Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Auction House

I turned around and headed in the opposite direction—toward the right side of the tower.

My ears twitched, and I followed the sound of a voice muttering off in the distance.

"Wow, what is up with the market prices these days…?"

Swish, swish.

After walking through the grassy field for a bit, a massive board soon came into view.

[Auction House]

I plopped down in a nearby patch of shade and carefully observed the people passing by.

"Today is my lucky day."

A tough-looking man stepped up to the trade board, repeatedly flipping a chipped dagger in the air.

"Putting it up for auction?"

"Why bother? Let's just dump it at the instant sale price and go grab some food."

He shoved the blade into the board, and the weapon vanished with a familiar low hum.

It was the exact same noise I used to hear whenever I summoned steel back at the forge.

And the one that accompanied Daon when she appeared.

Ugh…

Goosebumps erupted across my skin.

Soon, text materialized on the board.

Goblin's Nasty Dagger
Rarity: Common
Type: Dagger
Condition: Worn-Out
[A worn dagger commonly used by green-skinned monsters. Rough handling has left its blade completely chipped, but it should still be able to cut something.]
Attack Power: +6
Instant Sale Price: 220,000 won
Starting Bid: 110,000 won

Without hesitation, the man pressed the 'Instant Sale' button, followed by the 'Deposit to Account' button.

"Let's go. Pork belly is on me."

With my sharp vision, I caught every single detail clearly—both the price tag and the entire sale process.

The crappy dagger I had seen at the stall earlier was 800,000 won, while the one over there was around 200,000 won.

"Hmm."

That gave me a decent idea of how things worked.

Leaving the spot without hesitation, I set out to find a secluded lot.

Swish, swish.

Arriving at the vacant lot, I turned my head and looked around.

I couldn't feel a single trace of any presence.

Now came the real work—planning and crafting.

"What should I make…?"

All I had on me was a handful of molten steel.

It was nowhere near enough to make armor or a large weapon.

"But I really don't want to make another dagger."

This was a stubborn rule I'd held onto ever since my time at the forge.

Well, there was the exception of the dagger I had given Daon as a gift.

I had no idea what she liked, so I simply forged a dagger since that was the first weapon she had picked up.

"Hmmmm…"

I stayed lost in thought until the high midday sun slowly dipped behind the mountain ridge.

Eventually, as dusk settled over the vacant lot, I stood up…

And raised my hand.

Drip.

Molten steel trickled slowly from the tips of my fingers.

I snatched up the few drops of liquid metal and cooled them with my breath, stretching them into a long, ultra-thin wire.

Kneading what was left, I coiled it tightly around my fingers.

A red warmth coursed across my skin.

A sensation I knew all too well—heat.

Sshhhk.

Using my left fingers as an anvil and my right fingertips as a hammer, I lightly rubbed the wire several times.

The steel wire, drawn so thin it was practically transparent, slid smoothly inside the ring I wore.

"I shouldn't make it fit only my finger…"

The final step was the inner surface of the ring.

I forged it into a finely overlapping sliding mechanism.

It was a precise design—if the wearer had thick fingers, it would sense the pressure and expand smoothly; if slender, it would contract to wrap snugly around the skin without a single gap.

An adaptable structure, reacting in real time to whoever wore it.

Once the final process was complete, a plume of white steam—chilled by the night air—drifted up from my fingertips.

"…All done."

I stared down at the ring as soft wisps of steam continued to drift off it.

On the outside, it looked like a perfectly plain, thin silver ring.

"Hmm."

The result wasn't bad.

Decent, but nothing more.

It's lacking.

I couldn't shake off the feeling that it was hollow inside.

"Well, still…"

Between the piece of junk from earlier and this ring I'd just finished, I was starting to get a clue as to why my body had been forged in this form.

Tiny, slender fingers were a huge help when performing delicate, intricate work.

And the razor-sharp senses unique to beastkin were practically tailor-made for blacksmiths.

"It's all great, but…"

Out of all the appearances I could've ended up with, did it really have to be this one?

"I should've just pictured something cool from the start…"

Shrugging off the regret, I lightly curled the index finger wearing the ring.

Ting!

With a soft rustle, a silver thread shot out from the center of the ring.

"It works fine."

Once I confirmed its functionality, I gave my finger a light flick.

Without making a noise, the steel wire rushed forward, cutting through the air to hit the massive boulder in the corner of the vacant lot.

Sliced clean through, the boulder instantly slid apart diagonally.

The cross-section was as smooth as a mirror.

"…Hmm."

Letting out a low hum, I retracted the steel wire into the ring and left the vacant lot.

I headed back toward the distant Auction House board, completely deserted now.

* * *

[Title: yo, wtf is this?]

OP: Anonymous

Hunter-anon here with nothing to do, so I was browsing the Auction House and found a weapon with options I've literally never seen before in my life.

Is this a scam listing?

(Screenshot Below)

Unnamed Ring
Rarity: ???
Type: Hidden Weapon
Condition: Unfinished
[A hidden weapon forged by ■■■■ ■■■ from leftover steel. A handful of scrap metal stretched to the absolute limit, concealing an invisible thread sharper than any blade.]
Attack Power: +98
Attack Speed: +20%
Applied Options
Ignore Defense: Ignores all of the target's defenses and inflicts damage.
Breath of Dawn: Inflicts 'Chill' status effect on targets touched by the steel wire.

This has gotta be a scam, right?

—WTF?

—How can there be scam listings on the AH (ㆆ_ㆆ) Everything goes through the system anyway.

ㄴWhat if it's like some Awakened who can manipulate the system?

ㄴIf someone like that existed, they'd be smashing through the Tower, why would they run scams?

ㄴTru

—Ngl though, that item description sounds like a complete scam. It's padded with fluff, but basically [Redacted] just half-assed it.

ㄴit is kinda sus ngl

ㄴFr no rarity rank, creator isn't listed, and doesn't even look like a drop item

—NextTowerMaster: I bought it lol yum~

ㄴOP: U srsly bought it? Are those options real?

——————

[Title: (Proof) Just bought the weapon from the trending post]

OP: NextTowerMaster

If you see something like that you buy it instantly, tf are you guys doing LMAO

(Photo of the ring on a scrawny finger)

This E-rank Hunter is going to smash the Tower starting tomorrow~

—I am asking for the second time, are those options real?

ㄴOP: Yup totally real lol. Man I'm so hyped

—Was it an auction? How much did you pay?

ㄴOP: 15M, instant buy.

ㄴDamn, bro is rich af

ㄴOP: Took out a loan shark loan~

ㄴ???

ㄴOP: Gonna win it back and pay them off

——————

[Title: Wait, 15 million for that is practically a steal though?]

OP: Anonymous

Even ignoring the applied options, with that much Attack Power and Attack Speed it's at least a Unique item.

Uniques recently went for 800M (⚆_⚆) considering the options, it'd go for way more.

—NextTowerMaster: Now that my head is cleared, my hands are legit shaking. Should I just flip this?

ㄴHonestly, if you've never stepped inside the Tower, it's pretty dangerous.

ㄴNextTowerMaster: Ok ( ;`･ω･) I guess I'll just flip it then.

ㄴI'm so effing jealous

——————

[Title: Why can't I relist this on the AH?]

OP: NextTowerMaster

Srsly, why is it doing this?

—tf are you talking about

ㄴOP: No srsly an error keeps popping up saying I can't list it on the Auction House.

ㄴWhat does it say?

ㄴOP: [Bound permanently to the 'First Buyer' in accordance with the creator's will] <<< it says this, wtf is this?

ㄴLMAOOOOOOOOOOO

ㄴWhat kind of item even does that? ROFL

—OP: Ah srsly I can't list it. I told the loan shark bros I'd pay them right back so they're coming tomorrow, wtf do I do?

ㄴBro hasn't taken a dive in the Han River yet?

ㄴYou said you'd win it back and pay them off u dumbass. lol time to start climbing the Tower tomorrow~

ㄴOP: Stop joking, srsly what do I do I'm literally crying right now

—Isn't that a huge win though? You get to use an 800M+ weapon for 15M for the rest of your life

ㄴBefore he smashes the Tower, loan shark interest is gonna smash his skull in first, u think he gives a shit about that right now lmao

—Just enter the Tower tomorrow and go chop off some goblin heads. That ring is broken as hell anyway

ㄴOP: I've never been to the Tower before, I'm scared, (T_T) (T_T)

ㄴThen why did you buy it? Lol

ㄴOP: Cuz it was pretty

* * *

"Oh…"

The moment I listed the ring on the Auction House, a message popped up saying it was sold.

At the same time, thick stacks of cash rained down in front of me.

The yellow banknotes, whose very appearance I had almost forgotten, piled up in a heap.

Where do I use this?

Money was necessary to survive.

I knew that much.

But on what, exactly?

I'll need a house. Food is… Come to think of it, even though it's been quite a while since I came back to the modern world, I haven't felt hungry at all.

It was as if the sensation of 'hunger' didn't even exist.

"Hmm…"

Even so, my chest felt hollow.

It certainly wasn't hunger.

Rather, it was a starvation rooted far deeper.

"Death Moon…"

As I faced this starvation, the image of the first piece of equipment I had ever named suddenly crossed my mind.

The countless hours spent in the forge.

Eons where my very existence blurred.

Time steeped in overwhelming loneliness.

Perhaps all of it was for that single feeling of fulfillment when I forged 'Death Moon'.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I repeated excuses to myself as I turned away from the Auction House board.

All while ignoring the swarm of black suits flooding the exact spot where I'd been standing just moments earlier.

"Is this… is this the right place?"

"According to the database, this Auction House is correct…"

"Dammit… Are we too late? What are you standing around for?! Search the area immediately!"

Kneading my stiff shoulder, I left the area just like that.

Looks like they must've dropped something valuable.

"Hmm…"

I shoved just enough cash to spend right now into my pocket, then buried the rest nearby.

It was purely instinctive.

Unless I needed the cash immediately, I felt compelled to stash it away.

Get the latest chapter and best reading experience at www.novatls.com

Chapter 6: Auction House

I turned around and headed in the opposite direction—toward the right side of the tower.

My ears twitched, and I followed the sound of a voice muttering off in the distance.

"Wow, what is up with the market prices these days…?"

Swish, swish.

After walking through the grassy field for a bit, a massive board soon came into view.

[Auction House]

I plopped down in a nearby patch of shade and carefully observed the people passing by.

"Today is my lucky day."

A tough-looking man stepped up to the trade board, repeatedly flipping a chipped dagger in the air.

"Putting it up for auction?"

"Why bother? Let's just dump it at the instant sale price and go grab some food."

He shoved the blade into the board, and the weapon vanished with a familiar low hum.

It was the exact same noise I used to hear whenever I summoned steel back at the forge.

And the one that accompanied Daon when she appeared.

Ugh…

Goosebumps erupted across my skin.

Soon, text materialized on the board.

Goblin's Nasty Dagger
Rarity: Common
Type: Dagger
Condition: Worn-Out
[A worn dagger commonly used by green-skinned monsters. Rough handling has left its blade completely chipped, but it should still be able to cut something.]
Attack Power: +6
Instant Sale Price: 220,000 won
Starting Bid: 110,000 won

Without hesitation, the man pressed the 'Instant Sale' button, followed by the 'Deposit to Account' button.

"Let's go. Pork belly is on me."

With my sharp vision, I caught every single detail clearly—both the price tag and the entire sale process.

The crappy dagger I had seen at the stall earlier was 800,000 won, while the one over there was around 200,000 won.

"Hmm."

That gave me a decent idea of how things worked.

Leaving the spot without hesitation, I set out to find a secluded lot.

Swish, swish.

Arriving at the vacant lot, I turned my head and looked around.

I couldn't feel a single trace of any presence.

Now came the real work—planning and crafting.

"What should I make…?"

All I had on me was a handful of molten steel.

It was nowhere near enough to make armor or a large weapon.

"But I really don't want to make another dagger."

This was a stubborn rule I'd held onto ever since my time at the forge.

Well, there was the exception of the dagger I had given Daon as a gift.

I had no idea what she liked, so I simply forged a dagger since that was the first weapon she had picked up.

"Hmmmm…"

I stayed lost in thought until the high midday sun slowly dipped behind the mountain ridge.

Eventually, as dusk settled over the vacant lot, I stood up…

And raised my hand.

Drip.

Molten steel trickled slowly from the tips of my fingers.

I snatched up the few drops of liquid metal and cooled them with my breath, stretching them into a long, ultra-thin wire.

Kneading what was left, I coiled it tightly around my fingers.

A red warmth coursed across my skin.

A sensation I knew all too well—heat.

Sshhhk.

Using my left fingers as an anvil and my right fingertips as a hammer, I lightly rubbed the wire several times.

The steel wire, drawn so thin it was practically transparent, slid smoothly inside the ring I wore.

"I shouldn't make it fit only my finger…"

The final step was the inner surface of the ring.

I forged it into a finely overlapping sliding mechanism.

It was a precise design—if the wearer had thick fingers, it would sense the pressure and expand smoothly; if slender, it would contract to wrap snugly around the skin without a single gap.

An adaptable structure, reacting in real time to whoever wore it.

Once the final process was complete, a plume of white steam—chilled by the night air—drifted up from my fingertips.

"…All done."

I stared down at the ring as soft wisps of steam continued to drift off it.

On the outside, it looked like a perfectly plain, thin silver ring.

"Hmm."

The result wasn't bad.

Decent, but nothing more.

It's lacking.

I couldn't shake off the feeling that it was hollow inside.

"Well, still…"

Between the piece of junk from earlier and this ring I'd just finished, I was starting to get a clue as to why my body had been forged in this form.

Tiny, slender fingers were a huge help when performing delicate, intricate work.

And the razor-sharp senses unique to beastkin were practically tailor-made for blacksmiths.

"It's all great, but…"

Out of all the appearances I could've ended up with, did it really have to be this one?

"I should've just pictured something cool from the start…"

Shrugging off the regret, I lightly curled the index finger wearing the ring.

Ting!

With a soft rustle, a silver thread shot out from the center of the ring.

"It works fine."

Once I confirmed its functionality, I gave my finger a light flick.

Without making a noise, the steel wire rushed forward, cutting through the air to hit the massive boulder in the corner of the vacant lot.

Sliced clean through, the boulder instantly slid apart diagonally.

The cross-section was as smooth as a mirror.

"…Hmm."

Letting out a low hum, I retracted the steel wire into the ring and left the vacant lot.

I headed back toward the distant Auction House board, completely deserted now.

* * *

[Title: yo, wtf is this?]

OP: Anonymous

Hunter-anon here with nothing to do, so I was browsing the Auction House and found a weapon with options I've literally never seen before in my life.

Is this a scam listing?

(Screenshot Below)

Unnamed Ring
Rarity: ???
Type: Hidden Weapon
Condition: Unfinished
[A hidden weapon forged by ■■■■ ■■■ from leftover steel. A handful of scrap metal stretched to the absolute limit, concealing an invisible thread sharper than any blade.]
Attack Power: +98
Attack Speed: +20%
Applied Options
Ignore Defense: Ignores all of the target's defenses and inflicts damage.
Breath of Dawn: Inflicts 'Chill' status effect on targets touched by the steel wire.

This has gotta be a scam, right?

—WTF?

—How can there be scam listings on the AH (ㆆ_ㆆ) Everything goes through the system anyway.

ㄴWhat if it's like some Awakened who can manipulate the system?

ㄴIf someone like that existed, they'd be smashing through the Tower, why would they run scams?

ㄴTru

—Ngl though, that item description sounds like a complete scam. It's padded with fluff, but basically [Redacted] just half-assed it.

ㄴit is kinda sus ngl

ㄴFr no rarity rank, creator isn't listed, and doesn't even look like a drop item

—NextTowerMaster: I bought it lol yum~

ㄴOP: U srsly bought it? Are those options real?

——————

[Title: (Proof) Just bought the weapon from the trending post]

OP: NextTowerMaster

If you see something like that you buy it instantly, tf are you guys doing LMAO

(Photo of the ring on a scrawny finger)

This E-rank Hunter is going to smash the Tower starting tomorrow~

—I am asking for the second time, are those options real?

ㄴOP: Yup totally real lol. Man I'm so hyped

—Was it an auction? How much did you pay?

ㄴOP: 15M, instant buy.

ㄴDamn, bro is rich af

ㄴOP: Took out a loan shark loan~

ㄴ???

ㄴOP: Gonna win it back and pay them off

——————

[Title: Wait, 15 million for that is practically a steal though?]

OP: Anonymous

Even ignoring the applied options, with that much Attack Power and Attack Speed it's at least a Unique item.

Uniques recently went for 800M (⚆_⚆) considering the options, it'd go for way more.

—NextTowerMaster: Now that my head is cleared, my hands are legit shaking. Should I just flip this?

ㄴHonestly, if you've never stepped inside the Tower, it's pretty dangerous.

ㄴNextTowerMaster: Ok ( ;`･ω･) I guess I'll just flip it then.

ㄴI'm so effing jealous

——————

[Title: Why can't I relist this on the AH?]

OP: NextTowerMaster

Srsly, why is it doing this?

—tf are you talking about

ㄴOP: No srsly an error keeps popping up saying I can't list it on the Auction House.

ㄴWhat does it say?

ㄴOP: [Bound permanently to the 'First Buyer' in accordance with the creator's will] <<< it says this, wtf is this?

ㄴLMAOOOOOOOOOOO

ㄴWhat kind of item even does that? ROFL

—OP: Ah srsly I can't list it. I told the loan shark bros I'd pay them right back so they're coming tomorrow, wtf do I do?

ㄴBro hasn't taken a dive in the Han River yet?

ㄴYou said you'd win it back and pay them off u dumbass. lol time to start climbing the Tower tomorrow~

ㄴOP: Stop joking, srsly what do I do I'm literally crying right now

—Isn't that a huge win though? You get to use an 800M+ weapon for 15M for the rest of your life

ㄴBefore he smashes the Tower, loan shark interest is gonna smash his skull in first, u think he gives a shit about that right now lmao

—Just enter the Tower tomorrow and go chop off some goblin heads. That ring is broken as hell anyway

ㄴOP: I've never been to the Tower before, I'm scared, (T_T) (T_T)

ㄴThen why did you buy it? Lol

ㄴOP: Cuz it was pretty

* * *

"Oh…"

The moment I listed the ring on the Auction House, a message popped up saying it was sold.

At the same time, thick stacks of cash rained down in front of me.

The yellow banknotes, whose very appearance I had almost forgotten, piled up in a heap.

Where do I use this?

Money was necessary to survive.

I knew that much.

But on what, exactly?

I'll need a house. Food is… Come to think of it, even though it's been quite a while since I came back to the modern world, I haven't felt hungry at all.

It was as if the sensation of 'hunger' didn't even exist.

"Hmm…"

Even so, my chest felt hollow.

It certainly wasn't hunger.

Rather, it was a starvation rooted far deeper.

"Death Moon…"

As I faced this starvation, the image of the first piece of equipment I had ever named suddenly crossed my mind.

The countless hours spent in the forge.

Eons where my very existence blurred.

Time steeped in overwhelming loneliness.

Perhaps all of it was for that single feeling of fulfillment when I forged 'Death Moon'.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I repeated excuses to myself as I turned away from the Auction House board.

All while ignoring the swarm of black suits flooding the exact spot where I'd been standing just moments earlier.

"Is this… is this the right place?"

"According to the database, this Auction House is correct…"

"Dammit… Are we too late? What are you standing around for?! Search the area immediately!"

Kneading my stiff shoulder, I left the area just like that.

Looks like they must've dropped something valuable.

"Hmm…"

I shoved just enough cash to spend right now into my pocket, then buried the rest nearby.

It was purely instinctive.

Unless I needed the cash immediately, I felt compelled to stash it away.

Get the latest chapter and best reading experience at www.novatls.com

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Chapter 6

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