Translator: Vine
Translated At: Nyx Scans
Chapter: 79
September 11th.
The second day of the Hunter Auction.
"Pixie Powder..."
Eunha was engrossing herself in the pamphlet she had received from Ayeon yesterday.
Though it seemed quite thin, the content was surprisingly dense, making it difficult to find the desired information without looking closely with wide eyes.
'Here it is.'
By the time the pamphlet was worn and tattered, Eunha finally found the information about Pixie Powder.
'It was listed the year before last.'
The winning bid was 157,000 coins.
It seemed Ayeon's words were true.
Fortunately, it was scheduled to be listed again this year at Booth K.
September 13th, 2:30 PM.
Exhibitor: Private.
Quantity: Exactly one.
Just then, Eunha's gaze, meticulously reading the information, stopped at one point.
Auction Participation Condition: 10,000 Chips
10,000 chips?
The maximum number of chips exchangeable with a white badge was merely 1,500.
The chips she earned yesterday were about 4,000.
Even if she sold as much today as she did yesterday, it would still be a little short.
'Not easy.'
Eunha rested her chin on her hand, her face looking quite serious.
Beside her, a yellow message window popped up abruptly.
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' stares at the stall with a sulky face.]
[It grumbles that it could give coins anytime, but never imagined chips would be needed too. Humans are truly a cunning species.]
Since learning that chips were needed for the auction, the cat had been in this state.
It seemed the fact that its contributions were half in vain was quite displeasing.
'What can I do.'
If the auction had proceeded solely with coins, things would have been easy.
After all, Eunha possessed about 400,000 coins.
Even if it were insufficient, Eunha's cat would surely provide support, both materially and immaterially.
'The organizers need to make money too, I suppose.'
Chips were also their source of income.
It wasn't incomprehensible.
Meanwhile, Eunha, staring blankly at the message window before her, muttered as if spitting out the words.
"If you're so upset, then share some sellable items."
At that, the yellow message window flashed brightly.
Eureka!
[Why didn't I think of that! The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' says to wait a moment and begins to rummage through its fur.]
[It confidently declares it will fetch some good items right now so its master won't be embarrassed anywhere.]
[Loading]
Master? Who's calling whom master?
Eunha let out a smirk looking at the loading screen.
And after a moment.
[Congratulations! You have obtained 'Fine Grain Salt'!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained 'Fragrant Black Pepper'!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained 'Just a small amount for a heavenly taste! Finest Truffle Oil'!]
Ding ding ding.
System windows popped up continuously.
These items were definitely...
'From the Unknown Gate.'
That's right.
They were things the cat had given her back when she was surviving by tearing at raw monster meat in that place.
"What am I supposed to do with these."
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' asks, "Huh? Didn't you like them back then?" looking puzzled by your changed reaction.]
"That was because I was trapped inside a gate. It's different now."
Eunha replied firmly.
Such seasonings and spices were things easily obtainable at a nearby supermarket.
"If it were Shin Siwoo, he probably would have brought some decent items at a time like this."
It was a remark made half in jest, because the cat's reaction was amusing.
In the first place, her contract with Siwoo had already been terminated, and even if it hadn't, Eunha wouldn't have relied on him for such matters.
However, there were two things Eunha hadn't considered.
First, Eunha had absolutely no talent for joking.
Second, the cat was far more hostile towards Shin Siwoo than Eunha could imagine.
[Loading]
The cat, which had hastily disappeared again.
[Congratulations! You have obtained 'Pacific Saury with a Deep Ocean Aroma'!]
"..."
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' emphasizes that this was something it truly cherished, but it's specially giving it only to sister.]
[How about that! No matter how much that mutt tries, he won't be able to procure such fresh and glossy fish, it boasts!]
...It seemed there were no useful items among the ones the cat possessed.
Eunha thought, staring at the 'Pacific Saury with a Deep Ocean Aroma' added to her inventory.
Anyway, the thought alone was appreciated.
Eunha closed the inventory window and thanked the cat.
Although she hadn't obtained any significant gains from the cat, her chip earning progressed without any problems.
"Do you still have Black Tiger Hides left?"
"20 fangs for 1 chip, right?"
"Here are 10 chips. I'll exchange them for a bundle of 150 hides."
"If I buy 100 chips worth, will you throw in some service? Haha."
"That would be difficult."
At this rate, she could easily earn over 3,000 chips.
It was just a little tiring.
Looking at the time, it was already pointing to 3 PM.
She had skipped lunch and been engrossed in earning chips, so she hadn't even realized how time flew.
She was just about to tidy up her stall for a bit and sit down for a rest.
"Excuse me. I heard it's 15 Black Tiger Hides for 1 chip."
A young hunter peeked his head out.
Green hair.
Likewise, green eyes.
Light freckles, a large nose, and deep-set eyes.
He was a foreigner.
Could there not have been a single foreigner among all those customers she served yesterday?
She now knew the badge had an automatic translation function.
Eunha, unperturbed, calmly greeted her last customer before her break.
"Take your time looking."
"Besides the hides, you have quite a variety of items. Oh, this is..."
The man's gaze stopped abruptly.
'Coagulated Monster Blood'.
It was an item she had just put out to fill the empty space left by the many hides sold.
It was also one of the few rare-grade items displayed on Eunha's stall.
"This, how many chips can I exchange it for?"
The hunter showed interest, and Eunha, before answering, hesitated for a moment.
Truthfully, not only was this Eunha's first auction, but also her first time engaging in such item trading.
She, who didn't even know the basic taxi fare in the modern era, couldn't possibly be knowledgeable about item market prices.
The man smiled faintly at Eunha, who seemed lost in thought.
"How about 100 chips?"
100 chips.
Even if it was rare-grade, it was still just monster blood.
Wouldn't 100 chips be alright?
Compared to the hides or fangs she had mostly sold so far, it was an incredibly high price.
As Eunha didn't answer readily, the man spoke again.
"If you trade right now, I'm willing to pay up to 150 chips."
150 chips.
It was a price she could barely earn by selling over 2,200 hides.
However, seeing him raise the price so easily made her think that this 'Coagulated Monster Blood' might be quite a valuable item, contrary to its appearance.
But even so, if asked whether this item was useful to Eunha, that was another story.
"Alright."
Having made up her mind, Eunha nodded and held out her badge.
It was more profitable for Eunha to quickly sell it off and exchange it for chips at this opportunity.
The structure was such that when badges touched and the transaction was approved, the chips from that side would transfer to this side.
It was the moment the man was also about to hold out his badge.
"Stooop."
Abruptly, someone intervened.
"Not a chance, mister. You don't know conscience?"
A pink baseball cap.
It was Ayeon, who had appeared out of nowhere.
Tsk tsk tsk.
Ayeon, clicking her tongue, scurried over to Eunha and whispered.
"Unnie, this bastard is a scammer."
"...What?"
"Verde, an A-Class hunter from Scotland."
Last year too, he only targeted hunters who were clumsy at business and ripped them off, and this year he's at it again, having sniffed them out like a ghost.
Ugh, I knew this would happen.
Sighing heavily, Ayeon glared sharply at the foreign hunter.
"Where do you think you're getting a free meal, punk. Just wait there. Leave this to me."
Ayeon prided herself on being honest, at least when it came to business.
At least she didn't do things like snatching candy from a baby, unlike this guy here.
Ayeon strode towards him and, thwack! spread out both her hands.
"One thousand."
"...What?"
"One thousand, mister."
Ayeon grinned.
"Take it or leave it."
Beep.
「Current Remaining Chips: 10,515 ⓒ」
Confirming the number displayed on the screen, Eunha put her badge away again.
In the end, she had succeeded in earning 10,000 chips in just two days.
Being an F-Class hunter, the maximum chips exchangeable for cash was only 1,500, and there were no valuable items taking up space in her inventory, so she had been very worried...
Putting away her badge, Eunha glanced around.
'I didn't even get to say thank you properly.'
Ayeon, after a verbal sparring match with the foreign hunter, had eventually managed to extract 1,000 chips from him.
However, after successfully exchanging chips with her badge, when she turned around to offer her thanks, Ayeon was already gone.
'I wanted to return this too.'
Eunha stared blankly at the pamphlet in her hand.
She had already confirmed all the necessary information, so this was no longer needed.
Though it had become a bit tattered, if it wasn't too late yet, she wanted to return the pamphlet to Ayeon before its value diminished.
'Should I look for her?'
She might still be nearby.
Before returning to the guesthouse where she was staying, Eunha decided to take a look around the auction hall.
"What? No harvest at all?"
"Couldn't be helped. Do you know how loud that brat's voice was? If we kept arguing, everyone around would have stared."
Pause.
Eunha turned around.
Verde, the A-Class hunter from Scotland.
The green-haired hunter from earlier was conversing with other hunters who appeared to be his colleagues.
It seemed they were talking about Ayeon.
Eunha hid behind a streetlight.
It was an unintentional, reflexive action.
"Then what about 'Hannya's Mask'? The advanced-grade item that a D-Class hunter from Japan listed for 150 chips."
"Lost that too. To the same brat."
"What? Then what. Is that brat a Taster too?"
Taster.
A slang term among hunters, referring to those who participated in hunter auctions worldwide but didn't participate in the final day's auction, only 'tasting' the flea market.
Their purpose wasn't the expensive items listed in the auction.
Auction novices, hunters ignorant of item values.
They were a breed that swept up only the various rare items that those naive individuals listed cheaper than market price.
Verde and his colleagues were also Tasters.
"I don't care about the others, but how could you lose 'Hannya's Mask' too? It was one of the reasons we came to the auction. I have no words for Master."
"Then what? She followed me to the end and interfered with every item I tried to exchange. What could I do when she offered 3,000 chips at once? I had to let go."
"Th-three thousand?! She paid that many chips at once at a flea market, not even an auction?"
"Yeah."
Verde's gaze changed.
After remaining silent for a moment as if thinking, he checked his surroundings and then muttered quietly.
"She's not a Taster. That brat."
"..."
His colleagues closed their mouths with the same expression.
They all seemed to be thinking the same thing.
Verde spoke again.
"But don't worry. I brought all the other items. They're definitely here..."
Verde lightly tapped the empty air.
It seemed he was checking his inventory.
"They... should... be... here..."
But they aren't?
Verde froze on the spot like stone.
Gone.
The advanced and rare items he had meticulously stored in his inventory.
"...There's nothing left."
"What? Look carefully. Did you press the sort button?"
"Sort or whatever, the inventory is empty. Even the things that were originally there, all of it."
"You didn't sell it all behind our backs, did you?"
"Of course not. Damn it. What on earth happened..."
In that instant.
A memory flashed through his mind like lightning.
'If you keep ripping people off like that, you'll get a taste of your own medicine. You better watch your pockets, mister.'
Tap, tap.
The one who had patted his shoulder, laughing...
A pink baseball cap.
"Damn it, don't tell me it was that brat!"
Verde whipped his head around.
Can items in an inventory even be stolen?
He didn't know.
But besides that arrogant girl, he couldn't think of anyone else.
Thump!
Verde dashed off somewhere urgently.
His colleagues, though looking puzzled, slowly began to move in the same direction.
"..."
Eunha, who had been hiding behind the streetlight, slowly revealed herself.
Click.
The sound of black heels followed them.
