You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 39
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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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39
“You… you…!”
The Raid Leader’s face contorted in an instant.
His gaze was fixed on the disguised Galmu.
It was closer to rage that surpassed the panic of his failed suicide attempt.
“It was you!”
His face turned red up to the nape of his neck and trembled violently, then he began convulsing like a dog with rabies.
“You were the one who ruined the Sect’s plan!”
I wondered if this was the expression a child would have when meeting the enemy who killed their parents.
The Raid Leader’s eyes looking at me were filled with that much murderous intent.
“Stop talking nonsense and just die.”
I struck the Raid Leader’s nape directly, knocking him unconscious.
From behind, I heard the Association President’s low commanding voice.
“Arrest all the rest.”
As the Curtain of Karmic Fire completely lifted, the Association staff who had arrived subdued the Nokchung Guild Members.
The Association President who finished giving orders slowly approached.
He glanced at the Raid Leader who was unconscious in a half-frozen state, then opened his mouth.
“I heard the general situation from Hunter Park Ju-yong.”
“I managed to stop them from committing suicide for now. It seems they approached with the intention of killing both people from the start.”
“…First of all, I’m truly sorry.”
The Association President bowed his head at my words.
One might think why would the Association President bow his head over such a matter, but the issue was that serious.
The Association was at the center of giving and receiving requests.
And the responsibility for verifying both clients and contractors in that process also lay with the Association.
Therefore, the Association could not escape from this matter.
If handled poorly, trust in the Association system could collapse.
“They said it was Nokchung Guild, what kind of place is that?”
“Haah…”
The Association President let out a deep sigh.
“We’ll need to investigate further, but on paper, there were no problems at all.”
“Those people might not even be Nokchung Guild Members to begin with.”
“For now, we’ll investigate considering all possibilities.”
I handed over the Raid Leader and the Nokchung Guild Members to the Association President.
Honestly, I wanted to handle it myself, but from my position of not knowing interrogation techniques, it would just end up as venting anger.
I left the rest of the handling to the Association and returned to the Guild Building.
I forcibly gave Park Ju-yong and Shin In-seon a week of paid leave.
At first, both of them refused, but what could they do.
The absolute authority in Asin is me.
A Vice Guild Master with more powerful authority than the Guild Master, that’s exactly me.
So if I say do it, they have to do it.
After properly exercising my authority(?) over the two people, I washed up briefly and lay down on the sofa.
I had stayed up almost the entire day, but sleep wouldn’t come.
The intense battle at the end probably played a part, but the Raid Leader’s words were still circling in my head.
‘How long do you think you can hold out?’
‘Park Ju-yong, Shin In-seon, Kim Jin-woo… and the Merchant’s Mother at the hospital.’
‘If we go to the end, we might even see your Younger Sister. Was her name Han Jia?’
If it were just empty words, I wouldn’t know,
but if they were fanatic cultists, it was entirely possible.
If they were those bastards from some Cult…
I examined the bracelet I had taken from the Raid Leader’s wrist.
Even at a glance, it wasn’t an ordinary item.
[Everit’s Proof (Replica)]
[Grade: D]
[Description: A relic of Everit, the God of Adventure. Can be used by absorbing or emitting fire.]
I stared at the Golden Fragrance appraisal certificate floating before my eyes, then closed them.
‘Even D-grade items are just lying around in Golden Fragrance…’
Seeing the appraisal certificate made me certain.
The place called ‘Sect’ has enough power to make their words reality.
If they can deceive the Association and cause trouble, would infiltrating hospitals or schools be impossible?
No way.
No matter how strong I become…
‘I can’t protect everyone at once.’
After thinking for a moment, I got up from the sofa and logged into Golden Fragrance.
***
“Hey, Han Jia.”
The next day, I stopped my younger sister as she was heading to school.
“What? Aren’t you going to work today?”
“I’ll work, but I won’t go to the dungeon. I’m going to meet Jin-woo and stop by Mother’s hospital.”
“Ah… I see.”
“And wear this.”
I took out a necklace from my pocket and handed it to her.
A necklace connected by a thin silver chain.
At its center hung a shield-shaped ornament with folded wings.
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
“You don’t need to know, and never take it off, not when washing or sleeping.”
“Won’t I get metal poisoning?”
Han Jia looked at me with a suspicious expression.
“It’s real silver, and it’s more expensive than most luxury brands.”
It wasn’t just expensive.
That one necklace was worth enough to buy hundreds of famous luxury brands.
It was a replica of a shield called Aegis that I had won at auction in Golden Fragrance.
Though it wasn’t the original, it had the ridiculously overpowered skill called Absolute Defense embedded in it.
It would buy enough time in dangerous situations.
“Really? Having an S-rank Hunter as an older brother. Things like this happen too, what a world to live in.”
Only at times like this am I her older brother.
“Anyway, always wear it.”
“Got it.”
At my request, Han Jia gave a half-hearted response and left through the front door while examining the necklace.
‘Han Jia’s situation is resolved for now…’
I immediately left the house as well.
When the elevator door opened, Kim Jin-woo with his bright face greeted me.
“Oh, hyung-nim. Where are you going so early this morning?”
“I’m going to visit Mother at the hospital.”
“Ah, I see. Should I call a driver for you?”
“No, I’ll just take a light walk there and back.”
“Ah, I see. I should also meet Mother and formally introduce myself.”
Kim Jin-woo spoke as if he felt regretful about something.
“It’s fine. And what’s the point of meeting her when she’s in a coma.”
“Still, shouldn’t I let her know that hyung-nim has such a reliable younger brother?”
Kim Jin-woo deliberately showed an exaggerated reaction.
“It’s fine. Maybe when she gets better later.”
Kim Jin-woo had already met Mother before.
After learning that Mother had contracted magic stone disease, he immediately moved her to a VIP hospital room at Hanwoori.
As befitting a hospital in the Big 5, both the medical staff and medical facilities were top-notch.
They hardly charged for anything except the truly essential costs.
I suppose that’s the role of a Guild Master.
‘Could that guy be in danger too?’
I was planning to take separate measures for the guild members, but…
“Jin-woo.”
“Yes, hyung.”
“Keep this on you.”
I handed Jin-woo a bracelet made by crossing two strings together.
“What is this?”
Jin-woo tilted his head with a puzzled expression.
“It’s a protective artifact. Always wear it.”
“R-really?”
At the mention of an artifact, Jin-woo respectfully received the string bracelet with both hands.
“Well, I’ll be going out for a bit.”
“Understood, hyung! Please be careful!”
***
I delivered coffee and light snacks to the doctors and nurses sitting at the desk, then headed straight to the hospital room.
When I opened the hospital room door and entered, Mother was lying there surrounded by countless life support equipment along with beeping machine sounds.
Parts of her skin had turned like magic stones,
while the surrounding mana devices were suppressing the progression.
“…”
I looked at Mother for a moment, then slowly walked to her side.
It was my first visit to the hospital in a long time, using being busy as an excuse.
The life of a family member of a patient receiving life support treatment isn’t particularly pleasant.
Financial problems are one thing, but it’s because you can’t easily let go even knowing treatment is difficult.
At least I’m better off than most.
Financial issues are no longer a problem, and most importantly…
I now have a way to cure Mother.
My desire to become stronger, to keep climbing higher, was all directed toward one goal.
Golden Fragrance’s Elixir.
I silently tied a string bracelet around Mother’s arm.
While not as much as Aegis, it had quite a variety of spells engraved on it.
I took considerable care to ensure it wouldn’t interfere with the surrounding equipment.
That alone was sufficient to guarantee Mother’s safety.
After tying the bracelet for her, I tidied up around the bed.
I adjusted her position to be more comfortable and covered her with the blanket again.
Then I looked at her silently for a moment before leaving the hospital room.
After greeting the doctor and nurses, asking them to please take good care of Mother, I left the hospital.
As I exited the hospital, my phone rang.
It was the Association President.
It seemed the interrogation results had come out.
“I’m taking your call.”
– Merchant. This is really embarrassing to say, but…
His hesitation seemed somehow ominous.
– Nokchung’s Raid Leader is dead.
***
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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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