< Cleaning Should Be Water Cleaning (3) >

Hong Kong’s night view was beautiful. The ground’s stars had been violently ravaged numerous times, but even so, countless lights remained. Noah’s two eyes stared down at that group of light.

The smell of the sea was mixed thickly with the pa.s.sing wind. The sun had set, but the air was still hot and humid. At the same time, the A/C wind covered his skin to the point of being slightly chilly.

While feeling the completely different temperatures at the same time, he stared at the gathered people.

“I hope you are not too alarmed that the merchandise knows how to speak. First of all, I am also a human being like everyone here.”

Though they could be people who divided up and stuck ranks on humans themselves. Being like, why was a bottom level lower cla.s.s person speaking in front of me.

Still, there were barely any real leaders in this place. The big shots who weren’t in a position to personally visit sent people who were close to them. Though those people were also influential powerful people.

“Explaining in length about the merchandise should be a waste of time. If you have happened to forget, please move your gazes slightly to the top of my head.”

-Chirp!

Chirpie cried out while flapping when I pointed to it. A few people unconsciously smiled. Our Chirpie was indeed quite cute.

I twirled the mic, which had sleekly drawn slender curves like a piece of decoration, instead of a normal crude design. The table prepared for me had gla.s.ses of mana potions on it.

Most countries made their own potions. Maybe because of that, the flavors were different according to country. I had heard that in China, there were a lot of various tea types, and there was black tea in England, vodka in Russia, but why was our country apple and orange? Import some other flavors. Though they probably wouldn’t.

Among the various gla.s.ses of potions, I drank a few sips of the mango flavor and placed Chirpie to the side. Stay there quietly.

“The informational details about the auction that will progress today, should have been conveyed already.”

The gazes that followed everywhere I walked made me feel bad. And I didn’t particularly like being the center of attention anyways, originally.

I lightly closed my eyes. The entire world sparkled underneath my feet. My mood was refreshed properly.

“Everyone probably knows full well the method for auctioning. However, unlike a normal auction, there are three vetos given to the merchandise. All three can be used, or none of them can be used.”

Please listen well and think of it as a hurdle for a cooperative merchandise. The explanation continued, lightly adding a few more words.

“The veto can be used on the winning bidder who is not favored, but it can also be used in order to get a favored bidder in 2nd~4th place. So, everyone, please attempt to catch the eye of the merchandise for the first and last time.”

This kind of thing wouldn’t have happened to you before. And if you did well, it would be a good chance, too.

“However, as most of the people here are not the actual people who would become my real owner, the evaluation will be done through items. In the current world, items with good performance are the symbol of wealth. A mini portal instead of an elevator, a defense skill jacket instead of a bulletproof vest. Wouldn’t I be able to get a sense of my expected owner’s capacity by looking at how good of an item that everyone here, who are their hands and feet, hands over?”

I do not like people with small hands.

“So, everyone, I will be thankful if you generously hold out the items you have.”

Though you wouldn’t get them back. Well, if you safely keep your lives after today and become a free person, then why don’t you contact me to ask for them back.

There was a slight buzz of noise. While there were gazes going around between them, there wasn’t a single person who stepped forward first. It was probably because, not only was it uneasy to hand over precious items even for a moment, but there were people who judged that it might be better to not start the compet.i.tion over vetos at all.

What was needed in this type of situation?

“You’re saying something arrogant.”

It was none other than the attention diverter. But why was his line like that?

When Sung Hyunjae stepped forward, the group of people split up like a group of fish that had met a shark. It wasn’t that there weren’t other S-Rank Hunters other than him, but the cla.s.s was different. I originally didn’t plan on asking that person, but maybe he was bored, because he said he would do it……

“Oh dear, I-”

Chareureu-

f.u.c.k, I’m really going to go crazy. Along with an ominous noise, a thin gold chain wrapped around my neck like a snake. While lightly holding the opposite end of the chain with the tips of his fingers, he conceitedly crooked up his lips.

“Merchandise should act a little more respectfully, like merchandise.”

It was eyes and a tone that looked down on the other person after placing them under your feet. I was wondering what kind of d.a.m.n concept this was.

‘…Wow, everyone likes it.’

The guests seemed like they were incredibly pleased by Sung Hyunjae’s acting. The merchandise’s att.i.tude was displeasing, but while they couldn’t directly stand forward because of the vetos, he was giving them a breath of fresh air[1] – was it something like that?

The chain that was relaxed between me and Sung Hyunjae became taut with a metallic noise. The response was good, so what else could I do but match up? Being slightly scared, without being excessive, and defying him more without completely losing my spirit should be good.

“It is not that we do not know each other, so even if you cannot cooperate, are you not being too much?”

“Since our first meeting, you didn’t know your place and was arrogant. It looks like that habit wasn’t fixed easily even after coming all the way here.”

“If it is fixed in just a few days, then it is not a habit.”

“So aren’t I trying to help you? Since it’s not that we don’t know each other.”

The smile in his thinly bent eyes was fierce. Matching him, I avoided his gaze as if frightened. As if to make sure, the chain pulled strongly and just when I was going to be pulled along like that.

“That should be enough.”

There was a hand grabbing and stopping the chain. At the same time, a short contest of strength occurred. The owner of the hand was Yoohyun, who had come over to my side at some point. Though it would probably seem like a different face to the other people.

But Yoohyun, why were you cutting in again? Ad libs should be to a certain extent; it was difficult if an unscheduled role appeared.

“This is surprising. I didn’t hear that Ian Holton-ssi was a high rank Hunter. In the first place, weren’t you not even an Awakened Person?”

“Awakening can happen in one morning, and there is absolutely no reason to let Sung Hyunjae-ssi know.”

The two’s gazes clashed sharply.

I probably couldn’t feel it well, but it seemed like it wasn’t merely just words and gazes exchanged. Seeing how the surrounding people were slowly drawing back more. I also saw a few faces trying hard to hide that they were frightened.

I told him to make a scheme, but he was trying to overturn the kiosk. The business would be all ruined.

“Are you alright, Han Yoojin-ssi?”

“That, yes……”

That little brother’s polite speech was awkward. This was all because of Sung Hyunjae. He should’ve been like ‘I’ll be the first batter’ and reasonably tossed over an item and then disappeared.

“Thank you, Holton-ssi. You are very kind.”

“Isn’t it too easy if you are won over even before items are taken out?”

“It should be that the Seseong Guild Leader was too aggressive. I would like for you to not forget that I have vetos.”

Sung Hyunjae let go of the chain he was holding at the gaze that held my feelings of telling him to get lost now. The end of the chain that had shortened in an instant shook near my chest.

“I’ll hang that there and stand back.”

At him pa.s.sing over the famous weapon that everyone who should know, knew about even before the ranking compet.i.tions opened, exclamations rose up softly from here and here. Among S-Rank items, weapons were especially more precious. Among the items of the people gathered here, there shouldn’t be any that were more valuable than the Seeker’s Chains.

So if you looked at just the item, the game was over.

‘Since he did that nonsense, they would probably think that I would definitely give one veto to Sung Hyunjae.’

In other words, a powerful compet.i.tor disappeared and at the same time, the most valuable item appeared, so the objections to handing over items should have dimmed. In the middle of the commotion, Yoohyun also took out a bracelet from his inventory.

“My preparation is lacking so I do not have something good enough to give you.”

Specially, it was probably that he didn’t have an S-Rank item that wouldn’t reveal his ident.i.ty. For Yoohyun, his fame was less compared to Sung Hyunjae, but as my brother, the people here at least would’ve carefully investigated about him.

“Even if it is an A-Rank, I prefer you.”

Holton-ssi, who had scored points from me, held out the bracelet that was A-Rank at best. There, now wasn’t it really doable? Right after I got the bracelet,

Flutter.

A long blue cloth fell down over my head.

“S-Rank Magus Shawl of Waves! I’m Kiera Gray, remember it!”

Ah, to think it was an S-Rank shawl! A cloth item that Myeongwoo couldn’t make! Yerim, an S-Rank item to give you appeared. I quickly accepted the shawl and smiled brightly, putting a ton of sincerity into it.

“Kiera Gray-ssi, it is really outstanding. Please record it quickly.”

The a.s.sistant holding a tablet wrote down the item and the owner on the list. Even if it was recorded like that, I wouldn’t return it. Then, a Chinese man emphasized that it wasn’t an A-Rank, but an S-Rank, and held out a bracelet. Mm, maybe because they really were amazing people, there were a lot of S-Rank items. There were Unawakened People occasionally, but seeing how items could be applied to anyone, a lot of items that even Hunters couldn’t use because they didn’t have them, popped up.

This was why mid to low rank Hunters were pestered by item inflation as they wasted their money every time they earned it when trying to prepare equipment.

“Ah, this is a robe cardigan. Items that can be used in real life really are great. I can receive benefits, too.”

They didn’t hand over weapon types much, but I didn’t need them because there was Myeongwoo. It was much better for him to use his time to focus on weapons, rather than making other equipment that came out often comparatively.

“You can also gain victory with quant.i.ty. I prefer several A-Ranks over one S-Rank.”

If Yerim had to make a team, she needed a lot of A-Rank equipment, too. Kim Sunghan-ssi also hadn’t organized a team properly yet. S-Ranks were the best, but plastering even the team members with S-Ranks was currently impossible.

So I also welcome A-Ranks!

“There are already five of just earrings. I cannot suppress my awe at the impressiveness of the people who have gathered here today.”

Emptying a gla.s.s of oolong tea flavor mana potion, I placed silver ring earrings on top of the pile of items on the table. Chirpie stared straight at the mountain of items.

The worth of the items gathered here was probably greater than my body’s worth. How much was it with just the Seeker’s Chains? Though I probably wouldn’t be able to take this one.

Sung Hyunjae left his place around the time the atmosphere started to ripen. I had placed the Teacher skill on him a little while ago, so I was able to see where he was going.

“I would like to thank you again for the successful event. Especially Marcel Bardot-ssi, Sergei Arshavin-ssi?”

I also didn’t forget to specially mention the people whose expenditure was big. It was hard memorizing their names and faces, but there should be that amount of work, since they were heaping over high rank items.

In between that, I saw a black sky. Sung Hyunjae was standing on top of the hotel’s roof. At the same time, Noah’s gaze looked down at him. The hem of the tailcoat suiting the dress code shook in the wind.

‘You should start.’

It probably wouldn’t be conveyed but I mumbled in my head. As if he had heard it, he started to move. Light sparked in the surroundings. Lightning surged up from the bottom to the top, following the lightly swinging hand. At nearly the same time, Noah threw the spread-out-umbrella-ribs-like item that he was holding into the air, and dodged away.

Kwareureung!!

“Is it thunder?”

“I didn’t hear that it was going to rain.”

The boom shook the banquet room for some time. There was a stir but I let it go in one ear and out the next[2].

What had captured my eyes and ears right now was an electric current that was spreading out terrifyingly.

Light wrapped around the item that Noah had thrown, as it poured out in all directions like arrows. Lightning rods for inducement had been set up in the buildings within several kilometers radius of the hotel. But there were no grounding wires.

The current struck down toward each of their goals, buildings above a certain height, in the blink of an eye. And then they jumped up again, and spread out. Not just the buildings that got direct hits, but the big and small structures in their surroundings. They quickly made their targets submerge into darkness, one by one, following their owner’s command.

The lights went off.

Maybe because of his attire, the man who was inducing the darkness felt like a concert conductor.

And finally, only one light remained and the surroundings became dark.

“Everyone, now.”

A hotel standing tall. I requested it of Gregson before sending away the normal employees for the auction. To turn on the lights of all the rooms in the hotel and open the curtains. At the words that I wanted a performance that lit up the whole hotel, the slaver gladly nodded. Since it wasn’t anything much to do.

Thus, the hotel was fancily lit up by itself. Toward the sea, as an incredibly charming figure to someone.

“It is time to start the main game.”

I said, going toward the table piled with items. The people’s gazes went toward me simultaneously. My gaze went past that, and again past the front window locked in darkness.

It was toward that sea that was soaring up.

The black water crawled up. Like an upside down waterfall. My mouth drew a smile on its own.

“What was the auction starting price again? A billion dollars?”

It wasn’t much. It was cheaper than a nuclear powered submarine.

I pa.s.sed the mic to the expert auctioneer. I emptied one more gla.s.s of mana potion, and picked Chirpie up. And Noah flew down following the hotel wall.

Kwajangchang!

The gla.s.s wall breaking into fragments, me sweeping up all the items on the table into my inventory, and Yoohyun s.n.a.t.c.hing me up, happened at nearly the same time.

Miasma spread out from the body of the dragon hidden by the hiding skill.

“Ugh!”

“It’s poison, avoid it!”

Without hesitation, Han Yoohyun ran toward the poison spreading out. Of course, while holding me. As soon as Yoohyun got onto his back, Noah’s claws scratched the floor. After quickly changing the direction of his body, he flew up through the broken gla.s.s window.

As soon as we got free of the building, the wall of water appeared in front of our noses. Noah’s wings flapped widely as he started a steep vertical climb. Right after he had shot up though with his whole body, high up to the sky, while he hadn’t fully avoided the end of the giant wave.

Kooreureu-

The hotel that was lit up like taxiway lights was swallowed by the mountain of black water. The last light of the night view disappeared as well, and a complete darkness fell.

[1] lit. sth like ‘letting them drink cider’ where ‘(drinking) cider’ is slang for when a frustrating situation goes satisfyingly/gratifyingly

[2] ‘let it slide by through the back of [my] ear’ which means to listen distractedly or ignore