The Book of Rifts
While watching Bahu and his legion of evil spirit trees raid the orcs, Kim Hwang-je received a call from Seo Jun-seo.
“Hello?”
“Sir, we’ve purchased the two relics at 4.5 billion won each, but the final item is facing intense price competition.”
“How high has it gone?”
“We’re observing the situation for now, but the Nokpyeong Guild just bid 19.7 billion won.”
“...What?”
Kim Hwang-je hadn’t even touched it, yet everyone wanted the item. It had to be something valuable.
“Buy it.”
“Understood. We’ll keep bidding until the end.”
By the time Kim Hwang-je returned to the auction hall, all the relic auctions had already concluded.
“These are the ones, right?”
Three sleek metal cases sat on the floor.
Kim Hwang-je pressed the button on the first case.
Hisss—
“A ring and a bracelet?”
“Yes. They’re typically purified equipment taken from fallen-type monsters.”
They all looked quite pretty. He would give them to Benedict to help him awaken.
Kim Hwang-je placed the items into the trade window.
“This last one must be expensive, huh?”
The final case was the largest.
“Indeed. It was won for 39.5 billion won.”
With a pounding heart, Kim Hwang-je opened the case.
“Huh? A flail?”
What the hell was this?
There it was—the humble, rustic grain-threshing flail, looking almost shy as it greeted him.
“...What is this?”
“It’s a sacred flail.”
“...Is this even a weapon?”
“No. It’s a tool for threshing grain.”
The calm delivery of that answer felt like a crime. A good employee should at least show some empathy for their boss’s shock, right? Or was demanding emotional labor considered workplace abuse?
Kim Hwang-je’s mind spiraled into panic at the sight of the flail.
“Grain... threshing... sacred relic... 39.5 billion...”
He collapsed into his seat.
Seo Jun-seo frantically waved his hands at Kim Hwang-je’s skeptical glare.
“It’s a genuine article. At this level of quality, we actually got it for a bargain.”
“...I’ll trust you. You swore an oath, after all.”
There had been no contact from the Illiterate Mage. That meant the money hadn’t been wasted.
Still, he had already burned through over 100 billion won at this auction alone. The final item had better be a jackpot...
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than Kim Hwang-je’s merchandise finally came up for auction.
“The next item we’d like to present is a secret product prepared by Lost. Through Lost’s proprietary process, we’ve maximized the yield of this Calamity-grade corpse.”
“Calamity-grade?”
“What did you say?!”
The hunters’ atmosphere shifted instantly. Even those who had stormed out in protest of Kim Hwang-je’s dominance rushed back inside.
“It’s really Calamity-grade!”
“Where was it hunted? The recent deep-sea giant didn’t even come close to Calamity rank!”
“Would Lost lie? Maybe it was caught in North Korean territory...”
“Come on, how would anyone even get in there?”
Kim Hwang-je listened to the murmurs below. He could hear it—the sound of money rolling in.
This flail could go straight to Benedict. Time to look forward to the cash flowing into his pockets.
“First up is the Scarab Champion. Bidding starts at 200 billion won!”
Of course, the actual corpse wasn’t brought onstage. A holographic projection of the Scarab corpse stored elsewhere appeared on the podium.
“Scarab Champion!”
“Is that the real thing? One that wasn’t taken out by a nuclear strike?”
The hall erupted as if a bomb had gone off. Kim Hwang-je was reminded of the sea of white arms waving during the 2002 World Cup cheering songs. Every faction raised their paddles at once.
This is huge... an absolute goldmine!
Kim Hwang-je naturally didn’t bid. White hands shot up from the terrace seats as well.
Then Seo Jun-seo whispered to him.
“Sir.”
“Yeah?”
“You need to bid as well.”
“...What?”
“It’ll look suspicious if people start wondering whether this merchandise is actually yours.”
“Is that allowed?”
“Of course. You’ll be purchasing it under the foundation’s name.”
So this was actually possible? Kim Hwang-je raised his hand with a grin.
“We have a bid of 320 billion! From Mr. Kim Hwang-je on the third-floor terrace!”
“Grrrgh!”
A furious grinding of teeth echoed from the opposite terrace. Kim Hwang-je couldn’t resist looking. A bald man was glaring daggers at him.
Then the man shouted loud enough for Kim Hwang-je to hear.
“You left the potions behind, and now you want this too? I won’t forgive you...!”
He hadn’t left any potions behind, but the man charged forward with a terrifying glare.
“Director Ko Jun-ki of the Warrior Alliance bids 340 billion!”
At the auctioneer’s clear voice, a smile spread across Kim Hwang-je’s lips.
So this is the guy who’s been bothering Jung Da-yeon?
In that case, why not have a little fun?
Kim Hwang-je elegantly raised his index and middle fingers.
“520 billion! A bold increase from the third-floor terrace, Mr. Kim Hwang-je!”
The atmosphere exploded.
“420 billion!”
“500 billion!”
Kim Hwang-je blinked in disbelief at the rapidly climbing numbers.
“Seo Jun-seo, is the country really not going to collapse at this rate?”
“Pardon?”
“Ah, I mean... spending this much money all at once just feels unreal...”
“You don’t need to worry. Spending 500 billion on artwork would be far less beneficial to the economy than this. Someone out there built a headquarters for 15 trillion won.”
“What?”
The scale was beyond his comprehension, so Kim Hwang-je dug at his ear.
“These materials will be processed into Magi’s Stellar Sensors and ultra-precision rift suppression navigation devices. Each one involves production processes on the scale of major SOC projects.”
What on earth was he talking about?
He should probably just stay quiet. At least half of it would go to him anyway. They were going to break it down, make something expensive, build more stuff, and pay salaries, right? Businesspeople probably knew what they were doing.
Glug glug.
Kim Hwang-je sipped his cola. Seo Jun-seo said not to worry, but the one who would actually receive the money felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
What if the ground suddenly collapsed, a meteor fell, or a tsunami hit and the auction hall was destroyed before he could collect?
Kim Hwang-je’s heart pounded wildly.
My heart’s racing this much—maybe the Great Sage’s curse has finally lifted?
With anticipation, he discreetly lifted the hem of his Emperor’s Robes. But the light shining from his lower body had only grown stronger, now visible even through his pants.
Kim Hwang-je quickly wrapped himself tightly in the robes again.
Aaaah... It doesn’t react to women, but it reacts to money... So the organ is different, huh...
Tears welled up on their own.
Completely missing Kim Hwang-je’s inner turmoil, Seo Jun-seo spoke up.
“At this rate, it might reach one trillion won.”
Kim Hwang-je had doubted it, but the secretary was right.
Moments later, the Scarab sold for one trillion, and the Triple-Headed Ogre corpse went even higher at 1.1 trillion won.
“All Calamity-grade corpses have now been sold. The items are currently being transported. Thank you for your payment!”
Even the host’s voice reached him. Kim Hwang-je’s provocative dominance had ignited the hunters’ fury, resulting in this outcome.
“...”
Two trillion won in his account overnight?
Kim Hwang-je watched his fingers tremble as he held the champagne glass.
“Ahjussi~ Your hands are shaking~”
Poyu poked her head between his fingers and rubbed her face against his thumb and index finger.
His heart felt like it was about to burst.
“...Uh, um... Poyu. Something really good happened...”
Kim Hwang-je turned his head and spoke.
“Hey, Seo Jun-seo... How rich am I right now? On a global scale.”
“The average net worth of the world’s top 500 richest people is 17 trillion won. You’re probably... within the top 3,000. Congratulations.”
“Hehe, ehehe...”
Kim Hwang-je leaned back in his chair and laughed. What should he have for dinner? Ah, you needed to have had money before to even think about splurging... The hotel buffet was 350,000 won per person, wasn’t it?
Was the auction over now? What about the prophecy?
Poyu, who had been smiling, suddenly turned serious and climbed onto Kim Hwang-je’s chest.
“Ahjussi. You have to buy the last item.”
“What’s wrong, Poyu?”
Poyu buried her face against his stomach.
“...The guy who wants that thing is super strong!...”
“Huh?”
“Hngh... Ahjussi, I’m scared...”
“What?”
Kim Hwang-je hurriedly pulled Poyu into his arms and patted her back. The baby dragon’s face had gone pale.
What did she mean?
“It’s okay, Poyu, calm down... Why is your face so white?”
Kim Hwang-je grabbed a tissue from the side, wet it with clean water, and gently wiped the corners of Poyu’s eyes. Poyu grabbed his hand with her tiny paws as he cleaned the sleep from her eyes.
Those pink jelly beans on the fairy dragon’s soles! Kim Hwang-je struggled to keep his breathing steady. Poyu’s mood was clearly off.
“Hngh... It tickles~”
“The enemy is strong? How strong are we talking?”
“I don’t knooow... But because of that item, this building is gonna get split in half. I saw it.”
“What?”
How many floors was this building?!
Kim Hwang-je swallowed the scream that threatened to escape. Gaya Hotel was a colossal structure exceeding 150 stories, built to be incredibly sturdy in the age of monsters. On top of that, the Gaya Gold Crown sat at its peak—the very core of Seoul’s southern barrier. Only an existence powerful enough to destroy the entire barrier could possibly cut this building in half.
But did that mean Poyu’s prophecy was wrong?
“Ah...”
Just how many overwhelmingly powerful enemies existed in this world? A chill ran down Kim Hwang-je’s spine.
Dave’s battles happened on a screen, but this fight would take place right in front of him...
But just how strong was this thing?
“Seo Jun-seo.”
“Yes, sir.”
“How much force would it take to destroy this building?”
Seo Jun-seo tilted his head. Why was he asking this? Was it because of the prophecy about the final attack?
Seo Jun-seo pondered seriously. If Kim Hwang-je was concerned about terrorism targeting the building, his suspicion would carry far more weight than anyone else’s.
“You probably already know this in greater depth, but to give you the official information: This facility is the core of Seoul’s southern barrier. As a single structure, it can withstand impacts of up to 16 megatons. When combined with other barrier facilities, it can theoretically defend against up to 52 megatons.”
Wait, what?
Kim Hwang-je couldn’t process the terminology.
“Megatons?”
“The B83 strategic hydrogen bomb currently operated by the United States has a yield of 1.2 megatons.”
“It can take a nuclear hit and still be fine?”
“Theoretically, of course. It’s never actually been tested.”
Kim Hwang-je was stunned.
Seoul was incredible! Gaya Hotel was incredible! So that was why a year’s stay cost so much!
Well, they never dropped a nuke on Seoul even after the monster outbreak, so of course he wouldn’t have known!
But something wanted to split a building like this in half...?
Kim Hwang-je swallowed hard.
Right. No matter what item came out, he would hand it over quietly. He had made a lot of money—he could use it to protect the kingdom. Heavy equipment had shredded the orcs, hadn’t it? If he pushed in enough tanks, artillery, and whatever else, he could defend against anything!
Kim Hwang-je thought this while holding the trembling Poyu.
But still...
What kind of tool could an existence like that possibly covet?
Soon the auctioneer stepped onto the podium.
“Thank you for your patience, distinguished guests. This is the final item of today’s VVIP auction. If the pinnacle of romance is a proposal, then this treasure could be called the proposal of auctions.”
“Hah... Listen to that line.”
Kim Hwang-je felt uneasy. Buying this thing would put his life in danger...
“For the first time, we present to our honored guests an object containing ancient secrets—one of the world’s greatest secrets, obtained exclusively by Lost.”
What on earth were they trying to sell with all this buildup?
“It is none other than The Book of Rifts.”
Your Majesty!!!!!
No matter what happens, you MUST purchase this item!!
Oh my god. This was the first time the alarm had been this deafening. The status window was in an uproar. Kim Hwang-je casually swiped the status window aside.
Whatever. He had already experienced the cosmos in his lower body inside this building. He didn’t want things to get any more dangerous. He was going to head back to his room, stretch out, and sleep.
But the status window refused to disappear even after he swiped it away.
Your Majesty!
Please listen to me for a moment.
That item is... well... it’s something that can slightly twist rift magic!
Which dungeon did they find something like this in?
It’s incredible!
“What?”
Kim Hwang-je’s eyes widened as he read the status window. Countless thoughts raced through his mind, but one thing was certain.
Ah, this was satisfying. Watching the eunuch beg and plead was oddly refreshing.
When Kim Hwang-je pretended not to notice and closed his eyes, the eunuch’s alarms grew even more frantic.
Ding! Ding!
Your Majesty! Your Majestyyyyyy!
Your Majestyyyyyy!
Your Majesty!!
Aaah! Please, Your Majesty!!
Your Majesty, haven’t I served you well all this time?!
I even gave you petroleum...?!
I’ll give you even better things...!
Hand over your precious bits, you bastard.
Kim Hwang-je spoke to Seo Jun-seo.
“I’m going to take a nap. Let me know when it’s over.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kim Hwang-je placed Poyu on his face. He would pretend to sleep and decide whether to buy it or not.
As he chuckled quietly, the world was swallowed by darkness...