Chapter 44 Dark Auction

When my phone rang and I saw my father's name flash across the screen, a sense of unease settled in my stomach. He would probably irk me to go assist him at the headquarters, because I asked him a favor.

With a resigned sigh, I glanced over at Aiden, who was sitting besides me, and gave him a regretful smile before answering the call.

"Father."

My voice sounded colder than I intended, however, I didn't care. Our relationship had always been strained, and being distant and aloof was the norm for us.

"Oscar, we have to talk..."

My father's gravelly voice crackled through the speaker, and I could sense the strange urgency in his cold voice.

This left me baffled. My father was not one to display his emotions, and his urgency was unlike anything I had heard from him before.

"About what?"

However, I had no intention of accepting his request. It had been three long months since I had heard his voice directly, and over half a year since I had seen him. He was a terrible father, and I had no desire to go and speak with him unless there was a genuinely important reason.





"..."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, and I was about to end the call when I heard my father's response, his tone now even.

"The Elven Royal Family wants to meet with us." He said.

I felt my grip on the phone loosen, and for a moment, I thought it might slip from my hand, but I tightened my fingers around it so hard that my knuckles turned white.

"What do you mean 'meet with us'? Why would they want to meet with us? And what does any of this have to do with me?"

I demanded, my voice laced with frustration and confusion.

My outburst surprised Aiden, and he shifted in his seat to avoid getting hit by the flecks of saliva that escaped my mouth as I spoke.



"I only know that it will be closely related to the Dungeon on the outskirts of the city. Be at the headquarters by tomorrow, or someone will take you there by force."

My father said cryptically.

Before I could even think of how to respond, I heard the sound of beeping, indicating that my father had ended the call. Anger and frustration bubbled up inside me, and I gritted my teeth, muttering curses under my breath.

'Old bastard...'

I rubbed my eyes and took in a few deep breaths to calm myself down, so I wouldn't accidentally throw my phone across the room.

"You good?"

Aiden asked from the side, and I looked down to see that I had spilled soda all over my jacket. I hadn't even noticed.

"Somewhat..."

I replied with a sigh, standing up and tossing the now-empty soda can into the bin.

"Sorry, I have to go. Problems with the family."

I explained to Aiden, bidding him farewell before leaving his apartment and heading straight to mine. I needed to grab my spear before heading to the headquarters.

***

Click...

"Fuck!"

As soon as Oscar left my apartment, I cursed under my breath, feeling my facial muscles twitch with frustration.

I had overheard the conversation between Oscar and his father, and I instantly deduced what the meeting would be about.

It had to be about me, or rather, about finding someone who was compatible with Rose.

Now, I couldn't help but regret my decision to transfer my Mana to Rose.

Why did I have to be such a pushover?

I realized that I should have been more assertive. Instead of transferring my Mana to her, I should have found a way to protect her without putting myself in danger. Maybe I could have found a way to hoist her up onto a tree where she would be safe from the Yetis and wolves.

'...Shitty pushover..."

Cursing myself for being a pushover, I slowly rose from the sofa and headed to the shower to get dressed, as I had only been wearing a towel.

Just out of curiosity, I glanced at the internet to see what was being said about the current events.

"..."

However, all I found were clickbait articles and photos of a man with a blurry face, his hand placed on Rose's head, shoulder, and even her belly.

I decided to skip the pictures since they were clearly fake and edited to attract curious and horny readers.

"..."

However, the comments section below the articles was worse than the pictures. Since it wasn't moderated, anyone could express their opinion, and most of the comments were completely unrelated to reality.

Carefully placing my phone on the wooden table, I backed away so I would 'accidently' smash it.

It seems that being an extra, a mere shadow, was proving harder than I thought. I wished I could acquire a skill to avoid getting entangled with the protagonists.

With a sigh, I picked up my second black coat and left my apartment, heading straight for the city.

Although I had just returned from the Dungeon, I still had business to attend to - selling the Wyvern and Yeti cores I had obtained.

As I walked through the busy streets with massive shops and auction houses on every turn, I kept my focus straight ahead.

Was I stupid enough to sell stolen goods to a legal organization? I would surely be tracked down by Rose's family.

Hell no!

I walked into a separate alleyway and quickly slipped between two closely-built houses, maneuvering through the small gap that a human could squeeze through if they didn't mind getting their clothes dirty.

Spiders and other bugs crawled through the tight space, but I ignored them, stepping precisely to avoid all the traps that had been set by the organization.

I was going to sell my items at a Dark Auction, even though it was not a legal option. However, its privacy measures were unparalleled, which was why it was the best choice for me.