Chapter 108
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Method Acting (4)
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‘What’s that doing here?’
Anyone who had played Dominant Evil would know about the existence of eggs like that one.
Such a massive egg typically belonged to high-intelligence upper-tier beasts. Familiar species like the Beacon that had once appeared in my skill list, legendary dragons, and other mythical creatures fell into this category.
Of course, if someone asked what kind of eggs they laid, I’d have nothing to say. But in Dominant Evil, every breedable beast produced eggs.
Why? Because it made money for the game company. It was a sort of “creature” system, like pets. A common trope.
But that black egg was different.
“Oh ho. Mr. Kang Ihyeon. Are you interested in that egg? Excellent taste. There’s no hobby more refined than raising beasts.”
‘No, you idiot. That thing is insanely dangerous.’
I swallowed a curse under my breath.
‘Mirror of Distortion.’
Later in the story, a powerful artifact used by the villain organization Ashen.
Its core material was the demon born from that egg.
A humanoid demon with goat horns that ruled over sleep.
From the moment of birth, it imprinted on its master and reflected their deepest traumas and desires, creating a labyrinth of illusions.
To put it simply, weaken a Mother’s “Chamber of Illusions” by one step, and you had this demon’s ability.
In exchange, it could freely use its power across multiple locations, not just one space.
‘Of course, the artifact is the dangerous part. The demon hatching from the egg itself is pretty docile. Its motif is a goat, after all.’
This was tricky.
If I could deal with that goat beforehand, I might reduce the strength of a potential future enemy… but it would inevitably draw heavy aggro from Ashen.
‘What to do.’
As I pondered, Razlo was already raising his sign.
“Um, Mr. Razlo? Let’s stop. That’s no ordinary item.”
“Oh ho, you see it too, Mr. Kang Ihyeon! Indeed! My eyes never deceive me!”
Razlo ignored my dissuasion and thumped his chest even more excitedly.
“Don’t worry! This Razlo isn’t so stingy that he can’t buy a fine treasure like this for a dear friend!”
‘You bastard, earlier you told me to pay up.’
But his eyes were sincere. He’d been disappointed when I eyed cheap practical talent, but seeing my interest in this rare egg had made him reevaluate me. His words weren’t lies.
He genuinely wanted to gift me that egg.
“That wolf mask! Interfering again! But this time, I won’t back down!”
With Razlo’s shout, a fierce bidding war began. The magic stone figures flashing on the sign skyrocketed from thousands to tens of thousands in the blink of an eye. Only two men participated in this mad auction: Razlo and the wolf-masked guy.
“That bastard called five thousand! But no way! Six thousand!”
“He counters with seven thousand! Fine! Then eight thousand!”
“Grr...! Nine thousand! But his funds must be at their limit now! Take my ultimate blow: ten thousand magic stones!”
I could only watch these lunatics burn money in stunned silence.
And in the end, Razlo’s madness prevailed.
“Sold! Final price, fifteen thousand magic stones, to that fine gentleman over there!”
The auctioneer’s cry echoed.
The money I’d gotten upfront from the witch for explaining the recipe’s value totaled ten thousand stones.
Yet this guy bid fifteen thousand.
‘Real money-burning.’
Razlo flashed a victory V-sign and winked at me. The wolf mask kicked his chair in frustration and stormed out.
“Are you alright, Mr. Razlo? Even for a friend, that’s an enormous sum… Ten thousand alone is a decent mid-sized guild’s ten-year budget.”
When I cautiously asked about his well-being, Razlo shook his head with a puzzled look.
“Why would a guild spend that much money?”
“...Pardon?”
“Even my black magic business nets over fifty thousand stones in pure profit per year. It’s incomparable to those ragtag guilds you mentioned, Mr. Kang Ihyeon.”
His words left me momentarily dumbfounded. My sense of money’s scale was crumbling from the roots.
“Only major guilds with ten or more elite hunters, or top-tier ones with even one or two S-rank hunters, can compare budgets with us. The rest are just... corner store level. Do you know why this gap exists, Mr. Kang Ihyeon?”
“Because high-rank hunters are irreplaceable resources.”
“Exactly. The higher the value, the steeper the price skyrockets. Same with luxury goods. The rarer and harder to replace, the higher the worth… Think of the price I paid as just the cost of a new car I cherish, and you’ll feel better.”
“......”
I had nothing left to say.
Our worlds were too different.
‘Even when I played the game, I never burned cash like this.’
It felt like watching a whale who dumps truckloads into a game monthly.
After all auctions ended, I followed Razlo backstage to claim the egg without resistance.
Up close, the black egg on the heavy iron cart exuded an even stranger, overwhelming presence.
“Kuhaha! Behold, Mr. Kang Ihyeon! Our new treasure! What will hatch from this egg? A legendary dragon? Or perhaps an ancient griffon slumbers within?”
Razlo’s excited chatter buzzed in my ears.
I glanced at the faintly glowing purple patterns etched on the egg’s surface and sighed inwardly in relief.
‘Good. People still don’t know what it is.’
Any Dominant Evil player would recognize it from those patterns alone.
Like spotting a gold or rainbow glow in a mobile gacha and knowing it’s a 5-star hero.
‘Even if someone gets this egg now, it won’t draw Ashen’s aggro right away.’
They’d just see it as a rare, expensive beast egg.
After receiving the egg, the auctioneer approached and branded its surface with a heated slave seal using tongs.
A sizzle sounded, and a foul smell rose. Not a skill-level seal, but these slave marks had a minor domination effect.
“Will you carry the egg yourself? Or shall we transport it? If any issues arise during transport, we compensate double, so no worries about theft.”
“Yes. Send it to this address.”
“Understood. Ahem, sir? If you have a moment? For VIPs who purchased items in this auction, we’ve prepared a very special gathering. Think of it as a ‘barter exchange.’ Would you be interested in attending?”
“Ooh! A barter exchange! Most intriguing!”
Before I could answer, Razlo cheered first.
“Mr. Kang Ihyeon! This time, it’s truly free—no money needed! Just enjoy the sights, or who knows? You might find a treasure even better than that egg to trade for! Please, join with a light heart!”
I considered his proposal briefly.
No downside.
“Sure. Let’s go.”
Razlo didn’t join this gathering.
Only the actual purchaser got entry—one per item. Meaning either me or Razlo. He patted my back, grinning broadly, and told me to have fun.
I took Rena to the location he mentioned.
It was a small lounge at the auction house’s innermost area, for top VIPs.
Around a massive circular ebony table, four men and women had already seated themselves, excluding me.
No wolf mask, but familiar faces from the auction: the crow-beak-masked elder and the flamboyant peacock-feather-masked woman. Also, owl and lion masks.
Beside them stood or sat slaves with breathtakingly sensual figures, like shadows.
I sat in my assigned seat. Naturally, Rena with her dog collar stood beside me.
An awkward silence flowed until the crow-masked elder broke it first.
“Hoo... This mask is suffocating and stuffy.”
He removed his mask irritably and placed it on the table, revealing a white-haired elder etched with deep years. But his eyes burned with an ageless sharpness.
“Just five of us—why the worry? People of our stature should be on first-name terms. Take off the masks, everyone.”
The other three hesitated at his words.
But I was different.
I removed my mask without hesitation.
My skills were too unique anyway—masked or not, those who knew would recognize me. No point hiding. Better to step forward boldly.
The elder smiled in satisfaction at my action.
“Hohoho! Yes, the young must have spirit! Pleased to meet you!”
He extended his hand.
“I’m Jang Sehan. Don’t let appearances fool you—I run the Goldstone Guild.”
“Ah, yes. Pleased to meet you.”
I shook his hand, pondering briefly.
How to introduce myself. Kang Ihyeon of Arbiter Guild? But I wasn’t the master… Then...
“Kang Ihyeon of the Maker Sect.”
The safest, yet strongest card.
Jang Sehan’s eyes lit with greater interest. The peacock-masked woman sent overt curiosity from behind her mask.
“Oh ho... Kang Ihyeon of the Maker Sect. So you’re the one behind that hot topic ‘Doll Project.’”
“You know me?”
“Of course. After that big deal with the Yoo family, how could word not spread in this circle?”
Positive for me. The more rumors, the higher my value.
“You overpraise me.”
“Hoho, humble too. I was skeptical seeing that Rena girl at first... Now I believe it.”
As he spoke, Jang Sehan casually pressed the sleek slave on his lap’s head between his legs.
She familiarly took him in her mouth, sucking with wet slurps. His rough breaths and the watery sounds from her mouth vulgarly echoed in the quiet lounge.
“Hng... Good... Won’t you enjoy yourself too?”
Rena beside me wore a horrified expression visible only to me. ‘I’d never do that.’ Her eyes said.
At that moment, the silent owl-masked man spoke.
“I’m honestly surprised too.”
He gently removed his mask.
“Never thought I’d see Miyazaki Rena’s doll in person here. Rumors didn’t do it justice—it’s exquisitely crafted.”
The moment his face appeared, Rena beside me froze stiff.
They knew each other, apparently.
“I’m Dwight, a humble sponsor of the Starlight Guild where player Miyazaki Rena belongs.”
He introduced himself with a soft, relaxed smile. Handsome, late 30s to early 40s.
“Truth be told, I was a bit doubtful. That we could replicate our guild’s treasure so perfectly with a skill.”
“...Everyone doubted at first.”
The friendlier he got, the more Rena’s pupils shook. She might panic and ruin the whole act.
“Urk...!”
I roughly grabbed her hair and shoved her head toward my crotch.
Dwight’s eyes widened briefly at my sudden move, then shifted to a knowing laugh.
“Hahaha... Seeing that, it’s definitely a doll. That prideful girl would never submit to such humiliation. But it’s troubling, Mr. Kang Ihyeon. Parading it around like this devalues our ‘real Rena.’ Her marketability comes from that pure, lovable image.”
“My skill is legally fine.”
“Ah, not accusing you of wrongdoing.”
He raised both hands in a retreating gesture.
“Just voicing concern as a Starlight sponsor. Truthfully, I care less about image damage. I’d rather build a constructive relationship with you, Mr. Kang Ihyeon.”
He licked his lips greedily.
“Mr. Kang Ihyeon, your skill... it holds infinite potential. Ever thought about it? Making perfect ‘adult toys’ of celebrities and selling them. Film adult videos and distribute underground. Like that doll with her face buried in your lap right now...! Demand would explode. We could seize unimaginable wealth in one go!”
His words filled me with disgust.
Dwight’s gleaming eyes, his blatant greed—it all nauseated me. But honestly... a tiny spark of interest flickered too.
Of course, I had zero intention of accepting his proposal. But if I used this situation? Leverage his vile offer as an excuse… Couldn’t I make the real Miyazaki Rena suck me off right here, right now?