The Birth of the Blood Demon Sword

The auction house sat on the thirtieth underground floor.

An opera-house-style grand stage dominated the space, surrounded by men and women in formal suits.

“Thirty minutes until the auction begins. This is always the most agonizing part.”

“Didn’t the Tear of Fraul appear in the last auction?”

“Word is the Dark Smile, its matching catalyst, will be offered this time.”

“It’s going to be brutal again.”

“Oh, and with the Corleone and Camorra families at each other’s throats, the weapon auction is about to catch fire.”

The hall buzzed with overlapping conversations, each one dripping with valuable intelligence. Simply tilting my ear toward the noise let me map out the movements of entire organizations.

“You’re quite fortunate, sir.”

“Lucky I arrived on auction day?”

“Exactly. Auctions only run on scheduled dates.”

It wasn’t luck. I had come on purpose. The underground auction ran from the first to the seventh of every month.

I flashed my black card at the guard and claimed an empty seat.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

“I’m curious what my client came here seeking.”

Davi settled into the neighboring chair without hesitation.

I quietly checked my balance. Roughly fifteen billion won remained in the account. After the two billion won I’d won at the Black Casino, that translated to about thirty-five million dollars I could spend.

“Goddess, I have one request.”

“Speak.”

“Lend me some of the gambling money you won yesterday.”

“You mean those chips? Use them however you wish, my partner.”

Davi stared at Nyx in open disbelief.

“Miss, you’re just going to lend him forty million dollars?”

“The value of mortals holds no meaning for Yeo.”

“That’s not what I—”

“Quiet. The auction is starting.”

I shut Davi’s mouth before he could continue. Nyx had no real concept of how much money she had won at the Black Casino. If converted into the cotton candy and cakes she loved, the sum could keep her supplied for several lifetimes. Explaining it would only complicate things, so I let it drop.

“Honored guests who have graced the underground auction house, the eightieth auction is about to commence. Please take your seats.”

The emcee’s voice reverberated through the basement.

Applause thundered.

All eyes locked onto the stage.

“Our first item is eternal cold iron discovered in Brazil. Appraisal confirms it is a supreme-grade metal with virtually no impurities.”

A massive boulder appeared at the front of the stage. Even beneath powerful spotlights, the mineral clung to its primal darkness.

“Eternal cold iron?”

“A mineral specialized for mana storage and exceptionally durable.”

“That much could forge several suits of armor.”

The crowd stirred with excitement.

The auctioneer cleared his throat and announced, “Opening bid is one million dollars.”

“One and a half million.”

“Three million.”

“Four million!”

The price shot skyward in the blink of an eye. The auction house’s atmosphere ignited.

“Will you not participate, sir?”

“Why bother?”

“Weapons and armor crafted from eternal cold iron command high prices.”

“Most of those are finished products handed out as Tower rewards anyway.”

I gave a soft snort.

The difficulty of processing eternal cold iron rivaled adamantium or orichalcum—minerals called heavenly ores. No artisan alive today could refine them perfectly. The earliest anyone might manage it was 2030. In other words, the rock was all flash and no substance. Rather than buy something whose full potential could not be drawn out, it was wiser to purchase completed items from the Tower.

“There may be artisans you are unaware of, customer.”

“You read my thoughts perfectly.”

“It is not mind reading.”

“I know. If it were, I would have sensed it.”

Thanks to Cold Blood, I possessed considerable resistance to mental interference skills. On top of that, synchronizing the Goddess of Night’s blessing to my crown had strengthened my mental power dramatically. Anyone short of ranker level wouldn’t even dare attempt to read my mind.

“Thirteen million! Any further bids?”

While I chatted with Davi, the steeply climbing price of the eternal cold iron finally plateaued. Two more bidders raised their hands, but the hammer fell at fifteen million dollars.

“Congratulations to Mr. Eugene Rothschild on acquiring the eternal cold iron.”

Applause erupted once more.

“The sums changing hands are staggering.”

“This is an underground auction. Surface auctions cannot compare.”

I had visited before the regression, so I understood. Still, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heat in the room exceeded my expectations.

My current balance hovered around seventy million dollars. Since I had come all the way to the underground auction, I wanted to pick up a few things besides the items I had come to “confirm.” That part would have to be left to luck.

“Next, to carry on this momentum, we present the antler of the divine deer found exclusively on the Tower’s forty-eighth floor!”

The Black Market had organized the event. As an organization that spanned the globe’s black networks, it delivered a steady stream of rare artifacts and treasures.

Magic-infused relics.

Masterpieces believed lost forever.

The underground auction did not limit itself to player-related goods.

Then came the announcement.

“True Blood. A potent catalyst that dramatically enhances blood sorcery. Bidding begins at one hundred thousand dollars.”

“Blood sorcery?”

“Hardly anyone uses it.”

“Powerful, but it comes with heavy conditions. Extremely difficult to control.”

The crowd showed little interest.

“One hundred fifty thousand dollars.”

At that moment Davi turned to me with a stunned expression.

“Customer…”

“Not a word.”

The person who had bid on the item the crowd had ignored was, of course, me.

“We will conclude the first day of the auction here. Our deepest thanks to every guest who attended.”

The red curtain swept across the stage.

A long sigh escaped Davi. “Twenty million dollars burned on those items…”

“It’s not your money. Why does it bother you so much?”

“Does that sum not include what I must pay you, customer?”

“Why are you so attached to money that has already left your hands?”

“Ugh.”

While Davi rubbed his face in dismay, two suited guards approached.

“Customer number thirty-five, please follow us.”

“I’ll wait here.”

Davi still couldn’t recover from the shock of such ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠extravagant spending and kept his head lowered.

The guards led us behind the stage.

“Here are the True Blood, Seraph’s Feather, and Blood King’s Orb you won.”

A potion vial filled with blood.

A pure-white feather.

And finally, a transparent orb.

I activated the status window to verify each one. They were genuine.

“Can I also submit items for auction?”

“It is possible, though the Black Market must first appraise them.”

I nodded at the auctioneer’s answer ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and collected my purchases.

“They all appear to be catalysts. What do you intend to use them for?”

“I have plans for each. I need to visit the restroom, so wait here a moment.”

“Very well.”

I locked the bathroom door and reached into the Pocket of Desire. This was one of the few places the Black Market’s surveillance didn’t reach, so I had no choice.

I took out the worn blade.

The true worth of this item lay elsewhere.

Muttering to myself, I lifted the potion vial. The True Blood I had just acquired. The moment I pulled the stopper, a thick metallic scent stung my nose. Without hesitation I poured the blood onto the blade.

The sword trembled like an aspen leaf. The blood flowed along ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the fuller and soaked directly into the metal.

Not bad at all. It was a shame I couldn’t show this to anyone.

This was exactly why I had handed the Orb of Resentment over to the Baekho Guild after clearing the eighth floor. The hidden secret of the Worn-Out Yamaoka’s Tooth wasn’t supposed to be discovered for another five years. Once again I had stolen an achievement that should have belonged to the explorer Laurent. The Seraph’s Feather and Blood King’s Orb also had their own uses, just like the True Blood.

I stored the Blood Demon Sword Yamaoka inside the Pocket of Desire and stepped out of the restroom in a leisurely manner.

“You took your time.”

“I have a sensitive stomach when I’m nervous.”

“Mortals truly are inconvenient creatures. Unable to free themselves from such base urges.”

I ignored Nyx’s grumbling and returned to the auction hall.

“Goodness, customer, why did it take so long?”

“You waited instead of leaving?”

“I can never predict what mischief you might cause.”

“How refreshingly honest. You’d fail as a gambler.”

“Whether I fail or not is for me to decide.”

Chatting with Davi, I headed back toward the entrance.

“Customer, today’s auction has already concluded.”

“I’d like to submit an item.”

Davi stepped aside with a puzzled look.

The sword I drew from my subspace radiated an eerie aura that dyed the surroundings crimson.

“Hup… this sword…!”

“Unique grade—Blood Demon Sword Yamaoka. I want to put it up for tomorrow’s auction.”

“Please wait one moment.”

The auction staff member sprinted away.

The magic of money duplication had begun. What I would earn from this auction was only the beginning.