You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 5
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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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5
100, 110, 120—
“It’s going up this much?”
The bidding price for Poo Ramen shot up in an instant.
When it surpassed 200 gold,
[Successfully bid by ‘Forge That Tempers Fire’.]
[Winning bid amount: 210G]
[Payment has been transferred.]
[Gold held: 56G -> 266G]
It was won by a god with a fiery alias that seemed like they’d run a blacksmith shop.
“…”
210 gold…
Seeing the winning bid amount left me speechless for a moment.
This is really the price of a single cup ramen?
I stared at the screen intently.
The gold I earned today from running the Slime Dungeon all day was 90 gold.
I made more than twice what I earned sweating blood all day, with just one convenience store cup ramen.
“Haha…”
It felt unreal.
Only after checking the gold displayed on the screen again did I accept it as reality.
‘If this is really true…’
At the same time, a sure way to earn gold formed in my mind.
I immediately ran to a convenience store I spotted.
“Welcome.”
The Part-timer’s greeting didn’t even register in my ears.
I quickly began scanning the store.
Cup ramen, protein bars, mask packs…
I swept whatever I could grab into my basket.
I had already abandoned the thought ‘there’s no way this stuff would sell.’
This was a place where a small cup of Poo Ramen sold for 200 gold.
Trying to judge gods by human standards was completely useless.
The Part-timer seemed quite flustered seeing the items piled high on the counter, but scripted phrases flowed from their mouth.
“Uh… do you need a bag?”
“No.”
There was no hesitation in the hand that swiped the card.
***
I headed to a secluded Empty Lot behind the convenience store.
Cup ramen, protein bars, short-sleeve cotton t-shirts… I laid out all the products I bought from the convenience store in a row.
“If all of this really turns into gold…”
I took out my smartphone and registered each item one by one.
[Registration of ‘Even More Protein Shake’ has been completed.]
[Registration of ‘Blueberry Cream Cheese Pang’ has been completed.]
…
[Registration of ‘Moisture Bomb Beauty Mask Pack’ has been completed.]
After finishing registration up to the last mask pack, I waited quietly.
Not all worldly items would sell well, surely.
I wasn’t certain yet, but…
The aliases in Golden Township seemed to reflect each god’s personality or abilities.
If my thinking was correct, I could figure out what items they preferred through their aliases.
‘If they really act according to their aliases…’
I could create a market that only I could supply.
The only human who could access the gods’ Auction House.
I was the only one who could sell mortal world items in Golden Township.
I hoped my assumptions were correct as I watched Golden Township’s screen.
And before long—
[‘Even More Protein Shake’ bidding begins.]
[‘Moisture Bomb Beauty Mask Pack’ bidding begins.]
…
The bidding had started.
As I swiped the screen with my finger,
‘Lion Wielding a Club’
‘Moon Shooting Silver Arrows’
‘Breath Embracing Spring’
…
The epithets of the gods bidding on items were displayed in a long list.
‘As expected….’
I nodded as I looked at the items they bid on.
‘Lion Wielding a Club’
…Most likely a strength-focused war god.
It was natural for such a god to covet high-protein foods.
‘Moon Shooting Silver Arrows’.
The moon is traditionally connected to beauty, so their inclination was clear just from the epithet.
For such a god, mask packs would be quite attractive items.
As the auction progressed, my expectations solidified into certainty.
“Just as I expected.”
Their bidding perfectly reflected their mythological identities.
Before I knew it, my heart was beating rapidly.
Now I was beginning to see the picture of how to earn gold.
In today’s world, quite a few gods had revealed themselves.
If I could target their known characteristics…
I slowly rose from my seat.
Bidding notifications were constantly popping up on my smartphone screen.
[‘Even More Protein Shake’ has been won by ‘Lion Wielding a Club’.]
[‘Moisture Bomb Beauty Mask Pack’ has been won by ‘Moon Shooting Silver Arrows’.]
[‘Blueberry Cream Cheese Pang’ has been won by ‘Breath Embracing Spring’.]
[Payment has been transferred.]
[Payment has been transferred.]
[Payment has been transferred.]
…
[Gold Held: 920G -> 1,278G]
The gold began to increase noticeably.
“This should be enough to proceed to the next stage right away.”
I slowly steadied my breathing and closed Golden Township.
Now it was time to bring this gold into ‘reality’.
***
The next day.
I finished the slime subjugation request and left the Management Bureau.
I had earned quite a lot of gold by selling convenience store items, but I didn’t purchase any stats or weapons.
Rapid growth could actually be poisonous.
First, I needed to build a foundation.
After all, my goal was to earn gold in the first place.
Bringing gold into reality wasn’t too difficult.
True to its name Golden Township, that place overflowed with countless items hard to find in reality.
And I knew how to get proper value for these items.
Cheongram Trading Company.
It was the greatest and largest guild in South Korea, organized by merchant-class Hunters.
A nation-scale trading company.
There, I could safely complete transactions while hiding my identity.
‘Since I bought through auction, I should sell through auction too.’
I immediately took a bus to Jongno, where the Cheongram Trading Company Main Branch was located.
***
The bus passed through a massive arched entrance marked ‘Cheongram Trading Company’.
From that moment, the scenery changed.
Well-maintained roads and buildings lined up in rows.
Everything was connected like one small city.
The shops, buildings, and even cultural properties lining the roads all bore the Cheongram Trading Company mark.
‘They really bought an entire city.’
I couldn’t help but admire the scenery outside the window.
After passing several more stops, the Cheongram Trading Company’s Auction House building finally came into view in the distance.
– Next stop is Cheongram Trading Company Auction House, Cheongram Trading Company Auction House. The doors will open on…
I quickly pressed the stop button.
As I got off the bus, a building with floor-to-ceiling glass walls revealed itself.
The moment I passed the golden sign reading ‘Cheongram Trading Company Integrated Auction House’ and entered the Lobby, a subtle musk scent and calm lighting greeted me.
At the same time, a waiting Staff Member from the trading company approached.
Dressed in a black suit with a white mask covering about half their face.
It was the uniform-like attire of Cheongram Trading Company.
“Welcome to Cheongram Trading Company. What brings you here today?”
“I’d like to register items for auction.”
“I see. I’ll guide you right away.”
Following the Staff Member’s guidance through a door, a massive space filled with small counters packed closely together appeared.
As I sat at the assigned Counter,
“Nice to meet you, customer. I’m Lee Hee-tae, a Grade 2 auctioneer.”
An appraiser wearing a Monocle greeted me with a friendly smile.
“May I examine the items you’d like to register?”
“Here they are.”
I carefully placed the items on the counter.
Two small boxes.
Inside them were a bubbling green liquid in a transparent flask and a single red feather.
They were the E-grade Hydra’s Breath and F-grade Phoenix Feather I had purchased in Golden Township.
It was disappointing that I could only get one feather due to the bidding competition,
but while they might be the lowest grades F and E in Golden Township, in reality they would easily be B-grade or higher items.
Appraiser Lee Hee-tae moved his Monocle around as he appraised the items.
Following his hand movements, glowing letters began to form like documents above the items.
About 5 minutes passed like this.
Appraiser Lee Hee-tae removed the Monocle from his eye and frowned.
“The Appraisal… isn’t working?”
It was a quiet whisper, but I heard it clearly.
‘They’ll be rated A-grade or higher.’
What expression would that appraiser make if he knew I bought those items with Cup Ramen money?
After a brief silence,
“I apologize, customer. This is beyond my Appraisal scope. According to regulations, I need to call a senior appraiser. Could you wait a moment please?”
When I nodded briefly, he bowed and hurried away.
Soon after, a middle-aged man in a black suit approached with quick steps.
On his chest was a nameplate reading ‘Cheongram Trading Company Team Leader Lee Woo-ram’.
“Thank you for waiting. I’m Lee Woo-ram, a Grade 1 auctioneer at Cheongram Trading Company. I’ll examine the items right away.”
Team Leader Lee Woo-ram took a short breath and slowly put on gloves.
He began examining the items with polite yet skilled movements.
As his fingertips brushed over the items, subtle vibrations occurred.
Simultaneously, a Quill Pen that appeared beside him began writing something rapidly.
As the pen tip touched the Parchment, letters made of Mana were carved in real-time.
After a moment, the Quill Pen disappeared and two sheets of luxurious Parchment floated up.
“…”
Team Leader Lee Woo-ram’s expression subtly contorted as he checked the appraisal certificate.
When he raised his head, his eyes had completely changed from before.
“Quite… a unique item.”
“Is that so?”
“Hydra’s Breath not only provides poison resistance, but also has the effect of amplifying recovery speed for a certain period of time. It even has the function of pushing up the ‘maximum recovery limit’ itself.”
It had one more effect than similar items of the same type.
This meant it wasn’t just a simple A-grade.
“Honestly, ‘absurd’ would be a more fitting description.”
He held back his words for a moment, then quietly added:
“By internal standards, it’s A-grade. But its actual value is beyond that.”
Team Leader Lee Woo-ram closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
“To be honest, you could get a higher price if you put it up for auction. But this… we’d like to secure it first.”
At those words, the corners of my mouth unconsciously rose.
When Team Leader Lee Woo-ram, a first-class auctioneer, said “we,” it meant Cheongram Trading Company’s position, not his personal one.
“Let me hear the conditions.”
“Without fees or taxes, we’ll purchase Hydra’s Breath for 900 million and Phoenix Feather for 600 million. A total of 1.5 billion. Additionally, we’ll provide you with Cheongram Trading Company VIP membership and priority purchase rights.”
‘Cheongram Trading Company VIP membership?’
I was speechless at the conditions he presented.
Not just anyone could become a VIP of Cheongram Trading Company.
No matter how much money you had or how much you purchased from the company, none of that mattered.
The method of joining wasn’t even publicly known to begin with.
The only VIP members known to the public were the lord of Alchemy Castle or S-grade crafting-type Hunters who were apostles of Hephaestus.
Cheongram Trading Company was an organization that prioritized trust and security above all else.
For such a place to grant VIP status—
it became a kind of guarantee.
Having only traded two Golden Fragrance Items, these were absurd conditions.
And priority purchase rights on top of that.
This meant Cheongram Trading Company would accept me as an official trading route.
It was a promise to purchase items first at the highest price above any other price.
‘They’re treating me not as a simple customer, but as a business partner.’
For someone in my position who needed to continuously trade Golden Township items, these were the best conditions possible.
No matter how much I thought about it, there was no trap.
No, Cheongram Trading Company had no need to trap me in the first place.
I was still just an F-grade porter after all.
“Good. Let’s make the deal.”
I nodded and extended my hand.
“From now on, please look for me at the Front Desk. Even if I’m absent, an auctioneer of the same level will attend to you.”
With those words and Team Leader Lee Woo-ram’s courteous escort, I left the Auction House.
Ding.
[Deposit 1,500,000,000 won 06/11]
The moment the number ‘1.5 billion’ appeared on my smartphone, I quietly exhaled.
‘With this… it begins.’
***
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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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