Chapter 54 : Chapter 54
Chapter 54. Why Is He Here?
Several days passed after the conversation with Lucas about Modric.
Hyunwoo left the dormitory for the first time in a while to prepare for the next match.
He headed toward the market, looking around the Gold District.
The Gold District, where the Gold gladiators stayed, was exceptionally large compared to the previous districts.
The reason it was so spacious wasn't just because the dormitories were large.
‘The Gold District has special buildings.’
The dormitories circling the outskirts were only a part of the Gold District.
In the center of the Gold District were those special buildings.
At the end of the main road, a wide plaza came into view.
A conspicuously large fountain was situated in the plaza.
The fountain's water flowed from the eyes, nose, and mouth of the central statue.
It didn't seem to be very clean water, and the way it flowed down stickily was more grotesque than beautiful.
‘The aesthetic sense of these Demon World bastards….’
Hyunwoo shook his head and examined the statue more closely.
Near the ankles, submerged in water, the identity of the statue was inscribed.
⌜Champion Equitar⌟
The only remaining step for gladiators who became Gold was to become the strongest in the Arena: the ‘Champion’.
Seeing the statue of the Champion made him realize that his time remaining in this Arena was short.
The task of rising to the position of Champion.
It was a fitting way to mark the grand finale of his time in the Bellatus Arena.
‘If I started in the Arena, I should at least get the Champion achievement before I leave.’
Of course, he wasn't saying he would achieve it right now.
The upcoming match was more important.
The reason he had left the dormitory after a long time was also to prepare for the match.
Today was the day the long-awaited ‘Auction House’ opened.
The Auction House could be used by gladiators of Gold rank or higher, or by the Arena's VIPs.
Hyunwoo's gaze went to the mana stone pouch tucked inside his clothes.
He had accumulated a considerable amount of mana stones.
Even after paying the information fee to Lotus, he had more than 90,000 mana stones left.
This was enough to aim for some decent items.
‘I hope there’s something useful.’
Hyunwoo crossed the main road and made his way to the market.
* * *
Having become Gold, Hyunwoo could now use the 4th and 5th floors of the market.
He went straight to the 5th floor, where the auction house was held.
Perhaps because it was an auction day, many people were walking around the market.
Most of them were heading in the same direction.
The only place in the market where this many people would gather at once was the auction house.
Hyunwoo naturally joined their procession.
It was easy to distinguish between the gladiators with their various weapons and the VIPs strolling with their escorts or minions.
Even without such differences, it wasn't difficult to tell them apart, as most of the Arena's VIPs were Demons.
Just then, a Demon next to Hyunwoo glared at him.
“Hah… are there even things like humans here? There are an unusual number of vermin today.”
“Please bear with it for a little longer, Viscount. We are almost at the auction house entrance.”
Demons inherently had a condescending attitude ingrained in them, so it was harder not to distinguish between gladiators and Demons.
‘No. If you think about it, the gladiators are the residents here, and those guys are the guests, aren't they?’
Hyunwoo was inwardly ticked off by the arrogant Demon called Viscount, but upon seeing the horn sprouting from his head, he automatically backed down.
At his current level, he was still a long way from being able to confront a Demon.
Hyunwoo discreetly lowered his eyes and moved away from the Demon.
He wasn't avoiding him because he was scared, but because he was filthy.
‘Anyway, there’s nothing but foul-tempered bastards here.’
As Hyunwoo grumbled internally and continued walking, the entrance to the auction house finally appeared before him.
As if to show off the owner's poor taste, the entrance was shaped like the gaping maw of a giant monster.
There was no doorman blocking the entrance.
The fact that one was using the 5th floor of the market was already a guarantee of their identity.
As Hyunwoo passed through the entrance, he felt a sensation like a sticky veil covering his whole body.
Hyunwoo knew very well what this was.
It was a magic provided by the auction house to guarantee the anonymity of the participants.
⌜Curtain of Darkness⌟
Hyunwoo looked at the magic, like a black veil lingering around his body, with curious eyes.
The figures of those covered by the Curtain of Darkness appeared as black silhouettes to each other.
Hyunwoo found an empty seat and sat down.
Although many people were seated around him, not a single sound could be heard.
The ‘Curtain of Darkness’ was a magic that blocked not only one's appearance but also their voices from each other.
‘It’s quiet, so it’s nice.’
Just the fact that he couldn't hear the noises of the Demon World folks, who knew nothing of etiquette, was satisfying enough for Hyunwoo.
After sitting and waiting for a moment, the voice of the announcer signaling the start of the auction was heard.
[I would like to extend my gratitude to all the distinguished guests who have participated in the auction. Now, as many of you are busy, let's begin right away.]
He liked the way they proceeded, skipping all the useless formalities.
[Then, the first item is….]
Following the announcer's introduction, the auction items were brought onto the stage one by one.
There was nothing good enough for Hyunwoo to take notice of.
Although at a glance, there were many items that looked glamorous.
‘Nothing but fool’s gold.’
There were only a bunch of so-called defective items that were all show and no substance.
As such items continued to appear on stage, just as he was starting to get bored, an interesting phrase came from the announcer's mouth.
[Next up…… is an item from the Celestials! An item with collectible value. That's right, an earring worn by a Celestial! Don't you want to try using a Celestial's magic? This is the item!]
For the first time in the auction house, Hyunwoo's eyes lit up.
‘An earring made of thinly knotted leaves. That’s definitely…….’
Hyunwoo recognized its identity in an instant.
⌜Earrings of Sephiros
Bestows the blessing of Sephiros upon the user, strengthening the body. Contains one use of the Light attribute magic ‘Holy Light’.⌟
Strengthening the body was just a secondary function.
The real prize was the ability to obtain the ‘Light attribute,’ which was hard to find in the Demon World.
For Hyunwoo, who could embed attributes into his Cheonbyeondo, it was an item well worth obtaining.
[Starting price is 10,000 mana stones. Bids will increase by 1,000 mana stones.]
The auction was conducted by raising a paddle given at the entrance while seated.
Although the announcer tried hard to sell it, it wasn't a particularly tempting item for the auction participants.
The residents of the Demon World basically had a strong physiological aversion to Celestials.
No matter how good the performance of an item used by a Celestial was, it was outside their interest.
Hyunwoo waited quietly, in case there were any shills.
[10,000 mana stones. Is there no one?]
Confirming that no one was raising their paddle, Hyunwoo raised his.
[I have 10,000 mana stones! Anymore?]
The participation rate was appallingly low.
Which was a good thing for Hyunwoo.
[11,000 mana stones!]
The price went up as someone else jumped into the bidding.
Hyunwoo had no intention of letting the Earrings of Sephiros go to someone else.
He immediately raised his paddle again.
[I have 12,000 mana stones!]
The unknown competitor, who he thought would drop out quickly, continued to keep up.
[13,000, 14,000….]
Hyunwoo kept raising his paddle.
As the race between Hyunwoo and the unknown competitor continued, the price soared to a ridiculous level for a Celestial item.
[35,000!]
He didn't know what crazy bastard was raising the price, but Hyunwoo was starting to get annoyed.
‘Who the hell is it.’
Just as Hyunwoo was about to scowl and raise his paddle again, the voice of a young boy flowed into his ear.
“Hey.”
‘Huh…?’
A young voice, as if it hadn't gone through puberty yet, still immature.
At the sudden voice, Hyunwoo looked around with a bewildered expression.
The Curtain of Darkness surrounding Hyunwoo was still enveloping him properly.
The space where the Curtain of Darkness was cast was also called the ‘Space of Silence’.
The voices of the auction participants should have been blocked from each other, but where was the voice coming from….
“Are you going to buy that?”
It seemed he hadn't misheard; the mysterious voice spoke again.
The sound came from right next to him.
Hyunwoo unconsciously turned his head in the direction of the sound.
The translucent black glow of the Curtain of Darkness was still blocking the beings around him.
However, he could clearly see the figure of a small-statured boy sitting next to him.
A being that appeared with an immense presence, as if to say that such a playful magic trick couldn't hinder him.
Seeing the boy's face, Hyunwoo's entire body froze stiff.
‘……Why is he here?’
An opponent who made him feel as if he'd been thrown naked into a lion's den.
Jude Basterion.
That was the identity of the boy with a sullen expression.
The being known as the Child of Calamity.
It wasn't just a nickname.
Because he was, in fact, a ‘Calamity’ of the Demon World.
⌜Scenario Quest Generated!
You have encountered ‘Jude Basterion’, the seed of the ‘Calamity that will return the Demon World to its beginning’. Uncover his hidden secret and prevent him from running rampant.
Time Limit: Unknown.⌟
A Calamity like a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment.
That was his true identity.
Hyunwoo swallowed with a tense expression.
‘To think I'd meet Jude Basterion here….’
It was an completely unexpected encounter.
Hyunwoo started to get his stiffened mind working again.
Information about Jude flashed through Hyunwoo's mind.
The reason he coveted the Celestial's item was because he was the illegitimate child who inherited half the blood of a Demon King and a Celestial.
And….
Suddenly, he remembered the noble hobby he enjoyed.
‘Killing vermin who don’t know their place.’
How would he appear in Jude's eyes?
The fact that he was human didn't even need to be discussed.
In his eyes, most were just vermin.
Hyunwoo quickly did what he had to do in that moment.
“I withdraw my bid.”
“Oh?”
Jude had gotten the result he wanted, but his expression wasn't entirely satisfied.
Jude licked his lips and averted his gaze from Hyunwoo.
“…A pity.”
Hyunwoo felt a shiver at that sight.
If he had refused, there would have been bloodshed on the spot.
He could feel the malice overflowing in Jude's expression.
‘…I almost died.’
He had survived numerous matches in the Arena and even a Calamity, but he could say with certainty that this moment was the most dangerous of all.
The chilling sensation running down his back made him feel as if he had been sitting on the edge of the River Styx and had just barely pulled himself back.
Hyunwoo quietly held his breath.
He was so tense that he couldn't even remember how the auction proceeded after that.
The only time the announcer's voice registered in Hyunwoo's ears was at the moment of the final auction.
[As you all know, a major incident occurred in the Sylvester region recently.]
The incident in the Sylvester region was something closely related to Hyunwoo.
As the story related to him came up, his ears naturally perked up.
[Before the auction, I would like to extend my gratitude to Lord Bation Sylvester for successfully hunting ‘Anesta’, which could have become a great Calamity of the Demon World.]
Unlike the previous auctions, the announcer continued with a long chat.
Only then did Hyunwoo become interested in the item that would come up for auction.
They wouldn't bring out a trivial item after dragging it out like this.
As Hyunwoo expected, the item that came on stage this time was quite something.
[This is an item made using the corpse of Anesta, hunted personally by Lord Bation Sylvester! Also known as Bation's Potion! A potion that enhances physical abilities by one level!]
A potion with a thick, black glow was brought onto the stage.
It might look ominous, but since Bation had put his name on it, its effects were guaranteed to be certain.
Seeing ‘Bation's Potion’, which was said to raise physical abilities, Hyunwoo licked his lips.
‘It was about time I raised my physical abilities anyway….’
After learning the 3-Star swordsmanship, Crux Swordsmanship, he began to feel the need to enhance his physical abilities.
If he could just drink that potion, wouldn't he be able to obtain the ‘Physique II’ trait in an instant?
With the effect of ‘Physique II’, the power of his swordsmanship would also double.
But, it was just a pie in the sky.
It was not a potion that Hyunwoo could aim for with the less than 100,000 mana stones he possessed.
[Starting price is 100,000 mana stones. Bids will increase by 10,000 mana stones!]
He had no intention of bidding with Jude next to him, anyway.
As expected, the auction began at a price of 100,000 mana stones, a price that didn't even give Hyunwoo a chance to bid.
[110,000… 190,000. 200,000! From now on, bids will increase by 20,000!]
The price of ‘Bation's Potion’ skyrocketed at an uncontrollable speed.
[500,000! …600,000!]
Then, when it finally reached an overwhelming price, no more bidders emerged.
[1,000,000! We have a record-breaking price! The countdown will begin. 10, 9….]
A price that was beyond his reach.
A whopping 1,000,000 mana stones!
Hyunwoo peeked and confirmed that the one who had raised the paddle last was Jude, right next to him.
‘…In the end, Jude bought it.’
As soon as he heard the potion's effect, he thought he would be interested.
Looking young was just his appearance; he wasn't actually a child.
He had a strong complex about his immature body.
For a potion that raised physical abilities like ‘Bation's Potion’, Jude couldn't help but be greatly interested.
As Hyunwoo nodded in understanding, the announcer's count ended.
[…2, 1! Sold!]
In the end, with Bation's Potion being sold to Jude, the entire auction came to a close.
Hyunwoo, who had been quietly watching for his chance, quickly exited the auction house.
After encountering Jude, he felt a sense of urgency.
‘I need to hurry.’
Jude had arrived earlier than expected.
The fact that he had appeared here meant that the ‘Special Match’ would be held soon.
It seemed he would have to hurry his preparations for the next match a little more.