Chapter 60: Bidding War (3)

4,000 gold was equivalent to a staggering 400 million won. It was an amount of money that some people couldn’t accumulate even if they worked their entire lives. Yet, some crazy person had spent this enormous sum on just one Magic item.

I was really lucky.

If not for the perfect mix of circumstances with a subtle price war, a psychological warfare, and a battle of pride, such a price would never have been possible.

Therefore, Kai sincerely congratulated Sandro on their purchase.

[Unknown: Congratulations on winning the auction.]

[Sandro: Shut up. Just tell me your bank and account number.]

In reality, the item wasn't worth that much. Even if a jackpot was won in the ancient king's dungeon it wouldn't yield a profit of 400 million won. And perhaps because of that, Sandro, who had won the auction, didn't seem happy at all.

[Unknown: I’m sure I’ve said it before. Don't dig into my personal details. I'll send you a virtual account number, so transfer the money there. I'll mail you the item once I receive the funds.]

After he finished talking, he remained in the chatroom and scoffed at those who remained quiet.

I’ve probably become a marked man for sure now.

There was only one person who could win this auction from the start.

Moreover, the Black Bee guild and Titan guild hadn’t even gotten to participate. What would the nine guilds other than the winning Black Market think of Kai then?

They must see me as an annoying jerk who scraped their pride and made a fortune off it.

Essentially, he had turned nine of the world's top ten guilds into his enemies. But would the Black Market protect Kai?

Those guys? No way.

They had paid for the item, so they would think there was no need for them to protect Kai. This was sad, but true.

But I have another card up my sleeve.

Kai tapped on his hologram keyboard as if playing an instrument.

[Unknown: Oh, and please be aware that I have downloaded our entire chat log history.]

Everyone was smart, so this brief warning would have been enough.

The world's top ten guilds were people that spared no expense in investing money to increase their fame and popularity. So naturally, they had to consider their image.

Well, of course, top guild members wouldn’t hurt me just because they failed at purchasing an item, but....

There was always a ‘just in case’ scenario in every situation. For example, it was still safer to test a stone bridge before crossing it than to just trust it and cross it directly without testing it.

Having a safety net is always a good idea.

If any of the top ten guilds tried to target Kai because of the auction, he was ready to release the chat logs.

They were the ones who didn't have the money to win at the auction, so they could gain the title of being unscrupulous for killing the seller out of frustration.

Therefore, the underlying meaning of the message Kai left for them was that if they didn't want to receive such a filthy and despicable image, they should leave him alone.

If one of them messes with me... the others will take care of the rest.

Though bound by the title of the top ten guilds, they were far from being close to each other. They were always eyeing each other, ready to tear one another apart. And if one guild messed with Kai in those circumstances...

They'd all engage in media manipulation anyway.

In short, Kai could effortlessly blow his nose without lifting a finger!

[Sandro: Sent the money.]

[Unknown: I'll check it.]

Kai touched the interface to open the internet and confirmed that indeed 400 million won had been transferred to his virtual account.

[Unknown: I'll send it by express mail, so you should be able to receive it today.]

[Sandro: ....]

The auction had ended, and the money was securely received. That meant there was no longer a reason to stay in the chat room.

[Unknown has left the chat.]

Their farewell was as intense as when they first met.

***

Han Jung-Woo smiled as he checked the total amount earned, 529 million won, from the items sold in the auction.

This time, it really was a jackpot.

The biggest jackpot was the Wanderer's Guiding Bracelet dropped by the Black Bee guild, but even the Unique and Rare items had brought in over 100 million won.

Raids really do pay off, wait, no.

Han Jung-Woo shook his head.

Of course, raids did bring in money, but not when there were many participants.

Solo raiding does pay off. That’s the right expression.

Being able to take all the money, XP, and titles was the greatest advantage of solo play!

Then Han Jung-Woo began to decide how to use the money.

First, I need to get my own place at the end of this month, so I’ll start with signing a lease for a studio apartment, and I should carry some gold around too.

As he planned various things, time flew by.

After stretching his stiff body, Han Jung-Woo sat back at his computer.

"Shall I start working on the new series now?"

A decent amount of editing was necessary to upload the Tag of Death video. Editing it was a simple task that only consisted of edits like removing the sound of him saying Sunlight’s Warmth.

However, Han Jung-Woo’s expression darkened after completing the edits.

Hm... it’s not as good as I thought.

He had wiped out the Orc Lord, the Orc Sorcerer, and even the Black Bee guild in one go. Naturally, the outcome should have been several times cooler than the Getting Schooled video, but his editing skills were embarrassingly poor even for a beginner!

The video was nowhere near the quality to satisfy him.

I want to make it more powerful and cool....

The solution was simple. It was to hire a professional in the field!

His decision didn't take long.

Right, it might cost a bit, but I can’t release a video of this quality.

There was no need to worry about money now anyway. He felt on top of the world, like his money would never run out.

"Is this what it feels like to be a nouveau riche?"

Having no worries about spending, Han Jung-Woo immediately hired the best expert in the industry. The cost for editing a single video was a whopping 5 million won!

Han Jung-Woo paid the amount without hesitation and finally sighed with relief.

"It’s finally over."

The raid from the expedition itself was tough, but the aftermath was just as exhausting. Honestly, it would have been better just to do a few more raids.

"Ugh, why did the Black Bee guys drop such a thing and make things so troublesome?"

If Sting, of the Black Bee guild had heard this, he would have died of a heart attack.

Han Jung-Woo, after looking proudly at his bank account again, ordered chicken for the first time in a while.

***

"I see you quite often these days," Baron Arsen greeted with a pleased voice, having met just a day ago.

Kai had one reason for visiting him. It was to use the accumulated expedition points.

[Current Expedition Points: 1,617P]

He had gained a significant number of points alone after defeating the Orc Lord and the Orc Sorcerer!

Naturally, Kai had easily taken the top spot in contribution in this expedition.

"Perhaps you’ve come to receive your rewards from your achievements on the expedition, am I right?"

"Yes."

Kai, having answered succinctly, already had the item he planned to exchange in mind.

Initially, I planned to receive three pieces of decent Unique equipment to sell, but....

Thanks to the Black Bee guys, he no longer needed to worry about money. With over 500 million won available for immediate use, he had no reason to chase after more money.

Something that can make me stronger immediately.

An item worth 1,500 points completely filled Kai's mind! He didn't need to think any further.

Kai then requested with a confident voice, "I'll exchange it for the skill book, Undying Will."

"Excellent choice," Baron Arsen grinned and promptly pulled out a book from the bookshelf.

The book emitted bright pink and purple colors, capturing Kai's attention.

"This is the most valuable reward I have put up in this expedition."

"I’ll make great use of it, thank you!"

A voucher for Unique equipment appropriate for his level was 500 points. Therefore, the meaning of a 1,500 point skill book was simple.

[

Undying Will (Passive)

]

Grade: Unique

When at 0 HP, recover 1% health and gain the Invulnerable status for 5 seconds.

All abilities gain a 10% bonus while in this state.

Cooldown: 30 in-game days.

Requirements: None.

The skill's cooldown was 30 in-game days, equivalent to 10 days in real life. However, it was a skill that could save him from death once!

Kai realized his choice was correct.

Indeed, it's worth 1,500 points!

Having one life versus two definitely changed one's mindset as it could allow for more risky actions depending on the situation.

If necessary, I could even take them down with me.

Having acquired the skill instantly, Kai felt a surge of confidence.

Baron Arsen, sitting back, asked as a passing comment, "Are you leaving now?"

"Yes."

"I guess you've been in this city for about a month now."

"I am truly indebted to you, Baron Arsen. I'll be sure to come visit."

"Whenever you crave a hearty meal, you know where to come." Leaning back on the plush sofa, Baron Arsen continued, "May I say one more thing?"

"I'm all ears," Kai slightly bowed his head, showing a serious expression.

"As long as you pursue power, you will face many challenges ahead."

"No challenge will be able to stop me." Kai's voice and eyes showed a strong determination.

Perhaps pleased by his response, Baron Arsen nodded with a proud smile. "Yes, that's right. If it’s one of the greatest adventurers I can think of, they must be able to do at least that."

Baron Arsen acknowledged him as the greatest adventurer!

It was more than just a simple compliment. The sincerity in his voice had warmed a part of Kai's heart.

"Baron Arsen, sir...." Kai's voice trailed off, slightly moved, prompting Baron Arsen to smile playfully.

"Ah, just to avoid any misconception I must say, there are many more powerful adventurers than you as there are grains of sand on the beach."

"...There’s surely not that many, are there?"

"There are," he said with a firmness that seemed to allow no argument!

As Kai's moved expression quickly faded to a gloomy look, Baron Arsen laughed heartily. "Hahaha! You really are fun to tease."

"You must be lonely without anyone else to tease now."

"That’s why you should visit every now and then. There’s nothing quite as enjoyable as this as I get older."

Kai shook hands with Baron Arsen and then turned to head toward the door.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

Kai rummaged through his inventory and pulled out an item, which he then showed to Baron Arsen. "Sir, do you know what this item is by any chance?"

"Hm, I’m not sure. What is it?" Baron Arsen squinted at the dark marble Kai was holding.

"It’s called an Essence of Darkness fragment... I found it when I killed Fermi."

"Fermi... the spider queen living in the Forest of Spiders, right?"

"Yes. This marble caused Fermi and her offspring to become ferocious."

"Hmm... Is that so?" Baron Arsen stroked his chin, deep in thought, then shook his head. "I can’t figure out what it is, no matter how much I think."

"I see."

Kai let out a small sigh. If even Baron Arsen didn't know, all he could do was thoroughly search the library.

Just as Kai was about to leave the room after finishing their farewells, Baron Arsen hurriedly stopped him. "Wait! On second thought, the Sage of Water might know."

"...The Sage of Water?"

"He used to be the chancellor of the Kingdom of Rashion, but now he leads a leisurely life, having retired from public duties."

Kai's eyes lit up. "Where can I meet him?"

"Head to the city of water, Aquaria."

At that moment, Kai's next destination was determined.