Chapter 936
Chapter 936
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 936
Chapter Title: Academy's Savior
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"But why are the demons gunning for the Black Rosary? They can't even use its effects," Cheon-woo whispered, his eyes darting toward Room 60.
"They probably want to get their hands on something harmful to them and destroy it themselves," I replied coolly. "Or maybe it's a collector's obsession, or a demon with some specialized skill. There are plenty of exceptions in this world, so don't let your thinking get too narrow."
"...Hearing you say that, it feels like I’ve been looking at things through a straw."
72 billion won.
That was the final bid that secured the Black Rosary. I hit the 'Receive' button on the console. About three minutes later, a golem entered the room and presented the item. At this auction, you could claim your winnings immediately or wait until the very end. I wasn't the waiting type.
"Kim Cheon-woo. Take this."
"M-Me?! N-No way. This is worth a fortune!"
"I bought it for you in the first place. I don't have holy power, so it’s useless to me. Besides, you're still weak—you need a safety net. This thing blocks fatal blows. Take it."
"B-But—"
"I said take it."
I tossed the Black Rosary toward him. Startled, Cheon-woo fumbled but managed to catch it.
"Don't wear it on the outside. Tuck it under your clothes. It works like a talisman; as long as it’s on your person, the divine protection is active."
"...Thanks, Yu-jin. I’ll find a way to repay this debt, I swear."
"Save the gratitude. Just get strong enough to actually kill a demon or two."
The auction rolled on.
I threw out occasional bids, mostly targeting high-grade elixirs. Each win cost me tens of billions, sometimes hundreds. Honestly, it felt pretty damn good dropping that kind of cash without a care in the world.
Cheon-woo, however, was a nervous wreck. Every time I claimed an item right away, he’d fidget, drawing unwanted attention to our booth.
"...Yu-jin-ah. We’ve been using our real names this whole time. Are you sure that’s wise?"
"It’s fine."
The privacy in these rooms was absolute. There were no recording devices, and the golems were basic constructs with no communication functions. That level of discretion was exactly why the elite trusted this place.
"Next up is the Golden Apple! Yes, the legendary fruit from the myths!"
"Look at it, ladies and gentlemen! Behold its radiant glow! This isn't just fruit; it's salvation. Eating this frees you from the cruelest curses or most stubborn congenital diseases. In critical condition? It offers instant recovery far beyond any high-grade potion. But the most sought-after effect? Rejuvenation! Old scars vanish, and you'll literally grow years younger! We’ll start the bidding at a modest 50 billion won!"
Bids began flashing across the screen in rapid succession. I sat back and watched.
'Sung Ha-ri is finally making her move.'
Knowing her, she wasn't interested in looking younger. She wanted the status ailment removal. She was likely trying to find a way to break the Spirit King's Binding (SS).
"100 billion! We’ve already hit 100 billion! Don't hesitate—this is your chance to buy back your youth! Invest in yourself!"
The promise of youth was like a drug to the bidders. The numbers accelerated.
"This is insane... it’s jumping by 10 billion every few seconds," Cheon-woo muttered, his jaw hanging open. It hit 300 billion in the blink of an eye.
The Golden Apple eventually sold for 306.3 billion won. The winner: Room 351. Sung Ha-ri. She claimed it immediately, making a bold statement of her wealth.
'I was going to bid on it and gift it to her, but she beat me to it. Change of plans then.'
It was time to have some fun with the demon bastards in Room 60.
Every time the Skeleton Mask entered a bid, I countered him instantly. I was making it personal, claiming items right out from under his nose.
"...Yu-jin-ah. Those demons are staring like they want to skin us alive."
"That's the point."
I stood up and pointedly flipped them the bird through the glass. Through my Heavenly Eye, I could see the demon grinding his teeth in fury. I just snickered and outbid him again.
The demon started trying to bait me, jacking up prices just so I’d have to pay more.
'Nice try. Now watch me bail.'
I suddenly stopped bidding on a minor item, leaving the demon to overpay by more than 50%. The Skeleton Mask shot up from his sofa, pointing at me and screaming silently behind the soundproof glass.
I didn't just sit there. I jumped up, walked to the glass, and performed a mockingly slow Joker dance, clapping my hands. When I finished with a flashy roundhouse kick into the air, he pounded the glass in a blind rage.
"Room 60! Maintain decorum! Any attempt at force will be met with immediate expulsion!" the host barked.
The demon trembled but sat back down. I cackled behind my mask.
Next, my final target for the night appeared.
"Here we go! A weapon forged for the sole purpose of slaughtering the inhabitants of hell! These twin blades may look worn, but the power they hold is devastating! The ultimate anti-devil weapon! I present to you: the Oath Twinblades!"
The response from the hall was lukewarm. Unless you were a professional Devil Hunter, the swords were just expensive scrap metal. A B+ rank wasn't enough to tempt most billionaires.
"The wielder of these blades slew over 80 demons and two high-ranking devils! Their history is written in blood. We start the bidding at 30 billion won!"
I slammed the button immediately. In the game, this was the only way to obtain these blades.
"500 billion won! A bid for 500 billion!"
"Yu-jin... are you serious?!" Cheon-woo gasped. The hall erupted in murmurs as people scrambled to re-examine the item, wondering what they’d missed.
"510 billion! Room 60 counters!"
I saw the Skeleton Mask hammering the button. He knew the blades' secret—he wanted them destroyed before they could be used against his kind. I raised my hand with theatrical flair, waited for all eyes to settle on me, and then slowly pressed the pad.
"1,000 billion won! One trillion won!" the host shouted, his voice cracking.
The Skeleton Mask was visibly shaking. He tapped a smaller bid.
"1,001 billion!"
"Heh. You pathetic, bottom-feeding prick," I muttered.
I slammed the bid for 2,000 billion won. Two trillion.
The hall went silent. Most people just stared at the screen, shaking their heads at the sheer absurdity of the number.
"Sold for 2 trillion won!" the host cheered, his enthusiasm reaching a fever pitch.
"You're out of your mind! Yu-jin! Why would you double it?!" Cheon-woo hissed, grabbing my shoulder.
"Because it pisses him off. And because it's worth it." I slapped his hand away. "You know Bitcoin?"
"Who doesn't? ...Wait, you don't mean..."
"I’ve spent 600 billion today. My total wealth? This barely registers as a dent."
"...Just how much do you have?!"
"More than you could ever spend in ten lifetimes."
The golem brought the blades. I picked them up with one hand and shoved them toward Cheon-woo.
"Infuse them with your holy power. Now."
"Holy power? Ah! So that’s the secret!"
He activated Holy War (S). Amplified by the Black Rosary I’d given him earlier, a massive surge of holy energy flowed into the blades. They began to hum, the air around them vibrating.
"More. Give them everything you've got."
I could feel the eyes of the entire hall on us, but I didn't care. Finally, the blades reached their saturation point. Whoosh. A thick plume of black smoke erupted from the tips, enveloping me in a cold, dark mist.
A hollow, spectral voice echoed through the room.
"I... will slaughter every single devil in this world. Especially Mekin. That bastard dies by my hand...!"
The smoke seeped through my armor and into my skin.
"Yu-jin?!"
I waved him off. I felt incredible. The mission was complete.
I had officially become the natural enemy of the demonic realm.
???
Sung Ha-ri had been watching the clown-masked man intently. For some reason, she couldn't pull her eyes away. He bid like a maniac, trolling Room 60 with a bizarre, childish confidence.
"That clown spends money exactly like you do," Choi Jeong-hwa noted dryly.
"Like me? How?"
"'Dumb money' style. Splashing cash like it’s going out of style. It’s definitely your vibe."
"Dumb? You want to get hit?"
"...It was a figure of speech." Jeong-hwa clicked her tongue. She’d hoped having a child would mellow Ha-ri out, but she was just as volatile as she had been in high school. She truly felt for her son.
"Wait... that twinblade had a secret. Whoever that clown is, he knows his stuff," Ha-ri whispered.
"Ha-ri? Are you leaving? There are still 20 items left."
"I'm not leaving. But the auction is over."
"What do you mean?"
Ha-ri pointed toward Room 60. The Skeleton Mask had produced a jagged skull staff from sub-space and was now swinging it toward the center of the hall. The ground quaked and split open as swarms of undead crawled from the fissures. The air itself tore asunder as dozens of crocodile-like fiends burst into the room.
The demon had decided to stop bidding and start killing.