Heukwol Auction House (22)

“Don’t move an inch……?”

One of the Awakened muttered with a flustered face.

‘Even if you tell us there’s no need to be tense…….’

Hyeonseong did not believe the Constellation’s words at all. Those bastards were no different from a boss who told people they could relax, then glared at them like they would kill them if they actually acted relaxed.

‘But what exactly are they trying to do for everyone to make such a fuss?’

The Constellation had ordered them to stay still, yet was busy chatting among themselves. Unable to guess what would happen next, Hyeonseong furrowed her brow.

“Just ignoring it and moving is still…….”

“I wouldn’t really recommend it unless we have to.”

Hyeonseong immediately replied to Haesu’s words.

‘I wish they would stop chatting and get to the point.’

It was while Hyeonseong was inwardly making a demand that was difficult to say outright to the Constellation.

‘It probably won’t be interesting for the mortals watching it.’

This time as well, a retort she could not say aloud passed through Hyeonseong’s mind.

“What exactly is that interesting thing……?”

Someone among the Awakened group unconsciously muttered.

‘Closing ceremony? Are they saying they’re going to get rid of this auction house?’

At the incomprehensible Constellation messages, Hyeonseong’s mind turned busily.

‘Closing probably doesn’t simply mean ending the auction house’s business. If they were just shutting down the business, the other Constellations wouldn’t have needed to make such a fuss…….’

After thinking that far, Hyeonseong realized what “Eye Beneath the Surface” was trying to do.

“Damn it, we need to get outside right now……!”

It was the very moment she folded Infinite Corridor blocking the corridor and opened it again to take out the spatial movement scroll.

An announcement message from the Interstellar Network appeared before Hyeonseong’s eyes. Hyeonseong hurriedly tried to activate the spatial movement scroll.

However, the announcement messages appeared faster than the scroll could activate. Hyeonseong clicked her tongue.

‘I shouldn’t have paid attention to those Constellation bastards’ silver tongues.’

But if she had not paid attention, troublesome things would probably have happened in their own way.

Even a Constellation who acted recklessly would usually not try to directly kill people. However, there were countless ways to guide the situation into something just as troublesome.

‘Or they might have dragged us right back here and thrown us inside as soon as we escaped. There aren’t just one or two Constellations who seem to have spacetime-related authorities, so they could easily do that much.’

“Wh-what do we do? If we can’t get out now…….”

Haesu asked with a restless face.

“First, we need to assess the current situation.”

Saying that, Hyeonseong turned her gaze to Hyeonyeong.

“Do you sense anything?”

“……Sound.”

Hyeonyeong, who had already been wary of the surroundings, immediately answered.

“Sound?”

“Yeah. The sound of something breaking and…… is it waves?”

“Waves?”

It was an incomprehensible story. Hyeonseong unconsciously asked back and listened closely. However, Hyeonseong’s ears still did not hear anything in particular.

“Wave sounds? What kind of random…….”

“More importantly, were we really abandoned?”

“What does this sudden closing down mean……?”

It seemed the group of auction house affiliates who had been chasing Hyeonseong’s group also could not understand this situation. They could not even think of attacking Hyeonseong’s group now and were moving around with confused faces.

“Ah, I think it really is the sound of waves.”

Hyeonyeong spoke again. Her sentence ending was ambiguous, but her tone was full of certainty.

‘Then at the very least, something related to a large amount of water…….’

“Mm…… I think we should go upward for now.”

It was before Hyeonseong could properly attempt to deduce. Hyeonyeong spoke to Hyeonseong in a serious voice.

“……Then we should go.”

Hyeonseong immediately moved. If Hyeonyeong recommended it like that, she naturally had to follow.

“G-go with you!”

Haesu and the rescued Awakened hurriedly chased after Hyeonseong and Hyeonyeong.

“Damn it, follow them!”

“I don’t know what it is, but…….”

The auction house gang also hurriedly followed Hyeonseong’s group. In the situation where they had suddenly become unemployed, they seemed to judge that they had to follow this side to survive.

Hyeonseong decided to leave the bastards who were following them alone. There was no reason to waste strength on unnecessary places, and if an abnormal event occurred from behind, they would be the first ones to check the situation.

While the group moved, the Constellation messages continued appearing.

‘A large amount of water, and removing walls to increase the speed…….’

Hyeonseong gathered clues little by little from the messages.

‘It’s certain that they’re going to abandon even this building while closing down. Then the issue is the method they’re using to abandon it……. Huh?’

At that moment, an absurd thought occurred in Hyeonseong’s mind.

‘……That bastard with the name about beneath the surface intends to submerge this place in water. Then the problem is the source of that water…….

There weren’t any facilities inside this auction house that stored large amounts of water, like an aquarium. Even if there was a water tank somewhere supplying domestic water, it would be difficult to submerge the entire building with that.

Judging from the way they’re talking, it doesn’t seem like they slammed in an authority or high-rank skill either. Then that means they brought in water from outside, and if it’s a place where it would be easy to bring in a large amount of water…….’

Hyeonseong’s eyes turned toward the Constellation messages. She quickly checked the names of the Constellations currently talking with “Eye Beneath the Surface” in real time.

‘……Ever since “Eye Beneath the Surface” brought up closing down, the number of Constellations with names related to the sea has suddenly increased.

Then the source of the water, no, the actual coordinates of the auction house can’t be…….’

“Uh, uh……?”

“Isn’t that the sound of waves?”

“Why is that sound……?”

“Over there!”

As soon as Hyeonseong reached a conclusion, flustered voices burst out one after another from behind. Several Awakened pointed forward with startled faces.

Water was flowing in rapidly along the corridor.

‘I guess the area in that direction was much narrower. Or there were fewer walls that could act as obstacles.’

If the water had started filling up, they needed to hurry more. Fortunately, at that moment, stairs leading up to the first floor appeared. Hyeonseong’s group immediately went up the stairs.

When they went up the stairs, they could see that the door connected to the first-floor lobby was closed. Haesu immediately reached for the doorknob.

“Wait a moment.”

Hyeonyeong stopped Haesu’s hand. Then she put her ear to the door and listened to the sounds outside.

“Why?”

“I can hear the sound of water on that side too. And pretty clearly. I can also hear people making a commotion.”

Hyeonyeong immediately answered Hyeonseong’s question.

“Does that mean the first floor filled faster……?”

Hyeonseong compared the rough structure she had estimated for the first floor and basement.

‘Well, the basement definitely felt much wider. Even just counting that warehouse.’

“H-hurry up and open the door!”

The auction house gang below Hyeonseong’s group shouted in urgent voices. It seemed they were terrified after seeing the water level in the corridor rising quickly.

“Unni.”

Hyeonyeong cast her gaze at Hyeonseong. Hyeonseong pushed Haesu and the rescued Awakened toward the wall where the door hinges were attached. Immediately after that, Hyeonyeong opened the door and moved to the spot where Hyeonseong’s group had avoided it.

When Hyeonyeong opened the door, the water that had filled the first-floor lobby poured straight down the stairs.

“Huuk……!”

“Damn it!”

The auction house gang waiting in the middle of the stairs were startled by the sudden torrent of water. Some even cursed.

“It looks like the water on that side was already filled to just below the knees.”

Hyeonyeong said while looking into the lobby beyond the door.

“Hyeonyeong, this seems like seawater, right?”

Hyeonseong asked while looking at the water that had soaked her ankles in an instant.

“I think so.”

“As expected…….”

“What do you mean, as expected?”

Hearing Hyeonseong’s murmur, Haesu asked with an anxious face.

“This auction house’s location.”

“Location?”

“Yes. I was thinking that this place seems to be buried under the sea. An underwater facility, so to speak.”

Following Hyeonyeong, who had moved first, Hyeonseong went out into the lobby.

“An underwater facility……?”

“Things like that do exist, but I’ve never heard of a building like this…….”

The rescued Awakened opened their mouths with bewildered faces. But no matter how flustered they were, they could not match the auction house gang’s confusion.

“It was under the sea? This place?”

“I never heard anything like that.”

“If it were you, would you tell people like us something like that?”

“Damn it, when you put it that way, I have nothing to say…….”

The auction house gang chattered all sorts of things with flustered faces. There was not particularly any useful information among them.

‘More importantly, can we still not escape?’

Hyeonseong tried using the spatial movement scroll again. This time as well, only an announcement that it could not be used appeared, and it did not work at all.

‘That crazy Constellation bastard?’

The corners of Hyeonseong’s eyes twitched. Saying they would not let them go even in a situation where water was rapidly filling up—was this not saying they would kill them all?

“A-are you planning to kill us all?”

“How long have we worked here……!”

Complaints toward the Constellation burst from the mouths of the auction house gang instead of Hyeonseong’s.

‘I don’t really trust that promise on a Constellation name either.’

Hyeonseong’s face became reluctant after seeing “Eye Beneath the Surface’s” message.

She wondered what value there was in staking a Constellation name that could be changed however they pleased.

‘……Whether that bastard keeps the promise or not, it seems like we’ll have to endure underwater for a while first.’

Hyeonseong hurriedly looked through the items inside Infinite Corridor.

‘Items used in underwater dungeons or coastal-environment dungeons…….’

Since neither type of dungeon was seen very often, she doubted whether she had any such items.

‘Ah…… I do.’

Fortunately, she could find a few items. There was equipment that helped with long-duration diving, and a few potions that temporarily enabled underwater breathing.

“Give me all your luggage and electronic devices.”

Before taking out the items, Hyeonseong said to the group. Soon, they would have to swim. Before that, it was better to empty their hands as much as possible.

After hearing Hyeonseong’s words, the group threw all the weapons and belongings they had into Infinite Corridor. Hyeonyeong, who could use an item slot skill, only entrusted small belongings she had kept in her pockets, such as her mobile phone and wallet.

After taking all the group’s luggage, Hyeonseong put the belongings she had removed from her pockets into Infinite Corridor and took out the underwater breathing potions.

‘I should restock spares when we get back.’

She distributed the potions she had taken out to Hyeonyeong, Haesu, and the rescued Awakened.

“If you think it’ll be hard to keep your face above the water, drink it and dive. Everyone knows how to swim, right?”

At Hyeonseong’s words, two of the Awakened shook their heads.

“Hyeonyeong. Will you be okay?”

At Hyeonseong’s question of whether she could swim while pulling the two of them, Hyeonyeong nodded. If so, escape would not be a problem.

“Then getting out won’t be a problem.”

Hyeonseong threw the mask she had been wearing until now into Infinite Corridor.

“Wh-what about us?”

The Awakened belonging to the auction house gang asked with urgent faces toward Hyeonseong, who was about to take out the diving equipment.

At that question, Hyeonseong glared at them with narrowed eyes.