Does this man have no shame?
Hiro Kishida, an S-rank hunter, had just given him a ring, and yet he was handing it to me so casually, like it meant nothing.
The stares from the surrounding hunters were starting to become unbearable. Even without looking directly, I could feel their attention lingering.
And it only got worse.
After the Japanese hunter approached us, a few more people began to close in, clearly curious, but Jinhyuk didn't even spare them a proper glance.
"Scram."
That was all he said.
Just one word, and they backed off.
I let out a quiet sigh and shifted awkwardly in place, but it didn't help much. His arm was still wrapped around my waist, as if he had no intention of letting go anytime soon.
Some kind of musical performance had started on stage, but barely anyone seemed interested. Most had already returned to their own conversations, though every now and then, I could still feel someone sneaking a glance in our direction.
"Why are you still holding me?" I muttered under my breath, glancing down at the arm around my waist. "Let go."
"You attract unnecessary attention," Jinhyuk replied calmly.
I blinked at him.
What is he even talking about?
"Speak for yourself," I shot back quietly, clicking my tongue in annoyance.
Even so... He didn't move.
·•—–٠✤٠—–•·
They eventually settled onto one of the lounge sofas, each with a drink in hand, though the distance between them, or lack of it, remained exactly the same.
Elena kept shifting, trying to create at least some space, but it didn't do much.
"Anyway," she continued, lowering her voice a little, "did the others know you were 'Saber' this whole time? Jiyeon, Chiyeon... all of them?"
Jinhyuk gave a small shrug, his gaze unfocused for a brief moment.
"Maybe," he said. "Hyein and Minwoo are close. That brat might've told them."
Elena followed his line of sight.
Not too far away, Hyein stood talking animatedly, her mask already off, while Minwoo remained beside her, still wearing his. The two of them looked oddly comfortable with each other.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Are those two a thing?"
No response.
Elena turned her head back, and Jinhyuk was just staring at her.
"...What?" she asked, suddenly more aware of how close they were sitting, their shoulders brushing every time she so much as breathed.
He didn't answer. If anything, his gaze seemed to linger even longer.
A strange feeling crept up her nerves.
It was a relief that his mask hid most of his expression, and hers did the same, but that didn't make it any less awkward.
Why is he staring like that?
Just as she was about to say something, he spoke first. "You look different today,"
Elena blinked, caught off guard by the sudden comment.
"Ah... Jiyeon went a little overboard," she admitted, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "She had everything done, my hair, my makeup, even skincare. It was exhausting."
She let out a small sigh before brightening slightly, as if remembering something.
"Oh, right. I finally got my hunter license today. Do you want to see it?"
Elena reached into her small purse and pulled out her newly issued ID, handing it over without much thought.
Jinhyuk took it, his gaze lowering as he examined it in silence.
A second passed. Then another.
He didn't say anything right away, but the slight pause was enough to make her fingers twitch.
"...C-rank?" he finally said, lifting his gaze back to her. "Weren't you F-rank?"
"I reawakened, I guess," she replied smoothly, the lie coming far more naturally this time.
Jinhyuk held her gaze for a brief moment longer before handing the ID back.
"Congratulations." he said.
With the mask covering his face, Elena couldn't tell what expression he was making, whether he was amused, suspicious, or simply indifferent.
She took the ID back, her fingers brushing against his for a split second before she quickly pulled her hand away, pretending nothing had happened.
Just as the silence between them began to stretch uncomfortably, a voice echoed through the hall.
"Attention, everyone. Please proceed to the auction room. The event will begin shortly."
Elena let out a small, quiet breath.
...Saved.
·•—–٠✤٠—–•·
Seo Elena took a seat toward the back alongside the Baekwha sisters, Jiyeon settling on her right while Jinhyuk sat to her left, with Minwoo beside him. Neither of the two men had removed their masks even after entering the hall.
I could understand Jinhyuk keeping his on.
But Minwoo too?
Was he also some well-known hunter hiding his identity?
Before I could think too much about it, the commentator's voice echoed across the room.
"Dear hunters, thank you for attending tonight's event..."
He went on for a while, mentioning sponsors, offering formal greetings, and giving special acknowledgments that most people clearly weren't interested in. The atmosphere remained polite, but the impatience in the room was clearly obvious.
Eventually, he smiled.
"Now then... shall we proceed to the main event?"
A cart was rolled onto the stage, covered with a deep red cloth that concealed whatever was placed on top of it. For a brief moment, curiosity rippled through the audience.
Then, without much delay, the cloth was pulled away.
A gauntlet was revealed.
I blinked.
...Why did that look familiar?
Ah.
Right.
It looked almost identical to the gauntlet from those superhero movies, the one embedded with glowing stones across each finger.
It was flashy. Almost childish. It was the kind of design you'd expect from fiction rather than something meant for real combat.
And yet...
"This item will begin at one hundred million won."
That price alone was enough to make it clear.
This wasn't a toy.
Elena quietly observed the bidders as the item was presented, subtly using her ability to get a better sense of who would actually be interested in something so flashy.
Most of them were close-combat fighters.
That alone explained everything.
An item like that would naturally appeal to those who relied on their physical strength rather than long-range skills. It wasn't just for display, it had real, practical value for them.
In the end, the final bid settled at three hundred million won.
Ridiculous. But, that seemed to be only the beginning.
As more items were brought out one after another, the numbers didn't decrease. If anything, they climbed even higher, as if money had lost all meaning in a room filled with high-ranking hunters.
"If you see anything you like, just tell me," Jiyeon said casually from beside her.
Elena nodded, though she didn't take the offer seriously.
There was no way she would be buying anything here. These weren't prices she could even begin to consider. Spending money on artifacts like this was completely outside her world.
...Or at least, that's what she thought.
Because the moment the next item was revealed, a flood of messages from Tree-nim suddenly filled her vision.
Her eyes widened slightly.
On the stage stood an elegant staff, with a deep purple gem embedded at its center. Even from a distance, it carried a strange presence, something that made it stand out from everything that had been shown so far.
It was... beautiful. Beautiful enough that, under normal circumstances, she might have actually considered it.
"...If it wasn't one billion won," she muttered under her breath.
The starting price alone snapped her back to reality. And the bids didn't help either.
They rose steadily in increments of five million, each increase announced without hesitation, as if such amounts were nothing more than spare change.
Just listening to it made her head hurt.
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
You must get that!
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
Set your bid right now. You must take that!
"...Tree-nim?" Elena frowned slightly. "What's wrong with you?"
The messages didn't stop. They kept coming, overlapping, almost frantic. She had never seen this constellation act like this before.
"Why am I getting spammed all of a sudden...?"
There was no way she was buying that. She was just about to close the window when a new message appeared.
『 You have received an emergency quest from "Under The Oak Tree" 』
...Huh?
Elena froze.
"You can receive quests from constellations...?"
Her confusion didn't last long. More messages followed immediately.
『 Under The Oak Tree 』
Please...
『 Quest: Obtain "Staff of Divinity" 』
Rewards:
‣ +5 Vitality
‣ +5 Focus
‣ Me▓▓▓▓ S▓▓▓: 20% ▲
『 Failure to comply results in death. 』
"...What?"
Her breath hitched, her fingers trembling ever so slightly as her gaze remained fixed on the message in front of her.
It wasn't unfamiliar.
Almost every quest she had ever received carried the same condition — failure meant death. As if she had never been given a real choice to begin with.
But even so. How could the constellation she was growing fond of do this to her?
Betrayal settled in her chest, heavy and slow, and seeing those words didn't make any of it easier to process. If anything, it only made the tightness worse.
At this point, even the appearance of a quest window was enough to make her uneasy, like her body had already been conditioned to fear what came next, before her mind could catch up.
She swallowed slowly, forcing herself to steady her breathing.
Her gaze drifted back toward the stage, locking onto the staff that now felt far more ominous than beautiful.
I need that staff.