Dungeon Hunter - Chapter 69
Chapter 69: Episode 18. The Second Auction of Devildom (6)
Although this armor was sealed, Fairy King must have known of Indolence’s presence. He could have also known that I took Anger.
‘He suspects that I have a powerful observation skill that could even penetrate a seal. He also thinks that I have a lot of points…’
The Fairy King had some ideas, and he was trying to test me. I didn’t know the reason, but he was checking on me. The Fairy King was throwing out good items in the auction and telling me that I should take them if I could.
In order to take these valuable items home, one had to have a good eye for valuable items and an absurd number of points.
I had played the game as he wished, and I had taken the Tears of Moon and the Smile of the Sun. These two items were very good in that they increased the user’s intelligence and Mana noticeably.
However, there was more.
‘Indolence.’
After these items came out one of the Seven Sins, Indolence.
I was in a dilemma. I needed Indolence badly, because I already possessed Anger, which was another item from the Seven Sins collection. It was obvious that my combat abilities would shoot up if I had Indolence. However, if I decided to purchase the item, I would fall for the Fairy King’s trap.
I was most concerned that the Fairy King had the rest of the Seven Sins collection. If he tried to control me using the rest of the collection, I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t be manipulated. In such a situation, I would think about the possible gains and losses, and I would eventually try to follow the Fairy King’s will.
I knew myself well.
‘This item is the bait that I cannot resist.’
I massaged my forehead gently.
The moment I purchased Indolence, the Fairy King would find out that I had the Mind’s Eye, which was my secret weapon. I didn’t care too much about the points. It was only a matter of time before everyone would find out that I was extremely wealthy…
I clicked my tongue.
I knew that even though I considered other options, I would eventually end up buying Indolence.
“Please take a look at this cape closely. It is not just an old, ripped, and torn cape. Have you heard about Oswen? He was the unfortunate blacksmith that was lost in the Devildom. However, even the gods fell in love with this legendary blacksmith and his talents! We found this cape from the cave where his skeleton was found. I am quite sure that this cape is not just ordinary armor,” said Devorong, presenting the cape.
This item was sealed armor.
Even the spirits couldn’t identify it correctly.
However, they could make an educated guess based on the appearance of the item and the location in which it was found.
At the same time, the demons seemed unsettled.
Every demon knew who Oswen was.
Oswen’s works were outstanding. He had the powers to split the sky and move the Earth. There were rumors that some demons who came across Oswen’s weapons used them to combat Nobles. Such rumors were no longer considered jokes.
Every time one of Oswen’s weapons appeared, it caused upheavals in the Devildom. It was hard to believe that demons started wars to obtain Oswen’s work.
I looked at Archduke Ariel.
Her eyes were sparkling.
She was no longer in Devildom anymore. However, when she had been, she had enjoyed using Oswen’s weapons. Her favorite skill was the “Abyss Sword,” and she used to cast this skill with Oswen’s sword. The skill then ripped the Earth apart and evaporated many demons into powder.
Unfortunately, when the games, in which seventy-two demons competed, began, she couldn’t help but leave everything in the Devildom. Ariel was a Weapon Master who didn’t have any problem using weapons that she wasn’t used to. However, she did miss using Oswen’s masterpieces.
It was merely a cape, but it was definitely worth the effort and the points.
The value that Oswen’s name carried was indeed tremendous.
‘She’s determined for sure.’
I gently pressed on my forehead. The Fairy King hadn’t explicitly told the demons that the item was Indolence. However, the fact that they provided sufficient information implied that they were expecting demons to compete aggressively for the item. He wanted to see if demons, including myself, could identify the Tears of the Moon, the Smile and the Sun, and even Indolence, plus whether we had the points to purchase the items. It was so easy to read the Fairy King’s mind that I almost burst out in laughter.
Devorong smiled cunningly but politely, then started talking.
“The starting bid for this sealed item is exceptionally high. It is 300,000. Three hundred thousand points!”
“Three hundred thousand.”
“Archduke Ariel! I hope you take the item this time!”
Archduke Ariel was the first person to raise her hand.
She was burning with a fighting spirit and taking quite an aggressive stance.
She hadn’t purchased any items so far, and the total number of points that she had was about 620,000. I had calculated her total budget when she and I were competing for the Statue of the Goddess of Abundance.
“Three hundred fifty thousand.”
“Duke Depella!”
“Six hundred thousand.”
“…Archduke Ariel! You don’t even want to bother competing! She wants to take it home!”
There was a moment of silence.
It was the first round in which the bid had jumped by 250,000 points at once.
Such a large leap implied that Ariel wanted the item desperately.
Ariel was craving the item because not only was it Oswen’s masterpiece, but Ariel also had a good eye for valuable items.
When Anger had come out in the auction, Ariel had realized that it was a valuable item, then tried to purchase it.
Of course, after she bid, no demon bid a higher price. In fact, not many demons had more than 600,000 points in their pockets.
“Six hundred thirty thousand.”
“Why, Count Randalf! You’re going in strong! And the number looks familiar!”
If any demon was wealthy enough to bid a higher price, it would have been me.
Devorong shook his head. He must have thought that I was playing dirty to call 630,000 when I knew Ariel’s budget.
In fact, watching Ariel was quite entertaining.
She squinted her eyes and kept her lips pressed together very tightly. At first glance, anyone could tell that she felt uncomfortable.
However, her face began to change even more.
Soon, her two horns grew longer and became sharper. Her eyes seemed as though they would bleed sometime soon. Then, she stormed out of the side hall and stood in front of me.
I shrugged my shoulders and sat down. The most basic strategy in an auction was finding out the enemy’s budget and bidding a higher price than they could afford.
“Now that you can’t compete with points, are you trying to use violence?”
“You’re very rude. Who do you think I am? I wouldn’t do such a thing.”
She was Archduke Ariel.
She tended to push others willy-nilly, but she was the most elegant out of all the archdukes. I would buy that. Ufa was cunning, while Pandemonium was critical, and I had no idea what Oculus was thinking.
Compared to the other archdukes, Ariel looked normal.
However, anyone could tell that she was raging, and I couldn’t trust her words.
Devorong, watching the dispute, added, “Uh… We are in the middle of an auction. Please do not interrupt it.”
The Auction of Devildom was never supposed to be a place for dispute. From a spirit’s perspective, the best scenario was that participants only competed with points.
It was obvious that the spirits wanted to ban those who started fights.
Ariel knew all this. After all, it was only the second year. There would be numerous opportunities in the future, and she was too clever to mess up a future opportunity.
“I admit that you have performed well.” Ariel spat out compliments while she was raging. Of course, I wasn’t moved by her compliments.
Ariel continued slowly, “So, Randalf Bruciel, come and join me.”
It was a surprising offer.
Everything happened while the other demons were watching.
Awed by her boldness, I remained silent for a moment.
Time passed by, and I shook my head softly.
I had already refused her offer once. Of course, her offer had been a test back then, but a refusal was a refusal. Nevertheless, it wasn’t usual for Ariel to give me another offer.
In addition, the place where she gave me an offer was problematic.
We were in the middle of an auction.
All the archdukes and demons were watching us.
I slightly opened my eyes and stared at Ariel.
‘That’s strange.’
This was somewhat mysterious.
Ariel wasn’t a tactician. She acted before she thought. However, cornering me now had been the best strategy that she could come up with. Had I accepted the offer, she would have nothing to lose. If I rejected her offer, then she would have an excuse.
Had she made an offer impulsively or was making the offer her strategy?
If it wasn’t either of the two, had she really meant to steal me…?
I couldn’t decipher her intentions.
“I refuse. I don’t like working for someone else. If I have to work with someone, I would rather control the other.”
Anyways, I answered quietly and clearly told her my purpose.
All of the demons who had gathered here were enemies from the beginning.
What I said would publicize that fact, so I didn’t care too much about her reaction.
Archduke Ariel’s face froze.
“How dare you refuse my offer and even say you want to control me… especially in front of me.”
Ariel quietly added, “Isn’t he so rude,” then patted her horns. Her horns shrunk back to what they had looked like before.
“Four demons who called themselves archdukes have reigned over the Devildom since its beginning. I am one of those four. The hegemony hasn’t shifted for a long time. Do you even know what you just said?”
“There is only one rule in the Devildom. The strong conquer the weak!”
I denied Ariel openly and laughed at her.
The ranks didn’t matter; the strong took it all.
In the Devildom, the strong took everything. It was the single most important rule there.
Back in the Devildom, I had challenged some archdukes. Laughing at me, they had ignored me and thought that I was a merely a crazy kid.
However, that kid was gone.
The kid who didn’t know his limits was gone for good.
Now, the kid had become a top dog, and Ariel looked interested.
At the same time, she nodded her head. My words must have been surprising to her.
“…Can you take responsibility for what you just said?”
In other words, she was asking me if I was eligible to talk about the most fundamental but important rule.
I got up from my seat and stared straight into Ariel’s red eyes.
“Nobody can crush me but myself, Ariel Diablo.”
I was telling her that I was no longer a kid.
I was confident enough to crush all the demons!
Even Ariel was slightly fed up with my confidence.
“I hope that your choice was not just boldness.” Ariel turned and looked at the other three side halls.
She invoked the spirit of words and declared, “Listen! I, Archduke Ariel, will not tolerate whoever steals Randalf Bruciel. If anyone recruits him, I will consider the action a declaration of war against me! I will smash my enemy with all my might!”
Ariel made an official declaration.
There were no ifs. She would do as she had declared.
Ariel blocked everyone from approaching me. After Ariel’s spirit of words skill was activated, her words carried power. I wouldn’t be completely sealed. However, those who wanted to recruit me would have to reconsider their plans.
On top of Ariel’s official declaration, I had also claimed that I wouldn’t work for anyone.
Ariel said slowly, “I pray that the end of a loner is not misery, Randalf Bruciel.”
After she spat out the words, she began to walk towards the door without hesitation.
Devorong, who was watching the dispute, cried, “Archduke Ariel! The auction is not over yet!”
“I am not in the mood for it.”
Boom! The huge door closed.
Ariel had left the auction house.
However, she didn’t look so evil when she was walking out. Rather, she looked like a child who had found a toy that she really wanted.
The auction continued.
Archduke Ariel’s disappearance made her demons panic for a while, but they came back soon after. After all, only Archduke Ariel had left the auction.
However, the atmosphere changed dramatically.
First of all, demons’ attitudes towards me changed.
The cause of these changes were Archduke Ariel’s declaration and my bold claim. The two made my presence more prominent.
I still felt that I wasn’t quite there yet… It was simply a matter of time.
I had prepared many hidden cards, such as powerful monsters, two dungeons, and humans who were growing stronger. I didn’t know if other demons had their own hidden cards, but I was confident that after a while, I would be boasting my power as a one-man faction.
For now, I was satisfied that I changed others’ perceptions of me a little bit.
However, what I really wanted was to be on a par with the archdukes. My ultimate goal was to compete with them and win.
The first goal that I needed to achieve was to make the archdukes become impatient and afraid of me.
I could say that I was close to that first goal in the second year.
I didn’t know the true intention behind Ariel’s action. However, from my perspective, her actions were more beneficial to me than not.
After the dispute, I started to receive more highlights and attention…
I needed to gain attention, because I alone had to be the main character of this chapter.
In the following rounds of the auction, I managed to win a few more items, and I finished my second auction very satisfactorily.
