Chapter 318: Episode 60 -Taste of Ruin (3)
The auction house was one of the few places where it was possible to obtain items that were difficult to find on the Dokkaebi Bag or General Exchange. Prophet Anna Croft had a few items to obtain here.
Anna Croft spoke the constellations of Olympus behind her. “The guards aren’t a problem?”
[Of course. Originally, this auction house is under the legal authority of our Olympus. In this Context of the Constellation, no one can touch you.]
“Thank you.” Anna Croft bowed and the shadow of the constellation protecting her disappeared. Anna Croft spoke towards Selena Kim. “Then let’s go in.”
“...Yes.” Selena Kim replied in a dark voice.
As they moved through the corridor of the auction house, Anna Croft glanced at Selena Kim’s expression. Selena Kim, who was always smiling and kind to everyone, wasn’t smiling anymore.
“Selena.”
“Yes.”
In fact, Anna Croft knew when this change happened. The Gourmet Association. It was after meeting the Demon King of Salvation.
“...It’s nothing.”
Selena Kim lowered her head and looked forward again. Anna Croft felt strangely alone, even though she had ‘predicted’ it to some extent. She couldn’t properly cope with some things even if she knew the future. This was particularly true for human emotions.
[The 8611th Constellation Auction will begin!]
However, now wasn’t the time to be focused on such things. Anna Croft saw the constellations and incarnations filling the seats and reaffirmed her commitment. There was no one with an easy ‘status’ no matter where she looked. They were all deadly enemies.
[The first auction item!]
A senior dokkaebi stood at the podium of the auction. Anna Croft and Selena Kim took the seats they preempted in advance and participated in the auction. Several items were sold in an instant and Anna Croft bought some of them.
‘A manticore’s teeth.’
‘Scales of an Ancient Dragon.’
‘Old Yeti’s leather.’
Her main purchases were rare material items. All her items were identified through Future Sight and there were no errors on the list.
‘I need these items to make a giant soldier.’
Some incarnations participated in the bidding competition but she already confirmed their highest bid price through Future Sight and there was no problem winning the items. Anna Croft finished checking the list and stood up on the spot. “It is roughly over. Then let’s...”
[Now, we have a special product today!]
Anna Croft turned at the voice that came from the stage. Selena Kim saw Anna Croft’s reaction and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
Anna Croft stared at the auction house with a stiff expression.
[This is an item called the ‘Old to New Toad’!]
[Haha, isn’t it cute? Since this item is a star relic...]
-I’ll give a new house for an hour house. [It really knows how to talk.
The auction product hasn’t finished the appraisal yet but it is definitely of immense value―]
‘...There was no such item in the prophecy?’
The auction list had been confirmed through Future Sight. However, no such item had been seen anywhere in the short film of the future. There was the intervention of a variable that shook Future Sight. Anna Croft glanced at the constellations of Olympus. Some constellations nodded as if to reassure her.
She didn’t hesitate to case the Great Demon’s Eye towards the stage. The eye glowed with a red light. After a few moments, the hidden features of the Old to New Toad were seen in Anna Croft’s retinas. “I have to buy that.”
“Anna?”
[The first auction price is 500,000 coins!]
The moment the dokkaebi spoke, Anna Croft immediately made a bid.
“600,000 coins.”
[600,000 coins have come out! The bidder... Incarnation Anna Croft!]
It was a larger amount than she thought but the Old to New Toad was worth it.
+
This item has a legendary story The item eats ‘old items’ and replaces them with ‘new items’ of the same rating.
+
The feature itself was simple. Eat old items and spitting out other items of the same rating. The words were simply but the application was infinite.
“Contact the nebula and collect as many coins as possible.”
“Why this item...”
“With this, we can get the items we want at any time.”
The other constellations and incarnation didn’t seem to know the usage of this toad yet. Thus, she had a chance to win the bid right now.
[The highest bid is currently 600,000 coins! If there isn’t any more...]
At this moment.
“700,000 coins.”
Someone made a bid.
[Ohh! 700,000 coins have come out!]
There was a light from the other side of the audience that showed a bid. A demon sword that absorbed the sunlight.
Anna Croft’s expression hardened.
[The bidder is Incarnation Yoo Jonghyuk!]
***
Yoo Jonghyuk emerging after Anna Croft caused a small turmoil in the auction house. Both of them were famous incarnations of Earth.
“Anna, if things go wrong...”
“This is fun. I never thought the Supreme King would be here.”
Anna Croft was laughing. She raised her hand and cried out, “800,000 coins!”
[Incarnation Anna Croft has bid 800,000 coins!]
“900,000 coins.”
[900,000 coins! 900,000 coins have come out!]
Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t give up. It was an auction war they had to stick to. The atmosphere of the auction house started to heat up after the amount exceeded one million coins. It was a climb that could cause a price bubble but Anna Croft was relaxed.
‘You can’t beat me.’
Dizziness occurred along with a short headache. A part of the future emerged in Anna Croft’s retinas. She used Future Sight and succeeded in reading the maximum amount Yoo Jonghyuk could pay.
“1,280,000 coins.”
[Incarnation Anna Croft has bid1,280,000 coins!]
Yoo Jonghyuk was silent at Anna Croft’s bid. It was as expected.
[Now, if there are no further bids...]
Anna Croft smiled. 1,280,000 coins was a huge amount but it was hard to see it as a loss. The Old to New Toad was a worthy item and if she obtained it...
“2 million coins!”
The voice of a woman was heard from right above her and Anna Croft’s body whipped around. She wasn’t the only one who was shocked.
[D-Did she say two million coins? Suddenly such an amount...]
“It is the emergence of Han Sooyoung, a newly rich person.”
[Who...]
“Don’t you know? Black Flames Demon Ruler Han Sooyoung, the leader of the Han Sooyoung Corporation and the real power of Kim Dokja’s Company.”
Lee Hyunsung, sitting beside Han Sooyoung, asked with surprise, “Sooyoung-ssi, is that true? Since when...”
Anna Croft stared at Han Sooyoung with wide eyes. The Black Flames Demon Ruler of the Korean Peninsula. It was a name Anna Croft knew well. “What trick is this, Black Flames Demon Ruler?”
“I just want that toad.”
Anna Croft once again used Future Sight. It might be a short-term prediction but using Future Sight so many times in one day placed a huge burden on her body. Still, it couldn’t be helped. This had already become a showdown of pride.
The maximum amount of money that Han Sooyoung would pay appeared before Anna Croft’s eyes. How long had it been? Anna Croft wiped the nosebleed that occurred from her overloaded body and opened her mouth.
“...I bid 3 million coins.”
“Anna!” The startled Selena Kim shouted.
However, Anna Croft was adamant. “I must buy it.”
Anna Croft’s Future Sight showed that Han Sooyoung’s amount of money was 2,999,999 coins.
[3 million coins has come out!]
The dokkaebi was dancing with joy. Large cheers filled the venue.
[As expected of the prophet!]
[I heard she was shrewd and cunning but she was a big person!]
The audience was wowed but Anna Croft wasn’t the least bit excited.
“Anna, 3 million coins is unreasonable. This is too much damage!”
“I can get a dokkaebi loan.”
“Going so far...”
“It is a loss but in some senses, it isn’t a loss. I can’t concede it to them and that is enough to make it not a loss.”
“What...”
“The fact that they made such a large follow up bid shows they are desperate for this item.”
Anna Croft glanced at Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja’s Company. The fact that they had come here showed they were likely to participate in Gigantomachia. If they were going to meet one day, she needed to break them now.
In fact, Han Sooyoung was raising both hands like she lost. “This... I can’t afford it. We lost. Completely and 100% lost.”
“...”
“This is why the world is unfair. We can win against a golden incarnation.”
...Something was weird. Anna Croft clearly won the bid but why did they look like they were enjoying it?
[Those who have won the items, please come down to the stage.]
Anna Croft turned to the stage at the dokkaebi’s call. The feeling of discomfort still hadn’t disappeared. She viewed the faces of Han Sooyoung and the expressionless Yoo Jonghyuk. She wanted to use Future Sight but she had already reached the limit for today.
‘Wait, don’t tell me?’
Anna Croft stood in front of the auctioneer and reflexively asked, “This product, who is the contributor?”
[That... Kim Dokja’s Company.]
“I won’t buy it.”
[Huh?]
The dokkaebi looked surprised.
[We can’t refund products that have already been sold. If you do not pay the amount―]
“This is obviously a scam. Thus, I won’t buy it.”
[A scam?]
Anna Croft pointed at Kim Dokja’s group. “They induced an artificial price competition. They had no intention of buying this item in the first place.”
Han Sooyoung clicked her tongue at Anna Croft’s claim. “What are you saying? I really wanted to buy it.”
“Even if you wanted to buy it, this auction is invalid. They are the contributors of this product. Isn’t it forbidden for contributors to participate in the auction?”
In the end, Han Sooyoung and Yoo Jonghyuk glanced at each other. The senior dokkaebi spoke [That... it is correct. It is certainly forbidden for contributors to participate in the auctions of their own products.]
Anna Croft nodded like she knew it. “Please check the contributor. The contributor will surely be one of them.”
[Okay. Please wait a moment.]
The members of Kim Dokja’s Company were making troubled expressions. On the other hand, Anna Croft’s expression was filled with relief and triumph.
It was a pretty good trap. She was the prophet yet she almost got hit. By the way, the dokkaebi checking the contributor cocked his head.
[Strange. None of them are the contributor.]
“Huh?”
Han Sooyoung laughed. “Didn’t I tell you? Ah~ I really wanted that toad...”
“Then the contributor is...”
At this moment, the door of the auction house opened wide. A dazzling light entered from outside the auction house and the white coat was shaken by the wind.
The man in the white coat walked passed Han Sooyoung and Yoo Jonghyuk. The man who came up to the stage was someone Anna Croft knew well. The man smiled and held out his hand like he was asking for a handshake.
“3 million coins.”
It was Kim Dokja.