chapter 49 Disaster

Lark's Worst Nightmare Becomes Reality

Lark had been barely holding it together ever since he heard about Aires' earlier purchases.

30 Silver… 40 Silver…

It was already disastrous.

But at least—at the very least—he had managed to warn Aires in time.

He had said it clearly:

"DO NOT BUY ANOTHER ONE. The market is inflating. Just wait. Prices will stabilize."

But, apparently, common sense was too much to ask for.

Because the moment Lark entered the auction house, expecting to see damage control, he instead walked into a riot.

---

Auction House in Chaos

The air was thick with rage.

Players were gathered around the auction machine, yelling, cursing, and pointing at someone.

Lark squeezed through the crowd, his heart pounding.

And then he saw it.

Aires.

Standing confidently. Arms crossed. Like he had just pulled off the greatest deal of the century.

And the players?

They were furious.

"WHO LET THIS MORON BID AGAIN?!"

"I SWEAR TO GOD, ARIES—"

"50 SILVER?! YOU BOUGHT IT FOR FIFTY?! ARE YOU ACTUALLY BRAIN-DEAD?!"

Lark's stomach dropped.

No.

There was no way.

---

The Moment Lark's Brain Shut Down

With a sinking feeling, Lark turned his gaze to the auction machine's display screen.

And there it was.

[Healing Potion – Bidding Price: 50 Silver]

[Buyout Price: 60 Silver]

Lark's vision blurred.

He felt his breath hitch, his hands grow cold.

Aires actually did it.

He actually freaking did it.

Lark's mind short-circuited.

---

The Rage Awakens

For a moment, Lark was silent.

His soul left his body.

Then, slowly, he turned to Aires.

The fool was smiling.

Beaming, even.

Like he had just secured world domination.

"Lark! You won't believe it!" Aires grinned. "I pulled off a huge move! We control the market now!"

Lark's face twitched.

His fingers curled into fists.

Then—

"YOU PAID FIFTY SILVER FOR A SINGLE HEALING POTION?!"

His voice boomed through the hall.

Aires nodded proudly.

"Yeah!"

Lark's soul left his body again.

---

The Explosion of Pure Rage

Lark felt his breathing grow unsteady.

He grabbed Aires by the collar.

"ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!"

"YOU JUST MADE THE MARKET WORSE!"

"WHAT PART OF 'DON'T BID AGAIN' DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?!"

Aires blinked. "Wait, what do you mean? This is a power move!"

Lark lost it.

---

The Economic Disaster That Just Unfolded

Aires, the biggest idiot of all time, had just:

1. Proven to the entire server that people were willing to pay ridiculous prices.

2. Given sellers the confidence to keep increasing prices.

3. Forced every other player to follow the inflated market.

The moment he bought that potion for 50 Silver, the damage was done.

Lark knew that Kaelith, the mastermind behind this, was laughing his ass off right now.

And worst of all?

The buyout price was now 60 Silver.

If Aires bought again, Lark was going to strangle him.

Lark vs. Aires – The Dumbest Battle of the Century

Lark's blood was boiling.

His hands were shaking as he pointed at Aires.

"DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!"

Aires, instead of looking guilty, crossed his arms and huffed.

"Why are you yelling at me?!" he snapped. "I made a power move! The market is ours now!"

Lark's eye twitched.

"A POWER MOVE?! YOU'VE SINGLE-HANDEDLY RUINED OUR FINANCES!"

Aires snorted. "Oh, please. You're just jealous you didn't think of it first."

Lark's vision turned red.

"JEALOUS?! YOU JUST BOUGHT A SINGLE POTION FOR FIFTY SILVER!"

"SO WHAT?!" Aires shouted back. "I'M INVESTING!"

Lark's soul nearly left his body.

---

Aires Goes Rabid

Lark grabbed Aires by the shoulders and shook him violently.

"YOU'RE NOT INVESTING, YOU'RE BURNING MONEY, YOU MORON!"

Aires slapped his hands away.

Then—like a feral dog who had been backed into a corner—he snapped.

"OH, SO IT'S MY FAULT?!" Aires lunged at Lark, biting his arm.

Lark screamed.

"DID YOU JUST BITE ME?!"

Aires latched on like an unhinged lunatic.

"YOU'RE THE ONE SCOLDING ME LIKE I'M SOME KID!" he growled through clenched teeth.

Lark tried to pry him off, but Aires was holding on like a rabid beast.

The surrounding players stared in disbelief.

"Uh… is he actually biting him?"

"Yep. This is happening."

"Why does Aires act like a chihuahua when he's losing an argument?"

Lark finally shoved him off, rubbing his arm in horror.

"YOU FREAKING PSYCHO!"

Aires wiped his mouth and glared.

"IF I'M GOING DOWN, YOU'RE GOING DOWN WITH ME!"

---

The Aftermath

Both of them stood there, panting, glaring at each other like two idiots in a slapstick comedy.

Lark took a deep breath.

Then he looked at the auction house board again.

60 Silver buyout price.

This market was doomed.

He turned back to Aires.

"You're paying for this."

Aires snorted.

"Not a chance."

And thus, the dumbest economy war in history continued.

Aires' Foolish Attempt to Escape—And Lark's Cruel Reality Check

Aires gritted his teeth, fists clenched. His face burned with humiliation as the entire Auction House mocked him.

He couldn't take it anymore.

"You know what? Screw this! I'm done! I'm leaving the guild!" Aires spat, turning on his heel.

Silence fell.

For a brief moment, no one reacted.

Then—

Lark laughed.

Not just a small chuckle. A deep, full-bodied laugh that echoed through the hall.

It wasn't the kind of laughter that came from amusement. It was pure condescension.

"PFFT—HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Aires froze. His stomach twisted.

"...What's so funny?!" he snapped.

Lark slowly wiped a fake tear from his eye, his grin stretching wider.

"Oh, Aires…" he said, voice dripping with mock sympathy. "You poor, poor idiot."

Lark took a slow step forward. Aires instinctively backed away.

"You think you can just leave?" Lark asked, his tone eerily amused. "Do you even remember what you signed?"

Aires blinked. His heartbeat quickened.

Lark lazily pulled up a glowing system contract window. The moment Aires saw the name, his blood ran cold.

[Pink Solution Guild Contract]

Aires felt his throat dry up.

Lark's grin sharpened. He casually read aloud:

- The signee cannot leave the guild without the Guild Master's permission.

- The signee must follow all financial decisions dictated by the Guild Manager.

- The signee will pay a 500-gold penalty if they break the contract.

Aires' face drained of color.

"T-That… That can't be right!" His voice cracked. "I—I never signed this!"

Lark tilted his head. "Oh? Then what's this?"

He scrolled to the bottom—and there, in glowing golden letters, was Aires' own signature.

[Signed by: Aires]

Aires' mind went blank.

"No. No. NO. This is a trick! This has to be fake!" His voice rose in pitch, growing more desperate.

Lark snorted. "Aires, Aires, Aires… You signed this three days ago."

Aires staggered. "W-What?!"

Lark nodded. "You were so busy bragging about your 'big brain' strategy that you just clicked 'Agree' without reading the fine print."

Aires felt dizzy. He clutched his head.

Three days ago…?

He racked his brain, trying to remember.

Three days ago, he had been showing off in the guild chat.

He had been so excited when Lark offered him a high-ranking position in Pink Solution's financial department.

"I'm going to be rich!" he had boasted.

Lark had sent him the contract, and Aires, drunk on his own ego, had clicked 'Accept' without reading a single word.

His stomach dropped.

Lark leaned in, whispering mockingly.

"You're mine, Aires. You're my little financial pet now."

Aires felt a chill creep up his spine.

"No… No, no, no…" He shook his head. "THERE HAS TO BE A WAY OUT!"

Lark's grin widened.

"Sure."

For a split second, hope flickered in Aires' eyes.

"You just need to pay the contract's exit fee."

Lark pointed at the glowing penalty clause.

Aires followed his finger.

And then—

His entire world collapsed.

[Early Termination Fee: 500 GOLD]

500 GOLD.

Aires' legs wobbled. His vision blurred.

He had just spent every single silver he had!

He had nothing left.

His breath hitched. He was trapped.

And worse—

HE STILL OWED THE GUILD A FORTUNE.

Lark clapped him on the shoulder.

"Welcome to hell, my dear investment genius."