Chapter 137

Chapter 137

Spendthrift Necromancer (137)[Dice of Fate][Rank: Special][A tiny die. Depending on the result of the roll, tremendous fortune may descend upon you, or overwhelming adversity may strike. Yet at the end of that adversity, a reward worthy of it may be waiting. Are you prepared to challenge fate?][Effect 1. The die may roll a result from 1 to 6. 1 through 3 bring adversity, while 4 through 6 bring fortune.][Effect 2. The closer the result is to 1, the greater the adversity. The closer it is to 6, the greater the fortune.][Effect 3. If you experience adversity, the next roll receives a corresponding adjustment toward fortune. Conversely, if you experience fortune, the next roll receives a corresponding adjustment toward adversity.][Effect 4. The die must be rolled at fixed intervals. If the interval is missed, it is treated as the most unfortunate possible result.][Effect 5. ???]

The Awakened swallowed as they looked at the item.‘This thing…….’‘It's a double-edged sword, isn't it?’At a glance, the adversity it mentioned didn't seem like anything remotely ordinary.

Of course, the corresponding fortune could be just as great…….

The odds on the first roll were fifty-fifty

.

It was practically asking whether you wanted to live or die on a coin flip.

And there was also the troublesome condition that it absolutely had to be rolled at regular intervals.

Some Awakened stared at the item with conflicted expressions, while others had eyes gleaming from the opposite side.

Kim Minwoo was the prime example.‘This is insanely tempting.’Adversity?

Wasn't that something you couldn't get enough of?

The harder the challenge, the better the reward.

That was practically an ironclad rule.

Put another way, this was an item that forcibly upgraded rewards.

Fortune was always welcome.

And even if adversity came up.

It could increase the eventual reward, while also raising the fortune adjustment on the next roll.

That was attractive in its own right.

On top of that, the Trait he'd obtained this time, Indomitable, gave him special adjustments the more he refused to yield before difficulty.

Meaning things had to be difficult for Indomitable to activate in the first place.

If overwhelming adversity struck, there was no way Indomitable wouldn't trigger.‘I have to buy it.’It was far too valuable an item to let slip away.―The Dice of Fate! A truly marvelous item. The minimum bid is sixty trillion won…… oh?

Rastan's eyes gleamed.―How fascinating. I never imagined Earth credits would have risen this much in value. Quite a few things must have happened here since last time. Very well! Around forty trillion won should do. A perfectly reasonable discount! A golden opportunity to purchase the Dice of Fate!‘Insane.’‘Forty trillion?’‘Is he joking?’The Awakened's jaws dropped at the price. Nothing that had appeared so far had ever boasted a price this outrageous.

Even the truly expensive items had topped out around twenty to thirty trillion.

Yet this one started at forty.

And that was after a discount.

No matter how much their governments had increased their funding, only a tiny handful of Awakened could possibly possess that much money.

And even if they did.

If they spent it all on a single die, their government might come looking for them with guns the moment they returned.

Its performance wasn't unconditionally good either. There were clearly ambiguous drawbacks mixed in.

Kim Minwoo looked around.‘There are still a few competitors.’Even at the horrifying price of forty trillion, several Awakened hadn't lost interest.

They wanted it?

The masks made it impossible to know exactly who they were.

But one thing was certain.‘World-ranker level.’Powerhouses with money and complete confidence in their own ability. People at that level would naturally covet the die.

Rewards for overcoming adversity.

How could that fail to tempt them?

Each one of those bastards was plenty crazy in their own right.

And if they'd been invited here, they obviously had money too. At minimum, they hadn't burned everything on Skill Books and reduced themselves to beggars.‘Looks like I'll have to spend some money here.’There was still a second Special Item, so he'd rather not go all-in yet.

And so the auction began.

“Forty trillion.”

The instant Kim Minwoo called the opening price.

The Awakened around him stared in shock.

The Sky Auction House was governed by the System. Calling a bid was essentially proof that you possessed enough cash to pay it.‘Insane.’‘Hasn't he already spent forty trillion?’And now he was bidding another forty?

That meant Kim Minwoo's wealth was far greater than the publicly known figure.

It wasn't as though nobody had suspected it.

But vaguely guessing and seeing it demonstrated before their eyes were completely different matters.

That was when.

“Forty-one trillion.”

An Awakened wearing a leopard mask entered the auction.

“Forty-two trillion.”

“Forty-three trillion.”

One by one, more Awakened joined in.‘Three.’People spending government funding couldn't bid this fearlessly.

Unless they were world rankers themselves.

Not that Minwoo had even the slightest intention of yielding.

“Forty-five trillion.”

“……Forty-six trillion.”

“Fifty trillion.”

“……Fifty-one trillion.”

“Fifty-five trillion.”

“Good lord…….”

Two Awakened clicked their tongues and backed out. Only the leopard-masked Awakened remained.

“……Fifty-seven trillion.”

“Sixty trillion.”

They were probably starting to feel dizzy.

There was a reason he'd gone around gathering cash from every possible source.

World ranker?

Whatever else they wanted to compete over, if they wanted to challenge him with money, they had better be ready to get slapped across the face with it.

“……

Haa.”

Even the leopard, his final competitor, seemed to realize it was hopeless and withdrew.―Sixty trillion! Anyone else? Three. Two. One. Congratulations, Participant Number 7![You have acquired the Dice of Fate! It is placed in your inventory!]

Including the 2% commission, the die had cost 61.2 trillion won. He hadn't even rolled it yet, but he already felt full.‘And there's still one more.’He was already excited to see what the next item would be.―Then let's move straight on to our next item! The second Special Item![The second Special Item is revealed!][Ainel's Second Tablet][Rank: Special][‘For Ainel.’][A stone tablet engraved with what appears to be some meaningful message.][Effect 1. Can be combined with Ainel's First Tablet.][Effect 2. Combining the two tablets opens a dimensional gate. Where it leads is unknown.]

“Ah!”

“……?”

The moment the item was revealed.

One Awakened suddenly cried out. It wouldn't have meant much if it had been some random nobody, but the one who'd just reacted was…….‘That guy was fighting Kim Minwoo with money earlier…….’‘The leopard?’The leopard-masked Awakened.He'd gone all the way to fifty-seven trillion against Kim Minwoo in that game of chicken.

Someone willing to bid that much on one item?

Whether the funds came from a government or their own pocket, one thing was certain.‘A world ranker.’A genuine powerhouse capable of spending that kind of money without destroying themselves afterward.

Only a tiny fraction of the thousand Awakened gathered here belonged to that class.

Exactly who it was, however, remained impossible to tell. Even people invited every year received a different mask each time.

That was when.

The clown grinned at the leopard.―What's wrong? Does this item perhaps look familiar?

“…….”―Well, if not, never mind. This item is a mysterious tablet! Apparently gathering the First Tablet connects it somewhere……! For reference, even our Auction House doesn't know exactly where it leads. Though we can say it probably won't be boring!‘A Hidden Gate item.’The Awakened's eyes gleamed.

A dimensional gate?

Weren't Gates created from sliced fragments of other worlds in the first place?

Entering a Gate was another way of saying entering another dimension.

An item that served as the starting point of a Hidden Gate.

Naturally, it was incredibly valuable.

And.―You want it? Then pay! Preferably a great deal! The minimum bid starts at thirty trillion won!

The clown's minimum bid subtly revealed the item's value too.

If it were nothing special, it would've started around ten trillion.

Instead, it was thirty.

And that was after a discount because Earth credits had risen in value. Meaning the original price was far higher than thirty trillion.

Considering that the Special Items this man sold were expensive but not outright rip-offs…….‘I should secure it for now.’Who knew?

Maybe if he kept it inside his inventory and continued hunting, the First Tablet would eventually drop.

Discover one Hidden Gate like that and your life was made.

Unlike the ambiguous die, this one offered a definite return.

And that wasn't the only good news.‘He should be nearly tapped out by now.’Kim Minwoo had already spent close to one hundred trillion won. Even if he had money left, it couldn't be more than ten or twenty trillion.

With that amount, he couldn't even enter the bidding…….

“Thirty trillion.”―Ah! Participant Number 7. As expected. Truly an excellent customer!

“Thirty-five trillion.”

“Forty trillion.”

The price of the tablet gradually climbed.

Since it was the final auction, quite a few people gritted their teeth and followed along.

Especially the leopard mask.‘Does he have the First Tablet?’Kim Minwoo's eyes gleamed.

That cry earlier.

It had been practically a reflex.

The kind of sound someone made after unexpectedly seeing an item connected to something they already possessed.

The price shot past fifty trillion in an instant.

Then.

“……Fifty-seven trillion!”

The leopard mask suddenly bid fifty-seven trillion, eyes gleaming.‘Is that all his money?’Both during the die auction and now.

He always stopped exactly there.

Every other competitor had already dropped out long ago.

The eyes behind the mask stared straight at him.

Then Minwoo should live up to the expectation.

“Fifty-seven trillion, one hundred billion.”

“……Fifty-seven trillion, two hundred billion.”

“Fifty-seven trillion, three hundred billion.”

“……!”

The eyes behind the mask trembled.

Then, grinding his teeth.

“……Fifty-seven trillion, three hundred twenty-two billion, fourteen million, three hundred twenty thousand won!”

He had gone all-in, down to an absurdly specific amount.

“Fifty-seven trillion, three hundred twenty-two billion, fourteen million, three hundred thirty thousand won.”

“Hey!”

The leopard went berserk as though practicing thrift had finally blown his lid.

It didn't matter.

The Sky Auction House was governed by the System.

Even if the Sword Immortal himself came here, violence was forbidden.―Oh my! A difference of exactly ten thousand won! Participant Number 332! Don't you have another ten thousand? What a terrible shame…….

The trembling leopard lowered his head and muttered.

“……Fourteen million, three hundred fifty-two thousand, three hundred seventy won.”

“Fourteen million, three hundred sixty thousand won.”―Oh dear…… don't you have another five thousand won? What an awful shame…….

“…….”

The leopard hung his head.

The Sky Auction House didn't allow borrowing money from others.

Only cash you personally possessed could be used.

And he'd bid everything.

There was nothing left.

Rastan shrugged at the sight.―Capitalism truly is merciless. But what can you do? That's how the world works. For reference, don't feel too cheated. That Participant Number 7 over there? He still has plenty of money left.

“……

You said it was a shame?”―Sorry. I have to make a living too.

Rastan shrugged, then looked around at the other Awakened.―Fifty-seven trillion, three hundred twenty-two billion, fourteen million, four hundred forty thousand won. Anyone else? Three. Two. One. Congratulations, Participant Number 7![You have acquired Ainel's Second Tablet! It is placed in your inventory!]―And with that, this year's Sky Auction House draws to a close! Don't be too disappointed. We'll see one another again next year…….

The clown was delivering his closing remarks when the leopard suddenly closed the distance like lightning and stared straight at him.

“You're Kim Minwoo, aren't you?”

“Who are you?”

“……

Isabella.”

Baguette?

At this point in the story, none of the characters he'd ever played had been invited to the Sky Auction House, so he didn't know who normally attended.

He'd hooked a much bigger fish than expected.

The eyes behind Isabella's leopard mask stared at him.

“I have the other tablet.”

“Perfect. Why don't you come tour Korea while you're at it?”

“I'm busy.”

“I'm busier. Don't come if you don't want to.”

The Hidden Gate from the tablets?

It wasn't as though he needed to clear it immediately.

Starting with the Orc Gate, then the Trainee Trial and Ascension Ritual.

He already had more than enough things to do.

That was when.―Then! See you again next year, people of Earth!

Flash!

The scenery changed in a burst of light. Before he knew it, the familiar interior of his room had returned.‘I got a lot.’Equipment for the Legion Commanders and guild members, plus a ring and armor for himself.

As for the rest…….

The moment he dumped a mountain of equipment from his inventory.―Coo!

Snowy appeared, wings fluttering wildly with excitement.

And no wonder.

These weren't the Magic- or Rare-grade attribute items it usually received.

They were Legendary.

Its menu had gone straight from pork to beef.

It would've been stranger if Snowy weren't excited.

“Aww, my baby. Time to eat.”―Coo!

Flutter!

Snowy landed on the equipment in a flash and opened its beak.[All Fire attribute contained in ‘Lava Armor’ is absorbed!][All Wind attribute contained in ‘Gale Boots’ is…….][All Lightning attribute contained in ‘Lightning-Struck Gauntlets’ is…….]..[Fire attribute increases by 5.1%…….][Wind attribute increases by 4.9%…….][Lightning attribute…….]

Its possessed attributes shot upward dramatically with every piece of equipment.

While Snowy was enjoying its meal.

News played on the TV.―Breaking news. French Awakened Isabella has just departed for Korea aboard her private jet…….