Episode 116 – Explode.
116. Explode.
Leon took out a candle.
I grabbed the end and put it in my mouth and lit it on fire. Acrid smoke filled my lungs.
“Good.”
This is what he said as he saw the white-haired girl being taken somewhere after the successful bidder was finally determined.
The plan is proceeding as scheduled.
However, there will be an added feeling of reward.
It was right that it worked out well because it helped me get excited about something that was already exciting.
“······.”
Thinking like that while trying to suppress his emotions, Leon slowly exhaled the smoke.
Amid the fluttering smoke, ‘objects’ on the stage constantly intersect.
Girls, sometimes boys. Beautiful appearance. Hair, eyes, and skin of mysterious colors. A unique heterogeneous race from the southern continent.
Things like that appeared often, shaking and then retreating repeatedly. Numbers and madness came and went dizzyingly.
“Seup······.”
Leon felt his head start to ache. Her heart was beating hard and uncontrollable. A red tint began to form in my vision.
[······400 Came out, 400!]
The voice ringing in my ears was loud. It was annoying. I wanted to go down right away and rip open my vocal cords and tear my mouth open.
At that time.
“Master.”
Aria rubbed Leon’s back. Eyes looking at him with concern.
Then, strangely enough, Leon felt that his breathing became easier.
“······.”
As soon as she calmed down a little, she noticed that her body was leaning forward.
Leon nodded to Aria and lay down on her back.
How long has it been like that?
Finally.
[Ah! This product can truly be called the highlight of the day. It was really difficult to obtain it!]
“It’s up. Aria, let’s get ready.”
“Yes.”
Leon stood up and took out his subspace pouch.
Likewise, Aria, holding the space storage box, took out several bottles of her potions, handed them over, and drank them herself. She casted a spell and casted some spells on herself and Leon.
Afterwards, the two changed their clothes, covered their faces with masks and hoods, and checked their armament.
In the meantime, Ivan continued speaking.
[A volcano filled with ultra-high heat that melts your shoes with a single step and evaporates sweat drops as soon as they come out! A spirit creature that was deeply asleep there! A legendary creature called the ‘bird of fire’ in local folklore! Let’s see it now!]
A large golden cage was pushed onto the stage.
There was a creature inside with its eyes closed.
It was a small bird.
The feather seemed as if it had been copied directly from the flame. It shimmered and shook in real time like a burning fire. Yellow, orange, red. Until the color changes every moment.
The body was slim and the head was sharp. Occasionally, the raised feathers became beautiful decorations, adding to the charm.
Even though he was sitting quietly with his wings folded, I felt a majestic spirit and a strange sense of intimidation. From that little bird.
[Isn’t it really beautiful? I can’t believe I can feel this majesty just from a bird. He’s even asleep right now. It’s still like this now. Can you imagine how wonderful it would be if this bird woke up?]
— ······.
Even though bid applications were pouring in, it was still quiet inside. Everyone is looking at that bird with fascination.
That was about it. The bird had a fascinating appearance that immediately caught people’s attention and made them fall in love.
Gradually.
It seemed like war clouds were falling over the entire auction house. A strange heat wafted through the hall like a warm breath.
— I want it.
A simple phrase filled everyone’s mind. A sense of ownership arose.
Ivan said with a sly smile.
[There is no need to set a starting price.]
Those words became the starting point, and my desire began to explode.
Ivan’s mouth recited numbers in rapid fire. The cavity hummed. The black figure reflected through the glass of the room was shaking and squirming.
Overflowing greed. Between the passionate desires of humans.
— ······.
Bright!
The bird’s closed eyes opened, and a bright golden eye appeared.
* · * *
The hectic feast of numbers gradually fades away.
[······Um, do you have any more…?]
A drop of sweat rolled down Ivan’s forehead. The power in his voice was missing.
“······.”
Leon went all the way to the glass and raised his hand. It was warm. The thick glass was hot.
Gooooo…
A strange silence hovers in the hall. It was as if someone had grabbed the atmosphere that was soaring through the sky and brought it down.
People felt an indescribable frustration and an ominous feeling that something was wrong. It shut their mouths and kept them silent.
A magnificent energy encroached upon the space.
People’s hearts were pounding. The air I inhaled was hot, and sweat seeped out from every pore on my body.
[······Uh······.]
Ivan stopped talking all day today. He was visibly agitated and twitching his limbs.
Ivan’s gaze was directed towards the center of the stage.
— ······.
In the cage, the bird’s lower eyelids are lowered differently than before. Thanks to this, the mysterious golden eye hidden within has been revealed.
It had a mysterious eye structure that could not be attributed to an ordinary bird.
Not only the cornea but also the pupil was golden. The reddish iris rose like a ring, dividing the boundary between the cornea and the pupil.
The bird moved its head like a human and looked around. A soft eye glow was scattered accordingly.
People who looked into his eyes felt a strange sense of pressure. Ordinary people who did not train their bodies even felt a slight headache.
······Soon.
The bird’s wings began to spread.
Kuuu-!
An even stronger heat and energy wave spread out, as if a fire was burning the body.
A haze rose around the bird’s body, distorting the air.
Whaaa!
The sight of a bird with its wings spread wide was incomparable to before.
Every feather burned more intensely than before, and its glow was bright enough to defy the falling spotlight.
Kaang, the voice amplifier that Ivan was holding fell and made a loud noise. His face turned bright red and he smacked his butt behind him.
— Bye, guard! Watch!
Ivan stepped back on his heels and called for support.
The flame created by the bird continued to grow. The same was true for high-temperature light waves.
At most, its body was the size of an adult’s palm, but it grew to fill the cage. As a result, the iron bars melted and the iron bars fell out.
Tick, tick, crack.
As the heat rose, sparks flew out in the air, filling the vast underground space with red.
Next moment.
———!!!
A tearing cry came from the bird’s beak. It was a cry that deafened my ears and made my bones tingle.
Gooooo!
The guy’s chest heated up to a deep red. The terrible energy was condensed and concentrated.
As if it was about to explode.
Leon quietly recited.
“Explode.”
＞
In an instant, the bird’s body swelled dozens of times. The small body grew to be large enough to fill the entire stage.
At the same time, an enormous amount of fire exploded.
The whole world was dyed red as flames engulfed the area. It was as bright and hot as if the sun had fallen on the spot.
The marble that made up the floor melted and gave off smoke. The wood had already disappeared without any shape.
Of course, nearby creatures made up of bones and flesh could not survive.
Not only Ivan, but about a dozen of Manwol’s guards who were approaching were roasted to a crisp. Only a pile of ashes remained where they were.
Quaaa!
A storm of flames swept through the heavens and earth, burning everything around. A cavity the size of a playground was filled with flames.
The magic circle burned up in that formidable fire. Several layers of top-quality magic circles surrounding the auction house were torn off little by little.
The curtains covering the rooms were removed, and visitors were seen hurriedly evacuating.
Amid such chaos and disaster, Leon drew his sword. The sword surface reflected red light here and there.
Chaaa!
He cut away the glass, which had turned red and semi-solid due to the heat and was mushy.
Puhwaaa!
Immediately, a strong firestorm poured down on the whole body. It was a terrifying heat that would cause second-degree or higher burns as soon as it touched it.
However, some level of preparation had already been made.
I drank three bottles of each type of potion with effects such as fire resistance and high temperature resistance. Aria also cast a double protection spell with similar efficacy. Also, the clothes I had just changed into were fire retardant clothes.
It was difficult to prepare any further than this. Nevertheless, the power of the firearm was amazing.
I was already sweating and my skin was getting hot. It felt like the inside of my body was cooking with every breath.
“It’s warm.”
Of course, there was not a single trace of fear in Leon’s eyes that were revealed behind the mask. He drew mana from his dantian and pushed the firearm away.
Kuwaaa!
A huge fire bird was seen below. Every time it flapped its wings, flames poured out like a tidal wave.
I could see the auction house burning down and collapsing, as well as the passage underneath the stage.
That place.
What are you hesitating about?
“Let’s go.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Yes.”
Taaa-!
Leon and Aria jumped into the firestorm.