CH 201

“No way?” As Kim Jin-Woo looked down at the stage with a sullen expression, he noticed the box in the host’s hand.

It was a box adorned with colorful patterns that looked out of place in the dark and gloomy Underworld he had seen several times. But the item wasn’t something that even the Black Merchants could easily trade in.

Click.

As if to ridicule Kim Jin-Woo’s expectations, the host opened the meticulously sealed box and revealed its contents.

“That’s…!?”

“What the hell!?”

Some of the participants jumped out of their seats, pointing at the box. They were left dumbfounded, their eyes wide and their mouths twitching, with shocked looks on their faces.

“What?”

“What’s all the fuss about?”

Most of the participants looked alternately at the other bewildered participants and the object in the host’s hand, unable to grasp the identity of the object and feeling left out of the commotion.

“Looks like some of you already know what this item is.” The host seemed to be quite proud upon seeing the surprised faces of the participants who recognized the item.

However, when the rest of the participants, unable to contain their curiosity, started to show signs of disgruntlement, the host quickly started talking, perhaps in order to maintain order in the auction house.

“If I had to explain the hard work and history that we, the Black Merchants, went through to get this item, a few days and nights wouldn’t be enough, so I’ll tell you in a nutshell!” The host raised his short arm straight up and lifted the item like a certain hero king drawing a legendary holy sword. “In the special auction hosted by the Black Merchants! The last item on the first day is a Noble’s Seal!”

Kim Jin-Woo had suspected that to be the case, but it had turned out to be true. The last product of the day at the auction was none other than a Noble’s Seal.

He had known that the Black Merchants were up to something when they took in the 10th Floor Barons, but he had never expected to see a Noble’s Seal like this, and he was truly taken by surprise.

He reflexively took his eyes off the stage and looked at the VIP rooms. He narrowed his eyes and used all his strength, but all he could see were the special windows installed in the rooms that were as black as the night sky itself, and there was no way of seeing the faces of the Nobles in the VIP rooms.

However, seeing that there wasn’t any commotion in the VIP rooms and judging from the attitude of the confident host, Kim Jin-Woo guessed that there had been some sort of prior negotiation between the Black Merchants and the Nobles.

While Kim Jin-Woo contemplated, the host began the bidding. “Now, let’s start the bid at 30,000 gems.”

The ordinary participants on the floor, despite being tempted by the appearance of the Seal, kept silent when the host announced the outrageous starting price of the bid.

Seeing the mood on the floor, the host added a few words. “Just for reference, the ghosts that have been tormenting you for the past year no longer exist in the Deep Floors. This is due to the hard work of the many Counts. I remind you once again that the right to dwell in the Deep Floors is a privilege granted only to the Nobles.”

Among those gathered at the auction house, there were none who hadn’t suffered from the Moai. In their eyes, a Noble’s Seal was no different from a lifeline, and a way for them to put an end to their year-long suffering.

“31,000 gems!”

“31,500 gems!”

It was highly likely that among the regular participants, most weren’t able to casually cough up the high cost of 30,000 down gems for the bid.

But regardless, they participated in the auction with the intention of scraping the bottom of their down gem supply that they had so desperately saved up. After all, this was their only way left to survive.

The participants became blinded in the pursuit of the Noble’s Seal as their eyes turned bloodshot red.

***

In the end, the Noble’s Seal was sold at a staggering price of 52,000 down gems. The participant who obtained the Noble’s Seal by spending that large sum, which was likely to be his entire fortune, was an 8th Floor labyrinth master.

Kim Jin-Woo shook his head as he looked at the bubbly new Noble, who was receiving envious gazes from everyone else.

However, that labyrinth master was probably unaware. He was unaware that the Noble’s Seal that he had obtained in exchange for all his fortune wouldn't be able to protect him from the greed of the Deep Floor Nobles, and those monsters that were even more terrifying and tenacious than the Moai would become his new neighbors.

Kim Jin-Woo’s cold gaze subsided. After all, a mere Baron’s Seal wouldn’t be able to satisfy himself or the Grand Labyrinth. It was something he didn’t need in the first place. What was important to him now was to find out what the Black Merchants were plotting, to put up a Noble’s Seal for auction.

What had happened to the original owner of the Seal?

What was the reason for the wicked Nobles’ silence?

What did the Black Merchants want?

He had so many questions on his mind, but no answers.

“With this, we declare that all the auctions on the first day of this special auction, hosted by the Black Merchants, have ended!” the host shouted loudly, before he concluded with a final message. “By the way, the items that will be up for auction tomorrow will be as good as today’s items, so please don’t be disappointed!”

Those words made it sound as if another Noble’s Seal would be put up for auction the next day, and the despairing participants’ eyes glowed with life once more.

***

“What are you guys thinking?” Kim Jin-Woo asked the Black Merchant, who had peeked into his room as soon as the announcement of the end of the first day’s auction was made.

“What do you mean?” the Black Merchant replied with his usual annoying expression, as if he knew nothing of what Kim Jin-Woo was talking about.

“The Noble’s Seal. Is it such a trivial item that it can be traded so recklessly?” Kim Jin-Woo asked coldly.

The Black Merchant exclaimed in response, “We’re merchants! What can’t we sell for the right price?”

It was the complete opposite attitude from what he’d said when he previously talked about the Underworld, but of course, he was just another merchant with eyes only for profits.

However, whether it was intentional or not, the Black Merchant’s expression and words gave off a strange vibe, and Kim Jin-Woo asked a follow-up question subconsciously before he knew it. “So, you’re saying that there’s nothing you can’t sell at the right price?

“Even if we pile up our treasury with all sorts of treasures, if we can’t sell them, all they’ll do is collect dust, won’t they? The reward for us, the Black Merchants, is to find these dusty treasures a suitable owner.” The Black Merchant’s answer was clear, but Kim Jin-Woo didn’t believe him immediately. The quick-witted Black Merchant noticed that and immediately added, “I’m not sure what exactly you’re looking for, but you’ll probably get it by the time this auction is over. So long as Milord is able to pay for it, of course.”

Kim Jin-Woo frowned as he stared at the Black Merchant, who seemed to have read his mind. But his expression soon cleared up as he looked at the Black Merchant and said, “I want to know more about the Wailing Lord.”

It was a precarious situation because his opponent knew him, but not the other way around. Thus, he took the chance to probe the Black Merchant, hoping to find out more about the Wailing Lord.

“We don’t know much. We simply know her by her name. But if I could give you a piece of advice, Milord…” The Black Merchant pretended to look around and lowered his voice. “The Wailing Lord is not your enemy.”

Kim Jin-Woo’s lips twisted at the unexpected advice. “You seem to know something.”

“What would I know? But since the Wailing Lord seems to pay particular attention to you, I can only guess that there’s something in common among you high-ranking Nobles,” the Black Merchant replied.

“If you say so,” Kim Jin-Woo said.

After that, he asked about the situation of the Underworld the Wailing Lord belonged to, as well as various other matters, but the Black Merchant slyly avoided giving any clear answers by providing only vague responses. And Kim Jin-Woo, in return, pretended to believe the Black Merchant’s answers without probing any further.

“Regarding the meeting that was canceled yesterday, I would like to schedule it for you today, if you’ll permit it. How does that sound?” the Black Merchant asked.

Kim Jin-Woo had thought that he would benefit from the meeting, thinking that he would be meeting with the Wailing Lord, but when he questioned the Black Merchant about who he was meeting, he simply repeated that they should meet first without revealing the other party’s identity.

“This is frustrating. You’re not providing me with a single straightforward answer. It's as if you’re fooling around with me,” Kim Jin-Woo remarked with displeasure.

The Black Merchant quickly bowed and apologized, but he didn’t reveal the identity of the other person in the end. But since Kim Jin-Woo had approved of the meeting the day before, he endured his curiosity and nodded. The Black Merchant said, “Then, when you return to your quarters, I’ll give you a separate message.”

After parting ways with the Black Merchant, Kim Jin-Woo returned to his residential quarters.

“You’re not giving me a break.” Kim Jin-Woo let out a long sigh when he found the Wailing Lord waiting for him on his bed, as if it were her own room.

“I’ve had so much I wanted to talk to you about when we finally met. Did you think that our last encounter was going to be the end of it?” the Wailing Lord babbled brazenly.

Kim Jin-Woo shook his head and asked, “Why are you pretending to be so friendly? We met for the first time only yesterday.”

Although the Wailing Lord’s attitude fluctuated from time to time, underlying it was a constant, unfamiliar friendliness, and Kim Jin-Woo felt justified in his question.

“I adored you,” the Wailing Lord answered suddenly. Kim Jin-Woo raised one eyebrow in response, and the Wailing Lord started to speak about her own past.

A world like a chicken coop, and a tunnel. Constant monitoring and abuse. And then rebirth. Her past history was so similar to any of the other dungeon babies that Kim Jin-Woo could have simply returned to the surface, grabbed any random dungeon baby, and gotten a similar answer out of the same question. Furthermore, it didn’t truly answer his question.

“A sense of longing for a relationship you can trust and rely on… does that sound like a reason to you? If you’re going to play with emotions like that, go and grab the right guy on the surface, and not here in the Underworld. If you’re simply a Terran that’s ignorant of the Underworld, then let me educate you,” Kim Jin-Woo said sarcastically.

The Wailing Lord looked at him dryly and replied with a gloomy voice filled with hate, “Trust the Terrans? I’d rather trust those evil Underworld beings.”

Kim Jin-Woo's eyes narrowed when he heard the Wailing Lord’s tone. But the resentment and hatred that appeared on her face vanished as quickly as it appeared, and her usual cheerfulness was back on her face once more as she added, “And besides, I’m just doing what So-Hee asked me to do. She wants me to be your guardian.”

“You said she tried to stop you from seeing me,” Kim Jin-Woo said, pointing out her inconsistent remarks.

The Wailing Lord responded brazenly, “The timing is a little different, but I promise you, I’m not lying.”

As she never gave a proper answer even after the string of questions, Kim Jin-Woo quickly gave up. His responses became impertinent, and the vexed Wailing Lord responded with a scowl, “Both you and So-Hee are so laid-back.”

From the perspective of someone who had struggled more desperately than anyone else to survive, it was a blood-boiling comment to hear, but it seemed that she genuinely thought so. Contrary to what Kim Jin-Woo had initially thought, her expression was serious, and so he quickly calmed himself down.

“We don’t have much time,” the Wailing Lord said. It was the opposite of what Kim Jin-Woo had expected, and it was a mix of expectations and fear. “Night is coming to the Underworld.”

When Kim Jin-Woo heard that night would come to the Underworld where there were no stars, let alone the sun, he couldn’t comprehend the meaning of those words for a moment, and his eyes widened.

Seeing him like that, the Wailing Lord whispered softly, “After the night is over, the Underworld will be ‘restored’ to the way it was before ‘Twilight’.”

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