Episode 125: Bulgaram (1)
The auction progressed rapidly.
As the host stepped onto the central platform, the lights in each room dimmed simultaneously.
A tablet with a blue glow lit up in the center of the sofa in front of us—an electronic device used to participate in the auction.
Swoosh, swoosh.
As the room darkened, Kang Arin plopped herself onto the edge of the sofa. Then, little by little, she began scooting closer to me.
I was staring at the tablet screen and spoke to her.
“You should come closer. You can’t see well from there, right?”
She acted indifferent and edged slightly closer, but… I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her right next to me.
She had to come closer anyway to operate the tablet. The platform was partially blocked by a pillar from where she was.
Kang Arin, looking slightly flustered, pretended to fiddle with the tablet, picking up the remote and pressing buttons to change the screen.
I couldn’t help but smile a little at the sight.
She glanced at me and asked quietly.
“What are you aiming for today?”
“Heat-resistant suit.”
Kang Arin raised an eyebrow, then chuckled lightly.
“You going to put out some fire or something?”
Her tone was full of mischief.
“…That might not be far off.”
Come to think of it, she wasn’t wrong. I nodded.
After watching me for a moment, she confidently added,
“I’ll buy it for you.”
I smiled and shook my head.
Even though Kang Arin came with me, I only relied on her for access. Honestly, just getting in was already a huge help.
I had no intention of depending on her financially.
“Hmmm… is that so?”
Kang Arin smirked for a moment before turning her gaze back toward the host.
“If you change your mind, just let me know.”
I didn’t plan to, but her words were reassuring.
As the host stood in the center of the platform and gestured, the lights in each room turned off in an instant.
The only thing I could feel beside me was Kang Arin’s comforting warmth.
Click.
A small spotlight illuminated the first auction item on the platform.
[Dragonbone Greaves]
On a refined display stand sat a gleaming pair of greaves. The host began explaining in a calm voice.
“The first item is a pair of greaves made from the bones of an ancient dragon, inscribed with high-tier magic, crafted by a seasoned artisan with extensive combat experience.”
A solid start.
It was clearly a cut above the typical auctions.
As the explanation continued, the bidding began.
Beep.
Beep.
Rooms that participated in the bidding lit up brightly.
“1.12 billion… 1.14 billion… 1.16 billion…”
When an item was sold, the room’s lights flashed one last time before slowly dimming back into the dark.
Item after item was brought out in turn.
[Cloak of Azure Grace]
[Saint Marco’s Brooch]
With each new item, some rooms lit up briefly and then went dark again just as quickly.
As the auction progressed in earnest, the atmosphere in the hall grew more and more tense.
Then…
[Purgatory of the Yaksha]
Finally—it had arrived.
The item I’d been waiting for.
I activated my heightened perception to analyze it.
[A martial robe once bathed in hellfire a thousand times without disintegrating.]
[Basic Effects]
Transcendent-level fire resistance
Mana amplification and circulation
[Special Effects]
Fatal regeneration
Cursed magic absorption and conversion into mana
The legacy left behind by the Yaksha, engulfed in hellfire.
It not only has resistance to flames but can also momentarily absorb cursed flames that melt the body and convert them into mana.
I need this. Absolutely. No matter what.
I quickly moved to press the bid button.
But at that moment, a warm sensation covered the back of my hand.
Kang Arin gently placed her hand over mine and shook her head slightly.
A soft whisper brushed against my ear.
“Just a little slower. Take your time.”
I realized I had instinctively rushed in without thinking.
Maybe I was showing how inexperienced I was with auctions.
—”1.5 billion… 1.51 billion…”
The host slowly read out the bids.
Despite being a named relic, the Yaksha’s item wasn’t drawing much firepower.
Unless someone had a detection-type authority, they probably couldn’t fully grasp its true performance.
Thanks to that, the competition wasn’t as fierce as I had expected.
Kang Arin tapped my hand gently and whispered more instructions.
“Okay. From now on… gently… push it up, little by little.”
I followed her lead, gradually increasing the amount I bid.
A bit leisurely, but steadily.
“Mm… the pace feels right now.”
—”1.8 billion… 1.9 billion… 2 billion…”
The frequency of bids started to slow down.
“Now—go strong.”
I nodded and pressed the button boldly.
—”2.5 billion… 2.5 billion… 2.5 billion… Auction will close in 10 seconds!”
As the countdown began, the other rooms fell silent.
Was it really going to end this easily?
—Beep.
[Bid Complete.]
The tablet displayed the text on the screen.
And the room lights dimmed once again.
Kang Arin whispered to me,
“You did great for your first time.”
I turned to her and said,
“Thanks. It’s all thanks to you.”
She grinned widely at me.
Roughly, I felt like I had gotten the hang of it. The rhythm of the auction was slowly becoming familiar.
The auction continued.
My heat resistance preparations were mostly complete, but just in case, I checked the list again.
This was an unknown territory, and I was naturally cautious by nature.
[Magma Booster]
[Absorbs surrounding heat and converts it into a shield.]
It was sold at a surprisingly cheap price—500 million.
With this, my heat resistance was fully covered.
Now I needed something to help find the right path.
I looked through the list to see if anything suitable was available…
Then, the host brought out another relic.
[Compass of Salvation]
[Points to the correct path like a ray of light even in the depths of despair.]
The name and the description—it was perfect for someone like me right now.
There wasn’t much competition for it either.
With that, my preparations were truly complete.
Leaning back into the sofa, I slowly scrolled through the list of winning bids on the tablet.
Kang Arin gently leaned on my shoulder and asked,
“Happy with what you got?”
I smiled lightly.
“Yeah. This should be perfect.”
I had gotten everything I wanted.
Now all that was left was to watch the rest of the auction unfold.
The next item.
At that moment, the host placed a small case on the platform.
[Seed of Yggdrasil]
“Yggdrasil…?”
For a moment, my mind went blank.
Yggdrasil was the most famous ancient tree in the world, also known as the World Tree.
Its divinity was a given, and the value of its seed was beyond words.
The problem was that Yggdrasil was destroyed.
For evil gods, the most threatening things are sacred landmarks.
And one of those was Yggdrasil.
So when the evil god first emerged, it was immediately destroyed.
I never imagined that its original body—or rather, its legacy—would be here in this auction house.
According to the storyline, it was supposed to be in the hands of the Demon Lord.
Kang Arin’s older brother was supposed to give it to him to curry favor.
I need it. Desperately.
The problem is the price.
My total budget was 10 billion won.
I thought that would be more than enough. The items I wanted weren’t supposed to be that expensive anyway.
So even now, I had about 7 billion left.
But that seed was different.
As soon as the auction began, lights turned on in rooms all around.
Countless competitors reacted instantly.
Kang Arin whispered meaningfully over my shoulder.
“Oh my… looks like a lot of people are bidding.”
“……”
The price skyrocketed in an instant.
— “5 billion. From now on, bids will increase by 50 million.”
This is bad. Really bad.
That seed would be a huge help for what’s to come.
I stared at the bid button on the tablet.
—[6 billion]
—[6.5 billion]
—[7 billion]
Please stop.
I begged in my head, but the numbers showed no mercy as they climbed higher.
Lights flashed in each room, only to go out immediately.
The host’s voice became clearer and clearer.
—”8 billion! 8.5 billion! 9 billion…”
Even in my mind, the numbers continued to rise.
And soon, they easily passed 10 billion.
This was too much.
I let go of the tablet and gave a hollow laugh.
Just then, someone quietly leaned in beside me.
It was Kang Arin.
A phrase she often said to me.
But this time, her breath tickled my ear from too close.
Her fingertips lightly grazed my thigh.
Kang Arin leaned in close and whispered playfully,
“Hmm… I think I can help again this time too…”
—”12 billion… 12 billion… 12 billion… Auction ends in 10 seconds!”
The number displayed on the tablet was 12 billion.
Still a bargain, considering the item’s worth.
—Tap. Tap-tap.
Kang Arin boldly entered 15 billion on the tablet.
Then, she whispered slowly, her voice low and deliberate,
“But in return, I want one promise.”
“A promise…?”
“If something doesn’t go your way, if it’s too hard… promise you’ll tell me. Ask for help. Especially from me.”
I tried to lift my head to look at her,
But she rested her chin on my shoulder, her eyes narrowing.
I’ve always been the type to bury things inside.
Rather than ask for help, I dig deeper into my own hole.
But now wasn’t the time for pride.
—5…! 4…!
“…I promise.”
In the end, I gave her my word.
—Beep.
[You have bid 15 billion won.]
—”15 billion… 15 billion… 15 billion… Auction ends in 10 seconds!”
Kang Arin rested her hand gently on my thigh, smiled slowly, and whispered again.
“Well done. But you better keep that promise.”
[Bid Complete]
As the auction ended, the lights in the room dimmed softly.
I turned to look at Kang Arin.
“If I don’t…?”
A faint light reflected in her crimson eyes.
“I’ll leave it to your imagination.”
With that, the auction was over.
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