You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 67

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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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67

 

 

 

The Samachae emitted an eerie light as it burrowed into the ground.

 

Drrrrrk—!

 

The sound of chain links turning echoed continuously.

 

Then, scraping against the earth, the Samachae rose up.

 

The Samachae intertwined like barbed wire, forming a massive dome.

 

Rather than a prison, it looked like an octagon-shaped arena.

 

As I inhaled, the metallic scent and smell of blood stung my nose.

 

The walls made of Samachae whips were emanating a bloodless, pale aura.

 

As if that pale aura had drained my vitality, my body became heavy as lead.

 

At the same time, being in this place felt uncomfortable.

 

It wasn’t simply due to pressure, but some instinctive rejection beyond that.

 

And the moment I looked at Carmen on the opposite side, I intuitively knew this space was designed to favor her.

 

In Carmen’s hand was a Samachae with only the handle remaining.

 

When she twisted something, the Samachae’s handle made a clanking sound as it covered her hand like iron armor.

 

“Do you know why this place is called the Crimson Body Prison?”

 

Massive thorns grew from the chain walls, pointing at me.

 

I raised Galmu diagonally and took my stance.

 

Carmen threw back her red hair and laughed.

 

“It means you can only leave when your body is stained red.”

 

With those words, she charged at me.

 

Her fist flew at me like lightning.

 

I raised Galmu diagonally to deflect it, but the impact penetrated much deeper than expected.

 

‘Heavy.’

 

It was a different force from her previous whip attacks.

 

The Samachae transformed into gauntlets was delivering power beyond simple strikes.

 

Moreover, this space.

 

My senses were dulling, and my reaction speed was falling behind.

 

Carmen released the pressure from her gauntlets and quickly accelerated.

 

Soon, Carmen, who had penetrated close to my body, drove her fist straight into my abdomen.

 

I quickly crossed my arms to create a shield wrapped in Karmic Fire.

 

I could block the direct impact, but I couldn’t prevent my body from flying toward the wall.

 

No, that was what Carmen had been aiming for from the start.

 

Driving me toward the Wall Side.

 

As I approached the Wall Side, the thorns protruding from the dome’s wall all shot toward me at once.

 

I twisted my body and cut down several strands, but one that grazed my side dug shallowly into my flesh.

 

The blood flowing from the wound on my side was sucked into the wall as if drawn by a magnet.

 

“How is it? The feeling of your body turning red.”

 

Just as she said, my side was continuously bleeding and turning red.

 

But the meaning of her words didn’t register in my mind.

 

‘It causes continuous bleeding…’

 

Even though it was just a shallow cut, having blood continuously drained like this was problematic.

 

Moreover, after the Crimson Body Prison began absorbing blood, Carmen’s aura was growing stronger.

 

The walls of the Crimson Body Prison seemed to have grown redder too.

 

I had never heard of such an artifact before.

 

Where does the Cult obtain artifacts like this?

 

Meanwhile, Carmen’s fist came rushing at me like lightning.

 

I blocked it with my crossed arms, but the recoil hit harder than expected.

 

Even the moment when Karmic Fire absorbed the impact, it was crushed and extinguished.

 

‘The Karmic Fire… is getting heavier.’

 

The Crimson Body Prison pressed down on my breathing, and my limbs felt slow as lead.

 

My reactions were getting half a beat slower.

 

Moreover, Carmen understood the Crimson Body Prison perfectly.

 

When she threw punches to create openings, the Crimson Body Prison writhed simultaneously.

 

Red chains rattled as they spread apart, then sharp thorns poured out like arrows.

 

The thorns themselves weren’t particularly powerful.

 

But there was no way to block all the thorn rain pouring down like a downpour when Karmic Fire was restricted.

 

When small wounds formed like that, the Crimson Body Prison sucked up the blood again.

 

A vicious cycle repeated where I kept getting weaker while Carmen grew stronger.

 

Now thorns poured from all directions even without touching the walls.

 

I swung Galmu quickly to deflect them, but blood burst out from my side again.

 

Seeing the spurting blood, the Crimson Body Prison greedily opened its maw.

 

‘This won’t work.’

 

My breathing became labored and my head felt dizzy.

 

The bleeding was severe.

 

Before I knew it, my clothes below the waist were stained red.

 

The solution to this situation was simple.

 

‘If it grows stronger from my blood, I just need to prevent it from sucking blood.’

 

I closed my eyes.

 

When I closed my eyes, Carmen approached and spoke.

 

“What? Are you giving up already? Have you finally decided to join the Cult?”

 

Her voice echoed in my ears before fading away.

 

My heart became quiet as if it had stopped for a moment.

 

My hot breath cooled down.

 

My skin turned pale.

White frost slowly spread across the back of my hand.

White vapor drifted from my mouth.

 

The image I recalled was one thing.

 

The Cold Fire I had kindled at Haein’s Forge.

 

It was that moment when the Karmic Fire burning on Galmu and my body was instantly extinguished.

 

‘Frost Fire.’

 

Crackle—!

 

“Wh-what?!”

 

Carmen quickly backed away from the sudden cold energy.

 

But she couldn’t escape the rapidly expanding cold energy of the Frost Fire.

 

She froze solid in her backstep position.

 

The cold frost passed through her and spread throughout the entire Crimson Body Prison.

 

The walls that had been sucking up red blood were instantly covered in ice.

 

Thorns writhed trying to break through, but soon froze and snapped off.

 

The interior of the Crimson Body Prison turned into an ice rink in an instant.

 

Blood no longer flowed from my body.

 

Because the wounds themselves had frozen.

 

I slowly approached Carmen.

 

I traced my fingertips over her frozen face.

 

The Karmic Fire flowing through my hand melted that part.

 

“Haaah…!”

 

As breath burst out, part of Carmen’s face thawed.

 

“You… what the hell are you?”

 

Carmen glared at me with an expression mixing shock and rage.

 

“A god?”

 

“You’re not exactly sane either.”

 

“Probably about half, I’d say.”

 

At my words, Carmen drew in a sharp breath.

 

Then she began muttering something under her breath.

 

The walls of the Crimson Body Prison cracked with a splitting sound, and red chains shot toward me at high speed.

 

I quickly pulled my body back.

 

“I have no intention of losing like this.”

 

From the beginning, the red chains weren’t aiming for me.

 

The chains changed direction and struck the frozen Carmen directly.

 

“Kugh!”

 

The shattering impact struck Carmen’s entire body.

 

Carmen spat blood as she broke through the ice.

 

Before I knew it, the Samachae had returned to whip form in her hands.

 

The ice that had been supported by the chains collapsed, creating a thick mist.

 

Though the fog hung thick, my Ki Sense didn’t lose track of her movements.

 

I raised Galmu diagonally.

 

Then I ignited Ghostly Energy on the Frost Fire.

 

Above Galmu, not Karmic Fire but Ghostly Energy blazed.

 

I swung Galmu down toward Carmen just like that.

 

Kiiiiiiik—!

 

A Ghost Valley Cry echoed through the mist.

 

Invisible Sword Energy, carrying Frost Fire, flew in a straight line to cut through her.

 

***

 

When the mist cleared, she lay collapsed with a long diagonal wound carved across her body.

 

“Going to kill me?”

 

Looking up at me with her bloodied face, she smiled with resignation.

 

I exhaled briefly and looked down at her.

 

“No.”

 

Carmen’s eyes trembled faintly.

 

“I still have many things to ask you. So just stay unconscious for a while.”

 

I raised the spine of Galmu and brought it down.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

Swoosh!

 

The air split open as if torn, and a black hand suddenly emerged.

 

Bang!

 

The hand struck my body like a blow, sending me sliding backward.

 

“What the…?!”

 

The black hand immediately grabbed Carmen roughly by the nape of her neck.

 

Then it tried to drag her into the darkness that opened like a tear in the air.

 

“How dare you!”

 

I gripped Galmu with both hands.

 

Frost Fire and Ghostly Energy exploded simultaneously as the blade rang coldly.

 

A single strike cut through the air and pierced into the darkness.

 

Kiiiii—!

 

The Ghost Valley Cry echoed, but Carmen and that shadow had already disappeared into the shadow-like portal.

 

“Tsk… I let them escape after all.”

 

That’s when it happened.

 

The Dungeon Portal began vibrating violently and going berserk.

 

With Carmen, who had been acting as a restraint, gone, the Dungeon completely lost control and began spewing out everything.

 

From the distance, I could hear Dolsoe’s urgent voice.

 

“Mister Kim! If you’re done with your business, come help us out!”

 

I stared for a moment at the midair where Carmen had disappeared, then turned around.

 

***

 

 

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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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