Chapter 120
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: The Big Spender
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The European Union.
An organization founded by players from nations that had reigned as great powers even before the advent of this chaotic world—Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Russia at its core—its power was beyond imagination.
Not only did they possess a total of four Treasure items, but they could also draw upon a vast number of players from various other European countries.
With a wide array of unique classes at their disposal, no one had ever dared to underestimate the European Union.
Unless one had a death wish, no one would have dared to draw their sword against this colossal coalition.
But perhaps that was why?
For the first time ever, their proposal was rejected, and the fallout from the restriction on an exclusive product was more than enough to put them in an awkward position.
【France/White Will: Well, you've certainly made a huge mess of things while I was away. What are you going to do about this now?】
【Germany/Moskito: Who knew he'd react like this? To think he'd completely halt the sale of his honey products. Won't the seller lose out too?】
【France/White Will: You fool. Everyone's clamoring to buy them; they're practically sold out. What losses would he have? The bigger problem is that this case has now shown everyone that goods can be used as a weapon.】
His headache from dealing with Moskito, who was strong in might but weak in mind, was brief.
White Will proposed the only remaining option.
【France/White Will: Hmph, I have a player I'm in contact with in Turkey. For now, we'll have to try smuggling it through him.】
【UK/Frances: That's going to cost a pretty penny.】
It was infuriating to have to go through the trouble of smuggling when an auction house was readily available.
But having been put through this much trouble, the European Union had no intention of letting it slide.
【France/White Will: He's made us go through this, so his journey ahead will be anything but smooth.】
A life of slavery, not killed, but forever forced to produce supplies for the European Union.
But before that, there was something else they had to do first.
【France/White Will: No matter how skilled he is, he's still just one person. As a fellow VVVIP, he can't beat a group. First, we'll make him witness the power of the European Union with his own two eyes.】
【Russia/Vladimir: Kukuku. Let's make sure that bastard can't buy a single item today.】
【Germany/Moskito: Now that's something to look forward to. I'll spare no expense!】
The overwhelming financial power that came not from an individual, but from a group.
[Bidding in the auction house has begun.]
The auction house, now massive due to the worldwide integration.
The European Union couldn't wipe the smiles from their faces at the thought of obstructing Honeybee's bids.
* * * * *
The first time is always the hardest.
As they say, it gets easier from the second time on.
He had experienced the auction house numerous times.
[Player Korea/Honeybee has bid 125,300 coins for Vane's Auto-Recharging Dagger Kit (★★★+). Time remaining: 10 minutes]
[Player Korea/Honeybee has bid 33,000 coins for the Packaged Iron Ore Bundle (★★-). Time remaining: 10 minutes]
[Player Korea/Honeybee has bid 113,000 coins for Charlton's Armor (★★★+). Time remaining: 10 minutes]
…
The integrated server was just bigger in scale.
The system itself was the same, so Seong-hyeok skillfully began bidding on items that met his satisfaction.
'This would be good for the Poison Elves, and this looks useful for the blacksmith.'
The bee farm had now become a shelter in its own right.
As the one responsible for it, Seong-hyeok never felt it was a waste to spend money on his residents.
After all, he was currently managing a bee army of over ten million.
As time went on, the rate at which he earned money only accelerated, so there was no hesitation in his investments.
'I'll get it all back one way or another.'
Just as there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Seong-hyeok would somehow recoup the amount he invested.
Of course, what he recouped would by no means be 'money.'
He and his bees were already earning more than enough money as it was.
Therefore, what Seong-hyeok wanted from his residents was just one thing.
For them to grow quickly through the power of items and reduce the sacrifice of the bees on the farm.
The more bees that survived, the faster he could earn money, making it the best-case scenario of money begetting money for Seong-hyeok.
______________________________
[Wing Feather of the Insect Queen Nainkito (★★★★-)] - No current bids
※ This item contains a fragment of a Transcendent Being's god. (Boasts effects superior to ordinary items.)
* Seller: Insect Queen Nainkito
* Category: Consumable
* Slightly increases the stats of an insect-type pet or summon.
※ Caution! This effect can only be applied once per individual.
[Carapace of the Insect King Prainkito (★★★★-)] - No current bids
…
______________________________
'This is something I have to buy, even if it costs a fortune.'
The residents were important, but for Seong-hyeok, the bees were always the number one priority.
He was in the middle of placing appropriate bids on items he had been eyeing.
If things continued like this, the auction would proceed smoothly, but do anomalies always have to exist?
[Player Russia/Vladimir has bid 85,000 coins for the Wing Feather of the Insect Queen Nainkito (★★★★-). Time remaining: 10 minutes]
[Player Germany/Moskito has bid 150,000 coins for Vane's Auto-Recharging Dagger Kit (★★★+). Time remaining: 10 minutes]
[Player UK/Frances has bid 180,800 coins for the Watcher's Shield (★★★+). Time remaining: 10 minutes]
…
Notifications of outbids started popping up one after another.
Seeing how these bids were simultaneously happening on every item Seong-hyeok had laid claim to, it was obvious what this meant.
'...Look at this?'
A bidding blockade aimed at Seong-hyeok.
The European Union's actions were so blatant it was absurd, but that feeling lasted only a moment.
'So they plan to crush me as a group.'
It was the same with China's Emperor; his enemies' habits never changed.
However, they were making one serious miscalculation.
[Your current treatment is VVVVVIP.]
[★★★★★+ Grade Room - Single Occupancy (1/1)]
Seong-hyeok wasn't in the 100-person room for VVVIPs; he was a Penta-class VIP.
Having poured in an enormous amount of money, one of Seong-hyeok's widely known nicknames on the Asia server was the Big Spender Honeybee!
'Alright, let's see what you've got.'
Just as there were different classes of levels.
There were also different classes of spending.
If they wanted to settle this with money, Seong-hyeok would respond in kind.
* * * * *
【Germany/Moskito: Keke. That bastard must be panicking right about now.】
【Russia/Vladimir: But how high are we supposed to keep raising this bid?】
【France/White Will: Keep raising it! Raise it until he gives up and crush him with our status!】
The bidding war had officially ignited.
With the European Union's pride on the line, the competition was fierce, and the prices skyrocketed in the blink of an eye to a startling degree.
[Player Korea/Honeybee has bid 1,000,000 coins for the Wing Feather of the Insect Queen Nainkito (★★★★-). Time remaining: 10 minutes]
[Player Germany/Moskito has bid 750,000 coins for Vane's Auto-Recharging Dagger Kit (★★★+). Time remaining: 6 minutes 55 seconds]
[Player UK/Frances has bid 890,500 coins for the Watcher's Shield (★★★+). Time remaining: 2 minutes]
…
【Germany/Moskito: Seriously, how much money is this bastard sitting on? Why won't he back down?】
【Russia/Vladimir: ...That crazy bastard. Hey, I know the EU's pride is important, but isn't this going too far?】
【UK/Frances: Why isn't he outbidding me? I'm about to lose 900,000 coins on this thing!】
The bidding prices had multiplied in an instant.
But the most frightening thing was the lack of any further counter-bids.
Their pride had led them to inflate the item's price to an unmanageable level.
Naturally, unless one was a fool, no one would dare to outbid that price.
[The Watcher's Shield (★★★+) has been sold to Player UK/Frances for 890,500 coins.]
【UK/Frances: Aaaargh!】
In the end, it was the climax of a game of hot potato that only pleased the auction house master.
Pride was saved, but the cost was a devastatingly expensive hemorrhage, and cries of agony began to echo from the European Union.
It was a pyrrhic victory that left a bitter taste, but they soon realized they had yet to claim a proper triumph.
[Player Korea/Honeybee has bid 1,500,000 coins for the Wing Feather of the Insect Queen Nainkito (★★★★-). Time remaining: 10 minutes]
The item's bid price continued to soar, seemingly without limit.
They considered joining the competition again to reclaim their pride, but perhaps because they had just been burned by the game of hot potato?
【Germany/Moskito: That, that Wing Feather. It seems like he really needs it. How about we keep raising the price at this pace?】
【France/White Will: Fuck! Then you bid on it! What if I outbid him and he doesn't take it? Are you telling me to buy that useless-to-me item for over 1.5 million coins?】
【Germany/Moskito: ......】
Judging by the item's effect, it was utterly useless to the European Union, which had no insect-type minions.
If they attempted to outbid and Honeybee didn't counter, they would be facing a living hell.
[The Wing Feather of the Insect Queen Nainkito (★★★★-) has been sold to Player Korea/Honeybee for 1,500,000 coins.]
A single retreat caused by the game of hot potato.
For Seong-hyeok, it meant losing a considerable sum of money, but thanks to that, the rest of his path became significantly easier.
[The Orb of the People (★★★+) has been sold to Player Korea/Honeybee for 120,000 coins.]
[The Permanent Ignition Stone (★★★★-) has been sold to Player Korea/Honeybee for 200,000 coins.]
[The Type C-Class Experience Kit (★★★★-) has been sold to Player Korea/Honeybee for 330,000 coins.]
…
Crippled by fear and depleted funds, the European Union could no longer compete with Seong-hyeok.
No, to be precise, it wasn't just the European Union; people all over the world who witnessed the spectacle were left speechless.
【USA/Smith: ......Holy shit!】
【Japan/Giant of Embers: Is his pocket Doraemon's pouch or something? Does he have infinite money?】
【Korea/Attention Seeker NO.2: Yep, that's our Honeybee. The Big Spender Honeybee acknowledged by all of Asia!】
A continuous streak of successful bids that never seemed to tire.
In truth, while his initial starting capital of nearly 100 million was a factor, there was another secret.
[The 'Guardian's World Tree Wild Honey Three-Color Liquor (★★★★+)' you listed in the auction house has been sold for 850,000 coins. -> Buyer - Pakistan/Power-Hiding Carrot]
[You have acquired 765,000 coins after a 10% fee.]
[The 'Guardian's World Tree Ginseng Honey Preserve (★★★★+)' you listed in the auction house has been sold for 350,000 coins. -> Buyer - India/LiveByCurryDieByCurry]
[You have acquired 315,000 coins after a 10% fee.]
[The 'Seven-Colored Kiiroth Stone Venom Honey Tea (★★★★)' you listed in the auction house has been sold for 150,000 coins. -> Buyer - Korea/Attention Seeker NO.1]
[You have acquired 135,000 coins after a 10% fee.]
…
It was none other than Seong-hyeok's own processed honey products, which were continuously selling for huge sums even at this very moment!
Literally, a perpetual motion machine of a big spender, Honeybee, who kept going from the start of the auction to its end.
'If they mess with you with money, the best way is to crush them with money.'
An overwhelming spending power that defied all comparison!
However, Seong-hyeok interpreted spending in this chaotic world differently.
'Hoarding it is just letting it go to waste.'
Monsters were still respawning, threatening the bees of his farm.
For Seong-hyeok, the value of his bees, which would repay him with even more honey in the future, was far greater than a few coins in the present.
And perhaps as a direct result of such actions?
[You have met the conditions for acquiring a title. -> Spent over 100,000,000 coins in the auction house]
[You have acquired the title, Valuable Big Spender.]
______________________________
[Valuable Big Spender]
* Category: Title
* Effect: All stats +10, grants qualification to participate in the secret auction held by 'the World'
* Description: You have earned the title of Valuable Big Spender by spending an unparalleled amount of money in the auction house. You will now be qualified to participate in the secret auction held by 'the World.'
______________________________
A Hidden Piece, the fruit of his excessive actions.
That was what greeted Seong-hyeok.