Only Idiots Pay for These
"Alright, alright! Let's forget about the distractions and keep things moving. Who was the last one to place a bid?"
The auction resumed. A moment later, Yi Do shelled out 200 gold to secure another Star Badge. Watching Yi Do purchase a badge for the same price he had paid earlier, Do Manseong felt a sharp sting of envy. Do Manseong only had one badge to his name, and now Yi Do was on the verge of surpassing his score. The situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for him.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the third round of the auction concluded. From this round alone, Bukjin had managed to pocket an IOU worth 700 gold. Furthermore, the genius students who had participated—including Yi Do, Tak Gaesim, and Wang Hyeongye—had successfully secured more badges, bringing their individual totals to two each. Their scores were now climbing steadily, sitting just below Sim Bi's. They had already overtaken the scores of the so-called "Twin Pillars" of the National Imperial Junior Academy, Do Manseong and Yi Do.
Whew, it’s still okay. A few people might have passed me, but I’m still in the top twenty. As long as I make it to the main tournament, I’ll be fine.
Do Manseong, who had been racking his brain in distress, felt a wave of relief after assessing the current rankings. He no longer cared about being at the top; his only goal now was survival. Sim Bi shared a similar sentiment. He believed that as long as he made it to the main tournament, he would find an opportunity to turn the tables. Sim Bi patted Do Manseong and Yi Do on the shoulders, giving them a look that told them not to panic.
But in the next heartbeat, even Sim Bi couldn't maintain his composure. In fact, he felt like he was going to lose his mind. Bukjin had reached into his robes once again and pulled out another ten badges.
The students were beyond shocked; they were utterly shell-shocked.
Forty Star Badges?
Is Im Bukjin the secret love child of the selection trial examiner or something?
How is this possible unless he knew exactly where every single badge was hidden beforehand?
It defied all logic. The students began to feel a profound sense of regret regarding their own lives. It all felt so futile. However, Bukjin didn't give them a chance to snap out of it or start questioning the source. He immediately kicked off the fourth auction.
"50 GOLD!"
This time, a student started the bidding at five times the starting price right out of the gate. The competition instantly reached a fever pitch.
"100 GOLD...!"
"120 GOLD!"
"210 GOLD!"
The students were screaming at the top of their lungs, their faces flushed bright red. It seemed as though everyone had abandoned reason and succumbed to the madness of the auction. Even those who had already purchased badges couldn't afford to sit still. They were forced to keep bidding to maintain their lead. If they didn't, the other students would buy their way up the rankings, rendering their previous purchases worthless.
A short while later, when the fourth auction ended, Bukjin was grinning like a madman. In this round alone, he had raked in a total of 1,100 gold. Adding that to the earnings from the previous three rounds, his total profit stood at 2,660 gold. It was a staggering sum that made his head spin. And yet, Bukjin still had forty badges left.
After a moment of deliberation, Bukjin decided not to stop there. He reached into his robes and pulled out twenty badges all at once.
The sight was enough to shatter the students' remaining sanity. The sheer volume of badges exceeded the amount of shock their minds could process. They gave up on trying to figure out how he had them. Driven by pure instinct, their eyes turned bloodshot as they began shouting prices with reckless abandon. Reason had completely fled the scene.
It was then that a voice cut through the chaos.
"Wait! 2,000 GOLD! I will pay 2,000 gold! Sell me eight badges!"
Yi Do, who had been maintaining a tense silence, finally stepped forward, unable to hold back any longer.
"I have never done anything to harm you, Student Im. In fact, I have always wished for us to be friends. If the amount isn't to your liking, feel free to name your price. I will ensure you are not disappointed."
His attitude was exceptionally polite. Hearing Yi Do's words, Bukjin let out a thin smile.
"True. You haven't personally harmed me," Bukjin said.
Yi Do's face lit up with joy. But the moment the words left his mouth, Bukjin's smile vanished. He spoke with a cold, decisive tone he hadn't used once until now.
"But you have sinned against Lady Im Jin, who stands right here. To me, that is a far greater crime than harming me personally. Setting everything else aside, I can never forgive the sneak attack you launched against her. In this life, we are eternal enemies. There is absolutely no chance of me ever becoming your friend. Money? That’s not the issue. Even if you offered me Unmong City—no, the entire North Sea Empire—I wouldn't sell you a single badge!"
Yi Do looked as if his soul had left his body. The rowdy students fell silent instantly. Sim Bi glared at Bukjin with murderous intent, a strange, eerie light flickering in his eyes. It was as if he were carving every detail of Bukjin's face and every one of his actions into his memory.
Watching the scene unfold, Mok Simwol felt a sudden tremor deep within her heart. She turned her head away in confusion. Her mind was flooded with memories of the countless students who had showered her with sweet words and beautiful metaphors. So many had confessed their love, grandly promising to give her everything they had. But looking back now, she realized that among all those boys, not a single one had truly sacrificed everything or devoted himself to her without expecting anything in return. There had been only one man who had actually matched his words with his actions, granting her every wish.
That man had been the old Bukjin.
And now, that side of Bukjin was nowhere to be found—at least not for her. He was now shielding another girl. It was the crushing weight of realizing that something she once owned had vanished forever. Mok Simwol had never felt this way before, but now, a dull ache throbbed deep in her chest. It was a pain that felt like being torn apart.
Many of the other female students were looking at Im Jin with faces full of envy and jealousy. Im Jin was the most cherished daughter of the Lord of Unmong City. She was a genius second only to the legendary Im Cheong-seon. She was the most beautiful girl in the city. She already possessed everything a girl her age could dream of. And now, she had one more thing for others to envy.
Im Jin remained silent. Standing beside Bukjin, her face—as white as jade and as beautiful as a sculpture—showed no sign of agitation. However, a flicker of an unidentifiable emotion passed through her heart. She stayed close to Bukjin's side, looking like a being from a realm far removed from the other students.
Time passed, and Bukjin eventually sold off all twenty of the badges he had brought out. He earned another 1,800 gold in cash and IOUs. Only the students who still had a realistic chance of making it to the main tournament participated in this final round. As the auction progressed, it became clear that one or two badges wouldn't be enough to secure a spot, so those without hope gave up early. Consequently, the profit wasn't as high as the previous rounds, but Bukjin was more than satisfied.
He had sold sixty badges and earned 4,460 gold. This was a sum that even a large mercenary group or a merchant guild in Unmong City might not see as net profit in an entire year. For Bukjin, however, 4,460 gold simply meant he could charge his smartphone 446 times. Assuming he used 100% of his battery every day, this was enough to last him 446 days. The charging issue, which had been a constant headache since his arrival in this dimension, was finally resolved—at least for a while.
"Student Im! Is that all? Surely you have more!"
"I still need more! Just one more!"
"Hurry up and bring out more badges!"
The students, their eyes bloodshot and their breathing ragged, were shouting at him desperately.
"The auction ends here!"
Bukjin's cold, heartless words shattered the students' hopeful fantasies. In the next moment, he pulled out four more badges. In front of the entire crowd, he handed them over to Ak Hong-hyang.
"T-this...? You're giving these to me?" Ak Hong-hyang stammered, completely flustered.
Bukjin smiled warmly. "Of course. Go on, take them. If you hadn't brought me fruits and vegetables every day during this trial, I would have starved to death. Consider this a repayment of that debt. These four badges are for the food."
Ak Hong-hyang stood there with a dazed expression, as if she were in a dream. She had simply shared the fruits and vegetables she gathered outside every day. She never imagined that such a small gesture would return to her in the form of four Star Badges. It was like trading a few handfuls of grass for pure gold.
"B-but... this is too much. I... I can't possibly..." Ak Hong-hyang struggled to speak through her shock.
Bukjin shook his head, signaling that he didn't want to hear another word. He firmly pressed the four badges into her hands.
"We're classmates from the same academy. There's no need for such formalities between us. Regardless of what anyone else thinks, the food you gave me was precious and can't be bought with money. Only idiots pay for badges with gold."
"..."
The students were struck dumb.
Then what does that make us, who just spent a fortune buying them?
Is that really something the guy who just sold them for profit should be saying?
The words were on the tips of their tongues, but they couldn't utter a sound. Ak Hong-hyang stood there holding the four badges, still unsure of what to do. Bukjin had sold many badges in the auction, but these four were more than enough to guarantee that Ak Hong-hyang would pass the selection and move on to the main tournament. Happiness had arrived so suddenly.
The other students watched her with expressions of pure envy and jealousy—especially those who had paid astronomical sums for their badges. They couldn't help but feel that Bukjin was being blatantly discriminatory.
We're all human, so why does she get four badges for some fruit while we have to pay our life savings...?
Bukjin didn't care about their stares in the slightest. Instead, he pulled out six more badges and handed them to Im Jin.
"And these are a gift for our Fairy. Thanks for your help today."