Return of the Frozen Player - Chapter 38
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The Auction (1)
A soft spotlight clicked on, and a middle-aged man got onto the stage. The emcee of the global auction was the famous Donny Lochifield. He was famous for being a pleasant, cheerful host, but today, his face was serious.
âEven a person as famous as him is nervous.â
âWell, think about where he stands.â
Todayâs auction wasnât some talk show. It wouldnât be an exaggeration to say that all the most powerful people in the world were gathered here. People on the internet were even calling it a global summit.
âLadies and gentlemen, I am your host for tonight, Donny Lochifield.â He looked a bit nervous, but he was a professional. âFirst, Iâll explain how the auction will work. If you look at your seats, there will be a small remote.â
âItâs this.â Gong Juha picked up a remote from her large, comfortable seat.
âBidding is simple. Simply press the green button and enter your desired bid.â It was an easy system even for those whoâd never been to an auction. âIâm sure youâre all excited, so I wonât keep you waiting. We will now begin the auction. The first item is the sword of the Lion King, RichardâŠâ
As the item was brought onto the stage, it was projected onto a large hologram screen.
âMr. Snake head, is there anything you want to get today?â
âNot really. How about you?â
âWell, me too⊠Iâm not here as a bidder.â Gong Juha looked down at her security armband. She sat up straighter. âIâm a professional, so I have to do my job properly.â
I donât think you can say that when you were gambling during working hoursâŠÂ Seo Jun-ho replied half-heartedly, getting lost in his thoughts. Last night, heâd seen the memories of a Watchdog in a dark alley and realized.
I canât defeat Arma alone. He was impossibly powerful. Seo Jun-ho had thought he would be able to handle him alone, but that was a big miscalculation.
Arma was the third disciple of the King of Corpses, Nazad Hallow of the Nine Heavens.
He wouldnât have any problems if he went to the 2nd floor right now. Thatâs how strong he is.Â
It was because he was a summoner. Summonersâ own levels didnât matter as much as those of what they summoned.
Thankfully, I know what he summons because of the memories I saw last nightâŠÂ But it still wouldnât be enough to take him alone. Seo Jun-ho realized he needed backup. And the only one who could help meâŠ
Seo Jun-ho turned to look at Gong Juha, who was sipping on her iced tea and watching the auction.
âŠis Gong Juha. She was strong enough to defeat Arma. On top of that, she was part of the official security of the auction and could understand Seo Jun-ho. He looked down at the catalogue he was holding.
Five hours until Heavenâs Breath comes onto the stage. The Watchdogsâ operation would begin then.
The auction proceeded for five hours without any problems. Seo Jun-ho was starting to get nervous.
âNumber 203, congratulations. You have won the Ice Crown.â
âWho the hell is number 203?â
âThey keep sweeping away all the Cold attribute items.â As the other bidders complained, Seo Jun-hoâs face was stoic. Obviously, he wasnât number 203. He didnât have any reason to spend tens of millions of won to buy ice-affiliated artifacts.
(TN: Because he already got them for cheaper.)
âWow, this is fun, this is fun~â Number 203 was the innocent lady sitting next to him. She smiled brightly as she pressed on her remote. Including the item sheâd just won, sheâd successfully bid on eight artifacts. They were all items that helped with cooling the heat.
ââŠDidnât you say that you were a professional?â He struck at a sore spot.
âW-well, a real professional⊠Yeah! A real professional has to know how to multitask.â
It seemed that the requirements for being a professional kept increasing. She cleared her throat, as if embarrassed, and turned to look at Seo Jun-ho.
âArenât you going to buy anything?â
âIf thereâs something I like, then sure.â
âYou donât care much about gear?â
ââŠI do.â He cared a lot, but he also had unreasonably high standards. Thereâs nothing that I like. Heâd used the best equipment in the past, so most artifacts wouldnât catch his eye. The only thing heâd obtained so far was a necklace that prevented one from getting sick frequently. When heâd won it, Gong Juha had gotten curious.
âWhatâs that? Is it for your girlfriend?â
âShouldnât you ask if I have a girlfriend first?â
âOh, sorry⊠For your mother, then?â
âI donât have a mother either.â
ââŠIâm sorry. Iâll shut up.â Gong Juhaâs face went white as she turned away.
âThis next item has a long story attached to it. Number 84 on the catalogue, the Unknown Ball.â
âUnknown BallâŠ?â Seo Jun-hoâs attention turned back to the auction. It was a small ball the size of two fists, occasionally emanating light. Donny continued his story.
âTwenty years ago, this ball was given as a reward for clearing the 2nd floor. But to this day, no one has figured out what it is. No item window pops up either. Thinking that it has some incredible hidden power, many people have bought it, but no one has ever been able to figure it out. Its current owner is Count Charlie of England, who intends to sell it. Bidding will start at 50,000 dollars.â
âItâs that ball again.â
âThe auction has been here for twenty years, but no item comes in as frequently as that ball.â
âThatâs because itâs resold so often.â
âWill someone even buy it? People who know about it wouldnât.â
Seo Jun-ho listened to the murmurs of the audience with one ear, but his eyes were concentrated on the ball.
âŠI have to buy it. He didnât have a solid basis. It wasnât rare for him to get this feeling. But whenever he felt a hunch like this, he left his decisions to his intuitionâit was always right. Itâs Keen Intuition.Â
As Seo Jun-ho raised his remote, Gong Juha blinked.
âAre you⊠planning to buy the ball?â
âYes. I felt a pull.â He ignored the confusion on Gong Juhaâs face and pressed the button on his remote.
âNumber 173, going for 52,000 dollars.â
âNumber 89, going for 55,000 dollars.â
âNumber 114, going for 57,000âŠâ
There were inevitably a few people that were curious among the hundreds of participants. As the race ended, Seo Jun-ho won the mysterious ball for 150,000 dollars.
Iâm excited. Just what about the ball set off the hunch?
The next item was brought onto the stage.
ââŠA lot of you came to Las Vegas to see this very item.â Donny gave a knowing smile, and the audience sat up straighter.
âItâs finally coming out.â
âNumber 85. Iâm sure of it.â
âI couldnât even sleep because I wanted to see it.â All around the auction hall, people were swallowing in anticipation. Donny gave an elegant wave of his hand and introduced the item.
âDiscovered in an ancient dungeon on the 2nd floor; this is the top-grade magic core, Heavenâs Breath.â
Dozens of spotlights turned on, shining down on the gem. The audience erupted.
âOhh, thatâŠâ
âHeavenâs Breath!â
âThey say itâs as beautiful as if it were crafted by God himself.â
Most magic cores were spherical gems. Even the Frost Queenâs core looked like a round sapphire. Heavenâs Breath was in the same shape, sparkling white and gold.
âWow, itâs really pretty.â It was aesthetically pleasing, but also reminded one of the sky. Sure, it was pretty, but there were other parts to admire.
âŠIt has an overwhelming amount of magic. Seo Jun-ho now understood why there were rumors that it could single-handedly power a city. That huge amount of magic was packed into a small core.
âTeam Leader Gong, who discovered the core?â
âOne of the Big 6 Guilds, Labyrinth, got it from an ancient dungeon in the Frontier called âTomb of Mercyâ. They put their lives on the line to clear the dungeon⊠It was a high-risk-high-reward raid, but they succeeded. They said theyâre selling the core to make up for the losses.â
âHow much do you think itâll go for?â
âHmâŠÂ Well, that will depend on whatâs called, but in my opinionâŠâ Gong Juha looked around and leaned in close. âItâll go up to the trillions. These days, people prefer to use magic instead of gas or electricity. The people in the VIP seats are probably bidding with their countryâs budgets,â she whispered.
ââŠJesus Christ.â Seo Jun-ho glanced around, noticing something that the world leaders didnât. He quickly pulled himself together.
Heavenâs Breath has come out, so itâll begin soon. The Watchdogs would begin moving.
âThe magic core crafted by God! Bidding for Heavenâs Breath starts at 1 million dollars!â
Beepâ BeepâÂ
The hologram screen displayed the bids in real time. Perhaps to shake off normal bidders, the bid quickly reached 50 million. The audience held their breath in anticipation of who would win.
ââŠâŠ?â Gong Juha sensed something and wrinkled her forehead as she looked up. Seo Jun-ho noticed a beat later and stared up at the ceiling.
Theyâre here.
Craaaash!Â
The ceiling broke in with a loud roar, but no one in the audience was harmed.
Thereâs a reason why heâs called the Guardian Knight.
Ranker Ha Inho. In an instant, heâd created a magic shield that covered the entire audience.
âWho the hellâŠ! Wait, whatâs that?â Gong Juha stood up abruptly and squinted at the things on top of the shield. âSkeletons?â Dozens of skeletons had broken through the ceiling.
âSkeletons⊠Is it the Skeleton Mage from the massacre in Turkey?â Seo Jun-ho muttered gravely.
âSkeleton Mage? Thatâs possible!â Gong Juhaâs eyes shined as she hissed into her Vita.
âEvacuating the VIPs and the audience is our top priority! Recover the auction items after that. Iâm leaving the skeletons to Inho. Move!â
She really was a pro. In an instant, sheâd become a charismatic commander on the battlefield. She turned to Seo Jun-ho.
âMr. Snake head. If possible, can you lend us your⊠Huh?â Gong Juha tilted her head.
Seo Jun-ho had been sitting next to her up until a moment ago, but heâd disappeared like a ghost.