Chapter 195
Chapter 195
Translation: godtl
"4.8 trillion going once! Any higher bids? Ah! 5 trillion going once!"
The woman in the black-and-white mask announced energetically.
"Are there no more bidders?"
In response to her question,
about 90% of those present made gestures indicating their bids,
but—
"Then let's begin the countdown."
—as if she couldn't see them at all,
the woman in the black-and-white mask didn't even acknowledge their responses and began the countdown.
In the end,
"...2, 1! This Stat Enhancer is sold to the Valtenberg Guild for 5 trillion!"
Germany's strongest guild,
Valtenberg, had secured the Stat Enhancer.
At this,
"Now, hold on. Owner, what exactly is the meaning of this?"
A middle-aged Black man—
Colin, the Vice Guild Master of American Dream—raised his voice in displeasure.
The reason was simple.
"We all obtained the same auction participation rights from the Yggdrasil Guild, didn't we?"
This was already the third Stat Enhancer that Germany's Valtenberg had won.
"Yet you're showing favoritism in the bidding! I never expected the Black Market's owner to be this brazen!"
Colin pointed directly at the Valtenberg representative's seat—
or more precisely, at the two Stat Enhancers placed beside him.
"Oh my~ Didn't I explain everything clearly earlier?"
The Black Market's owner,
Lin, used Levitation Magic to deliver the Stat Enhancer to the Valtenberg side while replying in her characteristically honeyed voice,
"Seems like my explanation wasn't thorough enough for the Vice Guild Master of American Dream."
She then added,
"Let me announce the auction rules again."
Lin jerked her chin toward the back of the auction hall.
Fwoosh.
A screen displaying the auction terms materialized behind her.
"This time, I've even prepared a nice visual aid for you~."
Lin pointed to the bolded text at the very top of the screen.
"Each participating guild may only win one Stat Enhancer—see?"
Her alluring lips, visible beneath her mask, curved into a smile.
"And Vice Guild Master Colin of American Dream, you already secured one at the highest bid of 1.2 trillion, correct?"
Her long, pale finger gestured toward the Stat Enhancer placed in front of Colin.
"Since you've already reached your purchase limit, further bidding is impossible."
At this,
Bang!
"That's nonsense!"
Colin slammed his hands on the table and stood up.
"Not all guilds here have only won one each!"
Over 200 guilds were present.
Had every guild adhered to the condition stated at the top of the screen—
each securing only one Stat Enhancer—Colin wouldn't have been this furious.
"From the start, only about ten guilds, including that Valtenberg, have been monopolizing the bids!"
Lin, as if she had been waiting for this,
"Ah, that condition is specified in the very next line~."
pointed to the text on the second line.
"'Designated guilds selected by the seller may bid without quantity restrictions.'"
She even emphasized the key point.
At this,
"You—!"
Colin's lips trembled as he tried to retort, but—
"Just so you know, I'm merely fulfilling the conditions set by the seller as the intermediary."
—since arguing with Lin wouldn't change the seller's terms,
he clenched his fists, trembling, and sat back down.
Watching this,
"Now that we've cleared that up, let's proceed with the auction. Only two Stat Enhancers remain. Starting bid is 3 trillion~."
Lin smiled sweetly and continued the auction.
Damn it!
Colin bit his lip hard.
Kim Si-mun! Who would've thought you'd attach such conditions!
The auction rights for the Stat Enhancers had been granted under the condition that they would block the Yggdrasil Guild's global public resources.
He had even successfully lobbied Marcus, the U.S. representative, to withdraw the proposal for that very purpose.
And now, there were purchase restrictions?
I already secured mine at the highest price. What kind of scam is this?!
The price Germany had just paid for their third Stat Enhancer was 5 trillion.
Considering he had secured his for 1.2 trillion,
the injustice was so infuriating it made his stomach churn.
Dammit! Had I known, I wouldn't have gone all out in the first auction!
Of course, Lin had announced the rules before the auction began,
but in the face of the actual Stat Enhancer, Colin hadn't paid the slightest attention to such trivial notices.
And he wasn't the only one.
Well, other guilds were scrambling desperately from the first auction too.
Guilds from other countries had also gritted their teeth and jumped into the bidding frenzy during the first auction.
In fact, Japan's Masamune Guild had chased the bids all the way up to 1.1 trillion.
But as he watched Lin ruthlessly disregard Colin's bids in the second auction,
The price of the Stat Enhancers was halved in an instant.
Thanks to that, the American Dream became the sole expensive test case at 1.2 trillion won.
Grind.
Colin gritted his teeth.
'If this damn elixir could've been made from the start, they should've shown it sooner!'
The sample and information window of the Stat Enhancer that had arrived through the auction house's owner.
After that, the American Dream's internal affairs had been turned upside down.
To be precise, it was a handful of executives centered around Colin.
The reason was simple.
'If we'd known, we wouldn't have even opened our mouths to support that damn proposal!'
Because they had been the loudest voices pushing for this very plan.
Especially for Colin, who wasn't even a Ranker—
A man who had risen to Vice Guild Master solely through his ability to read the tides—this situation was enough to chill his guts.
'And on top of that, Olivia Denson had opposed it so fiercely she even confronted Derek directly!'
A fact he'd learned too late.
That the Winter Queen Olivia had been against this operation from the start.
She had even struck a deal with Derek, the Guild Master, under the condition that she would hold all decision-making authority if variables arose.
He'd never imagined she'd go that far.
Thanks to that—
'That damn bitch! Spouting nonsense about unconditionally obeying whatever Kim Si-mun does!'
Under normal circumstances, they would've used the American Dream's influence to secure as many Stat Enhancers as possible.
But because of that wretched order from Olivia, who now held the reins within the guild—
He, the Vice Guild Master of the American Dream, was left powerless, forced to take this beating without fighting back.
But the real problem wasn't Olivia's orders.
'If this keeps up, even my position is in danger!'
His own standing—the one that had led to this mess—was the most precarious.
His eyes quickly scanned the auction participants.
'The guilds eligible for duplicate wins are all from countries that opposed the public resource designation of the Growth Buffs.'
The vote had been 91% in favor.
And 9% against.
Only the guilds from the 9%—Germany, Cambodia, and others who had voted against—were now—
"Yes! Once again, the Valtenberg Guild secures the bid at 500 billion!"
—running their own exclusive auction, weren't they?
Watching them, Colin took a deep breath.
'Hah...... Stay calm. The Stat Enhancers aren't the priority now. It's the next move.'
With newly composed eyes, he gazed at the four Stat Enhancers now in Valtenberg's possession.
'Gathering the top guilds and discriminating like this... It's a clear signal that Yggdrasil is deeply offended.'
Realistically speaking.
Setting aside personal greed and ambition.
Objectively, it was more than enough to leave a bitter taste.
Wasn't Yggdrasil's Growth Buff a form of private property, when you thought about it?
And they'd tried to seize it by mobilizing an international organization.
Anyone not furious would be abnormal.
So then—
'First, we need to placate the Yggdrasil Guild and repair relations as much as possible. The Stat Enhancers come after.'
The immediate priority was soothing Yggdrasil's anger.
Mending that relationship had to come first.
'Especially since the Growth Buff's lease period is about to end anyway.'
With the proposal dead in the water,
They no longer had any justification to touch Yggdrasil's Growth Buffs.
"Now, let's begin the final Stat Enhancer auction~."
Lin placed the last Stat Enhancer on the stage.
The moment he confirmed it, Colin immediately rose from his seat and turned toward the exit.
He wasn't the only one.
Thud.
Over 200 guilds no longer eligible to participate.
Every attendee who had secured just one bid was now heading for the doors.
"Guild Master. Urgent report."
"Open the guild warehouse immediately—"
"Contact our alliance representative—"
As if sharing a single mind.
All while urgently calling someone.
[Breaking News! World Alliance Representatives Suddenly Arrive in South Korea!]
[Top guilds from various nations arrive, some even sending Vice Guild Masters]
[Endless stream of world leaders visiting Korea—why?]
[VIP procession since morning—Association in chaos!]
[Arena experts:"Likely tied to Yggdrasil's Growth Buff controversy"]
[Growth Buffs—what changed? A full breakdown of the issue!]
News articles flooded portal sites one after another.
In reality—
"Do you know who I am?!"
"How much longer do you expect me to wait?!"
"I'm a busy man, you hear me?!"
The Korean Awakened Association was busier than ever.
"We apologize. We're guiding attendees in order of queue numbers. Please bear with us."
"Next in line, please!"
"Please proceed inside if you've brought any prepared items!"
"As for accompanying attendants......"
From the representatives of the World Federation.
To the personnel of top guilds from various nations, along with their entourages.
Hundreds of major figures arriving simultaneously—it was only natural.
And in the association's highest floor.
Amid this unprecedented chaos, the quietest place was the Association President's office.
A strikingly handsome man with distinct features lay sprawled on the sofa, eyes closed.
Just how busy must it be?
"This is absolute mayhem."
Even the top-floor presidential office wasn't spared from the commotion.
Then, into the man's ears—
-What can we do? Tomorrow's the day to renew the Growth Buff contracts, after all.
A cheerful voice chimed in.
-Plus, you openly discriminated with the Stat Enhancer sales. Did you really think they wouldn't wear you down?
At the Philosopher's Stone's words.
"Yeah. You're right."
Si-mun opened his closed eyes, a pleased smile playing on his lips.
"Honestly, why did I have to stir up such unreasonable greed and suffer like this?"
-Human greed knows no bounds, and they keep repeating the same mistakes. That's just how it is.
"...Where do you even hear such things?"
-Where else? Media outlets. One of the few perks of this dimension, no?
The Philosopher's Stone prattled on.
Si-mun let out a dry chuckle but said nothing more.
-Anyway, the VIP reception room downstairs—I can sense all kinds of energy radiating from there. The apology gifts must be something extraordinary, huh?
"Yeah. I can feel it too."
Si-mun nodded calmly at the stone's words.
'This building was constructed using Arena byproducts. Who knew the energy would be this palpable.'
Just as powerful individuals carried their own distinct aura and presence.
High-grade items naturally emitted their own unique energies as well.
-Haaaah~ This luxurious energy! Just from a rough scan, there must be S-rank materials and artifacts at the very least!
It must have been exceptionally good.
The Philosopher's Stone trembled right at the center of his chest.
Just as Si-mun was about to relish this rare moment of peace and pat the stone soothingly—
Knock knock.
The office door was rapped twice.
"Come in."
The door opened the moment Si-mun granted permission.
The visitor was none other than—
"Hyung. The place is a complete madhouse. Did you just toss me into that hell alone?"
A refreshingly handsome young man.
His younger brother, Kim Si-hyeok.
At the sullen look on the boy's face, Si-mun chuckled and rose from his seat.
"Did I toss you in alone? Uncle and Jin-uk are there too. They'll handle most of the work anyway."
"But I'm the public Guild Master of Simdrasil. I do my fair share of work too."
"At most, you'll just accept apologies and nod along. Why the fuss? Want to die?"
"Hyung! I'm seriously exhausted! Uncle and Jin-uk might enjoy those formal settings, but I don't!"
He must have been truly worn out.
Kim Si-hyeok rarely showed such vulnerability.
Well, it wasn't hard to understand.
'Given his personality, smashing something to bits would be far more comfortable than sitting through paperwork.'
Might as well use this against him later.
Nodding to himself, Si-mun asked,
"But why are you back so soon? The apology procession can't be over yet?"
"There's someone who insisted on meeting you personally."
At Si-hyeok's reply, Si-mun's expression hardened instantly.
"Kim Si-hyeok. Didn't I tell you? Because of the Stat Enhancer, I shouldn't make an appearance today."
"I know. But I had a feeling you should meet this person."
"This person?"
Si-mun tilted his head curiously.
"Yeah. Olivia Denson."
"Ah."
A short sigh escaped Si-mun.
After resting his chin on his hand briefly,
"Fine. Good call. Show her in."
He nodded in approval.
Si-hyeok immediately opened the office door.
Click.
The crisp, orderly sound of high heels echoed.
A blonde woman in an H-line skirt and a refined office look.
"Thank you for granting me an audience, Si-mun-nim."
Olivia Denson bowed politely in greeting.
"Good to see you, Olivia. Please, have a seat."
Si-mun guided her to a seat.
Then—
Snap.
He flicked his fingers.
Whirr.
Arms materialized from the table's surface, swiftly moving the tea set from behind and brewing a cup in an instant.
"Have some tea. If it's too hot, you can let it cool."
You have the ability to do that much, don't you?
Si-mun smiled faintly as he spoke.
His tone was friendly, yet.
Olivia, unlike before, didn't miss the subtle tension underlying his words.
Her gaze, devoid of any discernible emotion, lingered on the steaming tea.
"...You must be deeply disappointed."
Her stiff lips moved slowly.
"After having such a thorough discussion, only to strike you so harshly from behind like this... Even if I had ten mouths, I wouldn't know what to say."
Like a penitent making confession,
Olivia Denson continued speaking with calm composure.
"On behalf of American Dream—"
Rising from her seat, she performed a bow of apology that transcended all previous displays of courtesy—
"I sincerely apologize for everything that has transpired. I am truly sorry."
Bending at a perfect right angle, she offered her remorse.