Returnee's S-Rank Management Guide

Chapter 205 : King of Outlaws (2)

King of Outlaws (2)

Even I had not expected Ivan Hunt's appearance.

How could the very man who had attacked Shin Ah-yeon now shamelessly follow after me?

"If I say, for starters, that I'm not your enemy, will you believe me?"

"As if I would."

"Well, that's to be expected. Still, I have no intention of fighting you, so I'd appreciate it if you'd lower that fist."

Just as he said, Ivan's words showed no hostility.

Which only made him more suspicious.

"You probably have no intention of talking for long anyway, so let's just get to the point."

He looked quietly around as he spoke.

Wherever Ivan's gaze landed, the people nearby shrank away and scurried off in fear.

That alone spoke volumes about Ivan's infamy in this place.

"I'm merely carrying out a mission given to me by the Goddess."

"... Goddess?"

"Perhaps it'd be clearer if I said Saintess Estella."

By the time he finished talking, my hand was already at his throat.

There was no way Ivan could know the name Estella.

The demons hadn't known until recently that Shin Ah-yeon was Estella's reincarnation, and they certainly hadn't been told the story of their defeat at her hands three hundred years ago.

Of course, they might have mentioned me.

But there'd be no reason to mention Estella as well.

"I witnessed the existence of the Saintess myself on Jeju Island."

Though my hand gripped his throat, Ivan calmly continued.

"Ever since, someone's been whispering relentlessly in my mind."

Whenever he fell asleep, someone would always speak to him.

They would tell him what he ought to do.

"To some, it might have been an agonizing ordeal. But not for me."

Ironically, this was just what Ivan had wanted.

Estella's miracle had granted Ivan's wish at that moment.

"So that I would never lose my way again."

Ivan had lost all sense of purpose in everything, including magic.

He'd become numb even to the deaths of others, living only in pursuit of pleasure.

But Estella had put a leash around Ivan's neck.

"Well, leaving that aside, this life was a gift from the Goddess to begin with, so it's only right I abide by her words."

Even though she had the power to close the rift, Estella had not bothered to kill Ivan.

"In other words, you're just following her orders because you don't want to die."

"That's one way to look at it, yes."

Looking closely at Ivan, I could sense the power of origin.

It was a leash binding Ivan's neck.

Not a mere symbolic leash like the one I'd used on Hwang Yeon-ji, but a real one.

If Ivan so much as attempted anything wrong, the lingering power of origin in his body would definitely sever his neck.

'He's not in his right mind, either.'

He was actually pleased with it.

Was he drawn to the power of origin itself? Maybe because he was a mage?

Maybe Estella, seeing into Ivan's heart, had realized she could use him.

"So, what is this mission of yours?"

"Not much. You could say it's to wish for your happiness."

Ivan's ambiguous answer made me wonder if I should press further, but I only sighed and shook my head.

He wouldn't give me a straight answer anyway.

'Even if it's just Estella's lingering will in Shin Ah-yeon's body, she wouldn't have wielded her authority over Ivan without thought.'

It wasn't Ivan I trusted, but Estella.

Trying to interrogate him here would likely backfire.

"By the way... are you interested in the Black Auction?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I overheard, by chance."

Well, if he'd been lurking around, he'd have heard it.

"I hear a newcomer is coming to this Black Auction—a face I've never seen before."

"A newcomer you've never met? ... Ah."

He must be talking about the new recruit of UnderStellar.

"For reference, he's also the one who won the last previous King's Struggle."

I fell into thought at those words.

If I met that guy at last, this whole affair could be wrapped up cleanly.

'He might tell me the truth about this King's Struggle.'

I'd always found this so-called King's Struggle suspicious.

They held it every year, the winner each time became a member of UnderStellar and left Alcatraz. That was the ending.

On the surface, nothing seemed strange.

But there was plenty off about it.

After all, I never heard from Enoch about new members being added to UnderStellar.

Even if they tried to hide the numbers, if it was annual, there'd be a winner every single year—UnderStellar's members should have long surpassed twenty.

Obviously, UnderStellar never had that many members.

"All right."

I nodded.

I'd already gotten all the other information I could.

'I could just sweep through Alcatraz right now.'

But just in case, I decided against doing anything reckless.

Even if I tried, if the demons chose to run rather than fight, there'd be limits to what I could do as an individual.

More importantly, if I destroyed this place needlessly, the criminals here would only scatter across the world. For now, leaving it alone was my only option.

'It's better to go back, regroup, and then take them all out in one strike at the right time. For now, I'll focus on the newcomer Ivan mentioned.'

Once I'd thought that far, I spoke to Ivan, who was waiting for an answer.

"Lead me to the Black Auction."

***

The Black Auction.

A place where goods difficult to trade in proper society—stolen goods or rare artifacts—were put up.

That was what I'd heard, more or less.

No one stood guard at the entrance, and no one checked my ID.

Anyone could participate in the auction.

'Well, I suppose there's no need for security.'

The participants themselves might as well have been the guards.

The auction was directly operated by the ruler of Section 4.

"I wonder if you'll really stay calm after seeing the auction,"

Ivan said before disappearing again.

I made no effort to stop such behavior.

'Walking around with Ivan would only attract attention.'

If he strolled about freely, word would spread quickly.

Heading to the auction house, given my position, it was better that he laid low.

'Just what are they selling that warrants such a warning?'

Maybe they were auctioning rare artifacts or special items?

With that in mind, I entered the auction hall.

"Thirty thousand dollars! Thirty thousand dollars, I have!"

As I went inside, the auction seemed to be in full swing, and I heard the loud cry of the host.

I tutted at the amount but examined the item up for bid.

'A B-rank artifact.'

It certainly warranted that price, but there was nothing special about it.

I found an empty seat and sat down; some glances came my way, but perhaps thanks to Ivan, no one recognized me.

Even if I was a bit notorious in Odyssey, no one here could tell East Asian faces apart so precisely.

"Now, onto the next auction... you really don't want to miss this one."

With the usual formal preamble, the auction continued.

Despite the grand name 'Black Auction', nothing particularly stood out.

'Much less than I expected.'

A bit disappointing.

A few of the items looked dangerous at times, but that was just it—dangerous, not extraordinarily powerful.

There were some magical swords, but honestly, the magic swords I made were much stronger.

Well, considering they were made by the Demon King himself, that was only natural.

'How much longer?'

According to Ivan, the auction ran for about three hours.

Counting from when I'd arrived, about thirty minutes remained.

"Well then, the atmosphere has truly heated up," the host announced, clearing his throat.

"Now, for the next item."

The opening was just like before.

But the mood was a little different this time.

"What is this..."

I unconsciously muttered when I saw what was up for auction.

"... A person?"

I hardly registered what the host was saying.

What mattered was that a person had been put up for auction.

Bound in metal restraints.

「I wonder if you'll really stay calm after seeing the auction.」

Only then did I understand Ivan's words.

The bidding was more feverish than ever.

No one was shocked.

The item up for auction was a young man, probably just over twenty.

I stared at him quietly and then got up from my seat.

"What's this?"

Someone looked at me, puzzled by my action, and spoke up.

He seemed like he was about to hurl insults, but before he could, I was already up on the platform in the middle of the auction.

"Sir, you can't disrupt the auction. Please step down."

The host gave his warning as politely as he could, but I wouldn't have come here if I intended to listen to that.

"Move."

"Pardon? Haha, well... you must be confident in your skills."

The auctioneer seemed unsurprised, as if troublemakers like me were a familiar sight, and blocked my way with a relaxed expression. Up close, he too was a very capable awakener.

"Maybe you don't know who I am? Are you that new arrival everyone's been talking about?"

His rank was A-rank.

Or rather, almost S-rank.

He was a cut above Negan, the ruler of Section 8.

'So, this is the ruler of Section 4?'

His name was... Hopkins?

I remembered Ivan mentioning a name like that.

Well, it made sense that the auction was peaceful if the ruler of Section 4 was in charge.

Step out of line here, and you could lose your life.

"I didn't expect you'd make it as far as Section 4. Hmm, you've only been in Alcatraz a few days, haven't you?"

He looked at me with curiosity, but I had none for him.

My gaze was fixed solely on the trembling young man up for auction.

'An ordinary human.'

He wasn't even awakened.

But something felt off.

Ignoring Hopkins, I approached the young man.

There was something strangely familiar about him for a mere civilian.

"Haha, it's been a while since I've been ignored like this... well—"

"Shut up, really."

Hopkins grabbed my shoulder, trying to stop me from reaching the man.

I seized the hand holding me, lifted him, and slammed him to the floor.

KWAANG!!

The auction floor shattered, and Hopkins was smashed into it, silencing the previously clamorous room at once. No one had expected the man who was essentially the king of Section 4 to get smashed into the ground.

'As I thought.'

But that wasn't what mattered to me.

What mattered was the young man up for auction.

He'd watched the scene unfold and was sending desperate glances my way, pleading for help.

'... He's been experimented on.'

The man was an ordinary person.

But I could faintly sense demonic energy in his body.

Originating in the heart, I sensed it flowing through his blood.

'The experiment failed.'

Still, he was lucky.

Normally, those who failed died instantly.

This young man, however, would probably live for about another month.

Yeah, about a month.

For an ordinary human to survive under the influence of demonic energy without being forcibly awakened was exceedingly rare.

Unless he was made into an awakener by force from the demonic energy.

"You."

I spoke to Hopkins, half-buried in the floor.

He looked up at me, blinking in disbelief at what had just happened to him.

"What's beneath this auction hall?"

"... Nothing."

"The demon experimental lab is 'nothing'?"

Hopkins' eyes widened at my words.

Such a reaction was as good as an answer.

A demon experimental lab, and the operation performed on the young man sold at auction.

I'd thought, after seeing the procedure performed on Sim Chun-hoo's body during the battle in Sillim, that there might be such a place somewhere.

The demons had always been fascinated by the experiments done on me, constantly trying to imitate them.

"So, it was here."

Even though I'd finally found the thing I'd been searching so desperately for, I felt not the slightest joy.

It had been so long since I'd felt my insides roil like this.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Is Jung-woo enraged?

【⁽⁽(੭ꐦ •̀Д•́ )੭*⁾⁾】