Let the Auction Begin
About fifteen minutes passed.
Suddenly, Sim Bi raised his head and shouted at the other students as if trying to hypnotize himself. "No! We cannot lose like this!"
He spun around, his bloodshot eyes scanning the dozens of students as he screamed, "Do you remember what I promised you? I promised that I would take the most hardworking and loyal among you to the finals. That promise has not changed! But right now, someone is standing in our way...!"
Sim Bi possessed a certain magnetic charm that drew people in. His voice, laced with power, resonated through the air. Holding his broken sword, he pointed at Im Jin and Bukjin with a ferocious expression.
"These two! They are blocking our path! They are trampling on our hopes and dreams! Everyone, the goal is right before our eyes. Just once! If you unleash your youth and passion just one more time, we can do it! Are you going to give up here?"
The students, whose spirits had been crushed and were on the verge of quitting, began to breathe faster. Their resentful glares shifted toward Im Jin and Bukjin.
Sim Bi pressed on. "If we put in one more effort to crush them, we can all hold hands and advance to the finals together! If you give up now, it will become a nightmare. When we return to our daily lives, we will surely regret it! The path of a warrior is only to move forward. Only those who do not give up can become strong. I, Sim Bi, have tasted defeat at the hands of those two once before. But as long as I can hold a sword, I will never give up. What about you... will you give up?!"
It was a final, desperate struggle. Hearing his words, Do Manseong let out a roar of fury and charged at Bukjin with his half-broken sword. Lee Do followed suit, letting out a beastly cry with bloodshot eyes as he lunged forward.
Sim Bi laughed loudly toward the sky before charging at Im Jin with his broken Tae-a Divine Sword. Paeng Il-myeong, Lee Dok, Tak Gae-sim, and about ten other genius students also stepped forward, swords in hand.
Sim Bi was right about one thing. They had nowhere left to retreat. Their only hope was battle. They could not accept being dropped from the selection trials like this.
"So that's how it's going to be..." Im Jin said calmly. "I suppose I have no choice but to make sure none of you can ever hold a sword again."
Im Jin raised her sword with her left hand. But just then, Bukjin shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Wait! Stop! Fighting and hurting each other is not the right way! Everyone! I have a great way for all of us to go to the finals together!"
Bukjin's voice carried an immense, inexplicable charm. A small crack formed in the hearts of the genius students who were charging in a fit of rage. In an instant, every single student froze in their tracks.
"Speak! What is this method?!" Paeng Il-myeong demanded loudly.
"Don't listen to him! That trashy scoundrel is just trying to buy time! We—" Lee Do shouted, but his words were cut short.
Bukjin had opened his palm.
His hand was quite elegant, but that wasn't what mattered. Resting on his palm were ten Star Badges. Under the sun, the ten badges shimmered with a dreamlike, beautiful radiance.
Every student's gaze was instantly glued to the Star Badges in Bukjin's hand. A sense of hollow futility washed over them. Ten badges. So many of them had spent nine days and nights using every method at their disposal to find even one, yet they had come up empty-handed. And yet, here was Bukjin, holding ten of them at once.
The sound of people gulping could be heard from all sides. Even Sim Bi stood there with a dazed expression, rubbing his eyes as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Even the peerless genius Im Jin looked significantly shocked.
Bukjin smiled and spoke up.
"Well? What do you think?" Bukjin's voice boomed. "The badges in my hand are all authentic! Everyone, considering our current rankings, basically each of you only needs one badge to advance to the finals. I am thinking of selling these badges to you. How about it?"
Bukjin's words were like pouring water into boiling oil. The students began to buzz with excitement.
"He's selling Star Badges?"
"If we can actually buy them, there's no need to fight, right?"
Do Manseong, sensing the situation was turning strange, spoke up sharply. "Don't fall for that scoundrel's tricks! If we just take them down, those badges are all ours! We don't need to pay a cent! Have you forgotten why we gathered here?!"
The students' eyes gleamed as they snapped back to their senses. He was right. Stealing didn't cost money. Why pay when they could just take them by force?
But then, Im Jin stepped up and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Bukjin. It was a small movement, but its effect was like a bucket of cold water dumped over their fighting spirit. With a peerless monster like Im Jin standing beside Bukjin, who could possibly hope to snatch the badges away? Furthermore, Bukjin himself had proven he wasn't weak by defeating Sim Bi in a direct confrontation.
"How much are you planning to sell them for?!" Paeng Il-myeong asked loudly.
Bukjin replied with a grin. "The starting price is 10 gold! We'll hold an auction, and I'll sell to the highest bidder!"
Hahaha! The time has finally come to harvest the fruits of my ten days of suffering! Bukjin laughed hysterically inside.
"10 gold for a badge?"
"That's not a bad price at all!"
The hearts of many students began to waver. While there had never been a monetary trade for Star Badges in the history of the selection trials, 10 gold was by no means expensive. These were items that had never even been available for purchase before.
Watching the students' expressions, Bukjin smirked inwardly. You idiots! Do you think I'm doing this because I'm a charity worker who doesn't want to charge a high price? If I could, I'd set the starting bid at 100 gold. But if I ask for too much right now, they'll definitely lose their minds and try to kill me for them...
Sim Bi, Do Manseong, and Lee Do watched the scene with bewildered faces.
Auctioning off Star Badges! How can one man be this cunning?!
Exchanging glances, the three of them reached the same conclusion. Im Jin must have secretly handed the badges to Im Bukjin. That shameless bastard!
They looked disgusted, but deep down, they were having a mid-life crisis. Is it really this easy to get everything in life just by being handsome?! Seeing the noble, peerless Great Demon King Im Jin clinging to a scoundrel like Bukjin was an eyesore they could hardly bear.
"Brother Bi, what do we do now?" Do Manseong whispered.
Sim Bi frowned. "Let's just watch for now. Ten badges won't change the overall situation that much... Even if all ten are sold, it won't stop us from advancing to the finals."
Lee Do added, "But doesn't this mean our goal of eliminating Im Jin has failed?"
Sim Bi replied, "It's fine. Every plan has variables. One must know when to adjust the plan according to the situation. Our failure to eliminate Im Jin this time was partly due to that scoundrel Im Bukjin stirring the pot, but the core issue was our lack of information. We didn't know Im Jin was a left-handed swordsman. Now that we know, we'll have another chance once we reach the finals."
Sim Bi was a man who could master his emotions very quickly. This was one of his greatest strengths. He was someone who never lost himself in the face of failure.
Hearing Sim Bi's words, Do Manseong and Lee Do also began to regain their composure. Meanwhile, Bukjin had already kicked off the auction for the "public good."
"I will now begin the auction for the first badge! The starting bid is 10 gold! I will only accept bids in increments of 1 gold!" Bukjin held up a badge with a beaming smile.
"10 gold!" Paeng Il-myeong shouted immediately.
"11 gold!"
"12 gold!"
"14 gold! I'll take it!" Lee Dok yelled at the top of his lungs.
In the end, the first badge was sold for 14 gold to Lee Dok, who was currently ranked 8th among the students from the 2nd Junior Academy. Bukjin wore a smile like a hunter who had just trapped a fox.
The exchange of the badge and the money was swift. After receiving the 14 gold, Bukjin handed the badge to Lee Dok. Lee Dok examined the badge closely before saying with a delighted face, "It's real! Thank you, Classmate Im!"
Based on the current score distribution, obtaining just one Star Badge was enough to guarantee a spot in the finals. Moreover, the price was a mere 14 gold. It was an incredibly reasonable deal. He even felt a bit sorry for Bukjin. Lee Dok's tone toward Bukjin had softened significantly, and his expression was now quite friendly.
Bukjin gave him a kind, neighborly smile. You moron. You think I'm doing you a favor? You'll be crying soon enough.
Bukjin pulled out the second badge.
"Moving right along!"
"11 gold!"
"12 gold!"
"15 gold! I'll buy it for 15!"
"17 gold!"
"20 gold! I'm buying this badge!" shouted Wang Hyeong-yeo of the 1st Junior Academy. She was a female student currently holding 4th place on the overall rankings displayed on the stone pillar. Among the students not from the National Imperial Junior Academy, she was the highest-ranked. As a renowned genius, she secured the second badge.
◈ Status: Authentic
◈ Buyer: Wang Hyeong-yeo
"Sold!" Bukjin handed the badge to Wang Hyeong-yeo after receiving the gold. She checked the badge thoroughly and, seeing no issues, flashed a bright smile.
Having finished the transaction, Bukjin cleared his throat and prepared to move on to the next auction. But then, Mok Simwol suddenly spoke up in a loud voice.
"Classmate Im! We are so very grateful to you for selling us these badges! However, I have one small doubt. I'm not sure if I should say it, but..."
"Then don't say it," Bukjin retorted, dismissing her as if she wasn't even worth the effort of a conversation.