How A Mythical Holy Knight Lives As A Villain (Novel) - Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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The auction began.
Each item put up for auction was of superior quality with exceptional value.
Rare grade items were nowhere to be found; the minimum grade was Unique.
Few showed interest.
Most were.
‘Indeed.’
Waiting for the legendary grade item that was expected to appear.
However, even amid this, there were items that caught people’s attention.
“Some of you might already know.”
The auctioneer introduced with a sly smile.
“Though not yet revealed to the world, there’s an item being secretly distributed. It’s expected to turn the Player world upside down.”
“Ooh!”
Some seemed to have already guessed what the auctioneer was introducing.
“This is…”
Swoosh.
What appeared from behind the parting curtain was a set of pills in an ornate jewel box.
“The Elixir.”
Murmurs spread.
“Elixir? What’s that?”
“Really… is that…”
Some knew about the Elixir, others didn’t.
Most gathered here had access to even top secrets unknown to the general public, yet this item was equally mysterious.
And the auctioneer’s next words turned the auction hall upside down.
“An item that increases a Player’s base stats.”
“What?”
“Is that even possible?”
Base stats.
Unlike levels, pure ability stats might not make much difference at lower levels, but.
Gulp.
At high levels, even a single stat point could determine victory or defeat.
It was known that base stats could be increased through training, but very few actually did it.
The efficiency was impossibly terrible.
The time needed to raise one stat increased exponentially, and it was said to take a year just to raise five stats.
Moreover, the problem was that you couldn’t level up during that time.
“For those who don’t know, the secretly distributed Elixir was an item that increased all of a Player’s base stats by 1.”
“Holy shit!”
Shimaura of Japan’s Ryujin Guild forgot his dignity and cursed.
“That’s insane.”
The reaction from American ranker Greus wasn’t much different.
Just considering the value of the mentioned Elixir, it was at least Unique grade.
No, given that it permanently improved a Player’s core abilities, it might be worth even more.
“That was an F-grade Elixir.”
“…?”
“And the item being introduced today is a C-grade Elixir.”
“C-grade?”
The auctioneer smiled with satisfaction.
The reaction was exactly as expected.
“An item that increases all stats by 5 points.”
No more gasps or exclamations could be heard.
“……”
Perhaps this might rival the legendary item expected to appear.
“Where did they even get this?”
“Can we trust this?”
“Are there any issues?”
Various questions arose.
“That.”
Then a voice was heard.
“I’ll stake my entire fortune as guarantee.”
“Greed!”
It was Greed, Lee Ha-yeon.
If she were just an ordinary girl it would be different, but knowing her identity as Greed, her words carried weight.
It was as good as Richard vouching for her first.
“Yes, as mentioned, Greed has put up this Elixir for auction.”
“Good heavens.”
“So this is how that girl Greed accumulated such wealth…”
“To think there was such a secret.”
The reaction was explosive.
Voices could be heard saying they should buy the Elixir instead of the legendary item, and there were moves to bid beyond tens of billions.
In their shock, they were forgetting one fact.
‘C-grade.’
That this Elixir was merely C-grade.
-We’ve started producing A-grade Elixir. Thanks to Gluttony’s efforts.
The World Tree leaves that existed in Travania, reproduced through Gluttony’s alchemy.
The Elixir was sold to a Middle Eastern tycoon for over 100 billion.
Just as the auction was reaching its final stages.
Swoosh.
Go Johan rose from his seat.
“Shall I go with you?”
Lee Ha-yeon asked, but.
“It’s fine.”
Go Johan declined.
They couldn’t leave everything to the apostles, could they?
And.
“You need to stay here.”
“Understood.”
Someone needed to guard this place.
In the auction’s heated atmosphere, many people didn’t even notice Go Johan’s disappearance.
*
*
*
While the auction was in full swing with passionate energy.
Go Johan came out to the back of the auction hall.
Saman’s security guards were highly tense, perhaps due to the earlier incident, and Goldian’s guild members were also present.
Step.
Though Go Johan walked between them, no one noticed.
“…What kind of guy is Go Johan anyway?”
Lee Gyeon-hu was there too.
“…Still, damn… I have to repay that favor. If I mess up this time too… sigh.”
Go Johan smirked at this sight and passed by even Lee Gyeon-hu.
“You might regret that thought.”
What appeared was a staircase, with security tight as could be.
No Saman, only Goldian.
Even that seemed to have an invisible barrier made by items.
Tap.
Go Johan lightly stepped off the ground and jumped over Goldian’s guild members.
Ripple.
The barrier rippled and sent signals, trying to push Go Johan away, but.
Swoosh.
Go Johan stepped inside the barrier as if being sucked in like water.
“Really, I’ve become quite the thief.”
Go Johan said self-mockingly.
After climbing up one floor.
“Hmm?”
Finally, a Goldian guard seemed to discover Go Johan and let out something like a groan.
“How did you get in?”
It wasn’t that they discovered him.
More precisely.
“…So you really appeared.”
Go Johan had revealed himself.
The Goldian guards who spotted Go Johan stepped back, making way.
Step.
Go Johan walked proudly between them as if he were Richard himself.
And in front of the door that appeared.
“……”
He faced Samuel, Richard’s personal guard.
“…You said you didn’t need an invitation, and you meant it.”
Samuel’s usually unexpressive eyes twitched.
“The Chairman is waiting. Let’s go in.”
The door opened, and Go Johan and Samuel entered.
Richard was sitting in a golden chair of unknown origin, overlooking the auction hall clearly.
Without even looking at Go Johan, he spoke.
“I’d like to hear what you have to say first.”
Shing.
“Your treatment will depend on that, Johan.”
Samuel drew his sword.
*
*
*
“The main event is coming soon.”
Richard said.
“If you have nothing to say, would you like to sit and watch together?”
His voice seemed to be suppressing excitement.
“Or…”
Samuel’s sword touched Go Johan’s neck.
“Did you notice something?”
“Greed told me.”
Go Johan finally spoke.
“That there would be a raid during the main event.”
“Raids are everyday occurrences. It’s natural for bugs to be drawn to gold. You needn’t worry about that.”
“And that you, Richard, would be the one orchestrating that raid.”
Flinch.
Richard’s body trembled, and Samuel’s sword pressed a bit deeper.
One more inch and it would slice through his neck.
“That you plan to deliberately let the legendary item be stolen and claim a large insurance payment from Saman and Korea.”
“…So it was Greed after all.”
Richard was sensitive about Goldian’s shares.
How shocked he had been to learn that some of his shares had gone to a young Asian girl whose name he’d never heard before.
“I don’t understand, then why try to drive Saman away?”
Go Johan asked.
Richard stood from his seat.
“Wouldn’t it be more advantageous if the Association failed in security rather than Saman?”
Earlier, Richard had clearly said.
‘Drive out Saman and request support from the Association.’
Then the party responsible for compensation would be the Association, practically a government agency, not merely Saman.
The amount would be different too.
After all, the stolen item would be a legendary-grade item.
“This is complicated.”
Go Johan said.
“Actually, this isn’t my specialty, and it’s always given me headaches.”
“So what are you trying to say? Are you trying to stop us? Playing hero for your country?”
“No.”
As Go Johan took another step forward, Samuel’s sword finally cut at his neck.
Or rather.
“…!”
Thought it had cut.
A Unique-grade item, infused with mana to show it wasn’t just a threat, yet it couldn’t leave even a scratch.
“Greed said you would end up stopping the raid. That while it looks like you’re after insurance money, you actually have a different target you want to draw out. The insurance money is just a small reward, that you want something else entirely.”
“……”
“Church.”
That’s when it happened.
Whoosh!
Smiles spread across Samuel’s and Richard’s faces.
“…And?”
“Richard.”
Go Johan said.
“No.”
At that moment.
Grab.
Go Johan’s hand gripped Samuel’s sword.
The Unique item, even imbued with a ranker’s mana.
Crack!
Shattered into fragments and scattered.
“Samuel.”
“…!”
“You should proceed with the raid as planned. The reason for not retrieving the legendary item is…”
Go Johan walked past them to the window.
“Because a warning seems necessary.”
“…Warning?”
It was Samuel who spoke, not Richard.
“Black Gate.”
“…!”
“What demons, the hell’s residents, truly are, what evil spirits are. What happens when you dance to their tune. That…”
At that moment.
-The moment we’ve been waiting for!
The host pulled back the curtain, revealing the item that would highlight the main event.
-A legendary item! Vermut’s Claw!
“Even you probably haven’t grasped it yet.”
BOOM!