The Support Ate it All

I asked Hong Yeon-hwa,

"How many points do you have?"

"A little over 200,000…"

Given her potential, her replays must have sold quite well, and she likely received some allowance from the Ruby Magic Tower too.

Hong Yeon-hwa was about to place another bid but hesitated with the sign half-raised.

Clearly, she was conflicted.

Well, it is a large amount.

This might be her first time burning through over 100,000 points in one go.

On top of that, the thought that she wouldn't be able to buy anything else afterward seemed to be holding her back.

"How long can I use that…?"

"You'll be fine up to Rank A."

"……!"

Her expression brightened noticeably.

If Aqua Flame could reach A-rank, she figured it was worth giving up on the rest of the auction.

Unfortunately, the host then announced the next bid.

"215,000 points!"

"Ah…"

Hong Yeon-hwa let out a quiet sigh.

Now she couldn't bid even if she wanted to. She didn't have enough points.

The dejected look on her face was like a puppy who'd just had its toy taken away.

To make matters worse, Han Gyeo-wool raised the bid again, and as the other competitors gradually dropped out, she was left as the sole competitor.

The host gave a final confirmation.

"255,000. Any more bids?"

– …….

– …….

Just as I was about to offer, "Want me to lend you some?" the host's gaze shifted to one side of the audience.

"265,000!"

Naturally, our eyes followed his line of sight and we spotted Hong Ye-hwa holding up a sign.

She figured it out.

Seeing Hong Yeon-hwa show interest in the Orb of Severe Cold, it became clear that Hong Ye-hwa had connected the dots all the way to the potential of Aqua Flame training.

Despite their constant bickering, it seemed she was still willing to look out for her little sister when it really counted.

And emotionally driven or not, this was simply too good an opportunity to pass up.

Then, Hong Ye-hwa mouthed a message in silence:

Check. Your. Messages.

"……."

Feeling a bit guilty, Hong Yeon-hwa shrank back slightly.

She then began exchanging messages with her older sister.

Their conversation probably included the bit she'd just asked me. That the orb would remain useful up to A-rank.

A moment later, she spoke up hesitantly.

"Um… My sister wants to know…?"

"What'd she say?"

"Is it… only used when entering dungeons…?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

I could guess why she was asking.

If the orb was only useful for clearing ice-type dungeons, it'd only see occasional use, which meant she could lend it to the Sapphire Magic Tower most of the time.

In return, she'd likely receive something valuable, making it possible to recover most of the cost despite spending several hundred thousand points upfront.

"260,000 points!"

From that moment on, the bids volleyed back and forth between Hong Ye-hwa and Han Gyeo-wool.

The host's gaze darted repeatedly between the two.

"270,000."

"280,000."

"290,000 points."

"295,000."

"305,000."

Eventually, Han Gyeo-wool put down her sign at 350,000 points.

She must have judged that the cost was too excessive, even for a power-up.

The host made the final call.

"Sold for 350,000 points! Congratulations!"

"……!"

Hong Yeon-hwa subtly turned her head and sent her sister a grateful look.

In response, Hong Ye-hwa gave a chilly smile and silently mouthed:

We're. Not. Done. Yet.

"……"

She might've bought her the item, but clearly, the sibling fight wasn't over.

A gloomy expression crept onto Hong Yeon-hwa's face as she imagined her dark, impending future.

Meanwhile, the host continued the auction.

With a crisp snap of his fingers toward the display stand, a softly glowing book appeared.

"Now, the next item is also for mages. One that many of you have been waiting for. It's the [Wise Armor] skill book!"

– ……!

– ……!

Just as he said, every mage in the room immediately fixed their gaze on the skill book, their attention razor-sharp.

Even Hong Yeon-hwa wore an expression full of awe and longing.

Han Gyeo-wool, still feeling the sting of losing the Orb of Severe Cold, looked determined to snag this one no matter what.

Among them, only Jeong Chong-myeong remained composed. Likely because he had already learned the skill.

No wonder he was the head of the White Magic Club. It's not a position for just anyone.

The host continued his pitch.

"No separate training required since it scales with [Core] rank! And it practically activates on its own! Technically a skill, but it functions more like a trait! We'll start at 50,000 points!"

Immediately, signs shot up all over the room, and the price surged at a frightening pace.

"70,000."

"120,000!"

"140, 150, 200,000!"

Even Hong Yeon-hwa timidly raised her 5,000-point sign. Probably out of lingering hope, knowing full well it wouldn't be enough.

But when the bidding quickly passed 240,000, she lowered her sign with a heartbroken look.

On a whim, she glanced at her sister, hoping for a miracle, only to be met with a chilling glare.

The kind that said, "After I just spent 350,000 and now you want more?"

Hong Yeon-hwa shrank back in her seat.

"Uuu…"

Even in that short time, the bidding price surged past 400,000 points, and most of the participants gave up.

I, on the other hand, was the opposite.

Guess it's about time I step in.

The rise had started to slow anyway.

As soon as I raised my sign, the host caught it and called out immediately.

"415,000!"

Hong Yeon-hwa's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're… actually going for it?"

"Yeah. It's a good item."

I had marked it as my top priority ever since I saw the auction list.

Hong Yeon-hwa could only look at me with envy.

Soon after, the host announced the next bids in rapid succession.

"425,000 points!"

"430,000!"

The remaining two bidders were Han Gyeo-wool of the Sapphire Magic Tower and Mok Jong-hwa of the Emerald Magic Tower.

Come to think of it, I didn't get along too well with that senior either.

Wouldn't be surprised if he tries to pick a fight before graduation.

With that thought, I held up the "20,000" sign.

"450,000!"

The two seniors paused their bidding, seemingly hitting their limits.

Soon, Mok Jong-hwa bid another 5,000, followed by Han Gyeo-wool with 10,000.

"465,000!"

Meanwhile, I had already decided from the start that I'd buy it no matter the cost.

Points? I could always earn more.

So without a hint of hesitation, I raised the "10,000" sign.

"475,000!"

At that, Mok Jong-hwa clicked his tongue quietly and sank back into his seat.

Now the only one left was Han Gyeo-wool.

When she bid 5,000 more, I immediately countered with another 5,000.

"485,000 points! Any more bids? 3, 2…"

Even as the host began the countdown, Han Gyeo-wool made no move.

In the end, she gave up on the Wise Armor.

As always, her expression remained cold, but beneath it, a flicker of regret could be seen.

"One… Sold!"

Got one without much trouble.

Even the amount of points spent was about half of what I'd expected. So it was well within range.

Now, if I could just get the herb selection ticket, I'd have achieved what I came here for.

As for the rest, it was best to leave it for another time.

Still, the item that appeared next was a bit hard to pass up.

A dagger with a pitch-black blade, like the night sky, adorned with stars.

"This is the A+ rank dagger, [Night of Severance]! As you know, it comes with the powerful skill [Severed Space]."

A skill that drags a target into an isolated space.

Back during the infiltration of the temporary storage, Choi Han-gil used it to trap two disciplinary committee members.

It eventually wore off because it was so hard to maintain, but still.

It's probably from Choi Han-gil again.

I glanced toward the White Magic Club and judging by the atmosphere, I was probably right.

They must've decided that the points would be more useful than holding onto a trump card.

"Starting at 50,000 points! 60,000, 65,000, 80,000—"

As the host ran the auction, I hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to bid.

I do want it.

The performance alone made it incredibly tempting.

If I brought it to the Dimensional Crow, I could even tweak the skill's effect slightly.

Still, I should focus on the herb selection for now.

To win [Night of Severance], I'd probably need at least 400,000, or maybe even over 500,000.

If I spent all my points on that, I might not have enough left for anything else.

So, as reluctant as I was, I decided to let it go for now—

"……?"

Just then, Seo Ye-in, who'd been slumped over the table until now, slowly sat up.

She looked around carefully as if trying to figure out where she was.

"Auction."

"Yes, you're at the auction house."

After that, Seo Ye-in belatedly waved at Hong Yeon-hwa and then, with half-closed eyes, turned toward the stage.

She stared at [Night of Severance] for a few seconds before speaking.

"Want to buy it."

"That's a bit of an impulse buy, don't you think?"

"I thought about it."

"When?"

"While sleeping."

It sounded like a string of nonsense, but she was so confident that it actually came off as plausible.

Maybe she really did wake up briefly because of that dagger.

And even if it was an impulse purchase, it was worth the points.

So I gave her a small nod.

"Go ahead, then."

"I don't have enough points."

She was short about 380,000, so it meant she wanted me to chip in a bit more.

I agreed without much fuss.

"Sure. Just let me borrow it now and then."

"Okay."

Seo Ye-in immediately raised the "100,000" sign to join the bidding.

The host caught it right away and announced,

"215,000!"

The crowd stirred for a moment, but more signs soon followed.

Seo Ye-in watched calmly as the bids crept upward, then just as casually raised the "100,000" sign again.

"330,000!"

A brief silence.

Then someone raised the bid by 5,000, only for Seo Ye-in to respond with yet another "100,000" sign.

"435,000! Any more bids?"

– ……

– ……

The room fell utterly silent as if cold water had been dumped over the crowd.

A mere first-year had just thrown out three 100,000-point bids in a row, and it had everyone stunned.

They knew if they kept going, they'd just get stomped by another 100,000. No one wanted to risk their pride on that.

I thought at least one more person would follow through.

For a spatial-type item, you'd think it'd be worth spending up to 500,000.

But even as the host began the countdown, no one else stepped up.

"Three, Two, One… Sold!"

"…….!"

Seo Ye-in looked at me with triumphant eyes.

Then, as if she were done with everything she came for, she flopped right back down on the table, assuming the perfect sleeping position.

I called over to her.

"Be honest. You just kept bidding 100,000 because you couldn't be bothered."

"…No."

"You just wanted to end it quick and go back to sleep."

"…That's not true."

"Then I guess you can stay awake for a bit longer?"

"…No."

"Why not?"

"Because…"

While she was in the middle of speaking, Seo Ye-in's face slowly sank into her folded arms.

In an instant, she had escaped off to dreamland.

I was tempted to wake her up out of mild annoyance, but decided to let her be.

She had already used up all her points anyway.

The next auction items were a longsword, a shield, and a close-combat defense skill book.

The longsword went to the Guild Union, while the other two were won by clubs affiliated with the Order of Knights.

But none of them were particularly impressive items, so the final bids hovered in the low-to-mid 100,000 range, and there wasn't much of a bidding war.

As a result, many participants were starting to feel bored.

Of course, that boredom didn't last long.

The host suddenly adopted a much more serious tone than before.

"It seems the time has come. Presenting now….the item that recently stirred up a storm at Dragon Slayer Academy!"

With a snap of his fingers, a thick stack of papers appeared on the display stand.

The handwriting looked awfully familiar. And for obvious reasons, since I was the one who wrote it.

"A strategy guide book!"