You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 19
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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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19
The Boss Scuber was surprisingly agile for its size.
It swung that massive axe around like a tree branch, making it quite difficult to get close.
The problem wasn’t just that creature alone.
As I ducked low to avoid the axe, arrows flew at me from both sides.
I immediately twisted my body and deflected the crossbow bolt.
At the same time, I retreated backward to create distance.
Looking around, I found myself surrounded by Scubers before I knew it.
The Scubers kept shooting arrows as if they didn’t care whether their boss got hit or not.
No, more precisely, they probably didn’t need to worry about it.
The Boss Scuber was also—
Immortal.
Even though I deeply slashed its chest with Galmu wrapped in Karmic Fire, it spat blood and staggered but quickly regained its stance.
“This is a bit too much.”
I still had the upper hand for now, but it was questionable how long I could keep this up.
Even S-rank Hunters don’t have infinite stamina.
Moreover, this creature was different from the Scubers I’d seen so far—it knew how to use its head.
As I parried its attacks, our positions became completely reversed.
It had guided my position while pretending to fight by swinging its axe, and slowly moved itself in front of the staff, standing guard before it.
I shifted my gaze to the staff visible over its shoulder.
In the end, the conclusion of this fight depended on whether I could deal with that staff.
The Scuber bastards would continue to wear down my stamina through a war of attrition, and I had to break through that solid defensive line.
Could I use a single strike powerful enough to blow away the entire cavern?
If I gathered enough Karmic Fire power to the point of exhaustion, it would be possible.
Having experienced Mana Deficiency, I had purchased quite a lot of mana stats thinking more was better.
I had poured in more gold than even Galmu’s purchase price.
If I used up all that mana until it was completely drained, I could blow away the entire cavern.
However, what came after that was the problem.
‘It’ll definitely collapse.’
After it collapses, escape the Underground Cavern while groveling from Mana Deficiency and flee to the surface?
Honestly, I wasn’t confident.
‘What should I do…’
Then suddenly,
Did I really need to go there myself?
I had only thought about destroying the staff, but hadn’t considered who would destroy it.
‘Right, anyone just needs to destroy the staff…’
With that thought, I ignited more Karmic Fire on Galmu and quickly spun my body to create space.
I filled Galmu with Karmic Fire to the brim.
Unlike before, the blade turned red and heat waves began rising from it.
Even without wrapping my body in Karmic Fire, the heat from the Karmic Fire condensed on Galmu melted the Scubers’ arrows before they could even touch my body.
The Karmic Fire extended long above Galmu in the form of a spear.
“This should be enough for one final strike.”
I stepped forward with one foot and gripped Galmu in reverse.
It was closer to a spear-throwing stance than a sword-swinging one.
Just by changing my stance, the surrounding Scubers flinched and retreated.
As I was shifting my gaze toward the target, I made eye contact with the Boss Scuber.
The expression of the creature that had been leisurely stalling for time just moments ago changed.
It seemed to realize that this attack would be no joke.
As if to respond to my attack, it gripped its axe tightly with both hands and lowered its stance.
Heh. The corners of my mouth naturally curved upward.
I pulled back my arm holding Galmu in reverse grip as far as possible.
Rolling my raised left foot to the ground, I swung my right arm wide and threw Galmu forward.
Whoosh!
Like an arrow shot from a bowstring, the air tore as Galmu flew through it.
Flames stretched long, drawing a trajectory that split the sky.
The Boss Scuber faced the flying Galmu head-on.
With both arms lowered, its gaze was fixed on the giant arrow flying toward it.
And when Galmu entered its attack range, it raised its axe high.
Then it twisted its wrist and slightly turned its torso to deflect Galmu’s trajectory.
Galmu passed by, grazing the creature’s side.
“That was quite a confident attack…”
I clicked my tongue in disappointment.
Still, it wasn’t without results.
The Boss Scuber’s left upper body was half melted away.
Just deflecting it with all its might had caused that much damage.
With injuries that severe, my victory should be certain.
Under normal circumstances, that is.
As long as the Ceremonial Staff exists, the Scubers become immortal beings.
Look. Isn’t the melted upper body regenerating again?
Moreover, my only weapon, Galmu, has left my hands.
The creature must have thought the same, as it was smiling even while regenerating.
Perhaps to buy time for the Boss Scuber’s regeneration, the Scubers were shooting arrows without hesitation.
Well, I never intended to go after the Boss Scuber anyway…
– Kuuuuuuuu—!
The fully regenerated Boss Scuber let out a victory roar.
Then it began walking leisurely toward me, who had lost my weapon.
It opened its mouth, revealing crushed fangs and breathing mockingly.
I lightly brushed off my shoulders and returned that smile.
“Eat.”
My voice, neither loud nor quiet, echoed through the cavern.
Then the ground began to vibrate.
The Scubers, the Boss Scuber, and even I.
Every living being in the cavern focused their gaze on one place.
Beyond the Boss Scuber’s shoulder, where the Ceremonial Staff was embedded.
At that place where the only key to clearing the dungeon lay.
Galmu began to rampage.
The moment my permission was given, Galmu, who had shown extreme patience, was unleashed.
Galmu’s blade curved flexibly like an elephant’s trunk.
The sharply living metal body shot up toward the staff at high speed.
The tip of the blade wrapped around the staff’s middle.
That’s when it happened.
As if it couldn’t be taken down easily, the staff reacted.
Wuuuuuuung—!
The staff’s mana lines trembled and shook as if trying to resist something.
But it was useless.
Galmu had already lost its mind.
It had waited a long time.
From the entrance discovered in the underground waterway, through the time descending the dark staircase.
And just when it was about to eat, it was interrupted again…
How frustrated must it have been.
Besides, was Galmu some ordinary sword?
It was a Companion Sword won at auction from Golden Fragrance.
No matter how great the Ceremonial Staff might be, how could it compare to a divine artifact?
The blade dug in deeper.
Metal coiled around the staff, then clamped down with a ‘clamp’ sound like teeth biting.
The next moment.
Crunch—
The staff began to be devoured.
Its brilliant mana was gradually sucked in and extinguished.
At the same time, the mana lines spreading from the staff began to slowly distort.
Slowly—
The beams of light grew dim, and the aura of immortality was severed.
The Scubers that had been cut up all over their bodies staggered and then thud.
They fell one by one.
“… It’s over.”
I quietly took a breath and checked my surroundings.
The corpses of Scubers that had filled the cavern just moments ago began turning to ash and scattering.
And the Boss Scuber.
It had stopped regenerating and was looking back and forth between Galmu and the staff.
The flesh on its left shoulder and chest was still burned and hadn’t recovered.
“I suppose this is your first time experiencing this.”
When I raised my hand, Galmu flew over at high speed and wrapped snugly around my hand.
It had taken the form of the Ceremonial Staff it had just devoured.
Galmu vibrated briefly as if satisfied.
The Boss Scuber no longer moved.
Though it still breathed, its will to move seemed to have vanished.
As if it had suddenly experienced all the years it had endured through immortality, it had aged.
Its withered skin and dried flesh clung to exposed bones.
All it could do was stand using its massive axe as support.
“Let’s finish this.”
I took one more step forward, aimed at the boss’s chest, and thrust Galmu straight through.
Galmu pierced right through the boss’s heart.
The Boss Scuber’s eyes opened wide for a moment, then closed powerlessly.
Thud.
Its massive body collapsed, then soon turned to ash and scattered.
It was a pitiful end for a general who had led legions.
“Let’s head back now.”
I was changing Galmu back to its original form and about to move when.
The entire cavern began to shake.
Stone fragments rained down from overhead, and cracks began splitting through the walls.
The dungeon was starting to collapse.
“This is another pattern I’ve never seen…”
A cleared dungeon collapsing…
It was a case I’d never seen before.
Common knowledge was that when a dungeon was cleared, it would recover again after a certain amount of time.
Today was full of new experiences.
“Good thing I saved this.”
I pulled out my last remaining Bacchus and poured it into my mouth.
The slightly sour and burning sensation awakened my tired body.
After confirming my fatigue was completely recovered, I immediately threw myself toward the Dungeon Exit.
***
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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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