Jackpot, 1 Gold
Lee Ah-un was humming a cheerful tune.
"Yes, 1 gold."
Incredibly rare—once in a blue moon—a mana stone would form where monster corpses piled up and congealed. And with slightly better odds, you'd find "scrap mana stones," tiny fragments with barely any market value.
Lee Ah-un made his living scavenging those scraps.
Usually, you needed ten of them to trade for 1 gold, but this one was a fat, juicy specimen that looked like it could fetch the full amount on its own.
Luck's on my side today?
The sun hadn't even set yet, and his earnings for the day had already topped 5 gold. An overwhelming pace.
"At this rate, I can buy meds the day after tomorrow?"
"Piiish—"
His battered old hunter watch, the kind you'd call junk without hesitation, let out a wheezing ringtone.
"What the—? Someone's actually calling me?"
Lee Ah-un, mid-stuffing monster byproducts into his pockets, wiped the blood roughly on the wall and picked up.
"Hello, who's this?"
"[Our little blood clot, so polite on the phone, huh?]"
"...Who is this?"
"[Who else? It's me.]"
"Ajusshi?"
"[Yeah.]"
"Why're you calling? You said you'd spot me 6 gold. I'll pay back that 1 gold you cut me a deal on last time soon enough."
"[Not calling about that.]"
What the hell, this ajusshi? Why's he putting on airs all of a sudden?
It made him uneasy. The guy was always so playful, lighthearted. For him to suddenly switch to a serious tone? It sent a chill down his spine.
"Something up?"
"[Blood clot—no, Ah-un.]"
"Aigoo, fuck. Why're you freaking me out like this, ajusshi? Why use my name all formal?"
"[...I've got something important to say.]"
"What is it?"
"[Meds. Supply's cut off.]"
"...!"
Thud.
Ah-un collapsed to the ground.
"Fuck, no wonder luck was too good today."
It was over. The next seizure would kill him. Inevitable death crept up from his toes like a creeping shadow.
"[Too early to give up.]"
"Too early my ass, you bastard. You've been pocketing my gold all this time, belly full and fat, huh? One steady customer drops and you're sweating..."
"[There's a way to cure your mana reflux.]"
"...!"
Lightning flashed through his mind.
"[Got intel on a super special 'consumable' hitting the Black Market soon. Don't know exactly what it is yet. But it'll fix your mana reflux.]"
"...Ajusshi."
But the lightning turned to bitter disappointment in an instant.
"How the hell am I supposed to buy that? It's just pie in the sky."
"[I'll buy it for you.]"
"...Ha."
Ah-un couldn't help but snort.
"Something that rare's gonna sell to a small-time punk like you scraping by on pocket change?"
"[Haha. Blood clot. You don't know me at all? Ajusshi's loaded.]"
The kingpin ruling Korea's underworld.
The true identity of the "anonymous businessman" feeding Korea's entire underclass.
The individual with the most gold in the world.
The legendary merchant.
The man who became a Number simply because he had too damn much gold.
"[Fucking loaded.]"
Golden Mine Lee Hyeong-je opened his wallet.
* * *
"[Master.]"
"Yeah. What."
Pandemonium's Master was filing his nails in his office.
Scritch. Scritch.
Neatly trimming his nails was one of his rare hobbies. Rare meaning he cherished it deeply. Anyone who interrupted this time? Most got killed.
Unless it was truly exceptional news.
Ironically, that made calls during nail-filing time always deliver beyond-expectations scoops.
He hated the interruption. But it built this strange anticipation for contact.
"[Saintess is opening her coffers.]"
"Hm."
Weak. Kill?
"['Golden Mine' cleared out their shop.]"
"Ho."
Now that's interesting.
Individually, no big deal. Saintess spending? Golden Mine loosening the purse strings? Sure.
But together? A clear signal.
The world's richest organization: the Church.
The world's richest individual: Golden Mine.
Them clashing meant something priceless was dropping soon.
But still not enough. Missing the why.
"Why those two?"
"[...Today's Korea Numbers Auction has a killer artifact up for grabs.]"
"Hm. Reliability?"
"[You know Korea's scene. Leak from there? 100% accurate.]"
Fun.
"[And last... Number 100, 'Race,' lost their spot.]"
Now that's really interesting.
Race was a Pandemonium criminal. Secured Number 100 by exclusively supplying poison that worked on humans and monsters to the market.
Race lost 100? New Number born.
"[No more intel. But inferences get juicy.]"
"Saintess heading to Korea, Golden Mine—who hunkered down there—moving on the mainland?"
"[Yep. And this artifact? First entry from the new Number.]"
"Hahat. Ahahaha!"
Master laughed merrily.
"[Heh heh. Orders, Master?]"
"What're you asking?"
Master flashed a sinister smile, setting down the nail clippers.
"Strip the bastard who bids highest, right when he's basking in victory clutching his elixir. That's the fun part."
Pandemonium. Locked in.
* * *
A few hours later. Noon.
Lee Ah-un had barely six hours left before his breath ran out.
In Korea's Black Market, a special auction kicked off.
23 participants.
Only two Numbers in person: Number 2, Saintess Yeri-che, and Number 100, Golden Mine Lee Hyeong-je.
Using the market's "Emergency Auction Teleport" service cost a fortune in points. Not easy.
The rest? Proxies.
One lot.
◈ Wound Healing (S)
◈ Disease Cure (S)
◈ Appraised & Certified by Kang Hyo-jun
This is insane!
Yeri-che was stunned. Never dreamed something like this existed.
Let alone witness it.
She'd come out of simple curiosity—how impressive could it be? Jealousy too, for bumping her to Number 2.
But this? This shouldn't exist.
Impossible...!
Yet there it was.
If this hits the market, what happens to our Church?
Equipment artifacts lasted forever until broken, but single-use.
Consumables? One-shot, but repeatable.
Why the market valued consumable suppliers over gear specs? Endless supply chains.
Problem: Red Elixir was a consumable too.
If this broken-spec elixir kept flooding via supplier? Even tiny batches—world's tycoons chasing immortality would swarm it.
A fatal threat to Yeri-che's Church.
They ran on holy water heals and exclusive divine power for VIPs, raking donations.
A perfect upgrade outstripping divine power, endlessly supplied? No more groveling rich folks opening wallets.
Substitutes born. No—superior ones.
Crunch!
Yeri-che bit her nail in irritation.
No one's mass-producing S-grade, no matter how insane. One or two bottles max. Snag it, hide it forever!
That elixir—and its hidden supplier—could never see daylight.
As Yeri-che's face darkened in real-time.
With this...!
Lee Hyeong-je brimmed with hope.
Fun.
Pandemonium assassin, ex-Number Race, smirked.
The bidding war erupted.
"Bidder 2. 100. 2. 100. 2. 100...! Record keeps shattering!"
Yeri-che vs. Lee Hyeong-je. Skyrocketing sums.
"Hold."
Lee Hyeong-je raised a hand, pausing the auction. Gestured at Yeri-che; auctioneer obliged, sensing negotiation.
"Saintess."
"What."
Lee Hyeong-je cautious; Yeri-che prickly as a porcupine.
"Let me have this one."
"Why should I? I got gold left."
"I know. Me too. And I'll empty every pocket for it."
"...Interesting."
Not interesting at all.
How much was Golden Mine's fortune? Unknown. Bottomless abyss.
"But here's my promise: I only need one Red Elixir."
"Meaning?"
"You know consumables respawn. Won't touch from the second onward."
"Hmm."
Tempting terms.
But.
"Pass."
Untrustworthy.
"I won't let a single Red Elixir slip. I'll make an offer the seller can't refuse. Winner's already decided."
...Damn this crazy bitch.
Lee Hyeong-je ground his teeth.
Yeri-che waved side-to-side. Talks broken.
"Fine!"
Lee Hyeong-je bellowed, eyes bloodshot.
"All my liquid assets, deployable now—total 1.5 billion points!"
Venue froze in silence.
1.5 billion? Even S-rankers earning billions hesitated.
Lee Hyeong-je panted, glaring at the Saintess.
She scoffed mockingly.
"Just cash? Auctioneer! Instead of pocket change, I bid my one-time full-power call as Yeri-che. Beat that, Golden Mine?"
-Gasp!
-For real?
Shocked murmurs rippled through the Black Market.
Saintess one-time call? Priceless.
Her awakening: Saintess (S). Among healers, priest-lines had "divine power"—specialized in wounds and disease.
Saintess: pinnacle priest awakening.
Yeri-che's divine power? Extra special. Any wound, perfectly healed.
Pay up. I save you. Dead don't count.
Her motto.
Guaranteed one use of that power!
"Saintess! This far?!"
"I need it."
Madness in her eyes; Lee Hyeong-je yielded, teeth clenched.
...Lost.
Didn't expect her to go this hard.
Saintess call? Every hunter's dream. Climb Tower with her aid. Break hits? Call. Anything.
Full-power cooperation promise.
Red Elixir to Saintess.
"Auction closed. Finalizing."
Option 1: Saintess Yeri-che
Saintess One-Time Full-Power Call + 1 Billion Points
Option 2: Golden Mine Lee Hyeong-je
1.5 Billion Points
Lee Hyeong-je's chest tightened, near madness.
Pure numbers? He outbid by 500 million.
But Saintess call? Priceless.
Defeat clear.
"Option 2 lacks value—auctioneer discretion, deleted. Sending to seller. Winner gets Red Elixir."
Auction over.
Auctioneer messaged seller hotline.
Lee Hyeong-je squeezed eyes shut.
Sorry... Ah-un.
"Seller's decided. Announcing. Red Elixir goes to..."
"...Congratulations."
Auctioneer cleared throat, voice trembling.
"To both of you."
'!!!'
"What?!"
Lee Hyeong-je's eyes flew open; Yeri-che shot up.
"Nonsense! One item!"
"Seller just revealed... wasn't one bottle."
Auctioneer swallowed hard.
"Thus, both top bids honored. One each."
Silence.
Lee Hyeong-je slumped, tension flooding out in hot tears.
Saved. Ah-un... saved.
Scam or sucker? Didn't care. Just that the medicine to save that poor kid was in hand.
Meanwhile.
Yeri-che, realizing late, flushed red.
Two items? No need to bleed against Golden Mine, stake call!
Fished!
Faceless seller exploited desperation, jacked stakes sky-high, swept both pots.
"Th-this scam! Cancel...!"
As she raged.
Auctioneer blocked urgently.
SELLER COMMENT
"Will return with an even better elixir."
"...!"
Casual as a food delivery review. Arrogant.
Yeri-che gasped.
Sounded like greeting, but...
Cancel and no more supply—threat.
"...Uh, can we haggle..."
"Auction closed!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Auctioneer hammered mercilessly.
Yeri-che glared floorward, venom in eyes.
Dare scam me? You bastard seller... I'll find you!
As all reeled in shock, fury, awe.
Back row shadows.
Pandemonium assassin, dethroned Number 100 Race's lips twisted into a grotesque grin.
"Auction's done. Time to rob."
Sssslither—
From his feet, ominous ash-gray shadow snaked toward the venue like a serpent.