You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 102

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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102

 

 

 

Late at night, the market after business hours was giving off an eerie atmosphere.

 

“Is the Sadangpae Headquarters really here?”

 

The Association President who came along spoke with disbelief.

 

“Not the Sadangpae Headquarters, but the path to the market.”

 

Yamyeong answered while walking ahead.

 

Naturally, the market Yamyeong mentioned wasn’t from the Human World.

It was the Goblins’ market that I had followed Dolsoe to before.

 

The place where Liu Chen was confined wasn’t in the Human World.

 

It was the deepest prison in the basement of the Sadangpae Headquarters.

 

While the Chinese Government was officially keeping quiet about it, suspicious movements had been detected.

 

Last week, we were able to confirm that Liu Jian had entered the country through Incheon Airport.

 

The problem was that there had been no notification whatsoever to the Korean Association.

 

Because of this, the Association filed an official protest, and only then did an official document arrive from the Chinese Government.

 

The response claimed it was an administrative error due to communication problems, but no one believed it.

 

The response only came a week after Liu Jian had entered Korea.

 

Moreover, their attitude was also problematic.

 

Even though the Chinese Association was at fault, whether it was a mistake or error,

they showed a brazen attitude of ‘making a fuss over nothing.’

 

‘Now we’ve given it to you, isn’t that enough?’ and

‘What can you do about it if we act this way?’.

With this infuriating combination, the Association Staff must have been sweating bullets trying to stop the Association President from detaining Liu Jian.

 

But the situation was actually ambiguous.

With the Chinese Association acting this way, there was nothing to refute.

 

If any action was taken here, even though they acknowledged the ‘mistake’ and followed official procedures,

the Korean Association could become the petty one nitpicking for no reason.

 

Well, knowing this, the Chinese Association probably acted so boldly.

 

Actually, I didn’t care much about these situations.

This wasn’t their first or second time acting like this.

 

No, rather, Liu Jian’s visit was a good opportunity for me.

 

It was already difficult to attach Goblins to the Chinese High Command, but now those high-ranking officials had walked into my territory on their own.

 

While Liu Jian searched for Liu Chen in Korea under the pretext of tourism,

all his belongings would be replaced with Sadangpae Goblins.

 

And from the moment he returned to his home country without finding a single clue,

new information would start pouring in.

 

Liu Jian also couldn’t deny his relationship with the Cult.

 

The Chinese information stolen from the US Department of Defense was already insufficient, so I thought this worked out well.

 

Following Yamyeong through the alley, a familiar smell of oil hit my nose.

 

‘It seems the market is open all day here.’

 

Colorful lights and the bustling sounds of frying pancakes.

 

The Goblin Night Market, looking different from before, welcomed me.

 

***

 

I seem to be quite handsome by Goblin world standards.

 

I had only walked through the market briefly, but my hands were already full of food.

 

The Association President licked his lips at the oil smell that kept tickling his nose.

 

“Would you like to try some?”

 

I naturally offered him the Grilled Meat Skewers.

 

Not only could I not eat all this food by myself,

but it would also be awkward to eat alone in front of an elder.

 

The Association President naturally reached out his hand as if he had been waiting.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

Someone slapped the back of the Association President’s hand as he tried to grab the Grilled Meat Skewers.

 

With a smack! sound, the Association President flinched.

 

And naturally, his gaze turned.

 

“Sister…?”

 

It was Ahn Hyeon-su, who had been at Sadangpae Headquarters for the past few days.

 

When it came to gemstones, there was no expert quite like her.

Moreover, she had connections with the Sadangpae goblins.

 

She had probably finished her preparations and came out to greet us while waiting with nothing else to do…

 

But something else came as more of a shock.

 

‘To think the word “sister” would come out of the Association President’s mouth…’

 

It caused a slight cognitive dissonance.

 

I knew that Ahn Hyeon-su was older, but this was the first time I was actually seeing the two of them converse.

 

“You took so long that I came out first, only to find you’re determined to become a dead man.”

 

The Association President shrank back slightly at Ahn Hyeon-su’s already frightening glare.

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

“Did you think a human could eat ghost food and remain unharmed?”

 

“But he eats it without any problems, doesn’t he?”

 

The Association President pointed at me and protested as if he felt wronged.

 

It was quite refreshing to see one of the real powers of South Korea’s Hunter Community showing such a pitiful appearance.

 

Then the words that suddenly burst from her mouth were directed at me.

 

“Where is that thing an ordinary person?”

 

“Uh… from the perspective of that thing who’s listening, that’s a bit hurtful?”

 

I protested in my own way, but Ahn Hyeon-su lightly ignored me and continued speaking.

 

“That one is already half not-human anyway.”

 

Well, it wasn’t wrong, but I’d still like her to acknowledge that my essence is human.

 

“Ah…!”

 

And I wish the Association President wouldn’t make that ‘I understand now’ expression.

 

It felt like I wasn’t being treated as human in a different sense, which was somewhat unfair.

 

After that, ordinary conversation continued for a while.

 

About recent developments and Liu Chen’s condition.

 

And when that conversation was coming to an end, we were able to arrive at Sadangpae Headquarters.

 

***

 

‘This is supposed to be an underground prison?’

 

The place we arrived at under Yamyeong’s guidance had a completely different atmosphere from an underground prison.

 

Unlike the traditional buildings outside, the interior exuded a modern atmosphere.

 

Rather than a prison, it was closer to a filming studio.

 

It was a cold, empty room in white tones, without any specific decorations or objects.

 

Well, since Yamyeong’s unique ability ‘Dream Journey to Peach Blossom Land’ was hallucination-based, I thought this would be better.

 

“It’s rather too clean, which makes it more terrifying.”

 

The Association President looked around the entire room and spoke quietly as if in admiration.

 

I somewhat agree with those words.

 

Fear is ultimately an illusion created by humans.

 

In a white space where anything can be imagined, Yamyeong’s ability is maximized.

 

With that ability, it would be possible to maximize fear through that infinite imagination.

 

In the center of the white studio, Liu Chen was lying down.

 

However, his appearance had changed quite a bit.

 

It wasn’t the form when his entire body was replaced with gemstone weapons, but the complete form of a human.

 

And around him, numerous life support devices were making beeping sounds while blinking lights.

 

It was Sister An Hyeon-su’s handiwork.

 

He had certainly replaced his entire body with gemstone weapons and talked about ‘new humanity,’

but when all of that was removed, what was revealed was the human Liu Chen.

 

Beneath his cry that he ‘existed only through reason,’ was there still an instinct remaining that wanted to return to being human?

 

Even though Liu Chen had become a new human, in the end, he had created a human form from within.

 

“Shall we start the interrogation right away?”

 

“Is there a need to wait long?”

 

There was no need to keep such busy people standing around for long.

 

Besides, it didn’t seem like Liu Chen had much time left either.

 

At my nod, Yamyeong activated his unique ability.

 

“Dream Journey to Peach Blossom Land.”

 

Ghostly energy erupted from Yamyeong, quickly covering the entire room.

 

Several questions were exchanged like that.

 

For Liu Chen, who was already weakened to the extreme, escaping from the illusion of Dream Journey to Peach Blossom Land was impossible.

 

It started with cross-verification.

 

Questions about the cult’s Korean forces that the Association and Asin were absorbing, and the figures hidden throughout Korean society.

 

This was also the reason I had brought the Association President along.

 

Most of it matched the information we had.

 

Occasionally unexpected figures popped up, but the major players had already been won over or absorbed.

That degree of error wasn’t a problem.

 

And then, for the first time, Liu Chen had no answer to the next question.

 

“What is the cult’s purpose?”

 

“…”

 

Yamyeong wasn’t flustered.

 

Liu Chen’s unconscious was already completely open within Dream Journey to Peach Blossom Land.

 

Now it was just a matter of using stronger stimulation to draw out the deep answers from his unconscious.

 

Several direct questions about the cult followed like that.

 

And gradually, words began to flow from his mouth.

 

The truth that seemed ready to be grasped rose right before our eyes.

 

That’s why Yamyeong asked the question that could be the most important information.

 

“What is the Cult Leader’s identity?”

 

Liu Chen’s mouth began to twitch slightly.

 

‘We might be able to find out the Cult Leader’s identity more easily than expected.’

 

But whenever I think like this, things always go wrong.

 

Liu Chen’s body began to tremble violently.

 

Then he soon began coughing up blood.

 

The beeping intervals grew shorter, sounding danger signals.

 

‘Is there some kind of restriction placed on him?’

 

I grabbed Yamyeong’s wrist as he tried to stabilize Liu Chen.

 

“Continue the interrogation.”

 

If we failed this time too, it felt like we’d never catch another lead.

 

Before I knew it, Galmu mimicking the Staff of Rest was in my hand.

 

Yamyeong, also sensing the ‘Authority of Rest’ seeping into his domain, asked the question once more.

 

“What is the Cult Leader’s identity?”

 

On the blood-stained bed, Liu Chen’s mouth moved slightly.

 

‘What is this…?’

 

I felt an inexplicable sense of unease from Liu Chen’s slowly opening lips.

 

And the moment I recognized that—

All time except for mine stopped.

 

***

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