Chapter 54

Chapter 53. The Head of the Ataraxia Family (2)

"100 million... 100 million?"

"Are you in your right mind? You're going to bid 100 million for that?"

"That's ridiculous."

People who had been interested were now shocked by the insane amount.

If it were the main item of this auction, the 'Heart of the Dragon,' or some other unknown treasures, it might be understandable.

But 100 million for a mere chessboard was absurd.

"Ugh!"

Cedric let out a deep groan.

It was inevitable.

Cedric had been confident of victory when he assessed Jinhyuk's balance.

All that was left was to exchange the miscellaneous items for the information Jinhyuk had.

Yes, that's how it should have gone.

But a kid he hadn't expected had caught him by the ankle.

'Is he not an ordinary human?'

He couldn't be.

The fact that he raised the price to 100 million in one go, not 1 million or 10 million, proved it.

However, he couldn't give up here, no matter who the opponent was.

He had already spent 70 million dollars on a bunch of junk, and if he stopped now, it would all be a waste.

Absolutely.

Absolutely... he couldn't let that happen.

"110 million!"

"150 million."

"Wha—?"

What madness.

Raise the bid by 40 million at once?

What kind of auction is this?

The price jump felt like an attempt to crush him completely.

Cedric's face turned dark.

His once high nose, which had been unaware of the sky's height, was now crushed.

"160... 160 million…."

"200 million."

When he struggled to keep up, Jinhyuk widened the gap in one go.

A gap that was hard to catch up to.

"Master! No more…."

"Shut up. If we lose to a mere kid like that, what will become of us?"

There was no greater humiliation.

Not only would the mission fail, but it would also tarnish the association's name.

"Alright, fine! 210 million!"

"300 million."

"310 million!"

"500 million."

"500 million? Are you kidding me? Stop making a fool of yourself! This isn't game money; do you really expect us to believe you have 500 million dollars?"

Finally, Cedric, unable to hold back, stood up from his seat.

His chest heaved continuously.

His face was flushed red with excitement that hadn't subsided.

'This is a perfect popcorn moment.'

Jinhyuk, watching the scene, barely managed to suppress his laughter.

In fact, even without Ellis, he was confident he could get what he wanted from the auction.

'It's a bit of a loss, but the fragment of Merlin's staff I got from the corridor is more than enough.'

One of the holy relics.

If it were Merlin's staff, it could make everyone here strip off their underwear.

Still, the best part of a money fight is using someone else's money.

That's why he let Ellis contact the Mine guys.

Ellis would say whatever needed to be said, regardless of who the opponent was.

And Cedric wasn't the type to sit idly by in the face of provocation.

If sparks flew between them, it would naturally lead to the current confrontation, he thought.

And his prediction was spot on.

While he knew the Mine Association was both capable and wealthy...

I wonder.

Could they really have more than one of the night nobles who ruled the upper floors of the Tower of Trials and the head of the Ataraxia family?

Jinhyuk crossed his legs leisurely.

Right then, the auctioneer intervened.

"Ahem! Ahem! As the gentleman said, could you please provide proof of your balance? It's not that we doubt the lady, but for the smooth running of the auction, we request this."

The amount was 500 million dollars, a sum that even executives of well-known companies would struggle to earn in a lifetime.

Yet, a girl who looked no older than a middle school student was boldly bidding, making it hard to believe.

"Proof?"

"Yes."

"Sure. What's so difficult about that?"

Ellis casually waved her hand.

Then,

Whoosh!

The space above Ellis's shoulder began to distort.

A red mist swirled.

"Subspace... inventory?"

That's right. The all-purpose storage space known as the subspace inventory.

"Is that girl a player?"

"This size suggests she's quite high-level?"

"Wow, another rare sight."

The guests couldn't help but marvel at the unexpected scene.

A moment later, Ellis pulled something out from the space beyond.

A crown adorned with numerous jewels, exquisitely ornate.

"Didn't they say this auction accepts not only dollars but also precious metals?"

"That's true, but..."

The auctioneer looked at the crown with a skeptical eye.

It seemed he was unsure of its authenticity.

"Let's have it appraised on our side."

They had a player with appraisal skills on standby for such situations.

The appraiser's fingertips glowed faintly.

He was about to activate his skill.

But,

The appraiser's pupils suddenly dilated rapidly.

"This... this can't be..."

His voice trembled violently.

Even his hands shook as if he had a seizure.

"Why? Is it a fake?"

The auctioneer asked urgently.

"No. It's... genuine."

"Thank goodness. So, what's your evaluation? Do you really think it's worth 500 million dollars?"

"That's... I find it difficult to answer."

The appraiser shook his head, looking troubled.

"What? Difficult to answer? What do you mean?"

"The craftsmanship used on this crown is not something modern technology can replicate."

Not something modern technology can replicate?

Could it be?

"Is this from... inside the tower?"

"Without a doubt. Moreover, the seven-winged eagle embedded in the crown is the symbol of the Felstein Kingdom."

A statement of affirmation.

And the ripple it caused spread throughout the entire circular theater.

"From inside the tower?"

"That's it?"

"No, more importantly, isn't the Felstein Kingdom one of the undiscovered ruins in the Tower of Trials?"

After it became known that information about the tower could be valuable, the people here had gathered all the relevant information they could using their power and money.

"At least, as much as they could."

"A ruin that requires a treasure symbolizing the royal family to enter. I've heard of it. Archaeologists who played the Tower of Trials in the past found related documents."

The forgotten kingdom, Felstein.

Cursed by the gods, the entire kingdom disappeared into the sand, along with countless treasures.

Being in the lower levels of the tower and known as a lottery, it was one of the places many users desperately tried to find.

But, a clue to that kingdom appeared here.

"Value? If so, what's the value?"

The auctioneer, half-mad, pressed for an answer.

His calm and composed demeanor was gone, and he even used informal language, forgetting the presence of the guests.

"Based on my estimate, I believe it could fetch at least 3 billion dollars."

"Huh?"

"3, 3 billion dollars?"

"What madness. Without a map to the kingdom, just the crown alone is worth that much?"

"Unbelievable..."

An appraisal result that defied all sense of reality.

This decided the owner of the chessboard.

"Ugh!"

Cedric's face turned ashen.

Who was this kid to possess such an outrageous treasure?

If the appraiser's words were true, even the Mine Association couldn't match him financially.

After all, he only had 700 million dollars with him.

'A complete miscalculation.'

A fatal misjudgment.

Underestimating the opponent led to this result.

'But, the more dangerous one is Jinhyuk, who treats that girl like a subordinate.'

Cedric looked at Jinhyuk, who was stroking the girl's head with a proud expression.

Perhaps.

Just perhaps.

A more troublesome enemy than the masked player had appeared.

***

"Congratulations! Then, the 'First Chessboard' will be awarded to the lady who bid with the crown!"

The auctioneer loudly congratulated Ellis.

Clunk!

A staff member in a black suit brought out the chessboard sealed in a glass case.

"Give it to me, not her."

"Understood."

Jinhyuk, who received the chessboard instead, wore an apologetic expression.

It was more for show than genuine regret.

But to navigate social life, such service is necessary.

"I'm grateful, but isn't this too much? I feel bad."

Click!

The expression just now.

Without looking in a mirror, it was probably a 95 out of 100.

Biting his lip with his front teeth and tilting his head at a 13.785-degree angle, he conveyed a sense of desperation.

"It's a shame to break the full collection, but there are several treasures symbolizing that kingdom, and I can't stand seeing people who talk to my contractor like that laughing."

"..."

This kid.

He can say considerate things too.

'Even if he pretends it's nothing, he put up a cherished item for me.'

Honestly, he was a bit moved.

Not a bad feeling, really.

He thought he should improve Ellis's treatment a little.

Maybe add some cushioning to the ring, so her habits don't get too bad. Something from the 5-day sale.

While Jinhyuk was smiling contentedly,

Cedric watched the two from a distance.

His eyes were filled with the determination to somehow salvage the chaotic situation.

Of course, it wasn't impossible.

He still had his final card.

Cedric's hand rested on Alex's shoulder.

"I need to prepare for the boss, so I must leave now."

He had attended this event to contact Jinhyuk, but he couldn't stay any longer.

So,

"As soon as the auction ends, kidnap Jinhyuk."

"Me...?"

"Yes, you can do it. Besides, there are plenty of usable corpses here, aren't there?"

No matter how strong the S-rank player, he couldn't handle a necromancer with the right conditions.

Even if he caused chaos in personal combat, he was powerless against the black magic that controlled countless undead soldiers.

Moreover, Alex, who was a surgeon before the tower appeared, had a unique sense of handling human bodies.

Of course, if it became known that he turned powerful figures from various countries into undead, it would be a significant blow.

But that's only if they could testify while alive.

The dead have no voice, a timeless truth.

"What about the girl?"

"Eliminate her."

"I've been waiting for you to say that."

A sinister smile appeared on Alex's lips.

Finally, the opportunity to avenge his previous humiliation had arrived.

***

About three hours later, the last item in the auction was sold.

It was a successful auction in many ways.

No matter what anyone said, the 175th auction would be remembered in history for the highest bid.

"Thank you for your participation. When you leave, please do so through the car as you arrived... Ah!"

Just as the auctioneer was about to bow deeply,

Boom!

A massive shockwave rippled through the entire circular theater.

Bang!

Crash!

Crash!

Crash!

Cracks began to appear in the ceiling, and pillars collapsed.

"Ah!"

"Help! Someone help!"

"What's going on!"

"Run! Just run!"

No one knew what was happening. In fact, the cause and effect didn't matter.

The only thing that mattered was survival.

They had to go.

Forward.

Just a little. Even a second faster!

Driven by the instinct to survive, everyone moved desperately.

But.

Their destination was not an exit.

It was closer to hell.

Swish!

A stream of blood splattered as a sword flashed.

"Ugh? Gah...?"

The man at the front clutched his throat with both hands.

A hole had appeared in his neck.

"Where are you in such a hurry? You're precious sacrifices who need to become my materials."

Alex stood at the entrance, greeting the people.

Next to him were monstrous creatures he had never seen before.

"Keeeee!"

"Keeeee!"

All the emergency exits were blocked by the collapsed pillars.

Thus, the circular theater became a giant prison.

A prison from which there was no escape.

But right then,

"Quite a party, wasn't it..."

Jinhyuk, radiating killing intent, appeared in front of Alex.

"You... went too far."

You crossed the line. And not just a little.