Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 61

Episode 61

"Ooh... 1 million has been bid."

At the sudden spike in price, the auctioneer's eyes gleamed with greed.

It was only natural. 500,000 was already the highest price they could have called, and now it had doubled from there.

I looked back at Kassel, aghast.

'You were only buying rare items, so why are you suddenly doing this, you crazy bastard!'

Recalling the flashy items he had won so far, I couldn't understand his current actions at all.

Bidding 1 million coins just to buy a single old rope like that.

I glared at him with furious eyes.

Then, as if he felt my gaze, he suddenly looked back at me.

But... his eyes suddenly curved into half-moons.

That familiar look, as if staring at something trivial.

He was clearly laughing at me.

"1 million coins! Any higher? If not..."

Just then, the auctioneer shouted. I had no choice but to swallow my tears and hurriedly raise my paddle.

"1.1 million!"

"Oh! We have 1.1 million! Any higher than 1.1..."

"1.5 million."

"Oho! 1.5 million!"

"1.55 million!"

"2 million."

"Ooh! It's shot up to 2 million in an instant! Hahaha! It seems we have quite a few prideful hunters among the guests who've visited our auction house, yes?"

A round of laughter filled the hall at the auctioneer's playful joke.

'Cut it out!'

I shot Kassel a death glare.

I absolutely couldn't lose, but thanks to him jacking up the price every time I made a tiny bid, the 500,000-coin rope was now up to 2 million.

He met my gaze with relaxed eyes.

Anger surged at the sight.

'You think you're the only one who knows how to raise the price?!'

I immediately raised my paddle and, mimicking his tactic, called out.

"3 million."

"My, guest number 38, 3 million! Even as a female guest, your desire for hunting tools is fierce! It's as if the master of hunt, peace, and protection, Lord Nissearive, has descended...!"

I couldn't hear a single word the auctioneer was blabbering, though it seemed like praise.

'Now, what are you going to do?'

I lifted my chin and looked back at that bastard Kassel.

3 million coins was on par with an S-grade Health Potion.

The drastic price hike clearly had an effect, as he seemed to ponder for a moment, then.

"...3.2 million."

He ended up bidding again. But unlike before, the increment had shrunk significantly.

"3.2 million! Guest number 144 has bid 3.2 million. Now, our guest number 38! What will you do?"

"3.7 million."

"3.8 million."

The tables had turned.

It was now my turn to hike the price by 500,000-unit increments, just as he had done, while Kassel was the one raising it bit by bit.

"Uhahaha! A fierce, uncompromising competition at a single table! This is the true flower of the auction!"

"Is that item really so amazing? It just looks like a worn-out snare..."

"3.8 million already? Is there some incredible hidden effect?"

As the competition dragged on, more and more people began to murmur and take interest.

To make matters worse.

[S-grade Invisibility Potion Effect Duration: 00:59]

The invisibility potion's duration had just passed the one-hour mark.

It was time for Elaine, who should be busy freeing the slaves, to move to the leader's room on the fourth floor.

In other words, there wasn't much time left until the sub-quest, 'Subdue the Monster Rampage'.

It was a tear-inducing waste of money, but I boldly decided to end this tedious competition.

"5 million."

As I raised the paddle and muttered in a low voice, a hush fell over the murmuring hall.

But only for a moment.

"Five... 5 million! We've hit 5 million! Guest number 144! Will you bid higher?!"

The auctioneer called to Kassel.

The nobles, who had been watching our competition with intrigued eyes, and I all turned to look at him.

'...If you bid more, you're a real son of a bitch.'

Just as I repeated that thought, glaring at him with blazing eyes.

"...It lived up to its name."

He, who had been staring right back at me, suddenly muttered something incomprehensible.

And then. Thak!

He tossed his paddle down onto the table.

"Ah, guest number 144 has forfeited! 5 million! Anyone else? 5 million! Three, two...!"

'What is he talking about?'

Tuning out the auctioneer's countdown, I dazedly mulled over Kassel's mumble.

But nothing particular came to mind.

'An Old Monster-Hunting Snare'. Where in that name was there anything to raise its value?

'Anyway, what a trash personality.'

I, who had just been sitting next to him and gotten caught in the crossfire, felt incredibly wronged.

"Here is the product you purchased, customer. How will you be paying?"

Before long, a servant quickly brought over the item, packed nicely in a box.

"...Here."

Grudgingly, I handed over the check for '5 million coins' that I had ripped off from the slave trader.

After a simple verification, the servant politely accepted it and walked away.

'No, my money...'

Less than an hour after celebrating my windfall, I was back to square one.

It was all because of the damn Male Lead.

'He's useless in my life, no, my game-life!'

I glared at him resentfully, but perhaps because he'd lost all interest in me after giving up the snare, he didn't even look back.

"Continuing this heated atmosphere, the next item is...!"

Contrary to my miserable feelings, the auction continued right away.

Although I'd paid a much higher price than expected, I had obtained my target, so there was no reason to stay.

[S-grade Invisibility Potion Effect Duration: 00:48]

Checking the time, which had dwindled again, I packed the snare I'd just bought and quietly got up from my seat.

It was time to go free the slaves, including Elaine's family.

In the meantime, the rampaging monster would run wild, and once everyone in the auction house had fled, I would come back and catch the monster.

This was the plan I had laid out.

However, a huge, completely unexpected obstacle had appeared.

'Please, I hope this bastard doesn't try to act all high and mighty and catch the monster.'

I looked down at Kassel's black hair with troubled eyes.

But it was probably just my needless worry.

Because Kassel had become a prisoner, he wants the Dark Society, which rapidly gained power while he was absent from the capital, to be annihilated.

Therefore, if a monster ran wild, it was more likely he would welcome it with open arms and leave the scene.

Just as I was reassuring myself and trying to leave the table.

Thak.

A large hand suddenly grabbed my wrist...

"Where are you going?"

The guy who had been completely ignoring me until just a moment ago, grabbed me and asked.

"Wh-What..."

"The auction isn't over yet."

I gaped, flustered.

What business was it of his whether the person next to him left before the auction ended?

'What's with him! It's none of your business, back off!'

Suppressing the urge to shout that, I answered calmly.

"I bought what I came to buy, so I'm leaving now."

"You came all this way just to buy one worn-out snare?"

Kassel muttered, glancing at the box I was holding.

That wasn't something the guy who'd driven the price up for that same worn-out snare should be saying.

Grind. Gritting my teeth, I immediately retorted.

"What business is it of... and when did we become familiar enough for you to use informal speech?"

"If it pisses you off, you can speak informally too."

"Ha..."

I was momentarily speechless at the words and actions of this so-called Male Lead in the game.

"Forget it! I only speak informally with people I'm close to."

"That's a pity. I thought we were quite a familiar pair."

"What nonsense..."

The moment I scowled at his playful words.

Kuuung, Kuung! Kuuung, Kuung!

A heavy vibration suddenly echoed from the stage where the auction was in full swing.

My and Kassel's gazes, which had been locked on each other, simultaneously turned that way.

Behind the stage. From the unusually large passage on the far left, a giant, fat... giant appeared.

A frame over three meters tall, flesh wrapped around its body in layers like an inner tube, and a massive head.

The man, whose dripping appearance looked no different from a monster, was none other than,

[Lv.200 Puppet Ballakk]

The final boss of the Dark Society, who should have been asleep right now, unaware that his laurel crown was being stolen.

"St... op...!"

Kuuung!

The giant, who had finally waddled his massive body onto the stage, bellowed.

"My god, is that a person?"

"Who is that? How can a person be that enormous!"

The auction hall fell into chaos at the sudden appearance of the monster-like man.

The organization members were just as flustered.

"B-Boss! Wh-Why are you here...!"

The auctioneer, who didn't even reach Ballakk's thigh, trembled, his face pale white.

The hall was instantly soaked in terror and fear.

But regardless, Ballakk suddenly threw something onto the stage floor.

Kung!

"Ugh!"

Tumbling to the floor with a groan was a huddled young elf.

But the child's eyes were closed, and it didn't stir.

It seemed to have lost consciousness.

'Then who on earth made that sound?'

The moment I had that thought, I spotted something bizarre behind the child.

Bright red blood was moving in mid-air, as if it had solidified around an invisible form.

"Holy Water...!"

As Ballakk yelled fiercely, one of the organization members rushed over, carrying something.

A transparent water with a blackish tint.

The Holy Water, used only in the Temple, purified chronic illnesses, of course, but also all kinds of wicked effects other than divine power.

"Good heavens, Holy Water...!"

The nobles were horrified by the fact that the leader of a mere criminal organization was freely using Holy Water, which only the Pope and the Saintess could handle.

But paying them no mind, Ballakk took the Holy Water from his subordinate and poured it directly onto the unconscious young elf.

No, onto something embracing the young elf.

Jjoreureuk...

The stream of water, glowing with a mysterious black light, split into several streams, as if pouring onto an invisible rock.

Doubt began to cloud the eyes of the people, who had been staring at the monster-like boss of the Dark Society as if he were a madman.

And finally, with a white light, the invisible, formless entity was slowly revealed.

It was a raccoon demi-human in shabby attire, huddled and clutching the young elf.

That bastard Ballakk grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and roughly hauled him up.

The young elf fell to the floor because of it, but no one paid it any mind.

"Seeing as the Holy Water has no effect... it doesn't seem to be a potion..."

"Ugh!"

"Is it an artifact?"

Caught by the giant over three meters tall, the raccoon-kin's two slender legs dangled pitifully in the air.

But that, too, was brief.

"Well... none of it matters, kekekek... Everyone, listen up...!"

The bastard waved Elaine, in his raccoon-kin form, back and forth as he shouted loudly to the audience below.

"From now on, to everyone who bets money on this guy... I will give out elves, one each, for free...!"

'Crazy.'

Looking at the system window that popped up, I sensed that things had gone wrong.

[The S-grade Invisibility Potion has been purified by Holy Water.]

[The effect of the S-grade Invisibility Potion will disappear.]