You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 87

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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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87

 

 

If you commit a crime, you must be punished.

 

That was Association President Han Ki-cheol’s answer to whether he had finished organizing his thoughts.

 

‘Ruthless man…’

 

That natural single statement contained the Association President’s resolve.

 

There was one reason I was impressed by his decision.

 

The target to be judged—was someone who was like family to the Association President.

 

That’s why I deliberately gave him time.

To decide for himself.

 

Knowing the life the Association President had lived,

I thought he would ultimately make the right decision.

 

Since awakening as a Hunter, the Association President had executed justice in the name of ‘righteousness’.

 

That’s how he earned the title of hero.

 

Well, even if he had made a different decision, the result wouldn’t have changed…

 

Wealth and fame built on others’ lives could never be pardoned for any reason.

 

I silently nodded at his answer.

 

Now it was time to cut out the rotten roots remaining in Korea.

 

***

 

In front of a traditional mansion rarely seen in Seoul Downtown.

 

An antique Chinese character signboard hung on the gate.

 

Hero Hall.

 

True to its name, it was a space where someone once called a hero resided.

 

And today, it was also where the target of judgment was located.

 

Former Hunter Association President Kang Mu-heon.

 

He was the first Hunter to save Korea when the initial Break incidents occurred.

 

He was also like a master and father to Association President Han Ki-cheol.

 

When I found his name in the member registry, I doubted my eyes.

 

Even I thought it might be someone with the same name, so how much more so for the Association President.

 

After that denial ended, I made up reasons.

 

Former Association President Kang Mu-heon surely had his reasons.

 

It was a foolish thought from the beginning.

 

Young Hunters aged 18 to 25.

 

What reasonable justification could there be for sacrificing them as offerings?

 

But the information that Sadangpae infiltrated and brought back crushed even my last hope.

 

Kang Mu-heon was at the center of all those illegal activities recorded in the member registry.

 

Hero Hall, built and donated with taxpayers’ money.

 

Under that hypocritical name, this place had become an altar to satisfy Kang Mu-heon’s personal greed.

 

His achievements and name that appear in textbooks had merely become means to satisfy a corrupted hero’s desires.

 

I finally acknowledged that he was the center of the Korean Cult.

 

But questions still remained.

 

Why exactly?

Why did he become the cult’s dog?

 

Wealth and honor. He already had it all.

His name still remains in textbooks.

His life, his achievements, each and every one is being produced and broadcast as documentaries.

 

So why did he come to serve the cult?

 

That question still remained.

 

The armed Association President approached beside me.

 

Though I say armed, it wasn’t particularly elaborate.

 

Black martial uniform.

On the back panel, the character for ‘good’ was embroidered in white letters.

 

It was the outfit the Association President used to wear during his active days.

 

“Operations will be proceeding simultaneously at other locations as well.”

 

Judgment and complete annihilation.

 

That was the core of this operation.

 

The cult was organized in cells.

So we planned to attack all points simultaneously, not just specific parts.

 

What the Association President and I had been waiting for was simply the time to accurately identify all those points.

 

“You’ll wear this.”

 

The Association President held out a black face mask.

 

“Is that really necessary?”

 

“You might not need it, but I do.”

 

The Association President shook his head firmly.

 

“I want to peacefully finish my remaining term and retire normally.”

 

It seemed like he was already far from a peaceful retirement, but maybe that was just my imagination?

 

“I’d rather not get caught up in scandals about collusion with S-rank Hunters.”

 

“I’d rather avoid that too.”

 

I chuckled and put on the face mask the Association President handed me.

 

“Let’s head in now.”

 

The Association President surrounded the estate with the prepared Special Team.

 

The Association President drew his great sword.

 

Then the radio crackled to life.

 

“Alpha Team, entering.”

 

At those words, the Association President kicked down the main gate and entered the Hero Hall.

 

I hid slightly behind him and followed closely.

 

The Association President, as if remembering something, opened his mouth toward me.

 

“An S-rank Hunter should be fine even in smoke, right?”

 

“What?”

 

At that moment, smoke grenades poured over the wall.

 

‘Damn old man…’

 

Only then could I see the gas mask covering the Association President’s face.

 

***

 

“Are you alright? You’ve been coughing since earlier.”

 

“No problem, don’t worry about it.”

 

I could cover the smoke well enough with my Ki Sense.

I’d even fought bosses with my eyes closed when I was C-rank.

 

The smoke grenades deployed in the operation weren’t ordinary ones.

 

They were anti-Hunter CS gas with special magic treatment.

 

If I hadn’t quickly wrapped Karmic Fire around my mouth and nose, I would have suffered quite a bit from coughing.

 

Well, thanks to that I did realize that Karmic Fire had purification effects…

 

‘Should I be grateful for this?’

 

Aside from that, the inside of the estate was completely empty.

 

It was an anticlimactic result for having burst in so boldly with CS gas.

 

It seemed they already knew we were coming.

 

“Moving inside.”

 

The Association President took the lead and entered the estate.

 

“There might be traps, so don’t let your guard down.”

 

Considering that the enemy knew about today’s visit, wherever the information leaked from…

 

“It’s clean without a single trap.”

 

Not even a speck of dust appeared during our movement to the central building.

 

I activated Fire Eyes to check, but there were no hidden traps.

 

Reports came through the Association President’s radio.

 

“Team 2, no anomalies.”

“Team 3, no anomalies.”

 

All teams had finished their reports.

 

“It’s too quiet.”

 

“I agree.”

 

“Only the central room remains, so let’s take a brief rest and move immediately.”

 

We stopped in the corridor leading to the center of the estate.

 

Now only one room remained at the end of the corridor.

 

While gathering the other teams, a portrait hanging on the wall caught my eye.

 

It was a photo of Kang Mu-heon from his younger days.

 

Wearing the same martial uniform as the Association President, he was smiling brightly with a defeated monster at his feet.

 

It was a photo from a textbook.

 

It was said to recreate the moment he dealt with the boss of Seoul’s first Dungeon Break.

 

And now that same person was—

 

At that moment, the air trembled.

 

I quickly drew Galmu.

 

‘He’s coming.’

 

A powerful aura burst forth toward us.

 

The door at the end of the corridor slowly opened.

 

Not a single ray of light leaked from beyond the door.

However, from within that darkness, someone’s footsteps could be heard.

 

Firm and leisurely.

 

I slowly adjusted my face mask.

 

Today’s target

was revealing himself.

 

***

 

An elderly man in white martial arts uniform slowly walked out.

His hair had turned gray with time, and deep wrinkles were carved around his eyes.

 

Though his body was small, those years had accumulated into firmness, and his aura was anything but ordinary.

 

The man standing at the center of the Hunters in black martial uniforms marked with ‘Good’.

 

He was the former Association President and retired hero, Kang Mu-heon.

 

A brief standoff flowed between the two groups.

 

Kang Mu-heon was the first to break the silence.

 

“Since you weren’t coming in from the door, I came out first.”

 

The Association President quietly drew his sword.

 

“I didn’t expect you to come out personally.”

 

“Hide-and-seek at this age is a bit much, don’t you think.”

 

Kang Mu-heon’s voice was low and firm.

The weight of long years was carried within it.

 

“Ki-cheol.”

 

He spoke gently.

 

“It’s not too late even now.”

 

“Is that… Master’s answer?”

 

The Association President’s lips pressed firmly together.

 

A brief silence.

 

The Association President adjusted his grip on his sword and took a stance.

 

“So that’s your answer. Even so…”

 

Kang Mu-heon drew out his words.

 

“A disciple attacking his master is an uncomfortable insubordination.”

 

Then his gaze slowly shifted toward me.

 

“Isn’t that right? Hunter Han Sang-in.”

 

I sighed and removed my face mask.

 

‘As expected of the Association President’s master. Even a cunning snake would ascend to heaven at that level.’

 

What impressive nerve.

 

The Association President and the Special Team. And they knew that even I, an S-rank Hunter, was included.

 

Despite knowing all this, he welcomed us as if he had been waiting for us…

 

It was one of two things.

 

Either he wasn’t in his right mind…

 

‘Or he has something to rely on.’

 

“Former Association President Kang Mu-heon. Conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, human trafficking…”

 

The Association President began announcing Kang Mu-heon’s charges.

 

“…We are arresting you, Mr. Kang Mu-heon, on a total of 12 charges. If you resist the arrest process—”

 

“Tsk tsk, Ki-cheol, that’s exactly why you still have a long way to go.”

 

Kang Mu-heon clicked his tongue and stomped his foot on the ground.

 

At the same time, Mana Circuits throughout the corridor explosively ignited, distorting the space.

 

“Alpha Team, suppress him immediately!”

 

The Association President’s shout was rendered meaningless as Kang Mu-heon’s magic had already enveloped us.

 

“Tch, at times like this, it’s always the latter.”

 

***

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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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