You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 123
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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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123
A worn blanket that seemed decades old, and a single steamed bun that was hollow inside.
It was embarrassing to even call them rations.
I accepted them and hesitated for a moment.
‘They expect me to survive on this?’
The steamed bun was only called a steamed bun in name—it was just a clumped flour lump.
No consideration was given to the nutrition a growing child should receive.
I sighed inwardly and went to find a suitable corner to settle down.
It was surprising to think again that they endured life-threatening training every day while eating stuff like this.
Just as I was grumbling and about to put the steamed bun—no, the flour lump—into my mouth, a shadow fell across me.
When I looked up, a familiar child was standing there.
It was Number 128.
“…Why are you following me?”
Especially when I’m already on the Instructor’s bad side…
At my question, he remained silent for a long while, then bit his lips tightly before asking quietly.
“Why… did you save me?”
It was an unexpected question.
But to dismiss it as an unfunny joke, Number 128’s expression was too dry.
It was hard to believe that expression belonged to a child of that age.
Looking at Number 128 again, he was considerably thinner compared to the other kids.
Well, expecting proper development while eating flour lumps like this was absurd to begin with.
Number 128 seemed to be asking me for a reason why he should live.
But… why was he asking me that?
Even I, who’ve lived for just over 20 years, am still searching for the reason I live.
“Why? Did you want to die skewered like a kebab?”
“Th, that’s not it…”
Number 128 seemed flustered that I would ask him a question in return, stuttering his words.
“You were running for your life, so I thought you wanted to live, but I guess not.”
He glared at me for a moment, then
“You should have just let me die.”
He spat out those sharp words.
“Sigh…”
I let out a sigh and handed the Flour Lump to him.
“Are you pitying me?”
Such a curious child.
“My pity isn’t that cheap.”
Number 128 stared at me intently, then slowly bit into the Flour Lump.
After confirming that, I pulled the old blanket over my head.
The surface of the blanket was rough, but once I covered myself with it, it was surprisingly cozy.
‘I’ll catch up on the sleep I missed in reality here.’
Perhaps due to the rapidly changing situation, the moment I closed my eyes, the suppressed drowsiness came rushing in.
***
Perhaps because the sleeping conditions were uncomfortable, I couldn’t fall into a deep sleep.
But even that light sleep was like honey-sweet rest to me.
At least until I sensed someone’s presence.
‘It’s like déjà vu.’
When I opened my eyes to the rustling sound, Number 128 was beside me.
“Number 32. We need to start preparing soon.”
Number 128’s voice whispered quietly.
“I finished preparing for sleep ages ago and was already wandering in dreamland…
I couldn’t understand what more preparation was needed in the middle of the night.
“The other kids will start moving soon.”
“Right, the kids will probably be getting ready for bed too.”
I could feel quite a lot of rustling presence around me.
Well, the spot I had claimed was clearly a prime spot by anyone’s standards.
“Are you really clueless about this?”
When I really tried to go back to sleep, Number 128 made an incredulous expression.
“Sigh… I really don’t know. Please explain.”
“…”
Number 128’s face hardened as he realized my reaction wasn’t fake.
Bewilderment, suspicion… various emotions crossed his face in a brief moment.
According to Number 128, this place was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, a den of demons who played the role of absolute evil in martial arts novels.
So that’s why the kids and the Instructor are like that.
‘So that’s why the training was like that too?’
The Demonic Cult I knew wasn’t a place that valued things like life.
Only then did things I hadn’t seen before start becoming visible.
The child who tried to push me off the rope.
Eliminating competitors by any means necessary is the basic instinct of demons.
And most of all, the severely insufficient rations.
The kids ranked 25th and below didn’t receive any rations.
The reason I had given Number 128 a steamed bun was because his hands were empty.
From the beginning, it was naturally assumed that to increase survival rates even slightly in tomorrow’s training, one would need to rob other children.
Because if you were full from even a steamed bun, your sense of urgency would diminish.
Since they had to attack each other anyway, wouldn’t it be nice to have justification for it as well?
There was a perfect target they could kill without any consequences.
According to Number 128, The Kids had already begun preparing for assassination.
Children and assassination were quite an incompatible combination,
but from my half-day experience, it wasn’t such an awkward combination in this place, exceptionally.
From my half-day experience, this combination wasn’t particularly awkward here, as an exception.
‘They didn’t come to claim a Prime Spot… it was the presence of someone lying in ambush for assassination.’
‘They didn’t come to claim a prime spot… it was the presence of someone lying in wait to assassinate.’
Perhaps this place could be a Prime Spot after all.
Perhaps this place could be an auspicious site.
A very good Prime Spot suitable for assassinating me.
A perfect spot for assassinating me.
The Central Plains was truly a world beyond imagination.
The Central Plains was truly a world beyond imagination.
Martial arts novels and reality felt quite different when experienced firsthand.
Martial arts novels and reality felt quite different when experienced firsthand.
Had I ever imagined over 40 children approaching to assassinate me during the night?
Have you ever imagined more than 40 children approaching to assassinate me in the dead of night?
Then a question occurred to me.
At the same time, a question occurred to me.
“But why are you here?”
“But why are you here?”
Even knowing I was an assassination target, why had Number 128 come here?
Why did 128 come here even though he knew I was an assassination target?
“Did you also come to assassinate me?”
“Did you come to assassinate me too?”
At my words, Number 128 momentarily showed signs of confusion.
At my words, 128 showed a momentary look of confusion.
“Grudges… should be settled properly.”
“Eunwon… she’s the type to make sure things are done properly.”
I feel like I’ve read about this somewhere in a martial arts novel.
Central Plains People are definitely thorough when it comes to grudges.
“Is that so.”
I stood up from my seat.
“Where are you going?”
“Guests have arrived, so I should entertain them.”
With those words, I walked out toward the center.
The cavern was quite narrow to house 50 children, but none of The Kids were visible.
Instead, I could sense dozens of presences centered around where I had been sitting.
‘Children who have already mastered the Presence Concealment Technique…’
The Central Plains seems to be a place where modern common sense doesn’t apply at all.
Honestly, everything was starting to become bothersome now.
I drew up the Ghostly Energy from my lower abdomen.
The eerie energy that rapidly circulated through my entire body completely swept away any remaining drowsiness.
Even though I was showing defenseless openings, not a single one rushed at me first.
Rather than being cautious, they probably wanted someone else to create an opening for them.
I opened my mouth toward The Kids who were glaring at me from the darkness.
“Sigh… Hey, just all of you attack at once.”
At my words, several who had been watching for an opportunity quickly rushed at me from the darkness.
And using that as a signal, all 48 children poured out from the darkness.
About ten minutes later,
“Urgh…”
“Ugh…”
On the floor, 48 children lay sprawled out, groaning in pain.
“Phew…”
I wiped the sweat from my forehead with a refreshed expression.
No matter how much these kids were raised as killing machines, they’re still just children.
I do have the experience of an S-rank Hunter after all…
In the Central Plains, they say to beware of the elderly and children?
That refers to old masters who’ve reached the pinnacle of Martial Arts and appear young,
not these green little brats.
Still, subduing the children without hurting them using my limited Ghostly Energy was quite a tricky task.
Even while collapsed, the children were glaring at me with fierce eyes.
It seemed the bad influence hadn’t fully left them yet.
Well, considering they’d grown up in the Demonic Cult environment since birth, how could the demonic energy leave them so easily?
Since these children would need continuous training anyway, it was better to give them a proper initiation while I had the chance.
“Right, big brother never expected you to become good all at once from the start.”
I slowly walked toward the children.
Then I smiled and opened my mouth.
“First, let’s fix those heads of yours.”
Releasing powerful Ghostly Energy while applying Dominating Pressure…
***
Se-gwang’s day as a low-ranking martial artist begins at dawn.
Ever since being assigned to the Training Facility, his day started with cleaning.
It was corpse disposal for the Divine Cult children who had engaged in slaughter throughout the night.
Originally, that too would have been the children’s responsibility, but it was the generous consideration of this Training Cave’s Instructor.
Besides, the Demon Doctor said he needs the corpses of virgin boys and girls, so this works out perfectly.
Rather than having the dead kids become food for beasts, wouldn’t it be better for them to serve the Divine Cult?
However, for some reason, he was reluctant to go to work today.
It was because of that child who had defied the Instructor.
Yesterday’s target must have been that child, so would the corpse even be intact?
‘If it’s in really bad condition, I’ll just have The Kids clean it up.’
He’d get scolded by the Instructor, but what could he do?
He actually hoped it would be in bad condition.
That way Se-gwang’s work would be reduced.
But the moment he approached the Cavern, what greeted him wasn’t Number 32’s mangled corpse or a carnage scene nearing its end.
“What is this…?”
It was shouting voices that filled the Cavern.
“Number 1, aren’t you going to straighten your back?”
Number 32, who should have been a corpse, thrust his blazing eyes right in front of Number 1.
“You’re abandoning your Team Member for your own comfort? Are you going to abandon your team?”
At Number 32’s roar, Number 1 desperately struggled to lift his back.
“Come on, let’s just hold out for 10 minutes. Is that too hard?”
And as Number 32 lifted his back, he made eye contact with Se-gwang.
But Se-gwang quickly looked down.
‘That’s a mad dog.’
He could tell just from the look in his eyes.
Number 32’s eyes were already half-crazed.
‘The best policy is not to mess with a mad dog.’
The Demonic Cult was a place where all sorts of bizarre things happened.
For Se-gwang, a low-ranking martial artist, the way to survive in such a group of lunatics was simple.
He had to clearly distinguish between what he should see and what he shouldn’t see.
Se-gwang bowed his head and quietly turned away, as if he had seen nothing at all.
Without even noticing that Number 32 was watching him.
***
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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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