Chapter 52. The Head of the Ataraxia Family (1)
The capital strength of the Mage Association was such that they could dominate the entire auction this time—it was a threat. No, it was not merely a threat. They truly had the ability to do so. Jinhyuk bit his lip, thinking, ‘So they plan to pressure me even if it results in a loss.’ The situation was a headache. Even with the $30 million he had won in Las Vegas, feeling secure was difficult if they were determined to lock horns.
However.
“These guys don’t seem to be much; why are they talking so rudely to you?” asked Ellis, tilting her head in confusion. A thoughtless remark, but Kadric’s face contorted with anger upon hearing it. Although Jinhyuk had a reason to be patient…
The young girl he had never met before was an exception. “What do you mean by ‘they don’t seem to be much’? Exactly what it sounds like. Humans who delude themselves into thinking they own everything in this world with just a handful of sand from the great sea—why should they speak so carelessly to my contractor?”
…Impertinent. As expected, the word ‘moderation’ was not in Ellis’s dictionary. Of course, Kadric was no better at moderation either. “Haha. This is ridiculous. Player Gang Jinhyuk, I don’t know where you picked up such a rude brat, but you better teach her some manners.”
Again, a remark made without filtering. However, the ripple effect was significant. “Bra…Brat?” Ellis repeated the word she had just heard. Very slowly. And at that moment, a tiny spark flickered in her eyes. “Brat!?”
What was just an annoyance, akin to dealing with pesky bugs, had now turned into recognizing a target that must be crushed. “Don’t interrupt adults when they’re talking. There’s a limit to tolerating childish antics.”
“This… I’ll kill…” Just as Ellis was ready to pounce, an amplified voice resounded through the amphitheater, signaling the start of the 175th Black Market auction.
“Ooooh!” “It’s finally starting!”
The guests cheered with applause, their faces filled with anticipation for the first auction item. Thanks to this, the standoff between Ellis and Kadric was paused.
“Player Gang Jinhyuk, we shall meet again later. Of course, by then, you’ll be begging me to hand over the item,” said Kadric as he returned to his seat with a brief nod. The auction continued.
“Before we introduce the items, apart from the auction list provided with the invitations, we have prepared an additional five surprise items. Please manage your finances accordingly.”
Five undisclosed surprise entries! The bow-tied auctioneer whipped up excitement for the auction.
“The first item is a meteorite that fell in the state of Arizona, USA. Not only is it in excellent condition, but it can also be used to make weapons or armor due to the magic power emitted from the Tower of Trials. The starting bid is $1 million!”
The first item up for bid was infused with magic power — a selling point for weapons or armor.
“$1.5 million!” “$2 million!” “$2.5 million!” “I’ll take that for $5 million!”
The bids soared instantly, and the atmosphere naturally heated up. ‘Fools,’ thought Jinhyuk silently. A meteorite infused with magic power was worthless without refining skills, yet someone paid $5 million for it.
Unless they had a hobby of collecting trash…
Otherwise, it was just a waste of money. ‘At least, no blacksmith capable of handling meteoric iron exists at this point.’
Yet, Jinhyuk coolly tossed in his bid. “$6 million.”
The price broke the record in an instant.
“You’re buying that?” Ellis asked immediately. It was natural to be skeptical as he seemed to be purchasing something so unimpressive. “Just watch. It’s not that I want it.”
The corner of Jinhyuk’s mouth lifted slightly. Spending money on this would surely…
“$6.5 million,” Kadric raised the bid further, just as expected. ‘They don’t know what I’m after, so they have no choice but to blindly follow whatever I bid on.’
Even if their coffers were deep, there was a limit. By playing this cat-and-mouse game and slowly bleeding their funds, he would gain a superior position when ‘that item’ appeared.
“$7 million.” “$7.5 million!”
Jinhyuk raised his bid again, and when Kadric pursued once more, Jinhyuk subtly raised his hands to indicate his withdrawal.
“$7.5 million sold!”
Kadric’s eyes narrowed slightly, realizing Jinhyuk’s intent. But it was too late; the $7.5 million was already gone. Moreover, without knowing what the opposition sought, there was no other option but to continue following.
‘Hopefully, the prepared balance sheet is substantial,’ thought Jinhyuk with a grin at Kadric’s displeased face.
“The next item is also incredible. It’s the logbook Columbus wrote during his voyage when he discovered the Americas!”
The black market auction, as organized, offered a deluge of various rare treasures and historical artifacts. An ancient vase of unknown origin, a Rafflesia contaminated with magic, torture devices from medieval witch hunts, and so on.
Jinhyuk scattered bait, focusing on artifacts that seemed infused with magic or were extraordinary. Some very enticing bait. Additionally, he expertly executed psychological warfare, hinting at surrendering now and then, driving the auction’s highest price ever higher.
The worst kind of devilish talent appropriate for a gentleman’s auction.
As a result, Kadric spent over $70 million on utterly useless items.
＊＊＊
Clench! Kadric’s teeth ground together. “This… slippery bastard.”
His face, red-hot with rage and humiliation, was filled only with the desire to tear Jinhyuk into pieces. It wasn’t about the money. While $70 million was not a small sum, the capital granted by the Mage Association far exceeded that. It was just… the sheer frustration at the opponent’s petty and despicable strategy.
“Master, wouldn’t it be better for us to surrender just once? It seems that guy doesn’t have much capital; we could bankrupt him instead,” suggested a subordinate. If one won the bid, the money had to be paid. There was no room for erroneous bidding excuses. “Idiot! What if he effortlessly gets what he wants? That’s what will happen then?”
“That… That’s…”
“Shut up! Despite some financial loss, the ultimate winner will be me.” Right. Whether it was $70 million or a few hundred million, the winner had already been decided. The auction was, after all, a game where the person with the most capital won in the end.
That’s when.
“Next is an item for the enthusiasts. Allow me to introduce ‘the first chessboard’!” announced the auctioneer.
An old and simple-looking chessboard made its appearance.
“Hmm.”
“Not particularly appealing.”
“The chess pieces aren’t even there. I do play occasionally for fun, but that’s just…”
“It would be different if it were carved from high-quality wood.”
“We might as well save the bullets for the ‘Dragon’s Heart’ that’s coming up soon, the main event of this auction.”
“Right. That’s the main event.”
The enthusiasm cooled down. Compared to the treasures that had been displayed up until now, this one seemed rather plain. So much so that even the auctioneer described it for enthusiasts to make it appear more appealing.
Of course, it could still pique the interest of a few collectors, but most were indifferent.
“The starting bid is $50,000. Those interested, please start the bidding.”
“$100. I’ll use it as a stand for slippers in my bathroom.”
“Ha ha! I’ll bid $150. My cute cat, Alexander, needs a wooden board for sharpening its claws.”
“$200 here.”
“Definitely a fool to bet over $200.”
Laughter echoed throughout the venue. But just one person—Jinhyuk—clenched his fist tightly to calm his racing heart.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
‘It’s finally here.’
The key ingredient for conquering the third floor boss.
The reason he was participating in this auction!
Jinhyuk glanced sideways at Kadric and Alex, who appeared uninterested. ‘The groundwork I laid should now pay off…’
There was only one way to find out if his efforts would bear fruit.
“$50,000.”
Jinhyuk began the bidding.
“What?”
“$50,000 there?”
“Are you sane?”
Why would any fool spend $50,000 on that?
But the laughter vanished with the next voice.
“$100,000.”
Kadric joined the bidding war.
“$150,000.”
“$500,000.”
Jinhyuk promptly raised the bid, and Kadric followed suit without a second’s hesitation.
Damn. That expression on Kadric’s face.
Although half doubtful, his will not to give up was palpable.
“$1 million.”
Kadric went far higher at once.
“$10 million.”
The magnitude of the bids shifted dramatically.
This was a probing move.
By jumping the price so high, he was asking if Jinhyuk would still follow. If he didn’t give up, it would assure the opponent that this item was exactly what he was aiming for.
“Damn, who spends $10 million on a damn chessboard?”
“Is there something we’re not seeing?”
“This is crazy. I can’t compete at that price.”
The atmosphere was astir; the situation had reversed 180 degrees.
The guests in the amphitheater began to focus solely on this auction.
“$15 million.”
Jinhyuk spoke out weightily. He had nearly reached half of his available funds.
But Kadric kept absurdly raising his bid.
“$30 million.”
When he said that, Jinhyuk could not open his mouth any longer. Any more would exceed his maximum available balance.
“Huh. So that’s your limit,” Kadric said smugly, crossing his arms with a sense of victory.
Seconds later, the auctioneer franticly grabbed the microphone. “Thirty million! Do we have any more than thirty million?”
If a 10% commission was taken, this meant a $3 million income for the black market. When submitting this item, they thought they would be lucky to get a $5,000 commission, but $3 million was an astonishing 600 times that amount.
There was nothing left to see. There would be no further bidding.
“Then, the 56th auction item, ‘the first chessboard,’ is sold for $30 million…,”
But just as the auctioneer was about to close, a voice intervened—a voice that had never before participated in the auction, and it came from right beside Jinhyuk.
“100 million.”
“Ellis?” Jinhyuk’s pupils dilated sharply.
