You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 80
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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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80
With every breath I took, metallic dust and the smell of burning caught on the tip of my tongue.
Liu Chen’s right upper body appeared burned, with skin peeled away and cooked red.
However, the Ghost Stone embedded in his chest glowed, and he began regenerating at a rapid pace.
Liu Chen raised his left arm and absorbed the remaining flames.
“Truly impressive. I never thought of such an application.”
Afterimages swept across Liu Chen’s body made of Gemstone Weapons.
Liu Chen’s creaking body seemed to reboot, returning to normal once again.
“Are you even human?”
At a glance, more than two-thirds of his body was composed of Gemstone Weapons.
“Of course I’m human. For now, at least.”
Liu Chen spoke calmly.
“That’s why I cherish the only remaining human part.”
As he said this, Heavy Armor formed over Liu Chen’s right upper body.
“I see…”
I readjusted my grip on Galmu.
I concentrated Karmic Fire in my eyes.
The Blue Flames in my pupils soon turned red as my Fire Eyes opened.
Having spent so long in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, I had reached the level where I could maintain Fire Eyes even while sleeping.
As my Fire Eyes opened slightly, the inscriptions covering Liu Chen’s body glowed pale white.
Patterns intricately woven with mana lines.
Each and every one of them was a massive Magic Circle.
‘Each individual Magic Circle connects to high-level magic.’
It really felt like the work of a Cult.
Honestly, could a person with such magical engineering skills even exist?
“There’s still a bit more time left. I suppose I can go wild for a while.”
Liu Chen smiled. The Ghost Stone slot on his left made a whirring engine sound.
It was the moment the inscribed magic activated.
In that instant, an area effect was deployed.
Thin lines on the Floor extended outward, forming a grid.
The air became thick, and invisible gravity pressed down on my ankles.
The moment the space was complete, Liu Chen charged toward me.
Electric Current flowed through his left fist.
I raised Galmu upward, deflecting his punch.
Sparks flew.
“Electric Current causes damage just by contact.”
As he said, my wrist tingled.
I spun my body around and delivered a kick infused with Karmic Fire.
Liu Chen crossed his Lightning-charged arms to block it.
Similarly, Electric Current traveled up through my foot.
I quickly guided the Electric Current that entered my body.
The Electric Current that entered through my right foot, I channeled through my left foot into the ground.
The path the Electric Current took tingled.
But it didn’t matter.
This was a body that had withstood bundles of Electric Current from Gnugn’s Lightning giant.
And I launched a counterattack.
“Does Lightning also block explosions?”
Karmic Fire exploded from my toes.
Liu Chen’s body lifted and flew backward.
Even while flying back, he was absorbing the flames of Karmic Fire with his left hand.
‘How annoying.’
Every single one of the Cult bastards had artifacts that absorbed energy.
Not just Karmic Fire, but even Frost Fire.
Since the explosion was absorbed, I couldn’t deal any meaningful damage.
“…”
I stared at the corridor for a moment, then transformed Galmu’s shape.
From the crude kitchen knife form to the pair of daggers it had absorbed.
I gripped the two daggers that had multiplied in both hands.
Then I ignited my energy.
Karmic Fire on one side, ghostly energy on the other.
Then I kicked off the ground and charged toward Liu Chen.
A magic circle glowed above Liu Chen’s fingers.
At the same time, metal spikes poured toward me from the installed grid space.
I didn’t dodge and charged straight ahead, unleashing dominating pressure.
‘How dare you. Trying to attack me with ghostly energy.’
The dominating pressure that spread with a thudding sound completely annihilated the metal spikes.
As the path opened, I swept both daggers horizontally.
The sharp, dull sound of metal clashing against metal filled the corridor.
Liu Chen was catching my daggers with his reinforced hands.
“Pushing back with higher-level ghostly energy… impressive.”
“Then how about this?”
I unleashed dominating pressure once more.
The ghostly energy that burst from my step dispelled the enchant on Liu Chen’s hands.
“Damn…!”
For the first time, panic showed on Liu Chen’s face.
Liu Chen pulled back his body at high speed, but the dagger had already grazed his palm.
Blood flowed from Liu Chen’s palm.
No, blood was flowing from only one palm.
From his left hand made of gemstone weapon, only black fragments were falling.
“It’ll take quite some time to repair the magic circle engraved on your palm.”
He seemed more worried about his left hand made of gemstone weapon than his bleeding right hand.
I didn’t stop and charged toward him.
Liu Chen, whose balance was disrupted by the sudden situation, was busy just blocking attacks.
Once again, the dagger in my left hand grazed the back of his hand.
Gemstone fragments fell, and the grid space that had been set on the ground disappeared.
The invisible gravity that had been pulling at my feet vanished.
With my body lightened, I began pressing Liu Chen at an even faster speed.
The gemstone weapon flickered repeatedly.
The density increased along the dagger’s trajectory, absorbing the attack,
then stone spears simultaneously erupted from the ceiling and floor, twisting at the same angle to stab inward.
While I neutralized the attack with dominating pressure,
the magic circle near Liu Chen’s feet activated, instantly creating distance between us.
Though my knowledge of magic was shallow, I could tell that Liu Chen’s series of actions just now was absurd.
Absorption, deployment, transfer.
He continuously activated the most basic enchants, using them like one giant magic spell.
It wasn’t simply activating enchants carved into the gemstone weapon.
He was adjusting the magic circles carved into the gemstone like his own body, completing calculations in that split second and using them consecutively.
How many Hunters in the world could do such a thing?
At most, about three?
Indeed, he wasn’t to be taken lightly.
My admiration ends here.
Liu Chen still hadn’t properly revealed his true abilities.
He was buying time.
I could be certain of it.
And for good reason—I could see it with my own eyes.
The two aides Liu Chen had given orders to just moments ago.
They were scheming behind us.
The mana lines reflected in my Fire Eyes spread downward, connecting throughout the entire building.
‘He’s planning to blow up the entire building.’
That was good news for me.
If they needed to make such preparations before fleeing, it meant there were quite important materials remaining here.
“Bishop, all preparations are complete!”
I heard Liu Chen’s aide shouting from behind.
And besides the explosion, there was something else the other aide was preparing.
Through my Fire Eyes, I confirmed traces of high-level teleportation magic.
‘An escape teleport magic circle?’
That was why Liu Chen had focused on defense rather than offense.
“It seems it’s time for us to bid our farewells.”
Liu Chen released cold energy from his left hand.
It was the energy of Frost Fire he had absorbed until now.
After erecting a thick ice wall, he ran toward the magic circle at high speed.
“I won’t let you escape this time.”
Ghostly energy is an intangible force.
When has a ghost ever been unable to pass through objects?
The ghostly energy that passed through the ice wall pursued Liu Chen.
Then the ghostly energy threw Karmic Fire along that trajectory.
When the Karmic Fire passed through the ice wall following that path, only then did the flame’s energy explode into a wildfire.
The Karmic Fire spread rapidly along that trajectory.
And it was the moment it caught up to Liu Chen’s speed.
When the energy at the end fused into one, sword energy that was piercingly hot penetrated straight through Liu Chen’s body.
With a slicing sound, Liu Chen’s upper body was split apart.
Liu Chen’s hollow gaze lingered in midair.
It was the moment when the only remaining human part of him was severed.
He didn’t seem to feel the pain of having his upper body torn away.
He could only watch as his humanity was so easily cut away.
Reflexively, he stretched out his left arm.
If it was cut this cleanly, reattaching it would be easy.
But unfortunately.
The teleport magic circle that had already activated couldn’t be stopped.
Just before his hand could reach the last remaining human part, he was teleported away.
“Tch…”
I picked up Liu Chen’s fallen upper body.
If it hadn’t been for the basement, I would have blown away his entire body, not just the upper half.
If I had unleashed my full power properly, I would have been buried alive in the basement.
Still, having Yamyeong gather information had been a good choice.
There were important materials they had tried to erase by even installing explosive magic circles.
And at the same time as that thought, a problem I had forgotten while focusing solely on catching Liu Chen came to mind.
The hot heat that instantly brightened at the end of the corridor.
Ah, right. There was a bomb.
I immediately swung Galmu toward the mana lines connected to the floor.
***
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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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