CH.54 God of the Auction (1)
<Item Information>
◎Name: Sword of Repentance
◎Type: Sword
◎Grade: Epic
◎Maker: –
–
◎Special Effects:
: Strength +3, Recovery +5
: Can exhibit an additional 50% performance when fighting undead opponents.
: The higher the possessor’s recovery value, the more the sword’s power increases dramatically.
◎Inherent Skill
: [Divine Slash]
◎Detailed Information: –
: A sword imbued with the repentant heart of a human who once engaged in wrongdoing. The strike of the repentant one can bring annihilation even to those who had forgotten death and lived.
– The first auction item. The minimum bidding price is 100 million won, and bidding will start from 100 million won.
As soon as the item information was displayed on the digital screen, the auctioneer’s voice rang out.
‘Starting with the first auction item.’
It’s an epic item from the beginning.
With remarkable special effects alone, not to mention the ‘inherent skill’, it’s a fraudulent item.
Even I, who prioritizes magic stones, found myself tempted.
Especially the special effect that increases power as the recovery value rises.
This was an appealing effect that would catch the eye of ‘Paladins’, who belong to the special warrior class.
‘It’s slightly better compared to mine…’
I also possess an epic item.
[Cursed Spellbook].
An item gained in the Rest Room while conquering the ‘Goblin Lair.’
[Cursed Spellbook] has quite a decent effect even among epic-grade items.
By studying the spellbook for three hours a day for ten days, it provides a corrective effect on attributes, granting +2 to magic, recovery, and willpower attributes each.
‘Among special items, it’s almost top-tier.’
Its effect was quite substantial compared to special items that directly help in combat.
In contrast, [Sword of Repentance] had a limited attribute correction that could only be used with equipment and was geared towards Paladin use.
However, it had a significant advantage in having a unique ‘inherent skill’ that other equipment lacked, and the fact that it’s a non-armor equipment with a high price range.
Considering the price of epic-grade non-armor items, this kind of item might not go for less than 100 million.
With my current financial situation, there’s no way I can afford it.
“Ahem.”
But there was no law against participating in the early stages of the auction.
– 100 million.
I pressed the buzzer first and placed a bid.
100 million won.
The minimum bidding price for this auction item.
Naturally, this price wouldn’t secure the winning bid.
Competition bids would drive it higher.
And my bid began rather ominously.
Other Holders participated in the auction with a chuckle.
– 1 billion.
– 1.5 billion.
– 2.5 billion.
Competition ignited immediately.
Although the minimum bidding price was 100 million won, bids quickly reached nearly 30 billion as prices soared to substantial levels.
“You’re not going to participate more?”
Jeong Seon-young, who was beside me, asked with a smile.
Even though I tried to stop… she’s urging me on to buy it… .
Honestly, seeing an epic item in front of me makes me want to shout too.
In auctions, people tend to want to buy anything.
But I shook my head slightly.
“I don’t think it’s meant for me.”
The excuse sounded plausible, but in truth…
Even if I wanted to buy it, I don’t have the money.
-29 billion is the current bid. Any further bids?
The auctioneer’s voice resounded.
The price of [Sword of Repentance] had reached a staggering 29 billion won.
Indeed, the financial power of the Holders was beyond imagination.
Looking at the participants, they seemed like ordinary warrior-type individuals.
Even if they weren’t Paladins, it’s probably suitable as a main weapon for them.
The auctioneer glanced around for a moment and then continued.
-We will close the bidding after three more bids. 29 billion… 29 billion… Congratulations. The first auction item has been sold for 29 billion won.”
“Wow…”
Kim Chae-eun exclaimed at the price that exceeded imagination.
Then she spoke in a low voice.
“Wow, it’s really expensive. I’ve never seen such an expensive item.”
Jeong Seon-young answered with a smile.
“The people who buy these things are mostly A-grade Holders. They earn a lot of money.”
“But isn’t that price overwhelming?”
“Of course, it’s overwhelming. That’s why they’re willing to spend a lot. It’s a high-performance epic item.”
“I see…”
Jeong Seon-young added a few words to Kim Chae-eun, who was shaking her head.
“Real expensive epic items can go up to 100 billion.”
“Ah, a hundred billion?”
“Yeah. This is essentially a Holder auction. It’s practically at the level of art auctions or even higher.”
Fortunately, it was a relief that the items we wanted didn’t overlap with theirs.
Well, in the first place, if you don’t participate in the raid, you won’t even have a chance to purchase monster materials.
The auction proceeded smoothly after that.
From armor and weapons to ornate Holder accessories, various potions and elixirs, and special items with unique effects.
Items of various grades poured into the auction.
And I bid on each one as they appeared.
– 50 million.
– 100 million.
– 1 million.
– 30 million.
The minimum bidding price for the auction item.
And after hearing him say that.
I was always the first to place the initial bid for the auction item.
…Of course, there was no way I would win.
After the initial bid, I don’t participate, but how would I buy the item?
The Holders around me sneered and my companions looked at me strangely…
But I didn’t pay much attention.
This was my auction strategy.
Or more precisely, a lure to catch inexperienced bidders.
‘Han Hyun-min.’
Affiliated with the <Flower of Sunset> clan.
An old-timer who always seemed to be present whenever the auction was held.
If I knew him.
He was bound to fall for this lure.
Seeing me like this, he wouldn’t just sit still.
Moreover, to obtain the items he wanted from this auction, I needed to lower Han Hyun-min’s fund pool, would hinder him.
And…
-The seventh auction item is up. Please bid according to what’s shown on the screen. Please note that this item is not appraised. The minimum bidding price for this item is 100 million won.
Finally, it appeared.
Apart from the magic stone of Swirl Leviathan.
The item I had been waiting for.
***
ippotranslations
***
Affiliated with the <Flower of Sunset> clan, a B-grade Holder.
Han Hyun-min looked at one side of the auction house with a tense expression.
In terms of seating, it was the far end of the diagonal line to the right.
Jeong Seon-young, who tossed around the name of an unaffiliated A-grade Holder, was there, and two other Holders whose names were unknown.
To be exact, among those three.
He was looking at a young Holder who stood out.
On a nameplate in the distance, the unfamiliar name Do Jae-hyun was written.
‘He’s not someone to be taken lightly.’
At first, he had thought Do Jae-hyun was just one of the inexperienced Holders Jeong Seon-young was bringing along.
They were joining this S-grade monster hunt together and were also being exposed to the auction house.
However, after observing Do Jae-hyun’s auctions…
Han Hyun-min’s perspective changed completely.
‘Jeong Seon-young is just a fellow team member.’
In terms of the auction, they were separate participants.
His auction approach was unique.
Whenever the auctioneer explained the auction item…
He would always be the first to bid the minimum asking price for the item.
And then, he would stop.
It was as if he were the one announcing the beginning of the auction.
He wouldn’t participate in the subsequent bidding competition.
For any type of item – non-armor, armor, accessories, special items, and more –
Regardless of the type, he stuck to this approach for every auction item.
He appeared to have no interest in auction bidding.
‘He managed to sweep up five unappraised items like that.’
Unappraised items were generally challenging to purchase.
This was because there were very few Holders with runes or skills related to ‘appraisal’, making the appraisal fee too high. Moreover, there was a high likelihood of failure in appraisal, which made many hesitant to attempt it.
They were a type of speculative loss item.
Due to this, the minimum bidding prices were high, and many Holders intentionally avoided buying them.
For most unappraised items, unless they had a striking effect or unless there was a special reason why Holder competition ignited…
Many of these unappraised items tended to remain unsold.
Yet Do Jae-hyun had managed to win five unappraised items.
‘The auction method stays the same.’
However, Do Jae-hyun wasn’t solely targeting unappraised items.
Even though other Holders occasionally aimed for a jackpot with unappraised items and bid higher prices than that, Do Jae-hyun still didn’t participate in the competition.
He only bid the minimum asking price.
His stance remained unwavering from the beginning to the end of the auction.
‘But my eyes can’t be deceived.’
As a Holder affiliated with <Flower of Sunset>, Han Hyun-min had been attending Holder auctions for a long time, accumulating enough experience to earn the nickname ‘Auction House Holder’.
The Do Jae-hyun he saw was undoubtedly an experienced individual when it came to auctions.
Although he seemed like a newcomer in the Holder auction house, he had probably participated in auctions a lot as a civilian before becoming a Holder.
Do Jae-hyun’s consistent auction method, his voice without hesitation when bidding, and his attitude that didn’t waver for splendid items…
Every aspect pointed to him being an experienced individual.
Furthermore, unlike ordinary auction participants…
The fact that Do Jae-hyun caught Han Hyun-min’s attention already made him a special case.
He believed that there was something different about Do Jae-hyun.
Continuing on this path would inevitably introduce variables.
His intuition, honed from meeting all sorts of Holders in the auction house, told him this.
-100 million.
Once again.
The microphone rang from the far end.
It was Do Jae-hyun’s first bid.
Han Hyun-min closely observed the condition of this auction item.
At a glance, it seemed like an old, rusted iron sword. But upon closer inspection, it emitted an aura of relics.
His observations indicated that this sword was by no means an ordinary one.
‘This is it!’
Most unappraised items had a high probability of being failures.
Among them, this sword emitted a different aura.
-200 million.
Han Hyun-min didn’t miss the opportunity and bid a unit higher.
And immediately, he looked in Do Jae-hyun’s direction.
He continued as he always had…
But this time, he didn’t give up on competitive bidding.
Do Jae-hyun’s expression tightened as he pondered!
After the auction started.
This was the first change in his expression.
And just before the auctioneer was about to bid 200 million for the third time.
Do Jae-hyun broke his own rule and participated in competitive bidding for the first time.
-300 million.
‘He’s here.’
Han Hyun-min exclaimed with satisfaction.
Other Holders were completely unaware of this change.
Do Jae-hyun, who had consistently only bid the minimum asking price, attempted a new bid.
Those Holders who were only focused on their own auctions remained ignorant of this fact.
Han Hyun-min was the only one, with years of auction experience, who could perceive this weakness.
‘Do Jae-hyun… He probably thinks he can easily take good items.’
Until now, without any competition.
Since everyone lacked interest in unappraised items.
However, Han Hyun-min was different.
He had observed Do Jae-hyun’s auctions closely.
And with this change in him…
Han Hyun-min felt confident that he could devour Do Jae-hyun’s auctions.
With a fiercer determination than anyone else.
‘I’ve got you.’
In his net that he had set up.
Do Jae-hyun had fallen for it.
