Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The Birth of the Half-Goblin (1)
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An unfortunate incident during the auction.
Thankfully, it wrapped up perfectly with the appearance of Serinu, who was in charge of the banquet.
I gladly accepted his offer to take full responsibility and provide compensation.
In the end, it was the merchant guild's rigged game, but I hadn't really suffered any losses, so I settled for some modest compensation.
And the compensation I demanded was...
"...Do you really have to take everything?"
Serinu asked in a trembling voice, but no way was I backing down.
I demanded every single item that had been slated for the auction.
That included the two priests and the elf, of course.
Naturally, I'd also claimed all the items that the Arch Lich and the incubus had bid on earlier.
"That's right."
I answered his question flatly.
I even lowered my voice a bit to sound more imposing.
"......"
Serinu's expression hardened in real time at my response.
But the merchant guild was the one who'd screwed up first, right?
I had every right to demand this much as compensation for the damages.
"I want to maintain a good relationship with the guild going forward."
I replied as curtly as possible, hiding any emotion.
A quick glance around the banquet hall showed plenty more to squeeze out of this guild in the future.
I had no desire to make an enemy of a golden goose like them, so this was all I was asking for.
I even phrased it as a desire for good future relations to convey my sincerity.
Let's be real—this wasn't a huge expense for the guild, was it?
I mean, even I blow through 5,000 pulls on gacha banners full of 1-star monsters without blinking.
And the Demon Realm Merchant Guild wasn't just some individual—it was a massive organization.
So my demands were pocket change, really.
Serinu pondered for a moment before finally agreeing.
"...Understood. We'll do as you say."
"Put the items in my inventory, please."
Since I was taking them anyway, I figured I'd ask for an inventory artifact too.
"......"
He didn't object, so that must've been a yes.
It felt reluctant, but that wasn't my problem.
Thanks to that, we were able to wrap up the deal with smiles all around.
Well, Serinu's face was still stiff, but whatever.
Things had ended on a good note, so it was fine.
Serinu instructed his subordinate staff to gather the items, then turned back to me.
"Anyway, since this is fate, allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm Serinu, a member of the guild's operating committee."
He extended his hand again, seemingly resigned to something.
Since he'd introduced himself, I had no choice but to reciprocate.
But that was where the problem arose.
'What do I even call myself?'
If this were just a normal meeting between people, it wouldn't matter.
But Serinu was a monster.
He looked somewhat human, dressed in a sharp suit and all, but those sharp fangs peeking from his mouth and his pitch-black hands gave him away.
No way anyone would mistake him for human.
'Introducing myself by my real name seems risky...'
The only monster who knew my real name was Celia, and she was my subordinate, so it was fine.
This was different.
My name, Yi Kang-hyun, stood out like a sore thumb on the Eldorado Continent.
With the guild's resources, they might dig up info just from hearing it.
Hmm.
I thought for a second, then remembered something.
The first time the game installed on my smartphone.
When I named my dungeon, and the game changed it on its own.
'Nest of the Evil God.'
The name sounded grandiose on its own.
But I was sure no one would take it at face value.
They'd probably just think it was a joke.
"Others call me the Evil God."
It wasn't a lie.
The game had dubbed my dungeon the Nest of the Evil God, after all.
"......"
Serinu went silent for a moment after hearing that.
His hand even trembled slightly in the handshake.
'What's his deal?'
Maybe my ridiculous answer had left him speechless?
Still, Serinu recovered quickly.
"Haha... I see."
His reaction put me at ease.
It hid my identity well enough, and he seemed to take "Evil God" as a joke.
'Shameless it is, then.'
'Is it because I don't have my smartphone?'
My phone was back home on Earth, not in the Eldorado Continent.
So instead of the usual phone alert, the notification popped up right in front of my eyes.
Oh!
My eyes lit up at the unexpected reward.
Serinu's current expression wasn't good.
'Someone introducing themselves as an Evil God...'
The man in the black mask had called himself an Evil God.
I'd seen people who claimed to worship the Evil God before, but never one who straight-up said they were the Evil God.
The Evil God.
A deity said to have existed in the distant past, known only through legends.
But those were ancient tales with virtually no records left.
It was nothing like the Goddess worshipped by the White Church.
There were occasional worshippers of the Evil God, but this was the first self-proclaimed one.
'Ridiculous.'
It made more sense to assume he was just impersonating the Evil God.
Maybe he was joking around.
'He wouldn't dare mess with the guild like that.'
Part of me wanted to pay my respects, but his aura was overwhelming.
All I could do was nod along.
"Haha... I see."
That was all I could manage in response.
'Ha...'
Beyond his words, there were already several headaches demanding my attention.
First and foremost, all the auction items were now in the black mask's hands.
For free, no less!
It was karma from my own mistake, so unavoidable, but the losses were steeper than expected.
Auction items weren't a huge deal for the guild financially, but halting the auction midway was the real issue.
It might as well have been canceled outright, and the participants' sour expressions proved it.
Our reputation for guild-hosted banquets was bound to take a hit.
'Need to offer proper compensation.'
I immediately ordered my subordinates to compensate the others.
More losses, but skipping it would tank our rep even harder, leading to bigger long-term damage.
As I gave the compensation order, the black mask tapped the Arch Lich beside him.
The Arch Lich's mouth opened.
"Clack clack."
(We'll take compensation too.)
The Arch Lich demanded the same payout as everyone else.
"...?"
My stomach burned, but I didn't let it show.
"...Understood."
I let it slide.
To brazenly demand this from the guild...
Whether it was fearlessness or confidence in his power, I decided to overlook it for now.
Cautiously, I asked,
"If I may, what is your relationship?"
The Arch Lich answered.
"Clack clack-!"
(I am a servant of the great one.)
"Clack clack clack clack!"
(This one is the great one himself, so we don't meet often, but it's an honor to receive him.)
My head spun.
At least they weren't from the same dungeon—that was a relief.
'Not the same dungeon, so different ones. I'll look into this black mask separately.'
The Arch Lich was indeed a dungeon master, but likely under this masked figure's faction.
'Need to investigate which other dungeons are in his faction too.'
Lots to do.
I subtly signaled a subordinate with a gesture.
Then, smiling at the black mask,
"To explain briefly: We'll deliver the items to your dungeon once the banquet ends."
But the black mask raised a hand to stop me.
"No, the Arch Lich here will take them right now. Get them ready."
The incubus had already sidled up next to the Arch Lich.
"......"
I was a bit thrown by the immediate demand, but it was also an opportunity.
Sending them off and resuming the banquet might bring some peace.
"Haha... Of course. We'll transport the slaves via guild carriage—I'll lend you one specially. Items go straight into the inventory."
With things as they were, I hurried my staff to get them out ASAP.
Fortunately, the Arch Lich's dungeon was in the mountains bordering the Demon Realm.
Close enough that transporting slaves wouldn't be an issue.
"Now, a quick rundown of the items."
Serinu began explaining the auction goods.
"This item is armor made from salamander hide."
It was clearly a suit of red leather armor.
"Looks crude, but it carries fire properties. Resistant to flame attacks and cold—its key feature."
"This weapon is a sword forged from a wyvernling's fangs. Unmatched in hardness."
Some items seemed useful from his descriptions.
"An incense pouch from a basilisk's venom sac. Open the lid for a pleasant death."
Others made me wonder why they even existed.
"An electric blanket powered by mana. Install in your dungeon to fry intruders."
Some were dungeon traps.
After various items, the last one remained.
It was a cloak in black and white, embroidered with unknown patterns.
An alien power emanated from it.
But not mana or holy power—something else entirely.
"Cloak of the Corpse Harvester. Not mere armor. It's more like a living being. Wear it, kill someone, and it devours the corpse automatically. Can regurgitate it intact, of course."
Fancy words for a flashy item.
No real armor traits—just corpse storage.
Fine for necromancy research or fresh corpse consumption, maybe.
But if that's the goal, just collect bodies yourself.
This cloak was just dungeon decor, worth little more.
Of course, Serinu wasn't dumb enough to say that.
There were far more useful items anyway, so it wasn't a total loss for him.
But that was Serinu's mistake.
'This is a jackpot!'
With his face hidden by the black mask, Serinu had no idea of his expression.
The auction was fully over.
My purpose on the Eldorado Continent had been the auction, so my business here was done.
I instructed the Arch Lich to handle the slaves and items, then returned to Earth.
With post-auction events continuing at the banquet, slipping away to Earth was seamless.
Now it was time to pick my rewards.
I already had my picks in mind, so it was quick.
'Cloak of the Corpse Harvester.'
The cloak materialized above my smartphone.
Wear it, kill someone, store the corpse—perfect.
'This goes on Maru.'
Maru was currently a 5-star monster.
Equip him with this for auto-hunt, and sacrifices would roll in automatically.
'Next up...'
No contest: the elf.
I could only bring 1-star monsters from my dungeon to Earth.
Plus, this elf from the auction wasn't even mine yet.
No other way to bring her over immediately.
So I picked the elf without hesitation.
I worried a bit since she was a living being, but...
Phew, it worked.
'Ciel, huh?'
As soon as I selected her, a woman bound in iron chains appeared in the room.
Pointed ears, stunning looks.
Definitely the elf from the auction.
And right away, a change appeared.
A 4-star elf had been added to my monster summon list alongside Maru and Coco.
"This is exactly what I needed!"
Even if she were one of my dungeon monsters, I couldn't have brought a 4-star to Earth.
I stood up to approach the elf named Ciel.
But another alert popped up right after.
"Half-Goblin?"
It was a type of alert I'd never seen before.