You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 36

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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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36

 

 

 

A conference room where no light entered.

 

Only a dim incandescent bulb in the center of the conference table served as the sole source of light.

 

People in black suits sat around the table,

some of them tensely rigid as if extremely nervous.

 

At the head seat sat one person, who unlike the other participants, wore a black hooded zip-up and tracksuit.

He had pulled the hood down to the top of his head, making his face difficult to see clearly.

 

He rested his chin on the armrest and tapped the table with his fingers as if displeased about something.

 

In front of him, someone who appeared to be a reporter was kneeling and trembling.

 

“So, you went to check because the signal from the Staff of Rest wasn’t being detected, and found that the dungeon itself had disappeared?”

 

“Yes… yes.”

 

“Is it possible to track traces of the staff?”

 

“That is… the signal itself cannot be tracked as it seems to have completely vanished.”

 

The corners of his scarred mouth rose excessively.

 

“Heh, hehehahahaha!”

 

The Head Seat Man placed his hand on his forehead and laughed so hard his shoulders shook.

 

“The Association President has drawn his sword, so finding entry records is still difficult…”

 

The Reporter quickly rattled off excuses.

 

Before he could finish speaking, the Head Seat Man lightly waved his hand, and the Reporter suddenly stood up.

 

However, the Reporter clearly understood what this situation was.

 

He tried to quickly beg for forgiveness, but it was already too late.

 

“Please… spare me… kheuk”

 

He began strangling himself.

 

“Haah… So not only did you lose the item bestowed by the Cult, but even though the grand plan has gone awry…”

 

The Head Seat Man raised his head to look directly at the Reporter.

 

“You know nothing at all?”

 

“Please, please forgive me…”

 

Even while being strangled, the Reporter made sounds trying to survive somehow.

 

Just as the Reporter was making choking sounds and about to die,

 

“He’s a spy we planted in the Korean Association, so you shouldn’t kill him yet.”

 

An Old Gentleman in a neat suit sitting beside him whispered to him.

 

“…Tsk.”

 

When he waved his hand again,

 

“Hueok. Heoheoheo…”

 

The Reporter collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.

 

“Get lost before I change my mind.”

 

At the man’s words, the Reporter forcibly suppressed his panting breath, bowed deeply, and left the conference room.

 

The man still clicked his tongue as if displeased.

 

“Tsk, even such incompetent things clamor to receive the Cult’s grace. Really…”

 

“Don’t be too angry. I’ll look into the matter of the Staff of Rest myself.”

 

The Old Gentleman spoke with a kind expression.

 

The man glanced at him briefly, then waved his hand as if telling him to handle it himself.

 

“Handle that matter yourself… is there anything else left for today?”

 

“How should we deal with the second S-rank Hunter born in Korea?”

 

“Ah, him?”

 

The man thought for a moment, then spoke.

 

“Well, it’s obvious – either recruit him or eliminate him.”

 

“Understood. I’ll handle that matter as you’ve instructed as well.”

 

“Still… it would be good to pressure him a bit before meeting.”

 

With those words, the man stood up from his seat.

 

“It’s all finished now, right? I’m leaving first.”

 

At those words, everyone in the conference room stood up from their seats.

 

Then, until he disappeared from view, everyone bowed their heads.

 

***

 

Park Ju-yong and Shin In-seon were quite a good team.

 

Park Ju-yong might be called a Porter, but he could perform the role of a Hunter,

and Shin In-seon was a civilian but a knowledgeable Porter with medical qualifications.

 

It was quite an expensive fee, but a request came in from a small-medium guild called Nokchung, specifically naming the two of them.

 

At first, Kim Jin-woo tilted his head since it was a cost difficult for a small-medium guild to pay,

but he was somewhat convinced when he heard they were challenging an A-rank raid with elite members from Nokchung.

 

A small-medium guild independently raiding an A-rank Dungeon was a significant achievement.

 

Moreover, rather than bringing along mediocre porters, requesting porter services from a place with proven skills was more stable.

 

They could earn several times more profit from by-products, so the cost-benefit analysis worked out to some degree.

 

Since it was their first A-rank Dungeon, they could request protection service from Park Ju-yong if needed.

 

Though it would cost extra, it would still be cheaper than the price of life, wouldn’t it?

 

For a small-medium guild, they were quite sharp-minded.

 

Considering all these circumstances, Kim Jin-woo immediately accepted the request.

 

“Oh my, it’s an honor for us to work on a request together with Mr. Park Ju-yong.”

 

Upon arriving at the entrance, a man who appeared to be the Raid Leader approached with a smiling face and extended his hand for a handshake.

 

He was a man who looked to be in his mid-40s with a gentle impression.

 

“We’re more grateful that you specifically requested us. Please take care of us.”

 

“Yes, yes, we should be the ones asking you to take care of us.”

 

“By the way… this is our first time doing an A-rank Dungeon, so we’re a bit nervous.”

 

The Raid Leader scratched his head and laughed.

 

Behind him, the Nokchung Guild Members were waiting, each checking their equipment.

 

“You don’t need to worry about supplies and support.”

 

Shin In-seon unfolded the supply list again from the side.

She checked not only swords and dismantling tools, but also medical kits and emergency treatment medicine.

 

In addition, surgical equipment for basic treatment was prepared in disinfected special storage containers.

 

These were items added because it was Shin In-seon.

 

“I’m an experienced professional who worked up to department head in surgery, so I can handle most emergency treatments.”

 

“We really did well to request you two directly. Very reassuring.”

 

Perhaps thanks to their reliable support, the raid proceeded smoothly.

 

Either Nokchung Guild had chosen the dungeon well, or it wasn’t terrain where variables could occur.

 

It was terrain reminiscent of the Western frontier era – vast wilderness with only clouds hanging thick overhead.

 

The monsters were also Catus, resembling giant cacti,

and since these monsters were already reported species, reading their patterns and habits wasn’t particularly difficult.

 

“Isn’t this going too smoothly?”

 

Shin In-seon, who was following the raid party on a Universal Cart, spoke up.

 

While smooth raids were good, they were being overly professional for a small-medium guild challenging their first A-rank Dungeon.

 

“Should a doctor be saying that? It’s good if there are no accidents.”

 

“Well… that’s true.”

 

Even while answering, Shin In-seon couldn’t shake off her ominous feeling.

 

The raid party that had been moving for quite a while came to a stop.

 

Shortly after, the Raid Leader approached Park Ju-yong.

 

“Mr. Park Ju-yong Hunter. This is quite shameless of me to say.”

 

The Raid Leader hesitated for a long time, unable to open his mouth easily.

 

“What’s bothering you? You can just speak frankly.”

 

“Since you say that, I’ll be honest. We discovered unusual terrain while moving, and we can’t judge it with our knowledge.”

 

At those words, Park Ju-yong immediately understood what the Raid Leader wanted to ask of him.

 

He wanted to seek advice on proceeding with the raid.

 

No matter how much Park Ju-yong was an A-rank Hunter, seeking advice from a Porter was quite damaging to one’s pride.

 

Park Ju-yong saw this Raid Leader differently.

 

The attitude of setting aside pride and seeking advice for the safety of the raid team wasn’t something one could easily have.

 

One might think there’s no point in maintaining pride when lives are at stake,

but there had been quite a few cases where raid teams were wiped out because of such pride.

 

That’s why Park Ju-yong decided to gladly offer his advice.

 

“Where is this strange terrain?”

 

“Ah, thank you. Please follow me.”

 

When Park Ju-yong got off the cart, Shin In-seon also got off with him.

 

“In-seon, just rest in the cart. I’ll take a quick look and come back.”

 

Despite Park Ju-yong’s dissuasion, she didn’t back down.

 

“Something feels fishy about this.”

 

When she spoke in a whisper, Park Ju-yong chuckled.

 

“Do as you please. There shouldn’t be any major problems.”

 

The place the Raid Leader led them to was an empty plain.

 

However, the way that plain was faintly rippling made it clear this was an Abnormal Phenomenon.

 

Park Ju-yong went to the boundary point where the Abnormal Phenomenon began and crouched down.

 

Fortunately, it was a phenomenon Park Ju-yong was familiar with.

 

Illusion Barrier.

 

It was one of the simple traps that used a type of magic to create false illusions.

 

“Do you know what it is?”

 

Shin In-seon, who had approached Park Ju-yong’s side, asked him.

 

She was still on high alert, but Park Ju-yong planned to quickly tell her the truth and ease her tension.

 

“It’s nothing serious. It’s a magical trap. We can just go around it.”

 

That’s when it happened.

 

“In-seon?”

 

Shin In-seon was falling toward the trap, as if someone had pushed her.

 

“Ju-yong!”

 

The moment Park Ju-yong urgently reached out his hand toward her,

 

“Kugh!”

 

A strong impact from behind sent his body tumbling toward the trap as well.

 

Even while falling into the trap, Park Ju-yong quickly wrapped his body around Shin In-seon.

 

And when he turned to look back, he saw the Raid Leader watching him with a sinister smile.

 

***

—————
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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