Chapter 54: Black Market Auction (2)
Xiaoling, daughter of Changje, one of China’s three SS-rank hunters bestowed with the title of Emperor and an S-rank hunter herself, stood before me.
She was also widely known as one of China’s Seven Beauties and often appeared in public media, further cementing her fame.
It was impossible not to recognize her.
She smiled subtly, knowing I had identified her.
‘Hmm… why is she here?’
The reason was obvious—she wanted to establish a connection with me.
Perhaps she was trying to analyze and assess me as well.
Judging by how she referred to me as the “owner of gold,” it seemed the Chief had already leaked the information.
He barely left the room a few minutes ago, yet the word had spread so fast.
Her clear, transparent gaze was fixed on me.
Beneath her smiling expression, I could sense an undeniable coldness.
Although she was nicknamed Snowflower Spear for her exquisite ice-element spear techniques, she was more widely known by another alias: Frozen Blossom—a beautiful flower harboring the chill of ice.
Her stunningly beautiful appearance masked a cold, calculating heart.
That smile and warmth? All part of her well-calculated performance.
I turned my attention to the tablet before me, which displayed her profile.
It categorized potential allies with a green background and possible enemies with a red one. Her profile?
A blend of green and red.
Even the Chief couldn’t predict her.
Whether she would become an ally or an enemy was entirely uncertain. More accurately, not even he could read her intentions.
Was it because she was fickle? No. Or unpredictable? No.
True to her icy nature, Xiaoling was rational and logical.
Depending on how I approached her, she could either stand against me or align herself with me.
There were also rumors that the Frozen Blossom treated those within her circle of trust exceptionally well.
‘I remember hearing about her pre-regression—a famous tale of her avenging a subordinate whose family was brutally killed. She personally eliminated an S-rank hunter.’
At the time, she had inherited the title of Second Changje from her father, who had ascended to SSS rank and earned the name Changcheon.
Naturally, she faced no punishment.
Even China lacked the power to discipline an SS-rank hunter, let alone someone backed by Changcheon.
“Pleased to meet you, oh icy flower. Just call me the owner of gold,” I said.
Her smile deepened as she stepped fully into the room.
“I was curious who would take Room #3… If it’s the owner of gold, it makes sense. After all, it’s no small feat to casually throw ten such extraordinary items into a small auction like this.”
Small? This Black Market controlled more than half of South Korea’s underworld.
It hadn’t yet expanded overseas, but its connections were vast.
Finding a Black Market of this scale in China wouldn’t be easy either. Clearly, she was fishing for a reaction.
“Is that so? I think differently. I find this place quite satisfactory. It’s not too small to handle my items, and its unique advantage of utilizing territories from the Abyss is unparalleled.”
Xiaoling merely smiled at my response.
“Above all, there’s no better trading partner than one who accommodates my needs so well,” I added, maintaining a calm tone.
I turned my gaze away from her.
Though I had no intention of making her an enemy, I needed to assert myself.
If I let her underestimate me even once, she would continue to look down on me, treating me as her inferior.
This relationship needed to be one of equals, not a dynamic where one side led and the other followed.
At the very least, it had to be a mutually beneficial relationship—like the one I had with the Association President.
“Hm~ Our owner of gold has a cute side, doesn’t he?”
I frowned instinctively.
What was she talking about now?
Hahaha…
With an amused smile, Xiaoling began observing me closely, as if she was examining every detail with great interest.
How long did we sit in silence, exchanging unreadable glances?
“What exactly are you trying to—?”
Unable to hold back my frustration, I finally spoke up.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The door was pounded harshly before being thrown open, revealing a man who barged in.
“Who are you? Is it you? How dare someone like you be assigned to this room?”
He didn’t even bother hiding his face.
Typically, those participating in Black Market auctions—especially VIPs—avoided revealing themselves, even if the numbers were small enough for mutual recognition.
After all, the Black Market was an illegal and clandestine space where reputation and trust were on the line.
“Oh my! Look who it is—the pampered troublemaker! You’d think you’d stay away after being humiliated last time. Yet here you are again. Is it shamelessness, or do you simply not know embarrassment?”
At Xiaoling’s sarcastic tone, the man, who had been glaring at me moments ago, turned to her with a startled expression, instinctively stepping back.
‘Not exactly a high-ranking hunter.’
Still, he wasn’t weaker than me.
Judging by his demeanor, he was likely around C-rank, similar to that bastard Lee Jiyong.
How much money must he have poured into himself to reach this level?
A hunter who flinched at the slightest intimidation…
I quietly flipped through the tablet until I reached his profile page.
Red.
The man standing before me was clearly marked as a liability—someone likely to harm me.
Even at first glance, he looked like nothing more than an entitled and reckless nobleman.
As Xiaoling described him, he was indeed a privileged, spoiled troublemaker. Nothing more, nothing less.
“You… What are you doing here?” he spat.
“Oh, am I not allowed here?” Xiaoling quipped. “But, young master, are you speaking informally to me? Do you want me to discipline you again, like last time? Acting up again, I see.”
The man, Holler Rockefeller, heir of the Rockefeller family—a wealthy and powerful lineage of mages based in the United States—gritted his teeth in frustration and took a step back.
Despite retreating, he kept glaring at me.
“Damn these Asian bastards! Tsk!” he muttered before storming out.
What a pitiful sight.
“Thank you for helping. That could’ve been troublesome,” I said.
“Not at all. I dislike his lack of manners too,” Xiaoling replied with a chuckle.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect him to show up at this auction again after the humiliation he faced at the last one. In a way, he’s consistent, but in another, he’s just plain foolish. Judging by how he came to find you, it seems he wasn’t assigned a VVIP room this time.”
What could’ve happened to embarrass him so badly?
For it to be mentioned like this, it must’ve been quite the spectacle.
‘He probably made a fool of himself, acting without thinking and getting taught a harsh lesson…’
But the conversation didn’t continue as an announcement about the start of the auction interrupted us.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, owner of gold. I suspect you’ll be the winner of this auction, but let’s have a good competition regardless,” Xiaoling said, standing up.
She signaled her guards, who promptly handed me a business card.
“This is the business card for a small company my father established in Korea. I’ll be staying in Korea for a while, so if you need my assistance, feel free to contact me there. Even if you just need someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to reach out~. Until next time.”
With that, Xiaoling left the room. I took off the stifling mask and sank into the couch, relaxing my tense body.
“So exhausting already.”
I rubbed my eyes before examining the card she gave me.
[Taesan Group, Managing Director – Xiaoling]
“A small company, she says. And yet it ranks in the top 10 conglomerates in Korea.”
The Taesan Group, which began as Taesan Trading, had quietly but swiftly expanded its influence, boasting overwhelming capital and market power.
All of it was thanks to China’s support.
Well, Xiaoling was technically a third-generation chaebol.
Her grandfather, the first Changje, was one of the wealthiest individuals in China, after all.
Having someone like her as a connection wouldn’t be a disadvantage—on the contrary, it would be immensely beneficial.
Not only did she represent vast wealth, but her influence and power were undeniable.
With that thought, I tucked the card into my pocket and turned my attention to the auction.
Two VVIPs had visited me.
While some notable individuals hadn’t come despite being assigned to the VVIP rooms, I wasn’t too disappointed.
Making a connection with even one of them was a gain beyond my expectations.
-“Let’s begin today’s auction!”
The host appeared—a woman wearing a rabbit mask, different from the one I saw earlier.
The auction proceeded smoothly. The host skillfully captivated the audience with her words as one item after another was introduced and sold.
-“Next, we have a rare magic item! What a unique piece to kick things off. This is a cursed item in the rare and highly sought-after category of magic items! Grade: Unique! Rank: S-! Starting bid: 1 billion won! Bid increments: 10 million won! Let the bidding begin!”
One of the two items I sought was introduced early in the auction. Without hesitation, I joined the bidding.
I had no intention of letting it go.
‘A cursed item, huh? The competition will be fierce.’
Curses tied to magic items were far more potent and insidious than those in regular items. Among them, curses related to demonic black magic were particularly valuable.
Unfortunately, this didn’t seem to be related to demonic black magic—it was likely a rudimentary curse.
Even so, its Unique-grade status made it immensely valuable.
Of course, I didn’t intend to use it as a curse, so its abilities were irrelevant to me.
-“The bids are climbing fast! 2.5 billion! 2.8 billion! We’ve reached 3.5 billion! The increment will now increase to 500 million! 4 billion! We have 4 billion!”
One by one, participants entered the bidding.
Those who could afford to attend this auction were all affluent individuals, for whom such sums weren’t even considered significant.
I, too, continued raising my bid without hesitation. While I could’ve crushed them with an overwhelming offer, I decided to savor the experience of competitive bidding.
-“17.5 billion won! Any higher bids? Going once… going twice… sold! Congratulations! The Unique-grade magic item has been sold to Guest #3!”
At last, the magic item was mine.
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