I put a leash on Catastrophe

However, they couldn’t go to the auction with such an amount of luggage.

Since there was still time before the auction started, the three first went to the hotel, left their things, and spent time in the room, and when it was time, they left the hotel.

‘It will take about 20 minutes on foot.’

Perhaps because it was evening, there were more people on the streets than during the day. However, perhaps due to the two outstanding people, the gazes of passersby were directed at them.

“Wow.”

“Are they models?”

“Then is that one a bodyguard?”

People whispered, looking at the pharaoh and Martin. Fortunately or unfortunately, Zhi-wu with his relatively inconspicuous appearance seemed not to attract attention at all.

Seeing the pharaoh showing off like a peacock under the attention directed at him, Zhi-wu thought they needed to hide their faces and bought three pairs of sunglasses at the nearest stall, and they put them on, but now gazes were directed at them for a different reason.

“Is there a mafia in Korea?”

“Scary.”

When Martin’s kind eyes were hidden, only his wild, intimidating attractiveness remained. Fortunately, if earlier people stuck to the pharaoh, taking him for a celebrity, now they kept their distance.

Zhi-wu worried whether Martin would be offended by this situation, opposite to the previous one. However, contrary to his expectations, Martin’s face remained calm.

“What happened?”

His voice when he asked Zhi-wu, who looked back at him, was the same as usual. Zhi-wu shook his head and muttered that it was nothing.

‘Well, yes, he’s not the type to get upset over such things.’

Although his face looked soft and kind, he was a person who wasn’t shy about saying everything he thought, even to someone as problematic as the pharaoh…

Anyway, although there were some difficulties, the three arrived at the building where the auction was taking place.

* * *

“Let’s check the invitation.”

Zhi-wu handed the card that Hwan-su gave him to the employee at the entrance who said he would check the invitation. The employee, after checking the number on the card, asked, taking it:

“There are three of you, right?”

“Yes.”

“Here you go. Enjoy the viewing.”

What the employee handed over were masks and number plates. The plates had parts of the numbers that were on the invitations written on them, and the masks were black matte half-masks covering only the upper part of the face, not the entire face completely.

It seemed they needed to put these on and enter inside…

‘Wasted money on sunglasses.’

Zhi-wu felt a little anxious as something wasn’t going right from the very beginning. When they entered inside, instead of seats in front of the stage at the end of the hall, tables and chairs were arranged. The structure resembled a dinner show.

’57 tables…’

Zhi-wu mentally counted the tables. It seemed that including them, 57 teams were participating in the auction.

Since this was his first auction, he didn’t know if this was many or few participants. The seats didn’t seem to be reserved, so they sat at a table a bit distant from the stage. They didn’t sit in the front row because there were already people who came earlier than them.

‘Foreigners.’

Although they were in masks, by their build and visible lower part of the face, one could roughly determine their race. They glanced briefly at Zhi-wu and his companions who sat nearby, but didn’t seem interested and immediately started talking quietly among themselves.

People gradually entered and occupied the free seats, and when some time passed, the light in the hall suddenly went out. Simultaneously, the curtain on the stage opened, and the stage became visible.

In the center of the stage stood a man in a black suit and mask. The difference from the clients was that his mask was purple in color.

“I welcome the clients participating in the regular auction of the Korean branch of the Black Market.”

After finishing the greeting, the man immediately started the auction, as if there was no need to wait further. The first lot was the pharaoh’s jewels that Zhi-wu provided.

“The first lot is jewels. Although they don’t have a special history, look. These bright colors and transparency. These are excellent items that are hard to find in such a size. The auction winner will also receive an appraisal certificate from the market’s official appraiser.”

Since this was the first lot, designed to generate interest, and as the host said, the condition was good, people’s reaction was not bad.

The auction price, starting from 10 million, quickly rose to 20 million, and in the end, each stone was sold for an amount between 40 and 45 million.

‘Five pieces… about 200 million?’

Although after deducting the commission and other additional expenses the amount would decrease, it was still almost twice as much as if he had just sold them. Zhi-wu was stunned that not only did he receive 70 million, but in a few days earned 200 million.

Money that he previously hadn’t even seen when trying his best to survive now appeared as easily as breathing.

‘Although it’s a lot, it’s not enough to buy a house.’

It seems he’ll still have to rent. While he was pondering this, the auction continued.

“Hmm.”

The pharaoh, who wanted to come here the most, already seemed bored and sat with his chin propped on his hand, with a bored expression. It seemed he lost interest as monotonous art objects were constantly being exhibited.

Zhi-wu and Martin weren’t interested in art objects either, and they were already starting to think they had come to the auction in vain when…

“The next lot is this.”

What the host showed was a small wooden box. The box seemed to be completely covered with lacquer, as its surface was black and shiny.

It was slightly larger than a palm in size, and when the host lifted it and opened the lid, inside was something like crumpled paper resembling packing material.

But it wasn’t just paper.

“…A talisman?”

So much so that one could immediately think of this word – on the yellow paper, incomprehensible red symbols were densely written.

“This lot is a bit unusual. What’s inside, as you can see…”

A slight disgust ran across people’s faces. The object wrapped in paper resembling a talisman turned out to be someone’s hand. Fortunately, it wasn’t a human hand, which was evident from the thick fur covering the back of the palm.

“It’s a hand. Possibly a monkey’s. Even in our head office, which deals with various items regardless of genre, such real magical items are very rare. In fact, from a property perspective, it’s not a very valuable item, but for those interested in the occult, it’s certainly an attractive thing.”

It didn’t matter whether it actually worked or not. Isn’t that what the occult is about?

After finishing the brief explanation, the host closed the box again and started the auction.

“The starting price is 1 million won. Client number 25, 1.1 million, 1.1 million.”

Up to this point, Zhi-wu thought they were just selling and buying some strange things. He wasn’t interested in the occult, which couldn’t be eaten, and besides, why would one need a dead monkey’s hand or a dog’s paw when there was a living monster sitting next to him?

However, the pharaoh seemed to think differently.

“Buy this.”

“What?”

Zhi-wu turned to the pharaoh, thinking he had misheard, but he closed his mouth. While he was wondering if this was a joke, the host’s voice was heard.

“Client number 74, 2.5 million, 2.5 million.”

Zhi-wu looked at the host, then at the pharaoh, but he just sat with an expression as if saying “do as you like”. When no one else raised their hand, and the host started the countdown, the pharaoh’s muttering was heard.

“Hm. You’ll regret it.”

Zhi-wu, feeling a chill, raised the plate. The host, who had almost finished the countdown, saw Zhi-wu’s plate and stopped.

“Client number 138, 2.6 million, client number 74, 2.7 million.”

As soon as Zhi-wu raised the plate, number 74 immediately raised the bid. It seemed he didn’t like that Zhi-wu interfered at the last moment when the auction was almost over, and he even turned around and gave him an angry look.

Zhi-wu couldn’t ignore the pharaoh’s words and continued to raise the plate. When Zhi-wu raised the plate to 3 million, number 74 raised the plate along with a widely opened palm.

“Client number 74 requests to change the bidding step and immediately raises by 500 thousand. 3.5 million, 3.5 million.”

The host looked at Zhi-wu. His gaze said: “Now the price will increase not by 100 thousand, but by 500 thousand won at a time, what will you do?”

500 thousand won is more expensive than the jacket he bought today. It’s also more expensive than the cost of a room in the hotel where they’re currently staying for a day, and with this money, one could eat rice for 10 thousand won 50 times.

How much could be done with this money, and he was very sorry to spend it on such a superstitious item.

‘Damn…’

But Zhi-wu had to raise the plate. Because the pharaoh was still looking at him with an expression as if saying “come on, show me your performance”.

Better to lose money than ignore and really regret it later.

“Client number 138! 4 million! Client number 74! 4.5 million!”

Although he didn’t look as desperate as Zhi-wu, number 74 continued to follow him. Since the bids were increasing by 500 thousand at a time, the first digit was growing quickly.

“Client number 74, 10 million!”

When the competition between the two participants heated up, people who had just been watching until then started to make noise. There was incomprehension on their faces about how a dried monkey’s hand, which is useless even for making soup, unlike dried fish, could reach a price of 10 million.

‘I want to stop…’

Zhi-wu really didn’t want to spend 10 million won on such a thing. Especially irritating was the pharaoh who told him to buy this and now was just watching.

If he had looked nervous about possibly losing the item, Zhi-wu would have bought it without hesitation, thinking it was really necessary…

‘I’m just irritated that he’s just watching, not caring whether I lose it or not.’

This gaze, as if observing with interest a person standing in front of a cliff on one side and a safe road on the other, what choice he would make, was like a stone in the chest causing discomfort.

While Zhi-wu was pondering, time was passing, and the host started the countdown.

One… two… I don’t know. Zhi-wu sharply raised the plate.

“Client number 138! 10.5 million! 10.5 million!”

The host, seeing that Zhi-wu raised his hand, reflexively looked at number 74, but his companions prevented him from making a bid.

In the end, Zhi-wu became the winner.

However, this wasn’t a joyful victory, as all participants except the host looked at him as a strange person who bought such a thing for such money.