The elderly appraiser took a slow, measured breath as he examined the Tear of the Void Orga under the lamp’s glow. The artifact’s faint, shifting light reflected in his aged eyes, but as the seconds passed, his expression turned rigid.

  Then, his fingers visibly trembled.

  His grip on the artifact faltered for a brief moment before he abruptly handed it off to the masked woman standing beside him, as if holding it for any longer would burn his hands.

  “It’s real.”

  His voice was barely above a whisper, but the room felt quieter for it.

  “It’s really real.”

  A murmur rippled through the nearby staff, a few exchanging looks of disbelief. Some stole glances at Yun Jin, as if trying to reassess the kind of person who could produce something this rare.

  The masked woman—the manager—remained composed, though Yun Jin noticed the way she adjusted her grip on the artifact. A small detail, but enough to tell him that even she wasn’t entirely at ease holding it.

  She studied him briefly before speaking.

  “We were already aware of your identity.”

  Yun Jin said nothing, simply watching.

  She continued, her tone even and professional.

  “Before we go any further, I want to clarify something. While I oversee the operations of this branch, the Dark Moon Circle extends far beyond this city. We have multiple branches across different regions, and our neutrality is what keeps us in business.”

  A pause, then:

  “While you are here, we can guarantee both the fairness of your transactions and your personal safety.”

  Yun Jin wasn’t entirely convinced, but he could see why she said it.

  It was less a reassurance and more a way to establish where they stood.

  He gave a slight nod, showing he was willing to listen.

  “Go on.”

  The manager didn’t waste time.

  “Your [Dimension Shard] and [Soul Stone] will be auctioned today.”

  That much was expected.

  But then she hesitated—only for a fraction of a second—before continuing.

  “However, regarding the [Tear of the Void Orga]…”

  Even just saying its name made her pause slightly. Yun Jin caught it, subtle as it was.

  Even seasoned merchants found it difficult to speak of its rarity without hesitation.

  So it really is that rare.

  She moved forward, choosing her words carefully.

  “Today’s event might be too small for an item of this scale. Even the most exclusive buyers attending may not be prepared for something like this.”

  She let that sink in before adding:

  “We need to cultivate the right environment, stir interest among the highest bidders before introducing it in a later auction.”

  Then came the offer.

  “We’re prepared to provide an estimated upfront payment of 1,000,000 gold.”

  “Additionally, you will receive 90% of the final bid price when the artifact is auctioned at a later event.”

  That was a substantial offer. A guaranteed million upfront plus a percentage later meant they expected this to fetch an absurd price.

  Still, Yun Jin wasn’t about to agree without hearing their expectations.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “And how much do you think it will actually sell for?”

  The manager exhaled before answering.

  “Hundreds of millions.”

  Even she sounded reluctant to say it aloud.

  But then—

  "B-Billion…"

  Old man’s voice was barely a whisper.

  Silence stretched between them.

  Then Yun Jin gave the smallest of smirks.

  "Interesting."

  But he wasn’t done yet.

  His gaze settled back on the masked manager, his voice casual, but carrying an edge beneath it.

  “And how do I know this transaction will actually come through?”

  The woman tilted her head slightly. “What do you mean?”

  “Simple.” Yun Jin’s fingers tapped lightly against the armrest of his chair. “You could just take the Tear and never pay me. What’s stopping you from stealing it?”

  A few of the surrounding staff stiffened at his words.

  The manager, however, only let out a small chuckle.

  "A fair concern. But we have safeguards in place for situations like this."

  With a flick of her wrist, she retrieved a rolled-up parchment and held it out to him.

  “This is a [Soul Pact].”

  Yun Jin took the scroll and unfolded it, his eyes scanning over the carefully inscribed runes.

  [Soul Pact (Rank A)]

  Upon mutual agreement, both parties sign this contract. The terms must be upheld by both sides. If the contract is violated, punishment will be carried out accordingly.

  The woman gestured to the text.

  “This contract ensures absolute compliance. Should we fail to deliver on our agreement, the consequences will activate immediately.”

  Her voice remained steady as she added,

  “You can impose any punishment upon me should we break our end of the deal. Furthermore, this contract is signed using our own special ink—if we were to betray you, this document alone would be enough to shatter our credibility permanently.”

  Yun Jin raised a brow.

  “Anything?”

  The woman, for the first time, hesitated.

  "Y—yes."

  She cleared her throat, visibly composed herself, then quickly added,

  “Of course, within reasonable terms. Standard contractual penalties usually involve financial reimbursement or, in extreme cases, personal compensation. However, I must insist that we keep this professional. There’s no need for… extreme measures.”

  Her gaze flickered slightly under his scrutiny.

  Yun Jin hummed.

  “Death wouldn’t be fair—you're just an employee.” He tapped the scroll lightly. “Instead, I’ll add this: should the contract be violated, you will be held personally responsible for compensating my losses, regardless of the circumstances. Even if unforeseen events occur, you will be obligated to assist me in recovering what I am owed.”

  A brief silence followed.

  The manager—Anesa—exhaled through her nose before nodding.

  "That… is acceptable."

  Then, without further hesitation, she pricked her fingertip with a small iron needle and pressed it against the contract.

  Yun Jin activated [Mana Eyes], watching as a faint thread of magic coiled around her bloodstream, interweaving itself with the natural circuits of her body.

  So the moment she breaks the contract, the spell activates immediately.

  Satisfied, he pressed his own finger to the parchment.

  A faint pulse of mana rippled through the air as the contract sealed itself.

  Finalizing the Deal

  Anesa quickly withdrew her hand, flexing her fingers as the residual energy faded.

  “Now that it’s settled, we’ll process your auction entries. The Tear will be reserved for a later event, while the Dimension Shard and Soul Stone will be auctioned today.”

  She straightened, glancing at the nearby staff.

  “I’ll handle the final preparations. In the meantime, please provide your payment card so we can transfer the upfront amount.”

  Yun Jin retrieved his gold card, its balance sitting at 70,000 gold.

  Anesa produced a yellow-gold card, its value unseen.

  With a simple tap against his own card, the numbers shifted instantly.

  [Your balance: 1,070,000 gold.]

  A quiet chime confirmed the transaction.

  Anesa gave a slight bow.

  “Pleasure doing business with you.”

  She turned slightly, gesturing toward the elderly appraiser and Ashley.

  “For today’s event, Mr. Henrik will be personally assisting you. Should any particular item or client interest you, He will provide the necessary details.”

  Yun Jin nodded.

  “Understood.”

  Anesa offered one last professional smile before excusing herself, stepping toward the back office to finalize the auction listings.

  The deal was sealed.

  Now, all that remained…

  Was the auction itself.

  Thank you guys so much for all the support!