You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 38

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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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38

 

 

 

On the way to the dungeon, I called the Association President.

 

It was early, but the call connected right away without many rings.

 

I explained the general situation and told him that we would respond at the guild level.

 

The Association happened to be struggling with the rescue team issue as well, so they seemed rather welcoming when I said I would move personally.

 

The Association President gave permission to move first and handle things, saying he would take care of the aftermath.

 

Since this could potentially escalate into a guild-to-guild conflict, the Association President’s support was quite reassuring.

 

With the Universal Cart’s high-speed travel, we quickly arrived at the dungeon entrance.

 

“Jin-woo. Only pack the truly urgent items.”

 

“Understood.”

 

After confirming that Jin-woo had packed first aid supplies and simple tools, we entered the dungeon entrance.

 

Inside the dungeon was a wide-open wasteland with nothing in it.

 

‘This actually works out well.’

 

It was good terrain for searching.

 

“How long has it been since the rescue signal arrived?”

 

“About an hour and a half.”

 

The clock in my head was already calculating the remaining time based on Park Ju-yong and Shin In-seon.

 

With A-rank Hunter Park Ju-yong there, the time they could survive in the dungeon would increase considerably.

 

But conversely, the fact that A-rank Hunter Park Ju-yong sent a rescue signal meant something else had gone wrong.

 

It wasn’t like Cheongrok Guild lacked A-rank Hunters, and with veteran Park Ju-yong there, this should have been a dungeon they could clear smoothly.

 

Something felt ominous.

 

“Jin-woo, your Heat Resistance skill has improved a lot lately, right?”

 

“Of course. Now I wouldn’t even flinch if I went into fire.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

I grabbed the back of Kim Jin-woo’s collar.

 

“Then activate that skill to the maximum.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Instantly, Karmic Fire surged throughout my body.

 

“Hyung-nim, it was ‘Yes!’ not ‘Huh?’…”

 

Kim Jin-woo urgently opened his mouth, but it was already too late.

 

My body, half-floating, shot across the wasteland at tremendous speed as if gliding.

 

“Hyuuuung-nim…!”

 

Kim Jin-woo’s voice echoed behind us.

 

***

 

We searched through the entire wasteland, but couldn’t find any traces of Park Ju-yong and Shin In-seon.

 

More than anything, the longer we continued searching, the more I felt a sense of disconnect.

 

‘There are no traces of the raid team left behind.’

 

The traces of battle between monsters and the raid team were clear.

Yet the scene was strangely clean.

 

The more this continued, the greater my anxiety grew.

 

I began to think this wasn’t just simple isolation.

 

“It is definitely strange.”

 

Kim Jin-woo, who had adapted to the speed by now, nodded his head.

 

“Am I imagining that it feels like we keep going in circles around the same place?”

 

“The feeling of going around the same place…”

 

At the same time, one hypothesis came to mind.

 

What if we had fallen into an Illusion Formation?

 

If my worst-case scenario was correct…

 

We didn’t even have time to be doing this.

 

“Tsk… Jin-woo. Hold up your shield.”

 

“What? Did you spot enemies?”

 

I didn’t answer and raised Galmu high.

 

Karmic Fire climbed up Galmu, forming a massive sword.

 

The size and appearance were no different from usual, but it felt much more solid.

 

A feeling of complete density.

 

It must be because Galmu’s unlocking and my enlightenment about Karmic Fire had combined.

 

‘Come to think of it, I was in such a hurry to leave that I didn’t get to ask what ability Galmu had unlocked.’

 

“Hyung, hyung-nim. Wait a moment!”

 

Kim Jin-woo, realizing what I was about to do, hurriedly drove his shield into the ground.

 

I swung Galmu in a large circle.

 

More intense flames than ever spread out in a massive circle.

 

Kiiiiiiik—

 

And when it touched that boundary, a sound that shouldn’t be heard in normal circumstances rang out.

 

“Tsk, we really were trapped in an illusion.”

 

The empty air that collided with the Karmic Fire flames began to crack little by little.

 

Kiiiiiiik—

 

The cracked barrier in the air could no longer withstand Galmu’s Karmic Fire.

 

Crack—

 

With a short bursting sound, the illusion magic completely shattered.

 

A cliff was revealed before my eyes.

 

Inside the sunken area like a basin.

 

From within, I detected the presence of two people.

 

“Found them.”

 

It seemed we weren’t too late yet.

 

But it was definitely an urgent situation.

 

A massive magic spear was flying toward Park Ju-yong and Shin In-seon.

 

I instinctively swung my Karmic Fire.

 

The blue flames that bloomed following my movement filled the entire basin.

 

And the Karmic Fire I swung with the feeling of grasping with my hand completely seized the magic spear and crushed it.

 

I quickly rode the Karmic Fire and blocked their front like a guard.

 

Park Ju-yong’s condition was clearly not good at first glance.

 

He was continuously bleeding from his abdomen.

 

“Haa… This is quite late. Vice Guild Master…”

 

With those words, Park Ju-yong lost consciousness.

 

“Still, we’re not too late.”

 

My gaze turned to Shin In-seon.

 

Fortunately, Park Ju-yong had protected her well, as she showed no major injuries aside from some minor scratches.

 

“Are you okay, In-seon?”

 

“Yes… but Ju-yong…”

 

“Jin-woo brought emergency supplies. He’ll be fine. When Jin-woo arrives, take Ju-yong and fall back.”

 

After confirming Jin-woo descending the cliff on his shield, I turned my gaze forward again.

 

It was a strange group all wearing matching white robes.

 

As expected, it seemed Nokcheon Guild had pressured the two for some reason.

 

The question ‘why?’ still remained…

 

But that’s something I can ask directly.

 

A middle-aged man who appeared to be the leader stepped forward.

 

“Well, well, you came before we could even wrap the gift.”

 

“I have many questions, but let’s fight first.”

 

With those words, Karmic Fire blazed up and enveloped both me and the robed group.

 

After that enlightenment, it became possible for me to handle Karmic Fire like a part of my body.

 

I rode the Karmic Fire and swung Galmu toward the Robe Group.

 

Except for the Raid Leader, they were already out just from the heat of the Karmic Fire.

 

But the Raid Leader took no damage even after being hit by Galmu wrapped in Karmic Fire.

 

‘What?’

 

Something was strange.

 

Whether it’s Karmic Fire or anything else, the normal reaction when an attack comes is to dodge or block it.

 

In contrast, the Raid Leader seemed closer to not caring about the attacks rather than dodging them.

 

I deflected the Magic Spear the Raid Leader launched and stood before him.

 

“Hehehe, something feels strange, doesn’t it? If you’re S-rank, someone like me should have been taken out in one hit, right?”

 

Then the Raid Leader stopped laughing abruptly and raised his head.

 

“Did you think I’d have no preparations when facing an S-rank Hunter?”

 

The Raid Leader summoned several Magic Spears and launched an attack.

 

I dodged the Magic Spears while creating a spear with Karmic Fire and threw it at the Raid Leader.

 

This time too, the Raid Leader didn’t dodge or block.

 

But this time I could confirm it.

 

The moment my attack reached him, it was absorbed by the bracelet on his wrist and scattered.

 

“You, that bracel…”

 

“Did you notice?”

 

The Raid Leader raised his wrist as if showing off, displaying the bracelet.

 

“This is an item bestowed by That Person. Your flames cannot reach me.”

 

The Raid Leader smiled leisurely.

 

“Now then, shall we have a conversation?”

 

“A conversation?”

 

“It’s nothing major. Joining our Sect—”

 

“I refuse.”

 

I cut him off sharply without even listening.

 

That Person or whatever, the words of this lunatic who’d been spouting nonsense weren’t worth listening to.

 

The Raid Leader clicked his tongue briefly, then raised the corners of his mouth again.

 

“Oh my, as expected… our meeting was too early. I should have visited with the heads of those two beyond that barrier.”

 

I frowned slightly.

 

The Raid Leader deliberately lowered his voice and continued in a whisper.

 

“Actually, those two are just the beginning.”

 

“What…?”

 

“The more you refuse, the more you’ll see the corpses of people gradually closer to you.”

 

I pressed my lips tightly together.

 

“But don’t worry too much. If you join the Sect, those who died will be recorded as martyrs.”

 

My grip on Galmu tightened.

 

“How long can you hold out? Park Ju-yong, Shin In-seon, Kim Jin-woo… and the Merchant’s Mother at the Hospital.”

 

Karmic Fire began to slowly bloom beneath my feet.

 

“Ah, if we go all the way, we might see your Younger Sister too. Was her name Han Jia?”

 

“…Are you done talking?”

 

“For now, it seems so.”

 

I quietly aimed Galmu at him.

 

“Then it’s time to pay the price for running your mouth carelessly.”

 

Explosive rage surged up within me,

but the Karmic Fire’s reaction to it wasn’t so passionate.

 

No, rather it was terribly cold.

 

The moment it exceeded the threshold of anger, my reason became freezingly cold instead.

 

Steam began coming from my mouth.

 

Then Frost began to settle on my skin.

 

Frost slowly flowed along my body and onto Galmu’s sword blade.

 

Then it dripped down like liquid from the sword’s tip—drop.

 

That was the moment.

 

From where the frost fell, everything instantly froze solid.

 

“Hreup…!”

 

The Raid Leader also tried to pull back from the sudden situation, but his reaction speed couldn’t keep up with the Karmic Fire.

 

The frost that engulfed the Raid Leader turned into ice shards and froze him solid.

 

It was Frost Fire, the cold version of Karmic Fire I had learned at the Blacksmith Workshop.

 

Leading my frost-covered body, I slowly approached the frozen Raid Leader.

 

I was slightly startled when I saw my reflection in the ice.

 

My skin was deathly pale and white frost had settled on my hair.

 

Most of all, my terribly indifferent expression caught my eye.

 

I slowly brushed across the frozen Raid Leader’s face.

 

The Karmic Fire flowing through my hand melted that part.

 

“Hreup…!”

 

The Raid Leader took a deep breath as if startled.

 

“Haa… You’re an even greater Hunter than we expected.”

 

The Raid Leader looked at me with wide eyes.

Then he raised the corners of his mouth in a grin.

 

“And those indifferent eyes. Truly a talent that would suit our Sect.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

I wanted to finish him off right here and now, but first I needed to gather information about this ‘Sect’ he was talking about.

 

‘I should hand him over to the Association for interrogation.’

 

I turned around and recalled the Karmic Fire that had been surrounding the area.

 

As the barrier disappeared, I could see Jin-woo and the Association President in the distance.

 

‘They arrived in the meantime.’

 

“Do you still have no intention of joining our Sect?”

 

“Wake up from your dream. There’s no chance in hell.”

 

“Still, you will eventually join us.”

 

Crack.

 

There was a sound of him biting down on something.

 

I hurriedly approached him, but it seemed too late as blood was already flowing back from his mouth.

 

“Cough… Let us meet in the New World…”

 

He was about to peacefully close his eyes like that.

 

But I had no intention of letting him go easily.

 

“Who said you could die as you please?”

 

Before I knew it, Galmu had transformed into a staff shape in my hand.

 

***

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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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