I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 16.
<Tears of the Snowfield> Event
The name reminds me of a documentary, but this event isn’t about environmental destruction.
There’s only one condition for this event to trigger: obtaining the ‘Corpse of a Spirit Beast’ from a specific auction house.
If you take it to a certain spot on Seoraksan Mountain, the Tears of the Snowfield event will begin.
“Wow, Seoul. It’s changed so much!”
“Young Master, we don’t know what dangers might be lurking here. Please be careful and stay behind me…”
“Ah, Han Seong-ah, Master. Don’t be so stiff. Let’s go naturally, naturally.”
“But… Yes, yes.”
Yoo Baek-jun had come to Seoul with Han Seong-ah.
The scenery of Seoul was quite different from where the ‘me’ in reality lived. There were unfamiliar buildings, and people who looked like hunters roamed the streets.
“The family branch in Seoul offered to provide us with a car, but you insisted on walking…”
“Ah, I wanted to move on my own two feet. Looking through a window and seeing things directly are different, right?”
Han Seong-ah let out a sigh.
The teleportation magic circle at the Sword Saint Family’s estate leads to the family branch in Seoul.
It’s an unnecessarily extravagant building, but he refused the offer of a car.
He wanted to see things for himself.
“Is that the Hunter Association or something?”
“Yes. They don’t have real power… They’re just a symbolic organization.”
“The guilds hold more power than the association.”
Yoo Baek-jun nodded.
Monsters and gates appeared hundreds of years ago. Since then, hunters have formed organizations to deal with them—groups like the Sword Saint Family.
‘Those organizations transformed into guilds, magic towers, or prestigious families in modern times.’
Most of them are interest groups.
Groups that pursue the interests of hunters and their own organizations.
Over time, their accumulated power has grown so strong that they often wield more influence than the Hunter Association or even the government.
“Ordinary hunters might care, but someone like you, Young Master, doesn’t need to pay them any mind.”
“I suppose so.”
Han Seong-ah called the Hunter Association a symbolic entity, but for ordinary hunters, it’s different.
It manages hunters nationwide, tracks gate locations, and arranges jobs…
‘That’s how it is now, but things will change once Han Chang-woo joins the association.’
Han Chang-woo, the main protagonist of Heroes Road, is an ordinary person who joins the Hunter Association and quickly rises to prominence with his incredible skills.
‘Han Chang-woo is pro-association. He’ll clash with several guilds to strengthen the Hunter Association.’
And one of those guilds is the Sword Saint Family.
Yoo Baek-jun sighed. Sooner or later, he’d have to confront Han Chang-woo and the Hunter Association.
It wouldn’t hurt to think of a way to nip the problem in the bud before then.
“Um, Young Master.”
“What?”
Yoo Baek-jun was walking around Seoul with Han Seong-ah, sightseeing. She kept glancing around, as if wary of their surroundings.
“People are staring at us a lot.”
“With the way you and I are dressed, who wouldn’t stare?”
“I-Is that so?”
Yoo Baek-jun wore a black robe over his martial arts uniform, and Han Seong-ah was similarly dressed.
People dressed in hanbok-like attire walking around were bound to draw attention.
‘Tch, I didn’t have any normal clothes.’
The only clothes in Yoo Baek-jun’s wardrobe were things like these. It made sense—he never left the family estate.
‘Han Seong-ah was an orphan, right? She’s been with the family since she was young, so…’
She probably didn’t have proper clothes either and, naturally, wouldn’t know much about the world.
Yoo Baek-jun glanced at the people staring.
—Their outfits are so cool.
—Are they hunters? Are those items? Wait, I think I’ve seen the girl’s clothes somewhere…
—Are they models? The guy’s handsome too.
These were words the ‘me’ in reality had never heard—words he wouldn’t hear even if he died and came back to life.
Yoo Baek-jun smiled bitterly.
“Maybe I should cut my hair.”
“Huh? That would be a waste, Young Master. You’ve grown it out for so long… Don’t you have an attachment to it?”
“Attachment? Hardly.”
Yoo Baek-jun and Han Seong-ah walked for a while longer until they finally reached their destination.
“This is the place.”
A small building came into view.
The name written on the sign was Somnium Bar.
Somnium was Latin for Dream.
Yoo Baek-jun stepped inside.
“Young Master, I’ve never been to a place like this before.”
“Stop looking around like a country bumpkin and follow me.”
“Yes, yes…”
Though evening was approaching, the bar was completely empty.
Yoo Baek-jun approached the bartender.
“Welcome, sir. What can I get….”
“I’d like to go downstairs.”
He casually slid an invitation across the counter.
The bartender examined it carefully before silently opening a door behind the counter.
Beyond it was a staircase leading underground.
“Hmm… This feels like a movie, Young Master.”
“I told you to stop gawking like a country bumpkin…”
Yoo Baek-jun descended the stairs.
At the entrance stood a group of guards—likely hunters with considerable strength.
After showing them the invitation, the tightly sealed door opened.
“Hmm.”
What lay beyond was another world.
A dazzling space resembling an overseas casino—something unimaginable from the shabby bar upstairs.
A bar stocked with all kinds of snacks stood in the center, while staff carrying trays of wine and champagne moved about.
“Y-Young Master! There are so many people here! From here, they look like bugs!”
“If they heard you say that, they’d be pissed.”
“Ah, r-right.”
And there was an overwhelming number of people.
Every one of them wore clothes that looked expensive at a glance. Among them were hunters who exuded powerful energy.
“To think there’s a place like this underground. Hiring hunters as guards… The owner must be incredibly wealthy.”
“They are wealthy.”
“Huh? Do you know who it is?”
Yoo Baek-jun didn’t answer.
He did know. The owner was an eccentric billionaire, but not a bad person.
He might meet him later as part of an event.
“Excuse me, when does the auction start?”
“It begins in an hour. Would you like a glass of champagne in the meantime?”
“Make it two.”
Yoo Baek-jun took two glasses of champagne and handed one to Han Seong-ah.
She examined the drink with curiosity before taking small sips.
“It’s bitter, Young Master! And there’s something fizzy… Ah! Suddenly, there’s a fruity scent too!”
“It’s expensive, so savor it.”
“Mmm… Not bad…”
She seemed to like it.
Yoo Baek-jun looked around before sitting on a nearby chair.
In the center of the auction hall was a large, stage-like platform.
***
‘Is the auction being held over there?’
In about an hour, the host will appear.Yoo Baek-jun scanned the faces of the attendees. There must be someone he recognized among them.
“Ah, I knew it.”
“Huh?”
There were people he knew. A man with a large scar on his face. His head was shaved bald, and he radiated an aura of magic.Yoo Baek-jun gestured to Han Seong-ah.
“Look at that man. What do you think?”
“Even if you suddenly ask me what I think… Hmm, he seems to have a lot of magical power. And…”
Han Seong-ah’s expression turned serious.
“The way his magic moves—I think he might be a mage. He’s quite skilled.”
“Really? Remember him well.”
“Remember him? For what reason?”
“Because we’ll be fighting him soon.”
“Fighting?”
Han Seong-ah tilted her head in confusion.
It was only natural to be puzzled when he pointed at a random man and said they’d soon be fighting.Yoo Baek-jun took a sip of wine.
“Oh, the snacks here are pretty good. Master Han Seong-ah, is there anything you’d like to eat?”
“M-me? Uh, I…”
“Might as well go for something sweet. Let’s have this.”
Yoo Baek-jun arbitrarily picked out some snacks.
Most of them were sweet treats like cakes and cookies. They weren’t really his preference.
“Wow…”
But they were Han Seong-ah’s preference.
Though she didn’t say it, she had a sweet tooth. Seeing the snacks Yoo Baek-jun had chosen, her face melted like cotton candy.
“Mmm! These go really well together!”
“Good, I’m glad you like them.”
“Yes! I’d love to take some back to the family!”
“Tell Seung-min to learn how to make them. He’s good at cooking. As for champagne, well, I’ll buy some later.”
“Choi Seung-min. I didn’t know he was such an impressive person.”
Han Seong-ah nodded.
She was 24 years old, while Yoo Baek-jun was 21, making her technically his elder.
But in their current appearances, she looked more like a much younger sister than an older sister.
‘In reality, she’s younger than me.’
If compared to the real ‘me,’ she’s actually younger.
Yoo Baek-jun let out a small sigh.
‘Should I be glad I’ve gotten younger?’
Hell no.
What’s there to be happy about being thrown into a world full of life-threatening dangers?
“Ah, now that I think about it, young master. Did you hear that someone from the Magic Tower is visiting the Sword Saint’s family tomorrow or the day after?”
“From the Magic Tower? Ah, because of the magic circle?”
“Yes. They’re coming to inspect the teleportation magic circle, and they mentioned they’re also searching for something in Seoraksan Mountain.”
“Searching…”
Yoo Baek-jun racked his memory.
There was indeed an event during this time where someone from the Magic Tower visited the Sword Saint’s family.
‘The problem is that the character is random.’
The details of the event vary greatly depending on who shows up. Yoo Baek-jun sighed.
‘We’ll just have to see who comes and deal with it accordingly.’
Yoo Baek-joon spent time enjoying drinks and snacks with Han Seong-ah.
And before long…
“Thank you all for waiting!”
The host stepped onto the stage.
All eyes turned toward the stage.
“Welcome to the Somnium Auction. Here, we deal with rare items from this world—and even beyond, from other dimensions!”
The host grinned brightly.
“Today, we’ll be showcasing rare items from other dimensions, as well as special items dropped by unique monsters! Shall we take a look?”
Clap, clap—he struck his hands together.
Then, the lights outside the stage dimmed, and staff wheeled out a portable box from behind the stage.
“What is it?”
“It must contain the auction items.”
Just as Yoo Baek-jun said, the box opened to reveal the auction items. The first item was a weapon—a B-grade bow, which didn’t spark any interest.
‘Aside from the remains of mystical creatures, the rest of the items are random, so there’s no telling what will show up.’
Sometimes rare items appeared, and other times, they were just mediocre.
Yoo Baek-joon stifled a yawn and waited for the auction to proceed.
“Alright! The next item up for bid is an A-grade item brought from the dark zones of another dimension! This is…!”
Once again, it wasn’t something he could use.
Yoo Baek-jun swallowed another yawn and waited for the main item to appear.
“Huh, that’s…”
Han Seong-ah, who had shown little interest in the auction items until now, perked up for the first time.
Yoo Baek-joon also turned to look.
“Those of you who recognize it immediately must already sense it! This time, we have none other than a Skill Book! And what’s written here is…!”
The host deliberately paused for dramatic effect.
“Magic!”
Yoo Baek-joon’s eyes sharpened.
This was an item worth buying.
