The auction proceeded at a swift pace.
As the host stepped onto the central platform, the lights in each room dimd all at once.
A tablet with a soft blue glow flickered on in the center of the sofa.
It was the device used to participate in the auction.
— Swish, swish.
As the room darkened, Kang Arin plopped down at the edge of the sofa.
Then, little by little, she began to scoot closer toward .
I kept my eyes on the tablet screen and spoke to her.
“Co closer. You won’t be able to see well from there.”
Feigning indifference, she leaned in slightly more…
But I went ahead and grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her right next to .
She had to co closer anyway to operate the tablet. The platform was partly blocked by a pillar and wasn’t easy to see from afar.
Kang Arin, trying to hide her flustered expression, picked up the remote and pretended to fiddle with the tablet.
She pressed buttons one by one, flipping through screens.
I couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the sight.
Kang Arin glanced at and quietly asked,
“What are you aiming for today?”
“A heat-resistant suit.”
She raised an eyebrow, then let out a small laugh.
“Planning [N O V E L I G H T] to go put out so fires?”
Her tone was full of playful mischief.
“…I guess you could say that.”
Now that she ntioned it, it wasn’t wrong. I nodded.
Kang Arin studied my face for a mont, then added confidently,
“I’ll buy it for you.”
I smiled and shook my head.
Even though Kang Arin had co with , that was as far as I planned to rely on her. Honestly, just her presence was already more than enough.
I had no intention of leaning on her financially.
“Hmmm… is that so?”
She curled up her lips for a mont, then turned her gaze back toward the host.
“If you change your mind, let know right away.”
I had no such intention—but her words were still reassuring.
The host raised a hand from the center of the platform, and all the room lights went out in an instant.
Only the warm presence of Kang Arin remained beside .
— Click.
A small spotlight illuminated a single item on the platform.
[Dragonbone Greaves]
On a sophisticated display pedestal sat a gleaming pair of greaves.
The host continued with a calm voice.
“Our first item. Greaves made from the bones of an ancient dragon, inscribed with high-level magic, and crafted by a veteran artisan with extensive combat experience.”
A strong start.
It was clearly a step above the standard auction houses.
The explanation continued, and the bidding began.
— Beep.
— Beep.
Rooms that participated in the bidding lit up brightly.
“One billion, one hundred and twenty million… one billion, one hundred and forty million… one billion, one hundred and sixty million…”
When a winning bid was confird, that room’s light flared up once again before slowly fading back into darkness.
One by one, the next items were brought out.
[Cloak of Blue Grace]
[Brooch of Saint Marco]
Each ti a new item appeared, certain rooms would briefly light up, then go dark again.
As the auction entered full swing, the air in the hall grew increasingly tense.
Then—
[Purgatory of the Yaksha]
Finally, it appeared.
The item I had been waiting for.
I activated Total Perception to check the details.
[A martial robe that had been bathed in hellfire a thousand tis yet never burned.]
[Base Effects]
[Transcendent Fla Resistance]
[Mana Amplification, Circulation]
[Special Effects]
[Resurrection from Mortal Wounds]
[Can absorb and assimilate cursed fla-type magic, converting it into mana]
A legacy left behind by a Yaksha engulfed in infernal flas.
It not only granted resistance to fire, but could also instantly absorb curse-laced fla that lts the flesh and convert it into mana.
I absolutely needed it.
I went to press the bid button right away—
But suddenly, a warm sensation covered the back of my hand.
Kang Arin gently wrapped her hand around mine and gave a small shake of her head.
A soft whisper brushed my ear.
“Just wait a little… go slowly.”
I realized then that I had been rushing in out of instinct.
I had no real experience with auctions—my inexperience must have shown.
“1.5 billion… 1.51 billion…”
The host announced the numbers slowly.
Despite being a nad relic with ‘Yaksha’ in the title, the bidding was sluggish.
Without the ability to appraise hidden effects, it was impossible to grasp its true value.
Because of that, competition for it wasn’t as fierce as expected.
Kang Arin tapped the back of my hand and whispered again.
“Now… just a little… one step at a ti… ease it in.”
Following her instructions, I gradually increased the bid.
A little more relaxed, but steady.
“Mmm… this pacing feels right.”
“1.8 billion… 1.9 billion… 2 billion…”
The bidding frequency began to slow.
“Now—go hard.”
I nodded and pressed the button boldly.
“2.5 billion… 2.5 billion… Auction will close in 10 seconds!”
The countdown began, and the other rooms fell silent.
Was it really going to end this easily?
— Beep.
[Winning Bid Confird.]
The words appeared on the tablet screen.
The lights in the room went out.
Kang Arin whispered beside .
“Not bad for your first ti.”
I turned to her.
“Thanks. I owe you.”
She gave a wide, teasing smile.
Roughly speaking, I was starting to get a feel for it. The rhythm of the auction was beginning to settle into my body.
The auction continued.
I had secured enough for fla resistance, but just in case, I kept scanning the list.
After all, I was cautious by nature—and there were still unknowns to prepare for.
[Magma Booster]
[Absorbs surrounding heat and converts it into a defensive barrier.]
Unexpectedly, it went for a low price—just 500 million.
With this, my fla resistance setup was truly complete.
Now, I needed a tool to find the right path.
I scanned for anything suitable—
Then, the host brought out another relic.
[Compass of Salvation]
[Even in the abyss of despair, it points unwaveringly toward the correct path.]
The na. The description. It was perfect for right now.
There wasn’t much competition for it, either.
With this, my preparations were truly complete.
I leaned back into the sofa and slowly scanned through the list of my successful bids on the tablet.
Kang Arin leaned slightly against my shoulder and asked,
“Are you satisfied?”
I smiled faintly.
“Yeah. This is perfect.”
I had acquired everything I needed.
All that remained was to sit back and observe the rest of the auction.
Next item.
At that mont, the host placed a small case on the platform.
[Seed of Yggdrasil]
“Yggdrasil…?”
I blanked out for a mont.
Yggdrasil—the World Tree—was the most famous sacred tree in existence.
Its sanctity went without saying, and the value of its seed was beyond question.
The problem was, Yggdrasil had been obliterated.
To the Evil Gods, sacred landmarks were the greatest threat.
And Yggdrasil had been one of them.
So as soon as the Evil Gods began to stir in the past, it had been destroyed.
I never imagined its origin—its legacy—would appear here in this auction house.
In the original storyline, it should’ve been in the hands of a demon. Kang Arin’s brother was supposed to offer it to curry favor.
I need it.
Desperately need it.
The problem was the price.
My total prepared budget was 10 billion.
I thought that would be more than enough. The items I had planned to buy weren’t that expensive.
So even after my purchases, I had nearly 7 billion left.
But this seed was different.
As soon as bidding began, lights across multiple rooms lit up.
Competitors responded instantly.
Kang Arin whispered aningfully over my shoulder.
“Oh my… quite a few bidders, aren’t there?”
“……”
The price shot up at breakneck speed.
“5 billion. From now on, increases will be in 50 million incrents.”
This was bad.
Seriously bad.
That seed would be a trendous help in what lies ahead.
I stared at the tablet’s bid button.
[6 billion]
[6.5 billion]
[7 billion]
Please stop.
I pleaded silently—but the numbers rose rcilessly.
Room lights flickered on and off in rapid succession.
The host’s voice grew ever clearer.
“8 billion! 8.5 billion! 9 billion…”
The numbers echoed in my head too, ticking up in sequence.
And then it easily surpassed 10 billion.
It was too much.
I took my hand off the tablet and let out a helpless laugh.
At that mont, soone quietly pressed close beside .
It was Kang Arin.
“Do you have sothing on your mind?”
The words Kang Arin always used with .
But this ti, the breath brushing against my ear was far too close. Her fingertips lightly grazed the top of my thigh.
Kang Arin leaned in, whispering playfully right against my ear.
“Hmm… I think I can probably solve it for you again, this ti too…”
— 12 billion… 12 billion… 12 billion… Auction ends in 10 seconds!
The figure displayed on the tablet read 12 billion—still cheap, considering the item’s true value.
— Tap, tap tap.
Without hesitation, Kang Arin punched in a bid of 15 billion.
Then she whispered slowly, her voice low and steady, straight into my ear.
“In exchange, you have to promise just one thing.”
“A promise…?”
“If sothing’s not working out… if it gets too hard… you have to say sothing. Ask for help. Especially from .”
I lifted my head slightly to look at her, but Kang Arin rested her chin on my shoulder and squinted her eyes gently.
That’s just how I am.
Rather than asking others for help, I’m the type to crawl into a hole and brood over things alone.
But now wasn’t the ti for that kind of pride.
— 5…! 4…!
“…I will.”
In the end, I made the promise.
— Beep.
[You have bid 15 billion.]
— 15 billion… 15 billion… 15 billion… Auction ends in 10 seconds!
Kang Arin rested her hand on my thigh, smiling slowly as she whispered again.
“Good. But you better keep that promise.”
[Winning Bid Confird]
The mont the auction ended, the lights in the room softly faded to black.
I turned to look at Kang Arin.
“If I don’t keep it…”
A faint glow reflected in her crimson eyes.
“I’ll leave that… to your imagination.”
There was a chilling playfulness in her voice.
With that, the auction was over.
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