Chapter 146 – The Successful Bid

“Guild Master. Please reconsider this one more time……”

Though Shin Kyung-min tried to dissuade him, Kang Hyuk-su’s expression showed his mind was already made up.

“Isn’t 100 billion for a single skill book too expensive?”

“It’s fine. This much is just pocket change for me.”

Of course, while the Guild Master Kang Hyuk-su earned several times more than what he made from hunting, 100 billion was certainly not pocket change.

“If you’re bidding just to show off, please stop.”

“It’s not showing off, man. I’m bidding because I really need it.”

“What would someone who charges alone with a sword and shield while hunting need a summon for?”

“It’s an investment, an investment. A skill book that’s already worth over 100 billion will only increase in value over time.”

“Increase? It could also decrease if more become available.”

“If it’s an item dropped by a named boss, then this is likely the end of the supply. In that case, the price will only go up.”

“How can you be so sure? It could drop from other monsters too. Or it might come from random boxes.”

“I don’t know. I’ve already placed my bid.”

“What?”

Kang Hyuk-su showed him the screen displaying his bid of 110 billion.

It seemed he had been fiddling with his smartphone and finally went through with it.

“Haah……”

Shin Kyung-min pressed his forehead.

He couldn’t understand pouring 110 billion into a mere skill book.

“Don’t look at me like that. Anyway, I don’t think I’ll lose money if I have it.”

“Don’t rely on your intuition. Haven’t you considered that the price might be inflated? There aren’t any other bidders besides you…”

“Huh? It went up.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the auction price increased by 10% to 121 billion.

“See! There are other people bidding besides me! That person must have recognized the value of the Ghost Wolf just like I did.”

“……”

Shin Kyung-min, who was about to refute, held his tongue.

He simply shook his head quietly, thinking there was just one more sucker like the Guild Master.

After an hour passed and it was time to bid again.

“This skill book is mine!”

Kang Hyuk-su bid again with a 10% increase to 133.1 billion.

“133 billion for a single skill book……”

Thinking they were being completely taken advantage of, Shin Kyung-min kept shaking his head.

But there wasn’t just one sucker.

As soon as Kang Hyuk-su raised the amount, the auction price was adjusted upward to 146.4 billion.

Someone had bid again with the maximum amount.

“Oh? Look at this guy?”

Kang Hyuk-su, feeling competitive, rolled up his sleeves.

His thick palms, which looked capable of crushing anything, gripped the small smartphone.

“So you have that much money, huh? Fine. Let’s see who wins.”

“Guild Master, just concede. 140 billion seems a bit extreme.”

“No way. Seeing how desperately this person is trying to get it, it might be worth much more than we think.”

Kang Hyuk-su, not backing down, waited for the next bidding time.

After another hour passed, the final bidding opportunity approached.

“Think about it one more time. Do you really believe this skill book is worth more than 140 billion?”

“I don’t know either. I’ll find out when I buy it and open it.”

“Don’t regret it, Guild Master.”

Though Shin Kyung-min tried to dissuade him again, Kang Hyuk-su wouldn’t listen.

This bid might really get him the skill book.

Knowing this, Kang Hyuk-su entered an even higher amount.

And just as he was about to press the bid button.

“…!”

His finger wouldn’t move.

There was nothing wrong with his body.

An invisible force was preventing him from pressing the button.

“Calm down and stop here.”

When he turned his head, Shin Kyung-min was looking at him with a serious expression.

Finding it absolutely necessary, he had used his telekinesis to stop Kang Hyuk-su’s action.

“…Ah, alright. I won’t press it. Release your power.”

At Kang Hyuk-su’s words, Shin Kyung-min released his telekinesis.

The finger that couldn’t move a moment ago now moved normally.

“I’m sorry for using force. But 140 billion for a skill book is beyond reasonable. It’s not even a skill you need.”

“Y-yeah? Now that I look at it, it does seem a bit expensive.”

“Not a bit, it’s extremely expensive.”

Kang Hyuk-su rubbed the back of his head sheepishly at Shin Kyung-min’s rebuke.

Even though he was an S-rank hunter who had reached the top, he was still only ranked 2nd.

He couldn’t compare to Shin Kyung-min, who was ranked 1st.

“Y-yeah. How great could a Ghost Wolf be anyway? I’ll concede the skill book.”

And so, Kang Hyuk-su, without realizing the true value of the Ghost Wolf, raised the stakes but withdrew from the auction.

* * *

[Member Kim Byung-soo! ‘Ghost Wolf Summon Skill Book’ has been successfully bid at 146.4 billion won. Congratulations!]

Kim Byung-soo sighed in relief as he looked at the skill book he had barely managed to win.

‘Phew, I almost lost it.’

He thought he would lose it to some big spender who appeared at the last minute.

But fortunately, they seemed intimidated by his bold betting, allowing him to secure the skill book.

‘If it had exceeded my budget of 150 billion, I would have had to give it up, so I’m lucky.’

Considering it fortunate that it ended at 146.4 billion, he proceeded with the next steps.

Although he was about to spend most of his money on a single skill book, he didn’t find it wasteful.

‘Money comes and goes anyway.’

What good would it do to have thousands of billions?

It’s not like he could take it with him when he died.

‘If I can buy what I want, I can give away this much money anytime.’

Anyway, with A-rank dungeons dropping billions each time, it wouldn’t affect his livelihood.

Moreover, Kim Byung-soo had a personal dungeon he could conquer for life.

Though it was a secret unknown to others.

‘Strictly speaking, is it a personal dungeon? It’s not like I use it alone.’

Shortly after, 146.4 billion won of Hunter Market mileage disappeared, and the seller’s face and name were revealed.

‘Hunter Kim Jae-won. According to his ranking, he’s an A-rank hunter around level 1,500.’

When a transaction is confirmed, the previously private seller information is released like this.

The face is revealed for verification during face-to-face transactions, and the name is to ensure the seller’s identity.

Kim Byung-soo called the number he had texted earlier.

Unlike before, the other party answered immediately.

-Hello.

“Are you Kim Jae-won?”

-Yes, that’s right. You’re the one who won the Ghost Wolf skill book auction, aren’t you?

The other side seemed to recognize Kim Byung-soo, as if the winner’s information had been shared with them as well.

“Yes.”

-Can you trade right now?

A quick transaction was what Kim Byung-soo wanted too.

“Yes.”

-As you know, I only do face-to-face transactions. But since I’m not feeling well, I can’t come to you, so you’ll have to come to me. Is that okay?

“As long as I can properly receive the item, I don’t mind.”

-Haha, the item is guaranteed, so don’t worry. I’ll send you the location by text.

After the call ended, a text message with a link to the meeting place arrived shortly after.

“Huh? This is a mountain? Why meet in such a place?”

Perhaps he was recuperating in a cabin in the mountains since he said he wasn’t feeling well?

“Well, it doesn’t matter.”

As long as the transaction went through, what did the location matter?

Though the forest location was somewhat secluded, he didn’t feel it was dangerous.

After all, the other party was only level 1,500, while he was over level 2,500.

“If they’re trying to scam me……”

He would just teach them a lesson.

* * *

‘Everything is going according to plan.’

Min Do-jun put down the phone with a satisfied expression after finishing the call with Kim Byung-soo.

As planned, he had successfully lured Kim Byung-soo using the skill book as bait.

‘After hearing his voice, I’m certain it’s that old man.’

Since the winner’s name and face would appear on the site after the auction ended, there was no room for doubt.

Min Do-jun immediately sent the meeting place by text.

The location was a cabin that served as one of the Black Sea Guild’s hideouts.

‘This place is perfect for killing him without anyone knowing.’

Though Min Do-jun planned to kill Pet Master when they met, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t complete the transaction.

‘I should receive the 146.4 billion won, shouldn’t I?’

Even though the auction was successful, the transaction wasn’t completely finished yet.

The payment was still being held in mileage form by the intermediary site, Hunter Market.

Only after Kim Byung-soo received the item and pressed the transaction completion button would the 146.4 billion won be transferred to Min Do-jun.

‘After deducting fees, it would be about 145 billion.’

If the transaction went through, Min Do-jun’s funds would more than double.

He couldn’t miss that opportunity.

‘Even if I kill him, I should do it after completing the transaction.’

That didn’t mean he intended to let him keep the skill book.

‘I’ll kill him and take back the skill book he takes.’

If he killed him before he opened the packaging and learned the skill, he could retrieve the skill book.

“How did it go? Did it work out well?”

Kim Jae-won, who had been standing at a distance, asked when he saw the call had ended.

“Yes. Everything is going according to plan.”

“Now we just need to take care of the target, right?”

“No. I’ll handle the target alone. Your role ends here.”

“Understood.”

Min Do-jun turned away without saying a word of thanks or acknowledgment for their help.

After all, he was currently playing the role of the cold-hearted Ahn Gwang-hyun.

As he was turning, Min Do-jun suddenly seemed to remember something and held up the phone.

“I’ll keep this phone and return it after the transaction is complete.”

“Use it as you please and return it whenever you want.”

Min Do-jun nodded as if he wouldn’t hesitate to accept.

He needed Kim Jae-won’s phone until the transaction was complete.

‘I need to pretend to be Kim Jae-won in front of him.’

Min Do-jun headed to the meeting place alone.

It was time to meet Pet Master.

* * *

As the sun was setting and twilight began to fall.

Kim Byung-soo, who had found the trading location, looked around.

“Is this really the right place?”

Though he had done numerous face-to-face transactions using Hunter Market, it was his first time coming to such a mountain location.

“If this is some kind of joke……”

Kim Byung-soo’s eyes gleamed with killing intent.

He was prepared to kill anyone immediately if it turned out to be a prank.

After all, he was more confident than anyone in killing people and erasing his traces.

With such thoughts, he walked through the mountains.

It never occurred to him that he might have been lured to such a secluded place to be harmed.

His only worry was whether the seller might stand him up.

“Is that it?”

Upon reaching the meeting place from the text, he saw a cabin.

And someone waiting to greet him.

“You’ve arrived?”

The other person approached with a welcoming face.

Looking at his face, it was clearly the seller, Kim Jae-won.

“Are you Kim Jae-won?”

“Yes. You came to trade for the Ghost Wolf Summon skill book, right?”

When he nodded, the seller took out the skill book from his inventory.

“Let’s trade right now.”

However, contrary to his words, he didn’t hand over the skill book immediately.

“Please be ready to press the transaction completion button when I hand over the item.”

Kim Byung-soo complied with the seller’s request without complaint.

It was standard procedure in face-to-face transactions for one party to prepare the button while the other showed the item.

“I’m ready.”

With those words, he showed the phone screen ready to press the button, and the seller unhesitatingly held out the skill book.

Kim Byung-soo, who had been worried it might be a prank, relaxed his expression as soon as he received the skill book.

‘It’s definitely the Ghost Wolf Summon skill book!’

It wasn’t a fake listing.

The item’s information window was exactly as the seller had uploaded to the site.

Upon realizing this, Kim Byung-soo lowered his guard against the other party.

He also appreciated how quickly the transaction was proceeding.

“If you’ve confirmed it, please press the completion button.”

For a moment, Kim Byung-soo hesitated to press the button.

Now that he had received the item, he felt reluctant to part with the money.

‘It’s 146.4 billion after all.’

It was equivalent to the life’s worth he had accumulated over the past 11 years fighting monsters with blood and sweat.

But that hesitation was brief.

Press-

Kim Byung-soo pressed the transaction completion button on his phone.

He wanted to tear open the packaging and learn the skill book right away, but that wouldn’t be polite, would it?

“I’ve pressed it. Please check.”

With this, he had lost most of his assets, but he had no regrets.

Instead, hadn’t he gained a rare pet called the Ghost Wolf?

However, Kim Byung-soo didn’t know.

That his life and death had been determined by this choice.