Chapter 125: Bulgaram (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 125: Bulgaram (1)
The auction proceeded at a rapid pace.
As the auctioneer stepped onto the central stage, the lights in each room dimmed all at once.
In the center of a sofa to one side, a blue-lit tablet immediately turned on.
It was the device used to participate in the auction.
Shuffle, shuffle.
As the room grew dark, Kang A-rin plopped down on the edge of the sofa.
Then, she began to stealthily shuffle closer and closer to me.
I was staring at the tablet screen when I spoke to her.
“Come closer. You can’t see well from there.”
As if feigning innocence, she scooted a little closer…
But I just grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her right next to me.
She had to be on my side to operate the tablet anyway. Besides, her view of the stage was blocked by a pillar.
Kang A-rin, trying to hide her flustered expression, picked up the remote and pretended to fiddle with the tablet.
She pressed the buttons one by one, cycling through the screens.
I couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
Kang A-rin glanced my way and asked quietly.
“What are you after today?”
“A heat-resistant suit.”
Kang A-rin raised an eyebrow, then said with a small laugh.
“What, are you going to put out a fire somewhere?”
Her tone was full of mischief.
“…Something like that.”
Realizing she was right, I nodded.
Kang A-rin watched my face for a moment before adding in a confident voice.
“I’ll buy it for you.”
I smiled and shook my head.
Kang A-rin had come with me, but I only intended to rely on her for getting in. Honestly, just getting me in was more than enough to be grateful for.
I had no intention of depending on her financially.
“Hmm… Is that so?”
Kang A-rin’s lips curled into a brief smile before she turned her gaze back to the auctioneer.
“If you change your mind, just let me know.”
I didn’t plan on it, but her words were reassuring.
The auctioneer stood in the center of the stage and gestured, and the lights in every room went out in an instant.
All I could feel beside me was the pleasant warmth of Kang A-rin.
Click.
A small spotlight on the stage illuminated a single auction item.
[Dragon Bone Greaves]
On an elegant display stand sat a gleaming pair of greaves.
The auctioneer continued his explanation in a calm voice.
“Our first item. Greaves made from the bones of an ancient dragon, engraved with high-level magic, and crafted by a master with extensive practical experience.”
A pretty decent item to start with.
The quality was on a different level from the Auction.
The explanation concluded, and the bidding began.
Beep.
Beep.
The rooms that placed a bid lit up brightly.
“1.12 billion, 1.14 billion, 1.16 billion…”
And the moment a bid was finalized, the light in that room flashed once more, brightening before slowly fading back into darkness.
One by one, the next items were brought out.
[Mithril Cloak]
[Brooch of Saint Marco]
With each new item, some rooms would light up for a moment only to go dark again.
As the auction truly got underway, the atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly tense.
And then.
[Yaksha's Purgatory]
It was finally here.
The item I’d been waiting for.
I used All-Encompassing Perception to check its information.
[The robes of a lotus flower that did not perish even after being submerged in hellfire and burned a thousand times.]
[Basic Effects]
[Transcendence-grade Fire Resistance]
[Mana Amplification, Circulation]
[Special Effects]
[Desperate Regeneration]
[Can assimilate and absorb cursed mana, converting it to Mana]
The legacy left behind by a Yaksha as it burned in hellfire.
Not only was it resistant to flames, but it could also instantly absorb cursed flames that melt the body and convert them into mana.
I had to have it. Absolutely.
I moved to press the bid button quickly.
But in that moment, a warm sensation covered the back of my hand.
Kang A-rin gently wrapped her hand around mine and gave a slight shake of her head.
A small whisper flowed into my ear.
“Just a little… slower.”
I realized I had been about to instinctively jump in.
It seemed my lack of auction experience was showing.
“1.5 billion… 1.51 billion…”
The auctioneer slowly called out the amounts.
Despite being a named artifact, the Yaksha, the bidding was lukewarm.
After all, without a detection-type Authority, it would be impossible to grasp its full capabilities.
Thanks to that, the competition wasn't as fierce as I'd expected.
Kang A-rin tapped the back of my hand again and instructed in a low voice.
“Okay. From now on, just… poke at it gently… one bid at a time.”
Following her words, I bid, raising the amount little by little.
A little leisurely, but consistent.
“Yes… that’s a good rhythm.”
“1.8 billion… 1.9 billion… 2.0 billion…”
The frequency of bids began to decrease.
“Now. Hit it hard.”
I nodded and decisively pressed the button.
“2.5 billion… 2.5 billion… 2.5 billion… Bidding closes in ten seconds!”
As the countdown began, the other rooms fell silent.
This easily, really?
Beep.
[Winning Bid Confirmed.]
The words appeared on the tablet.
The light in our room faded out.
Kang A-rin whispered to me.
“Not bad for your first time.”
I turned my head to Kang A-rin.
“Thanks. It was all you.”
She grinned at me.
I felt like I was starting to get the hang of it. The unique rhythm of the auction was slowly sinking in.
The auction continued.
My preparations for heat resistance were more or less complete, but I scanned the list further, just in case.
I was heading into an unknown domain, and I was a cautious person by nature.
[Magma Booster]
[Absorbs ambient heat and converts it into a defensive barrier.]
It sold for a cheaper price than expected, 500 million.
With this, my heat-resistance preparations were truly solid.
Now I needed a tool to find my way.
I wondered if there would be anything suitable…
Just then, the auctioneer brought out another artifact.
[Compass of Salvation]
[Points the right way like a ray of light, even in the abyss of despair.]
Both the name and the description were a perfect fit for me right now.
The competition wasn't very fierce for this one either.
With this, all my preparations were finally complete.
I leaned back on the sofa and slowly scanned the list of my winning bids on the tablet.
Kang A-rin leaned her head lightly on my shoulder and asked.
“Satisfied?”
I smiled faintly.
“Yeah. This is perfect.”
I had gotten everything I wanted.
All that was left was to watch the rest of the auction.
The next item.
Just then, the auctioneer held up a small case.
[Seed of Yggdrasil]
“Yggdrasil…?”
For a moment, my mind went blank.
Yggdrasil is the most famous ancient tree in the world, also known as the World Tree.
Its divinity was a given, and the value of its seed was beyond question.
The problem was that Yggdrasil had been destroyed.
For the Evil God, the greatest threats were landmarks imbued with sacred energy.
Yggdrasil was one of them.
Thus, with the Evil God's emergence in the past, it was immediately destroyed.
But I never imagined that its progenitor, its legacy, would be here at this auction house.
According to the story, it was supposed to be in the hands of the Mines. Kang A-rin's brother was supposed to have given it to them to curry favor.
I need it.
I desperately need it.
The problem is the price.
My total budget was 10 billion.
I thought that would be more than enough. The items I wanted weren't supposed to be that expensive, after all.
So, to be honest, it was a generous budget, and I still had nearly 7 billion left.
But that seed is different.
The moment bidding began, lights in rooms all over the hall lit up at once.
Countless competitors had reacted instantly.
Kang A-rin whispered meaningfully over my shoulder.
“Oh my… there seem to be quite a few bidders?”
“……”
The price skyrocketed in an instant.
“5 billion. From now on, bids will increase in increments of 50 million.”
This is bad.
This is really bad.
That seed will be a huge help in the days to come.
I stared at the bid button on the tablet.
[6.0 Billion]
[6.5 Billion]
[7.0 Billion]
Stop, please.
I begged in my mind, but the numbers climbed without any mercy.
Lights flashed in room after room, then went out in an instant.
The auctioneer's voice grew clearer and clearer.
“8 billion! 8.5 billion! 9 billion…”
The numbers kept changing in my head as well.
And then the price easily surpassed 10 billion.
It was impossible.
I took my hand off the tablet and laughed helplessly.
At that moment, someone beside me quietly pressed close.
It was Kang A-rin.
“Is something troubling you?”
The same words Kang A-rin always said to me.
But her breath against my ear was too close. Her fingertips brushed lightly against my thigh.
Kang A-rin whispered playfully, her lips right next to my ear.
“Hmm… I think I can probably solve this for you, too…”
“12 billion… 12 billion… 12 billion… Bidding closes in ten seconds!”
The amount on the tablet was 12 billion. Considering its value, it was still a cheap price.
Tap, tatap.
Kang A-rin unhesitatingly entered 15 billion on the tablet.
Then, she whispered low and slow in my ear.
“But you have to make me a promise.”
“A promise…?”
“If something's not working out, if you're struggling… you have to tell me. Ask for help. Especially from me.”
I tried to lift my head slightly to look at her, but Kang A-rin rested her chin on my shoulder and narrowed her eyes.
That's just my personality.
I'm the type to burrow into a hole and worry by myself rather than ask someone for help.
But this was no time to be stubborn about my pride.
“5…! 4…!”
“…I will.”
In the end, I promised.
Beep.
[You have bid 15 billion.]
“15 billion… 15 billion… 15 billion… Bidding closes in ten seconds!”
With her hand still on my thigh, Kang A-rin smiled slowly and whispered once more.
“Good boy. But you have to keep your promise.”
[Winning Bid Confirmed]
The moment the auction ended, the light in our room slowly faded out.
I turned my head and looked at Kang A-rin.
“If I don't…”
A faint light reflected in her red eyes.
“I'll leave it to your imagination.”
Her voice was laced with a chilling playfulness.
And with that, the auction was over.