You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 116
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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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116
The Giant Tribe Dungeon conquest came to an end like that.
There was nothing left where the massive dungeon once stood.
Neither the enormous stone door nor the pitch-black corridor.
The gorge had returned to its original state as if nothing had ever happened.
Only the withdrawing US Military showed that the problem here had ended.
‘The same phenomenon as with the Sewer Dungeon.’
It was the same when I retrieved the Staff of Rest from the Sewer Dungeon.
Just like now, the place where the dungeon existed had returned to its original world state.
‘Was it a dungeon installed by the Cult?’
It was difficult to be certain about this question as well.
The Cult had artificially created S-Rank Dungeons before, but this case was clearly different.
While I was organizing my thoughts, a white man in a black suit quietly approached.
He was an agent from the US Intelligence Agency.
“Here are the materials you requested. All records related to Ellie.”
I slowly scrolled through the tablet I received.
Basic personal information.
Activity records from the past 3 years.
Records of collaborative projects with the US Military.
The pages I was quickly flipping through soon returned to the first page.
Ellie’s personal information written alongside her profile photo.
Name, birth year, gender. Everything except the essentials was mostly blank.
“The personal information is all blank except for the essentials.”
“Nothing more came up no matter how much we searched.”
The CIA Agent also reacted with bewilderment.
It was understandable.
They had visited her hometown, school, and even classmates… but not a single piece of information about Ellie came up.
“There were no signs of internal manipulation, right?”
“The only record kept was the resume she submitted when applying for the project.”
“…”
“We believe there’s a possibility she was a fabricated person from the beginning.”
The agent’s words merely confirmed the conclusion I had been certain of.
I habitually tapped the table with my fingers.
‘The pattern is exactly the same as with Nokcheon Guild.’
Except for the past few years, all records about Ellie were completely blank.
Not disappeared, but as if they had never existed in the first place.
The resume kept at the US Military Recruitment Office, which hadn’t exceeded the mandatory retention period, was the only record of a person named Ellie.
Setting aside her identity for now, there was still an unresolved question.
‘What was the Cult Leader ultimately after?’
I looked down at the slightly cracked Crystal Orb.
‘If it wasn’t the Divine Artifact, then what was the Cult Leader targeting?’
All Ellie had stolen from the Giant Tribe Dungeon was the Priest’s corpse.
That was the problem.
Without any other attempts, she had just taken the Priest’s corpse and left…
I couldn’t explain the Cult Leader’s intentions.
He couldn’t explain the cult leader’s intentions.
‘Why…?’
‘Why…?’
Why was the Cult Leader targeting the Priest’s corpse?
Especially when there was a Divine Artifact that could heal any wound right there.
The more I thought about it, the deeper my questions became.
“It feels like I can almost grasp it but not quite, which only makes my head hurt more.”
I was planning to turn the tracking of Ellie over to the Sadangpae.
I couldn’t be certain if everything recorded about Ellie was true, but her fingerprints and biometric records would be real.
And regarding the Divine Artifact…
‘I’ll have to investigate it directly.’
Titans, Tartarus… for this field, I had someone I could ask directly.
“Hah…”
I sighed and got up from my seat.
Lately, it felt like my workload had increased considerably.
I moved my tired steps toward the next schedule.
***
A research institute under DARPA.
After passing through checkpoints surrounded by electric barbed wire and going quite a distance further, I was finally able to reach my destination.
As I got out of the military vehicle, a vast forest area came into view.
And above it, state-of-the-art transport vehicles were maneuvering rapidly.
“What a comfortable life they have.”
In the driver’s seats sat the thoroughly excited Ashin Supply Team Leaders.
“At least they studied hard while we were going to the dungeon, didn’t they?”
Kim Jin-woo spoke calmly, but he seemed to want to try that driving himself, as his fingers were twitching.
At that moment, sparks flew from one of the supply vehicles.
And soon after, something was launched toward the bare mountain hill.
The ground shook with a loud bang.
“Do US military supply vehicles also come equipped with missile launchers?”
The vehicles I had seen at the outpost base also had weapons mounted on them.
But they weren’t surface-to-air missiles displayed so openly like this.
What was most surprising was that they had revealed such weapons to Ashin and even let us test them out.
“When supply requests come from dungeons, these vehicles are used to break through supply routes.”
Colonel Foster continued his explanation calmly.
“Combat hunters are deployed as well, but it’s more efficient when porters can also provide fire support.”
Certainly, their approach was fundamentally different from Korea’s in this regard.
In Korea, porters wouldn’t be able to drive such armored vehicles in the first place,
and they wouldn’t even conceive of mounting surface-to-air missiles on transport vehicles to break through supply routes.
They wouldn’t even think of mounting surface-to-air missiles on supply vehicles just to break through supply lines.
As Colonel Foster said, if porters were given firepower, the time needed to establish supply routes would be greatly reduced.
As Colonel Foster said, if porters were given firepower, the time to establish supply routes would be greatly reduced.
In Ashin’s case, we compensated for that aspect with the divine protection bestowed upon the Universal Cart,
In Ashin’s case, the blessing bestowed upon the universal cart is covering up that aspect,
but I thought that having surface-to-air missiles might make pioneering even easier.
I thought that having surface-to-air missiles might make pioneering easier.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t personally interested.
It would be a lie to say I have no ulterior motives.
This was an unavoidable male instinct.
This was an unavoidable male instinct.
Besides, what kind of people are we?
They are a people who, without a second thought, unleash in a single week the kind of firepower that other nations would consider several months’ worth of bullets and missiles.
‘I should look into finding suitable weapons for the Universal Cart.’
‘I should look for a suitable firearm for the all-purpose cart.’
While I was thinking about modifying the Universal Cart, Colonel Foster, who had been exchanging radio communications, spoke up.
While he was thinking about modifying the all-purpose cart, Colonel Foster, who had been exchanging radio communications, spoke up.
“They say the VIP has arrived.”
“They say the VIP has arrived.”
‘VIP? Why would that gentleman come looking for this place?’
“We’ll move out.”
My questions were brief, as in front of the research building where I followed Colonel Foster, Aiden in military uniform was waiting.
“You came? Mr. Han.”
Now it wasn’t even a handshake.
Aiden spread his arms toward me as I approached.
As I sighed inwardly and gave him a light hug, flashes went off wildly.
“Aren’t you busy?”
“I am busy. That’s why I came to find you directly like this.”
Naturally, I stood next to Aiden and raised my hand toward the reporters.
“I really wanted to say thank you in person.”
Aiden put his arm over my shoulder.
“If there had been casualties this time too, I wouldn’t have been able to lift my head to the bereaved families.”
“It wasn’t such a dangerous mission for the guys below in the first place.”
“Such operations are only possible because you’re there.”
Aiden and I naturally changed poses.
Having gone through several intense United States schedules, we had good coordination in this aspect.
“There was a spy, wasn’t there?”
Aiden whispered quietly.
“I heard the artifact was broken. I’m truly sorry about that.”
“Well, what can we do.”
“I’ll make sure to compensate you separately for that.”
“Handle that as you see fit.”
Since they were offering to give it to me, there was no reason to refuse.
Aiden and I were naturally guided inside the Research Institute.
The photo session ended with the last photo of us entering.
It seemed permission didn’t extend to inside the Research Institute.
“Your Guild Members seem very interested in missiles.”
At those words, I recalled the Team Leaders who had been excitedly firing missiles from the Armored Vehicle.
“I’ve already spoken to the Research Institute, so if you’re curious about things like blueprints, feel free to request them.”
‘No thank you. You don’t need to show us such things.’
Surface-to-Air Missiles suit the US Military’s Armored Vehicle,
but they don’t suit a Universal Cart that looks like a Yogurt Cart.
Just imagine a Missile Launcher popping out from the front trunk of the cart.
How unbalanced would that look.
“Well then, make the most of your remaining tour.”
With those words, Aiden turned around.
As he said, he really must have squeezed time out of his non-existent schedule to come here.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
Aiden, who had been walking away while waving, stopped as if something had occurred to him.
“On your departure day, keep two hours free. I have something I really want to give you.”
With those words, Aiden disappeared to attend to his work.
‘What has that Mister prepared now to have that expression…’
Aiden’s now thoroughly excited expression made me feel uneasy for some reason.
And I was able to confirm that my ominous prediction was correct on the day of departure.
***
‘…I want to go home.’
With that thought in mind, I walked up onto the platform as if in a trance.
Starting with my name, Kim Jin-woo, the Association President, and the names of the American Strategy Team members who had worked with us were called out in order.
‘I had a bad feeling about this ever since they said to meet at the runway.’
When I glanced to the side, Kim Jin-woo’s face was completely flushed with excitement.
Well, that was understandable.
When would he ever get another chance in his lifetime to receive a medal personally awarded by the US President?
I received the Silver Star Medal. The rest received Bronze Star Medals.
The Bronze Star Medal meant they had returned safely from their deployment,
while the Silver Star Medal was awarded in recognition of merit in the operation.
The Silver Star Medal was awarded in recognition of merit in operations.
Neither were particularly high-ranking medals.
Neither was a high-ranking decoration.
But the rank wasn’t the issue.
But it wasn’t a matter of rank.
‘The problem is that a foreigner is receiving a medal.’
‘The problem is that a foreigner is receiving a medal.’
I sighed and looked at Aiden.
I sighed and looked at Aiden.
And I caught sight of the corners of his mouth twitching.
And I noticed the corners of his mouth twitching.
‘Look at that mister trying to hold back his laughter.’
‘Look at that guy trying not to laugh.’
With that public medal ceremony, the schedule in the United States came to an end.
With that public medal ceremony, the schedule in the United States came to an end.
***
***
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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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