Chapter 31

Chapter. 31

“Nice, 1 Gold.”

Lee A-un hummed to himself.

At an extremely low probability, Mana Stones were generated in places where the corpses of Demonic Beasts had gathered and accumulated.

And at a slightly higher probability than that, very small, low-value, Mana Stone-like objects known as “Mana Stone fragments” also appeared.

Lee A-un was a day laborer who went around searching for these “fragments.”

Usually, he had to gather ten of them before they were treated as 1 Gold, but this one was large and solid enough that he could probably exchange it on its own.

‘My luck is strangely good today.’

The sun had not even set yet, but his total income for the day had already exceeded 5 Gold.

It was an overwhelming pace.

“At this rate, I might even be able to buy the medicine the day after tomorrow.”

PSSHHH—

The outdated Hunter Watch, so old that calling it junk would not have been an exaggeration, made a sound like it was gasping for breath.

It was the ringtone.

“What? I am getting a call?”

Lee A-un, who had been picking up the byproducts of Demonic Beasts and stuffing them into his pocket, roughly rubbed the blood off against the wall and answered the call.

“Who is this?”

[Our little Blood Clot is awfully polite over the phone, huh?]

“…Who is this?”

[Who else? It is me.]

“Mister?”

[Yes.]

“Why did you call? I told you I would earn 6 Gold and bring it. I will repay the 1 Gold you discounted last time soon too.”

[I did not call to talk about that.]

‘What is with this old man? Why the hell is he acting so serious?’

A-un felt uneasy.

Was this not the man who was always playful and lighthearted?

When that same man suddenly began speaking in a serious tone, fear dropped into A-un’s chest.

“Did something happen?”

[Blood Clot, no. A-un.]

“Ah, damn it. Why are you making me nervous, old man? Why the hell are you calling me by my name?”

[…There is something important I need to tell you.]

“What is it?”

[The medicine. The supply has been cut off.]

“…”

THUD.

A-un sank to the ground.

“Damn it. No wonder my luck was so good today.”

It was over.

If the next seizure happened, he would die.

It felt as though an unavoidable death was creeping toward him from the tips of his toes.

[It is too early to give up.]

“What is too early, you bastard? You have been taking my Gold all this time, and now that you have had your fill, you are panicking because you are about to lose a regular customer…”

[There is a way to cure your illness.]

“…!”

It felt as though lightning had struck inside his head.

[I heard intelligence that a very special “consumable item” will appear in the Market’s Black Market soon. I still do not know exactly what that consumable item is. But with it, even your Mana Reflux Syndrome can be cured.]

“Mister.”

But that lightning turned into disappointment in an instant.

“How am I supposed to buy that? It is nothing but a dream to me.”

[I will buy it for you.]

“…Ha.”

A-un let out a faint laugh.

“I am sure something that precious will be sold to an old man who scrapes pocket change off neighborhood kids.”

[Ha ha. Blood Clot. You really do not know me, do you? This old man has a lot of money.]

The king of the underworld who ruled the Republic of Korea’s dark side.

The true identity of the “anonymous businessman” who fed the entire impoverished class of the Republic of Korea.

The individual who possessed more Gold than anyone else in the world.

A legendary merchant.

The man who had become one of the Numbers simply because he had that much Gold.

[A hell of a lot.]

“Golden Mine” Lee Hyeong-je opened his wallet.

***

[Master.]

“Yeah. What is it?”

The “Master” of Pandemonium was trimming their nails in their office.

SCRAPE. SCRAPE.

Keeping their nails neat was one of the Master’s few hobbies.

And because it was one of their few hobbies, it meant they cherished it that much.

That was why, if anyone disturbed this time, the Master killed them in most cases.

Unless it was a truly special report.

Perhaps because of that, ironically enough, the calls that came in while the Master was trimming their nails always brought issues that exceeded expectations.

They hated being interrupted.

Yet at the same time, this had become a strange hour during which they slightly looked forward to receiving a call.

[They say the Saintess has called the Moneybag.]

“Hmm.”

Weak. Should I kill him?

[They say the “Golden Mine” has emptied his shop.]

“Oh.”

Now this was rather interesting.

As individual incidents, they were not major issues.

The Saintess might be spending money. The Golden Mine might be opening his wallet.

However, if the two incidents had happened at the same time, that was a clear signal.

The richest organization in the world, the Order.

The richest individual in the world, the Golden Mine.

It was a signal that the two were about to clash.

And it also meant that something precious enough to make both of them open their purses would soon appear.

But even that was not enough.

The “why” was missing.

“Why are those two doing that?”

[…They say an extraordinary Artifact will be released at today’s Republic of Korea Numbers Auction.]

“Hmm. How reliable is it?”

[You know how things are in the Republic of Korea. The leak came from there, so the accuracy is 100 percent.]

Interesting.

[And lastly.]

“There is more?”

[Number 100 of the Numbers, “Wraith,” has lost his position.]

Now this…

was truly interesting.

Wraith was a criminal affiliated with Pandemonium.

He had received “Number 100” under the condition that he exclusively supplied the Market with poison effective against not only humans, but also Demonic Beasts.

Wraith had lost Number 100?

That meant a new member of the Numbers had been born.

[Information beyond this point is blocked. But if we infer from what we have, it leads to an amusing result.]

“The Saintess is heading to the Republic of Korea, and the Golden Mine, who had been crouching there, is moving on his home ground?”

[Yes. And this Artifact is the first item submitted by the new member of the Numbers.]

“Ha ha. Ahahaha!”

The Master laughed in delight.

[Heh heh. What should we do, Master?]

“Why are you asking?”

The Master set down the nail clipper with an eerie smile.

“The moment the one who offered the highest price seizes the elixir in joy, steal it. That will be the most entertaining.”

Pandemonium’s participation was confirmed.

***

A few hours later. Noon.

Only about six hours remained until Lee A-un’s life came to an end.

A special auction began in the Republic of Korea’s Black Market.

There were twenty-three participants.

However, the only members of the Numbers who attended personally were “Saintess” Yeriche, who had become Number 2, and “Golden Mine” Lee Hyeong-je, who had become Number 100.

It was not easy to pay an enormous number of Points and use the Market’s “Emergency Auction Attendance Teleportation” service.

The rest were representatives of the Numbers.

There was only one item up for auction.

Name: Red Elixir.

Effects.

Wound Healing (S)

Disease Healing (S)

And there was an appraisal certificate from Kang Hyo-jun proving that these effects were real.

‘This is insane!’

Yeriche was shocked.

She had never imagined that something like this could exist.

And she had never even dreamed that she would witness it with her own eyes.

Her motive at the beginning had been extremely simple: she merely wanted to confirm just how remarkable it was.

Along with the jealousy of wondering how it had managed to push her down to Number 2.

But this was…

This was strange.

Something like this should not exist.

‘It does not make sense…!’

Yet it was right there before her eyes.

‘If this gets released, what happens to our Order?’

Equipment-type Artifacts could be used permanently until they broke, but they were single items.

Consumable items, on the other hand, were one-time-use items, but identical ones could continuously “reappear.”

That was exactly why the Market valued a consumable item’s “supplier” more highly than an equipment item’s specifications.

Because behind a consumable item, there existed an exclusive supply source capable of continuously distributing it.

The problem was that the “Red Elixir” that had just appeared was also a consumable item.

What if an elixir with such deranged specifications did not end as a one-time auction item, but continued to enter the market through its supplier?

Even if the quantity was extremely small, it was obvious that it would become a top-tier item that wealthy people all over the world, dreaming of a long life free from illness, would cling to desperately.

And that posed a fatal threat to Yeriche’s Order.

The Order operated by extracting massive donations with the healing effects of Holy Water and the Divine Power it bestowed only upon a small number of VIPs as bait.

But what if an elixir that far surpassed Divine Power, a perfect superior replacement, continued to circulate?

There was no way wealthy power brokers would willingly open their wallets to the Order and beg for favors the way they had before.

Because a substitute had appeared.

No, it was not merely a substitute.

A vastly superior product had appeared!

GRIND!

Yeriche nervously bit her nail.

‘No matter how insane an ability user is, they cannot mass-produce something S-rank like that. At most, one or two bottles must be the limit. Then I simply have to win the bid and hide it forever!’

Neither that elixir nor the existence of the supplier hiding behind it could ever be revealed to the world.

Just as Yeriche’s face was darkening in real time.

‘With that…!’

Lee Hyeong-je was swelling with hope.

‘This is amusing.’

And Wraith, the assassin affiliated with Pandemonium and the former member of the Numbers, laughed.

The auction continued.

“Now, Number 2. Number 100. Number 2. Number 100. Number 2. Number 100…! The highest bid keeps being updated!”

It was a fierce contest between Yeriche and Lee Hyeong-je.

The amount rose endlessly, as though it had no ceiling.

“One moment.”

Lee Hyeong-je raised his hand and requested a temporary pause in the auction.

When the auctioneer saw Lee Hyeong-je gesture toward Yeriche with his eyes, he accepted the pause.

He understood that negotiations between the two were about to take place.

“Lady Saintess.”

“What is it?”

Unlike Lee Hyeong-je, who carefully opened his mouth, Yeriche was as sensitive as a hedgehog bristling with spikes.

“Please yield this one to me.”

“Why should I? I still have plenty of Gold.”

“I know. I still have plenty as well. And I intend to buy that even if I have to spend every last asset I own.”

“…How interesting.”

In truth, it was not interesting at all.

How much was the entire fortune of “Golden Mine”?

No one knew.

They only knew that its depths were as bottomless as an abyss.

“But I promise you this. I need exactly one bottle of the Red Elixir.”

“And that means?”

“You know that consumable items can reappear. From the second bottle onward, I will not touch them.”

“Hmm.”

It was a decent condition.

However.

“I refuse.”

It was not a condition she could trust.

“I do not want to miss even a single Red Elixir. So I am going to make the seller an offer they can never refuse. The winner is already decided anyway.”

‘…Damn it. Why is this crazy woman acting like this?’

Lee Hyeong-je gritted his teeth.

Yeriche raised her hand and waved it from side to side.

It was a sign that negotiations had broken down.

“Fine.”

Lee Hyeong-je shouted with bloodshot eyes.

“All my currently mobilizable liquid assets, totaling 1.5 billion Points!”

The hall froze into silence.

1.5 billion.

Even for an S-rank Hunter who earned hundreds of millions, it was a large sum to pay without hesitation.

Lee Hyeong-je glared at the Saintess while breathing roughly.

But Yeriche sneered as if she found him pathetic.

“Nothing but a cash bid? Auctioneer. Instead of that paltry pocket change, I will stake a one-time full-support call-in right to me, Yeriche. Now, can the Golden Mine still win?”

—Gasp!

—I-Is she serious?

A murmur of shock spread through the Black Market.

A one-time call-in right to the Saintess was worth that much.

The Awakening ability possessed by the Saintess was none other than “Saintess (S).”

Healers, especially Hunters of the “Priest” class, possessed a unique resource called “Divine Power.”

This Divine Power was specialized in healing wounds and curing disease.

Saintess was an Awakening ability said to be the pinnacle of the Priest-type Hunters.

The Divine Power of Yeriche, who possessed Saintess, was even more special.

Because she could perfectly restore any wound, no matter how severe it was.

‘Pay me. I will save you. Except the dead.’

That one sentence represented her.

And now, someone could use Yeriche’s power unconditionally, just once!

“Saintess! Are you truly going this far?”

“I must obtain that.”

At the madness in Yeriche’s eyes, Lee Hyeong-je gritted his teeth and stepped back.

‘…Certain defeat.’

Lee Hyeong-je had not expected Yeriche to go this far.

A one-time call-in right to the Saintess?

It was a privilege any Hunter would want.

With that, one could use the Saintess while climbing the Tower.

One could request the Saintess’s help when a Break occurred.

It was the same in every other situation as well.

After all, the call-in right was a promise that the Saintess would cooperate with her full strength, just once.

In the end, the Red Elixir would go to the Saintess.

“The auction has ended. I will summarize.”

Proposal 1. Saintess Yeriche. One-time call-in right to the Saintess and 1 billion Points.

Proposal 2. Golden Mine Lee Hyeong-je. 1.5 billion Points.

Lee Hyeong-je felt as if the tightness in his chest would drive him mad.

If one looked only at the amount, he had bid 500 million Points more than the Saintess.

But a call-in right to the Saintess was something no one dared to put a price on…His defeat was clear.

“The remaining proposals have no value, so I will delete them under the auctioneer’s authority. I will present these two proposals to the seller, and the one chosen by the seller will obtain the Red Elixir.”

The auction ended.

The auctioneer sent the two proposals through the seller-exclusive hotline.

Lee Hyeong-je squeezed his eyes shut.

“The seller has just made the final decision. I will announce it. The owner of the Red Elixir is…”

‘I am sorry… A-un.’

“…Congratulations.”

The auctioneer cleared his throat and shouted in a trembling voice.

“Both of you.”

‘!!!’

“Wh-What did you say?!”

Lee Hyeong-je’s eyes flew open, and Yeriche sprang up from her seat as if she had been seized by a fit.

“Do not talk nonsense! There is only one item!”

“Well… the seller has just informed us of a new fact.”

The auctioneer swallowed dryly.

“Apparently, there was not just one bottle of the Red Elixir to begin with.”

“What does that…!”

“Therefore, under the highest bids and conditions the two of you offered exactly as they are, the seller says both of you will each win one bottle.”

Silence flowed through the hall.

Lee Hyeong-je collapsed to the floor where he stood.

The tension drained from his entire body, and something hot surged up inside him.

‘I saved him. A-un… I can save A-un.’

He did not care whether he had been fleeced or scammed.

The mere fact that he now had the medicine to save that poor child was enough.

Meanwhile, Yeriche’s face flushed red as she realized what it meant a moment later.

‘There were two items? Then I did not need to fight tooth and nail with the Golden Mine and even stake my call-in right!’

She had been baited!

That seller, whose face she did not even know, had used both of their desperation to drag the stakes up from the floor to the very bottom beneath it, sweeping up money from both sides.

“What kind of scam is this?! Cancel it at once…!”

Just as Yeriche began to scream in protest, the auctioneer urgently raised his hand and stopped her from speaking.

“There is an additional comment! The seller says, ‘I will return with an even finer elixir.’”

“…!”

It was a light and arrogant comment, as if he were leaving a food delivery review.

Yeriche gasped and swallowed her breath.

It sounded like a customary farewell, but…

To her, it sounded like a threat: “If you cancel, I will cut off your supply from the next elixir onward.”

“…Um, excuse me. Could you lower the…”

“This concludes the auction!”

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The auctioneer mercilessly brought the gavel down.

Yeriche’s gaze turned toward the floor.

Venom gathered in her eyes.

‘How dare you pull this scam on me? You damned seller… I do not know who you are, but I will find you.’

At that very moment, everyone was lost in the shock, rage, or astonishment of the winning bids.

In the deep darkness of the very back row of the auction hall.

The corners of “Wraith’s” mouth, the Pandemonium assassin who had been stripped of the seat of Number 100, split upward in a grotesque smile.

“The auction is over. Now, is it time to rob them?”

SLITHER—

From beneath his feet, an ominous ashen shadow began to stretch toward the auction hall like a snake.