The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 264

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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Yeo Joo Saves the World
Part 2, Episode 85

“Why are you sitting here?”
“Does the Auction House have reserved seating?”
“No, I mean, why are you sitting next to me?”
“Because I wanted to see you, Yeo Joo.”
“Did you eat something bad?”
Or had he snuck into a Gate without anyone knowing and hit his head?
“There are no reserved seats, but there are unspoken rules, right? Don’t you see? This side is the Jung Dong Alliance, that side is the Gong Gil Yeon Alliance.”
So go sit over there with your people.
I wasn’t the only one startled by Sa Ma Young’s sudden action.
The entire Auction House was in an uproar.
The atmosphere on the Jung Dong Alliance side was particularly ominous.
Some people glanced over and whispered, while others openly frowned and glared at Sa Ma Young.
But Sa Ma Young seemed utterly unbothered by the reactions of others around him.
He leaned slightly toward me and whispered.
“Yeo Joo, are you dividing into factions right now?”
“No, who started dividing into factions in the first place—!”
The one who had split the Hunters into his side and my side using the runaway accident as a pretext was none other than Sa Ma Young.
I was so exasperated that I couldn’t even get properly angry, just gaping like a goldfish.
Watching me, Sa Ma Young’s face broke into a deep smile.
But it was difficult to tear my gaze away from that smiling face.
My eyes were inevitably drawn to the soft curve traced by his well-shaped lips.
‘Why is he smiling like that?’
It was a strange feeling.
Not the sneer that seemed to be his default expression, but a playful smile without malice.
He didn’t seem like the Sa Ma Young I knew.

“Wouldn’t it be better to die by my hand than to meet a pathetic death in the Double Dungeon?”

The last time I saw him, he was choking me and saying he’d kill me, summoning flames—a far cry from this.
What change of heart could possibly have occurred?
Without much thought, I checked Sa Ma Young’s affection rating.

⟪♥ 61 : Desire ⟫

…Desire?
Last time it was definitely ‘Distrust’?
The keyword for favorability had changed without my noticing.
And the number itself was far from ordinary.
Is that why?
As I couldn’t shake my suspicious gaze, Sa Ma Young propped his chin on one hand and stared directly at me as he spoke.
“Even for me, it’s a bit embarrassing when you keep looking like that.”
“What are you talking about, seriously.”
As his favorability rose, something had clearly gone wrong with his mind as well.
Sa Ma Young, who had always been adept at twisting people’s hearts with every word, now made me afraid that anyone unfamiliar with him might misunderstand that he was being coy with me.
‘Anyway, since his favorability has gone up, he should stop interfering with every little thing.’
That was enough.
I had no further expectations of Sa Ma Young.
Just then, the interior lighting dimmed slightly and an announcement echoed through the space.
“We will now begin the Regular Gate auction. Any participants who have not yet taken their seats, please be seated.”
“Sigh.”
While we were bickering, I missed my chance to get rid of Sa Ma Young.
Right, it didn’t matter who sat next to me.
I just needed to win the Gate auction quickly and go home to play with Na Baek Ho.
Whether Sa Ma Young chuckled beside me or not, I leaned back in my chair and fixed my gaze on the screen ahead.

* * *

After the Association Director changed, there were subtle shifts in the Regular Gate auctions.
Now, the list of Gates up for bidding was announced twenty-four hours before the auction.
This allowed guilds to discuss in advance which Gates they might secure, but it also made the auctions far more competitive.
Everyone came fully prepared.
Gates that previously went unsold due to lack of interest became noticeably rare, and as bidding grew fiercer, the winning prices climbed accordingly—fattening the Awakeners Association’s coffers considerably.
This was undoubtedly Ji Jung Hwi’s idea as Association Director.
Of course, he wasn’t the type to line his own pockets with the influx or squander it recklessly, but still, watching more money flow out gave me a headache.
“Auction lot number 2, Gate conquest rights—sold!”
The auction itself proceeded smoothly.
I caught sight of the Mugunghwa Guild, affiliated with the Jung Dong Alliance, wearing a wry smile as they lamented their unexpectedly large expenditure.
It had happened after a fierce bidding war with one of the Gong Gil Yeon Alliance guilds at the end.
In the battlefield of auctions, cash was ammunition.
And with my own reserves running lean, I swallowed my anxiety.
Most of today’s lots were C-rank Gates or lower, with only three A-rank Gates on the block.
The Glacier Dungeon that Dongbaek was targeting was one of them, and it was clear that Sa Ma Young was eyeing the Cave Dungeon where large-scale mana stone extraction was possible.
Still, I glanced around to see if any other guild might be interested in the Gate I was hoping to secure.
Time slipped away, and we were soon deep into the latter half of the auction.
“Auction lot number 17, Gate conquest rights—sold to Dongbaek Guild.”
Lucky Dongbaek.
I watched Yoo Myung Hwa, unable to hide my envy as she beamed with delight.
The Glacier Dungeon was notoriously difficult to clear, so she’d secured it at the opening bid without any competition.
And then, at last, the moment I’d been waiting for arrived.
“Auction lot number 18—A-rank Jungle Gate conquest rights. We’ll now begin bidding.”
As the auctioneer spoke, brief information about Gate 18 appeared on the screen.
Jungle type, A-rank, medium-to-large scale, estimated conquest period: five days.
Exactly as it had appeared in the forecast.
Jungle Gates weren’t quite as harsh as Desert Gates, but their poor climate conditions made them a challenging type to clear.
However, we had uniforms that helped maintain body temperature, and though it had been a Guerrilla Gate, we’d ventured into a Jungle Dungeon before.
It was when we’d obtained the priestess robe fragment that became Lee Yu Chan’s gloves.
‘The only shame is that this dungeon won’t yield crocodiles.’
Then it suddenly struck me—the absence of a fire-attribute user—but securing the bid came first.
The auctioneer was already beginning to take bids in earnest.
“Gate 18 opens at 1.5 billion won.”
I quickly raised my paddle.
“1.5 billion—do we have 1.55 billion?”
Please, no one. Please!
“Any guilds bidding 1.55 billion?”
The auctioneer called again, but the auction house remained silent.
If this continued, I could secure it at the opening bid, just like Dongbaek Guild had.
“One final call. 1.55 billion—do we have any takers?”
I clenched my fist tightly, letting out a silent cheer of triumph.
“We have 1.55 billion won!”
Who was that? Who raised their hand?
But something felt off.
I opened my eyes wide and scanned the back of the auction house frantically, but I couldn’t spot any guild holding up a bidding paddle.
“What? Who just bid…”
They say the darkest place is right beneath the lamp.
The one lowering the paddle he’d just raised was none other than Sa Ma Young sitting right next to me—that Sa Ma bastard.
Why are you eyeing the Jungle Gate!
There’s still a perfectly good Cave Dungeon left!
I glared at Sa Ma Young, who didn’t even turn his head toward me.
I absolutely cannot give up this Gate.
Even if my competitor isn’t the Sama Guild but the closest Dongbaek Guild.
“Do we have 1.6 billion?”
I raised my paddle with all my might.
There’s no way I’m losing!

* * *

I lost.
“Haaa…”
In the now-empty Auction House after the bidding ended, I writhed under the bitter taste of defeat and sighed heavily.
I dreamed too big.
There’s no way a guild ranked 30th could beat the number one.
Especially not in an auction where money does the fighting.
The Justice Guild’s carefully accumulated funds—from the potion sales Im Chung Soo brought in and the mana stone profits from our mining teams—couldn’t even put up a fight against the massive corporation that was the Sama Guild.
‘I should have secured the bid no matter what.’
More painful than simply losing to Sa Ma Young in this competition was the fact that I’d missed out on ‘that thing’ that would come from Gate 18.
“I’m going to blow up the Sama Guild…”
I buried my forehead against Kang Han’s shoulder as he patted my back, grinding my teeth fiercely.
But then I heard the voice of the very person who’d set a thousand fires raging inside me—true to their flame-type nature.
“How about cooperation instead of destruction?”
“Cooperation?”
He’s spouting nonsense about cooperation.
I pulled away from Kang Han’s embrace and glared at Sa Ma Young.
“If you wanted to cooperate, you shouldn’t have bid against me.”
But Sa Ma Young just said something completely absurd.
“You still don’t know?”
“Explain it so I understand.”
“Gate 18—I’m giving it to you, Yeo Joo.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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