You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 50

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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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50

 

 

 

Thud.

 

With the sound of the door closing, the cavern fell into silence.

 

I stood still and gazed at the sculpture.

 

‘It’s more complete than before…’

 

The moment the door closed and we were completely cut off from the outside, the sculpture’s appearance shone even brighter.

 

It wasn’t emotions on the level of cool or pretty.

 

Overwhelming.

 

It felt like standing before magnificent nature.

 

‘To think such a work is unfinished…’

 

But regardless of my admiration, no changes occurred.

 

‘How am I supposed to learn Ghostly Energy here…’

 

Aside from the sculpture, there was nothing special in this cavern.

 

Darkness fell as the door closed, leaving only the light illuminating the sculpture as the sole source of illumination.

 

It was somewhat cool, but that was probably because the cavern itself was built from stone.

 

A masterpiece sculpture placed in the dark cavern.

Right now, that was all there was in this place.

 

‘Should I try releasing some Ghostly Energy?’

 

The only thing I could do now was practice handling Ghostly Energy.

 

I took my stance and quietly spread Ghostly Energy.

 

Sharply, sometimes scattering it like waves.

Just as I handled Karmic Fire, I familiarized myself with Ghostly Energy.

As if I had entered a training manual, continuing with various modifications.

 

That was my way of understanding from the beginning.

 

Directly confronting, and if I fell, getting back up again.

If it didn’t work, doing it until it did—through that stubborn process, I had gradually learned on my own.

 

It was the same when I didn’t have a training manual.

 

When I first became a Porter, all I had was my body, so there was a time when I stubbornly stuffed by-products into cargo bags.

 

‘That day my muscles tore and I was bedridden for a week.’

 

Still, I threw myself back into porter work.

 

Through those small margins of error, I gradually improved and became a fairly skilled Porter.

 

Organizing my thoughts like that, I continued practicing handling Ghostly Energy.

 

Then the Ghostly Energy I released in a semicircle grazed the sculpture’s cheek.

 

“…!”

 

Like a child who had caused an accident while playing around, I was startled and rushed to the sculpture.

 

Fortunately, since it was formless energy, no traces were left on the sculpture.

 

I was relieved that I hadn’t provoked Ahn Hyeon-su’s anger,

and above all, I breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that I hadn’t committed the folly of destroying a masterpiece of humanity with my own hands.

 

‘I should practice a bit further away this time.’

 

Just in case.

 

If I destroyed such a work with my own hands… that would be quite depressing.

 

It was when I was checking the sculpture one last time before turning back.

 

“Were the corners of its mouth raised originally?”

 

In my memory, the sculpture had no expression.

 

Rather, that was what made the sculpture dignified.

 

“Huh…? Why does it keep going up?”

 

The sculpture, as if it had no intention of hiding it, began to smile in earnest.

Of course, no laughter could be heard.

 

The sculpture had a long, silent burst of laughter.

 

The sculpture, which had abruptly stopped laughing, looked me over once.

 

Then it gripped the massive Dokkaebi Club with both hands and struck down hard on the platform.

 

With a thud, the ground shook.

 

That was the moment.

 

A gentle light began to spread along the club.

 

Soon the light that touched the stone chamber wall began drawing shapes along the wall surface like ink spilling on paper.

 

At first it looked like geometric patterns.

But gradually it took shape, and a face became visible.

Ghosts with three arms, forms that could be beasts or humans.

 

It was no longer a mural.

 

‘…They’re coming out.’

 

The ghostly beings drawn in the mural were breaking through the wall and crossing into reality.

 

One, two— in an instant dozens, hundreds of ghosts tore through the wall and revealed themselves.

 

“…”

 

‘Dolsoe said those with ghostly energy have the qualities of a king, so this is what he meant.’

 

The person who served as the model for that statue. No, the goblin must be a predecessor who possessed ghostly energy.

 

Not the incomplete ghostly energy I currently have, but one who truly possessed the qualities of a king.

 

‘The king of Evil Spirits…’

 

Though I find ghosts repulsive…

 

The statue sat perched on the platform, staring at me.

 

As if testing me.

 

I drew Galmu and ignited Karmic Fire.

 

“Tsk…”

 

 

After clicking my tongue, I extinguished the Karmic Fire and sheathed Galmu.

 

If I used Karmic Fire, blowing away the ghosts in this place would be child’s play.

 

But if I did that, it wouldn’t be a test in the first place.

 

Looking around, menacing-looking beings had surrounded me.

 

Ghosts. No, more precisely, ghostly beings.

They were beings called Evil Spirits.

 

I stepped forward with one foot and lowered my stance.

 

I ignited ghostly energy throughout my body like wrapping myself in Karmic Fire.

 

That became the signal.

 

They all turned their heads toward me.

 

And simultaneously,

 

“Kiiiiiiiiik—!”

 

A soundless scream rang out as if striking the mind.

 

The ghosts all rushed toward me at once.

 

***

 

***

 

A hoe came flying from behind.

 

I reflexively lowered my body.

 

I immediately straightened up and drove my fist into its jaw.

 

‘There’s no end to this.’

 

I had been fighting for quite a while, but the number of Evil Spirits showed no signs of decreasing.

 

From wrapping my body like Karmic Fire to strengthen my physical form, to releasing energy like shooting out killing intent.

 

I had long since become accustomed to handling ghostly energy.

 

Soon I felt I would be able to use it together with Karmic Fire.

 

But as if this wasn’t the answer, the statue continued watching my battle in the same position as before.

 

‘There’s no end.’

 

At some point, my fingertips cutting down ghosts had become numb.

 

I swung my ghostly energy once again.

 

But it was useless.

 

No matter how I cut, tore, and destroyed them, new ghosts crawled out through the wall.

Even when cut, torn, and destroyed, new ears crawled out through the walls.

 

I looked around.

 

This space I was in was a testing ground.

 

But I couldn’t figure out what exactly was being tested.

 

The ability to use Ghostly Energy?

Or, how many demons can you defeat?

The statue still didn’t move.

Sitting on the platform, that expression watching me—

Anticipation.

The subtle curve of the statue’s lips formed a smile that seemed to be waiting for something.

‘Expect?’

That meant my thinking was heading somewhere toward the right answer.

I quickly went back over the meaning of this test from the beginning.

Ahn Hyeon-su said that he could fully master the demonic energy here.

In other words, through this trial I can fully awaken my demonic energy.

Then… what is demonic energy?

It just wasn’t the aura of a ghost.

Then I recalled the goblins’ reaction when I unconsciously used demonic energy.

‘I told them I would become their king.’

A king…?

At the end of that meaning I kept pondering over, my gaze turned toward the statue.

“Tsk…”

I had misunderstood the purpose of the test from the very beginning.

This wasn’t a test aimed at awakening demonic energy.

Evaluating the qualities of a king… Yes, it was fitting to call it a kind of coronation ceremony.

The king of demons and spirits, facing retirement, is testing whether or not to pass the crown to me, who possesses ghostly energy…

‘How could the answer be right when you’re checking option 6 on a multiple choice question?’

At that moment, the statue’s expression looked different.

‘That was the look of a professor evaluating a graduate school candidate.’

How thrilling it must be for a professor to see a college student who, after just a brief hint, goes ahead and covers the next chapters on their own.

That was exactly the expression on the statue.

In fact, the answer had already been revealed.

Because the statue showed it first.

“One cannot become a king or ruler alone.”

Just as the statue summoned those demons, I too can call forth my people.

They also explained the method very kindly.

I drew my small population of 41 people with precious care.

As he drew with his fingertips like brushstrokes in the air, lines of demonic energy spread out and took shape.

And finally, the Old Purple Pottery that embraced them all.

 

And they soon became reality.

 

As if stepping beyond a painting, the Goblins began to reveal themselves one by one over the boundary spread with Ghostly Energy.

 

“I was definitely in the Guild Lobby though?”

“Oh, Mister Kim!”

 

From Goblins confused by the sudden situation to those who spotted me and waved their hands.

 

They gathered behind me with various reactions.

 

Most were surprised reactions, but exactly one person, no, one Goblin let out a delighted laugh.

 

“Kekeke, as expected of Mister Kim. This day came much sooner than I thought.”

 

It was Dolsoe.

 

The only being who believed I would become a true king, not just Mister Kim.

 

“You’ve roughly grasped the situation, right?”

“You get the gist of the situation, right?”

 

“You lot. There are too many pests in the master’s path.”

 

With Dolsoe’s words, the goblins all rushed out in unison.

 

***

 

Once the goblins stepped forward, the Evil Spirits were dealt with in an instant.

 

Well, they weren’t just any goblins—they were goblins I had brought directly from Golden Township.

 

No matter how powerful the spirits summoned by the king were, they were no match for my goblins.

 

I slowly walked toward the statue.

 

The statue slowly raised its body.

As if to greet me.

 

Then it extended its hand toward me.

 

On its palm floated a small, black crown.

 

That was the essence of the Ghostly Energy that had dwelled within the statue.

 

The statue slowly brought the crown above my head with both hands.

 

I didn’t refuse.

 

That was also the meaning of having passed this trial.

 

The moment the crown was placed on my head, pressure and Ghostly Energy penetrated my entire body.

 

At the same time, cracks began to appear in the statue.

 

The fissures that started from the cheek soon spread throughout the entire body, and the statue became a handful of powder that was absorbed into my body.

 

Simultaneously, familiar message windows appeared in succession.

 

[The Crown of Bihyeongrang, King of Evil Spirits, is being inherited.]

[Ghostly Energy stat greatly increases.]

[Ghostly Energy stat greatly increases.]

…

 

***

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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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