a familiar face.

"Si-woo-nim? What's wrong?"

"Isn't that Ann?"

"Where...? Ah, you're right."

A figure whose plumpness bordered on stout. It was Ann, her belly protruding like a small mountain. She was buying a potion with a bizarre smile on her face.

"This is the strongest one, so be careful."

"I know. Just give it to me."

A fist-sized bottle filled with a transparent liquid. Ann took it from the shopkeeper and tucked it into her bosom. Then she pulled her hood down low, glancing around furtively as if afraid of being seen, before quickly leaving the spot.

'Did she just buy drugs?'

I wondered what she had purchased. Since we were heading to the auction anyway, I casually scanned the store.

- One shot, and you're a tyrant of love!

- The fastest way to Hong Kong Express!

- Worried about a weak night? Don't fret! Anyone can become a tyrant!

- A love potion for your beloved!

- No lover? No problem. One dose and anyone will be yours!

- Plessia Petal Concentrate. ※Caution: Must be diluted before use. We take no responsibility.

It was a well-known aphrodisiac, even my past life Park Jin-gu would have recognized. Famous for its effectiveness given the price. A fast-acting drug with almost no side effects.

I forced my feet to keep moving despite their instinctive desire to stop. Regrettable, but Helena was right beside me now.

'What's she planning to use that for? Surely not...?'

The target Ann was after was obvious. I offered a brief prayer for him, then left the place with Helena.

The auction was starting soon.

There were certainly many advantages to being seen with a rich young lady.

"If you need anything, please ring the bell beside you. Have a pleasant time."

The suited employee bowed politely and left the room.

This was the VIP room on the second floor of the auction house. Room number one. I leaned back into the plush sofa. On the table before us were various unfamiliar liquors and snacks. The most important feature, however, was the glass window that covered one entire wall. Through it, I could see the first-floor stage where today's auction would take place.

"Si-woo-nim. This is it. The Hwajo's Feather."

Helena smiled brightly, holding up a catalog listing the items up for auction today. I quickly flipped through the booklet.

"This feather is imbued with spatial power."

The catalog photo showed a feather engulfed in flames.

"Looks fascinating. Are there any more?"

"Hmm... Unfortunately, this is the only one today."

There was only one spatial material up for auction today. I worried about whether I could buy it. But according to Helena's explanation, they appeared quite frequently. At least one every day or two, she said. If I couldn't buy it today, there was no need to worry.

My budget was fifteen tickets. After taxes, I only had about 1.5 billion won left. The target I needed to aim for at the auction was the Hwajo's Feather. A Hwajo was a 6-star, a Peak-level monster. There was a reason a single tail feather cost over a billion won.

"A Hwajo is a bird that looks like a fire phoenix, right? And it's imbued with spatial authority?"

"Yes. That's correct."

"How fascinating."

"Well... the exact reason hasn't been discovered. Some claim that Hwajos are descendants of the Phoenix."

"Phoenix?"

A Phoenix. That was a monster that had appeared a hundred years ago, during the Great Rift Incident. A firebird so massive it filled the sky. The Phoenix, which roamed the world, had vanished one day without a trace.

"A bird said to travel ten thousand leagues with a single flap of its wings. You've heard of it, haven't you? It's a monster that naturally performs spatial jumps. Sometimes called a divine beast."

The auction began.

Through the glass window, I could see the people in the general seating area gasping in admiration. A Solar Hwary was a spiritual-grade carp possessing yang energy. Its inner core, in particular, was a highly-ranked elixir.

"A hundred years...?"

Spiritual creatures like the Solar Hwary weren't easy to raise. And they expected someone to raise it for a hundred years? I wondered who would possibly buy that, when right beside me, a beep sound rang out.

"Hm...?"

Helena was pressing the button, alternating her gaze between the red carp and me.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The price for a single carp shot past 200 million in an instant.

"Helena... I'm just asking, but are you planning to raise that for a hundred years?"

"What? Of course not."

Beep—

Helena was pressing the button without even listening to the current price anymore.

"Steamed carp is delicious. Let's have it for dinner tonight."

"Uh... sure."

Total: 400 million won. The price for a single juvenile carp without even an inner core.

Before I knew it, the delivered Solar Hwary was flopping around behind us. I tore my eyes away from the creature that would soon become a carp dish and looked down at the first-floor stage.

Finally.

The item I wanted had appeared. On a pure white cloth lay a burning feather. Strangely, the flames didn't spread to the tablecloth. It was the Hwajo's tail feather.

The moment the auctioneer finished speaking, I pressed the button. This was the reason I had come here, so I didn't hesitate.

Beep—

'Hmm...'

The money in my account was about 1.5 billion. After just a few alarm beeps, the price shot up.

Already 1.5 billion. I had pushed in my entire fortune, yet the auction wasn't over.

Beep—

"Damn..."

It exceeded my available cash. It was a bit disappointing, but I let it go. I could come again next time. The usual market price was around 1 billion, and I didn't want to pay nearly double that.

"Shall I chip in?"

"No. You said these appear often, right?"

"That's true, but..."

I said to Helena, who was pouting her lips.

"Want to come with me next time too?"

"W-well, I suppose...?"

After all, what mattered was having an excuse to go on a date. With someone like her, I could have easily obtained such materials just by giving an order.

"Let's go somewhere else then too. You said there's lots of good food here, right?"

"That's right! The fruit salad grown by elves is really delicious."

It was now 6 PM. The perfect time for dinner. If I naturally took her to a nice place and we had steamed Solar Hwary together, it would be perfect.

'A hotel would be pushing it.'

I had to be satisfied with holding her hand today. Anything more was too much. My instincts, honed through experience, told me that.

'Still, if I keep seducing her bit by bit, I think she'll fall.'

Listening to the fortune teller yesterday, I had been able to figure out how to seduce her.

'Conviction.'

The conviction that I could finish things in this life. I didn't know why she regressed, but I needed to give her that certainty. Only then would the walls around her heart crumble.

The auction ended. As I was leaving the room with Helena, the door marked Room 3 opened. A middle-aged man stepped out. The young man following behind him was waving the burning feather. They looked alike — clearly father and son.

The middle-aged man, presumably the father, was startled.

"Oh...?! A-are you not Lady Helena?!"

His mouth fell open as he hurried over.

"R-room 1..! If I had known it was you, my lady, I would have yielded immediately!"

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Oh my! This is so embarrassing... Allow me to give you the feather as a gift."

At those words, the young man holding the Hwajo's Feather stiffened slightly.

"Ah...! This brat is my son. Hey, what are you doing? Greet her properly."

"Ah, hello. I'm Michael!"

Helena didn't even spare them a glance now.

"Haah... It's fine. Just go."

"What? Ah, I was rude and lacked tact. Then..."

Si-woo spoke to Helena.

"Steamed carp? Where should we eat it? You're not planning to cook it yourself, are you?"

"Of course not. There's a nice restaurant near the Academy. Let's go there."

We moved with her to the teleportation magic circle. Since we were in the VIP section, we could use magic circles connected to all of Seoul.

The moment we reached the magic circle.

My entire body stiffened. Not just me — everyone around us froze. As if time had stopped.

But time hadn't stopped.

I felt a single drop of cold sweat trickle down the back of my neck. The cause was an overwhelming, transcendent presence. A pressure so immense that no one could move a muscle.

The Hwajo's Feather that the guy named Michael had been carrying. It floated into the air, absorbing something from the teleportation magic circle.

Vwoom...!

The vibrating feather spun through the air, as if searching for a target. Until then, no one could lift so much as a finger. It felt as though my body was being crushed by gravity amplified hundreds of times.

The spinning feather aimed at one spot.

Helena.

Toward where she stood.

The expression of the guard behind Helena slowly twisted into shock. But even she couldn't move.

Crunch.

Si-woo bit the tip of his tongue. A sharp pain jolted his body awake.

My fingers began to move, little by little.

Just one step.

That single step was unbearably heavy.

The feather flying toward Helena was about to reach her.

I infused my Anti-Magic Power into the mana coursing through my entire body. Only then could I shake off whatever was binding me. I poured out all the Anti-Magic Power I had and reached out my hand.

Flash!

A blinding light. When Si-woo opened his eyes, this place was no longer the auction house. The scenery around him had changed in an instant.

Right beside him lay a collapsed Helena.

"Ughn..."

I examined her closely, but she seemed fine. Her eyelids were fluttering; she looked like she would regain consciousness soon.

Whoooosh!

A sharp wind blew, and I felt a chilly temperature. Something white falling from the sky touched my cheek.

'Snow...?'

A massive snowy mountain. Everything that filled my vision was pure white. A blizzard was pouring down as if the sky had a hole in it.