CHAPTER 114: AN AUCTION OF THE ELITE (PART-2)

"Stay alert," Alpha warned. "Man-made dungeons don’t follow the usual rules as typical dimensional dungeons or instant dungeons. Because it follows the laws made by its creator, whatever the creator put into, during the creation, they will come into place. Fortunately, the creator couldn’t bend the laws for himself or his allies either."

Lin Fang clenched his fists lightly, mana flickering faintly around his palm. "That’s fine. It’s not like I’m any important figure here. I’m just here to spectate."

The moment Lin Fang and Vivian crossed into the grand hall, his eyes fell on the scene. A dozen chandeliers floated above, flickering with an eerie golden hue. The light reflected against rows of dark oil paintings that lined the walls—portraits of men and women from some long-gone aristocracy. It really looked like a medieval castle.

Vivian kept her expression perfectly neutral, her heels clicking softly as she followed the attendant who escorted them. Lin Fang walked half a step behind her like a bodyguard he was supposed to be, as his gaze roamed the entire room.

The hall was large, circular, and strangely symmetrical. Thirteen tables were arranged evenly along the ring, each covered in blood-red cloth, four chairs to a table. There is a number and a name assigned to each table, a paddle with the number resting in the center.

As soon as they stepped in, Lin Fang felt eyes turn toward them, some curious, others sharp and assessing. Vivian didn’t so much as blink; her poker face remained immaculate as she followed the attendant toward their designated place—Table 9.

Lin Fang pulled out the chair for her and sat beside, maintaining silence, though his senses were stretched to their limits.

Then Alpha’s voice came to his head. "There are some troublesome individuals in this room."

Lin Fang’s gaze swept across the room without turning his head. "How strong are they? No, just tell me about the experts who were present here."

Alpha replied right away.

"Two at Table 4—both have mana reserves over three times your current limit. Not troublesome but worth taking notice."

"Table 11 and Table 7—mediocre. No need to pay attention to them."

Alpha paused. Its tone darkened as it said. "However, you have to be very careful of those sitting at Table 3... All four of them have ten times your current mana limit."

Lin Fang’s fingers lightly tapped the table, his brow creasing beneath the mask. "Ten times?" He was aware that everyone with above 1 million Mana Particles is always strong. In fact, to be considered an S-rank Hunter, 1 million Mana particles/mana points were the minimum qualification needed. While he might have 2.5 million after obtaining Li Chengfeng’s legacy, his strength is still restricted to the one before the legacy gain. Hence, he had to be wary of them at the moment.

However, Alpha wasn’t done yet. It gave off a finishing strike with a statement.

"And the woman seated there... in the center, her mana reserves might be in the same realm as theirs, but the spirit king she was bonded to is quite blood thirsty. Zhenniao was a poisonous giant bird monster whose even feathers could kill with a touch. She also had heavy killing intent, a stage where one could only gain by taking dozens of human lives."

Lin Fang’s eyes flicked immediately toward Table 3. There, surrounded by three other hunters, sat a pale-skinned woman with Goryeo features—long raven hair tied in a high knot.

And just as Alpha finished speaking, the woman looked back. She narrowed her eyes faintly, lips curling upward just enough to suggest a smirk.

Lin Fang felt like she was looking through his mask and right into his eyes like a predator eyeing its prey. He averted his gaze right away.

Vivian, however, acted entirely unaware. She quietly opened the folded pamphlet in front of her—the auction’s preview list—and leaned back in her chair, her expression calm as if she were simply waiting for tea.

Meanwhile, across the hall, the woman at Table 3 rested her chin on her hand, still watching him. The smile on her lips still stayed. "Interesting..."

Her tone was soft, but it carried a chill that made her three guards tense.

One of them—a man in a tight black combat suit—tilted his head, scanning the hall with sharp eyes. "What happened, Lady Ryu?"

She didn’t look away from Lin Fang’s direction. Her eyes glowed faintly with traces of spirit light as she murmured, "There’s a person here I can’t see through."

The guard frowned. "Who? The blonde beside him?"

He followed her gaze briefly toward Vivian, noting the faint glimmer of a suppressive field surrounding her.

"I can sense an anti-mana suppressant around her. She’s masking his mana, that’s all. Her level isn’t high either," said the bodyguard

But Seongha shook her head, "No. Not her. The one beside her... the masked man."

Her voice dipped lower, curious yet laced with the faintest hint of excitement. "His mana reserves are... considerable. But that’s not the thing that is amazing me..."

Her eyes flickered briefly as she swiped her hand midair. A holographic screen shimmered before her eyes, visible only to her system interface.

On it, there was a warning window

[ SYSTEM ALERT: Attempting mental scan on target is not recommended. Probability of backlash – 78%.]

"78%... I wonder what kind of mental powers he had..." She whispered under her breath.

The guard looked at her, puzzled. "My lady?"

She didn’t respond, staring at the alert, memories flickering at the edge of her mind. There was only one other person her system had ever warned her. "The last time this happened... was when I met Alex-oppa." She thought in his head.

She let the holographic screen vanish and reached for her drink, her nails tapping lightly against the glass.

"Find out about him," she ordered coolly. "But don’t engage."

The guard bowed slightly. "Yes, my lady."

Time trickled by. Guests continued to arrive, the murmurs growing louder with each new entrance. Lin Fang kept to himself, maintaining the act beside Vivian, though his senses remained at peak.

By now, only two tables remained empty—No. 2 and No. 13.

Then, as the chandeliers dimmed slightly and the room’s attention turned toward the entrance, four new figures appeared through the door.

Lin Fang turned his head casually, not expecting much—just another set of nobles or guild representatives. But the moment he saw who walked in, his heart stopped cold.

There was Li Liu, elegant and radiant as always, her calm confidence drawing eyes immediately. Beside her was Zhi Yan, her usual mischievous grin hidden behind a veil of sophistication.

But it didn’t end there—

Walking behind them, chatting like they’d known each other for years, were Leng Xuenyi and Shang Wei.

Lin Fang’s pupils shrank beneath the mask. "What the hell...?"

He could understand if Xuenyi was here—she was the landlord of his shop. And with Li Liu and Zhi Yan working at the store and being of similar ages, it made sense for her to be part of their circle...

But Shang Wei?

How in the world did he end up with them?

"This is bad," Lin Fang thought, his mind racing.

His pulse quickened, but his expression didn’t change. As they passed close by his table, Lin Fang lowered his head slightly, pretending to adjust his gloves. He resisted the urge to look up at his girlfriend.

The group walked past them, their presence drawing a few subtle glances from other tables, including Seongha’s. They headed to Table 2, the one right across the hall, not so close enough for Lin Fang but still remained in the line of his sight.

Just as he dared a brief glance up, Leng Xuenyi turned, her eyes flicking briefly toward Vivian and Lin Fang’s table. A frown appeared on her face.