NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12
Chapter 12
—–CROW—–
The underground auction house was a massive renovation of the old Hongdae Entrance subway station.
It was constructed in the image of a grand opera house, built upon the remnants of the past.
This auction house wasn’t just a place for transactions; it was a flamboyant stage where art and power intertwined, captivating the underworld’s tycoons and Hunters.
It was as if they were proclaiming, even in this bleak and dark world, we are alive, to those who looked down on them and demanded their sacrifice.
“They made the inside even better.”
The entrance, while retaining traces of the old subway station, captured the grandeur of an opera house.
The entrance, a magnificent and enormous arched structure, seemed to embody ancient glory. Like Nietzsche’s words, “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower, Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees, Is my destroyer.”
This place was like an abyss, swallowing all the desires and greed of the underworld.
Stepping into the lobby past the entrance, the gold-leaf frescoed ceiling and crystal chandeliers radiated light, creating an atmosphere that evoked the fantasies of those dreaming of a lost paradise.
One could almost guess how much money had been poured into it.
Entering the main hall revealed a truly breathtaking sight. The space that once housed the subway platforms and tracks had been transformed into a replica of an opera house’s grand theater.
In the center of the hall was a circular stage that rotated automatically, allowing the auction items to be viewed from various angles.
A large screen was installed at the back of the stage, displaying detailed information about the items in real-time. And a red velvet curtain, draped above the stage, would unfold majestically when the auction began.
“Ah, how lovely.”
The beautiful and grand spectacle lifted my spirits.
The first-generation Hunters who were driven into this underground… they must have been overwhelmed by a sense of despair and helplessness, literally pushed to the edge of a cliff.
The government, the media, the entire nation oppressed them. They were a minority, and the number of Awakened being sacrificed kept increasing. How could they not have felt despair?
And yet, these people, in this underground… in this Beetle Nest, they built a new world, transforming themselves into powerful beings capable of influencing even the world above.
Their journey, their struggles, appeared to me like heroes shining at the end of hardship and trials, truly beautiful.
“Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Ozymandias’s poem came to mind.
Aha, how strange.
In the past, I knew nothing of Ozymandias or anything like that, but after becoming the Succubus Empress, poetic expressions like this occasionally pop into my head.
Even though I haven’t read any books.
But the situation itself was fitting. The government and civilians had looked down on the first-generation Hunters, demanding their sacrifice and reigning as the “mighty,” but in the end, it was the Awakened who fought back who were laughing now.
The [Beetle Nest] now held the power to shake the nation, manipulating the black market, the underground economy, and the beetle eggs that could replace magic stones. They talked about wanted posters and areas with a lack of public order, but in reality, it was as if they had lost a part of their territory to a small group of Awakened.
Ah, of course, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Hunters are heroes or noble beings. Most of the first-generation Hunters were noble, but those who created the [Beetle Nest] fought desperately to survive.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that they were now more like regional warlords or ambitious criminal organizations than heroes.
Those who abandoned them, the government, and those who, struggling to survive, eventually stepped into the world of crime and darkness… In the end, they’re all human, equally ugly yet beautiful.
I twirled my parasol and stepped inside.
The item display area was arranged like an art gallery. Each auction item, displayed within a glass protective case, shimmered like a mystical treasure, and the flowing water on the floor added an air of mystery, as if holding all the secrets of the world.
This auction house wasn’t just a place for transactions. The auctions held here were like dramas. Amidst the opera music, the auctioneer, on stage, presented the items with exaggerated gestures, like a showman.
What was being traded here wasn’t just mere objects; it was the fate and future of the underworld. Everyone gathered here came seeking a piece of that fate, driven by the desire to control what they couldn’t.
And I came to watch the entanglement of those grasping desires.
Now, where should I go?
Since the auction house was modeled after an opera house, besides the audience seats below the stage, there were VIP rooms lining the ceiling and walls. Since I’m here, a VIP room would be nice.
“This place looks good. A perfect front view, and the acoustics are just right.”
“Huh? Who are you? This is my seat…”
“Don’t you think you should go home early today?”
“Huh? Y-yes… yes… huh…”
“I see. Have a pleasant evening.”
Fortunately, a kind and gentle person offered me their seat in the auction house.
Huhu, I never refuse kindness.
“Now, let’s move on to the next auction item!”
“Oh, what a shame… it was already in progress.”
It was a pity I missed the previous auction items, but it was alright. I wasn’t here to buy anything or participate in the auction. I came to observe the beauty and ugliness of the various items presented here, and the expressions of desire on the faces of the humans who flocked to buy them.
“The Devil’s Heart! A parasitic bio-artifact that appeared in the northern Siberian region. It parasitizes the wearer’s heart, providing a permanent increase in strength and magic power! The starting bid is $300,000!”
“$400,000.”
“$500,000!”
“$1,000,000!”
Oh my, oh my.
Over there… is that Hoyeon Guild, the so-called representative guild of Korea?
There were many other large guilds present as well.
Huhu, they all kept saying they were issuing stern warnings to the scoundrels occupying Mapo District, but seeing them here, they must have quite a friendly relationship. As expected, birds of a feather flock together, and it seems the Awakened look out for each other.
“Haaaah… how amusing~”
You ask what’s so amusing about this spectacle?
How could the sight of humans consumed by desire, fiercely clashing and tearing at each other, not be beautiful and entertaining?
Especially since items that could shake not only the underworld but also the future of Korea and the Hunter world could appear in this auction house.
Desire seethed more intensely than usual, and the beauty blooming amidst the ugliness was the primal embodiment of humanity’s fierce struggle for survival, their adoration of power and desire.
That primal desire and emotion was like a delicacy to me.
And so the auction continued.
Those from the large guilds rejoiced at acquiring the items they coveted and displayed hostility towards those they perceived as rivals.
Unfortunately, they didn’t clash. If they had gotten carried away and a physical confrontation had broken out, that would have been worth grabbing some popcorn for…
“Ah, is there anything to drink?”
“If you wish, we can bring you brandy and some light snacks.”
“Please do~”
A spectacle like this should be enjoyed with refreshments.
“Now! The third highlight of today’s auction!”
At that moment, the host brought out something new.
But something felt strange.
The auction items presented until now were rare and powerful equipment that enhanced Awakened, items that radiated brilliant light.
But now…
“Gloomy, dreary, dark, and unpleasant?”
I wasn’t the only one who felt it.
The audience was buzzing, as if others felt it too.
“Revealing it now!”
What was revealed was a violin.
But it wasn’t an ordinary violin.
That… that was…
Unpleasant.
The jump scares, sudden sounds, dramatic scene changes, and loud entrances often used in horror movies are “surprising,” not truly horrifying.
However, surprise, like a sudden appearance, evaporates in an instant.
True horror stems from the ambiguity born from familiarity.
The unknown, the still and silent.
The everyday, yet somehow different, sense of unease.
Similar to us, yet distinctly different, the unknown stemming from the uncertainty of the other’s identity and motives.
That is horror.
“…Wh-what is that?”
“Huh.”
“What is this…”
And that beautiful yet grotesque violin perfectly fulfilled those conditions.
Ah, it was so grotesque and horrifying that I couldn’t help but furrow my beautiful brow.
How could they, a girl…
How could they, a boy…
How could they, innocent children…
Cruel, and…
Ahahaha, aha.
Haaaah…
“How beautiful…”
Many people were afraid, awed, and disgusted, but how could it be so beautiful to me?
It was certainly grotesque.
Horrifying and sad, and thinking of the children sacrificed to some vile and irredeemable murderer, I felt like crying.
But… but it was so beautiful.
Beautiful.
“A collection from the infamous S-rank terrorist, serial killer, and child exploiter, David! A violin said to be made from 187 children!”
Just what…
Just what kind of person…
What kind of human being…
With what reason, what motive, could they create such a thing?
A child’s spine, meticulously ground, was used for the strings.
A girl’s muscles, tendons…
A boy’s finger bones, finely ground, were used for decoration, and artistic yet grotesque images were carved into the violin.
The moment a human recognizes that something resembling a human is definitively not human, the inexplicable sense of unease is similar.
And the beauty I felt from that thing belonged to the same category.
Unpleasant.
Horrifying.
The unbloomed boys and girls, so beautiful!
But… ah, ah!
It’s as if the unbloomed children are beckoning to me.
To me, to me, give it to me.
“Ah, I want it!”
I stood up and shouted without realizing it.
Then, the people around me…
The faces of those near me froze simultaneously.
“$1,000,000.”
“$2,000,000.”
“$3,000,000.”
“Wh-what? Th-the price is rising rapidly! Are there any more bidders!?”
For me.
For me, buy it for me.
Throw your money at it.
Ah, but not too much.
“….”
The Awakened from other large guilds began to observe.
They were exchanging glances, searching for information, trying to determine if it was truly valuable or some kind of trap.
Ah, you’ll participate?
“Join in~”
I beckoned with my hand.
Like the flick of a conductor’s wrist leading an orchestra.
Join in the cheers of desire.
Ah, of course, that thing will be mine.
—–CROW—–