Damn Necromancer - Chapter 136

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

The Spendthrift Necromancer (136)
Heavenly Auction House
A thousand masked figures had gathered in one place.
The masks distributed here possessed special functions.
Upon wearing them, they altered one’s body shape and voice. Of course, one could remove them at will, but most attendees typically kept them on through the end of the auction.
There was no need to unnecessarily reveal one’s identity.
Yet still, a certain someone scanned the surroundings diligently.
‘Surely they didn’t get invited, did they?’
The cause of this anxiety was Kim Min-woo, the Awakener who had been burning brightest lately.
Normally, there would be no reason to worry.
Receiving an invitation to the Heavenly Auction House was extraordinarily difficult.
It was established wisdom that Awakeners below Level 500 would never receive an invitation, no matter what they did. After all, how much fame could one truly amass at such a low level, and how much wealth could one possibly accumulate?
There were indeed many examples of this principle at work.
Wealthy Awakeners from the Middle East and the Arab world.
They possessed tens of trillions in personal assets as baseline, and were renowned figures whose names were known throughout society. Yet even they often failed to receive invitations to the Heavenly Auction House.
The story of one Middle Eastern magnate who became so frustrated by this that he ground away until Level 600 before finally receiving an invitation had become legendary.
Yet this didn’t mean that high-level Awakeners were consistently invited either.
Often, while they satisfied fame and level requirements, they would stumble on the asset threshold.
A system where spending increased with each level gained.
Among world-ranked top Awakeners, it was not uncommon to find those whose assets hadn’t yet crossed into the trillions.
Most such cases stemmed from pouring resources into strengthening A-grade or S-grade Skill Books.
Regardless.
‘Normally, he shouldn’t have received one at all…….’
Kim Min-woo was an anomaly among anomalies.
Five months since his Awakening.
Yet his NewTube subscribers already exceeded one hundred million, and his total assets were said to surpass forty trillion won by a wide margin.
And even that figure was merely the minimum.
The consensus among observers was that he’d extracted something from China and Saudi Arabia. His level, however, was generously estimated at around the 300s.
No Awakener like him had ever existed, nor would any besides Kim Min-woo ever exist.
Had he truly received an invitation?
Whenever reporters posed the question, he would smile evasively and say something like, “Well, who knows?”
‘Please, let him start receiving invitations next year.’
The Awakeners of great powers—Japan, India, Russia, and Canada among them.
They harbored one desperate, fervent prayer in their hearts.
―Acquire the Necromancer equipment at all costs.
A forceful directive from the government.
Even the most exceptional Awakener would become a shadow of themselves without proper equipment to support their abilities.
Since their nation had class-advanced an exceptional Awakener all the way to SS-grade as a Necromancer, each government was under orders to secure the necessary equipment by any means.
‘If that bastard Kim Min-woo also received an invitation…….’
‘Just how much will we need to bid?’
Anticipating fiercer competition, they had provided funding more generous than usual, yet even that felt insufficient.
Then.
Something appeared upon the auction house stage.
A creature that resembled a clown.
―Having triumphed through fierce competition to reach the Heavenly Auction House, honored Awakeners! I am Rastan, and I welcome you all!
Boom-burst!
Along with Rastan’s words, brilliant fireworks erupted from all directions.
The clown then surveyed his surroundings and flashed a broad grin as he continued.
―We’ve received a magnificent collection of items this year! And what’s more, we also have the Heavenly Auction House’s exclusive ‘Special Items’ scheduled to go on the block.
Special Items.
These were articles put forth directly by the auction house itself, distinct from goods submitted by Awakeners.
Sometimes they appeared each year; sometimes they did not.
True to their name as “special,” genuinely extraordinary items were presented.
The problem lay in their minimum bid prices being extraordinarily high.
Items with price tags so steep that even great powers struggled to purchase a single one. Ordinarily, such pieces appeared last in the auction.
―The auction order is simple! First, items submitted by Awakeners from Earth will be displayed, followed by our Special Items! Do take a look at the catalog!
A hologram materialized before the Awakeners’ eyes. Upon it, the items scheduled for auction appeared alongside detailed information.
A total of one hundred fifty-seven Legend-grade items.
There were only two Ancient-grade pieces.
Nothing particularly unusual about that.
Ancient-grade items rarely made it to the auction block in the first place.
To meet the per-nation quota, they’d put up Legends, not Ancient-grade. Only a madman would sell something of that caliber and throw it away. Usually they didn’t even have enough for their own use.
Most countries were short on stock themselves.
Kim Min-woo surveyed the merchandise.
‘Both Ancient pieces are duds. No elemental properties either.’
Some Druid armor and a two-handed sword had turned up instead.
We have the Specter Sword here, Si-woo uses a Holy Sword, and Cedric has his own specialized weapon—the Bone Spear—so a two-handed sword would at least work for Durahan. Still.
With a level restriction of 400, the low-level Durahan couldn’t even touch it yet.
‘We’ll need a jackpot from the special items.’
At this rate, they’d only be skimming off Legends.
Now that he’d scraped together this much money, he wanted to spend it decisively—and that meant hitting the lottery in the special items section.
He scanned the special items list.
[Auction House Special Items]
[Shown when special auction begins.]
[1. ???]
[2. ???]
Two items.
What would come from those was purely random.
‘First, I’ll sweep up the Legends.’
Exclusive equipment for guild members and legion commanders.
Plus accessories, elemental items, and Necromancer gear.
Out of the 157 items, there were about fifty worth buying.
―To ensure a smooth auction, let’s activate the translation function! Everyone should understand each other now! You want to buy something? Excellent. Show us the money—plenty of it, if you would! Now then, let the general auction commence!
[First item: ‘Thousand-Li Eye Helmet’ is being presented!]
[Thousand-Li Eye Helmet]
[Grade: Legend]
[Restriction: Level 400 or higher, ranged class.]
[A mystical helm that grants its wearer eyes capable of seeing distant places. It provides the user with exceptional visual acuity.]
[Effect 1. The wearer’s field of vision increases by 1.5 times.]
[Effect 2. The wearer can discern weak points of distant enemies with a certain probability.]
[Effect 3. Damage dealt to enemies whose weak points have been identified increases by 20%.]
‘Nice.’
The first item turned out to be exactly what he’d been watching for. A helmet would be perfect—it was a piece Seo Ye-rim had failed to obtain from her last loot box.
The other Awakeners’ eyes lit up as well.
It was a solid item with excellent performance.
“120 billion.”
“180 billion.”
“220 billion.”
The bidding price climbed rapidly.
Kim Min-woo, who had been observing calmly until now, placed his bid.
“300 billion.”
“…330 billion.”
“400 billion.”
“…450 billion.”
“500 billion.”
“…”
The opposing bidder’s brow furrowed sharply.
‘Damn it.’
The Thousand-Li Eye Helmet?
It was certainly a fine item.
450 billion had been his final offer for that reason.
Honestly, anything beyond that felt like overpaying.
But every time the other side raised the bid, they climbed by a hundred billion, and it was becoming suffocating.
‘Should I push harder, or fold?’
The opposing bidder’s eyes rolled, then they exhaled a sigh of surrender.
Money was finite, and if they called the next price only to have the other side back down, the bidding would flip entirely onto them—a structure they couldn’t absorb. The other bidder simply didn’t have the nerve for it.
―No further bids? 500 billion going once… twice… and sold! Congratulations, Participant Number Seven!
[Participant Number Seven has acquired the ‘Thousand-Li Eye Helmet’…]
[Participant Number Seven has acquired the ‘Lava Armor’…]
[Participant Number Seven has acquired the ‘Swift Wind Boots’…]
[Participant 7 has acquired the Ring of Courage…….]
.
.
Participant 7, running wild.
He was sweeping up every piece of equipment like a locust swarm—as though he’d gone seven days without food.
No matter how high the bids climbed, he simply pushed them higher, rendering all competition utterly pointless.
Even the United States doesn’t acquire equipment this recklessly.
‘He’s buying Necromancer gear too?’
‘Could it be…….’
Kim Min-woo?
If he were participating with government backing like most Awakeners, he could never display such audacity.
It’s government money being spent, not his own.
‘He keeps pushing the prices up like a madman…….’
‘Why don’t we try riding his coattails for once?’
Several Awakeners’ eyes gleamed.
For the past ten items, he’d been raising bids relentlessly, without any sign of restraint.
Until now, they’d all been somewhat cowed by that boldness.
The first ten purchases had been more of a preliminary survey anyway, so they’d readily abandoned equipment whenever prices seemed even slightly above fair market value.
But what had been the result?
He was now sweeping up nearly all the gear at prices that didn’t deviate significantly from the standard rate.
This couldn’t continue.
The man already had money to burn.
‘Then we need to check him.’
If they depleted Kim Min-woo’s coffers now, they might at least have a chance to compete for the equipment that would come later.
The Awakeners exchanged quiet glances with one another.
Among them was Manato, the Japanese Awakener wearing the fox mask.
In anticipation that Kim Min-woo might participate, the nations possessing SS-grade Necromancers had secretly synchronized their cooperation signals.
Japan was one of those nations. The plan itself was simple enough.
Upon spotting Kim Min-woo, all participating countries would drive up prices to erode his financial resources. The roles of bid-boosters had already been assigned.
Japan was to go first.
Kim Min-woo.
Recently, an Awakener who’d not merely offended Japan’s sensibilities but utterly crushed them. And conveniently, the next lot was Necromancer equipment.
‘This won’t end well for him.’
Japan, too, was in dire need of Necromancer gear.
You’ve got money?
Fine, take it.
But pay a steep price for the privilege.
Malice flared in his eyes.
Soon after, the next item was presented.
[Item eleven: Decayed Bone Boots…….]
Kim Min-woo studied the item.
Decayed Bone Boots.
Rank: Legend.
Reading the detailed description, the item bore remarkably similar performance to the Phantom Step he’d obtained from the loot box draw last time.
He swept his gaze across the room.
Awakeners with gleaming eyes fixed on the Decayed Bone Boots.
Among the ten previous auction lots, there had been one other Necromancer item.
The Necromancer Exclusive Armor that appeared at number eight.
The options were solid, so he’d bid aggressively and won it.
Given his audacious display, competition had been lighter than expected.
But this time…….
‘Things are about to heat up.’
Since he’d acquired roughly ten pieces of equipment at surprisingly reasonable prices, anxiety would soon begin to set in among the other bidders.
In an auction house structured around mutual competition, it was only natural that attempts to check him would emerge.
There was just one thing they hadn’t foreseen.
‘The same goes for me.’
Blocking competitors to cripple the others?
There was no reason Kim Min-woo wouldn’t do the same.
And conveniently, a decent item had just come up.
Necromancer-exclusive, and the options look solid too.
It’s exactly the kind of thing other Awakeners would be greedy enough to covet.
Judging by its effects alone, I’d estimate it’s worth around six hundred billion won.
‘I need to torch one just to make a point.’
A good warning for anyone thinking of pulling stunts.
With so many budding Necromancers being born, the bidding was sure to climb steadily.
“Four hundred billion.”
“Four hundred thirty billion.”
“Four hundred seventy billion.”
Just as expected—the bids climbing right on schedule.
Kim Min-woo slipped into the fray as well.
“Six hundred billion.”
The silence didn’t last long.
Several Awakeners, including one wearing a fox mask, jumped into the bidding.
Seven hundred billion, eight hundred billion, nine hundred billion.
The price skyrocketed in an instant.
Kim Min-woo called out the next bid with casual ease.
“One trillion.”
The moment the price hit the trillion mark, the other Awakeners began backing off one by one.
Manato stared directly at Kim Min-woo.
Decayed Bone Boots.
The options were decent enough, but honestly, not good enough to justify blowing past a trillion.
Yet he’d called it without hesitation.
Then again, that just meant Kim Min-woo wanted those boots badly enough to justify the price.
‘Maybe I should push it higher?’
Looking at his momentum, he seemed ready to keep bidding like a fool even if the price climbed further.
“…One trillion fifty billion.”
“One trillion one hundred billion.”
The fox-masked Awakener fell silent at the immediate counter-bid.
Probably deciding whether to stop or keep going.
Kim Min-woo watched him and let out a low chuckle.
He’d done this more than just a time or two.
Eyes full of greed.
That bastard was the type who’d end up lighting the powder keg, unable to resist temptation.
In the moment he shrugged as though he still had plenty of room to spare.
“…One trillion two hundred billion.”
The man gritted his teeth as he called out the next price.
―Ah! We have one trillion two hundred billion! Does anyone wish to bid higher?
He shook his head.
‘That’s where I stop.’
If he went higher, that bastard would bow out satisfied.
And that wouldn’t do.
In that moment.
The fox-masked Awakener’s face seemed to drain of all color—and it was probably no illusion.
One trillion two hundred billion for something worth six hundred billion?
With that much audacity, he deserved to concede.
―One trillion two hundred billion. Three. Two. One. Sold to bidder number thirteen! Congratulations!
The fox-masked Awakener slumped in his seat as though his legs had given out beneath him.
He gave the man a friendly wave.
Those were the Necromancer boots of his dreams—he’d probably put them to good use.
Or maybe not.
He scanned the other Awakeners in the hall.
Now they understood they could be played the same way, and their eyes had taken on a wary edge.
Out of the one hundred fifty-seven pieces of equipment, he needed about fifty.
Which meant one hundred seven of them were essentially expendable.
That’s why he’d planned to just sit quietly and not stir up any trouble.
‘Of course.’
A person can’t afford to be too virtuous.
Stay quiet and people treat you like you’re invisible, then start throwing jabs your way anyway.
If that fox-masked gamble had paid off?
Everyone would’ve gone wild trying to grab the rest.
‘I need to stir things up a bit.’
Time to establish some order.
* * *
One hundred fifty-seven items, and the Ancient-grade goods yet to come.
The chaotic first half had drawn to a close.
‘Damn it.’
‘Is he actually insane?’
The Awakeners cast looks of exhaustion toward Lot 7—Kim Min-woo.
Every single item that came up, he bid on it.
He’d even driven up the prices on equipment for every obscure job class imaginable. Bubbles had begun inflating around every lot. Whether he was deliberately inflating prices or genuinely trying to acquire everything remained a mystery.
Since he’d already swept through not just Necromancer gear but equipment of all kinds, no one could say for certain if he was playing games with the bidding or meant to purchase everything.
But because the prices had risen so sharply, the Awakeners had no choice but to swallow their frustration and continue participating in the bidding.
The result.
―Remarkable! The average winning bid for all one hundred fifty-seven items comes to approximately six hundred billion per piece! That’s a twenty percent increase compared to last year! It seems Earth’s economy has improved considerably.
Piermont, speaking with his nose twitching in delight, had made a proper windfall.
The Awakeners wore expressions of dismay.
Kim Min-woo, meanwhile.
‘Well, I’d say I got them at a decent price.’
He shrugged his shoulders, satisfied enough with the outcome.
He’d acquired all fifty items he wanted.
The total spent was roughly forty trillion.
A few accessories had pushed the cost higher, but given the nature of an auction, hoping to pay cost is itself unreasonable.
The competition had been fierce.
If he hadn’t stirred things up midway, it would’ve cost fifty or sixty trillion.
And even after spending that much, he still had money left over—all thanks to the warm charity he’d made.
Then.
Rastan surveyed the room and spoke.
―So then, we’ve finished the auction of Earth’s items. Now shall we begin the true auction?
The Awakeners’ eyes gleamed.
Special Items.
They didn’t appear every year, but when they did, they always shared one trait: the opening bid typically started at ten trillion or higher—genuinely premium goods.
―I present this year’s first Special Item!
[The first Special Item is now revealed.]
[The Dice of Fate emerges!]
The Dice of Fate?
All eyes among the Awakeners converged on the small die resting in Rastan’s palm.
Kim Min-woo was no exception.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————