Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 018
Chapter Title: Bury and Double Down!
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The auction took place in strict secrecy within Director Jang Dong-seok's office at the management agency.
A massive screen covering one entire wall of the office lit up, splitting into over thirty individual feeds.
Each one showed the flags of participating nations or the tense faces of the bidders.
Facing the screen sat Choi Jin-il, who was hosting the auction, with Jang Dong-seok positioned just out of camera view.
"We will now begin the auction."
The proceedings were conducted solely in Korean.
It was a bold break from the long-standing international custom of using English for such events.
A flicker of discomfort crossed the faces of the participants on the screens, but none dared raise an objection.
Even the slightest complaint could get them on the host's bad side—and stripped of their bidding rights.
"Bids will be placed electronically, and..."
The participants' heads turned busily as personal interpreters relayed Choi Jin-il's every word.
From off-camera, Jang Dong-seok watched the scene unfold with a pleased smile.
'Never thought I'd live to see a day like this.'
Truth be told, it wasn't anything groundbreaking.
Just selling items obtained from the Tower. That was all.
Of course, excluding the fact that these items could interfere with the Tower's system itself in unprecedented ways.
Jang Dong-seok savored the moment while coolly assessing the situation.
He didn't expect this single auction to skyrocket Korea's global standing overnight.
But from today onward, planting the idea worldwide that Korea had the power to produce such game-changing items anytime—that was what mattered.
"We have a bid of 10 billion."
"...Bidder 12, 12 billion!"
"Bidder 8, 13 billion...!!"
Once the auction kicked off, the bids shot up like wildfire.
But the real heavyweights hadn't even entered the fray yet.
As the price surpassed 25 billion, one of the silent big players—Japan—finally made its move.
"Bidder 4, 30 billion! Japan bids 30 billion! Any further bids?"
30 billion.
The flurry of hands on the screens paused for a moment.
Now the true battle among giants would begin.
"40 billion! Bidder 9, China bids 40 billion!"
The Japanese representative's face twisted in fury.
"50 billion! Japan re-bids at 50 billion!"
Japan reacted instantly. The Chinese rep smirked leisurely from across the screen.
"Ah, 60 billion! China bids again."
"70 billion! Japan!!"
Just as the nerve war between the two nations was heating up...
"80 billion!"
All eyes snapped to one screen.
The previously silent U.S. representative had quietly raised a hand.
"...85 billion yen?"
The Japanese rep double-checked the amount with his interpreter.
When the interpreter nodded stiffly, a curse exploded from his lips.
"Those damn bastards are just screwing with us..."
China and the U.S., both holding EX-rank Awakeners, were relatively free from the Tower climb grace period's pressure.
Japan was not.
Climbing the 53rd floor—two below Korea—but with only a week left in their grace period.
No nation needed the Gate Creation Ticket more desperately.
"Japan, 81 billion!"
"U.S., 90 billion!"
"Japan again, 91 billion!"
"...U.S., 100 billion!!"
As if mocking Japan's precarious 1-billion increments, the U.S. leaped straight to the front.
Right then, the Japanese rep—losing all reason—shouted at the screen in outrage.
"Isn't that going too far? Doesn't the U.S. have any respect for its allies?!"
His nation's fate hung in the balance.
Money was no object; they could pay more.
But being toyed with like this, when Japan’s desperation was so obvious, was unbearably humiliating.
The U.S., hearing the translation, just snorted with no reply.
Direct communication between bidders was forbidden to keep things smooth.
"Japan, consider that a warning."
At Choi Jin-il's admonition, the Japanese rep clamped his mouth shut, his face flushed with rage. His fists trembled under the desk.
But the next moment, a man who looked like an aide rushed into the corner of Japan's screen and urgently whispered into the rep's ear.
The rep's expression shifted rapidly as he listened—from despair and fury to gradual brightening, until it settled back into calm composure.
"Then we'll resume the auction."
Choi Jin-il felt uneasy at the sudden shift but pressed on.
"U.S. at 100 billion. Any further bids?"
The brief commotion died down, and the auction's feverish heat cooled like it'd been doused with ice water.
The representatives from over thirty nations stared in stony silence, as if by agreement.
"If no further bids, it will go to the U.S. in 10 seconds."
Considering that "Awakener aid" from the U.S. typically cost over 200 billion with a guaranteed two-month grace extension, 100 billion was cheaper—but still burdensome.
Plus, while Awakener aid locked in two months, no one knew how much this auction item would extend the grace period.
The nations that had jumped in early just to test the waters had long been priced out.
China, who joined mainly to mess with Japan, had largely achieved its goal. The U.S. and Japan wore inscrutable expressions.
In the suffocating silence, the auction concluded.
"The Gate Creation Ticket goes to the U.S. You may pay 100 billion or an equivalent item."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Christopher Hendricks, head of the U.S. Awakener Management Agency and a participant in the auction, made an offer to Japan.
He'd sell the winning item back to them at half price—in exchange for sharing all its effects.
On the surface, it looked like a generous ally helping out. But of course, Christopher's trademark cold calculus lay beneath.
The Gate Creation Ticket was an unknown quantity humanity had never dealt with.
What if it spawned a disaster too big to handle?
Christopher had zero intention of testing that unprecedented risk on U.S. soil.
He needed a perfect guinea pig to take it on instead—and Japan, in its dire straits, couldn't refuse.
And so, he arrived on Japanese soil with his key personnel, under ironclad security.
Their destination: a barren plain far from Tokyo. A place that could handle even massive gate fallout.
"Th-then, we'll activate the item."
Japan's S-rank Awakener, Huto Shimura, reported to those watching via live cam.
'A gate from something like this?'
It was hard to believe. No one climbing the Tower had ever thought to "create" a gate.
With a skeptical look, Huto Shimura tore the black ticket in his hand.
Moments later, space around him warped, and a black hole-like vortex tore open in the air.
"I-it's real...!"
There was no time to marvel.
"Kraaaah!"
A beastly roar echoed from the gate, followed by a swarm of wyverns pouring out.
Powerful monsters typically seen only on late 40th floors.
But Huto Shimura had cleared those layers countless times.
His hand drifted to the katana at his waist.
Then, in a blur too fast for the eye, the blade flashed out, tracing silver arcs through the air.
The wyverns, unable to even scream before that near-divine iaijutsu, spewed blood and plummeted one by one.
A few minutes later, the last wyvern fell, and the gate sealed shut.
Japan's agency staff, watching live, erupted in cheers.
"It worked! The grace period really extended!!"
"This is actually possible?!"
"Thank you... God, thank you... Wait, should we thank Korea?"
Christopher, observing impassively, spoke up.
"How much was added?"
"Two whole weeks... Two weeks!"
"...Two weeks?!"
Christopher's brow furrowed. Korea had only gained one day recently.
This was an uncalculated variable.
Had he known it'd add two weeks, he never would've sold it.
Now, squeezing Awakener aid money from Japan was looking unlikely.
'...Damn Korean bastards. What kind of monsters are they breeding?'
From the Mutant rocketing up the Tower to creators of these unprecedented items.
It was incomprehensible.
How did that tiny country keep producing these freaks?
'Maybe the real threat we need to watch isn't China... but Korea.'
Christopher quietly elevated South Korea's threat level to the top tier in his mind.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Final sale price: 100 billion."
Han Jeong-woo received the auction results. He was a bit surprised at the far higher-than-expected sum.
He'd figured 50 billion at best, 70 tops.
The Gate Creation Ticket was unprecedented, sure—but its limitations were crystal clear.
As proven by how useless its effect was to him personally.
"Not bad."
"And this..."
Choi Jin-il carefully slid a heavy ebony box toward Han Jeong-woo, handling it like a holy relic.
"As requested, an item of equivalent value to 100 billion. A sword forged from starcloud ore, a rare mineral only available on the 60th floor of the Tower."
A single sword lay on red silk inside the box.
The blade itself seemed to hold an entire night sky, with thousands of tiny crystals sparkling like the Milky Way within its deep navy hue.
"The life's work of America's sole S-rank blacksmith Awakener—"
Choi Jin-il raved excitedly about its specs, but none of it registered with Han Jeong-woo.
He didn't care about its abilities or how amazing it was.
All he felt was an itch to sacrifice this 100-billion treasure right now.
"Got it. I'll put it to good use."
Han Jeong-woo took the national-treasure-grade sword as casually as pocket change.
Choi Jin-il didn't miss the sly smile tugging at his lips. A cold sweat trickled down his spine.
"...J-Jeong-woo, you aren't planning to... break that sword, are you?"
He flashed back to the 3-billion ring smashed in half before his eyes. And this was no 3 billion—it was 100 billion.
"Me? Nah, no way."
Han Jeong-woo chuckled innocently.
Choi Jin-il found it even more unnerving but forced a straight face and stood.
"Understood... It's yours now that it's in your hands. No place for me to say otherwise."
Then, as if remembering something, he added,
"Oh, right... That interior work you requested should wrap up by tomorrow."
"Oh, really?"
Han Jeong-woo's face lit up far brighter than it had for the sword.
'He's happier about the move-in than a 100-billion sword?'
Choi Jin-il gave up trying to understand the man and asked,
"Moving in tomorrow, then?"
"Sounds good."
"Got it. I'll contact you tomorrow about move-in details... I'll head out now."
Once Choi Jin-il left, only Han Jeong-woo and the sword remained in the studio apartment.
"What was its name again..."
He couldn't recall.
He remembered Choi Jin-il hyping it up, but not the details.
No matter.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Would you like to absorb the mana from Nebula Sword? 'Ah, Nebula Sword. That was it.'
Confirming the name, Han Jeong-woo sent it on its way without hesitation.
Light poured from the sword, sucked into his body.
As he checked his rewards with satisfaction, a sudden quest popped up.
📜 SUDDEN QUEST! 📜 Select 'Accept' on the next prompt without fail.
📍 Success: Skill Enhancement Ticket acquired
📍 Failure: Tower Climb Grace Period reduced by 20 days
"...What?"
Han Jeong-woo blinked in confusion at the out-of-nowhere alert.
"What the hell are you trying to make me do now?!"
He glared at the system window and yelled.
Hoping whoever was behind it heard loud and clear.
"Hah... Unbelievable."
Calming himself, he scanned the quest slowly.
The task itself was trivially easy, but the failure penalty was no joke.
"'Must select Accept,' huh."
Of course, nonstop Tower climbing would make the penalty irrelevant.
The real issue was what other interference the system might pull during it.
'If it demands something insane to accept...'
As he considered tanking the penalty, the Nebula Sword absorption rewards appeared.
⚔ STATUS UPDATE ⚔ Mana Absorption has surged dramatically. Mana Absorption value reached 100. Mana Absorption value reset to 0. Mana Absorption value reached 50. ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Delay claiming reward? Selecting Accept increases the grade chance of the next reward. "Higher grade, huh...?"
He didn't need the reward right this second anyway.
Low risk, high reward.
He wasn't much for gambling, but this? Irresistible.
"Alright, bury it and double down!"