Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 66
The interior of the Jongno Underground Auction House was extraordinarily lavish, unlike the outside.
Golden decorations that the rich would adore were par for the course, accented subtly with passionate crimson and the noble purple of royalty.
The very heart of extravagance. There, I flipped through the auction catalog.
More items than I'd expected.
"My target accessory is just the startweapons, sundries, luxuries galore. Perfect playground for tycoons who get off on burning cash."
Nearly fifty items in the list.
At the very end: the Life-Extinguishing Stone.
Originally a treasure of the Japanese government, its market price was impossible to predict.
That was the highlight of today's auctionand the reason so many guests had gathered here.
Which meant fierce competition ahead.
But my card in hand should be enough.
I trusted my black card.
From nations around the world, we thank the noble guests who have graced our Jongno Underground Auctionor should we say, auction house, in more elegant terms? Anyway, before we introduce the items and start the bidding, allow us to express our deepest gratitude!
Right then, a voice boomed from the center of the auction hall.
The ambient chatter died down, lights dimmed everywhere but the center stage, which glowed brightly.
Eyes from tycoons the world over locked on as a man with a rotund belly hidden under a tailored suit bowed politely.
The underground auction house manager had arrived.
No need for formalities. First item up for auction!
A podium and glass case rose before him.
It looked like an old book at first glance.
Preserved without proper care, enduring centuries through its own resilience alone. They say knowledge withstands the ravages of time, passing down to posterity. And so it has. Of course, this isn't your average ancient tomeit's a skillbook embedded with a skill. The embedded skill is called "Black Mist," a C-rank skill.
First impressions: a worthless old rag of a book.
Yet a faint black glow emanated from the weathered pages.
The moment I saw it, my expression hardened. I shifted into serious auction mode.
"...Is that it?"
An old book with a black glow, and a skill named "Black Mist."
A hazy match from my memories.
I couldn't fully trust my recall, but if my memory was right...
Starting bid: 100 million won. Bids in 100 million increments.
This was the same name as the skill used by the villain who, far in the future, infiltrated Chilseong's forbidden archive to steal the vampire's hidden piece.
A C-rank seemed low for a villain's go-to skill, but some inexplicable certainty welled up.
That was the one.
Ah, 44 bids 300 million! Followed by 7 at 600 million...!
The bidding heated up nicely.
Skill-embedded books or skill stones were rare, but C-rank skills usually topped out around 500 million. This auction was already pure indulgence.
29 bids 800 million! Ah, and 7 counters with 1 billion!
1.1 billion, 1.2, 1.3...
Bids climbed relentlessly, skyrocketing until they stalled at 66.
Current high bid from guest 66: 1.5 billion. No further bids in the next 10 seconds. If no challengers after three calls, the C-rank skillbook "Black Mist" is soldfor 1.5 billion, 1.5 billion...!
Average C-rank price: 500 million.
"Black Mist" now: 1.5 billion.
Three times over.
But if this was the skill wielded by that mid-to-late-game villain, it was pocket change.
Still a steal, relatively speaking.
I placed my hand on the keypad attached to my seat's armrest.
Fiddling with the billion-unit padsno million markers here.
Beep!
Guest 18 just bid 1.6 billion.
I signaled my intent through the attendant, and the group at 66 stirred busily.
Beep!
18 raises to 1.7 billion!
I upped it by another 100 million.
This was my declaration of war.
Whatever you throw at it, I'm taking this item.
Put up or shut upa battle of egos among the wealthy. Anyone secure in their fortune would've bid higher, but apparently, they lacked the confidence.
Makes sense. Amid all these heavy hitters, you can't waste cash on trivia if you want the Life-Extinguishing Stone.
'Not trivia to me, though.'
1.7 billion.
Add 300 million more, and you could snag a decent B-rank skill.
To outsiders, dropping that on a C-rank screamed wasteful extravagancepointless and valueless.
But I only needed to like it.
Others' stares meant nothing.
10 seconds elapsed. No further bidsfinal call at 1.7 billion, three times...
Even 66 must've thought 1.7 billion too steep for a C-rank. They backed off.
Good. Save your money for the Life-Extinguishing Stone later.
Not that I'd let you have it.
As those thoughts crossed my mind, three final calls later, the item was mine.
Surrounding guests clapped in congratulations.
To keep the venue's fervor burning, the manager swiftly introduced the next.
Next up! Another skillbut a step up, B-rank!
Upon closer inspection, I decided I needed this one too. Long fangs embedded with the skill "Bloodsuck."
Another of the villain's staples, like "Black Mist."
I jumped in without hesitation.
And once more, 18 takes it at 4.2 billion!
Glancing at 66's frustrated face, it clicked.
'So it's you.'
The culprit who sneaked into Chilseong, raided the forbidden archive beneath the library for the vampire legacy, and fled.
That woman at table 66.
Having her skills snatched away right before her eyes, she glared daggers, fists trembling.
Her robed companion tried to calm her, but when I waved, she shot up, ranting and pointing accusingly.
All eyes turned her way. The robed man grabbed her limbs to restrain her.
Haha, sorrynot sorry. Your lucky breaks are all mine now.
'Never were sorry to begin with.'
If it stings, bring more money.
* * *
This was my first auction ever.
No need to spend here beforeI just notified the higher-ups for whatever I wanted, and it arrived.
My wealth piled up untouched, earning me a rep as the epitome of thrift among my group.
...But now I get it.
The Western land baronor great spiderArachne's finest thread. As fabric, it boasts supreme texture, defense, and enchantment potential: "Arachne's Thread." Ah, bidding starts instantly2 bids 4.9 billion! Then 66 at 5.6 billion!
I wasn't thrifty; I just hadn't tasted the thrill of spending.
Not meaningless splurges, though.
The "Arachne's Thread" I shelled out a fortune for would become raw material for my gloves and garb.
3 bids 6.9 billion! No further challengers...?
"Whoa."
Ah! 18 counters with 7.5 billion! Anyone else? No? Three calls, then on to the next! Top-quality "Arachne's Thread"7.5 billion, 7.5 billion, 7.5 billion! Sold to guest 18!
The crowd seemed clapped out; no applause even after my win.
Ah, but the manager beamed, clapping nonstop.
Looks thrilled.
"T-Teacher, y-you're not buying t-too much...?"
"Y-Yeah! You've already blown hundreds of billions! Even if Heavenly Fox Baek has money from medical ventures, this is too much...!"
"Nah? This is just paying fair valuerational spending."
The students freaked over my excess.
Can't blame 'em; the numbers were insane.
I'd already snagged "Goblin Mask," "Ring of Ten Pleasures," "Choir's Earrings," "Andvaranaut," and more.
Tens of billions each? Pocket change.
All essential buys.
And though the outlay was huge, the items' true worth exceeded what I paid.
A bargain, honestly.
I soothed the students.
Grinning slyly at their displeasure.
They ain't seen nothing yet.
My black card's spree was just warming up.
Item 37: An ancient ring. Legend says its owners, blessed with mighty vigor, impregnated countless women. "Ring of Fertility." Starting bid: 2 billion won.
Fertility and virility.
Tycoons' favorite buzzwords.
Manager's a pro. Stoking the rivalry like that.
"No direct link to fertility or stamina, but damn, he sells it well."
The ring's specs were detailed in the catalog.
Boosts stamina two stages if below B+.
Might have hidden perks the auction missed, but the pregnant figure carved on it earned it the "fertility" name.
Everyone knew, yet they pounced anyway.
Men can't resist virility.
When I nabbed the ring for 9 billion, the girls at my table scooted away.
I gave an awkward grin, scratched my head, and jumped into the next auction.
Sold to 18 for 7.9 billion! Congratulations!
"Ring of Equivalent Exchange."
Sacrifices two stats to boost three others. Total stats mattered now, so I bid without pause.
18 again, at 14.4 billion! Truly keeping our auction house alive in every way.
"Ring of Covenant."
Impose a self-binding "covenant" to raise any stat below S-rank by one stage. Tough to winrare gear with guaranteed uplift, conditions or not.
After that, I bid on every stat-booster or high-value item in sight.
Before I knew it, the finale arrived.
The highlight of this auction.
The reason tycoons from across the globe had come.
It now revealed itself center stage...?
Behold, an item we poured real effort into securing. A famed sword that proudly claims its place in legends and histories of divine weapons across East and West: Heavenly General's Luckblade. Special surprise eventno catalog listing!
Heavenly General's Luckblade.
My face twisted in shock the instant I saw it.
"...What the actual fuck."
What the hell do these people deal in?