CH 296

As the staff said, not long after we entered the room, the lights in the hall on the first floor were turned on.

As the participants cleared their seats while moving to the second floor, all the tables disappeared and a new semicircle-shaped stage was created in front.

“We would like to thank our customers for visiting our Deus Museum of Art auction house as we announce now the start of the auction.”

A man who came up on the stage bowed his head while holding a microphone to greet. I frowned as I sensed a subtle movement from the host wearing a colourfully decorated butterfly mask.

“…I don’t think he’s an ordinary person.”

“Yeah.”

Cheon Sa-yeon looked down on the stage and answered sarcastically.

“It’s Abel’s doll.”

Although he had no energy and his face was covered with a mask, I could feel the stiff movement characteristic of the doll controlled by Abel.

We already knew Abel’s ability and could notice right away that he was a talented person, but the other participants would mistake the host for an ordinary person.

“As it said that the auction wouldn’t come up with a normal item. Then maybe… wouldn’t the creature created by Doctor we saw in America reappear?”

“You mean Chimera?”

Ha Tae-heon, who recalled the battle before Doctor’s death, clicked his tongue.

“It won’t come out that big or aggressive, but the chimera itself looks possible.”

“Yes. There’s also a record of fusing monster wings on human backs.”

Choi Ga-young who I met at a club incident. She said that she was kidnapped by the cult and was forced to experiment. There might be more victims like Choi Ga-young.

“But the other participants are ordinary people who don’t know that…”

“Even if they are ordinary people, we can’t relax because there are so many crazy people.”

That… that’s right.

We didn’t know who the participants were. While some people had pity for chimera-like creatures, there were certainly others who didn’t.

“If such a creature were to be put up for auction…”

Cheon Sa-yeon, who quietly listened to Ha Tae-heon’s conversation with me, said calmly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll buy it no matter how much it costs.”

“……”

It wasn’t difficult to understand the meaning of what Cheon Sa-yeon said.

Rather than being sold into the hands of an unknown person and becoming a spectacle, it meant that we would even check if we could buy it and fix it.

“I will reveal the first auction item!”

As the host beckoned, a staff dragged a small wheeled table from behind the stage. There was something on the table. I concentrated on the stage with my shoulders stiffened.

“The first auction item is the Gold Terra (골드 테라), which can only be obtained from the Swiss Gate.”

“…soil?”

I was expecting an illegal fusion creature to appear, but when I found soil on the table, I was relieved.

Ha Tae-heon also had a ridiculous expression on whether he was similar to me meanwhile Cheon Sa-yeon showed interest by shining his eyes.

“Gold Terra is famous for the soil that makes any plant grow healthy. It is said that you can grow plant-type monsters that can be used as item materials. Now, let’s start the auction.”

As soon as the host finished speaking, the numbers engraved on the electronic display board installed on the stage increased rapidly. Participants watching the auction in each room pressed the red button on the remote control.

As if laughing at me for worrying, I sighed and muttered like a lament at the auction proceeding very normally.

“Is there really such a thing?”

“There isn’t.”

Cheon Sa-yeon, who answered with his chin on his hand, raised the corners of his mouth loosely.

“Even so, I was worried because the rooftop garden wasn’t full.”

“You’re not going to buy that, are you?”

“Can’t I buy it? If you use that soil, you can shorten what would take a month to a week.”

“Don’t spend your money on useless things.”

“Hm… okay. If Se-hyun, who will marry me, doesn’t want me to do it, I shouldn’t do it.”

“Wait, what?”

When I opened my mouth to the unexpected remark, Cheon Sa-yeon lowered the tip of his eyebrows and gave a shy expression.

“I’m embarrassed that you’ve already taken care of my money… I wonder if we should get engaged in advance.”

“What kind of bullshit…”

I was about to swear out of shock and dumbfounded, but I flinched at Ha Tae-heon’s terrifying gaze, who was sitting in the middle.

‘No, why are you…’

Even if anyone saw it, it was Cheon Sa-yeon who made strange remarks, but I didn’t know why he gave me a death glare.

I looked at Ha Tae-heon because it was unfair and shook my head, but the staring gaze was still there. Why are you both doing this to me?

[Han Yi-gyeol.]

In an instant, I was sweating in a place that became a thorn cushion, but I heard Kim Woo-jin’s voice from the earpiece I had put in my ear.

“Ahem. Ung, I’m listening.”

Good timing, Kim Woojin. Naturally, I looked away from Ha Tae-heon and answered.

[The clone is out of control.]

“…what does that mean?”

[The connection with the clone outside the museum has been lost.]

My mind went cold in an instant. Cheon Sa-yeon and Ha Tae-heon, who listened to Kim Woo-jin through the earpiece, also hardened their faces, just like me.

“Did the clone disappear?”

[No. Just disconnected. He’s probably lying down like he’s fainted.]

“It’s certainly something happened to the clone.”

With Fox with him, I was relieved that he wouldn’t be easily hurt. If this happened, Fox might also be in danger.

[Ung. The distance isn’t that far. So be careful. I’m going to check the clone now.]

“Are you going by yourself? Alone?”

[I didn’t remove the clone on purpose to see what was going on. So…]

“Wait, Kim Woo-jin. You can’t do it alone.”

[……]

“Kim Woo-jin? Kim Woo-jin!”

Kim Woo-jin’s words were suddenly cut off. When I became anxious and shouted again, I heard a bewildered voice accompanied by a loud noise.

[Something… is up, Han Yi-gyeol, this… ugh!]

[Yi-gyeol-ssi! Unknown thing from outside the museum… Yi… avoid…]

Chijijik, noise pierced through the voice and resounded. Following Kim Woo-jin, Min Ah-rin’s voice couldn’t be delivered to the end and the connection was cut off.

“Min Ah-rin-ssi? Team Leader Park Geon-ho. Is anyone listening? Woo Seo-hyuk-ssi. Kwon Jeong-han.”

I kept calling their names, but there was no answer. I quickly got up from my seat.

“I’m going to go upstairs. Something’s wrong.”

At that moment, the eyes of the host who was seen through the glass met. Abel’s doll looked at me and smiled with his long lips.

Chilling goosebumps ran down my spine. Don’t tell me…

“Was the auction itself a bait to attract attention?”

Cheon Sa-yeon, who spoke exactly what I thought, also stood up. When Ha Tae-heon pulled the doorknob, the door rattled and shook violently.

“Tsk.”

Noticing that it was locked, Ha Tae-heon kicked the door roughly. Bang, the door with a distorted in the centre fell off.

“Our maknae has a very rough temper.”

“What is the guy with the sword coming out going to say?”

Cheon Sa-yeon, who followed me, really had an S-class sword in his hand. And when did you take it out?

I looked around the quiet hallway with no one in it.

“I don’t feel good. I think it would be better to jump right through the ceiling and go up.”

“Han Yi-gyeol!”

Ha Tae-heon grabbed my arm and pulled me back. Then I discovered something I hadn’t noticed because I was looking up.

“That…”

An orange opaque veil was slowly closing the distance from the other side of the hallway.

Is that what Kim Woo-jin and Min Ah-rin were talking about?

“I feel a strange energy.”

Cheon Sa-yeon perhaps saw such a case for the first time, so he rushed out and sent Ha Tae-heon to the back, narrowing the corners of his eyes. In the midst of all this, the fast-moving curtain came close to the front.

“If Kim Woo-jin’s clone outside the museum was the first to fall into the veil…”

It was highly likely that the veil started outside the museum from the beginning. If that was the case, then what the Praus Cult were aiming for.

‘Locking the entire museum in a veil.’

Thinking up to that point, I used Han Yi-gyeol’s energy. Huung, the wind blowing from my body blew sharply.

The veil narrowed from both sides, so the only way to escape was upstairs. No, I wasn’t really sure about the upstairs either.

Still, it was better than standing still and being eaten by an unknown veil. It was at that time when Ha Tae-heon and Cheon Sa-yeon were wrapped in the wind and pierced the ceiling.

/“Where are you going to run away?”/

A child’s voice filled the hallway and dozens of dolls poured like waves from the room we had just entered. The doll procrastinated, clinging to the body, interrupting the wind.

/“Ahahahaha!”/

Even when the doll was cut by the wind, it constantly came in, obstructing the view and pressing the body. Ha Tae-heon and Cheon Sa-yeon weren’t much different. There were too many dolls.

“Ha Tae-heon-ssi!”

Ha Tae-heon, who was separated from me because of the doll, was eaten by the orange veil. Obviously, Ha Tae-heon, who had been by my side until now, disappeared in an instant. Cheon Sa-yeon, who was on the right, disappeared just like Ha Tae-heon.

“Ugh…”

The veil that swallowed Cheon Sa-yeon came crashing down on me.

I felt the static electricity stabbing my skin and I felt as if my whole body was floating in the air. My eyes turned black and my mind was cut off.

* * *

“…get up.”

“Um…”

“Get up, come on. You have to get up.”

A familiar voice came over the faint consciousness.

As I lifted my heavy eyelids, Min Ah-rin’s worried face appeared over my blurred vision.

“Uh, Min Ah-rin-ssi?”

“Woke up? Are you okay?”

I barely raised my upper body at Min Ah-rin’s action that was shaking my shoulder again. As I rubbed my eyes and raised my head, Min Ah-rin in old clothes filled the clear view. The dirt floor and the bushes spread out behind her.

“Here is…”

Remembering the last time I was eaten by the orange veil, I looked around.

The narrow hallway and auction house that disappeared from the place were filled with the forest I had never seen before. Min Ah-rin, who was sitting on her knees next to me in bewilderment, opened her mouth.

“What should we do? Father and Mother must have gone home already.”

“…pardon?”

“Like last time, they must have abandoned us. Oppa, what are we gonna do now?”

“What?”

I didn’t know what it was. Min Ah-rin, who had been restless by herself leaving me in confusion, realized something and grabbed my arm.

“Right! You dropped bread crumbs before you came. Why don’t we find them? Just like we followed the stones last time!”

“……”

When I couldn’t handle the situation and a headache came over me, I touched my forehead without realizing it.

What’s with the bread crumbs? And why did Min Ah-rin call me ‘Oppa’?