Chapter 48
Chapter 48
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The Gem Auction
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“It’s done!”
Haon beamed with a proud, wide smile.
Nearly three months after falling into this dimension, she had finally completed the framework of the Dimension Gate after countless trials and errors.
Numerous mechanical parts were interwoven with mana, forming the shape of a gate.
It looked like a miniature triumphal arch, or perhaps the ruins of a mechanical civilization from a sci-fi movie.
‘If I could have focused solely on building the Dimension Gate, I would’ve finished much sooner.’
Still, she had no regrets.
For Haon to build a Dimension Gate for the first time, all by herself and in a field that wasn’t even her specialty, her speed was astonishing.
It was a real relief that she was only making it for one person, so she didn't need a tunnel.
‘Now, I can move on to the next step.’
Haon calmed her excitement and flipped through the data on the screen.
A large, fist-sized diamond filled the display.
The diamond, cut into the shape of a triangular prism, contained an explosive light and energy.
「Dimension Prism.」
It was the core component needed to activate the Dimension Gate.
It was the same kind of item the terrorists had used to snatch residual mana from other dimensions; without it, she couldn't even hope to punch a tiny passage through to another dimension.
‘The reason I fell here in the first place was because the terrorists’ Dimension Prism was connected to this dimension.’
First, she had to find a diamond large enough to create the prism.
After deciding to build the gate, she had scoured the penthouse, but there were no diamonds of that size.
She could have combined smaller diamonds, but there was a significant difference in terms of safety.
Since this was a much more delicate and dangerous task than simply drawing residual mana from another dimension, she wanted to use a single large diamond if possible.
‘I’ll have to build the turbine while I search for the diamond.’
Having made up her mind, Haon asked Blue.
“Blue. Where can I go to see a lot of gems?”
[There’s an old jewelry shop in the Central District.]
“Hmm. I’d prefer a place that sells loose gems, not just finished jewelry.”
[There’s a gem auction being held near the port this week. Would you like me to provide the specific date and location?]
A gem auction!
Haon’s eyes sparkled.
But as soon as she heard the auction date from Blue, her expression hardened and her eyes trembled.
“It’s that day already…”
Suddenly pale, Haon pressed a hand to her anxiously pounding chest.
* * *
A few days later.
“I quit being a Hero, so get lost.”
Juyeol shoved past the guards blocking his way and entered the auction house.
The noisy interior fell silent in an instant, and as he walked, people instinctively moved aside, clearing a path for him.
Juyeol clicked his tongue as he sat down in a quiet spot.
Seeing how they disliked a Hero’s visit, it seemed like some of the items up for auction were stolen goods.
‘Why the sudden fuss about buying gems?’
Haon, who had been acting strangely for the past few days, had suddenly contacted him to say she would be participating in a gem auction and couldn’t come to the safe house.
On second thought, it wasn't so sudden or out of the blue.
After all, Eun Haon had often hoarded dazzling gems from auction houses.
“…”
Juyeol suddenly felt a wave of anxiety.
Her recent behavior—roaming the Old District to deal with Villains, and now seeking out an auction house to buy gems.
Could her memories be slowly returning?
Was she reverting to the old Eun Haon who had swung a knife at his arm and tried to poison him?
Just then, someone pointed toward the entrance and gasped.
“Isn’t that Dr. Eun?”
“It is Dr. Eun. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her at an auction.”
At the sound of their voices, Juyeol turned his head and felt his heart drop.
Haon’s demeanor as she entered the auction house was a little strange.
Her expression, usually relaxed since she lost her memory, was strangely subdued today.
The atmosphere around her, which seemed both gloomy and cold, made him anxious.
‘Could it be? Is she really… back to her old self?’
“Whoa! I’m so sorry.”
Then, he saw Haon bump into someone and apologize flusteredly, and the tension instantly left him.
Haon’s eyes darted around, avoiding people as she approached the seats.
Juyeol let out a small chuckle, imagining the surprised look on her face when she realized he was here.
*I must have been seeing things,* he thought, casually raising a hand.
“Eun Haon.”
“Darling!”
In that moment, two voices calling Haon’s name overlapped.
The two men reflexively looked at each other.
“…?”
“…?”
Juyeol and Nova, sitting across the aisle from each other, locked eyes with their hands still raised.
The faint smiles on their faces instantly turned icy.
‘What the hell is this bastard doing here?’
‘Since when did this guy start frequenting auction houses?’
It was almost as if you could see sparks fly where their gazes met.
Sensing the frigid atmosphere, people began to discreetly move away from the area.
With the crowd thinned out, the two men were now in Haon's clear line of sight.
“Huh? What are you two doing here…?”
Haon stopped, her eyes wide.
Juyeol and Nova spoke at the same time.
“Hey, come over here.”
“Darling, sit here.”
“…?”
Haon looked back and forth between the two, a bewildered expression on her face.
*What’s going on?*
Just then, someone grabbed Haon’s arm.
“Haon! What are you doing here?”
It was Bani, her delight obvious.
Haon’s face lit up as well, and she playfully fiddled with Bani’s space buns.
“Bani, you’re here too! Are minors allowed in here?”
“Beats me. Chacha’s over there, too. Let’s sit together.”
“Oh, uh—.”
Bani led the hesitant Haon toward the front seats.
She didn't forget to shoot a smug little smile at Juyeol and Nova, who were now left looking on helplessly.
The two men, who had been forlornly following Haon’s back with their eyes, scowled, casting a grim pall over their surroundings.
Meanwhile, Haon, now seated between Bani and Chacha, glanced around nervously.
‘…Why do they keep looking at me?’
The Old District bosses sitting nearby had been stealing glances at her since before.
She asked Chacha why they were doing it, but she just said she didn't know.
Once the auction began, their gazes finally shifted away, and Haon let out a sigh of relief, settling back into her seat.
Dazzling auction items came and went across the stage, but no diamond large enough for Haon to raise her paddle appeared.
As she fidgeted with her paddle and sighed, Chacha leaned in and whispered.
“What are you looking for that you’re not even impressed by that huge topaz?”
“I need a fist-sized diamond. Do you think I can find one here?”
“…?”
Chacha’s eyes widened as she stared at Haon.
“That’s weird. You’re still the out-of-it Eun Haon. Has your greed for gems come back?”
Haon was about to deny it but quickly nodded instead.
“Yeah. So if you see a fist-sized diamond, make sure to let me know.”
“But I want it too.”
“Ah.”
She hadn’t thought of that.
Haon was flustered by the sudden appearance of a competitor.
“Once I’m done using it for what I need, you can have it. So please, just tell me.”
“What? It doesn't seem like your greed for gems is back after all.”
Chacha looked puzzled but didn’t press further. The next auction item, a teardrop-shaped peridot, had captured her attention.
After a bidding war with someone else, Chacha managed to acquire the peridot, a satisfied smile on her face.
Haon, on the other hand, didn't raise her paddle once before the first part of the auction ended.
‘I had high hopes for a gem auction…’
Her spirits sinking, Haon’s gaze fell upon the date printed on the pamphlet.
In an instant, she was captured by those small numbers, slowly sinking.
‘Ah. Tomorrow is…’
The surrounding noise became muffled, then was completely blocked out as she descended into a deep abyss.
She sank toward that place where only collapsed buildings stood like rotten trees.
“Hey.”
Then, a touch on her arm snapped her back to reality.
The clamor of the room rushed in like a waterfall.
When she came to her senses, she was breathing heavily.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“…Huh?”
Haon stared blankly at Bani’s young face, as if in a trance.
Seeing Bani’s alarm, Chacha patted Haon’s shoulder.
“Eun Haon. Are you sick?”
“Oh, no. I’m fine.”
Looking somewhat disoriented, Haon glanced around as if to confirm where she was.
Her dazed eyes gradually cleared, and she gave an awkward smile.
“Ah, I’m not sick. I just zoned out for a moment.”
Chacha and Bani thought Haon was acting strange today, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what was wrong.
“Dr. Eun.”
Just then, Two-Shot and Cue, who had been glancing at her before the auction, approached her.
Haon, feeling a slight dizziness as her breathing steadied, responded belatedly.
“Yes? Me? I mean, me?”
“Why are you so out of it?”
Two-Shot muttered as he looked Haon over, then lowered his voice and spoke quietly.
“The Heroes are up to their usual tricks. You should do something so they don't work.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“The potions.”
Finally understanding what Two-Shot was talking about, Haon deflected awkwardly.
“I-I don’t know. I’ve been busy lately.”