I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 17.
‘A Skill Book.’
This time, it was a Skill Book.
And not just any Skill Book—one related to magic. Yoo Baek-jun waited for the host to explain.
“Yes! Of course, this is an item that came from another world. It was treasured in the Kingdom of Lebron on the Fantasia continent.”
The host smiled triumphantly.
“It’s a book written by a notorious witch before her death, containing all her knowledge. Using it will allow you to learn a B-rank dark magic spell!”
—Ooh…
The crowd gasped in admiration.
Skill Books were rare items that seldom appeared in auctions. And even when they did, they were usually cheap ones.
‘It feels cheap.’
The moment he heard the title ‘witch’ ,he got a bad feeling. The host suggested checking the item’s description and projected a hologram into the air.
Sure enough.
“It’s for women only.”
“Ah, yes, it is.”
There was a condition attached—due to the unique training method, only women could learn it.
The men in the auction hall sighed in disappointment, while the women let out small cheers.
“Wow.”
“…….”
Han Seong-ah, standing beside him, was one of them.
Now that he thought about it, she had a talent for magic. If he checked her traits, she probably had an A-rank trait like [Magic Prodigy].
“The money I have… Ugh.”
Han Seong-ah was deep in thought.
The Sword Saint family paid salaries to instructors and provided living expenses to trainees.
On top of that, they also properly distributed money after processing items obtained from gates.
‘If Han Seong-ah checks her bank account, she probably has hundreds of millions. But still…’
What’s the point of squeezing blood from a stone?
“Let’s begin the auction! The starting bid is 100 million!”
“500 million!”
“I bid 1 billion!”
The auction had begun.
People eager to get their hands on the Skill Book raised their hands and shouted prices. Some were even egged on by their female partners.
“4 billion!”
“Ugh… 4.2 billion…”
Yoo Baek-jun, who had been quietly observing, finally raised his hand.
“10 billion.”
“……!”
The amount suddenly doubled.
The crowd murmured in shock. Someone reluctant to give up hesitantly raised their hand.
“1… 10.5 billion…”
“15 billion.”
“Guh… Gah!”
The man turned to look at Yoo Baek-jun in dismay. It was the bald mage who had caught Yoo Baek-jun’s attention earlier.
“What are you looking at?”
Yoo Baek-jun smirked as he spoke.
No matter how rare the Skill Book was, was it really worth 15 billion?
Moreover….
‘No matter how much they follow, he’ll just keep raising the price. That’s the kind of guy he seems like.’
That was the impression people had of Yoo Baek-jun.
Feeling the gazes directed at him, he leisurely turned his attention back to the host.
“Yes. 15 billion, 15 billion. 15 billion! Sold! Congratulations! Now, moving on to the next…”
“Y-Young Master!”
Han Seong-ah clung to Yoo Baek-jun in shock.
“15 billion?! Where would you even get that kind of money to buy such an item…?”
“I have the money.”
“Huh? You don’t mean the family’s money, do you? If the family head finds out, who knows what he’ll do!”
Yoo Baek-jun shook his head.
That wouldn’t happen. Yoo Moo-hak was hardly a proper father—he was a harsh man.
But he was surprisingly generous toward those he deemed talented.
“You know very well that an amount like this isn’t a big deal for the Sword Saint family, right?”
“W-Well, yes, but still…”
Seoraksan Mountain was home to all kinds of rare monsters.
Not to mention the gates that frequently appeared.
The Sword Saint family monopolized the rare items obtained from them.
The wealth generated from that alone far exceeded the common sense of ordinary people.
‘Plus, they’re involved in various businesses, right? Well, that’s how it was in the game’s setting.’
So no matter how much he spent, Yoo Moo-hak wouldn’t care. After all, Yoo Kang-ho was also known for splurging money without restraint.
“Enough. Let’s just wait for the next auction.”
“Sigh… Fine. Understood.”
Han Seong-ah sighed and shook her head. Yoo Baek-jun sipped his wine, waiting for the item he had been anticipating.
And finally….
“Thank you for waiting. I’m sure many of you came specifically for this.”
The item he had been waiting for had arrived.
The host hyped up the atmosphere before gesturing toward the stage.
A staff member wheeled out a massive steel crate.
“Today’s main attraction!”
The host stood in front of the steel crate, deliberately pausing for effect.
Then, slowly, he opened the crate.
“Seoraksan Mountain, home to all kinds of rare monsters! And among them, the rarest of the rare!”
The contents of the crate were revealed.
“The corpse of a Snow Tiger!”
An enormous tiger.
Even in death, its pristine white fur and mystical markings were striking. And the magical power swirling around it.
“Incredible.”
“Yes, the magic power levels are beyond imagination.”
Han Seong-ah gasped in awe.
It was truly a spiritual beast. If properly processed into elixirs, it would be immensely beneficial.
Some of the hunters here had likely come specifically for that purpose.
“A specialized hunting team killed it and immediately performed special preservation. As you can see, it looks as lively as if it were still alive, right?”
“Are the internal organs intact?”
“Of course! The hide, fangs, claws, and even the heart—the source of the Snow Tiger’s magic power—are all perfectly preserved!”
Greed flickered in the eyes of the crowd.
The hide could be crafted into armor, the fangs and claws into weapons.
The heart could be turned into an elixir.
“How much?! Just name the price!”
“Then I’ll announce the starting bid! 1 billion! The starting bid for the Snow Tiger is 1 billion! Oh my!”
“1.5 billion!”
“2 billion!”
The moment the host announced the price, people began frantically raising their bids.
Han Seong-ah looked stunned, as if she had never witnessed such madness before.
Yoo Baek-jun, on the other hand, remained perfectly composed.
“Y-Young Master… These people seem insane.”
“They are insane. How about calming your nerves with a glass of wine?”
“Wine… This is my first time trying it.”
When Yoo Baek-jun handed her a glass, Han Seong-ah stared at it with curiosity.
Her attention had shifted to the wine.
“2.5 billion!”
“Guh… 3 billion…!”
“Then I’ll go for 3.2 billion!”
“Yes, the price is rising rapidly! Now at 3.2 billion—oh! It just went up to 3.5 billion!”
Yoo Baek-jun elegantly sipped his champagne, observing the frenzy.
The host expertly stirred the crowd’s desires. He was quite skilled.
‘Maybe it’s time I joined in.’
The host’s gaze happened to land on Yoo Baek-jun.
Slowly, he raised a finger.
“5 billion.”
“Yes, 5 billion! We’ve jumped straight to 5 billion!”
“5… 5 billion?!”
The gazes of the people turned toward Yoo Baek-jun.
Jumping from 3.5 billion to 5 billion in one go? A few people sighed and gave up on the auction.
Of course, there were those who didn’t.
“5.5 billion!”
“6 billion.”
“Uh, then 6.2 billion…!”
Someone was stubbornly clinging on.
Yoo Baek-jun looked at the person still following the auction with an expression full of annoyance.
It was a man with a buzz cut.
‘This bastard’s being a nuisance.’
Yoo Baek-jun thought for a moment before raising his hand.
If someone’s being annoying, the solution is to overwhelm them so completely that they can’t even think of being a nuisance anymore.
“10 billion.”
“……!”
That was the amount he called out.
Silence fell over the venue. Most of the people here were either wealthy or hunters, meaning they had far more money than the average person.
But,
‘There’s no way to keep up.’
The thought struck them suddenly.
Just like with the Skill Book earlier, this was a man with unfathomable wealth.
No matter what price they called, wouldn’t that man just smile and call out an even higher one?
“P-profit…!”
Even the man who had been bothering Yoo Baek-jun earlier seemed to think so. But, as if he couldn’t back down, he bit his lip.
“1… 10.1 billion.”
“20 billion.”
“20 billion?! T-then 20.1 billion…!”
“Ah, for crying out loud.”
Every time Yoo Baek-jun raised the price, the man stubbornly clung on, raising it by just 100 million.
Yoo Baek-jun clicked his tongue and glared at the man.
“Stop being petty with your 100 million raises. If you don’t have the money, just drop out. Alright? This is annoying for both of us.”
“W-what did you say? I need that too…!”
“Not my problem.”
Yoo Baek-jun sighed and raised his hand.
“30 billion. Let’s end it here.”
“Guh, 30 billion! Yes, we have 30 billion! Now, is there anyone willing to go higher? Anyone?”
The auctioneer looked at the man. Cold sweat was pouring down the man’s face.
He tried to raise his trembling hand, but—
“Kuh…!”
In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to do it and lowered it.
The others, too, had given up on participating in the auction once the price exceeded their expected range.
“30 billion, 30 billion, 30 billion! Sold!”
BANG! BANG!
The auctioneer struck the podium.
People were now looking at Yoo Baek-jun with exhausted expressions.
—Just how much money does he have?
—Who is he? Judging by his clothes, is he a hunter? Was there ever a famous hunter with that kind of wealth?
—With looks like that, he should’ve been all over the media… Who is he?
Among them, some speculated that Han Seong-ah’s attire suggested she might be from the Sword Saint family.
Yoo Baek-jun looked at the buzz-cut man.
“You son of a b*tch…!”
The man gnashed his teeth, his eyes filled with hatred.
If looks could kill, Yoo Baek-jun would’ve died several times over by now.
And Yoo Baek-jun, under that gaze?
‘Man, I got this cheap.’
He was just casually thinking something like that.
30 billion.
If the auction had been more competitive, the item could’ve gone for 50 billion or even more.
This time, it had been crucial to plant the image in people’s minds that he was someone who could boldly pour money without hesitation.
‘If they think competing is pointless anyway, they’ll just give up from the start.’
Yoo Baek-jun whistled.
“Alright! That concludes today’s auction. We have many more shows prepared after this…!”
And with that, the auction ended.
Performers appeared on stage and began their act. Yoo Baek-jun stood up from his seat.
“Let’s go, Instructor Han Seong-ah.”
“Yes. Now we just need to pick up the items, right?”
“Yeah, we should be able to get them over there.”
Yoo Baek-jun headed to the area where auction winners could collect their items.
After settling the payment with the VIP attendants, he immediately received his purchases.
“Here is the Skill Book. Please take it. And this backpack contains the Snow tiger corpse.”
“This small backpack?”
“Yes, it’s a magical item.”
Han Seong-ah checked, and sure enough, the snow tiger corpse was inside the backpack.
“It’s been preserved, so it should last for weeks without issue. Any longer than that, though…”
“It’ll rot. Understood.”
“Exactly. Will you be taking it with you now? It might be dangerous—would you like an escort?”
“No, it’s fine.”
Yoo Baek-jun shook his head. There was no reason to stay longer, so he headed straight outside.
Pat, pat—Han Seong-ah hurried after him.
“Instructor Han Seong-ah, here’s a gift.”
“Huh? A gift?”
Yoo Baek-jun handed her the Skill Book.
“……”
For a moment, Han Seong-ah couldn’t process what was happening and just blinked blankly.
“Huh?”
Then, flustered, she began pointing alternately at her own face and the Skill Book.
“Uh, this, to…to me? You’re giving this to me?”
“Yeah.”
“B-but didn’t you buy this for yourself, young master? Why would you give it to me…?”
“How am I supposed to use this? It’s for women only. I bought it with you in mind from the start.”
“That’s…”
Han Seong-ah’s mouth hung open slightly. Yoo Baek-jun waved the Skill Book in his hand impatiently.
“Take it quickly. My arm’s getting tired.”
“But it’s too expensive.”
“Expensive? I think Instructor Han Seong-ah is worth several times more than this Skill Book.”
Yoo Baek-jun spoke seriously.
“And what, I can’t even give my own people a gift like this? You’re my direct instructor. You getting stronger is the same as me getting stronger.”
“Young master…”
Han Seong-ah’s expression changed with those words. She looked moved, even deeply touched.
“Not taking it? Then I’ll throw it away.”
“N-no, young master.”
She slowly accepted the Skill Book. Holding it carefully in her arms, she replied,
“…I’ll never forget this for the rest of my life.”
Yoo Baek-jun pretended to be expressionless on the outside, but inside, he was already calculating.
‘Good, you better remember it for life. I even gave you a 10-billion-won gift to make sure you stay loyal.’
Right now, Yoo Baek-jun is short on followers. He needed to firmly secure the people around him so they wouldn’t leave.
‘Even if that weren’t the case, having someone who can use magic unlocks more events.’
Yoo Baek-jun exited the auction house. Then, glancing back slightly, he said,
“Instructor Han Seong-ah, you brought your sword, right?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. Of course, I brought it. I have to guard you, after all.”
“Good. Grip the hilt tight.”
In his field of vision, he saw the buzz-cut man from earlier. And the group following him.
“Looks like we’ve got trouble coming.”
The auction’s side event had begun.
The <Fall of the Magic Tower> event.
