Dungeon Hunter - Chapter 154

Chapter 154: Chapter 49. The Fifth Auction of Devildom (2)

—…

Deboron had no response. But I could easily tell that he was amazed.

I wasn’t anxious, so I waited in a laid-back manner.

Seeing as I couldn’t know what would pop out of the crack, it wasn’t exactly a laid-back situation. But as much as I intended to pursue my goals in the ensuing conversation with Deboron, I needed to keep a “straight face.”

—Are you really Randalf?

“There’s no demon besides me that uses that name.”

—This is ridiculous. I confirmed that you were definitely removed from the system…

“Can you really confirm that kind of thing?”

That meant that he could find out whether demons are alive or not. As soon as I asked in my surprise, Deboron responded.

—W-wait please. I’ll go confirm it and be back. It shouldn’t take long.

“I’ll be waiting. Just in time, a guest has come to me.”

I removed my hand. If the crack closed up I wouldn’t be able to open it again. That is, until Deboron opened it while avoiding the sight of the system. But if I did it, then it would take too much time. There were barely two months left until the Auction of Devildom.

So I had no choice but to leave the crack open until Deboron returned, and as it got late, mysterious beings inevitably began to show themselves near the entrance to the crack.

“Good heavens! These are ancient depraved spirits. It is said that they haven’t shown themselves for about a thousand years, and it turns out they were inside the cracks! Shall we at least close the crack now?”

Oswen spoke with great surprise after seeing the beings that appeared.

Their hands were close. Their bodies shrouded in darkness. Only two sunken eyes and darkness floated in the air. He said ancient depraved spirits… if I were to assign them a grade, they were high level and high rank. About ten such spirits arrived at once.

I shook my head.

“Let me take care of them.”

I unsheathed my swords. I stared down at the fallen spirits with the Sword of the Emperor and Rage (which had been returned to me) grasped in both of my hands.

“I can’t move since I have to maintain the crack. Will you really be alright?”

“I’m fine.”

The quality of these spirits was darkness itself. Damage from the Dark Sword and moon mana that I had would unavoidably be cut in half. However… to a certain extent that was just when I determined their type. In the first place, my “level” itself was completely different from theirs. With the level of transcendence that my attacks had, the comparison of types would be ignored.

I can’t allow the crack that we’ve opened with so much difficulty to close just because of ten of those bastards.

Whooosh.

The fallen spirits pierced through the darkness and came towards me. They were unhindered, as if they had only the inclination to attack left.

But I was one step ahead of them.

Slice!

I cut down one of them with a single blow.

Immediately the spirit that had been slashed split into two.

“This is going to get annoying.”

Somehow, the fallen spirits appeared to have the ability to replicate themselves.

“It’ll be fine if I divide them thinly until they can’t replicate anymore.”

The Dark Sword makes it impossible to regenerate, but splitting was a different field. In any case, I didn’t think of it as that big a deal.

If it’s possible for them to reproduce by splitting, then if I attack them until that doesn’t work anymore, that would solve the problem.

At the head of the ancient fallen spirits, polluted Gnomes, rotted gastric fluid Golems, and others came out through the crack. Luckily, there didn’t appear to be any beings from Nothingness like Contegnome. I wasn’t sure if I could buy more time, but Deboron contacted me just in time.

—You really… survived. I was surprised.

“I’m not going to die.”

Splat!

I said this as I split the head of a rotten gastric fluid Golem.

My dream was still valid. Right now, I was sitting on the right side of the empty throne of the Dark Lord and laughing! I wouldn’t think of dying one whit, not at least until I had achieved that dream. I even had confidence that I wouldn’t die.

—It sounds noisy around you. By any chance, are you in the middle of a battle?

“It’s nothing.”

Sizzzle!

I burned the vestiges of the rotten gastric fluid Golem’s body into ashes. Only then was all quiet around me.

—Oh, it’s a bit quieter now. I’m just… curious. May I know where you are?

“Unfortunately there’s nothing I can tell you.”

—Oh dear… I really wanted to hear how you avoid the detection of the system. You will eventually pay the price, however…

Deboron’s voice was quite urgent.

However, the system was already incorporated into the Underworld. As there were connection points that had formed between that place and my dungeon, I was able to receive a good amount of compensation, but for Deboron it was an unfortunate development.

“Deboron. Do you think I contacted you so that we could talk about that kind of stuff?”

—Hmm, probably not. Since you were always a person who greatly valued his time. Are you contacting me because you wanted to know whether I have access to the Auction of Devildom?

That was a reasonable inference. And it was a fact that I had contacted him about access to the Auction of Devildom.

But there was something more important than that.

“This is to make a proposal.”

—A proposal?

“Deboron. Are you planning to change the method of the auction?”

I asked him point-blank.

It was not in my nature to drag out a discussion before changing the subject.

After all, I was the one holding the key.

—That’s quite unexpected. You’re saying you want to change the method of the auction?

Deboron’s voice trembled slightly, as if he hadn’t foreseen this at all. I continued without hesitation.

“I’m talking about adding more lots for bids. They’re some items that the demons have obtained.”

—In other words, you’re saying you want me to increase the amount of items they can put up for auction?”

“That’s exactly it. Provided that the participants’ anonymity must be guaranteed.”

—That’s impossible. There’s not enough time to change things right now, and the spirit king won’t change the rules he’s already set.

Was that really true?

He was set in saying he wouldn’t change the rules. But if his personal benefit were on the line, his thinking would surely change.

“There is sufficient time to make the changes before the auction starts in full swing, to add to the entertainment. For your information, I’m planning to put the Quintessence of Origin on the auction block.”

—The Quintessence of Origin…!

The Quintessence of Origin. The spirit king Adonis had already coveted this item once before. He had requested to exchange it with the Seven Sins.

It was an item that forced you to break your limits. Of course, breaking them the first time is difficult, but once you’ve done that, finding the next path was not hard. That was why Adonis longed for the Quintessence of Origin, and also the reason why the Archdukes had hidden the method of breaking one’s limits in the previous life.

But now I had announced that I would put it on the auction block. For a moment, Deboron was silent.

But he asked me, as if he couldn’t make the decision so hastily.

—Randalf. I can’t tell what you’re thinking at all. Can I ask what your true intention is?

“You truly don’t know?”

—Isn’t that why I’m asking you?

Deboron seemed to be getting slightly angry.

It seems that he had jumped to the conclusion that because they had done me a favor, I would obviously hand the Quintessence of Origin over to Adonis.

But the situation had changed. I couldn’t turn the situation around without some kind of change.

“Adonis. I want him to come as a participant in the auction.”

Though I said it like it was no big deal, the content of what I had said was sufficiently shocking.

An expert in turning tables!

I was determined to drag Adonis up to the surface.

So he could no longer just watch from the perspective of a spectator!

—…You’re crazy. The spirit king is in charge of the Auction of Devildom.

“Is there even a rule that says the head of the auction can’t participate?”

—There’s the problem of fairness… Also, the spirit king will not accept this.

“That’s not your decision to make.”

The final decision was dependent on Adonis’ judgment. No matter how much of a stink Deboron made about it, if Adonis said he would do it then he would. Even if Deboron was known as one of Adonis’ close aides, he was still not more than an advisor.

—Even if the method of the auction was changed and the spirit king participated, how would that benefit you?

“That’s also not important to you, is it?”

How could I not benefit?

Adonis would go from just an observer to someone directly involved. I could plant the impression in the other demons that the Spirit King of Darkness had begun to move.

I wanted the confusion that would come from that.

The spirit king and other powerful variables could become double-edged swords, but I was the only one who could find the thing he desired.

That wasn’t all, as I had gained many points in advance and would be able to purchase a variety of items at the auction.

If I unlocked things that I didn’t need but was sufficiently able to afford and monopolized the points in advance, then it wouldn’t be impossible for me to exert an influence as a one-man faction, like before.

There was a way to obtain things that I couldn’t get at normal stores. This was in fact the Achievement Store.

—Whew! Alright. I’ll let the spirit king know. Also… your survival is so surprising, I would usually provide you in advance with a list of the items up for bid, but it seems that this year will be difficult.

“I don’t care.”

—I see. If a one-in-a-million event happens, then the spirit king’s authority will be activated. In that case, all demons will be informed of changes to the auction. Please don’t expect anything big.

“I’m expecting something.”

Click!

The signal was disconnected.

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I had some very old memories. This was after I had determined the disposition of Adonis and the majority of the demons. As expected, Adonis accepted my deal, and I was busily working in preparation for that.

About the remaining Archdukes… I had prepared things according to the disposition of Ariel, Ufa, and Pandemonium that they would desire. It didn’t matter that they weren’t very good. They were things that they wanted and hoped for but couldn’t find. Items that could become clues. They were all at the Achievement Store. Specifically, it would be accurate to say that they were in the Treasure Warehouse of the “Hell Lord.”

I also hadn’t neglected unlocking achievements and gathering points. After another month of doing that, a message window suddenly appeared in the air.

[Adonis, The Spirit King of Darkness, has exercised his authority as head of the auction and added a rule.]

[Now, before the auction fully begins, a separate auction will be held.]

[The participation of demons is allowed at this separate auction. You may submit a maximum of ten items for bid. The anonymity of sellers will be guaranteed.]

[Unlike the main auction, spirits will be participating in this separate auction. Fire spirits and water spirits have both become participants in this separate auction. They can potentially receive a fixed amount of points based on their “level” or “contract” which they can use to participate in the auction.]

It said fire spirits, and water spirits?

Weren’t these beings substitutes for the spirits of darkness?

Could it be…? It seemed that while I was away something had happened.

However, I still had a smile plastered on my face.

The emergence of other spirits, and the fact that their participation in the auction was officially recognized was truly unexpected, but…

“I hooked him.”

My preparations to overturn the board were complete.

The Auction of Devildom.

I had chosen Krithli as the monster to accompany me there.

She was hoping for revenge. Pandemonium was the target of that revenge, and I had chosen her to imprint this even more in her eyes, as well as to imprint it on the other demons.

As soon as we appeared, everyone was distracted by Krathra, and Krithli ended up being treated as just an accessory. None of the demons paid her any attention.

But she was the real one, not Krathra.

She had already achieved a level of growth that reached the highest rank.

How would they react? Once they confirmed my reappearance along with Krithli’s growth… I couldn’t stop smiling from just imagining their reactions.

“Ariel, Ufa, Pandemonium! I’ve returned.”

This Auction of Devildom seemed to be my big debut.

They must all be thinking that I broke the taboo, and died with Oculus.

But I became more perfected in the Underworld. I had dipped my toe into the level of transcendence.

What have they done instead? Had they achieved growth enough to be compared with me?

I crossed the crack with a strange feeling of expectation, and then immediately a familiar and spacious room appeared.

In front of it, one spirit of darkness in the shape of a Gnome was waiting for me.

“Hyuck hyuck! Randalf. It’s been a while.”