NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 62
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Nadia: I’m gathering people who want to move from the Tower to the Stalactite City. Along the way, I’ll give you several tips about the auction. It’s packed with content you won’t regret hearing.
Don’t worry about encountering monsters or staying up all night; I’ll get you to the city in six hours.
Check the information board for more details.
Ebron: Sounds good. I’ll check it out too.
Nadia: Thank you. You won’t regret it.
Yuna: What kind of tips will there be about the auction?
Nadia: I can’t go into details, but I’m confident that just by selling that, you’ll cover about half of your travel costs.
Luka: Seriously, how much do you plan to make off the tips?
Nadia: Are you jealous?
Luka: Ha, maybe a bit.
Nadia: Hang in there! One day, you’ll score a lot too.
Luka: Meet me in the Central Hall on the first floor. Let’s have another round.
Nadia: I won the duel tournament last time; why would I fight again? I’m off now.
Luka: Hey, come back!
Luka: I said come out!
I stepped down into a place I had grown very accustomed to. A suffocatingly chaotic magical energy wrapped around my body.
There were so many people around that I could barely find a spot to stand. Many more than usual were descending to the dock, all seeming to have come for the auction.
“This concludes our guidance. Thank you for your hard work, everyone.”
Nadia announced, her scarred smile betraying her excitement. She looked genuinely happy.
And she had every reason to be. Over forty students had come from the Tower with her. All had come to participate in the auction starting in two days.
Just as she had boasted, we had received quite a bit of helpful information on the way. It didn’t seem like she was lying when she mentioned this was her second auction.
With that, Nadia took her group and started leaving the dock first. They quickly vanished into the flow of people.
I bowed to the students still looking around, and they all nodded back, dispersing in various directions. I too let myself be carried by the crowd.
The deeper I went, the more my heart felt heavy. It was the presence of the Mirror Bugs flowing in from somewhere unknown. They were the dolls I had supplied over the last seven months.
They emitted a dim light. It seemed they weren’t even aware of my presence.
I felt the Shadow tightening around them. It must be Maira’s work. I had neither the power nor the courage to interfere with it.
A bitter laugh escaped me. Thinking in terms of points, it was a profitable matter. But now, seeing those bugs up close in the city gave me a twinge of regret.
I continued on, flowing with the crowd. People repeatedly dispersed and merged at various forks in the road. The creaking bridges shook in tune with their movements.
When I arrived at a fork, I turned my body. After passing through several intersections, I began to see unfamiliar scenery. It was a route I had never taken before.
As I entered this path, the crowd began to thin. I sneaked a glance at the remaining people. Most were quite well-dressed.
How long had I traveled? I spotted a large gate ahead. The space beyond the door was hazily distorted. Every time someone stood before it, the door would sort its magical energy and open a path.
Several guards were checking people at the door. This was the only entrance leading to the upper levels.
I stood in line, watching the gate’s appearance. The paths shown by the door were incredibly diverse. It seemed to encapsulate each layer of this city.
My turn was approaching. The guards radiated an air of strict professionalism, completely different from those at the city entrance.
Standing before them, they stepped forward with precision and enveloped my surroundings with their magical energy. It was a superb confinement spell.
“Halt, where are you headed?”
One of them asked. I pulled out the entry ticket gifted by Miryeong. Magical energy swirled over the elegant script.
I replied cautiously. They examined it briefly, then infused it with magic. Clearly, it meant I was allowed to pass. Miryeong’s claim about this ticket covering the entrance fee seemed to be true.
The guard announced, and along with that, the magical energy of the door organized itself, opening up a path. I nodded slightly in thanks and passed through the door slowly.
Upon crossing through, I began to feel a vibrant light. Taking a glance around, the atmosphere was worlds apart from the lower levels. Countless magical lanterns were hung along the roads and buildings, glowing beautifully.
The magic itself was deep and clear, almost at the level of the outside city. They said the entrance fee was three thousand points a day, and this place was worth every penny.
The 7th floor was where the upper-level auctions took place. I glanced down below. Many were moving about on overlapping bridges.
These many separated layers were blocked off by thick walls of magical energy. They couldn’t be pierced carelessly—nor should they be.
Glancing at the letter that came with my entry ticket, I saw it contained Miryeong’s message. A simple magical ID was written down as well: 12, instructing me to contact this number.
I gently raised my own magic to wake the Mirror Bug. It spread its wings and flew into the air.
This was a budget-friendly Mirror Bug I had brought along to communicate within the city, so its screen looked rather desolate compared to my usual one.
Trade, Information, Communication.
I selected communication, input 12, and sent a message saying I arrived in the city. This feature for personal communication was Miryeong’s request since the bulletin board was deemed inefficient for group discussions.
As it turned out, this communication was incredibly efficient. I had even added it to the Tower’s Mirror Bugs.
A reply came almost instantly. It said they would be waiting in front of the Arcana General Meeting building. I put the Mirror Bug away and started moving.
Since Maira’s connection wasn’t perfect yet, I could still only use the Mirror Bug within the city. But eventually, it would reach across the university. I could already envision that scene.
The bridge connecting the buildings was quite wide. Several people could leisurely stroll along it. But I carefully walked along the edge.
This was due to the others passing by. As expected of the upper levels, they all radiated a fierce magical energy. It could be suffocating to be next to them.
Walking quietly, I approached the Arcana General Meeting. In front of it, I spotted a familiar-looking woman. Her face lit up with that unique smile typical of her family.
“It’s been a while.”
Hwa-ryeong said. I slightly bowed my head in her direction and greeted her.
“It’s been a while since we last met.”
As I said this, I discreetly scanned the surroundings. There was no one else in sight apart from her. Noticing my gaze, she smiled gently.
“Grandfather is busy, so he couldn’t come. I suppose our positions are too different for him to have the luxury to visit us.”
That was actually a relief. My heart calmed down a little. Speaking of which, I had something to tell her. I retrieved the Mirror Bug and waved it slightly.
“I didn’t manage to catch the warning you gave me last time. But thank you for your consideration.”
“Hehe, I appreciate your kind words. I also said it to curry favor with Ebron. At the end of the day, whatever I said would not change the outcome much.”
“That’s true.”
I smiled bitterly. Just as she said. Hwa-ryeong slowly walked beside me and gently led me.
“Well then, shall we go in? We’ve prepared accommodations for you.”
With that, she led me into the meeting. The first sight that greeted me was a spacious hall, beautifully decorated with statues and paintings, creating a clean atmosphere.
It was a stark contrast to the lower levels. Every guest meandering inside had a staff member assigned to them, like Hwa-ryeong was to me.
“It’s quite different from below. The accommodations are the same. This way, please.”
She led me deeper into the building. Upon reaching an end, I saw an ornate door. She held out a gem infused with magic before it.
The magic seeping from the door detected it and began to weave the spell. Soon, the door swung open, revealing the interior.
It was an expansive room. I moved slowly inside. A giant bed and classic furniture were the first to catch my eyes. Everything in the room harmonized beautifully.
And they shone even more brilliantly against the rich magical energy filling the room. Just staying for a moment felt like a calming balm to my entire body.
“You’ll want to shake off your travel fatigue, so I’ll take my leave. This is the gem for the room’s entrance. Using this, you can return here.”
Hwa-ryeong said, extending the gem to me. I accepted it carefully. I could feel a complex magic within it.
“And here, a list of items to be auctioned on the first day. Take a look to see if anything catches your eye.”
She handed me a thick booklet, filled with information about the upper-level auction.
I saw her off and closed the door. Silence filled the room. I looked at the booklet in hand. An item list, huh? My curiosity was piqued.
Heading over to the bed, I half-laid down and gently flipped to the first page. I quickly found myself absorbed in its content.
The booklet contained a great variety of items. Most were things I had never seen before. Yet, I could easily tell what kind of items they were.
This was thanks to the detailed descriptions written below. The booklet not only contained text but also depicted each item using illusion magic, allowing me to predict how they could be used.
With that, I began to pick out items I liked one by one.
How much could these be worth? There were so many rare items that I had no clue. Yet for an upper-level auction, they would undoubtedly fetch a high price.
As I flipped through the pages, one item caught my eye. It was the Brain of the Wraith Tree. An item similar to what Maira had given me, packed with a millennium of history. I checked the seller’s name, and sure enough, it was Maira.
Miryeong told me I purchased this item for at least 500,000 points cheaper. So it was definitely worth at least 700,000 points. Would it not sell for a similar price at this auction?
A twinge of greed surfaced in me. As Maira mentioned, this was an item that meshed well with my magic. Plus, I felt confident that with the previous trial and error, I could create an even better doll this time around.
Hmm, she did say she’d lend me points too. 700,000 points. I calculated the points I would earn in the future.
Assuming there were no issues, I could pay it back in about five years. It was surprisingly easy to gather points.
Should I just buy it?
I felt my resolve subtly tipping. And the auction began.
“One hundred fifty!”
“One hundred fifty million points have been offered. Is there anyone else?”
I promptly gave up though.
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