Raided The God’S Warehouse [EN]: Chapter 354

358

“It’s been so long since I’ve been to an auction house,” I mused.

“I thought you’d visit often,” Wolf replied.

“As Wolf knows, I’m all about the mystique, right? Of course, I’d send employees to bid on my behalf,” I explained.

“What about now?”

“Now, I’m here with Wolf. You should consider it an honor, okay?”

I couldn’t deny her mystique. It was part of her charm.

In fact, even Sae-un from before the regression, who roamed every corner of Lilac, didn’t know her true identity.

Even now, she walks around with her face exposed, yet no one recognizes her.

However.

“I remember there were players who saw your face on the second floor of the casino,” I pointed out.

During our first encounter, she revealed herself to cover up the casino employee’s game manipulation.

Sae-un wasn’t the only one there; dozens of players recognized her.

Since they were players who had reached the second floor, they must have been somewhat established.

I wondered if any of them would recognize her now.

“Ah, that? There was an identity obfuscation [masking] spell cast throughout the entire area, so no one remembers my face, probably,” she said casually.

Her preparations were more thorough than I thought.

Interfering with the minds of players who had reached the sixth shelter would be incredibly difficult, but the magic installed in the casino was beyond Sae-un’s expectations.

Perhaps, as she said, most of the players who witnessed her had forgotten her appearance the moment they left the casino.

“Welcome… Oh!”

The receptionist at the entrance of the auction house looks flustered. It seems they recognized Arcana.

“W, welcome, VIP customer!”

He stutters and bows, making me realize once again how important she is.

Even if she hides her identity, she can’t deceive the auction house staff managed by the system.

“Oh my. Is the staff training here lacking? They should know that making such a fuss will draw attention. Or, are you trying to feed me to them on purpose?” she teased.

“N, no! That’s not it. I apologize. This way…”

“Please be careful next time,” she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Watching her receive VIP treatment as if it were natural, even though she said it had been a while since she visited the auction house, I couldn’t help but be amazed.

Well, thanks to her, Sae-un was also able to enter the auction house with the utmost courtesy.

– Welcome to the Acacia Auction House.

The auction house hall was as splendid as ever.

Normally, I would have to push through the players waiting in the hall to get inside, but this time was different.

“This way…”

Thanks to the receptionist guiding us through the VIP通道 [VIP access lane], we quickly reached our destination.

Walking along the soft red carpet, we soon arrived at our destination.

“Are you satisfied with the seats?”

“Why is there only one seat?” Arcana asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Ah… Well, the other person hasn’t reached VIP status yet…” the receptionist stammered.

“So, should I have him sit on my lap? It’s been a while since I’ve visited, and everyone seems to have lost their touch. Disappointing,” she said dramatically.

“N, no! We’ll take care of it right away! J, just a moment…”

The receptionist is flustered by Arcana’s every word.

I felt a little sorry for him, but thanks to her, Sae-un was also assigned a VIP seat next to her.

The seat was right in front of the stage where the auction would take place.

It wasn’t a seat you could get by lining up early, but a VIP seat prepared exclusively for VIP customers.

“You said you came to buy ‘Hero’s Leap’?” I asked.

“That’s right.”

“It’s not really for Wolf… Ah, are you perhaps trying to recall a skill you learned before the regression?”

“……”

“I knew it. You know, you’re really cute when things show on your face like that,” she teased.

It was too difficult to hide anything from her.

Well, this case was an exception.

Since she knew the ability of Hero’s Leap and the fact that Sae-un had regressed, it would have been a very easy deduction for her.

“Other people are starting to come in now,” she observed.

The players who coveted Hero’s Leap entered the auction house one by one.

Most of the players I could see had reached the eighth shelter.

Those below that level wouldn’t know the ability of Hero’s Leap, and even if they did, they wouldn’t have the means to buy it, so it was only natural.

‘There are a few familiar faces.’

Guild leaders of large guilds and famous rankers.

Even Sae-un didn’t know all the faces of famous players, but I saw many familiar faces.

While looking around at them, Sae-un’s brow furrowed as he discovered someone.

‘That bastard…….’

Slit eyes and bangs completely covering his forehead.

A slender man wearing a black priest’s robe with a golden cross around his neck.

He looked like an ordinary priest, but he was the guild leader of a famous large guild in the seventh shelter.

The reason Sae-un frowned at him was simple.

‘Felches…….’

Back when Sae-un was getting used to the Journey’s Guide and working as an adventurer, he had taken Felches’ request and raided a dungeon.

At first, the rewards were good, so I thought it was pretty decent, but later on, we became complete enemies.

He would entrust me with exploring dangerous high-level dungeons and then make ridiculous excuses to avoid paying the contract fee, or even steal the spoils beyond what was contracted.

When I protested, he used the guild’s reputation to pressure Sae-un.

I even heard threats that if I stopped the contract, I wouldn’t be able to contract with anyone else and wouldn’t be able to work as an adventurer.

Well, it wasn’t like I didn’t gain anything under him.

‘Come to think of it, it was thanks to that bastard that I was able to open Mammon’s Vault.’

Felches may not have intended it, but he couldn’t figure out where to use the key he obtained from the dungeon, so he threw the key to Sae-un instead of the commission fee.

He didn’t know it, but I was later able to desperately gather information and find Mammon’s Vault.

‘That doesn’t mean I’ll forgive him.’

Even though I benefited from it, it was all thanks to Sae-un’s efforts.

If it weren’t for Sae-un’s efforts, the key I received back then would have been nothing more than useless junk.

“That’s a new expression. You look like you’re about to eat someone alive,” Arcana commented.

“……It’s nothing,” I said, trying to dismiss it.

“It is something. Is it that person? No, it is that person. What should we do? Should I just kill him?” she offered casually.

“You can’t kill a guy who’s settled in the seventh shelter,” I reminded her.

“Did you know? If you’re a VIP, they’ll turn a blind eye even if you cause trouble. At most, you’ll be suspended for about half a year,” she said with a shrug.

“It’s okay. I’ll handle it myself.”

“Alright,” she said, seemingly unfazed.

I was tempted for a moment by her words, but I wanted to take revenge myself.

As everyone gathered, the auctioneer appeared shortly after.

“Thank you for coming! It’s been a long time since so many VIPs have visited us!”

The auctioneer bowed since most of the bidders were VIPs, but the purpose of those gathered here wasn’t to listen to flattery.

The auctioneer, sensing the mood, immediately introduced today’s item.

“It’s been exactly 15 years since this item has been in our auction house! It’s that rare and valuable! Let’s reveal it!”

Whoosh!

– The constellation, ‘The Bowing Crow,’ widens its eyes, saying it’s a truly beautiful gem.

The cloth on the platform was removed, and the appearance of ‘Hero’s Leap’ was revealed.

It took the form of a blue gem, similar to a mana stone, and a mysterious energy flowed from it.

“Oh, that’s……”

“Quickly reveal the options!”

“It’s my first time seeing it in person.”

All the bidders, who had been sitting politely, leaned forward and exclaimed with their mouths open.

The auctioneer, satisfied with the reaction, immediately displayed the item’s information and rattled on.

“I think everyone who has participated here knows, but I’ll explain it again!”

There were already silent protests to start the auction by raising the number plates, but the auctioneer ignored them and continued.

“Hero’s Leap! It’s a gem that allows those of you who are qualified to become heroes to leap to even greater heights!”

It was a heavily embellished explanation, unlike the abilities written, but it wasn’t entirely wrong.

The ability of Hero’s Leap was basically to draw out the hidden potential of the player.

The standard for this potential was quite vague, but according to those who had used it, it was said to unlock ‘the ability that you unconsciously want the most and need the most.’

Sae-un also recalled those words and came to buy it.

‘A skill other than the Journey’s Guide may emerge…….’

Still, it doesn’t matter.

If it’s not the Journey’s Guide, it means there’s something Sae-un needs even more.

If such a skill is created, I can just use it well.

“……Well! I think that’s enough explanation! Since everyone is busy, let’s start right away! Starting at 200 million, in increments of 20 million……”

“200 million!”

“220 million!”

“240 million!”

The bidders who had been waiting immediately raised their number plates.

The starting price was 200 million points.

It was indeed a price worthy of Hero’s Leap.

For players who were blocked by a huge wall after reaching a certain level, ‘Hero’s Leap’ was like a hammer that could easily break down the wall.

“Aren’t you going to participate?” Arcana asked.

“Later. There’s no point in raising my hand now anyway,” I replied.

“That’s true. I heard it was traded for 800 million last time,” she said.

“560 million!”

“600 million!”

The price went up like crazy.

From the point where it exceeded 500 million, more than half of the bidders lowered their number plates with regret.

It went over 700 million and then 800 million.

Even after coming this far, the price didn’t stop rising.

It had already easily surpassed the previous highest price.

Most of the bidders didn’t think it would go any higher, so they watched the bidders who were still holding up their number plates as if they were spectators.

“Who is it? Who’s calling for more than that?”

“Even Gold Chain has given up?”

“How can you gather that many points? I don’t know.”

There were a total of five bidders currently holding up their number plates.

One of them was Felches, wearing a black priest’s robe.

‘Was that bastard the one who won the bid?’

980 million.

That was the winning bid for Hero’s Leap before the regression.

I heard that the opponent couldn’t bring themselves to call 1 billion and lowered their number plate.

So the main character was Felches.

I knew that he was exploiting and squeezing points from individual players like Sae-un in the seventh shelter, but I didn’t know that he needed Hero’s Leap.

Without much change.

“980 million,” Felches announced.

“……Damn it,” the player who couldn’t let go of the number plate until the end cursed and lowered his hand.

“Amazing! 980 million! Is there anyone else? No one for 1 billion? 980 million! Amazing! Then……”

“1 billion,” I declared, raising my number plate.

At the same time, Felches’ expression crumpled.

It seems he didn’t think it would go any higher.

“Who’s that bastard?” someone muttered.

“1 billion? Did he say 1 billion just now?”

Some of the bidders widened their eyes and stood up from their seats.

Sae-un had inflated the points he had earned in Jeheton at the casino and collected them in just one journey, but for others, 1 billion was an amount that far exceeded the total budget of a guild.

It’s only natural that they’re surprised.

‘Even Felches would have a limit at this point.’

He manages the guild and receives contributions from the guild members, but there is also a budget that goes into the guild.

If that budget is exceeded, it becomes difficult to operate the guild itself.

Even Felches would…….

“1.02 billion,” Felches countered.

“1.04 billion,” I responded.

“1.06 billion,” Felches said, his voice tight.

“1.08 billion,” I replied, my determination firm.

“1.1 billion,” Felches announced, his face reddening.

“1.1 billion! A whopping 1.1 billion has been called!” the auctioneer exclaimed.

It wasn’t.

The reason Felches won the bid for Hero’s Leap for 980 million in the auction before the regression was only because there were no competitors.

As the price continued to rise, Sae-un became impatient.

I thought I had prepared enough.

“1.5 billion,” I declared, pushing my limits.

“O, o, o, one! One point five billion has been called!” the auctioneer stammered, clearly shocked.

I never thought Hero’s Leap would jump to such a high price.

Now that it’s come to this, I wanted to call an even higher price to embarrass Felches, but the contribution points Sae-un had were also limited.

According to the auction rules, it was impossible to offer more than the contribution points you had.

‘Damn it…….’

Why did it have to be Felches? To be pushed back by him of all people.

My fist clenched tightly, but there was nothing I could do.

It was a mistake to rely on the limited information from before the regression and be satisfied with collecting only this many points.

I could see Felches smirking at Sae-un from the side, as if to say, ‘Try to do more if you can.’

The moment Sae-un bit his lip and lowered his number plate.

Arcana’s sweet voice came from the side.

“You don’t want to lose, do you?”

A sweet whisper like the temptation of the devil.

Along with that, Arcana, who had been just smiling beside me, raised her number plate and confidently shouted.

“2 billion~”