Mason’s Revenge

Chapter 12: The Auction

“Are you talking about ‘Greedy Seekers?’”

Riley's heart raced. They had participated in the infamous underground auction in Las Vegas, where stolen national treasures attracted royals and leaders. Access required over 100 million dollars just for a ticket, and Juliana had leveraged her connections to get them in.

‘Why does Mason want to know this now?’

Mason’s voice cut through his thoughts.

-I’ll keep this brief. Attend the auction this month, acquire specific items, and locate a person named IB—Ivan Blast. Find out what he’s buying.-

“......Ivan Blast? Who is th—”

Mason interrupted him.

-If you don’t find him, make sure to inform me. But if you lie about seeing him, I will kill you.-

“Could you at least tell me who Ivan Blast is?” Riley shot back.

-If you understand, meet me at Moonbucks Cafe by Delway station. I’ll provide a list of the items you need.-

“Damn it! Who is Ivan Blast?!”

“No need for you to know.”

“Hey!”

“This is business now. I’ll pay you based on the quality of your information.”

Riley gritted his teeth, frustration rising in his chest. “You think I’d work for you just for money?”

“Exactly! Boss, we don’t have to take orders from him! Mason Monroe, we’ll come after you!” his juniors chimed in, trying to sound confident.

Mason’s cold laughter echoed through the speaker. “Really? You don’t want the money? I was offering a mutually beneficial deal, but if you’re not interested, that’s fine.”

His tone grew more menacing. “If you don’t want to do business, I’ll use a different method.”

“A d-different method?” Riley stammered, his bravado quickly fading.

“You seem to have forgotten what happened a few days ago.”

Riley’s face turned pale, and his juniors went silent. None of them could forget how Mason had brutally beaten them, leaving them battered and broken, their pride crushed.

“Lord, we’re not refusing business!” Riley finally blurted, panic edging his voice. “But... can’t you at least give us something to auction, or front us some cash?”

“You’ll have to figure that out yourself,” Mason said, his voice flat.

The line went dead.

Riley stared at his phone, seething, but also feeling a deep sense of helplessness. He clicked his tongue in frustration. It was like a trap—one he couldn’t break free from, no matter how hard he tried.

Nearby, Mason snorted after hanging up. He stood at Delway station, thinking, ‘Who is Ivan Blast?’

He recalled that IB was one of Mister Depay’s aliases, a name he had used since childhood whenever he needed to hide his identity.

This was linked to the time when Mister Depay earned his Mythic Items. The highest chances of obtaining those items lay within Crypts, but auctions and museums were also options.

Mason could explore the Crypt himself but wanted these slackers to handle other avenues. He needed to gauge Mister Depay’s current influence.

‘Good. This takes care of the Mister Depay situation for now.’

Now, he just had to wait for updates.

He checked the portal news on his phone before going into a convenience store.

Later that evening…

Mason arrived at Delway station after catching the emergency news. His stomach grumbled, reminding him he hadn't finished his dinner.

-Approximately 7 p.m. today, 40-year-old Mr. Bo failed in his attempt to commit suicide by setting himself on fire in Delway Station's main square…-

The live broadcast played on a nearby screen. It wasn’t the grim news that had drawn Mason here, but the implications behind it. Strange incidents like this often signaled the precursor to a Crypt Appearance. Mason knew that unusual events were often linked to the emergence of new Crypts. The fact that it was happening so close to his location made it worth investigating.

‘Of course, this could be completely unrelated to a Crypt,’ he mused, ‘or it could have been cleared before I noticed.’

He grabbed a bottle of water from the store’s fridge, deep in thought. As he turned to leave, a loud voice interrupted him.

“Hey, simpleton! Did you pay rent for standing there? How long are you going to take to pick a drink?”

The voice was sharp, spoken in Japanese, and dripping with hostility.

Mason paused, a smirk forming on his face as he recognized the familiar tone. Turning around slowly, he saw Yuri Juntai glaring at him, clearly irritated.

It was the same fool he had encountered in a Crypt earlier.

“What did you say, you damn bastard?” Mason replied, his voice calm but laced with challenge.

Yuri’s frustration was palpable, but Mason’s attention was drawn to something else. He could sense the faint aura of Mythic Items radiating from Yuri.

So, Yuri was carrying something valuable after all. That alone made Mason's grin widen. It looked like this encounter would be more interesting than he'd expected.