Chapter 4: Spirit Herb (3)

Title: Insane! The Auction House is Going Wild Right Now.

Content: A legendary <Lunadria> has appeared in a 3-hour auction. The price is skyrocketing in real-time.

ㄴHuh? Lunadria?

ㄴWow, what the heck? Looking at the picture, it’s as big as an arm! Has there ever been a Lunadria this size?

ㄴWhoa, the mana content in that thing must be insane.

ㄴIs it… fake? I mean, that size doesn’t even make sense.

ㄴThe price is spiking in real-time. As I’m typing, it’s already broken past 10,000 Coins ㄷㄷ.

ㄴLol, I’m witnessing a Lunadria going for over 10,000 Coins.

………

The auction posted by Seojun caused a massive stir on 「SuperNet」.

Regardless of its effects, its unprecedented size alone was enough to make it a hot topic.

…………

-But why is its level showing as ???

-Maybe the person who posted it is that level… but no, the areas where Lunadria appear are at least Level 40 zones, right?

ㄴ Yeah, exactly. So that means this thing could be at least Level 50…

ㄴ What the heck, lol, no way! How could a Lunadria be over Level 50?!

ㄴ I’m super curious though. What level is that thing?

…………

As time passed, public interest only grew.

Despite the short 3-hour duration, word-of-mouth spread like wildfire, drawing countless people to join the auction.

10,500 Coins.

11,300 Coins.

11,800 Coins.

35,200 Coins.

With 5 minutes left until the auction closed, the bid had soared past 35,000 Coins.

“Phew.”

Kim Jeonghwan let out a sigh of relief as he stared at the now-static bidding price.

The 35,200 Coin bid was his.

The few persistent bidders who had been keeping up finally stopped, likely finding the price too steep.

I mean, who in their right mind would burn 35,000 Coins on a Lunadria?

The highest price a Lunadria had ever fetched was around 9,000 Coins, as far as he knew.

And that was for one of top-tier, premium quality.

‘But this one looks a bit wilted. In terms of quality, it’s mid-to-low grade.’

Even if it boasted an unprecedented size, at its core, it was still just a < Lunadria >.

If he hadn’t urgently needed it, he never would’ve burned 35,200 Coins on it.

「Lunadria, Lv???.」

「Current bid: 35,200 Coins.」

「Time remaining: 00h 01m.」

One minute left.

Soon, that would be his.

‘I just hope it’s a <Lunadria> that can be used for clinical trials.’

As Kim Jeonghwan began planning his next steps, a notification popped up.

「A new bidder has appeared. Since less than 1 minute remains, an additional 1 minute has been added.」

「Lunadria, Lv???.」

「Current bid: 55,555 Coins.」

「Time remaining: 00h 01m.」

“What?”

He stared blankly at the new number on the screen.

Someone had just bid over 55,000 Coins.

“No, no way…!”

He reached out in a panic, but—

「The bidding for has ended.」

「Final winning bid: 55,555 Coins.」

“No…!”

He hung his head in despair.

If his clinical trial failed, the alchemy workshop he ran could go under.

And it wasn’t just his livelihood at stake.

He was the director of several orphanages.

The livelihoods of countless children depended on him.

The income from his current <Alchemy Workshop> was barely enough to keep the orphanages afloat, and they were already running at a deficit.

At this rate, he’d soon have to downsize the orphanages.

But I didn’t want to do that.

Every single one of them was like my own child—where could I possibly send these kids?

That’s why, swallowing my tears, I carved out a new path.

I secured investment.

The task was to develop a <Highly Concentrated Magic Ampule Potion>for high-level superhumans using <Lunadria>.

At first, the project seemed to be smooth sailing. But once we dove into the real work, we faced failure after failure.

I figured out the reason.

To create a <Highly Concentrated Magic Ampule Potion>, we needed <Lunadria> with an even higher concentration than what we had.

And so.

I thought the <Lunadria> that appeared at this auction was a lifeline sent from the heavens.

A sign to take better care of the kids moving forward.

Sigh.

His sigh grew heavier.

***

[ <Lunadria> has been sold at auction.]

“Hm?”

I rubbed my eyes and got up.

I must’ve dozed off while worrying about how to handle the drinking water.

“Three hours have already passed, huh.”

My eyes gleamed as I accessed the <Auction> tab.

The fact that it was sold meant it fetched at least 5,000 Coins.

How much did it actually sell for.

[The final bid amount will be paid after deducting a 10% auction house fee.]

A 10% fee. Pretty steep.

That’s why I’d heard a lot of people on 「SuperNet」find buyers and trade directly to avoid it.

But for the time being, I’d have to keep using it and paying the fee.

“One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand… Wait, what? 49,999 Coins?”

My eyes widened in disbelief.

I thought it would sell for around 6,000 Coins at most.

Almost 50,000 Coins? What the hell happened?

I immediately checked「SuperNet」 .

……….

–  LOLOLOL, the bidding war was insane, and it ended up selling for 55,555 Coins.

– That’s like 10 times the market price. Jackpot.

– Oh? The buyer posted a verification! Says the mana concentration is unreal.

– What’s the level?

– They said it shows up as ??? even for them.

– Huh? What’s the buyer’s level?

– They’re 70LV, and it still shows as ???.

– Crazy;; So it’s at least above Lv80? Is this some <Lunadria> that grows on the top floors of the Abyss Tower or what?

– At that level, it’s not just a spirit herb—it’s practically a grade potion, right?

– How did they even get that?

– The superhuman who listed it goes by the nickname <Archamge Emperor>. Doesn’t that sound insanely badass? Probably a high-level superhuman.

– Lmao. Must be someone climbing the upper floors of the Abyss Tower.

……….

“Oh.”

From the looks of it, a bidding war broke out over the <Lundaria> I listed.

“By the way, even a Lv70 superhuman sees it as ??? What level is this thing, then?”

I stuck out my tongue in disbelief and glanced at the field.

The spirit herbs growing in a dragon’s lair really are something else.

No wonder people would mistake me for a high-level superhuman climbing the Abyss Tower.

Anyway, the bottom line is that I came out on top.

50,000 Coins is about 500 million won in Korean currency.

An unimaginably huge sum for me.

Thanks to this, my options have expanded significantly.

“I can buy a ton of mana potions, a basic mana circulation manual, and still have plenty left.”

I could even get some <Item Judgement> done for farming tools.

After some thought, it hit me—the reason <Lundaria> grew so exceptionally must be the unique soil in this dragon’s lair.

If that’s the case, wouldn’t planting other spirit herbs yield similar results?

I should buy some farming tools and test it out.

“And gathering tools, too.”

With gathering tools, I could safely check the water in the spring and the moss growing nearby.

“Let’s also buy some Clearwater Herb seeds.”

Clearwater Herb.

A plant with leaves that hold clear, transparent moisture like dewdrops.

Squeezing it produces clean, refreshing water.

It serves as a vital source of drinking water in places where water is scarce, characterized by its lush, transparent leaves.

If I could successfully cultivate it, the drinking water problem would be solved.

And somehow, I had a feeling that it wouldn’t just be ordinary <Clearwater Herb> —it’d be something special <Clearwater Herb>.

“Haha.”

A joyful smile spread across my face.

This place, which once filled me with fear, now felt like a paradise of dreams and hope.

I thought that if I consistently consumed <Lunadria> and sold the surplus <Lunadria>, I could rise to the ranks of high-level superhumans.

However, if I succeeded in cultivating other crops or spiritual herbs as well, a whole new world would open up.

‘It’s not just about cultivation.’

There are still unexplored passages left.

What could be down there?

It feels like waiting for a Christmas present.

“Let’s buy it right away… Hmm?”

Just as I was about to purchase what I had planned to buy,

I noticed that the post I had made on had received a ton of notifications.

……….

ᄂ Came here to pay my respects to the holy land.

ᄂ Oh my gosh… The real deal has appeared…!

ᄂ Archmage Emperor! What’s your level?

ᄂ Could you tell us where you got that ?

ᄂ I also want to get some of that ᅲᅲ Would you sell it separately?

ᄂ Me too!

ᄂ Please, at least give us a hint about where you got it…!

……….

The post I had made asking about the market price of before listing <Lunadria> for auction was flooded with comments.

All of them were asking about me and <Lunadria>.

‘Hmm?’

As I scrolled through the comments, one caught my eye.

…..

[Rainbow Potion]: If it’s real, it’s worth at least 5,000 coins. Or you could put it up for <Auction>. What’s the level of that <Lunadria>? If the level is right, I’d like to buy it. Are you willing to sell it to me?

…..

Back when everyone thought my post was just trolling,

This was the superhuman who first told me about the system and the market price.

…..

[Rainbow Potion]: Archmage Emperor! I have something to discuss privately. Could you open your DMs for a moment?

[Rainbow Potion]: Archmage Emperor. If you feel 5,000 coins is too low, I can add a bit more. Are you not interested in selling to me?

[Rainbow Potion]: Do you happen to have any spare <Lunadria>? If you do, I’d like to buy it directly for 55,000 coins ᅲᅲ

…..

They had left several comments, sounding increasingly desperate, as if they really needed this <Lunadria>.

‘I’m grateful to this person, but…’

I initiated a private conversation with <Rainbow Potion>.

…..

[Archmage Emperor]: Hello, Rainbow Potion.

[Rainbow Potion]: Oh…!! Archmage Emperor! Hello.

[Archmage Emperor]: Yes. Thanks to you, I successfully sold <Lunadria> at the auction. Thank you.

[Rainbow Potion]: No problem. Congratulations on getting a high bid. Um… Do you happen to have any more <Lunadria> left?

[Archmage Emperor]: I do have some. But, if I may ask, what are you planning to use it for?

…..

I suddenly became curious about why this superhuman, <Rainbow Potion>, was so eager to get their hands on <Lunadria>.

…..

[Rainbow Potion]: Oh, I actually run an orphanage. But due to financial difficulties, a new potion project I started is at risk of falling apart… I believe the <Lunadria> you have could be the solution, so I’m making this difficult request.

…..

“Huh?”

At <Rainbow Potion>’s words, a person flashed through my mind.

‘Director Kim.’

When I was young, my parents were always out working, so there was no one to take care of me.

The one who looked after me and helped me make many friends was Director Kim from <Love Orphanage>.

He was also a superhuman who had awakened the trait <Alchemy>.

I know he ran the orphanage by personally making and selling potions.

No way.

It couldn’t be the same person, right?

No, really, what are the odds of such a coincidence?

…….

[Archmage Emperor]: That’s a noble cause. May I ask the name of the orphanage?

[Rainbow Potion]: Yes, it’s called <Love Orphanage>, located in Yongin…

…..

“…!”

It’s him.

Director Kim, no, Uncle Kim.

My goodness.

Was it really Uncle Kim?

…..

[Rainbow Potion]: I’ve been talking too much about myself, haven’t I? I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.

…..

No, not at all. Uncomfortable? Hardly.

…..

[Rainbow Potion]: I’m a bit embarrassed for appealing to your sympathy like this, but for the sake of the kids, I really need this. If you’re willing to sell a variety of <Lunadria> like this time, I sincerely ask you to consider my offer. If the price is an issue, I’ll do my best to meet whatever you ask.

…..

My nose tingled at Mr. Kim’s words.

I could picture Mr. Kim’s face, always wearing a gentle smile.

Mr. Kim, with his wrinkled face full of love and warmth.

I remembered a day when I was feeling down about a failure.

With warm eyes, he firmly held my hand and encouraged me, saying,

“Seojoon, you can do it. Don’t worry.”

His expression from that moment flashed before my eyes.

Mr. Kim’s voice was always soft, and every word he spoke planted courage and hope in me.

And now, that same Mr. Kim was earnestly asking me for something.

…..

[Archmage Emperor]: I have the same variety of <Lunadria>. If you want it, I’ll sell it to you, Rainbow Potion.

…..

Alright, Park Seojoon.

Given the situation, I can’t reveal who I am to Mr. Kim.

But if I’m going to sell it anyway, I might as well sell it to him.

At my words, Mr. Kim sent a reply right away.

…..

[Rainbow Potion]: Is that… really true?

…..

Though it was just a single sentence in text, I could feel the depth of Mr. Kim’s emotions clearly.

…..

[Archmage Emperor]: Yes, I’ll sell it.

[Rainbow Potion]: Thank you! Truly, thank you so much.

[Archmage Emperor]: Don’t mention it.

[Rainbow Potion]: Then, about the price…

…..

When I suggested the price I had in mind in response to Mr. Kim’s words,

…..

[Rainbow Potion]: That price is outrageous!

…..

Mr. Kim jumped in surprise.