Chapter 8
‘Major rift warning?’
It was something he absolutely couldn’t just pass by. He whipped his head toward the screening desk staff, but couldn’t find an opportunity to ask due to the flow of the advancing line. Yeon Seokchun watched as Joo Hyeonwoo and all of Yuseong’s core operational team members passed through the screening desk, then approached Eunseong to check his complexion.
“Are you alright? What did you hear earlier that made your expression like that?”
“That person said a major rift warning had been issued.”
“Ah. It seems the rumors have already spread everywhere. The Rift Control Agency tried hard to control it, but that’s how rumors are.”
Watching Yeon Seokchun nod, Eunseong felt dizzy.
“Tell me what this is about from the beginning.”
“I was hoping Guild Leader-nim wouldn’t know, but… you know that cult group? They issued a major rift warning, and some crazy hunter apparently asked the Holy Grail about it. What’s even more ridiculous is that it came up as true. What kind of medicine are you taking again?”
“…”
It meant a major rift was really going to open.
Mujin would naturally deploy…
Eunseong couldn’t suppress the rising nausea and swallowed another nerve stabilizer. As he staggered and leaned against the wall, guild members flocked around him.
“Wh-when… when is it supposed to happen?”
“Hyung, your tongue’s hanging out. You know your pronunciation is slurring right now? Stop taking those pills.”
Joo Hyeonwoo reached out and poked the tip of Eunseong’s tongue.
“Joo… Joo Hyeonwoo, what are you doing? That’s disgusting.”
Even when the startled Eunseong blushed and got angry, he didn’t back down.
“Hyung, you know what? I saw this on TV.”
“What?”
Eunseong, who was wiping his tongue in disgust, didn’t see Joo Hyeonwoo move behind him. Arms suddenly extended from behind, trapping Eunseong’s body in an embrace and squeezing tightly.
“Ugh, huk!”
“They say doing this helps with anxiety. That hugging tightly makes you feel stable.”
“Don’t joke around! Let go, Hyeonwoo.”
The startled Eunseong’s face turned bright red in an instant. He could feel Joo Hyeonwoo’s muscles bulging completely. Even as Eunseong struggled, Joo Hyeonwoo only put more strength into his arms, keeping him trapped in his embrace.
“Ugh…”
Whether it was really effective or because his body was squeezed tight, Eunseong’s breathing gradually stabilized. His scattered mind from hearing about the major rift returned, and his vision cleared. Feeling better, Eunseong gritted his teeth and hit Joo Hyeonwoo hard with his elbow.
“Let go.”
“This hyung is underestimating the stamina of someone who makes swords.”
“Hyeonwoo, that’s enough. Guild Leader-nim treats you well, so you have no fear.”
Joo Hyeonwoo only released Eunseong after Yeon Seokchun tapped his arm to stop him. He had hugged so tightly that when released, the blocked blood suddenly circulated, making his fingertips tingle.
“You…!”
Eunseong, who was turning around while clenching his fist, closed his mouth. It was because he made direct eye contact with Mujin, who was standing far away. So surprised that he couldn’t even react when Joo Hyeonwoo hugged him again.
“Huiseon came too.”
“Huh? You’re stating the obvious. It’s an energy core auction. All guilds with bidding rights participate.”
Yeon Seokchun answered while turning his head in the direction Eunseong was looking.
It wasn’t something he said out of ignorance. Since Mujin didn’t usually get involved in auction house affairs, he hadn’t expected to meet him at all. Mujin, wearing a black shirt, ignored the screening desk staff trying to say something to him and was glaring this way with narrowed eyes.
Eunseong tapped Joo Hyeonwoo’s shoulder.
“…Let’s go in for now. Let go, I’m fine.”
“I’ll support you.”
“No. I said I’m really fine.”
The re-awakening project had been discovered, and he had pathetically begged him to live with him. This was the first time they were facing each other since then. Eunseong accepted Joo Hyeonwoo’s support while fidgeting with his right ring finger. Throughout the movement into the auction hall, it felt like Mujin’s cold gaze was piercing into his back.
* * *
The inside of the dome was like a night sky had been transported there. On the giant hologram screen hanging from the ceiling, the current status of rift energy consumption by residential areas was displayed in real time.
What drew everyone’s attention was the list of rift byproducts up for auction today. Energy cores glowing pale blue and their grades, efficiency, and estimated values were neatly arranged next to each item.
Under the strict control of security guards in black combat uniforms, participating auction guilds passed through the final scan gate one by one.
A total of 19 countries had obtained bidding qualifications for this auction. Bidding qualification scores were awarded based on each country’s performance in handling rifts and reporting to Nova. It was a system created because while rift entrances were all different, they were all connected inside.
Numerous tables were arranged in a circle facing the center of the hall. Core personnel from each guild, including Eunseong, sat at their assigned tables.
In front of each seat, national flags and guild logos floated as hologram images. Eunseong, sitting at Yuseong Guild’s table, first looked for which direction Mujin was in.
“The first auction item is a B-grade energy core.”
A clear voice echoed through the hall. The female auction presenter from Nova wore an elegant black dress, and behind her, a hologram image of the rift byproduct floated brilliantly.
“Conversion efficiency 93%. Maximum output 1.8 terawatts. Starting price is 1.5 billion void coins.”
Eunseong tapped his terminal with his fingertips. The screen displayed real-time bids and the names of currently participating guilds. The starting price was meaningless. Bidding was becoming fierce at a rapid pace.
“Yuseong Guild, 2 billion void coins.”
As Eunseong’s voice inputted the bid, it was immediately reflected on the screen, and low sighs flowed among the participants in the hall. Tension immediately spread around Yuseong Guild due to the bold action taken to instill wariness.
During the auction, Eunseong occasionally shot glances at Mujin at the table three spaces away. It would be nice if telepathy worked, but unfortunately, he didn’t have any items that made such things possible.
The dissatisfied glaring gaze kept bothering him, but frustratingly, he couldn’t make eye contact even once after that. The necklace he needed to return was also making its presence known heavily in his chest.
And a ‘major rift’ on top of that. There was a mountain of things to discuss with Mujin.
‘Look over here. Cold guy… you’re not even interested in the auction.’
He tried spinning the pen he was holding and tapping morse code on the table, but Mujin stubbornly kept looking straight ahead as if he had become a stone. His stomach felt full from all the sighs he kept swallowing.
Then, someone tapped Eunseong’s shoulder.
When he turned around, a man with platinum hair close to white from the next table was winking and smiling. Looking at Eunseong with vivid purple eyes like embedded amethyst, he held out a message he had typed on his terminal screen.
[ Hello. ]
Seeing the clear Korean, Eunseong became curious about which guild the man belonged to. However, the guild nameplate wasn’t visible, hidden behind the man’s shoulder. Whether it was intentional or coincidental was unclear.
[ I have a proposal for the Yuseong Guild Leader. ]
“…”
[ How about being completely swallowed? ]
Eunseong’s wary eyes widened slightly.
Looking at the man’s face again, he was still smiling. Eunseong typed a message on his terminal like the man and showed it.
[ What are you talking about? If you don’t state your business clearly, it’s difficult to answer. ]
[ Like the first-generation hunters. ]
The man presented the next message before Eunseong could even write a response.
[ The odds would be higher that way. You have the genetics for it, and you have items to help. ]
As soon as Eunseong finished reading the message and looked up from his terminal, the man slightly opened his jacket to show the inside. The sparkling brooch attached to his vest chest was an item Eunseong recognized.
From suddenly talking to him to the item he showed, it was a series of surprises that made it impossible to manage his expression. Unable to quickly find words to respond and furrowing his brow, the man gestured for him to look at him.
‘Rather than that, let’s go outside.’
He seemed frustrated with written communication. The man silently moved his lips and nodded toward the outside.
“…”
His heart was pounding so much from excitement at his story that he absolutely couldn’t ignore the proposal.
Eunseong left the auction to Yeon Seokchun and quietly slipped out of the auction hall using his condition as an excuse.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
