White Ink 4
Saneda was kicked out of the auction house just like that, and the auction continued on until the final fifth item.
“Then, with this, we’ll conclude the auction.”
Choi Deokhui’s voice was incredibly bright, all because the gains from the auction had been that extraordinary. Everything she’d acquired while running the Enchanter Workshop up to now felt utterly trivial by comparison.
In stark contrast, the hunters looked utterly drained, as if they’d just fought a brutal war against monsters.
In the end, every single one of them—except for one hunter—had snagged bids two or three times. Each failure meant losing out on 100 bottles of ink, so the pressure of those misses was beyond imagination.
There had even been cases where bids failed due to insufficient conditions, but some failed despite exceeding them—that was Choi Deokhui’s doing.
She had zero intention of flooding the market all at once. No, she needed to trickle it out bit by bit, stoking their fever higher and higher.
Exactly! Just once. If they try it just once, they’ll never escape.
No one understood the addictive(?) pull of White Ink better than she did. That rush when fury boiled over from failing—thanks to Kim Seungmin—only for White Ink to make magic pattern corrections possible... It delivered an ecstasy no enchanter could ever forget.
These current bids were impressive, sure, but she was certain the hooked ones would come crawling back with even bigger offers. That was another reason for rationing the supply.
As she prepared to wrap things up, Alexei from Russia tossed out a question.
“What are your plans for the remaining White Ink?”
At Alexei’s question, the other hunters zeroed in on Choi Deokhui. It was a huge point of curiosity, naturally.
They knew over 5,000 bottles of White Ink had been prepared, but today’s auction had only sold off about half.
“We plan to hold another auction in a month. We’ll combine it with next month’s supply then. Other countries should get to benefit from White Ink too, so rather than cutting back on individual allocations, we’re thinking of expanding the participating nations. Or we might open it fully and switch to a standard auction format.”
Choi Deokhui’s words toyed with the hunters’ nerves, their faces shifting by the second as questions exploded out.
“Can you manage this volume every month? Exactly how many bottles per month?”
“The other countries won’t mean anything. None of them can offer proper terms.”
“Smart thinking. Standard auction’s the way to go.”
“No, today’s format was better.”
Scattered questions and opinions flew like at a flea market, turning the auction house into a cacophony.
Thrilled by the chaos, Choi Deokhui spoke up again, silencing the hunters.
“Quiet down, please. Anyone who opens their mouth from here on out gets banned from the next auction.”
Silence blanketed the room in an instant. Smiling, Choi Deokhui continued.
“We can produce over 5,000 bottles a month. And since we’re not limiting payments to enchanter-related goods, bringing in other countries won’t hurt us. As for the format, that’s our call—we’ll handle it.”
She said it with a smile, but the line was crystal clear: I’m the seller, you’re the buyers.
The other hunters’ lips twitched like they had plenty to say, but the prior warning kept them shut.
Then Brian from the US—who’d stayed quiet unlike the rest—raised his hand.
Intrigued, Choi Deokhui gave him the floor.
“Are you the one who made the White Ink?”
Brian’s question drew every hunter’s focus.
Whether they’d known Choi Deokhui before or dug into her this time, all knew she lacked the skill to create White Ink.
The doubt was natural, but they’d been too fixated on bidding to ask—and feared displeasing her enough to get blacklisted from the next round.
Now Brian had asked for them; inwardly cheering, they stared holes into Choi Deokhui’s mouth.
“Excellent question. Of course not me. The creator of White Ink is none other than Support Guild Master Kim Suho.”
With the auction wrapped up far beyond expectations, Choi Deokhui met two hunters separately: Sweden’s Sebastian and Iceland’s Saivar.
Unlike the others, they’d gotten in through connections.
“Sebastian. Do you know why you were allowed into this auction?”
Sebastian had puzzled over it throughout, but now had a hunch.
“Some idea. Was it thanks to Hespera?”
“Yes, you’ve got it. Sweden wouldn’t normally qualify, but the guild master made an exception for Hespera’s sake.”
“As I thought. Please convey my deepest gratitude to the guild master—truly, thank you.”
When Choi Deokhui had briefed Kim Suho on the auction, he’d brought up including Sweden.
Not for free, though—just a shot. And Sebastian had won two bids this time.
But he knew those two were massive concessions compared to others; his offers had been lacking.
So his thanks were genuine.
After wrapping with Sebastian, next was Saivar.
“Saivar-ssi, long time no see. I hope you’ve been well?”
Saivar startled at Choi Deokhui’s sudden warmth.
“Do you... know me?”
Smiling sincerely, Choi Deokhui replied.
“Of course. How could I forget my benefactor?”
“Benefactor?”
Choi Deokhui shared an old tale, and long-buried memories resurfaced for Saivar.
“N-no way. That hunter back then... was you, Choi Deokhui-ssi?”
Saivar jumped in shock.
He’d forgotten it entirely—only recalling after hearing the full story. He still didn’t see it as anything grand, then or now.
Just that they’d shared it because, though their goods differed, they were both tossed around by neighboring powers—it hadn’t felt like someone else’s problem.
Yet now, reaping such huge rewards left him at a loss.
“No, no. It might’ve been nothing to you, Saivar-ssi, but back then, it was like finding an oasis in the desert for us. I’m just glad to repay that favor now.”
At her heartfelt words, Saivar waved it off gratefully, but Choi Deokhui pressed on.
“Then thank our guild master instead. He’s the one who approved it, after all.”
The auction had smashed past initial plans.
Not just the haul from bids—Kim Suho’s name spread properly too.
The recent incident had leaked it domestically, but abroad? Barely a blip, soon forgotten.
Unlike his renown as a leatherworker at home.
Now, at least among enchanters, Kim Suho’s name would hit its peak.
Worldwide enchanter numbers were low, but the gap mattered.
A solid step toward Kim Suho’s goals.
With everything done, Choi Deokhui stepped out—and Saneda, waiting outside, stormed up.
His face twisted, body radiating fury.
“Choi Deokhui! How dare you toy with me, you bitch?”
Saneda spat curses outright, but Choi Deokhui didn’t budge.
She sneered right back.
“Toy? With who? You think I’ve got time to play at your level? Tsk tsk. Delusions of grandeur much? Play needs to be with equals.”
Saneda’s eyes flipped as he roared.
“Reckless mouth! You think you’ll walk away unscathed?”
Choi Deokhui snorted at the threat.
“Touch me, and you won’t be safe. I’m chicken, so I insured myself earlier. Told ’em if anything happens to me, White Ink sales halt—and they all said, ‘Don’t worry.’”
She played it scared, teasing.
“C-cowardly bitch. Fit to lead a national enchanter association?”
Saneda shuddered with rage, shouting. Choi Deokhui smirked crookedly.
“Not cowardly—scared stiff. Can’t handle how terrifying our Saneda-ssi is.”
Her taunt boiled his blood—then a thought struck.
Suddenly calm, Saneda replied.
“Keke. Thought you’d get away with those lies, wretch? I know you can’t make White Ink. Piggybacking some other hunter’s work, huh? I’ll expose it all—and crush you.”
He grinned vilely, like spilling a massive secret. Choi Deokhui let the delusion ride.
More fun that way.
“Yeah, go ahead. Do it or don’t—your call. Sick of your face anyway. Scram.”
She shoved past the blocking Saneda and left.
Staring at her back, rage exploded in Saneda.
After a beat, he thought: Find someone before the hunters leave Korea. He rushed to America’s Brian—the auction’s heaviest hitter.
Unlike US enchanters Jonathan and Jeff, Brian was leagues beyond.
Brian hailed from Agnes Guild, US East Coast’s top dog.
Agnes had three vice-guild masters—Brian was one.
Worlds apart from the rest.
Convince him, and the others would fall in line, Saneda figured.
He spilled everything to Brian—but the reaction shattered expectations.
“I know. And how deeply the real developer trusts Choi Deokhui. If something happens to her and sales stop...”
He trailed off, then killing intent flooded out. Saneda choked, trembled, pleaded piteously.
“N-no, I won’t touch her. P-please.”
Brian eyed him like vermin, issuing final warning before ejecting.
“Burn this moment into your brain. Won’t end with just you. Out.”
Kicked by Brian, Saneda dazed blankly, shock-struck.
Time passed. Snapping to, he realized: One last shot.
“R-right. Not over. The developer—find and sway him.”
As expected, someone else made it.
Buy direct—problem solved.
As he dialed to hunt the developer, his phone rang: Shigeru.
“Saneda here. In the middle of work.”
He froze stiff, bluffing. Spill now, and his head was done.
But Shigeru’s voice burned with unprecedented fury.
“Saneda. Know who just called me?”
“H-huh? Who?”
Chill gripped his throat, sweat poured, dread swelled.
“Agnes Guild’s master. America or not, a puny guild head daring advise me? ‘Manage your subordinate.’ Haha! You’ve given me a rare treat.”
Saneda hit the floor, desperate.
“M-mercy! N-not over—we sway the White Ink developer. Last chance. Mercy!”
Shigeru granted it.
“Chance to die with honor.”
Done for. Those words sealed it—no survival.
For his family’s peace in Japan, seize it.
Developer’s ID came easy via buddy Alphonso from Canada.
Transpo sorted, he went.
And.
“What the hell’s he saying? Geonmin-ssi. You get Japanese?”
“No, not really... Ah! Taeju’s on his way.”
I’d burst into the leather workshop to find this weird Japanese guy on his knees before me, blubbering passionately. I asked Geonmin.
She didn’t know Japanese either, but remembered Taeju did.
At her words, I called Taeju—who came up with Jeonghun in tow.
“Taeju hyung. What’s this guy on about? Translate.”
After hearing Taeju’s rundown, I shot back flat-out.
“No. Not for sale. Not now, not ever.”
As Taeju relayed it, Saneda bolted up yelling.
No Kao alert popped, so I held still—but Jeonghun didn’t.
Mistaking it for a threat to me, he flattened Saneda.
Thwack.
Thud.
Jeonghun eyed the knocked-out Saneda awkwardly.
“Hyung, now what?”
Now clued in on Saneda, I shrugged.
“Call the Hunter Management Bureau. Let ’em haul him off.”
To be continued in the next chapter...
The Hunter Who Awakened as an NPC