Chapter 67
Chapter 67
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 67
Ame-no-Murakumo Sword.
Otherwise known as Kusanagi's sword or the Eightfold Wall Sword, it was one of the three sacred treasures of Japan's imperial family.
The three sacred treasures were the three national treasures that formed the pillars of the founding myth. They carried immense historical weightas the legend went, anyone unworthy who tried to grasp it would have their life force drained and die on the spot, and it chose its own master.
In any case, it was undeniably Japan's greatest national treasure, wrapped in layers of legends and folklore.
There was no question: its value was orders of magnitude beyond the Killing Stone.
"These crazy bastards... what the hell did they smuggle out from overseas?"
"TA, what is that?"
"Doesn't look ordinary. It feels colder and more chilling than even my ice."
"...You guys don't know what the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword is?"
He countered their questions with one of his own.
No matter how little interest they had in foreign treasures, how could they not know this?
One would think they'd pay attention to treasures symbolizing entire nations.
Just look at Seong Yeon-hwa and Isabel right beside him.
"Whoa... a divine sword? No, a demonic sword? It's so beautiful..."
"What kind of auction house is this, treating a national treasure from another country like merchandise?"
As a swordswoman, Seong Yeon-hwa recognized its true worth and couldn't stop marveling at the blade.
Unlike her, lost in pure admiration, Isabel's expression was grave.
The Ame-no-Murakumo Sword was Japan's national treasure. Auctioning it off in another country was a grave matter.
Given the sharp, chilling mana it exuded the moment it appeared, it didn't seem like a fake.
There was no doubt: it was the real Ame-no-Murakumo Sword.
Which meant they were now eyewitnesses to a crime on a national scaleand worse, they were standing right in the middle of it.
"Hey, did you know about that?! That the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword was up for auction?!"
"No way I could've known. It's not even in the catalog, so the organizers must've kept it under wraps."
"...Yeah, makes sense. If word got out that they're handling the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword in Jongno, it'd spark an international incident."
Isabel was visibly flustered, but she nodded at Baek Seung-woo's calm demeanor, clutching her throbbing head. Truth be told, he was pretty shocked too.
He just wasn't showing it.
What the hell is going on here...?
He'd vaguely considered that treasures from Japan's government or imperial family might appear.
But he'd never imagined they'd put a national treasure up for grabs.
As for the Killing Stone, since it was such a massive rock, he figured they might've chipped off a piece during some lax security while stealing lesser treasures.
Who knew they'd been hiding a monster like this all along.
The sudden surprise event drew massive cheers from the auction house crowd.
The manager, basking in their applause, spoke up.
Starting bid for the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword is 10 billion. But before we begin, there's something I must say.
The manager added those extra words before kicking off the bidding.
The guests booed.
Especially the VVIPs and active playerstheir reactions were intense.
Unlike the Killing Stone, which had no practical use, the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword was a famed sword designated as Japan's national treasure, steeped in the symbolism of its founding myth.
To them, its value surpassed even the Killing Stone.
Dragging it out with unnecessary preamble only teased their eager anticipation, but the manager had to say it.
As you all know, the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword isn't an ordinary blade. It's a divine sword from myth, but in truth, a yokai sword forged from a yokai's corpse.
A sword made by slicing off the tail of the yokai Yamata no Orochi.
The stronger the monster or yokai, the stronger its egoeven in death, it often lingered. Though a mythical being, if the myths were true, historians speculated its rank could be 2nd Hierarchy or even 1st.
1st and 2nd Hierarchy beings had scarcely appeared in records, monsters whose mere existence threatened nations or humanity itself.
A weapon made from such a creature's body was bound to be eerie.
...But weren't those just tall tales?
That was what everyone present thought.
Myths were myths, after all.
Many have lost their minds and died from yokai swords or demonic blades, but with proper precautions, there's no issue. I'm sure everyone here believes that. And we did too... until a few days ago.
We did too... until a few days ago.
So things had changed.
As everyone tilted their heads in confusion,
Carts shrouded in black cloth rolled in behind the manager.
A musky stench wafted from the carts, making nearby guests pinch their noses as the manager spoke.
A hundred words are worth less than a single glimpse. That's why we've prepared this. Those with weak constitutions, please close your eyes.
With that, the manager yanked off the black cloth atop the carts.
Revealing the contents fully to the guests' eyes.
It was
"...Isn't that a person?"
"Lemme see. Huh, it really is a person. But why are they so pale and gaunt?"
"Yeah, like a corpse... Oh, uwaaaah! That's real!"
Corpses.
Bodies shriveled as if drained of blood and essence, necrotic like they'd been poisoned.
The auction house fell silent the instant they saw them.
The manager snapped his fingers at the sight.
His attendants hauled the corpses from the carts and laid them on the floor.
They piled up behind him.
It stayed deathly quiet until the first couple, but as they surpassed ten and formed a mound, the murmurs wouldn't stop.
"W-what is this? Oh, I get it. H-Halloween special? All Saints' event?!"
"Dude, it's April. And even for Halloween, no event drags out real corpses."
"Th-then those are all... actual bodies?"
The corpses piled into a mountain.
No exaggeration.
Nearly a hundred grown men's worth truly formed a corpse hill.
The phrase "corpse mountain, blood sea" sprang to mind.
Though here, there was no blood sea.
The corpses were bloodless, mummified husks.
These fearless attendants who grabbed the sword barehanded all had their essence drained and died. Autopsies showed snake fang marks on every victim. We handled the sword with utmost care afterward, but even those who never touched itour staff working nearbystarted dropping one by one. So let me be clear upfront: if anyone buys this sword, we take no responsibility for what happens after the auction. Please keep that in mind.
......
......
......
Even the boldest tycoon would hesitate at that gruesome display and speech.
Amid the silence,
One man bid without a second thought.
Beep!
The keypad chime echoed through the quiet hall.
Ah, despite this curse, we have a bidder. Number 18... Huh? 44... 440 billion! As expected of a national treasureeven cursed, it's worth this much!
440 billion won.
The highest price yet for any item.
And the one who'd thrown that sum at such an ominous relic was...
"P-Professor, are you insane?!"
"TA, what are you doing?!"
"Impressive nerves."
Me.
* * *
He's lost it.
Completely lost it.
Staring down that mountain of corpses and still trying to buy that horrific sword?
Isabel scowled at her utterly mad ex-fianc.
She'd wished him dead plenty of times, but not like this. He couldn't die that way.
Absolutely not.
"...Stop."
"What?"
"Don't bid. If you do, you'll die for sure. Can't you see the curse on that sword?"
"I see it just fine."
Baek Seung-woo replied nonchalantly to her words.
Both their gazes were fixed on the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword.
More precisely, on the small serpent coiled around the blade's hilt like it owned the place.
There'd been no chance for a snake to slither into the auction house, yet it brazenly wrapped around the sword as if it belonged there.
And no one else mentioned it.
As if it were invisible.
The serpent was visible only to the eyes of the two innate mages.
"A curse, a nasty twisted one. No wonder people died with their essence drained."
"...And you're still buying it?"
"It's fine, nothing major. Besides, I have zero plans to use it right now. I'll seal it away."
"Then why shell out billions on that sword?"
Why else?
To snag it now so I can use it later.
Having handled and examined many swords in his life, he knew.
That was one hell of a famed blade.
Though its strong ego made it picky about owners, so he couldn't wield it now. But if he fully recovered...
Nah, that's impossible.
He shook his head.
No one knew his body better than himself.
With Solar Vein Blockage rooted in him, he could extend his lifespan, but there was no cure.
In a world brimming with magic's mysteries, an incurable disease untreatable by medicine or tech carried heavy weight.
Even if he could never wield the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword himself,
I can hand it off to someone else.
Just look at Seong Yeon-hwa beside hima peerless sword genius with no equal her age. In the future, back in her homeland Murim, she'd be hailed as a sword sovereign.
She could handle it.
Someday, at least.
Number 3, 61.5 billion! Even cursed, a national treasure is a national treasure! Now, after three calls...
While lost in thought, the bidding had heated up.
Corpses still piled in the center, yet everyone had iron wills, apparently.
Baek Seung-woo had zero intention of letting the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword go to anyone else.
Number 18, 67.9 billion! The highest bid so far! This cursed Japanese national treasure, the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword. No further bids? Going thrice...
His name and amount were called repeatedly.
Congratulations! Japan's three sacred treasures, the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword, goes to customer 18 for 67.9 billion won!
The Ame-no-Murakumo Sword was now Baek Seung-woo's.
He was thrilled to win it,
But if Japan's government or citizens caught wind, it'd be a disaster.
Better hide it tight for now.
As he resolved that, the main event of the auction arrived. A massive cart draped in cloth rolled in from the back.
But it was way bigger than expected.
Maybe stored in a special case?
Even accounting for that, it was enormous.
Now, the final item of the evening. The greatest treasure in our auction house's historyand a treasure of the Japanese government. Give a warm welcome with applause: the White-Faced Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox, aka Tamamo-no-Mae's corpse. The Killing Stone!
Thunderous applause erupted as the cloth fell away.
And in that instant,
Everyone froze, applause dying as they gaped at the sheer majesty of what lay within.
"......"
Baek Seung-woo clamped his mouth shut at the stone's size.
No way, is this real?
That wasn't "a piece chipped off."
"...The whole damn thing."
No, seriously.
This was too much.
The Killing Stone before them dwarfed even a decent dinosaur fossil. A massive fox statuenine tails and allcarved from cursed stone.
No doubt: a solid block of Killing Stone.
Ha, all he could do was laugh in disbelief.
The Ame-no-Murakumo Sword was a national treasure but small, so whatever. But steal this?
Baek Seung-woo pondered deeply and reached a conclusion.
"These insane bastards."
Now he got it.
The auction house had raided every treasure from Japan's government and imperial vaults.
Well played.