WeTried Translations
Translator: Joy
Editor: Joy
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Damned Transmigration ◈
Chapter 16: The 3 Billion Sel Man (2)
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Orca Dersia was a VIP at Le Seyun. As a result, Elena’s group, who had borrowed her entry pass, were treated as VIPs as well.
The three wore gold badges on their chests to mark their status and entered with a senior manager accompanying them.
‘Damn, this is a little overwhelming.’
Yuri felt that way, but Elena looked perfectly unfazed.
“Have you been here before?”
“Yeah.”
Elena nodded as she turned the pages of the catalogue the manager had given her.
“I wanted to refer to Otian’s magic book, but I couldn’t get hold of even a copy, let alone the original.”
Elena looked up at Yuri, then swept her perfectly fine blonde hair to the side.
“So I asked the Tower Master, and she said I could get it here. That’s why I came.”
‘Who the hell is Otian?’
The question lingered on his tongue, but he did not ask it. Yuri pointed at the catalogue Elena was studying so intently instead.
“What are you looking at so seriously?”
“This is the magic book catalogue. There’s nothing that catches my interest. The things listed here don’t even make it into the auction.”
Elena snapped the catalogue shut, then looked at the manager as though she were already familiar with the place.
“Are there any decent magic books among the items in this auction?”
“Not a magic book, but there is the formula for Scorching Blaze, one of Harabel Ushia’s spells.”
The manager answered with a smile.
“H-Harabel Ushia? Crimson Wing?”
“Yes. Ah, there is no need for concern. The seller of Scorching Blaze is Harabel Ushia themselves.”
Yuri had never seen the name Harabel Ushia in the game. Harabel Ushia seemed to be a mage who had appeared within the past thirty years.
“I believe Scorching Blaze may be the most expensive magic in this public auction.”
They wore VIP badges, but they were borrowed badges. Since they were not the actual owners, they could not attend the private auction.
Not that they had the money anyway. The items sold in the private auction held every six months barely sat on the legal side, and even the lowest successful bid easily exceeded one billion sel.
“Another spell Miss Elena may find interesting is Master Jang-un’s Seven Thunders.”
“S-Seven Thunders?”
“Yes. Seven Thunders, created by Master Jang-un, a fifth-tier lightning-affinity mage who died three years ago. It cannot compare to Orca’s magic, but Miss Elena may enjoy studying Seven Thunders.”
“D-Do you know its expected price?”
“I expect it will sell for at least six hundred million sel.”
Elena’s eyes wavered at the answer. The relaxed confidence she had shown earlier was nowhere to be found.
“I’m just asking out of curiosity, but how much was Otian’s magic book?”
“...Three million sel.”
She had spoken so smugly that Yuri had expected it to cost three hundred million. He did not ask any more questions, instead turning his attention to Haryeong.
Unaffected by Elena’s bluffing right beside her, Haryeong was scanning the catalogue.
“Is there anything worth buying?”
“There are more decent martial arts than I expected.”
“Wouldn’t we just buy one at the auction?”
Elena, who had briefly lost her senses over her desire for Seven Thunders and its enormous price, turned her head.
“You never know whether an excellent martial art might be hidden in the catalogue.”
“That’s impossible.”
Elena shook her head as though the notion were ridiculous, but Yuri somehow found Haryeong’s words convincing.
“Let me see.”
“Would looking at it tell you anything?”
“It’s martial arts I’ll be learning. Even if I know nothing, I should at least take a look.”
“I’ll warn you in advance: few martial arts live up to their names.”
Clicking her tongue, Haryeong handed over the catalogue.
“Look at this, for instance. The Asura Frenzy Sword Art. Its name sounds like the sword art of some mighty figure from the Demonic Cult, yet it costs only one million sel.”
“If you train hard enough in a cheap sword art, maybe one day you really will slaughter people in an Asura frenzy.”
“Listening to Yuri-nim’s brilliant nonsense makes me want to slaughter Yuri-nim in an Asura frenzy as well.”
She said it with a completely expressionless face, which made Yuri feel as though it might truly happen. He cleared his throat and carefully examined the catalogue.
‘Of course not.’
He had held a small hope that some of the skills he used in the game, those classified as martial arts, might be in the catalogue. Of course, none of them were.
The martial arts listed in the catalogue hovered between second-rate and first-rate. The cheapest cost one million sel, while the expensive ones reached the ten-million-sel range.
‘I want Blood Wheel Soul-Locking Palm and Seven Nights Drifting Cloud Steps...’
They were martial arts Yuri used so often that he included them in his build whenever he started a new character. But techniques acquired only in the late game would never appear in this catalogue.
‘Do I really have to make them myself?’
Most transmigrators had apparently done so. Once he reached a certain realm, he would likely be able to create martial arts or magic.
“So, did you find anything?”
“There are more decent martial arts than I expected.”
“That sounds like something I’ve heard before. How strange.”
They passed through a corridor reserved for VIPs and entered the auction hall.
As they had heard, it was a public auction. The open space felt more like an exhibition hall, and although the auction had not even started, there were already quite a few people inside. At a glance, there were nearly fifty.
“Are all these people VIPs?”
“Probably.”
“Why are there so many VIPs?”
“How large do you think Rutlan’s population is? What a foolish question. Besides, Le Seyun’s monthly auctions are famous in other cities too.”
Elena clicked her tongue, acting knowledgeable.
“And this public auction also serves as a sort of social gathering. Wealthy VIPs come here to socialize and exchange information about the auction items.”
“You know a lot.”
“I told you, I came here before.”
“You said it was three million sel?”
“I could’ve just come to look around.”
She nudged Yuri’s side with her elbow.
“So don’t act like a country bumpkin. Just be natural, alright?”
“Someone would think you were used to this place. Who was the one who nearly foamed at the mouth after hearing six hundred million sel?”
“When did I foam at the mouth?”
Why was she suddenly getting so seriously angry? Yuri nodded obediently, worried that if he teased her any further, Elena would start firing electricity like Pikachu.
“You didn’t foam at the mouth.”
Elena shot him an annoyed glare at his shameless expression.
While they waited for the auction to begin in their assigned seats, the VIPs received new catalogues. These contained the items being sold in the auction.
“Gasp...!”
Haryeong, who had been studying the catalogue intently, sucked in a sharp breath.
“Fist of the Rending Cloud! This, this is it. We absolutely have to buy this.”
“Fist of the Rending Cloud!”
Yuri flinched in surprise as well.
“What do you know that made you react like that, Yuri-nim?”
“The name sounds impressive.”
That was a lie. Yuri knew what Fist of the Rending Cloud was.
He had not merely heard its name. He had used it in the game for quite a long time. He eventually settled on another martial art while refining his build, but he knew exactly how good Fist of the Rending Cloud was.
‘Dear God.’
His heart raced as he clenched his fist. There were many other martial arts with grand names, but after seeing Fist of the Rending Cloud, none of the others entered his mind.
“Is it that good?”
“More than good. Among the martial arts being sold today, there is nothing better than Fist of the Rending Cloud.”
Haryeong declared it without hesitation.
“Even if we must spend all one billion sel, we absolutely have to buy Fist of the Rending Cloud.”
“If we spend all the money, what about the other martial arts?”
“We already have the Azure Heaven Pill. We can buy a suitable second-rate inner cultivation method outside and use it for now. Once we have more room to spare, we can replace it with a better one.”
It was rare for Haryeong to speak with such emphasis. Elena glanced at Yuri and could tell that, though he did not say it aloud, he had already set his heart on Fist of the Rending Cloud.
“...How much will it cost?”
“Probably about as much as Seven Thunders.”
Elena quietly closed her eyes.
The money was not Elena’s. It was compensation Yuri had extracted.
So she did not think it was a waste. Yet the name Seven Thunders kept lingering strangely in her mind.
‘Still, if its expected bid is around six hundred million sel, we’ll have about four hundred million left. And maybe, maybe Seven Thunders will sell for less than six hundred million sel. Then, if...’
“Alright.”
Elena steadied herself and nodded.
“Fist of the Rending Cloud has sold for nine hundred and ninety million sel.”
If, if...
The amount Elena had planned to bid was around six hundred million sel.
Then why? Why were they left with only ten million sel out of one billion? Elena lowered her trembling hand.
“Th-That...”
Elena could not continue and bit her lower lip.
A middle-aged man sat across from them, a man who loudly proclaimed himself a martial artist through his face and physique alone.
If it were not for that man, Elena could have won Fist of the Rending Cloud for around five hundred million sel. If only he had not raised the price bit by bit, just barely above Elena’s bids.
“Sorry.”
Yuri, who had silently watched from the time the bid passed seven hundred million sel, cautiously spoke up. Elena, whose shoulders had been trembling, jolted and straightened herself.
“Yuri, what are you sorry for?”
“I feel like I should be sorry...”
“Not at all! There’s no need for that! Do you think I’m upset about wasting the money?”
“No. It seems like you’re upset because you couldn’t buy Lightning Flash Seven Thunders.”
Elena’s eyebrow twitched at Yuri’s honest impression.
“Yuri, you seem to be misunderstanding something. First of all, it’s Seven Thunders, not Lightning Flash Seven Thunders.”
“I see.”
“And I’m not disappointed about Seven Thunders. What do I lack? Seven Thunders? Yes, it’s good magic. But I’m a mage of the Dersia Mage Tower. I’m also a prospective disciple who may one day inherit the Tower Master’s magic.”
Elena began speaking faster. She was saying those words not only to Yuri, but to herself as well.
“My thoughts about Seven Thunders were only, ‘Should I buy it and use it as a reference?’ That much. Yes, just for reference. That’s all. To use it as a reference, I’d need to learn it...”
“The more I listen, the sorrier I feel.”
“Yuri, I told you not to misunderstand! There’s nothing for you to be sorry about! Why are you sorry? Did you beg me to buy Fist of the Rending Cloud for you? Did you do anything? I was the one who suggested coming here in the first place!”
“Uh, Elena. The auction isn’t over yet. If you keep raising your voice, won’t people think you’re a country bumpkin?”
Elena’s face reddened. Her shoulders trembled, then she drew a deep breath and looked around.
Sure enough, nearby VIPs were looking at Elena.
“Let’s go.”
Yuri grabbed Elena’s wrist.
“We have no money left anyway. We bought what we needed. There’s no reason to stay any longer.”
“That’s true, but...”
“You’re not thinking of winning Lightning Flash Seven Thunders for ten million sel, are you?”
“It’s Seven Thunders...”
Elena, who had been about to snap at him, belatedly realized Yuri was holding her wrist. Her eyes widened as she looked back and forth between the wrist he was holding and Yuri’s face.
“I said...”
She stammered the rest under her breath and rose from her seat. Yuri gave a slight nod to the VIPs still watching them and left the auction hall. Haryeong followed quietly behind him. Her face was as expressionless as usual, but her cheek twitched ever so slightly.
“By the way, Haryeong.”
“Yes? Yes.”
Did she have eyes in the back of her head? Haryeong quickly composed her expression before replying.
“Who was that man?”
“Does Miss Elena think I’m some kind of encyclopedia?”
“You know most things when I ask. You knew a lot about Fist of the Rending Cloud too.”
“Information gathering is a basic skill for an assassin.”
“So you don’t know who that man is?”
“I do.”
She really did know. Yuri looked at Haryeong in surprise.
“Fist Wolf Bakerd.”
It was not Haryeong who answered.
The large man from earlier stood in the middle of the corridor leading outside. He had looked enormous from a distance, but up close, he seemed even larger. His shoulders seemed wide enough to cover half the entrance, and the forearms folded across his chest were about as thick as Yuri’s thighs.
“That is my name.”
His lips twitched beneath his thick beard. Yuri had never heard the title Fist Wolf, but the name Bakerd sounded strangely familiar.
‘Bakerd, Bakerd...’
Yuri searched through Lee Su-hyeok’s memories, not Yuri’s, until he remembered.
Bakerd. An NPC assigned to the city guard of Sairan, a city near Rutlan. He was a named NPC with a proper name, but his level was not particularly high.
There was another reason Bakerd was a named NPC. He was the illegitimate son of the Raspion Family, one of Sairan’s prestigious families. Killing Bakerd gave a random chance for him to drop the Raspion Family Key, and using that key allowed entry into the hidden field of the Raspion Family.
Yuri had never tried that route himself, but he had heard about it from FUCKINGSEXY, with whom he actively exchanged game information. The Raspion Family was an old sword clan. Once inside the Raspion Family, a place accessible only with the key, killing the family head guaranteed the Raspion Secret Sword Art.
Some of the Raspion Secret Sword Art’s skills had enough value to make it into FUCKINGSEXY’s final build.
[Fuck! That bastard Bakerd didn’t drop the key again!]
[Have to start over? All that work went to waste?]
[Shut up, you pervert! Bakerd, why didn’t you drop it?]
[Why are you killing an innocent illegitimate son?]
[Fuck! Fuck! I am very angry. Why does he make things difficult for me?]
Bakerd, who had not even been allowed to hold a sword because he was the illegitimate son of a prestigious sword clan and had only suffered in the city guard, now stood before them with the title Fist Wolf.
“Sir Bakerd, why are you standing there? It looks as though you are preventing us from leaving.”
Haryeong addressed him in Elena’s place. Though the possibility was slim, she deliberately positioned herself in front of Elena in preparation for any danger.
“An assassin of Salhomun.”
Bakerd stared at Haryeong with narrowed eyes.
“Marigold of the Dersia Mage Tower...”
His gaze slid past Elena and settled on Yuri.
“...and her servant.”
“Servant?”
Elena bristled. She had already been unable to feel kindly toward Bakerd. If she had not raced against him for Fist of the Rending Cloud, she might have been able to bid on Seven Thunders as well. Then he called Yuri a servant, and currents crackled around Elena.
“Is he not?”
“What makes him look like a servant to you?!”
“He is neither a mage nor a martial artist. What else would someone you keep by your side be if not a servant?”
“I’m not a servant. I’m simply a friend.”
His work might be similar to that of a servant, Yuri thought, but he said it anyway. Bakerd’s eyebrow twitched at the answer.
“Hmm. Is that so? I was rude just now.”
“As long as you understand. Now, would you move aside?”
“No, I cannot.”
Bakerd firmly shook his head.
“Looking at you, none of you appears likely to train in Fist of the Rending Cloud.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Did you bid on Fist of the Rending Cloud to keep me in check?”
It was an absurd question even to Yuri.
“This is the first time I’ve heard your name, Sir Bakerd.”
Elena blurted it out, equally incredulous.
“Hmm.”
That answer clearly wounded Bakerd’s pride, but he did not press the matter.
“If it is not something you absolutely need, how about handing it over to me? I will add more money on top of what you paid.”
“What?”
“One billion five hundred million sel.”
He named the price immediately.
“I cannot prepare it at once, but give me one week and I will have one billion five hundred million sel. Is this not more than sufficient?”
The price of one billion five hundred million sel was undeniably staggering, and Elena and Haryeong both gaped.
“O-One billion five hundred million...?”
Even so, Elena could not immediately accept.
One billion five hundred million sel was an enormous sum. If Elena had bought Fist of the Rending Cloud for herself, she would have sold it for one billion five hundred million sel without much thought.
But she had bought it for Yuri to use. Elena had no choice but to glance at him.
“With one billion five hundred million sel, you could buy a martial art of a higher grade than Fist of the Rending Cloud.”
Haryeong cautiously replied as she looked at Yuri. Yuri suddenly became the person with the authority to decide, and he could not help feeling strange about it.
‘If she says she’ll sell it for one billion five hundred million, I can’t say anything.’
Since the stage had been set like this, he had no choice but to consider it. He knew one billion five hundred million sel was an enormous sum, but he did not want to give up Fist of the Rending Cloud.
“Yuri-nim, this is your chance to become the three-billion-five-hundred-million-sel man.”
“Please shut up.”
Yuri glared at Haryeong, who had whispered beside him, then looked at Bakerd. Bakerd looked puzzled as to why Yuri held the authority to decide this matter.
“Ahem.”
Yuri cleared his throat first.
Orca Dersia, who had wrung enormous gains out of negotiations by adding just a few more words, came to mind.
Footnotes:
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