Chapter 16
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Pointy-Ears and the Auction House
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Clink.
She scraped the floor with a silver fork.
'Delicious!'
Her mouth was filled with fluffy whipped cream.
And the tangy juice of fresh strawberries.
The sweetness melting on her tongue was violently addictive.
Something like this shouldn't exist in the world!
Are all the desserts in the Geora universe this good?
'Ever since my body changed to Han Seo-ah's, my tastes have shifted too.'
The only downside was that she couldn't eat much.
"Hmmm…!"
Her brows furrowed naturally.
Sweetness is justice.
And free sweetness? That's justice incarnate—truth itself.
She licked the cream from her lips. Sweet.
This was Atelier, the famed high-end dessert cafe of the Hunter Market.
A single slice of cake easily topped 20,000 won.
If she'd come here paying her own money, her hands would have shaken from the entrance.
'Spending habits don't change that easily.'
Her wallet had thickened since starting her foraging runs.
But in her past life,
and even after possessing Han Seo-ah at the start,
her diet had stayed simple.
One triangle kimbap and a single Americano were plenty.
In short,
it just wasn't cost-effective enough for her to splurge on luxuries like this of her own volition.
But right now, strawberry cake, tiramisu, and a Mont Blanc sat before her.
The so-called big three of desserts dazzled in the air, filling her vision.
"You're eating well. I'm getting full just watching."
Across the table, a woman propped her chin, gazing at her.
Ellicia von Etelvice wore a pleased smile.
In front of her sat just a lone cup of bitter espresso.
It felt kinda embarrassing…
"Aren't you having any? This is seriously good."
"I'm fine. Human food is too stimulating for me. And… watching you eat is plenty enjoyable."
Her eyes were like a country grandma watching her grandkid stuff rice into their mouth.
It was burdensome.
A platinum blonde beauty.
An elf with twitching ears, no less, staring like that—it was hard to tell if the cake was going up her nose or into her mouth.
But she couldn't stop with the fork.
Once the fire of gluttony ignited, it burned all the way!
"So, about that box."
Ellicia took a sip of her espresso and broached the topic.
Here it comes.
She swallowed the half-chewed cake and straightened up.
"I said I'd just let you check it. Not hand it over. Don't think you can win me over with desserts."
She struck first.
"I know. I just need to confirm… if what's inside is truly a relic of our 'Silvar Kingdom'."
Her voice dipped a little.
'Ellicia.'
The price of free desserts was her past.
Unlike the sweetness, the story spilling out was heavy.
"Is it a long tale? I've ruined your appetite."
"It's tragic."
"Tragic… well, yeah. But tragedies like this are everywhere. Tripping over them, even."
The pasts of otherworlders who arrived on Earth were mostly similar.
'World collapse from gates.'
Ellicia was the chatty type.
Her history spilled out at length.
Why she was so fixated on that box.
She wanted to persuade her, even a little.
Her calm voice carried long-cooled sorrow.
Ellicia von Etelvice, 272 years old.
Holy Knight of the World Tree Order.
One of the few survivors of the fallen elf kingdom 'Silvar'.
'Gate collapse… bad ending.'
Gates were factories of malice inside.
Unless you smashed the core, monsters poured out endlessly like infinite energy.
If hunters didn't periodically clear them out, the gates couldn't hold and burst.
Then monsters flooded out like a breached dam.
She'd probably witnessed her world's end amid such a collapse.
And by some miracle, got rescued by a hunter who crossed to Earth.
She'd only played the game.
Specific lore details weren't etched in her mind.
'Who reads every story bit while gaming?'
Eye candy illustrations and voice acting—that was gaming.
She met Ellicia's eyes.
They brimmed with deep longing and regret.
"When the gates opened and the World Tree's lands crumbled, countless records burned away. All I remember are fragmented histories. If that box holds intact records…"
She trailed off, fiddling with her teacup.
Her slender fingers trembled faintly.
It wasn't collector's greed.
'Desperation.'
A homeland in ruins.
Lost kin.
Fading history.
The weight on a 272-year-old elf dwarfed the sweet cake.
She set down her fork.
"Hypothetically."
"Hm?"
"What if it's not history books or World Tree scriptures inside… just useless junk? Like, say, elf spoons or something."
"Haha, no chance. The emblem on that box is the royal library's seal. They wouldn't mark junk with it."
Her confident tone was firm.
'No escaping this.'
She was right.
But it wasn't the history tome she hoped for—it was a 'skill book' granting abilities to someone.
Skill books did take book form, so she wasn't wrong.
'It's the contents that matter.'
Skill books vanished upon use.
Decomposed into knowledge and mana, imprinted on the user's soul.
If she used it?
Ellicia might sob over the empty shell left behind.
'Not my problem, though.'
Thinking coldly.
She wasn't a philanthropist.
710 million won.
Her entire fortune, even borrowing against debts.
She couldn't abandon profits to sentiment.
But.
"This is good."
She shoveled the remaining cake into her mouth.
"Thanks for the treat, Ellicia."
"Oh? Calling me by name? Polite for a human."
"What else should I call you?"
"Some call me pointy-ears. Elf-face, granny. All sorts."
Ellicia, over 200 years old.
"Humans might see it that way. But they're not flattering titles."
Discrimination was worse back then, she said.
'Not me.'
Who'd hate elves?
They were just pretty.
"Anyone buying me cake is sis or big sis. Granny crosses the line."
"Heh, sis… A sis with a 200-year gap. Feels odd."
She covered her mouth, chuckling softly.
The intimidation from their first Auction House meeting was gone.
She seemed decent enough.
'Am I weak to beauty…?'
Even that thought crossed her mind.
She'd felt it with Jin Su-bin too, but one fact was undeniable.
'I'm weak to pretty girls.'
Her cost-benefit brain glitched occasionally before beauties.
She kinda… wanted to help her a bit.
"Let's go. Time's up."
She stood.
5:25 PM.
Pickup time soon.
The Auction House was quiet on their return.
Most of the crowd had left.
Only a few claiming their lots lingered in the waiting room.
"Customer 304. Confirmed."
A manager in a black suit greeted her.
He paused at Ellicia behind her but bowed professionally.
"Companion?"
"Yeah. Pack mule."
"P-pack mule? First elf mule I've seen. Summon?"
Ellicia bristled to retort, but she cut in.
No need to waste time.
"Where's the item?"
"In the inner vault. Payment… oh, already settled."
After some paperwork, she led them.
"Right this way. But…"
He hesitated, looking troubled.
"As you know, it's a dungeon box."
"And?"
"Legally classified as 'unidentified hazard'. May need safety measures before removal."
"Safety measures?"
News to her.
In-game, you just clicked it open.
The manager continued.
"Yes. Opening might trigger internal magic traps or explosives. If it goes off outside, we can't take responsibility."
He pointed to the wall.
Small rooms lined up, each with thick steel doors.
"You can use our 'opening room' if you like. Blast-proof for safety. Or take it as-is, no issue."
A liability dodge.
If it blows elsewhere, not our fault.
Don't endanger others—die in our safe room.
She nodded.
Perfect, actually.
Unboxing with Ellicia glaring covetously was too tense.
'Greed could kick in.'
Even good people—or good elves—weren't immune.
An A-rank skill book.
If it popped, who knew how those upright eyes would spin.
She needed alone time.
"I'll use the room."
"Understood. This way."
The manager led.
She turned to Ellicia.
"Wait here."
"What? You promised to let me check!"
"Could be dangerous. Blows up, we both die?"
"I'm B-rank. Explosions are…"
"I'm not okay. Can't drag you in."
"No need to worry about me. I've opened dozens of boxes."
"Don't make me say it twice."
She cut firm.
"I'll call once safe. Wait outside."
"…You'll keep your word?"
"Gotta pay for the cake."
Ellicia looked skeptical but nodded.
She flopped onto the waiting room sofa, arms crossed.
"Come out quick. My patience isn't endless."
"Sure, granny."
"You…"
She waved and followed the manager down the hall.
Clank.
The heavy steel door swung open.
Inside was narrower than expected.
About 7 pyeong.
Gray concrete and steel plates everywhere.
Like a prison solitary cell.
A sturdy iron table sat alone in the center.
And atop it.
The thing she'd burned 710 million on.
"Finish up, ring the call bell if needed."
The manager bowed politely and shut the door.
Bang—.
The steel door's thud was thick.
Perfect isolation.
No outside eyes.
No noise.
Her private space.
"Whew…"
She approached the table.
A weathered wooden box caked in moss.
Up close, time's toll was clear.
Black grime clogged the grain.
Corners worn round.
But the aura emanating from beneath that battered shell was extraordinary.
'Insight.'
She activated the ability.
The world turned monochrome.
A blue info window floated over the box.
[Unidentified Box]
Contents: A:20%, B:30%, C:20%, D:10%...
Type: Skill
Special Notes: Imbued with elf energy.
The probabilities writhed like living creatures.
No trap odds, thankfully.
A: 20%... 17%... 23%... 18%...
The numbers fluctuated up and down.
Peaking at 25% sometimes.
'Not bad.'
Base A-rank chance at 20%.
For Han Seo-ah, who could time it with skills, even higher expected value.
'Solid gacha.'
But she couldn't settle here.
'710 million gacha… gotta max it out.'
Her life savings.
Had to be a sure 'jackpot'.
'Cleared gates and scraped cash for this moment.'
Deep breath.
Tensed her lower abdomen.
'I'm a hunter.'
She drew up mana pooled deep in her dantian.
Gained bit by bit clearing gates.
Her precious, tiny mana pool.
Started at '2' on measurement.
After three months grinding, up to '20'.
Still F-rank, but enough for one skill cast.
'Gacha Ritual.'
She intoned the skill name inwardly.
Vrrr—.
As mana drained from her body, a new popup appeared.
[Probability Correction Ritual begins.]
[Correction stage possible with current mana: Stage 1]
[Fulfill conditions to boost higher-grade acquisition odds.]
Her heart pounded.
This was the real deal.
The skill's cost wasn't just mana, of course.
'Consumes mental fortitude, right?'
Game lore said it sacrificed her 'social dignity' and 'pride' as tribute…
'Whatever.'
The text shifted.
.
.
.
.
.
"…Insane."
The curse slipped out aloud.