Raid Auction
People usually said that winning an SSS item at auction for around 1,000,000 won - about 10 billion Uni - was average.
But this person hadn’t prepared twice that much.
They’d prepared ten times that.
Was it a bluff?
Or were they serious?
...They didn’t seem like the type to lie.
Fortunately...
The SSS Moon Veil was the very last auction item.
At least that gave me some time to think.
"Come on...
There’s no way they actually brought 100 billion Uni, right?
Even if they did, the expected cost to enhance an SSS item to +9 is around that much.
They probably brought it for enhancement...
There’s no way they’d spend the entire 100 billion in the auction..."
Eventually...
The junk item auctions ended.
It was finally time.
(+0) SSS Moon Veil
📍 Location: Auction Hall
🎁 Reward: Moon Veil
This was exactly what I needed.
Right now...
I had almost no defensive or evasion gear.
And it had only appeared because of a surprise event.
If I missed it now...
Who knew when I’d get another chance?
I’d buy it no matter the cost.
...Or at least...
That’s what I’d thought just moments ago.
"...Thirty billion?!
Three million won?!
It’s not even enhanced yet!"
My head started heating up.
The price had already tripled the average.
"Wait...
If nobody buys it...
Doesn’t that thirty billion get split twelve ways?
That means everyone earns around 250,000 won for free.
Do we really need a bidding war...?"
I knew this would happen.
Without realizing it...
I’d stepped into a battle I absolutely couldn’t walk away from.
"...Let’s test the waters.
Thirty-one billion."
But my name only stayed there for a moment.
Almost the instant I bid...
The number skyrocketed.
Not by one billion.
By ten billion.
"AAAAAH!!
Mone...
If I’ve done something wrong, please tell me!"
"Haha.
You haven’t done anything wrong.
Support classes need Moon Veil too.
So I figured I’d grab one while I can."
"...Could you generously let the DPS have it...?"
"If you really want it...
There is one way."
"...What’s that?"
I’d have agreed to almost anything.
Instead...
The answer crushed me.
"Bid more money than I do."
"Fine!
If that’s how we’re playing...
Then fifty billion!"
The timer slowly ticked down.
Just as I’d expected.
Surely...
Even someone carrying 100 billion Uni wouldn’t throw all of it away on one unenhanced item.
"Mone...
Good game."
"Alright.
Then I guess I’ll spend everything."
"...What?"
I’d been playing Unknown since open beta.
Today...
For the first time...
I saw someone bid 100 billion Uni.
And somehow...
That person was my opponent.
"...You’re spending ten million won...
On an unenhanced SSS item?"
"If you divide that twelve ways...
Everyone here makes almost 800,000 won.
Before fees, anyway."
"...Damn...
Give me a second."
Everything hit me at once.
"My original plan...
Was to spend maybe fifteen billion out of my sixty-five...
Buy the item...
Then use the remaining fifty billion to barely make +9.
But what is this?!
Now sixty-five billion isn’t even enough to BUY the item!"
(A Korean wordplay: "Ha" (하) can mean "lower" or "inferior.")
"...So that’s what you’re doing.
Trying to provoke me.
Fine.
If the choice is between borrowing money and becoming a losing whale...
Then I’ll borrow even MORE money...
And become the winning whale."
"Because...
that’s what it means to stand at the top."
"Shh...
Calling Chairman Chae."
...
Wait.
What if he didn’t answer?
That would be a disaster.
"...Is he busy?"
Thankfully...
He picked up.
"Haruru?
What’s wrong?
Actually...
You wouldn’t be calling during a stream unless enhancement went badly.
Didn’t you say the expected cost was around ten million won?
Don’t feel too discouraged—"
"...Actually...
The amazing part is...
I haven’t even started enhancing yet.
I’ve already burned five million won."
Even then...
The first thing Chairman Chae did...
Was try to comfort me.
I explained everything.
The raid.
The auction.
The situation.
"...Hmm."
"...Right.
Someone who wants to stand at the top...
Can’t back down looking like this."
...Huh?
For some reason...
His voice sounded competitive now.
"I’ll transfer you another ten million."
"...What?"
"Win."
"..."
For a moment...
Tears nearly came.
But I couldn’t cry yet.
There was still one thing left to finish.
Immediately...
I converted the ten million won into Cash.
Then...
Converted the Cash into 100 billion Uni.
The entire process flowed as naturally as water.
Click.
"It’s over."
"That final 1...
is the number I’ll always reach.
The summit."
Even if Mone bid again...
I still had 65 billion Uni left.
But I never had to use it.
Because Mone surrendered.
"Thank you...
That was an incredible match, Mone."
◈ Defense and evasion equipment
◈ Unsealed
"But...
Why?
Even though I won...
All I feel is empty."
...
An adult with absolutely no financial sense...
Who spent 10 million won on an unenhanced SSS item.
That person...
Was me.
I’d promised Chairman Chae I’d carefully use the five million he’d lent me.
Instead...
I spent it all in a single day.
Then borrowed another ten million.
Was I really beyond saving?
"..."
Wait.
Hold on.
There’s still one thing left.
The amount was so absurd...
I’d almost forgotten.
The SSS enhancement.
The moment those words crossed my mind...
The blood started pumping through my body again.
"No!
If I lost money...
I’ll just make it back through enhancement.
That’s the Haruru way of generating revenue!
Chairman Chae...
Watch me!"