Glided trap
644 Words
The air in the Grand Hyatt’s underground ballroom was thick with the scent of expensive cologne and high-grade mana stones. This was the Aegis Executive Auction, where the elite 1% of the Hunter world traded artifacts that could buy entire city blocks.
Jin-Woo walked through the revolving doors wearing a sleek, obsidian-black suit he’d bought with the mana crystals from the Red Gate. He looked like any other young heir to a corporate fortune, but beneath the silk, the Architect’s Grip hummed with anticipation.
Behind him, hidden in the literal shadows cast by the chandeliers, the Frost Knight moved like a silent ripple in the floor.
> [CURRENT LEVEL: 18]
> [QUEST: THE LAST PIECE]
> * Objective: Acquire a Rank-B or higher Core to trigger the Final Class Trial.
> * Progress: 0/1.
>
"Welcome, Mr. Sato," a hostess purred, handing him a silver paddle.
Jin-Woo took a seat in the back. On the stage, a holographic display flickered to life, showing a jagged, pulsing violet crystal.
"Item #14," the auctioneer announced. "The Heart of the Void Drake. A Rank-A mana core recovered from a Black Rift in Tokyo. Starting bid: 50 million Credits."
Jin-Woo raised his paddle. "60 million."
A voice from the front row cut through the air like a whip. "100 million."
Jin-Woo looked up. Sitting in the VIP booth was Choi Ji-Hoon, the S-Rank Vice President of the Iron Heart Guild—the very guild whose team Jin-Woo had "saved" in the Red Gate. Ji-Hoon didn't look back; he looked bored.
"120 million," Jin-Woo countered, his voice steady.
The room went silent. No one outbid Iron Heart. Ji-Hoon finally turned, his eyes glowing with a sharp, predatory yellow light. He narrowed them at Jin-Woo. "You have the scent of a scavenger, boy. Where did an E-Rank get that kind of capital?"
The "Stealth" passive was working, but Ji-Hoon’s Sense stat was high enough to feel the absence of mana where Jin-Woo stood—a vacuum that felt more dangerous than a high-ranker.
"Sold to the gentleman in the back," the auctioneer stammered, sensing the tension.
As Jin-Woo headed to the private collection room to finalize the trade, his Sense stat suddenly flared red.
> [WARNING: HOSTILE MANA DETECTED]
> [Condition: 'Spatial Lock' has been activated.]
>
The lights in the hallway flickered and died. The walls didn't just go dark; they turned into reinforced titanium shutters. This wasn't a robbery—it was an execution.
Ji-Hoon stepped out of the shadows, flanked by four Rank-A assassins. "The survivors of the Red Gate talked, scavenger. They spoke of a boy who commands the dead. We don't like 'glitches' in our market. We like control."
The four assassins vanished, their speed far exceeding anything Jin-Woo had faced.
"Frost Knight," Jin-Woo whispered.
SHING.
The floor exploded upward. The Frost Knight materialized, his shadow-claymore clashing against the daggers of two assassins simultaneously. The impact sent a frost-nova through the hallway, coating the walls in black ice.
"What is that thing?" one assassin hissed, leaping back.
"My shadow," Jin-Woo said, his eyes bleeding into that terrifying obsidian glow. He reached out with Dominator’s Touch, grabbing the third assassin mid-air and slamming him into the ceiling with enough force to c***k the concrete.
Ji-Hoon’s bored expression vanished. He drew a dual-set of glowing plasma-edged swords. "A Summoner class? No... this feels different. You aren't just calling them. You own them."
"I don't just own them," Jin-Woo said, stepping forward as the Frost Knight shattered the fourth assassin’s ribs with a shield bash. "I am them."
Jin-Woo’s shadow began to expand, creeping up the walls until the entire hallway was a void of darkness. He hadn't reached Level 20 yet, but the Architect’s Inheritance was leaking through.
"You wanted to see the glitch?" Jin-Woo asked, his voice echoing from every corner of the room. "Look closely."
- Writer
