“You are all working hard.”
The passengers who got off the shuttle passed by the long line of Guild members, greeting them as they went.
I also expressed my thanks with a slight bow of my head.
But at one point, a problem arose.
[Huh? The barrier is broken! It looks like some sort of shamanic band...?]
Chae Seon-hwa said this while gesturing toward someone.
[Right over there!]
It was the very high-level Hunter who had given me advice earlier.
[Ha, would you look at that? I did not like him from the start. Now he is causing trouble. Trouble.]
It was then.
CRACK—! CRACK!
The ground heaved.
A grotesque cry was heard, and red mist seeped out from underground.
Within the split earth.
From the depths of that deep abyss, something enormous began surging upward.
“KUOOOOOO!”
Cha Jun-hyeok, who had been clicking his tongue, yawned as he looked at the monster rising from the ground.
[What is this small fry?]
SHING-SHING-SHING—!
Quick Draw.
Cha Jun-hyeok had spoken only a single word. And yet...
THUD-THUD-THUD!
Like neatly sliced sashimi, the monster’s body fell to the ground piece by piece.
It was quite unexpected.
Cha Jun-hyeok had remained in the state of a spirit even after entering the Dungeon.
Unlike in the Tower, he had not become human, so I had naturally thought he could not use his power.
But to think he could deal with monsters even in a Dungeon like this?
[Did you see that, homeowner?]
Cha Jun-hyeok shrugged and slid his sword into its scabbard.
Ah, was it because the Mana concentration inside the Dungeon was dense?
He had been saying since earlier that he felt full of strength. Had that been what he meant?
Thinking of the future, this was quite welcome news.
[The discipline of Hunters these days is truly slack. Back in my time, would something like this have been acceptable?]
Cha Jun-hyeok, who was still young enough himself, began invoking a “back in my day” lecture as he criticized the discipline of modern Hunters.
[Let us hurry to the expo.]
“Fine.”
Before more gazes could gather, I moved toward the expo hall.
Since I had already attracted enough attention, it seemed I would have to run Random Transformation once more before entering.
[Perfect!]
[Wow, homeowner. You really look like someone I might have seen around the neighborhood at least once.]
This Random Transformation was also successful.
When I showed my admission ticket at the entrance to the expo hall, they fastened a paper wristband around my wrist.
“Enjoy your visit.”
The expo hall was quieter than I had expected.
The flow of traffic was spacious as well, and I was slowly passing by several major Guild booths when I heard voices.
“How long do we have to watch our booth?”
“Are we supposed to be here the whole day?”
“No way! I have to go to the Tower!”
“Exactly. What expo? The Association bastards are no help. No help at all.”
“What did the Guild Master say? Are we staying here all month?”
“They said we are fixed here for at least a week.”
“Please let it end in a week!”
Public sentiment toward the Association seemed worse than I had expected.
[Ah! Over there!]
<New Wave>
It was the booth where the Association Chairman’s secretary was presumed to be.
I stopped for a moment and checked my reflection in a mirror attached to the exhibition hall wall.
A baseball jacket and sunglasses with a camera.
A baseball cap on my head as well.
And even a face so utterly ordinary that no one would remember it even if they passed right beside me.
Perfect.
No one who knew the usual me would recognize this appearance.
As I had practiced beforehand, I fiddled with the frame of my sunglasses.
The recording device activated, and the camera attached to the sunglasses began filming everything I could see.
After completing this final check, I walked into the booth.
“Welcome.”
When I had said yesterday that I was going to infiltrate like a spy, Chae Seon-hwa had excitedly gone to see Kim Hyeon-su. Now, she spoke with certainty.
[The appearance is different, but the energy is the same!]
Narrow, cold eyes.
Like me, he had also disguised himself to conceal his identity.
But...
‘Why is he dressed as a woman?’
The Association Chairman’s secretary in the photograph had been a man, but the current Kim Hyeon-su was a woman wearing a two-piece suit.
Strangely, he looked quite natural.
“Please take your time looking around.”
Fortunately, he did not suspect me.
After all, he asked me this naturally.
“Master, is there anything you are looking for?”
It was the code phrase.
The exact phrase Ms. Su-a had told me.
<If he asks, “Master, is there anything you are looking for?” you should answer like this!>
“Futhark, Fehu. Jera. Nauthiz.”
In order, it meant, “Using runes. Wealth and harvest are needed.”
Then the secretary opened his mouth.
“Raido.”
That was it.
It meant to ride along on this journey.
In other words, he would invite me to their secret expo.
When we went behind the double-layered booth panel, there was a door leading somewhere.
“Master, this way.”
When I stepped inside, an exhibition space identical to the one we had just been in appeared.
However, most of the people who had filled the expo were gone.
‘A mirror.’
A mirror space.
A side passage of the COS Dungeon realized through Magic Stones.
This Dungeon was one that would give up as much of its territory as desired if it was fed Magic Stones.
Perhaps because of that, closed and secretive expos or exhibitions not open to the public were sometimes held in the COS Dungeon.
Even so, realizing a space of this scale inside the COS Dungeon was impossible with an ordinary amount of Magic Stones.
Did that mean there was that much illegal Magic Stone volume flowing through the underground market?
This place was a crime scene.
In the booths that stretched ahead, Magic Stone transactions were taking place with cash, jewels, and gold.
The Association Chairman’s secretary, who had been guiding us, stopped in front of a certain booth.
“This way.”
The transaction began the moment I sat down in the chair in front of the booth.
“What kind of goods are you looking for?”
“Ten of each rank. Today, I came for a sample transaction. If the quality is good, I will return.”
“I hope they please you, Master.”
I took a bag full of cash out of my Inventory and exchanged it for Magic Stones.
The Magic Stones he handed over were in a peculiar pouch.
It was a pouch made of rough but sturdy-looking black leather.
“Master, you may place this pouch into your Inventory as it is. Then you will be able to pass through the checkpoint without any trouble.”
So that was how it worked.
In this way, I purchased a total of one hundred Magic Stones and came back outside.
Just as when I entered, I came out through the New Wave booth.
“May fortune always be with you, Master.”
The Association Chairman’s secretary bowed politely.
I returned the same greeting.
“I wish you fortune.”
Those words were exactly what the current Kim Hyeon-su needed.
After all, the scene of the illegal Magic Stone transaction had been detected.
I did not know what the punishment would be, but if they were truly judged to be synthetic Magic Stones, this would never simply be overlooked.
In any case, my Hunter Management Agency duty was complete.
Now it was time to head to the COS Dungeon Auction House.
[Aquarium, go, go!]
[An aquarium? Wow!]
The COS Dungeon Auction House had been located where the aquarium had once been before the place became a Dungeon.
Chae Seon-hwa, who had been happily fluttering toward the auction house, soon turned pale.
[...Huh?]
[You will not die.]
The problem was that to get to the auction house, one had to pass through an enormous aquarium tank.
I had brought underwater combat-related items in my Inventory, but the scale of the aquarium was far larger than I had imagined.
[...There is a shark.]
[A Megalodon.]
[...There is also an octopus the size of a dinosaur.]
[That is a Kraken.]
[I am not going! I cannot go! I will die!!!]
[I told you, you will not die.]
“......”
I had a feeling this item was probably meant for situations like this.
[Hm? Homeowner, is that...?]
[Ah! There was that!]
The COS Dungeon Shortcut Map.
I took the map out of my Inventory and unfolded it.
“From the first pillar on the right side of the aquarium, five steps to the right.”
It was a simple hand-drawn map.
There were drawings of a fish and footprints, along with the number 5.
“Thirty steps to the left. At the fork, seventeen steps left again.”
Then a new door appeared.
The arrow on the map was pointing at that door.
[There was a door in a place like this?]
CREEEAK—
Even though I was only standing in front of it, the door opened on its own.
Warm light and singing spilled out from within.
“This is suspicious.”
[I think so too.]
[Could it be some kind of subspace?]
While we were busy suspecting it, someone inside greeted us energetically.
A lively voice paired with inorganic features.
It was as if a mannequin had been dressed in a uniform.
“Welcome. Are you perhaps a VIP guest?”
VIP?
Ah, did he mean the auction house VIP?
“This is the VIP Lounge!”
[There was a VIP Lounge in the auction house?]
“May I see your ticket?”
I took the Gem Auction House VIP Admission Ticket out of my Inventory.
“It is real! It is a real VIP! Everyone! Stand up! A VIP guest has arrived! Please come in. You are the first VIP guest since our lounge opened!”
Before I knew it, the door was wide open.
Between the bright lights, I could see a bar with a bartender, a salad bar with a variety of foods like a buffet, and tables placed here and there.
The staff all stood in a line and applauded me.
[This is nice!]
[They really do treat VIPs well.]
But why was the VIP Lounge a shortcut?
“You may rest here as long as you like before leaving. The lounge exit is directly connected to the auction house ticket counter.”
Ah, so that was it.
“You may eat as much of the food in the lounge as you like. It will all be thrown away after today anyway.”
[Wow! I was hungry, so this worked out well!]
[Homeowner, what are we eating?]
There was no need to think about it.
For an hour, the ghosts in my house tasted every dish here, one plate at a time.
[My stomach is going to burst.]
[This lounge is serious about food.]
“Thank you for visiting. Please come again!”
The place we emerged was directly behind the auction house ticket counter.
“Are you here for the Gem Auction? May I see your ticket?”
I handed the Gem Auction VIP Admission Ticket to the ticket counter employee.
“A VIP Admission Ticket!”
“A VIP came?”
“Where?”
“Who is it?”
The employees who had been sitting and selling auction catalogs all stood up.
“Welcome!”
“Gift! Bring the Gift Box!”
The moment the employee shouted, a refrigerator box appeared from somewhere.
“Please continue to show lots of love to the Gem Auction!”
It was a Gift Box covered here and there with gem logos and stickers.
Even the wrapping looked carefully prepared.
But I could not carry something this large around.
“I would like to take only the contents.”
“Ah, is that so? Then we will take out the contents separately for you.”
Five employees began dismantling the refrigerator box.
Inside the box, at least five more boxes emerged.
Typical overpackaging.
It was an advanced sales tactic that made it easy for the giver to show off and for the receiver to be surprised.
“Here you are!”
Fortunately, there were not many contents.
Everything fit into an A3-sized paper bag.
There was one expo catalog, along with various buttons and file folders made with gem characters.
There was also a tumbler, and a commemorative towel had not been left out either.
And finally...
A mask?
Inside, there was a gleaming iron mask.
As I lifted it and examined it, the employee spoke with a proud expression.
“VIP guests are precious, after all!”
“Does it have a separate purpose?”
“Yes. Please wear it in an emergency.”
An emergency?
“Ah, and these are Priority Bidding Tickets. You may use them three times in total.”
The employee handed me three yellow gem-shaped stickers.
“You may peel these off and attach them to the catalog. Place one on the item you want. These bidding tickets can be used at any event held in the COS Dungeon from now on, as long as you have that event’s catalog. They can be used starting tomorrow.”
They were unexpectedly versatile bidding tickets.
It seemed better to keep them in my Inventory so I could take them out and use them anytime.
“Also, VIP guests are given a Special Catalog.”
A Special Catalog?
“If you place the VIP Admission Ticket on top of the catalog like this...”
A 3D hologram image overlaid itself on the ordinary booklet.
“The Special Catalog is more user-friendly.”
When the employee flipped rapidly through the catalog, the auction items on each page appeared and disappeared as holograms.
“You can observe the auction items up close like this. It also provides much more detailed information than the ordinary catalog. In addition...”
The employee opened the very last page of the catalog and swept a hand over the blank endpaper.
[Huh? I can see letters!]
Then, as if by magic, words began appearing in the booklet.
“You can also learn information about the Surprise Auction Items in advance.”
<Today’s Secret Auction Items>
1. Caesar’s Signet Ring
2. Kerk’s Compass: Season 3
3. Holy Grail Replica Made of Moldavite
Kerk’s Compass?
It was not an unfamiliar name.
When I checked my Inventory, I was certain.
<Golden Goblin Map>
A set with Golden Goblin Progenitor Kerk’s Compass.
Sealed.
Usable from the 30th floor.>
Seeing this, I understood why the Gem Auction VIP Admission Ticket had dropped when I caught Kerk.
‘It was probably to obtain a Secret Auction Item...’
But if it was Kerk’s Compass, was that not originally his item?
How had he lost it?
And Season 3?
I was also curious how he had planned to bid when he was a ghost.
Had he intended to ask a living creature for help?
Several questions came to mind at once, but today’s goal was clear.
To win that Kerk’s Compass.
The employee closed the catalog with a satisfied expression.
“And this is a Digital Auction Bell for participating in the auction.”
When I received it, it was about the size of a vibration pager used at cafés for drink orders.
There was one red button and one blue button on the bottom, and a digital display in the center.
“The red button is for bidding, and the blue button is used to enter the amount. If you press the blue button, a numeric keypad will appear on the display.”
When the employee pressed the blue button firmly, the numbers from 0 to 9 appeared.
“After entering the number, press this red button. And...”
The employee stopped speaking for a moment and checked the manual again.
“VIP guests may use Physical Coins. After serial number verification.”
Serial number?
“Is verification required?”
“Yes. There are occasional attempts to bring in unverified Coins, you see. This is a package product with the VIP Admission Ticket, so it puts us in a rather difficult position as well.”
When the employee placed the catalog against the machine, the VIP Admission Ticket’s serial number appeared on the display.
“As long as the Coins have the same serial number as the one on the VIP Admission Ticket, it will be fine. May I ask you to confirm them for a moment?”
I took the Coin pouch out of my Inventory.
“Please pour them into this Coin Counter!”
CLATTER-RATTLE—!
The Coins were sucked into the machine and fell straight into the basket below.
【ALL CLEAR】
“Thank you for confirming!”
Seeing that, Cha Jun-hyeok clicked his tongue.
[No wonder no one could use them.]
“Ah! Do you need any additional Coins? You can exchange them here immediately. One Coin is one million won. We will load them into the auction bell as Digital Coins.”
[That is extremely expensive.]
Then did that mean the Coins I currently had were worth roughly eleven billion won?
“Any unused Digital Coins can also be refunded. But only within twenty-four hours.”
Once all the explanations were finished, the employee opened the curtain at the auction house entrance.
“After checking your name on the list in the waiting room, you may enter the auction house right away!”
I had received the Gift Box, so now all I had to do was go to the auction house and win Kerk’s Compass.
However, the person we actually encountered in the auction house was someone entirely unexpected.
<Auction Number 1. The first auction item is the Cursed Pendant.>
A ruby pendant, deep red like blood, appeared on the large screen.
<This pendant was once owned by “Lee Se-a” in the past...>
The auction item was clearly a ruby pendant.
However...
[Lee Se-a?]
Lee Se-a, who had ranked second among Korean Hunters and was said to have died in the Tower several months ago.
That very Lee Se-a appeared before us as a ghost.