"This Way."
"This way."
Following Red Sickle's lead, we entered a massive warehouse beneath the auction house. As the basement door swung open, the magic lamps along the walls flickered on one by one with sharp clang-clang sounds.
"Whoa..."
Hamma, who had come along with me, stared in awe at the sight.
The warehouse was as enormous as the Iron Kingdom's treasury, but it was filled with things even the imperial vaults couldn't boast—weapons, artifacts, and rarities from every corner of the continent.
Impressive scale, no matter how many times I see it. The continent's best, hands down. Topaz dust, larva runes, nightmoth legs... Top-tier alchemy ingredients that would make the magic tower wizards' eyes pop out.
I clicked my tongue softly, eyeing the materials neatly lined up along both walls.
"Wait here."
"You sure you'll be okay?"
"Don't worry about it."
Phlia nodded at the warehouse entrance, and Red Sickle reluctantly stepped back, as if granting permission against his better judgment.
"It's crazy, really. Where the hell do they even get all this stuff? Poachers are dying out these days, and the guild explorers aren't worth shit, but this shadow auction warehouse never runs dry."
"Thanks to guys like you. Sellers bring the goods, auction house stays in business. Simple as that. It'll be buzzing again soon enough. Word of a dragon claw alone will have 'em lining up."
Phlia brushed off my jab like it was nothing.
"I know every item in here by heart. Tell me what you want, and I'll grab it. No need to waste time, right? Good for both of us."
I just shrugged at her words.
"Doubt you could find it. You wouldn't even know what it is."
"A ring, right?"
"Yeah, a ring."
Her brow furrowed at my vague reply.
"Let's head to sub-level 2. That's where it is."
"......"
Phlia's face hardened in that instant.
Black Hawk Phlia grows suspicious of you.
Black Hawk Phlia doubts you.
If Phlia's reputation toward you turns hostile, you may face attacks from the Night Hawk Squad.
The shadow auction's secret sub-levels are top-secret even among the Night Hawks. No surprise she's suspicious I know about it.
But I'd anticipated her reaction. If her reputation dropped too low, Hamma's quest would fail, and the follow-up chain would be off the table.
Still, I had my reasons for bringing up the secret basement.
Once Hamma's quest wraps, it'll link straight to the Black Hawk trial. Her tests are tough clears at best, time sinks at worst. I need to steer whatever trial she throws into something I want.
When I'd created a quest out of thin air for Tonpe of the Ran-hu Tribe, I'd known for sure.
If you can create quests, tweaking their content is child's play.
I met her gaze.
"No need to glare like you wanna eat me alive. I know about the auction secrets because of this guy."
I pulled the moon palace figurine from my inventory—the one I'd bought on the street.
"Here."
She caught the figurine I tossed, staring at me in confusion.
"Check the engraving on the bottom."
The mark etched into the base.
"...?!"
Her face twitched the instant she saw it. She tried to hide it, but I was already onto her.
"You know who this is, right?"
"You..."
"Sculptor Peil. Never thought he'd be right under your noses, huh? The lamp's darkest right beneath it. Who'd give a damn about some crappy figurine anyway?"
He'd later craft the divine statue of the gods, but right now? Just some nameless hack sculptor.
But what had shocked me when I spotted it at the street stall was something else.
Never imagined Sculptor Peil would be in Obela, Black Hawk territory.
How does a nobody pull off a masterpiece like that? Easy—his future ties to the Black Hawks.
A connection that didn't exist yet. But I knew the future they didn't.
"That mark? It's the secret sigil passed only among Ma-al's followers—or so the story goes, now lost to time. Right?"
"You... Who the hell are you?"
Phlia glared daggers.
"Nobody special. Dragon hunter, like you figured. Just not big on name-dropping, so I keep it quiet."
"Then hunt dragons and leave the snooping to someone else."
"Also ruler of the North."
"......"
"Or the guy who's about to conquer the continent."
"......What?"
"Or maybe the one you'll kneel and swear loyalty to soon enough."
"Fucking lunatic."
She laughed like it was the dumbest thing she'd heard.
"Back in the ancient unified era, the continent stood without gods or demons—just humans holding it together. Too bad it didn't last. More alliance than kingdom, really, all following Karil Banshtein, the Continent King."
"What's your point?"
"After the Continent King died, time did its thing. Nations fought, crumbled, new ones rose."
"That's human history. Some live to serve forever; others climb over 'em to the top. Continent King's legend was epic, but eternal peace? Nah."
Phlia snapped back, a bit heated.
"Classic Ma-al follower answer. The eastern conqueror—or madman—who claimed humans grow through strife."
"......He's no madman. A visionary."
She shot me a look that could kill.
"Without Sword God Gullak, he might've pulled it off. His fanatics alone rivaled the Iron Kingdom's forces."
I scanned the room slowly.
"Dream too big, though. Reviving the 15 ancient gods sealed by the Continent King? Talking 'put even gods under humans'? Sounded like 'burn the continent' to everyone."
I headed to a dusty corner stacked with crates of all sizes.
"Sword God Gullak and Zodiac crushed Ma-al's plans. His cult vanished... or so they say."
I picked up one of the crates.
"......But Ma-al's fanatics endure, honoring his dying words."
Click. Inside, wrapped in ragged paper: a shabby ring. Faded copper set with an ancient sapphire. Worthless on sight.
"Don't love his ideology, but his final command? Spot on. To rule the continent, dominate the shadows first—not the light."
The plan I couldn't pull off in my dreams. King Karl Hendrick's life started in the light, not shadows.
Light-born lives come loaded—power, glory—but chains too. Sacrifices galore.
Not anymore.
I'm no king now. Just a player. No knights or armies binding me, no restraints.
The more you have, the more you're trapped. Before I worry about followers, now's the time to scheme purely for me. Perfect prep window.
To beat that Calamity bastard. This last shot—I ain't repeating the hero grind.
"......"
I slipped the ring from the battered box.
Found it.
Plain old junk to most. To me? Priceless.
The Madman Ma-al's secret artifact: the Scale of Bido.
I slid it onto my finger.
Shrrrrk...!!
Thin spines shot from the band, pricking my skin. A sharp sting, then an unknown energy surged through my veins.
Like ink blooming in water, the scant mana spread through my body.
Whoooosh---!!!
A gale whipped around me; Phlia whipped her head away in alarm.
"...?!!"
Scale of Bido effect triggered!
From now on, a portion of your stamina can be converted to mana.
Your proficiency with the Scale of Bido is low.
Maximum 80% of stamina can be converted to mana at a 1:1 ratio.
As your proficiency with the Scale of Bido increases, the maximum amount and ratio of stamina converted to mana will improve.
As expected...
The sapphire glowed faintly as the notifications popped, and I nodded.
He pulled off what no one else dreamed of. Madman? Nah, genius in my book.
That's why the eastern powerhouse Ma-al got the "madman" label.
A mana-less mage who wielded mana.
Rule-breaker. Demon to some, god to others. Spawned a whole cult...
Magic swordsmen exist, but they learn swordplay after mana. He? Figured out converting his own stamina to mana.
Mana depletes with use. Stamina too, but recovers way faster.
Mana grows with levels; stamina's fixed at 100. Recovery speed crushes mana.
That secret? This Scale of Bido artifact.
Earth Dragonkin need Nute. Lucky I snagged this before it hit the wrong hands.
I smirked past my pounding heart.
Now I can use it.
The [Supreme Ice Magic Defense Art – Nute] I'd learned but couldn't cast due to mana shortage.
Need it to hit the Earth Dragonkin after clearing Spider Lord's Tomb.
Quest prep done. But before leaving Obela, one last crucial grab.
"Black Hawk."
She looked up slowly, dazed from the shock.
"To earn the shadow auction's trust, pass your trial, right? What'd you have in mind for me?"
"......Huh?"
"Collect monster guts from the great desert? Fetch water from the distant mirage spring? Or hunt down Obela's fugitive bounties?"
Phlia looked speechless.
"Think that'll earn your trust? Dream bigger."
"What're you..."
"No need to grovel to some pissant duchy for ties."
I leaned in, voice low.
"Just take the duchy."
Quest has been changed.