"A skill book, huh."
This time, it was a skill book.
And it was even related to magic. Yoo Baekjun waited for the auctioneer's explanation.
"Yes! As you might expect, this is an item from another world. It's something considered a treasure in the Lebron Kingdom on the Fantasia continent."
The auctioneer smiled triumphantly.
"It's a book written by a witch who terrorized the kingdom before her death, recording all her knowledge. If used, you can learn B-rank black magic!"
–Ooh.....
Gasps of admiration echoed among the crowd.
Skill books were rare items and hardly ever appeared at auctions. And when they did, they were usually cheap ones.
"Got a bad feeling about this."
The moment he heard the word 'witch,' he had a bad premonition. The auctioneer gestured for everyone to check the item's description by projecting a hologram into the air.
Sure enough.
"It's for women only."
"Y-You're right."
Due to a special cultivation method, it could only be learned by women.
The men in the auction house sighed in disappointment, while the women let out small cheers.
"Wow."
"......."
Han Seonga, standing beside him, was one of them.
Come to think of it, she had a talent for magic. If he checked her traits, she probably had an A-rank [Magic Prodigy] trait.
"I've got… hmm."
Han Seonga was hesitating.
The Sword Saint Clan paid salaries to its masters and provided a living allowance to its trainees.
On top of that, the items obtained from Gates were processed and compensated properly.
'Han Seonga probably has hundreds of millions in her account too. But…'
What would be the point of taking even a flea's liver?
"We'll begin the auction. Starting price is 100 million won!"
"500 million!"
"I'll go for 1 billion!"
The auction began.
People who wanted the skill book raised their hands and shouted their bids. Some were encouraged by their female partners.
"4 billion!"
"Ugh, 4.2 billion…"
Yoo Baekjun, who had been quietly observing, raised his hand.
"10 billion."
".....!"
The bid doubled in an instant.
Gasps spread throughout the room. One person with lingering desire cautiously raised a hand.
"11.05 billion…"
"15 billion."
"Grr, kuh!"
The man turned to Yoo Baekjun in shock. It was the bald mage Yoo Baekjun had noticed earlier.
'What're you lookin' at?'
Yoo Baekjun mouthed silently.
No matter how rare or valuable a skill book was, was it really worth 15 billion?
Besides.
'No matter what he bids, he's the type to just keep raising it. That's the vibe I'm getting.'
That was the impression people were getting of Yoo Baekjun.
Feeling all eyes on him, Yoo Baekjun calmly turned to the auctioneer.
"Yes, 15 billion, 15 billion. 15 billion! Sold! Congratulations. Now, the next item…"
"Y-Young Master!"
Han Seonga clung to Yoo Baekjun in panic.
"15 billion?! How could you spend that much on something like that…"
"I've got the money."
"Excuse me? Are you talking about the family's money? If the clan head finds out, he might get furious!"
Yoo Baekjun shook his head.
He's not that kind of person. Yoo Moohak wasn't exactly what you'd call a proper father, and he was a harsh man.
But he was surprisingly generous to those he deemed talented.
"You know that for the Sword Saint Clan, this amount of money isn't a big deal, right?"
"W-Well, that's true…"
Seorak Mountain was full of rare monsters.
And with Gates appearing frequently, the Sword Saint Clan handled them and monopolized the rare items that came from them.
Their wealth was far beyond what ordinary people could comprehend.
'They also run several businesses, right? That was how it was in the game settings.'
So no matter how much he spent, Yoo Moohak wouldn't care. Yoo Kangho, after all, was also someone who spent money like water.
"Anyway, let's just wait for the next auction."
"Ha… Alright, then."
Han Seonga let out a sigh and shook her head. Yoo Baekjun sipped his wine, waiting for the item he'd been anticipating.
And finally—
"Thank you for waiting. I'm sure many of you came here just for this."
The item he'd been waiting for appeared.
The auctioneer hyped up the mood, then gestured below the stage.
A staff member rolled out a massive metal chest.
"Today's main item!"
The auctioneer stood in front of the metal chest, deliberately building suspense as he looked around the stage.
Then slowly opened the chest.
"From Seorak Mountain, where all sorts of rare monsters live! Among them, the most exalted of spiritual beasts!"
The contents of the chest were revealed.
"The corpse of a Snow Tiger!"
An enormous tiger.
Even though it was clearly dead, its glossy white fur and the mystical patterns on its body were striking. The mana swirling around it was also impressive.
"Amazing."
"Yes, the amount of mana is beyond imagination."
Han Seonga was in awe.
It was quite literally a spiritual beast. If properly processed into an elixir and consumed, it would provide tremendous benefit.
Some of the hunters here had likely come just for that reason.
"It was specially preserved right after being killed by a professional hunting team. Doesn't it look like it's still alive? Hmm?"
"Is everything inside intact?"
"Of course. The hide, teeth, claws, and even the heart—the source of the Snow Tiger's mana! Everything is intact."
Greed flashed in people's eyes.
The hide could be used to make armor, the teeth and claws turned into weapons.
The heart would surely be used to make an elixir.
"How much! Just give us the price!"
"Then, I'll announce the starting price! 1 billion! The auction for the Snow Tiger begins at 1 billion won!"
"1.5 billion!"
"2 billion!"
As soon as the auctioneer announced the price, people frantically began shouting out bids.
Han Seonga looked startled by the sight—it bordered on madness.
Yoo Baekjun, on the other hand, remained composed.
"Y-Young Master. These people seem insane."
"They are. How about a glass of wine to calm your nerves?"
"Wine… I've never had it before."
When Yoo Baekjun handed her a glass, Han Seonga looked at it with wide, curious eyes.
Her attention shifted to the wine.
"2.5 billion!"
"Tch, 3 billion…!"
"Then I'll go for 3.2 billion!"
"Yes, the bids are rising quickly. We've hit 3.2 billion… ah! It just jumped to 3.5 billion!"
Yoo Baekjun elegantly sipped his champagne, watching the frenzy.
The auctioneer skillfully provoked the crowd's desires. He was quite talented.
'Maybe I should jump in soon.'
Just then, the auctioneer glanced at Yoo Baekjun. Yoo Baekjun slowly raised his hand.
"5 billion."
"Yes, 5 billion! A leap to 5 billion!"
"F-Five billion…"
Everyone's eyes turned to Yoo Baekjun.
To jump from 3.5 to 5 billion in one go—some sighed and gave up on bidding.
Of course, not everyone did.
"5.5 billion!"
"6 billion."
"T-Then 6.2 billion…!"
Someone was stubbornly hanging on.
Yoo Baekjun looked at the man, his face full of annoyance.
It was the bald man again.
'This bastard's getting on my nerves.'
Yoo Baekjun paused, then raised his hand again.
If they were going to be a nuisance, crush them so hard they wouldn't dare challenge again.
"10 billion."
"…!"
That was the kind of bid he offered.
Silence fell over the hall. Most of the people here were either wealthy or hunters. They had more money than average folk.
But still.
'I can't keep up.'
That thought suddenly dawned on them.
Just like with the skill book earlier—this was a man with bottomless wealth.
No matter what price they named, he would calmly outbid them.
"Guh…"
The man who'd been pestering Yoo Baekjun was the same. But he bit his lip as if refusing to back down.
"11.01 billion."
"20 billion."
"20 billion?! T-Then 20.1 billion…"
"Geez."
Each time Yoo Baekjun raised the price, the man desperately clung on with one billion increments.
Clicking his tongue, Yoo Baekjun shot the man a glare.
"Quit raising it by 100 million like a cheapskate. If you don't have the money, just drop out. It's annoying."
"W-What?! I need that too…"
"That's none of my business."
Yoo Baekjun sighed and raised his hand again.
"30 billion. Let's end this."
"Whoa, 30 billion! Yes, we have 30 billion! Anyone willing to go higher? Anyone?"
The auctioneer looked at the man. Sweat was pouring down his face.
He tried to raise his trembling hand.
"Guh…!"
But in the end, he couldn't.
The others had also given up, unable to keep up with the unexpected spike.
"30 billion, 30 billion. 30 billion! Sold!"
Thud, thud! The auctioneer banged the gavel.
People now looked at Yoo Baekjun with tired eyes.
–Just how much money does he have?
–Who is he? Judging by his outfit, is he a hunter? Was there a famous hunter with that kind of money?
–With those looks, he should've been on TV… who the hell is he?
Some even guessed he was from the Sword Saint Clan, judging by Han Seonga's outfit.
Yoo Baekjun looked at the bald man.
"This bastard…"
The man ground his teeth, eyes full of hatred. If looks could kill, Yoo Baekjun would've died ten times over.
And the one receiving that glare—
'Man, I got that cheap.'
Was just leisurely thinking that.
30 billion. In a heated auction, the price could've gone to 50 billion or more.
This time, what mattered was the image he projected—that he could spend endlessly without blinking.
'No point in competing if they know they can't win. Just make them give up from the start.'
Yoo Baekjun whistled.
"Yes! That concludes the auction for today. But we have plenty of shows prepared afterward…"
The auction ended.
Performers came onto the stage and began putting on a show. Yoo Baekjun stood up.
"Let's go, Master Han Seonga."
"Yes, we're supposed to go receive the items now, right?"
"Yeah, just head that way."
Yoo Baekjun went to the area where winners could receive their items.
There, VIP staff greeted him and processed the payment before handing him the goods.
"This is the skill book. And this backpack contains the Snow Tiger's corpse."
"In this tiny bag?"
"Yes, it's a magical item."
Han Seonga checked and saw the Snow Tiger's corpse really was inside.
"It's been preserved, so it'll last a few weeks at least. Any longer than that…"
"It'll start to rot. Got it."
"Exactly. Will you be taking it now? It could be dangerous—should we assign an escort?"
"No, it's fine."
Yoo Baekjun shook his head. He had no reason to linger, so he headed straight outside.
Trailing behind him was Han Seonga.
"Master Han Seonga, here's a gift."
"Huh? A gift?"
Yoo Baekjun handed her the skill book.
"....."
Han Seonga blinked in confusion.
"Huh?"
Then she started pointing back and forth between her face and the skill book.
"Wait, you mean… for me?"
"Yeah."
"Y-Young Master, didn't you buy this for yourself? Why would you…"
"How am I supposed to use it? It's for women only. I planned to give it to you from the beginning."
"That's…"
Han Seonga's lips parted in shock. Yoo Baekjun fluttered the book in his hand.
"Hurry up and take it. My arm's getting tired."
"But it's such an expensive item…"
"Expensive? I think you're worth several times more than this skill book."
Yoo Baekjun said seriously.
"And what, I can't give my own people a gift like this? You're my direct master. You getting stronger means I get stronger."
"Young Master…"
Han Seonga's expression changed. She looked touched, even moved.
"You won't take it? Then I'll just throw it away."
"N-No, Young Master."
She slowly accepted the skill book. Holding it gently against her chest.
"…I'll never forget this moment for the rest of my life."
She said.
Outwardly expressionless, Yoo Baekjun was calculating in his mind.
'Yeah, she better remember. I gave her a 15-billion-won gift to make her mine.'
Yoo Baekjun didn't have many loyal followers right now. He needed to firmly hold onto the ones still with him.
'Besides, if I've got someone who can use magic, it opens up more events I can clear.'
Yoo Baekjun stepped out of the auction house. Then glanced back and spoke.
"Master Han Seonga, you brought your sword, right?"
"Huh? Ah, yes. Of course. I have to protect the Young Master too, after all."
"Perfect. Grip the handle tight."
In his sight, he saw the bald man from earlier. And the group following him.
"Looks like there's gonna be trouble."
The auction's follow-up event had begun.