Chapter 239: Completely Overturned the Auction (3)

After the Dark Spear skill book was sold, the atmosphere in the auction house became even more lively. Particularly, the wizards who had been defeated by Parsanax’s deep pockets started bidding actively on various items, as if to soothe their frustration.

However, there was one person who couldn’t fully enjoy the cheerful mood.

Damn it!

The player wearing a black robe with a deep hood covering their head was none other than the Ice Emperor Raos, formerly the sub-master of the Black Bee guild and known as Sting’s right-hand man.

During the peak of the Black Bee guild’s power, he had been ranked as high as sixth among Wizards. But after the guild was utterly shredded to pieces by Kai, his rank had plummeted dramatically, and he had fallen to the thirtieth place—a fall so stressful it had even triggered hair loss.

Who could have imagined things would go this wrong?

After the Black Bee guild’s downfall, almost all its members had abandoned the guild’s emblem without a hint of loyalty. After all, connections made in a game were only ever that shallow. They had only hoped that the prestige of being part of a top ten guild would serve as their protective shield. None of them had ever considered becoming the shield to protect the guild itself.

After the battle in the Elven Forest, I gritted my teeth and hunted every day.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The emptiness of seeing all the time and effort he had poured in for over half a year go to waste haunted Raos daily, resulting in him hunting even more obsessively. He reduced his sleeping hours, annoyed by the mocking and scornful gazes of those who looked down on him now that the guild’s shield had fallen.

However, humans were foolish creatures who only realized the value of what they had after losing it.

It was unbelievably hard for a Wizard to hunt without the support of a guild.

Even though he had cut down on sleep and extended his hunting hours, his rank continued to drop.

It was different when I had the guild’s support.

The players who used to grin and step aside at the mere sight of the Black Bee emblem were nowhere to be found anymore. Now, those who had once been driven out of hunting grounds or dungeons now frequently sought him out for revenge.

I even felt tempted to discard the guild emblem myself.

Yet, Raos remained loyal to Sting, and didn’t leave his side. Had he left the guild earlier, his life could have remained rosy, as Wizards from the Black Bee guild were prime targets for scouts, with recruiters practically salivating over them. After all, Black Bee had been an elite group, only accepting Wizards with exceptional talent.

To be honest, I did consider leaving.

Raos had gone to Sting with the intention of announcing his departure from the guild, but the moment he met Sting, his resolve changed.

Those weren’t the eyes of someone who had given up on everything.

Sting’s gaze burned with anger, ambition, and a thirst for vengeance, all tightly intertwined. And what struck Raos most was that Sting wasn’t outwardly expressing those emotions. Sting had always been the type to yell whenever things didn’t go his way.

But he changed. It was a transformation that only someone like me, who had watched him closely, could recognize.

It was likely that experiencing failure had brought about some internal growth within Sting. With that, the bee became more cunning and spent time sharpening its stinger even further.

After being defeated by Kai, Master spent a long time reflecting.

Most of that reflection revolved around identifying the reasons for his defeat, and eventually, Sting came to a conclusion.

He said it was his carelessness and Kai’s magic resistance that led to his loss.

Kai’s magic resistance was insanely high. Thus, Sting realized that as long as he remained a Wizard, he couldn’t defeat Kai in a one-on-one battle. So swallowing his pride, he reached out to Goliath.

The two of them got along quickly.

First, they shared many things in common. Both had once been at the top but were brought down by Kai, and both were consumed by an unbearable rage.

When Goliath saw Sting reach out, he silently extended his hand for a handshake, and Sting shook it without hesitation.

And thus, the Revenge guild was born.

As the name suggested, it was a guild created with the sole purpose of destroying one individual. Of course, the guild wasn’t large. It consisted of only about twenty-five members. However, the members were mid-tier rankers, not the kind to be easily underestimated.

And finally, an opportunity has come.

Goliath, the martial artist, and Sting, the Wizard. The two of them had seized an opportunity for a comeback.

A hidden class.

Not just any ordinary hidden class that everyone knew about.

Ordinary players wouldn’t even have a clue.

That hidden classes were also divided into ranks. It was an open secret known only to those who had managed large-scale guilds.

The typical hidden class is at the Hero rank.

Most of the hidden classes introduced in community posts belonged to this Hero rank. However, the job class change quests that Sting and Goliath were undertaking were of an even higher rank.

A Mythic-grade hidden class.

Mythic grade! He repeated the words dozens of times, yet every time he said them, they still filled him with exhilaration. And to think, not just one but two people had received hidden class quests simultaneously, it felt like fate to seek revenge against Kai.

Tsk. The Dark Spear skill would’ve been perfect for Master, who’s about to become the Archmage of Ruin.

The Archmage of Ruin was a class derived from none other than the Demon King. Simply progressing through the quest allowed Sting to gain the favor of the Demon King’s followers. He had even discovered clues suggesting that completing the job class change would unlock the Malice stat.

But who would’ve thought such a dark horse would appear...

Parsanax, the Crimson Tower Lord, was a mad wizard who set fire to anything or anyone that displeased him, whether adventurer or NPC. While it was known that the unpredictable old man was also a famous collector, Raos hadn’t expected things to get this complicated.

Tsk. If only we still had sponsors from companies like before.

In the current situation, there was no way to invest several hundred million won into a single skill. Furthermore, the Crimson Tower Lord’s wallet would never run dry easily. If the bidding war had continued, the price could have easily exceeded a billion won.

And it would’ve come with the added bonus of getting on the Crimson Tower’s bad side.

Letting out a faint sigh, Raos decided to think it was just bad luck, and refocused on the auction.

Of course, Raos had no idea that Kai’s gaze was fixed directly on him at that moment.

Who is that guy?

The seat where Kai was currently located was extraordinarily high—so high that it was right next to the Crimson Tower Lord, Parsanax, a clear sign of the auction house’s exceptional treatment of him.

Because of that, he had a perfect view of the activities of those below. Among them, Kai’s gaze was naturally drawn to Raos.

That guy in the black robe bid on the Dark Spear skill book.

The Dark Spear skill book was practically useless without the Malice stat unlocked. That was the very reason Kai had decided to sell it in the first place.

Hmm, it doesn’t seem like he bid out of mere hobby or interest.

If Raos had stopped at a reasonable price and withdrawn, Kai wouldn’t have thought much of it. However, he had kept up with the bidding until it reached nearly 500 million won.

And then he only gave up after realizing his opponent was Parsanax.

While it was true that wizards had a strong tendency to collect items, few were so rich, or so insane, to spend thousands of gold on a useless skill book.

Parsanax can afford it because he leads an entire tower of wizards.

Other wizards, however, had to rely on employment, crafting potions, conducting research, or hunting to make money. The same applied to players.

A player? And one who chased a skill book they can’t even use up to 500 million won?

If it really was just for collection purposes, there was nothing more to say. But if that wasn’t the case, there was only one explanation.

Could he be a player who has unlocked the Malice stat?

Kai’s eyes, fixed intently on Raos, were already filled with curiosity.

***

The auction continued without pause. It had been nearly two hours since the Dark Spear skill book was sold.

Jis, showing a slightly fatigued expression, suddenly spoke in a bright tone, “Earlier, I expressed my gratitude to everyone here for attending today. Now, I would like to offer my congratulations to all of you for being part of this gathering.”

“

Hm?

”

“What does he mean?”

Numerous NPCs and players tilted their heads after hearing Jis’ words.

Content with the attention, Jis spread his arms wide. “Long ago, there were four angels who served the gods.”

It was the story of the four great angels, a tale that every NPC present was familiar with.

“The four angels, who possessed the greatest powers in the celestial realm. Among them, the strongest was none other than Lucifer.”

However, intoxicated by his own strength, Lucifer betrayed the celestial realm and willingly descended into hell. There, he accepted the blood of the Demon King and became a fallen angel. It was an old legend that every NPC likely heard at least once in their childhood.

As Jis paused, murmurs erupted from the NPCs and the glowing crystal orbs.

“It’s a famous story.”

“I recall reading a record that Lucifer appeared alongside the Demon King when he descended upon the continent.”

“But what kind of item is he trying to sell, bringing up such a story?”

“

Hm.

No matter how much you want to sell something, invoking religion is rarely a wise move.”

“He seemed to handle everything so well today, but now he’s making a mistake.”

They were right. The mere mention of the four great angels and the fallen angel Lucifer was enough to raise expectations among buyers.

But sometimes those heightened expectations can turn into poison.

If those expectations were met, it would be the perfect marketing strategy. If not, it could go down as a legendary mistake.

Of course, Kai quietly smiled to himself.

Jis, the more I watch, the more impressed I am.

It wasn’t just about introducing or selling items. His real talent lay in building anticipation through simple explanations and stories before unveiling the item. If Kai hadn’t already known what the item was, he would have been the same as everyone else in the room.

They must be dying of curiosity.

It was like the moment right before the winner was announced on a competition show aired on TV—the kind of suspense that made people swallow nervously and tap their feet impatiently. Murmurs filled the room. When Jis slowly raised his hand, the buzzing chatter fell silent as if it had never existed.

Surveying the now-quiet room, Jis chose not to add any further explanation and wrapped it up. “I present to you the relic left behind by the celestial traitor upon his death, Lucifer’s Black Wings.”

A cart carrying a dazzling crystal box rolled onto the stage.

“I-is that...”

“Those are Lucifer’s Black Wings?!”

“No way!”

The crystal box was placed at the center of the stage. The moment they laid eyes on the black wing decoration stored inside, the NPCs screamed and shot up from their seats.