Chapter 51: Black Market (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 51: Black Market (4)
Night had completely fallen.
Jinhyuk waited for someone in a deserted alleyway.
‘It’s pretty cold at night.’
He had come out a bit early, worried he might be late for the time designated by the Black Market, and the night dew was quite chilly.
Still, because he had met the required conditions, even the wait felt enjoyable.
‘They say a fat bank account gives you confidence you never knew you had, and they weren't lying.’
Thirty million dollars.
In Korean won, that was well over 35 billion.
Jinhyuk had made most of it in less than ten minutes.
It was a grand victory that would go down in gambling history.
‘With this much... it’ll be more than enough to win the bid for the replica relic I want.’
Since they said around a hundred auction items would be put up, the competition wouldn't be too fierce either.
‘Especially since what I want doesn't look appealing at all on the outside.’
A pearl buried in the mud.
To someone who knew its worth, it possessed a value incomparable to mere paper money, but to those who didn't, it was the kind of item that made them hesitate to open their wallets.
Anyway, it was about time they arrived...
Just as he thought that—
Vroom!
He heard the sound of an approaching car.
A moment later, a black Mercedes-Maybach pulled up and stopped in front of Jinhyuk.
The window rolled down, revealing a man dressed in a sharp suit.
Was this the employee sent by the Black Market?
"Guest number 117, correct?"
"Yes, that's me."
Jinhyuk showed him the number written on the invitation.
"Confirmed. Well then, I will escort you to the auction venue from here. For security reasons, you must wear a blindfold. We ask for your understanding."
There was a blindfold in the back seat of the car.
As expected, it was enchanted with magic to block one's vision.
In movies, characters would wear a blindfold, count the seconds, and map out the destination in their heads.
How would it be in reality?
It might be fun to test it out, but there was no need.
[A grand mansion located in the middle of the desert, 30 minutes away.]
[You must hurry if you don't want to be late. But what are you doing? Get in already.]
Even without doing any of that, he could grasp almost all information through 'Gluttony's Eye'.
‘I should try using this on other Players later.’
In the past, by the time he acquired this eye, all the Players had already left the Tower of Trials.
Which meant that even if he wanted to test it, all potential subjects had vanished.
‘I don't have to worry about that now.’
Unless humanity wanted to go extinct, everyone would have to climb the Tower with everything they had.
Would it work on those who could manipulate mana, or would it not?
And if it did, to what extent would it be effective?
Finding that out would be another source of amusement.
Jinhyuk sank into the plush seat.
* * *
Exactly thirty minutes had passed.
"We have arrived."
With the employee's words, the car stopped.
He could finally take off the blindfold.
‘Phew. I thought I was going to suffocate.’
As Jinhyuk stepped out of the car, an astonishing sight unfolded before him.
"Hooh."
An exclamation of admiration escaped his lips.
And for good reason.
It was a grand mansion far more luxurious and beautiful than what he had perceived through 'Gluttony's Eye'.
Moreover, with the night sky looking as if stars were pouring down and a nearby oasis, the mansion's exterior presented a picturesque, breathtaking view.
"You may leave the invitation with me. Please, enjoy your time."
After verifying the authenticity of the invitation, the employee bowed deeply.
Left alone, Jinhyuk walked into the mansion.
Just as he passed the pond in the garden and was about to enter the main gate—
[You didn't forget your promise, did you?]
He heard Alice's voice.
Right. He had forgotten about her.
Since she had been helpful in finding the Demonic Human on the plane, he had told her to ask for one thing she wanted.
Alice had said she wanted to see the outside world.
"I don't mind, but are you sure you want to go here?"
If she was going to come out anyway, Las Vegas would have had much more to see.
With fireworks, motorcycle shows, and endless things to watch.
Yet she insisted on seeing an auction house where rich people flaunted their wealth?
[To suit someone like me, a noble of the night with royal blood flowing through my veins, it must have at least this level of class. It's not a bad mansion. For something made by humans, that is. I choose this place.]
Look at her.
"What do you mean 'suit you' when you live trapped inside a ring that's barely 0.001 pyeong? And what's with 'noble of the night'?"
Was she some kind of shut-in noble of the night?
[What did you say?! Are you calling me a measly bat trapped in a slum goshiwon?!]
Alice yelled in outrage.
The ring vibrated faintly.
"I didn't go that far..."
At this point, it went beyond pathetic and actually made him feel a bit sorry for her.
Well, yes.
She used to be a big deal in the past, so he had to be understanding.
Shaking his head, Jinhyuk looked around.
Since the mansion was so vast, there was barely any sign of people.
He couldn't sense any cameras or special mana reactions either.
‘I guess they figure once the invitation is verified, the internal security is guaranteed.’
Above all, given the nature of the guests attending the auction, there was probably a strong reason to strictly protect their privacy.
This worked out well for him.
No one would notice if just one extra person slipped in among the guests.
Hummm!
Jinhyuk channeled mana into Braham's Ring.
Then, Alice materialized from the ring in her human form.
This time, she wasn't the size of a puppy, but stood at nearly 150 centimeters tall.
Considering her original height was well over 170 centimeters, she was still small, but it was enough to avoid raising suspicion.
"Mmm! The outside air really is the best."
Alice stretched.
Her long silver hair and crimson eyes were exceptionally striking.
"I poured in as much mana as I could, but any bigger than that is impossible."
"It's fine. It's still much better than when I was less than 30 centimeters tall."
She nodded repeatedly with a smile, seemingly quite satisfied.
"I'm glad you think so."
"Then, are we going to do this 'auction' thing now?"
Alice's eyes sparkled.
Since she had been in a position where her subordinates would fetch whatever she wanted if she so much as willed it, she had absolutely no concept of money.
Therefore, a spectacle like an auction was quite an intriguing activity to her.
"Yeah. We should head in. It's almost time."
Jinhyuk pulled out his smartphone to check the time.
Ten minutes.
After that, a war of money clashing against money would begin.
* * *
An amphitheater located in the center of the mansion.
Originally designed for opera performances, it had now been transformed into an auction house for wealthy individuals from around the world seeking under-the-table deals.
"To think it's already the 175th session... I attend every year without fail, but the moments before the auction starts are always so thrilling."
"I heard a rumor that the 'Heart of the Fish Dragon' is up for auction this time."
"Really? That's actually appearing?"
"It's probably thanks to the appearance of the Tower of Trials. Because of the mana waves or whatever, all sorts of treasures that disappeared in ancient times are being recreated."
"Man, I can't wait. Even if I can't win the bid, I have to at least see it."
"And since there are so many major items this time, they say they're accepting precious metals and bonds in addition to US dollars. Of course, you have to pay an extra 10% fee in that case."
"Then the competition will be even fiercer. I should double-check my balance too."
Murmurs filled the room.
More than half of the attendees were already seated, chatting or making phone calls.
Jinhyuk and Alice also moved to find empty seats.
But just then—
"Haha. Nice to meet you."
An old man wearing a black hood approached.
This man...?
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
It was a familiar face.
The old man from the Demonic Human Association who had offered the strategy for the 3rd-floor boss to the executives of large guilds not long ago.
That very guy had now appeared right before his eyes.
‘Well, look at this big shot showing up.’
Considering the abilities he had shown back then, the old man was either an executive of the Demonic Human Association or, at the very least, a middle manager.
"..."
And next to him stood Alex, whom he had met on the plane.
‘This guy must have taken quite a beating.’
His handsome face had been beaten to a pulp.
It was probably because he had lost the Elixir without achieving any results.
Naturally, Jinhyuk didn't feel a shred of sympathy.
Feeling sorry was an emotion reserved only for humans.
"I am Julius Cadric. I believe you've already guessed, but as you can see, I am the master of this foolish disciple of mine."
Julius Cadric...
So that was his name.
Hearing the introduction, Jinhyuk quietly activated 'Gluttony's Eye'.
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Name: Julius Cadric
Gender: Male
Age: 58
Level: 30
Strength: 11 | Agility: 9 | Stamina: 10 | Magic Power: 49 | Evil Deeds: 25
Stat Points: 1
Coins: 130,855
Class: Necromancer
Unique Ability: Caretaker of the Cursed Tomb
Skills: Lv6 'Wall of Wailing', Lv6 'Command of the Legion Commander', Lv5 'Night of the Corpses', Lv5 'Three Regenerations', Lv4 'AoE Weakening', Lv4 'Plague'
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[Copy Condition: He is psychologically extremely angry due to the consecutive failures of his incompetent subordinates. If you complete the black magic class he teaches and receive an A+ grade, you can copy either his unique ability or one of his skills.]
As expected.
Just as he thought, his stats were excellent.
To think he even had a unique ability that synergized so well with a Necromancer.
Since 'Caretaker of the Cursed Tomb' allowed one to control a large number of summons with minimal magic power, it was an ability that not only Necromancers but also various summoner classes desperately tried to obtain.
However, after reading the copy condition, Jinhyuk had to pinch the bridge of his nose.
‘The system is slowly losing its mind.’
What is this, some kind of drama about a passionate professor and a genius student?
What kind of condition is this?
He didn't have much interest in Necromancer abilities anyway, but it seemed the copy conditions were getting weirder and weirder.
And not in a good way.
‘Well, putting the ability aside...’
For now, should he rub some salt in the wound?
Composing his expression, Jinhyuk spoke.
"Thanks to your disciple, I obtained something precious, and it was a very pleasant flight."
"Haha. I'm truly glad to hear that. Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you once again about the information you claim to have. That's why I came in person this time."
"Are you talking about the masked Player?"
"Yes. It is quite an important matter for us. To exaggerate slightly... you could say our lives depend on it."
Look at this guy...?
Trying to subtly threaten him?
The corner of Jinhyuk's mouth twitched slightly.
"If you're talking about that, I believe I told you I'd let you know when the opportunity arises later."
"Unfortunately, there is no 'later' for us. We must handle this as quickly as possible."
"Well, that's none of my business."
Whether they were in a rush or sweating bullets.
What did that have to do with him?
If they were really that desperate, they should have brought a beautifully packaged set of twelve Elixirs, like a Hanwoo beef gift set for Lunar New Year.
Yet, despite Jinhyuk's sneering tone, Cadric's expression remained perfectly calm.
"Hmm. Think carefully before you speak so definitively. Seeing as you've come here, doesn't that mean there's an item you need?"
"So?"
"If we put our minds to it..."
Cadric's eyes turned cold.
At the same time, his voice chilled to sub-zero temperatures.
"We could simply buy up every single item up for auction today."