"And the starting price for this rare ability is..." The goblin paused deliberately, allowing the silence to stretch across the room while hundreds of cloaked figures leaned forward in anticipation. Kai could practically feel the tension surrounding him.
Even though nobody was shouting anymore, the room somehow felt louder than before. Every pair of eyes was fixed on Hori, and Kai hated the way the little boy was being displayed beneath the bright light as though he were some expensive treasure sitting on a shelf.
"Five hundred gold coins!" The goblin finally announced.
The crowd immediately erupted.
"Six hundred!" someone shouted from the left side of the room.
"Seven hundred!"
"Eight hundred!"
"One thousand!" another voice called from somewhere behind Kai.
Kai’s eyes widened. One thousand gold coins. He had absolutely no idea how much that was worth in this world, but judging by the reaction of everyone around him, it was definitely a ridiculous amount. The goblin looked delighted as the numbers continued climbing, clearly enjoying every second of the competition.
Hana’s fingers tightened around Kai’s sleeve. She kept her face hidden beneath her cloak, but Kai could hear the nervousness in her breathing. "They’re bidding that much for Hori?" Hana whispered.
Kai nodded slowly without looking away from the stage. "They’re not really bidding for him. They’re bidding for his ability" Kai whispered.
That realization somehow made everything worse.
Hori wasn’t being treated like a person anymore. His ability had turned him into an object that powerful people wanted to own. Kai looked at the little boy again and noticed how tightly Hori was holding onto the sleeve of his oversized clothes. His eyes kept moving across the crowd, searching for something.
Or someone.
Kai felt his chest tighten.
He wanted to run onto the stage.
He wanted to grab Hori and leave.
But then he looked around.
There were too many people.
Some of the cloaked figures carried swords. Others had weapons that Kai had never seen before, and several people were surrounded by faint magical energy that made the hairs on his arms stand up. Even if Kai managed to reach Hori, there was no guarantee that he and Hana would survive the escape.
They needed a plan.
"Two thousand!" A man shouted.
The crowd became even louder.
Kai slowly lowered his gaze and tried to think.
Then something strange happened.
Hori looked directly at him.
Kai froze.
For a moment, he wondered if he had imagined it. The little boy’s eyes moved through the crowd again before returning to the exact place where Kai was standing.
Hori knew.
He knew they were there.
Kai’s heart began pounding.
"Hana" Kai whispered.
Hana glanced at him. "What?" Hana asked.
"Look at Hori" Kai whispered.
Hana carefully looked toward the stage. Her eyes widened when she realized what Kai meant. Hori was staring directly at them now, and although his expression remained frightened, there was something else in his eyes.
Hope.
Kai almost smiled.
Then Hori raised one hand.
A tiny transparent bubble appeared beside him.
Kai’s eyes widened.
The bubble floated through the air.
It was so small that nobody in the audience seemed to notice it. It drifted away from the stage, slowly moving between the people until it reached Kai.
He instinctively lifted his hand.
The bubble landed against his palm.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then the world around him disappeared.
Kai’s eyes widened as the auction hall vanished completely. He was suddenly standing in a bright place surrounded by enormous amounts of food. Tables stretched as far as he could see, covered with steaming dishes, fresh ingredients, cakes, fruit, meat, bread and everything else he could possibly imagine.
Kai stared around in confusion.
Then he heard laughter.
Hori was standing nearby.
The little boy wasn’t afraid anymore. He was smiling while holding a plate of food.
Kai immediately understood.
This wasn’t a message spoken with words.
It was Hori showing him what he could do.
The vision disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Kai found himself back inside the auction hall, staring at Hori.
Hori gave him a tiny nod.
Kai’s eyes softened. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
"That was his ability..." Kai whispered.
Hana looked at him with confusion. "What did you see?" Hana whispered.
Kai glanced at her before lowering his voice. "He showed me something. I think he’s trying to tell us that he can use his ability without someone being trapped inside the bubble" Kai whispered.
Hana’s eyes widened slightly.
Before either of them could say anything else, the auction continued.
"Three thousand gold coins!" A deep voice suddenly called.
The entire room became quiet.
Kai turned toward the voice.
A tall man stood near the front of the crowd. Unlike most of the others, he wasn’t wearing a completely black cloak. His was dark red, with silver decorations running along the shoulders. His hood covered most of his face, but Kai could still see one sharp-looking eye beneath it.
The goblin immediately smiled.
"Three thousand gold coins! A very generous offer!" The goblin announced.
Nobody immediately raised the price.
The man remained still.
Kai watched him carefully.
There was something different about that man.
The other bidders looked excited.
That man looked calm.
Too calm.
He wasn’t looking at the goblin.
He was looking at Hori.
"Three thousand once!" The goblin announced.
Kai’s stomach tightened.
"Three thousand twice!"
Nobody moved.
"Sold!" The goblin shouted.
The crowd applauded.
Hori’s expression immediately changed.
The little boy lowered his head.
The goblin gestured toward two guards standing nearby. They walked onto the stage and moved toward Hori.
Kai felt his body tense.
"They’re taking him" Hana whispered.
"I know" Kai whispered.
The guards grabbed Hori by the arms and began leading him toward the side of the stage.
Kai couldn’t stand there anymore.
He took one step forward.
Hana immediately grabbed his arm. "Kai, what are you doing?" Hana whispered.
"I’m going after him" Kai whispered.
"We can’t just attack everyone here!" Hana whispered.
"I know" Kai whispered. "I’m not planning to attack everyone."
Hana stared at him.
Kai looked toward the stage, then toward the crowded room. His eyes moved across the cloaked people until he noticed something.
Food.
Several tables were positioned along the sides of the room. Expensive-looking dishes had been prepared for the guests, probably because the auction was supposed to be some kind of high-class event for wealthy adventurers.
Kai stared at the food.
Then an idea came to him.
It was stupid.
It was probably dangerous.
And honestly, it might not work.
But it was the only thing he had.
"Hana, can you make something really big?" Kai whispered.
Hana blinked. "Something big?" Hana asked.
"Like... ridiculously big" Kai whispered.
Hana stared at him for a moment before slowly understanding.
Her eyes widened.
"You have a plan?" Hana whispered.
Kai gave her a small smile. "Sort of" Kai whispered.
He quietly reached into his space box and pulled out several ingredients he had collected earlier. Hana watched him with confusion as he crouched behind one of the tables and began preparing everything. Find the original chapter at novelping(.)com.
"What are you doing?" Hana whispered.
"Cooking" Kai whispered.
Hana’s face became completely blank.
"We’re in the middle of an illegal auction where they’re selling monsters and people, and you’re cooking?" Hana whispered.
Kai glanced at her. "You asked what I was doing" Kai whispered.
Hana stared at him for another second.
"You really are weird" Hana whispered.
Kai almost laughed.
He quickly started working.
His hands moved faster than Hana expected. He chopped, mixed and seasoned the ingredients while keeping his body hidden behind the table. A small flame appeared beneath the cooking pan, and the familiar smell of freshly cooked food slowly began spreading through the room.
At first, nobody noticed.
Then one person turned their head.
Another followed.
A cloaked woman near the back suddenly sniffed the air.
"What is that smell?" the woman asked.
Kai continued cooking.
The smell became stronger.
The auction crowd slowly began looking around.
Even the goblin on the stage stopped speaking.
"Hold on..." The goblin muttered.
The scent of roasted meat, herbs and spices drifted through the entire auction hall.
People began whispering.
"Is someone cooking?"
"Where is that coming from?"
"I’ve never smelled anything like that before."
Kai smiled slightly.
His cooking skill had worked before, but he had never expected it to become a distraction during an underground auction.
He quickly finished the dish and placed it on a large plate.
Then he looked at Hana.
"Now" Kai whispered.
Hana nodded.
She stepped forward and raised both hands.
Her skill activated.
A massive cake suddenly appeared between the crowd and the stage.
It was enormous.
The thing was so wide that several people stumbled backward as it appeared, and its layers rose high enough to block part of the stage.
The auction hall exploded into confusion.
"What the hell is that?!"
"Where did that cake come from?"
"Move!"
Kai couldn’t help staring.
"Hana..." Kai whispered.
She looked at him.
"That is way bigger than I expected" Kai whispered.
Hana looked slightly embarrassed. "You said ridiculously big" Hana whispered.
The guards carrying Hori were suddenly blocked by the enormous cake.
Kai didn’t waste the opportunity.
He grabbed Hana’s hand.
"Let’s go" Kai whispered.
They rushed toward the stage.
For the first time since entering BlackDungeon, Kai wasn’t thinking about the auction, the bidders or the strange goblin.
He was thinking about one thing.
Getting Hori back.
And as they disappeared into the chaos, the man in the dark red cloak slowly turned his head toward them.
His eyes followed Kai.
Then he smiled beneath his hood.
"Interesting" the man muttered.