Chapter 54

EP.54 The God of Auctions (1)

<Item Information>

◎Name: Penitent's Sword

◎Type: Sword

◎Grade: Epic (Epic)

◎Craftsman: -

◎Special Effects:

: Strength +3, Holiness +5

: When fighting Undead-type opponents, performance increases by 50%.

: The sword's power increases sharply as the wielder's Holiness value rises.

◎Inherent Skill:

[Divine Slash]

◎Detailed Information:

: A sword imbued with the repentant heart of a once wicked human. A single strike from a penitent can bring about annihilation even to those who have forgotten death.

-This is the first auction item. The minimum bid price is 100 million won, and I will start the bidding at 100 million won.

As the item information was registered on the digital screen, the auctioneer's voice rang out.

'This first item is intense.'

From the start, it's an Epic item.

The special effects alone are incredibly powerful, and it even has an 'inherent skill,' making it a god-tier item.

Even I, who prioritized participating in the auction for mana stones, am tempted.

Especially the special effect that increases power as the Holiness value rises.

This is an effect so attractive that it would make 'Paladins,' who belong to the special warrior class, go wild.

'Compared to mine... it's a bit better.'

I also have an Epic item.

[Cursed Grimoire].

An item I obtained from the Rest Room while clearing the 'Hobgoblin Village.'

The [Cursed Grimoire] has a fairly good effect even among Epic items.

By studying the grimoire for 3 hours a day for 10 days, you can gain 2 points each in Mana, Holiness, and Spirit.

'Almost top-tier among special items.'

For a special item that doesn't directly aid in combat, the effect is quite significant.

On the other hand, the [Penitent's Sword] has limited attribute boosts that require the item to be equipped, and its effects are focused on Paladins.

However, its major strengths are that it is a high-priced weapon and has an 'inherent skill' that other items lack.

Considering the price of Epic-grade weapons,

This item should be worth at least 10 billion won.

Given my current financial situation, it's an item I can't afford.

"Hmm."

But there's no rule that says I can't participate in the early stages of the auction.

-100 million.

I was the first to press the buzzer and bid.

100 million won.

The minimum bid price for this auction item.

Of course, it won't be sold at this price.

There will be competitive bidding.

And as soon as my bid started,

Other holders joined the auction with a sneer.

-1 billion.

-1.5 billion.

-2.5 billion.

The competition quickly heated up.

The minimum bid price was 100 million won, and the bid increments were in the billions. The price quickly rose to nearly 3 billion won.

"Are you not going to bid anymore?"

Jung Seon-young, sitting next to me, asked with a smile.

Even if I tried to dissuade her, she's egging me on...

Honestly, I want to bid on the Epic item that's right in front of me.

It's human nature to want to buy anything during an auction.

But I shook my head slightly.

"It doesn't seem to be my item."

The excuse sounds plausible.

But honestly, I want to buy it, but I don't have the money.

-It has been bid at 29 billion won. Is there anyone who will bid higher?

The auctioneer's voice rang out.

The [Penitent's Sword] finally reached the astronomical price of 29 billion won.

Indeed, the financial power of the holders is beyond imagination.

Looking around, I saw ordinary warrior-type participants.

Perhaps even if they're not Paladins, this item would be a good main weapon for them.

The auctioneer looked around and continued.

-I will bid three times and conclude the auction. 29 billion won, 29 billion won... 29 billion won. Congratulations. The first auction item has been sold for 29 billion won.

"Wow..."

Kim Chae-eun exclaimed at the unimaginable price.

Then she said in a small voice.

"Wow, it's really expensive. I've never seen such an expensive item before."

Seeing this, Jung Seon-young replied with a smile.

"The buyers are mostly A-grade holders. They make a lot of money."

"But wouldn't a price like that be a burden?"

"Of course it's a burden. That's why they make a big decision to buy it. It's an Epic-grade item with good performance."

"I see..."

I added a comment to Kim Chae-eun, who was nodding.

"Really expensive Epic items can go up to 100 billion won."

"100 billion won?"

"Yes. The holder auction is like that. It's practically at the level of an art auction or even higher."

Fortunately, the items we want to buy don't overlap with theirs.

Well, if we don't participate in the raid, we won't even have the chance to buy the monster byproducts.

The auction proceeded smoothly thereafter.

Starting with weapons and armor, elaborately decorated holder accessories, various potions and elixirs, and special items with unique effects.

Items of all grades poured out.

And I bid on each one.

-50 million.

-100 million.

-1 million.

-30 million.

The minimum bid price for the auction item.

After hearing it,

I took charge of the first bid for the item.

...Of course, it wouldn't be sold.

After the first bid, if no one else bids, how can I buy the item?

Seeing this, the surrounding holders sneered, and my companions looked at me strangely, but...

I didn't care much.

This was my own auction strategy.

Specifically, a veteran holder who always preys on new holders.

A bait to catch that man.

'Han Hyun-min.'

A member of the <Sunset Flower> clan.

A long-time regular at the auction house.

If I know him,

He would definitely fall for this bait.

He won't just sit still after seeing this.

Moreover, to get the items I want in this auction, I need to reduce Han Hyun-min's financial resources, which could be an obstacle.

And...

-This is the seventh auction item. As shown on the screen, this auction item is an unappraised item. Please note this point and bid accordingly. The minimum bid price for this item is 100 million won.

Finally, it appeared.

Except for the mana stone of Swell Leviathan,

It was the type of item I had been waiting for all along.

* * *

A B-grade holder of the <Sunset Flower> clan.

Han Hyun-min looked at one corner of the auction house with a tense expression.

At the far-right diagonal corner from the stage.

Jung Seon-young, a well-known A-grade holder.

And two unknown holders were sitting there.

Specifically, he was looking at one of the three.

A young holder with a striking appearance.

The name plate in the distance read 'Doh Jae-hyun,' a name unfamiliar to him.

'He's not an easy opponent.'

At first, he thought Doh Jae-hyun was just one of the rookie holders that Jung Seon-young was bringing around.

To participate in the S-grade monster hunt and gain experience in the auction house.

But after watching Doh Jae-hyun's auction,

Han Hyun-min's thoughts completely changed.

'He's just a companion to Jung Seon-young's holder.'

In the auction, he was a separate participant.

His auction style was unique.

He didn't have the overwhelming financial power of other high-ranking holders, but his method was peculiar.

Whenever the auctioneer introduced an auction item,

He always bid the minimum price first.

And then he stopped.

As if he was the one announcing the start of the auction.

He didn't participate in the subsequent price competition at all.

Weapons, armor, accessories, special items.

Regardless of the type, for any item,

He consistently followed this method.

He seemed to have no interest in the auction items.

'He swept up five unappraised items this way.'

Unappraised items are generally difficult to purchase.

There are very few holders with runes or skills related to 'appraisal,' making the appraisal fee very expensive, and even if appraised, the probability of it being a dud is very high.

A kind of gambling item.

Therefore, the minimum bid price is high, and many holders intentionally avoid buying it.

Unless the item has a strong appeal or there's a special reason for holders to compete,

Many unappraised items end up being unsold.

Doh Jae-hyun had already won five such items.

'His auction style remains the same.'

That doesn't mean Doh Jae-hyun only targets unappraised items.

Other holders occasionally bid higher prices, hoping for a big win with unappraised items, but Doh Jae-hyun still didn't participate in the competition.

He only bid the minimum price.

His stance remained consistent from the start to the end of the auction.

'But I can't be fooled by him.'

Han Hyun-min, a veteran holder of the <Sunset Flower> clan, has attended the holder auction house for a long time, earning the title of 'auction house holder.'

The Doh Jae-hyun he saw was clearly an experienced auction participant.

A rookie in the holder auction house, but probably had a lot of auction experience as a regular person before becoming a holder.

His consistent auction style.

His steady voice when bidding.

His calm attitude in the face of flashy items.

All these aspects indicated that he was an experienced participant.

Moreover, unlike ordinary auction participants,

He was already a special case just by being a participant in Han Hyun-min's eyes.

He thought Doh Jae-hyun had other plans.

There would definitely be a variable.

His intuition, having met all kinds of holders in the auction house, told him so.

-100 million.

Once again,

The microphone at the far-right corner rang out.

It was Doh Jae-hyun's first bid.

Han Hyun-min carefully examined the current auction item.

At first glance, it looked like an old, rusty iron sword, but upon closer inspection, it had the aura of an artifact.

His intuition told him that this sword was definitely not ordinary.

'This is it!'

Most unappraised items have a high probability of being duds.

But this sword gave off a different aura.

-200 million.

Han Hyun-min didn't miss the opportunity and bid a higher price.

Then he immediately looked at Doh Jae-hyun.

As he had been doing,

He was about to give up on the competitive bidding...

But Doh Jae-hyun was frowning and thinking!

Since the auction started,

This was the first time he showed any change in expression.

Before the auctioneer called out 200 million three times,

He finally broke his own rule and

Participated in the competitive bidding for the first time.

-300 million.

'Here he comes.'

Han Hyun-min cheered.

Other holders didn't notice this change at all.

The fact that Doh Jae-hyun, who had consistently bid only the minimum price, was now trying a new bid.

Auction rookies, focused on their own auctions, wouldn't have noticed.

It was a blind spot that only Han Hyun-min, with years of auction experience, could spot.

'Doh Jae-hyun... He probably thinks he can easily get a good item.'

Until now, there was no significant competition.

Everyone was uninterested in unappraised items.

But Han Hyun-min was different.

He had been closely watching Doh Jae-hyun's auction.

And now that Doh Jae-hyun had changed,

Han Hyun-min was confident he could outbid him.

With a more aggressive stance than anyone else.

'He's hooked.'

In the net he had set up.

Doh Jae-hyun was caught.