Chapter 156: Demon World Auction (5)
The four halls on the 2nd floor. Ariel, Upa, Pandemonium and Adonis each occupied one. Adonis was sitting in Okullos’ original place, but that had become vacant after he died.
It was surprising that some of Okullos’ demons could be seen.
It seemed like they had all been absorbed by Pandemonium. Even though I killed four of his demons, he had more subordinates than other factions.
Ariel had 15. Upa’s faction had 18. Meanwhile Pandemonium had 20!
Including me, there were 54 demons gathered in this place.
‘It seems like the balance has been destroyed after Okullos’ death.’
Pandemonium had the most people, but seven among them originally belonged to Okullos.
Okullos had died after using soul assimilation but it seemed like the effect was less than I thought.
At any rate, I was somewhat surprised by Pandemonium’s quick response. I didn’t think he would absorb the power as soon as Okullos died.
No, they felt like dolls that he was controlling. It wasn’t impossible for Pandemonium who was familiar with magic.
But his eyes were currently watching me with shock.
That wasn’t all.
Ariel and Upa were the same.
They hadn’t expected me to show up at the Demon World Auction. Everyone thought I was dead. Dubolong had announced it.
Yet I returned.
Of course, I wasn’t the same as before.
My strength couldn’t be compared. I had reached the domain of transcendence but they weren’t at that level yet.
Their growth was remarkable compared to their previous lives, but they were still inferior to me.
I ignored their gazes and sat down in the central hall on the 1st floor.
It was the place where I had sat alone in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd years. All the other demons were seated on the 2nd floor.
However, now I had the fire and water spirits beside me. It was natural that I would stand out in their midst.
“Randalph Brigsiel...”
Ariel Diablo. Her voice could be heard. At first she was confused, but now she was watching me with intense interest.
I wasn’t emitting magic power but Ariel had unusually keen eyes. She realized that I had transcended or something similar.
The strong curiosity of the other demons couldn’t match hers. Right now, she was more focused on me than the auction.
I glanced at her. My mouth was in a thin line. Relaxation!
Now I could confidently feel on the same level as them. In the past, I always felt something lacking but now I had broken through the limits. We were equal in all respects.
I used Mind’s Eye to look at Ariel’s status window.
Name: Ariel Diablo
Occupation Demon Grand Duke (Dungeon Master) Title
* Devil’s Descendant (Epic, Magic Power +10)
* Weapons Master (Epic, All stats +3)
* Victorious over Chaos (Epic, Strength, Agility and Stamina +6)
* Path of a Ruler (Ex U, Strength and Magic Power +4)
Stats
Strength 84 (+15) Intelligence 92 (+3)
Agility 89 (+11) Stamina 85 (+11)
Magic Power 87 (+17)
Potential: (437+57/500)
Uniqueness: One of the four grand dukes. Governor of Underhell and was the master of 18 demons. She realized chaos and started to walk along the path of a true ruler.
Skill: Weapon Cheat (Epic), Abyss Sword (Epic), Power of Words (Ex U), Waterspout (Epic), King’s Blessing (Epic)
Skill and Item Effects: Reign Sword (Strength, Agility, Stamina +2)
[Before and After Comparison]
Strength 75 Intelligence 76 Agility 81 Stamina 73 Magic 87 Potential (372+20/500)
Strength 99 Intelligence 95 Agility 100 Stamina 96 Magic 104 Potential (437+57/500)
It was a growth that couldn’t be compared to when I first saw her at the Demon World Auction. Her total stats were 494 points and the strongest sword technique, Abyss Sword, was completed. In my previous life, Ariel didn’t have such growth in the first five years.
It was a testament to the fact that things were moving as quickly as possible.
However, it was insufficient. When it only came to stats, I was superior.
The effect of her skills couldn’t exceed the insurmountable wall of transcendence. My growth was also more excellent.
"Huh...!”
Upa had a different reaction.
My emergence was utterly unexpected. His eyebrows narrowed at the thought. Unlike Ariel, he couldn’t grasp the truth about me.
Pandemonium...he was staring at me.
He was convinced I was the reason behind his demons disappearing. However, he couldn’t move carelessly due to the alliance of humans and the girin.
It was too late for him to regret it now. I was well prepared before coming here.
‘The levels are similar.’
I gazed at the statuses of the grand dukes using Mind’s Eye and they were all similar. The differences came in the titles, skills and items. In terms of power, Ariel Diablo was superior.
“Tsk.”
A sound was suddenly heard.
The Dark Spirit King Adonis. He clicked his tongue like he was disgruntled.
He had been hoping that the water and fire spirits would fight each other. There were no signs of fighting so he was very disappointed. Some doubts filled his eyes as he gazed at me. There was no evidence so he just watched.
“Hello! Dubolong is glad to be with you on this auspicious occasion.”
Chwack!
The curtains parted and Dubolong emerged in clown makeup. He looked around with a wide smile.
"The auction rules have changed. There are also unfamiliar faces! Additionally...someone who was thought dead has come back alive. Randalph Brigsiel-nim!”
I responded by briefly shaking my head.
'He is really sly.’
I had contacted him but Dubolong showed no signs of previous knowledge. His acting ability was one of the best.
"I think everyone knows that the rules have changed. Guests, it is time to sell the items. Dubolong is very excited to see what type of items there will be!”
I was also curious about this part.
The individual auctions had meaning for the other demons.
It was a chance to fill their missing points before the auction began. Disposing of the items they didn’t need...there was a possibility there would be ‘mines.’
For example, a cursed item. Some demons had simple observation skills that couldn’t penetrate through some cursed items.
There could be skills that would only be triggered under certain conditions or tracking spells on the items. Some demons were confident of being able to track the sold items.
Therefore, the demons had to decide carefully before buying.
Dubolong spoke slowly.
"Bidding for the items is simple. Each person will call out a higher number of points. If you don’t have the points that you bid, the girls and boys on the ceiling will ridicule you. Please don’t try if you don’t have the required amount.”
I knew the process but it needed to be explained to the participating spirits. The auction hall fell silent and Dubolong spread his arms out wide.
"All the guests! I greet you once again. It is nice to see you. If you have an item you want to buy, the spirits will pay with their ‘rank.’ The system will then assign them points.”
A confident smile.
The plan to make them fight didn’t work, but the fire and water spirits gathered here were strong. Only the elite were present. It would still benefit the dark spirits if they could reduce their ‘rank.’
‘Dubolong. Now their role is just a folding screen.’
I would make the purchases. The fire and water spirits were just playing a role for me.
I wondered about the magic of their artefacts. That alone was worth an alliance with them.
In many ways, the plan of the dark spirits was being wasted.
“Now, you should be filled with expectations. Let’s start the auction! We will proceed in two parts because there are many things. There will be a one hour recess in the middle.”
Jjak!
Dubolong clapped and the workers brought out the first item.
A large stone statue. It was in the form of a gargoyle.
"It is something surprising. The magic power that can be felt is unusual. A delicate statue of a gargoyle! The soul of the artist can be felt along with the magic power. The starting bid is 50,000 points.”
-Name: Delicate Gargoyle Statue
Description: A sculpture carved with the power of a sculptor. It is full of vitality like the gargoyle could come alive.
* The reproduction rate of all gargoyles within a 10km radius will increase by 15%.
* Cursed by the artist. The moment it is owned, magic power will be reduced by 1.