Ever since the Faction War began, every faction had been under the scrutiny of the other Dungeon Masters. This was especially true for the top-ranking factions, not to mention the Resistance and Tarantula, who had been considered strong contenders. He could tell just by the number of eyes fixed on them. Running into his faction members while already exhausted from shopping would be an absolute nightmare.

‘I’d rather walk around with Angelina than drag those pests along.’

He had already purchased two hooded robes, but going back for them would be a waste of time. As long as he wasn’t discovered, he could browse the accessories in peace. Taehyun signaled to Kesha and Grai before pulling his hood down over his face.

“Lord, in times like these, would it not be better to reveal yourself with confidence? We have nothing to fear.”

“Quiet. Lower your voice. If they catch us, we’ll be pestered until we leave this auction. I hate drawing unnecessary attention.”

“Ugh. Understood.”

The mere thought of walking around with faction members clinging to him sent a shiver down his spine. With Kesha in the lead, Taehyun began to browse the street. Accessories—in other words, artifacts—were pieces of equipment created with magical power. He was naturally drawn to the ones that contained skills and abilities.

[Red Cross Pendant]

[Rank: B]

[Restriction: Level 30 or higher, all classes]

[Description: A pendant made from a blood-red cross. When worn, movement speed increases at regular intervals. Contains the Intermediate Leap skill.]

‘This could be useful. It’d be a great help when chasing or fleeing an enemy.’

Not only did it periodically increase movement speed, but it also contained the Intermediate Leap skill. It would be helpful for any class whose effectiveness was influenced by movement, such as scouts, hunters, archers, and knights. Taehyun reached for the Red Cross Pendant. At that exact moment, another Dungeon Master beside him also placed a hand on it.

“What the—I saw it first. Go find something else.”

Taehyun remained silent.

“Are you ignoring me?”

It was Narae, the A-rank Dungeon Master of Katarniak and a member of the Resistance, who was threateningly asserting her claim. A cold sweat broke out on Taehyun’s back as he turned away. Losing the pendant was a shame, but it was better than being discovered. However, Narae, thinking she’d been slighted, grabbed his shoulder.

“Who are you? What kind of big shot are you to just ignore someone? Take off that drab hood and let me see your face.”

“…My apologies.”

“Huh. That voice sounds familiar. W-Wait a minute!”

She belatedly tried to pull off his hood, but the Dungeon Master had already vanished into the crowd. Left alone, Narae tilted her head in confusion before shrugging and purchasing the pendant.

—

Meanwhile, Taehyun, who had escaped to a nearby alley, was panting for breath. He had been on the verge of being discovered.

“Dammit. Why do I have to sneak around like this?”

“Lord, are you alright?”

“Hah. I’m fine. By the way, where did you go?”

“Look over there, Lord.”

Grai pointed to a procession approaching from a distance. Demons in charge of the Demon Realm Auction were leading dozens of shackled Raiders somewhere.

“Are those slaves?”

“That’s correct, sir.”

“Damn. Don’t just pop up out of nowhere. You scared me.”

“My apologies for the inconvenience. As for those Raiders, they are slaves who were either captured within dungeons or sold directly by demons.”

Raiders captured in dungeons either became part of that dungeon’s forces or were sold to the Demon Realm Auction. In some cases, demons captured Raiders themselves, usually dragging them around with items like those shackles—Raider Ability-Sealing Shackles. They were items that blocked not only skills but also special abilities and even exclusive items. By completely neutralizing their power, these shackles were a source of terror for the Raiders. Taehyun watched them being dragged away and asked, “Where are they all being taken?”

“Raiders, or main forces captured just before a dungeon’s destruction, are all taken to the slave auction. That’s where the fierce bidding war between Dungeon Masters begins.”

The slave auction he had heard about earlier. If Kesha was right, it meant there was a separate auction house apart from the equipment districts.

‘I was planning to go after getting all the equipment, but maybe I should check out the auction house first.’

He had already acquired most of the gear for his Guardians and Keepers. Having seen the Raiders being dragged away with his own eyes, his curiosity was piqued.

“Alright. Since those pests are here anyway, let’s check out the slave auction first.”

“Understood, sir. I will guide you there immediately.”

Taehyun followed Kesha’s lead and left the accessory district. Fortunately, the members of the Resistance seemed not to have noticed, completely absorbed in their shopping. And so, Taehyun and Grai entered a large tent.

—

Meanwhile, Seokwoo, who had been dragged away by the succubi, had finally managed to escape.

‘Damn it. To ignore me like this to the very end. He’s gotten so arrogant just because he conquered the West!’

Balak had caused a stir across the continent by thwarting the Eleanor raid party, but he was no slouch either. He had single-handedly succeeded in invading the Holy Kingdom where everyone else had failed, and he was now aiming for an A-rank dungeon. No matter how much attention Taehyun was getting, he was not someone to be taken lightly. And yet, Taehyun was blatantly ignoring him. Seokwoo gritted his teeth and resumed his search. Just then, he saw the slave Raiders entering the tent. As a first-time visitor, Taehyun would surely be guided to the slave auction as well.

‘Right. He’ll definitely stop by the slave auction. I’ll wait there.’

If Taehyun was going to ignore him, he would just have to interfere to the point where he couldn’t be ignored. Feigning a relaxed demeanor, Seokwoo entered the slave auction house.

—

The Slave Auction. A place where Raiders, Guardians, Keepers, and natives captured from across the continent were presented to customers at set times. A demon acting as the auctioneer would introduce each one’s characteristics, and the customers would bid Zen, raising their hands to increase the amount. The slave auction was the main stage of the Demon Realm Auction, and the stream of Dungeon Masters visiting it daily was endless.

‘It’s bigger inside than I thought.’

The tent’s interior was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside. It was as if the space itself had been magically expanded, and he could see rows of seats arranged below.

“Lord, the air in here is very thick.”

“I know. It’s all the smoke from those bastards.”

The gloomy slave auction house was so filled with thick, stale air that his throat clogged the moment he entered. Taehyun scowled at the Dungeon Masters sitting in their seats, leisurely smoking. Judging by the Zen pouches in their hands, they had all come to buy slaves.

“It looks like the next auction is about to begin. Now, if you find the air too thick, how about a seat like this?”

“It’s closer to the exit, so it should be fine.”

The air circulation was better near the entrance of the tent. Taehyun sat with Grai in the spot Kesha indicated. On stage, they were busy preparing the slaves, a sign that the auction was about to start.

“What kind of slaves are you looking to purchase, sir? You must need some to serve you in bed, right?”

“I don’t need anything like that. I just came to have a look. Well, if a slave with good abilities or skills comes up, I might consider it.”

“I see. Understood. Ah, it looks like it’s starting.”

Finally, the remaining lights inside went out. The Dungeon Masters watched the stage with expectant eyes.

“Thank you for your patience. We will now begin the Fourth Slave Auction.”

A spotlight illuminated the stage. The mid-rank demon acting as the auctioneer gave a brief explanation and announced the number of slaves.

“Nineteen of them. Are there other slaves besides Raiders?”

“Of course. In fact, this auction is said to include A-rank Raiders. Perhaps you should consider it?”

“I’ll have a look first. I’ll handle it myself; you just provide the explanations.”

“Oh my, was I being too obvious? Understood.”

Kesha tapped her own head and corrected her posture. Taehyun scanned his surroundings. Except for the stage, the Dungeon Masters in the seats were so obscured he couldn’t make out their appearances.

‘So they conceal identities during the auction. A useless gesture, since they probably figured everyone out on the way in.’

It was possible to identify others not only upon entering but also after the auction ended. Taehyun clicked his tongue and turned his gaze to the stage, where the auctioneer had already brought out the first slave.

“Now for our first product! A human female captured on the continent. Her name is Familia. She has no special powers, but her looks are top-tier. Her specialties are cleaning, laundry, cooking, and other domestic chores. You are free to use her as a plaything or work her as a maid in your dungeon. We will start the bidding at 100,000 Zen. As you all know, the bidding increment is 10,000 Zen!”

“100,000 Zen!”

“150,000 Zen!”

“Damn it, she’s a pretty one. 300,000 Zen!”

A fierce bidding war began. Despite her being a mere human woman, the Dungeon Masters judged her by her looks and placed their bids. Taehyun watched them with disdain and waited for the next slave.

—

“Now for our sixth product! A Raider, just as you’ve been waiting for. At a glance, her looks and figure are quite remarkable. Please check the rest of her information for yourselves!”

Finally, the first Raider he was interested in was introduced. Taehyun looked at the woman on the stage and checked her information.

[Hera]

[Rank: A (Mid-rank)]

[Level: 62]

[Class: Trapper]

[Title: The Raider Who Lost Hope]

[Affiliation: Demon Realm Auction]

[Stress: ?]

[Status: Despair, Resignation, Amnesia]

[Relationship with Comrades: None]

[Description: An A-rank, mid-rank Raider captured by Dungeon Masters. She primarily sets traps. After a failed dungeon raid, she was sold to the Demon Realm Auction. Having lost her memories, she is now nothing more than a shackled slave Raider.]

‘Her class is Trapper?’

She had a special class, just like Junhyun. From the description, it seemed to be a class that dealt with enemies by setting traps. However, a question immediately arose.

“She’s a Raider, but her class is Trapper? Isn’t that a little strange?”

“How did she reach A-rank with a class like that?”

“Her looks and figure are just my type. And she has amnesia, too. Hah, this is a tough one.”

The other Dungeon Masters were also eyeing Hera with puzzled expressions. As they said, a Raider’s role was to attack a dungeon. The fact that a Trapper, who had to wait for enemies after setting traps, was an A-rank Raider was hard to believe.

“Lord, what are your thoughts? It is questionable that she holds such a rank as a Trapper, but her utility would be high if she were to join our dungeon.”

“I know. The problem is her skills and special abilities. The auctioneer is obviously hiding that part on purpose. He wants to force a blind buy.”

There was no doubt that adding a Trapper to his dungeon would be like installing an extra layer of traps. But to have reached A-rank, she had to possess skills that went beyond the conventional concept of a Trapper. It was risky to blindly bid Zen when the auctioneer wasn’t even revealing her skills.

‘I should test the waters first.’

Taehyun casually pressed the button and bid 150,000 Zen. As an A-rank Raider, she couldn’t be completely useless. The other Dungeon Masters, finally making their decisions, began to bid one by one.

“200,000 Zen!”

“300,000 Zen!”

“500,000 Zen!”

The price slowly climbed. When it surpassed one million Zen, Taehyun took his eyes off the button. Investing over a million Zen on a complete unknown was no different from gambling.

“Lord, are you giving up?”

“Yeah. Her skills are a mystery, and she has amnesia. For now, I should check out the other Raiders—”

“What is it, Lord?”

Suddenly, Taehyun’s eyes went wide. The bid for Hera had already surpassed two million Zen. As if possessed, he slammed the button and shouted.

“Three million Zen.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep