Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 21

‘Damn it. I shouldn’t have come. I should have visited our Venus or worked on the team’s founding.’

Lost in thought, Beom-seok arrived at the last seat with a puzzled expression. Seat number 1 was empty. The numbered tag clearly indicated that an elf was assigned there, making him wonder where she had gone. He stopped a nearby clerk.

“Excuse me. Where did the elf who was here go?”

The clerk glanced at the seat number and immediately replied,

“Ah, she was probably called to the auction house. The auction just started.”

“Oh, really?”

Beom-seok took out his electronic notepad to check the time. It was 10:03 AM. Definitely the time the auction would have started. Come to think of it, the elf waiting area was much emptier than before.

He debated whether to go home or check on the remaining elf in seat number 1. But he wouldn’t be able to shake off the nagging feeling if he left, so he decided to at least check. It wouldn’t take long to glance at the information window. Beom-seok quickly left the waiting area and headed to the auction house.

– Now, let me introduce Erfina, a candidate pro-gladiator for the Captain Bears team of Deloy Wide League. We ask for your great interest.

With the host’s announcement, an elf with blue hair walked out. She was carrying a 60-70cm short sword and a small shield, seemingly staged to showcase her as a gladiator. She walked down the central aisle, reminiscent of a fashion show runway, swinging her sword and pretending to block with her shield. However, the atmosphere among the auction participants watching her was tepid.

‘What’s this? Nothing special.’

Erfina’s movements and physical condition didn’t seem great at first glance. Her ears drooped towards the ground as if lacking confidence, and her movements were as slow as an elephant’s. Her skin was so pale it looked almost white, and she seemed to limp slightly, as if she was injured.

However, one thing that stood out was her beauty, which surpassed that of other elves. Her long legs were slender without any excess fat, and her slim waist created a smooth line that naturally connected the curves of her upper and lower body. Her blue hair shimmered as she walked, catching the indoor lighting, and her moderately long neckline harmonized perfectly with her beautiful features. The only problem was that her chest was a bit small, but that was perfectly fine for Beom-seok’s taste.

‘What should I do? Should I buy her?’

She didn’t seem like a very capable gladiator, but her appearance made him hesitate. The sleazy excuse that he needed a ‘meal attendant’ filled Beom-seok’s head. Eventually, with a troubled expression, he slowly walked towards the auction stage. He decided to at least check her out.

– Now, we will begin the bidding for Erfina. The immediate purchase price is 1.5 million Krang, and the starting price is 450,000 Krang. All those who wish to bid, please press the bid button.

Beom-seok, hearing the host’s announcement to start the bidding, hurriedly opened her information window.

————————————————-

Name: Erfina.

Classification: Elf (31 years old).

Affiliation: Captain Bears GC.

Fame: 760.

Notoriety: 0.

H Status: None.

Stamina: 7500/7500.

Sociability: 68, Strength: 73, Stamina: 75.

Agility: 75, Balance: 77, Intelligence: 86.

Mental Strength: 78. Judgment: 84, Skill: 76.

Luck: 75.

Current Skill/Potential: 767/771.

————————————————

Special Trait: Keen Eyesight.

Special Notes: During her 28 years as a professional, she transferred to the Captain Bears team after playing for the Dark Zeus and Aquarius Fish teams. She mainly played as a mid-level and rear guard. Due to frequent injuries and extreme stamina depletion, she eventually fell into the hands of the Worker Auction Market.

————————————————

‘I’ve been tricked!’

His face was filled with dismay. After seeing Erfina’s stats, he realized that all his worries had been in vain.

‘Not only that, but she’s also very useful even after retirement.’

Another advantage she had was her ‘keen eyesight’ trait. This was the ability to assess the opponent’s stats and talents within a 5% range, which was almost the same function as checking the player’s information window. Although there was a major drawback that it took more than 5 minutes of constant observation to make an assessment, it would only take about a day to examine all the key players of a team, greatly reducing Beom-seok’s gladiator recruitment grind.

– Now, 500,000 Krang has been bid. Are there no more bids?

As the auction continued, Beom-seok’s heart grew impatient. He quickly sat down in a nearby empty auction seat and attached the connector protruding from the desk to his information notepad. Beom-seok could only tap his feet anxiously as he watched the auction program download message slowly progress.

And just as he finished downloading everything and was about to run the program, the host’s cruel announcement rang out.

– Auction closed! The winner is Mr. James, who submitted the final bid of 730,000 Krang. Please come forward and take Erfina.

Beom-seok stared blankly at the blond man in his late 20s who stepped forward with a clenched fist. It was like a dog watching the roof after chasing a chicken [a Korean idiom for missing an opportunity]. With Erfina’s abilities, her market price would be roughly 35 million Krang. He had lost a huge profit in an instant due to his momentary sluggishness.

Beom-seok slammed the table with his fist hard enough to make the hall shake. The sound of cracking echoed as wooden fragments flew in all directions. The auctioneer, seeing this, shot a sharp comment at him.

– You are not allowed to cause a disturbance during the auction. If you continue to do so, we will call security and you will have to pay a certain price.

Beom-seok, now regaining his senses, began to make excuses. If he was kicked out like this, his chance to get Erfina would be completely gone. The winning bid for her was a very cheap 730,000 Krang. It seemed possible to persuade James, the new owner, if he spent some money.

“I’m sorry. I recently had a body modification procedure and couldn’t control my strength. It was just a mistake, I didn’t intend to cause trouble.”

– Hmm, alright. I understand. Then there’s nothing we can do. If you compensate for the damaged goods as you leave, we won’t take any further action.

“Yes. I will definitely pay for it.”

The auctioneer turned his gaze away from Beom-seok. It was a mistake, and he said he would compensate for the damaged goods, so there was no reason to pursue it further. Besides, there were still plenty of auctions to proceed with.

– Then, we will bring out elf number 2. We ask for your great interest.

Beom-seok stopped paying attention to the auction and focused on James’ movements. He didn’t need to pay any attention to the elves who would come out next, as he had already confirmed that they were useless. He followed James as he took Erfina out of the auction house.

“Excuse me, Mr. James. I have something to say to you.”

James, who was walking down the hall of the building, stopped at Beom-seok’s call.

“Yes. What is it?”

“Well, I have a favor to ask. Can we talk for a moment? I’ll take you to a nearby tea house.”

Although he was a stranger, it was hard to refuse when he spoke so earnestly. James gave an awkward smile and gave an affirmative answer.

“It’s not difficult to have a conversation, but going to a tea house would be difficult. I still have important business to take care of at the auction house.”

Seeing Erfina standing next to him, Beom-seok nodded in agreement. He had only won the auction, and had not yet transferred ownership or paid the price to the market.

Beom-seok looked around and pointed to the lounge with vending machines at the end of the hallway.

“Then let’s talk over there.”

James thought that was fine and said immediately.

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

“Thank you. Let’s go then.”

James immediately moved towards the lounge. Beom-seok followed him, carefully observing his expression. To start a deal, it was necessary to check the other person’s mood and condition.

‘I was completely fooled. How can she change so drastically like that?’

Beom-seok clicked his tongue as he watched Erfina walk. She was completely different from before. Far from limping, every step she took was full of energy, and her unique large ears stood up high. It seemed that the clumsy appearance she showed at the auction house was an act to gain an ordinary owner and avoid team officials. This Worker Auction Market was attended not only by ordinary people, but also by sports club officials like himself who came to find good elves.

‘Why did I overlook the fact that elves try to trick people to find owners?’

This was something he had heard repeatedly from Raemi and knew well. But he was deceived by Erfina’s actions at the auction house and hesitated for a moment, which resulted in the misfortune of not being able to participate in the auction. As a result, Beom-seok, with his nasty personality, had to lower himself to James, whom he had never met before.

Arriving at the lounge, Beom-seok hurriedly took out two 10 Krang coins from his pocket, put them into the vending machine, and received three sports drinks and 2 Krang in change.

“Here, here. Have a drink. Erfina, you drink too.”

James, who received a can of cold sports drink, opened the lid and quickly took a few gulps, as if he was thirsty. Even though he bought Erfina at a cheap price, he was nervous because he, an ordinary person, had spent hundreds of thousands of Krang.

James, who wiped the moisture from his lips, looked at Beom-seok.

——–

Oops, oops, what a mistake……… I missed a chapter. Please check again if you have read it.