The Auction

“Cheon Sanho and your contractors will be on the 5th floor. Even if they were teleported to the 3rd or 2nd floor, Han Siyoon would have moved them to the 5th floor.”

[Tell me more about Han Siyoon.]
“That guy’s ability is ‘darkness’. He has comprehensive abilities as long as it’s on the dark side. Defense, attack, movement… I don’t know all of his abilities either.”

[Is he that strong?]
“No. If he were, he would have been the world’s number one ranker. I killed him before I could see all of his abilities before the regression, so my knowledge is limited.”

[You’re really merciless.]
“I didn’t know I would regress back then. If I had known, I would have seen all his abilities before killing him. And…”
Yeon Taeseon, who was looking at me with a strange expression for a moment, said.
“That guy’s Constellation is ‘The Crow’s Ruins’.”

[…]
No, again.
Is it that guy again?
‘Where is that guy not involved?’
The time he asked me to hand over Han Sion, the time he suddenly snatched me through his contractor, and the time he tried to kill our Sion.
I’m starting to feel a grudge I didn’t have before… no, I’m past that point. I already have a grudge. It can’t be undone.
‘I should just kill him or something.’
Of course, the only way to kill a Constellation is through downfall.
Although I’ll have to go through a lot of trouble!
If it’s a Constellation of such poor quality, it would be good for the starry sky to get rid of him.
The Administrator would like it too.

“No, if one Constellation disappears, my work will increase.”
I thought I heard a strange voice, but I ignored it.
“Can you break through the teleportation to the 5th basement floor?”

[I can, but I have to break the barrier. We’ll be discovered.]
“Then it’s a frontal breakthrough.”
Then Yeon Taeseon strode to the main entrance and began to strip the clothes off a man in a black suit who was roughly his size.
I was so horrified that I couldn’t even think of writing in the air and was just screaming “Kyaaak!” by myself.
‘Don’t tell me I have to strip and wear someone else’s clothes too?’
I absolutely hate that! I don’t mind a coat that someone else has worn, but I hate wearing a whole set of clothes that someone else has worn!
Fortunately, Yeon Taeseon said something reassuring to me.
“From now on, we are a young lady and a bodyguard who are late to the auction house.”
What?
“This place is basically anonymous. Masks are the standard, but you won’t be sanctioned for wearing a veil. You can’t take off your veil, so you’re a young lady.”
What??
“I’m the bodyguard. We’ll pretend we just won the bid for Cheon Sanho at the auction house, and then use sleep magic inside the barrier. After that, we’ll escape with your contractors using teleportation magic. After that, we’ll report to the association. Understand?”
No, I get the plan.
I get it, but…

[Are you really going to do it?]
“What’s not to do?”

[Can’t we just smash everything?]
“This is the main auction house of the black guild, ‘Titas’ of The Crow’s Ruins. Naturally, the figures present here are either criminals who are a big deal or corrupt officials. We have to arrest all of them.”

[Because of the Constellation War?]
“Yes. The world has become more chaotic because of most of the figures present here.”
As someone who hadn’t experienced that Constellation War or whatever, I didn’t understand it well.
How they plunged the world into chaos, what would happen if we didn’t arrest them…
‘But arresting corrupt officials is a good thing.’
In my past life, I was beheaded because of the corrupt officials in my tower.
I agreed that the rotten parts should be cut out.

[Is there something like an exclusive entrance to the auction house?]
“There is. Let’s move that way.”
Yeon Taeseon politely held out his hand to me.
“Shall we go, my lady?”
I took his hand.
The hard, calloused hand was a little warm.

The way to the 5th floor was smooth.
Because everyone was asleep.
It was my magic, but the effect was certain.
‘That person is snoring.’
Even if it took time, Yeon Taeseon tied up everyone here and laid them out in a hallway that was good for dragging them away.
They looked like dried corvinas.

[Are you going to drag these people to the association too?]
“They’re members of Titas.”
After dismissing it with one word, he moved around the winding corridors, soon found the stairs, and went down.
After repeating this a few times, a golden door made of velvet, which was clearly different from before, appeared.
‘Wow… A door that openly advertises its preciousness…’
Why do corrupt officials like such flashy doors?
It’s not luxurious at all, and it actually looks tacky.
Yeon Taeseon opened his mouth.
“From now on, writing letters in the air with mana is forbidden.”

[Why?]
“That level of mana control is not in the human realm.”
Ah, I was outside the human realm just now?
I didn’t know that.
I withdrew the mana at my fingertips and decided to be quiet.
‘Come to think of it, when I was the Magic Tower Head, people seemed to be impressed when I wrote like this…’
“I’m going in.”
Creeeeak-
Yeon Taeseon pushed open the golden door.
Waaaaaaaaah!!
As soon as the door opened, what I saw was a white light.
And what I heard was cheering.
“More! Beat him to a pulp!”
“I hated the sight of a rookie setting up a guild!”
“Brand him now!”
Voices full of desire.
A circular arena reminiscent of a colosseum.
An unnatural darkness floating in the sky.
And-
“Cough.”
“Sion…”
Covered in blood and rolling on the floor.
My contractors.
People licked their lips at the sight of my contractor.
They say they want him.
They say to kill him.
They say they hate the sight of him.
“Kill him!”
I hear a voice.
“Kill him!”
Is this my auditory hallucination, or their voices?
“Kill him!”
I couldn’t tell the difference.
“Kill him!”
Yeon Taeseon grabbed my shoulder.
“Kill him!”
I couldn’t feel anything.
“Kill him!”
Snap.
I felt something in my head snap.

Han Siyoon was enjoying himself.
Because he found out that his younger brother, who had just awakened as an S-rank, was half-baked.
“You’re no match for me.”
“Shut up!”
White jewels scattered.
Han Sion stepped on them and jumped up.
PZZZZZT!
Baek Jiye’s magic exploded.
It was an attack aimed precisely at Han Siyoon, and he blocked it by surrounding himself with darkness.
There was no damage at all.
Immediately, Han Sion spun in the air and fell.
He brought down the Fragment of the Milky Way.
The cutting power of the sword, made white with Stardust, was truly formidable.
KWWAAAAAANG!
The circular arena split in half.
People cheered at the sight.
As if they were watching a flashy performance of a product.
“Han Sion, starting at 50 billion!”
The host’s voice echoed through the microphone.
The two contractors, engrossed in battle, did not hear it.
“55 billion, 57 billion, 60 billion, ah, 70 billion has been offered! Any more? Ah, 80 billion has been offered. Everyone! Is an S-rank hunter worth only 80 billion? Ah! 100 billion! Finally! 100 billion has been offered!”
The heat of the auction intensified.
Although it was a sudden auction that was not on the list of items, the response was tremendous because of the grade of the target.
“150 billion! Number 74, 150 billion! Any more? Ah, 200 billion! If there are no more, it will be decided at 200 billion. One, two, three! Sold!”
Han Sion was enveloped in darkness.
His limbs were twisted in a grotesque direction.
He coughed up blood, as if he had internal injuries.
He couldn’t get up again.
“Ah, really!”
Baek Jiye spammed her magic.
Three red magic circles appeared in the air.
They each poured out wind, fire, and lightning magic.
“Good, but monotonous.”
Han Siyoon said, nullifying all the magic with the darkness surrounding his body.
Baek Jiye’s magic had the advantage of fast casting, but its power was weak because her experience and knowledge had not yet been fully assimilated.
Han Siyoon was enveloped in darkness and instantly moved in front of Baek Jiye.
He threw a punch.
POW!
“Cough!”
She coughed up blood, as if her internal organs were damaged.
The magic circle appeared but was distorted, as if she was having difficulty with mana circulation.
“Baek Jiye, 180 billion! Sold! Ah, is the value of the association president’s niece only this much? It’s a pity!”
The voice of the auction host began to enter her ringing ears.
Only after hearing that voice did Baek Jiye realize that they had been played.
‘Was it just… a performance for the auction items…’
Did they know about the sudden intrusion?
Or was it an impromptu plan?
Was it all predicted?
Baek Jiye’s head spun quickly.
Her vision became blurry.
‘No, my consciousness…’
Thwack.
Just then, someone’s snow-white foot landed in the middle of the arena.
The owner of the snow-white leg, which seemed to glow faintly at first glance, stood with her back to the bleeding awakeners and looked at Han Siyoon.
Baek Jiye’s consciousness was cut off at that point.