You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 18

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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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18

 

 

The staircase was deeper than expected.

 

The sound of water from the underground waterway had completely disappeared, and the floor began to grow increasingly damp.

 

Moisture seeping through the stone steps dripped steadily.

 

Karmic Fire from the tip of Galmu in my hand gently pushed against the windless air.

That was the only source of light.

 

The structure was distinctly different from the upper waterway.

 

All sides were covered in gray stone soaked with moisture, and faint traces of mysterious mana lines remained scattered across the walls.

 

It was hard to say for certain, but this was clearly different from the underground waterway data recorded by the Association.

 

‘Is this a Double Dungeon?’

 

No, it felt more like an area that hadn’t been fully explored.

 

Well, no one would be brave enough to check beneath a waterway flowing with sewage,

and since no problems had ever occurred despite the incomplete exploration, the Association would have marked the Sewer Dungeon as fully conquered.

 

My discovery of this entrance was purely by chance.

 

Who else would think to blow up an entire waterway just because they didn’t want Grugger flesh sticking to them?

 

I descended the staircase for about ten minutes like that.

 

At the end of the staircase appeared a small corridor.

 

At the end of the corridor was an arched doorway, with light seeping out as if there was a light source inside.

 

I withdrew the Karmic Fire to extinguish the light, then walked cautiously toward the door while staying alert.

 

As I approached the door, Galmu trembled slightly once more.

 

“… It’s reacting again.”

 

It wasn’t like a danger signal.

 

If I had to compare it, it felt like a Retriever waiting for its owner’s permission while staring at a treat right in front of it.

 

But just in case of danger, I raised my Ki Sense to maximum and carefully stepped through the arched doorway.

 

Contrary to my worries, the space inside the door was an empty cavern.

 

Uniquely shaped lines starting from the walls converged toward the center of the cavern.

 

I followed the lines with my gaze, and at their center stood what appeared to be an altar.

 

The altar’s surface was empty, except for a staff that looked like it belonged in a ritual, standing alone at its center.

 

As my gaze turned toward the ceremonial staff, Galmu vibrated once more.

 

Only then did I realize that staff was the treat Galmu had been craving so much.

 

‘They said it was a picky companion sword…’

 

A sword that had rolled around in Golden Fragrance wouldn’t have ordinary tastes in treats either.

 

Whatever that staff was, if Galmu wanted it that much, it was certainly a valuable item.

 

‘There don’t seem to be any remaining monsters, so if I just take the staff, the conquest should be complete.’

 

I lowered Galmu and slowly walked toward the altar.

 

It hadn’t looked that big from a distance, but when I actually arrived in front of it, it was quite large—about the height of a two-story building.

 

Galmu began trembling as if urging me on.

 

“Alright, let’s eat quickly and go.”

 

The moment I kicked off the ground and stepped onto the altar,

 

Wooooooong!

 

A powerful energy began surging from the ceremonial staff.

 

My Sixth Sense detected something flying at me from behind.

The instant I sensed it, I quickly swung Galmu.

 

Clang!

 

Something split in half fell to the floor with a metallic sound.

 

“An arrow?”

 

Only then did the structure of the cavern come into view again.

 

I had been wrong to think the lines converged on the staff.

 

It was the opposite.

 

All the mana lines were connected to the staff and extended outward from it.

 

And at the ends of those lines, adult-sized rat monsters holding crossbows were approaching me with glowing eyes.

 

“Damn it…”

 

***

 

Wooooooong—!

 

As if a massive bell had been struck, mana waves burst forth from the staff.

 

I immediately stomped my foot and dodged the waves, descending below the altar.

 

“Tsk…”

 

I clicked my tongue lightly and glared at the staff on the altar.

 

It had an attitude as if telling me to prove myself if I wanted to claim it.

 

“Right, you won’t give it up easily?”

 

Whoosh!

 

I gripped Galmu tighter and ignited the Karmic Fire.

My gaze turned toward the rat monsters closing in from outside the cavern.

 

Their scientific name was Scruber.

 

Giant monster rats as tall as humans that inhabited the Sewer Dungeon and used crossbows.

 

They had abnormally grown front teeth, twisted limbs, and held crossbows made from deformed bones.

 

The creatures tightened their encirclement around me.

 

Their grade classification was B.

 

But for some reason, the aura I felt from those creatures surpassed that of most A-grade monsters.

 

‘Is it because of the staff…?’

 

It wasn’t just one or two of such monsters, but hundreds of them densely filling the entire cavern while aiming their crossbows at me.

 

“Ha…”

 

A sigh escaped me naturally.

 

I should have known it wouldn’t be easy.

 

I gripped Galmu tighter and took a step forward.

 

Karmic Fire spread outward from my body as the center.

 

The heat spread and evaporated the moisture on the floor, causing white steam to rise.

 

One of the Scruber pack pulled its crossbow first.

With a ‘twang’ sound, a crooked arrow flew toward me.

 

Ting—

 

I twisted Galmu and deflected the arrowhead.

 

That was when it happened.

 

As if that had been a signal, hundreds of arrows flew from all directions.

 

I quickly lowered my stance.

 

I twisted my body and cut through the incoming arrows, instantly approaching the nearest one.

 

Galmu wrapped in flames drew a semicircle and sliced through the Scrubers’ necks.

 

Having entered among them, I swung Galmu in all directions, cutting down the Scrubers.

 

The unavoidable arrows were melted away by wrapping Karmic Fire around my body.

 

But I couldn’t dodge every attack.

 

Though they were shallow wounds, a few arrows from blind spots grazed my shoulder as they passed.

 

‘Tsk…’

 

I immediately retaliated and kicked off the ground toward my next prey.

 

If I had fought with Karmic Fire wrapped around my entire body from the start, I wouldn’t have gotten wounded, but…

 

I couldn’t use Karmic Fire indefinitely.

 

I had maxed out the mana stats available for purchase at Golden Fragrance, so it provided some coverage, but if I exhausted myself first among this massive army, that would be the end.

 

It was when I had swept away about half of the Scruber pack.

 

While deflecting arrows flying from afar, I poured Bacchus into my mouth.

 

In front of me, the corpses of attacked Scrubers were piled up in layers.

 

But something was strange.

 

The Scrubers that had been cut by Galmu were staggering back to their feet.

 

Their front legs were broken,

their torsos were torn,

and even with their entrails half-exposed—

the creatures squirmed as they regenerated and picked up their crossbows again.

 

‘Regeneration…?’

 

There were no vital signs like a heartbeat or anything.

 

It just wouldn’t die.

 

“Hah, immortality?”

 

As far as I know, Scuba aren’t classified as undead.

 

But they possess immortality abilities that only undead would show?

 

“This is troublesome…”

 

If not for the immortality ability, it would take some effort, but sweeping away the Scuba legion wouldn’t be a problem.

 

I’d already swept away more than half of them.

 

But immortality changes things a bit.

 

‘There must be some gimmick providing the power of immortality…’

 

Even undead don’t resurrect indefinitely.

 

Whether it’s a lich or dark mage, there must be a medium that makes them immortal.

 

Actually, I already knew something close to the answer.

 

Scuba with A-rank power despite being B-rank,

Plus an object that could even supply immortality abilities.

 

My gaze turned to the staff on the altar where the mana lines originated.

 

‘I should confirm it first.’

 

I stomped on the head of the Scuba regenerating in front of me.

 

With a cracking sound, the Scuba’s head burst and its movement seemed to stop, but soon the pieces began gathering together again.

 

And at that moment, I could see it.

 

Something being supplied from the staff on the central altar along the mana lines.

 

I found the solution, but there was one disappointing aspect.

 

‘It would have been easier if I’d targeted the staff from the beginning…’

 

If I had just taken the staff from the altar from the start, it would have been much easier.

 

Now I was in a state where I’d moved away from the altar while dealing with the Scuba.

 

Moreover, the surviving Scuba horde had filled that gap as if guarding the altar.

 

I don’t have much Bacchus left either, so things are getting tight now.

 

Then suddenly, a good idea came to mind.

 

A way to conserve strength and instantly break through the Scuba horde to reach the altar…

 

I wrapped my entire body in Karmic Fire.

 

Then I turned around and raised Galmu high.

 

‘This is going to hurt.’

 

When the Karmic Fire gathered on Galmu formed a small sword, I swung it down forcefully.

 

However, the direction wasn’t toward the Grugger.

 

Right beneath my feet.

 

Kwaaaaang!

 

My body, gaining propulsion from the Sword Strike, was launched toward the altar like a missile.

 

Scuba arrows flew at me, but they were engulfed in Karmic Fire and evaporated before they could reach me.

 

Thud!

 

My missile-like body finally came to a stop after smashing through the altar.

 

I got up from the collapsed altar debris, coughing.

 

“Not bad for a first try.”

 

The power control was slightly off, but I reached my target anyway.

 

I aimed Galmu at the staff that was stuck diagonally in the debris.

 

“Take this.”

 

At that moment—

 

Kwang!

 

A massive impact rang out from behind me.

 

The stone floor cracked and a dark shadow struck down at me.

 

I reflexively threw my body back.

 

At the spot where I had been standing just moments before, a massive axe blade was embedded.

 

My gaze naturally moved toward the owner of the axe.

 

It was a giant Scuba.

A massive Scuba, easily over 3 meters tall, was glaring at me.

 

In one hand it held an axe with rotting flesh clinging to it, and in the other hand was wrapped a beam of light flowing from a staff.

 

The giant Scuba’s bloodshot eyes rippled as they focused on me.

 

An axe-wielding giant Scuba over 3 meters tall…

 

It was a completely new monster I had never heard of or seen before.

 

Naturally, it didn’t exist in the Monster Encyclopedia provided by the Association either.

 

“How is it that none of the Association’s data is accurate…”

 

I ignited my Karmic Fire again and charged at the creature.

 

***

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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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