The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 78
‘Good. Now no one will dare to touch me. I’ll just buy the Gray Ritual Tome, stay quiet, and then leave.’
I wasn’t worried about losing the auction.
I fondled the card given by the King of Contrary Heaven.
A card that allows for unlimited payment, but only for a single use.
Considering the real identity of the King of Contrary Heaven, it truly could offer an unlimited amount.
The thought of the King of Contrary Heaven’s real identity made me swallow nervously.
The most fearsome among the Ten Demons wasn’t the Lord of the Abyss, the Dark Tower Master, or the Patriarch of the Order.
It was the King of Contrary Heaven.
Not merely because of his strength.
But because of the true nature of the King of Contrary Heaven.
He was different from the typical villains.
Stronger, more dangerous, and more hypocritical than anyone.
When the real identity of the King of Contrary Heaven was revealed in the story, it caused an uproar.
‘Damn, how did I get entangled with the King of Contrary Heaven? Normally, Catherine would handle matters concerning him. But I’ll endure thinking about the house I’ll buy with the commission. After this, I’ll live quietly for real.’
Then, a jester-masked dark mage ascended to the stage.
[Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. The moment you have all been eagerly waiting for! Let us begin the Dark Auction! Let’s welcome it with a round of enthusiastic applause.]
No one clapped.
The masked jester scratched their head at the chilly response.
[Hehe, it seems we have many modest attendees this time. But, can you remain so upon seeing the items that are about to be presented? This auction boasts some exceptionally rare treasures.]
I listened indifferently to the jester’s speech.
There might be legendary magic swords, elixirs, and grimoires up for auction, but I had no interest in them.
‘An elixir might be useful for me, but I’m short on funds. This card has an unlimited limit, but it can only be used for a single transaction.’
I made a slightly disappointed face.
Of course, thanks to my mana insensitivity, even if I consumed an elixir, I’d only gain about 1/100th of the effect a normal mage would.
It’s a terrible return on investment, so it’s not worth buying with my own money, but I’d be thankful for it if it was free.
‘Maybe there will be an opportunity during the ‘event’. Chaos is bound to ensue.’
The auction officially began.
[Alright! The ‘Dawn Magic Sword’ has been sold for 2 million penas! The winning bidder is the one with the lion mask!]
[Any more bids?! The ‘Emblem of Death’s Respite’ goes for 3.15 million penas!]
The amounts being thrown around were dizzying.
‘The cost of a decent house in a Free City ranges from 50,000 to 100,000 penas, so how many apartments would those amounts buy?’
What’s more astonishing is that this was just the appetizer.
The ‘real treasures’ hadn’t even appeared yet.
The attendees looked indifferent.
“Is this all there is?”
“This Dark Auction is disappointing.”
“I heard rumors on the ‘Dark Board’ about an incredible treasure being auctioned. A treasure unique in the world, supposed to appear at this auction.”
For reference, there are a few virtual communities like the Academy’s ‘Mirror Board’, which use the Philosopher’s Stone as a server.
The ‘Dark Board’ is an anonymous forum where villains gather.
[Ha-ha! You’ve all been waiting for a long time. You’ve heard the rumors on the Dark Board, right? This time, the real treasure that you’ve been longing for will be auctioned! It’s a unique treasure in the world, so look forward to it!]
The attendees’ eyes lit up, but I remained indifferent.
It didn’t seem to be about the Gray Ritual Tome, so whatever treasure was being auctioned, it had nothing to do with me.
However, the moment I heard the next part of the host’s speech, my eyes widened in shock.
“Now, you all know the legend of the Gem Clan. A very sad legend, indeed. They possessed the most beautiful gems in the world but were driven to extinction by human greed.”
It wasn’t just a legend; it was actual history.
And recent history at that.
The Gem Clan was a variant of the fairy clan, born with a special gem called ‘Heart Essence’ in their hearts, just as the jester had described.
It was the most beautiful gem in the world.
“Why suddenly talk about the Gem Clan? Don’t tell me?”
“Was that rumor actually true?”
The jester, thrilled, exaggeratedly spread their hands.
“Here, coming soon! The world’s only remaining exquisite gem. We present to you the last of the Gem Clan!!”
Clang!
The curtain was pulled back, revealing a girl within a cage.
Her appearance was too beautiful to be human.
Most strikingly, her eyes shimmered as if they were crafted from gems.
She was a real member of the Gem Clan!
For reference, the Gem Clan’s eyes reflect the attribute of the Heart Essence within their hearts, hence their multicolored brilliance.
The hall erupted in astonishment.
Greed filled the eyes of the attendees.
Except for one.
I was the only one who reacted differently.
‘Oh hell no. Why? How?’
My mind went blank.
‘Why is she here?’
One of the sixteen protagonists.
The protagonist from the Alchemist Class, who would later be known as the worst villain called the Massacrist Mage, was now inexplicably being auctioned off.
* * *
“Is that really a member of the Gem Clan?”
“Yeah, after all the efforts hunters have put into finding the Gem Clan, how could one just appear out of nowhere now?”
Some expressed their doubts, and the jester chuckled.
“I thought you might say that, so I’ve prepared a demonstration. Please, watch closely.”
When the jester pulled a lever next to the cage, a horrifying event unfolded.
Zzzzap!!
“Aaaaahhhh!!”
High voltage electricity coursed through the cage, making the Massacrist Mage inside scream, and a remarkable change occurred.
Her eyes shone with a radiant light.
“When the Gem Clan experiences pain, the Heart Essence in their heart is stimulated, causing their eyes to shine brightly, just as you see now.”
“!!”
“You, being experts, should be able to tell whether this radiance is fabricated. Now, do you understand how rare this item is?”
Gulp.
The attendees swallowed hard.
“Let’s start the bidding at 10 million penas!”
“15 million penas!”
“No, 17 million penas!”
“20 million penas!!”
The bids were astronomical, far surpassing those for any other item before, enough to buy an entire castle and still have change left.
‘The Heart Essence of the Gem Clan is considered the world’s greatest treasure.’
Not just because of its beauty.
But because of its utility as a magical channel.
It was the best conductor of mana.
Cutting open the heart to extract the Heart Essence when its radiance was maximized increased its mana conductivity.
Thus, many had captured and tortured members of the Gem Clan to death, leading to their extinction.
‘But why would the Massacrist Mage suddenly appear at this auction? Could it be deliberate?’
Massacre Mage Sylphin, with her cheat abilities, was not someone who could be easily captured by hunters.
‘She must have come here hunting for prey!’
I clenched my fists tightly as I looked at Sylphin sitting in the cage with her vacant eyes.
Her pitiful expression was just an act.
Inside, Sylphin was probably savoring the thought of her next victims.
‘In the early days, Sylphin only committed murders targeting evildoers. Everyone gathered here could be considered her prey.’
Most of the 16 protagonists are late bloomers.
Initially unremarkable, they grow exponentially stronger as time goes on, but Sylphin was an exception.
She was strong from the beginning.
‘What should I do? Just pretend I didn’t see?’
After all, whoever ended up buying her and facing calamity, it was their karma.
Meanwhile, the auction became feverishly competitive.
“23 million penas!”
“25 million penas!”
“28 million penas!”
“30 million penas!!”
Astonishing amounts were being bid.
It was because of the rarity of the last member of the Gem Clan.
Eventually, as the bids surpassed 30 million penas, the competition narrowed down to two individuals.
One was an elder from the Sky Island, a villain better off dead.
However, the real problem was the other bidder.
‘Damn it. Of all people.’
My eyes darkened.
‘That’s the secretary to the president of the Ran Republic. Why is he here? From the Ran Republic here at the Dark Auction? And the president’s secretary, no less.’
The Ran Republic, along with the Magic Boundary, is an archenemy of the Empire.
‘Could it be that the president’s assassination scenario happened because of Sylphin?’
The Hero Academy features countless storyline branches.
Some branches are determined by the protagonists’ choices, but there are also random ones that happen out of the blue.
The ‘presidential assassination’ was one of these, where an unknown person assassinates the president, leading to a war between the Empire and the Republic.
‘I hope the elder from Sky Island wins the bid. The president cannot die yet.’
Contrary to my wishes, as time passed, the elder from Sky Island began to fall behind.
From the start, he couldn’t compete in terms of financial power.
‘The Republic is currently looking for the highest mana conductor for a project critical to the nation’s survival. That’s why they’re determined to win the bid, no matter the cost.’
“Now, 40 million penas! Are you giving up?”
An astronomical amount that would astound even the magnates present.
The elder from Sky Island slammed his staff down in frustration.
“Any more bids?! I’ll count to five!”
The hall went silent.
‘Damn it, what to do?’
In just a few more seconds, the winning bidder would be decided, and nothing could change the outcome after that.
“One, two, three…!!”
Just then.
Unnoticed by all, Sylphin’s expression changed.
A smirk of delight.
Anticipation for the catastrophe she was about to unleash.
At that moment, her mind was likely calculating the assassination of the president and the ensuing war between the Empire and the Ran Republic.
And at that moment, realizing her intent, I did something I absolutely should not have.
“50 million penas.”
“?!”
A deathly silence fell over the room.
Everyone, including myself, was in shock.
‘What have I done?! Are you out of your mind?’
But once let loose, my mouth didn’t stop.
“Here is the Unlimited Card. I’ll always outbid by 10 million penas, so hand the Gem Clan member over to me.”
Yes.
I impulsively bought the Massacre Mage.
…With the King of Contrary Heaven’s card.
* * *
I had caused trouble.
The biggest trouble of my life, incomparable to anything I’d done before.
‘Ugh, why did I do that?!’
In a corner of the accommodations provided by the Dark Mage Tower, the Massacrist Mage sat quietly.
True to her Gem Clan heritage, she was beautiful, perhaps even sculpted by the heavens.
Even her forlorn expression could bewitch anyone, male or female, but to me, she was only a source of fear.
‘She must be considering how to “deal” with me right now.’
The fact that the Massacrist Mage primarily killed villains was simply because it was easier to deal with the aftermath, not because she chose her victims.
Her gaze on me felt like she was savoring how deliciously (?) she could kill me, sending shivers down my spine.
Beyond the threat of being murdered by the Massacrist Mage, there was another, far larger problem.
‘What if the King of Contrary Heaven finds out what I’ve done?’
The 50 million penas used to purchase the Massacre Mage now belongs entirely to the King of Contrary Heaven.
Although the Dark Auction was cut off from the outside world, the news would surely reach him once the 5-day isolation period ended.
He wouldn’t let me off easily.
‘There’s only one way for me to survive. I must steal the Gray Ritual Tome before then.’
Fortunately, the situation wasn’t entirely hopeless.
There was a way.
I swallowed hard and stepped in front of the Massacre Mage.
“Master?”
The Massacre Mage looked at me with a fear-filled expression.
‘Don’t make that face. I’m the one who’s terrified here.’
Yes.
There was only one way to resolve this situation.
I had to use the Massacrist Mage as a pawn… no, as a secret weapon.
