You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 145

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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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145

 

The terms of the contract were simple.

 

Clear the tower and liberate all of Park Si-on’s faction trapped here.

 

And Park Si-on would join Ashin.

 

Without Kim Jin-woo, the Ashin Guild leader who specialized in contract drafting, the format was somewhat lacking,

 

but both Park Si-on and Father Matteo clearly understood what the contract meant.

 

That Ashin would become Park Si-on’s political and religious support base.

 

It was a preliminary contract for now, but I had at least obtained formal signatures.

 

In the first place, with even Park Si-on trapped in the dungeon, they didn’t have any other options.

 

I didn’t intend to make Park Si-on a saint.

 

It wasn’t something I could decide just because I wanted it anyway.

 

From what I heard, one gets chosen by a sacred relic in the final trial.

 

I could increase the probability, but that was ultimately a matter of possibility.

 

Still, the reason I drew him into Ashin was simple.

 

First, Park Si-on being a Candidate for Sainthood itself had considerable value.

 

Even if he didn’t become a saint, it would create a faction connected to Ashin within the Vatican.

 

If he became a saint, it would create a close cooperative structure with the Vatican, but the primary goal was originally a connection with the Vatican anyway.

 

It became possible to distinguish between the Cult forces and Church forces.

 

Sadangpae’s infiltration would also become easier.

 

Above all, if a candidate backed by the Cult became a saint, that would also become quite troublesome.

 

Because we’d have to deal with both the Cult and the Vatican simultaneously.

 

There were also additional benefits beyond that.

 

I looked at Father Matteo.

 

With Park Si-on joining Ashin, wouldn’t it be good if his guardian came along too?

 

‘It’s about time for Ashin to expand toward the Mediterranean anyway.’

 

We had a firm grip on Asia except for China, and close ties with the United States through Aiden were established.

 

However, we hadn’t yet expanded to the Mediterranean coast beyond that.

 

We had even made our mark in Africa…

 

I was simply aiming for Ashin’s global expansion while becoming Park Si-on’s support force.

 

With the Korean Wave also blowing, the infiltration of Sadangpae Goblins would gain momentum too.

 

‘Branch Manager position should be sufficient.’

 

I glanced briefly at Father Matteo, the (actual) Ashin Mediterranean Branch Manager, then walked toward the tower.

 

***

 

I thought clearing a 100-floor tower would be instantaneous.

 

According to the Association’s assessment, it was a B-grade dungeon.

 

I simply thought it was used like a prison due to some other gimmick.

 

And that thought became clear from the first floor of the tower.

 

Father Matteo’s Sacred Power, who had entered with me to explain the tower’s structure, was sealed.

 

Only then could I understand why Yun Seo-won had chosen this place as a prison.

 

If you seal the power from Sacred Power-type Hunters, they become nothing more than slightly sturdy Ordinary Persons.

 

Only then did I understand why there were no records of going above the 10th floor, despite having quite strong Hunters in the village.

 

And it was the same reason they had given up on clearing the dungeon and built a Base Village.

 

Fortunately, powers other than Sacred Power weren’t sealed.

 

After hearing the tower’s explanation, I sent Father Matteo down to the stronghold.

 

“Let’s meet outside the dungeon.”

 

Saying that, I cleanly slashed his throat.

 

Ah, death in the tower isn’t realized.

 

You simply respawn at the stronghold location.

 

It was such a fast Sword Strike that he wouldn’t even know he died, so it should be fine.

 

With that, I began rapidly ascending the tower.

 

I climbed the floors almost at a run, spewing Karmic Fire and Ghostly Energy.

 

There wasn’t really anything that could be called a trial.

 

From the start, this tower seemed to be built assuming no one would climb this high, as it was filled entirely with monsters.

 

Occasionally boss-level monsters appeared, but even that wasn’t a problem.

 

And so the rankings began to move rapidly.

 

My name had already broken through the 10th floor record.

 

11, 12, 14, 20, 24, 28, 30…

 

And when that floor count broke through 50, the people of the Base Village must have cheered, right?

 

After years of being trapped in a hopeless dungeon, barely enduring while waiting, their patience was finally about to bear fruit.

 

There was still half left, but at this pace, half a day would be more than enough.

 

And so I opened the door to the 51st floor.

 

And I met death.

 

***

 

When I opened my eyes, I was at the stronghold.

 

“…”

 

Indescribable curses rose up to my throat.

 

Was it because dying in such a dungeon hurt my pride?

 

No. My self-esteem wasn’t low enough to be shaken by something like that.

 

Besides, I was someone quite accustomed to my own death.

 

If you had seen me teaching Park Ju-yong, you’d know that training with death in mind as the baseline is my way.

 

And I learned this method from Heavenly Demon.

 

With an intensity incomparable to Park Ju-yong’s training.

 

Death was no longer an object of fear for me.

 

I was angry now simply because I could feel the malice of whoever designed this tower.

 

Did they even consider the possibility that a Hunter who doesn’t use Sacred Power might enter?

 

From the 51st floor onward, it was designed so that only Sacred Power could be used.

 

So that people would have hope like now, only to fall once again.

 

That deliberate malice in the design made me uncomfortable.

 

What if two Hunters went up together— the thought crossed my mind, but by the Base Village people’s standards, survival after the 30th floor was impossible without Awakening.

 

From the 30th floor onward, the spaces were composed of extreme environments where you couldn’t survive without the power of Awakening.

 

I sat down for a moment to organize my thoughts.

 

First, I had reached just before clearing the 51st floor even without any Divine Authority.

 

That was probably simply because I used the power of Martial Arts and the good sword called Galmu.

 

Let’s say I could conquer the 51st floor that way, but the problem was the floors after that.

 

Could I continue climbing floors with fatigue fully accumulated from previous floors?

 

“Haah…”

 

I sighed and stood in front of the tower again.

 

Since I had confirmed it, I decided to see how far was possible.

 

A method would emerge if I kept trying.

 

‘Next time I should ask Heavenly Demon to teach me Martial Arts that can be mastered even without Internal Energy.’

 

Well, I don’t know if such a thing exists though…

 

***

 

[1st Place: Han Sang-in / Breakthrough Record: 67th Floor]

 

I was lying down blankly, staring at the rankings displayed in the sky.

 

With all abilities sealed and using only pure external Martial Arts, the 67th floor was the limit.

 

I experienced death dozens more times trying to overcome that limit, but there was no answer.

 

Any more brute force attempts would be meaningless.

 

Direct confrontation only makes sense when there’s some degree of progress,

 

but in the current situation, it was nothing but a waste of time.

 

‘What should I do…’

 

I crossed my arms and racked my brain while lying down.

 

‘If I could at least use Sacred Power, I could find another way out…’

 

While I was pondering the strategy like this, Park Si-on approached me.

 

“Hyung, eat some food.”

 

He held out a roughly wrapped sandwich piece to me.

 

When I didn’t take it, he just placed it on my chest and plopped down beside me.

 

It seemed we’d grown close after seeing each other for several days now.

 

I only raised my upper body and took a bite of the sandwich.

 

It was a sandwich made with meat from the Minotaur that appeared on the 4th floor.

 

It was a sandwich that tasted like slightly tough beef.

 

Even while eating, I continued my thoughts.

 

‘What exactly is Sacred Power?’

 

Before I knew it, my thoughts were focused on Sacred Power.

 

No matter how much I racked my brain, obtaining Sacred Power was the fastest breakthrough method.

 

Then I noticed Park Si-on munching on his sandwich beside me.

 

‘Come to think of it, he’s a saint, right?’

 

Though he was a Candidate for Sainthood, as long as I sponsored him, he was practically a saint.

 

“Si-on.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“How do you use Sacred Power?”

 

“Sacred Power?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Why do you ask?”

 

“Just don’t ask for reasons.”

 

Park Si-on thought for a moment at my question, then answered.

 

“Hyung, do you think about breathing when you breathe?”

 

“No.”

 

Human breathing is automatically controlled by the autonomic nervous system.

 

Of course, you can deliberately control your breathing if you want.

 

And I could predict Park Si-on’s next words.

 

“It’s like an instinct then.”

 

Park Si-on shrugged at my words.

 

“That’s right. You awaken to Sacred Power like an Awakening.”

 

“And then it becomes as natural as breathing?”

 

“Yes. Though faith and belief are the foundation, of course.”

 

The more his explanation continued, the slimmer my chances of obtaining Sacred Power became.

 

I put the last remaining sandwich in my mouth and lay back down.

 

‘In the end, is there no other way than mastering external martial arts to the extreme?’

 

While I was reconsidering the direction again, Park Si-on suddenly threw out a comment.

 

“But hyung, you already have Sacred Power, don’t you?”

 

And that created new ripples in my fading will.

 

***

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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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