God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 77: Episode 15 _ I’m Bored, So Let_s Unlock a Chest (4)
6.
Naturally, the notification for Han Simin’s stream reached the Specialists as well. They had him favorited and notifications turned on after all. The three of them, who happened to be resting in the territory after repelling another invasion, watched the chest opening with the same rapt attention as the other viewers.
And when the spellbook came out of the first chest, and Simin was the only one who knew its contents...
“Aaargh! What is it? I paid $10 for this, and it’s a secret?” Yeseul screamed.
Seolah was silent for a moment.
“You have to admire his nerve,” Hyeonsu commented.
The chat was also in an uproar, begging him to tell them what it was and asking why he had such a dumbfounded expression. But communication was impossible. The curiosity was for the viewers to bear.
Fortunately, the Specialists had a privilege that others didn’t.
“Oppa!” Yeseul called out in the guild chat.
“...Yeah?” he replied.
“What is this, are you kidding me? Are you allowed to defraud me of my money like this?” Hyeonsu asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“The thing that came out of the box! What is it?”
“Oh, that.”
On the screen, Simin, who had been about to open the second chest, heard the guild chat and chuckled.
“So I’m the only one who saw it.”
“...Of course. Hurry up and tell me.”
“This? You’ll get really excited if you hear what it is," Simin said to Yeseul.
She retorted, “Hmph. It takes a lot to get me excited.”
“No, not that kind of excited.”
After a brief pause, Simin seemed to make up his mind and told them about the spellbook.
“It’s a spellbook with the SS-rank skills Chantless Casting and Penta Casting. What do you think?”
A momentary silence followed. Yeseul must have guessed the power of the skills from their names alone, just as the viewers watching had. In truth, he didn’t even need to name the skills. Just the fact that there were two SS-rank skills was enough to make their value unimaginable. They were the highest-grade skills in the game.
“Simin,” Yeseul’s serious voice came through.
He could guess what she was going to say next.
“How much? Name your price.”
Normally, he would have casually thrown out a number like two million dollars.
“Sorry, this one’s going to get auctioned,” he said.
But not today. He had given the Specialists enough privileges already. No, he planned to give them plenty more in the future and was even willing to help them at a loss—something very unlike him—but this was an exception.
“...I understand. But I’m definitely buying it," she claimed.
One of the few sane members of the Five Legends, the Legendary Grand Mage, had left behind this incredible treasure. It was a game-changing spellbook not just for mages, but for any class with magic or skills. To maximize its efficiency, it would be best for a mage with numerous spells that required casting time, but the fact that anyone could use it made its value impossible to judge lightly.
That was why Yeseul backed down so readily. She wanted it, but it wasn’t something she could just demand. Still, she would have it. She was a Special-grade class, the successor to the will of the final boss of Act 1, who had once called himself the Great Archmage. This spellbook would allow her to transcend her role as a healer and become the party’s perfect damage dealer.
“I’ll take out a loan from Dad if I have to, so if you hold the auction without telling me, you’re dead!”
“That won’t happen.”
Simin smirked and looked at the camera as he opened the next chest.
“You heard her, folks. I’m selling a spellbook with two SS-rank magic skills. It’ll be an auction. I’ll make a separate announcement when I stream again, so if you’re interested, be sure to favorite my channel.”
After delivering that incredibly arrogant message, his hand moved to open the second chest. Yeseul, who had been ready to log out, paused. For some reason, she had a feeling something else amazing was about to appear.
The other viewers felt the same. They had already forgotten they were suckers who had paid $10 and were now thoroughly enjoying the broadcast. It was just a stream of someone opening three chests, yet they found themselves swallowing nervously.
When the second chest opened, and its contents were revealed, people were confused.
Was it a rock? This time, there wasn’t even a parchment. Was it a dud? But the streamer himself didn’t seem to think so.
The chest fell to the ground below the tree. The stone, however, was already nestled safely in Simin’s hand.
“Whoa, holy...”
His expression was one of pure ecstasy. He carefully placed the stone into his leather pouch. This time, no one asked what it was.
It must have looked like just another rock. Besides, it wasn’t something he needed to show anyone, so he immediately put the key into the third chest.
The last box. It didn’t matter what came out. The first two had already yielded treasures far better than he had expected.
He guessed it was a 50% chance that it would be two bombs and two treasures. It was a subjective view, but in any case, the last item was revealed.
It was a scepter—a pure white one.
After a moment of thought, he ended the broadcast.
7.
Yeseul wasn’t fazed when the stream suddenly ended. Nothing else had appeared that would tempt her.
“Unni, we’re on break, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m going to log out for a bit.”
“...To get money?”
“Yep. That thing is mine. Don’t you even think about it.”
Seeing her more passionate than ever, a motherly smile graced Jeong Seolah’s beautiful face.
“Alright. Just be back by hunting time. It’ll probably take Simin at least a few weeks to get back and set up the auction anyway.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The spellbook was certainly tempting for Seolah, a magic swordsman, but she didn’t think she would have as much use for it as Yeseul, who exclusively used magic. Besides, her own skills didn’t require casting time.
“I’ll be back!” Yeseul logged out faster than anyone.
“She’s so fired up, it almost makes me want to take it from her,” Hyeonsu mused.
“Yeseul would actually cry,” Seolah commented.
“That’s why I want to do it,” he replied with a wicked grin.
A playful, mischievous plot began to brew behind Yeseul’s back.
* * *
Kang Yeseul appeared at the Hanshin Group headquarters. It went without saying that almost no one in the main office didn’t know who she was. Even the newest employees had heard of her reputation.
“Wow. She’s beautiful.”
“Is that the chairman’s only daughter, the one he dotes on so much?”
“She has everything...”
“I wonder what it would feel like to go on a date with a woman like that.”
“Dream on.”
The sole heiress to the Hanshin Group, and beautiful to boot. It was impossible for her not to be the center of attention. Add to that a mysterious aura from rarely being seen in public, and the effect was complete. The reality was that she was a gaming addict, but her appearance caused a stir from the moment she walked through the entrance.
The commotion reached its peak when she entered the chairman’s office.
“Well, well. If it isn’t my adorable daughter.”
“Dad!”
“You must be so busy playing games all day. To what do we owe the pleasure of a visit from our honorary chairwoman?” the chairman of Hanshin Group—Yeseul’s father—teased, a wide grin stretching across his face.
She ran into his arms, acting cute.
“I came because I missed you, Dad. Hehe.”
“Is that so? Well now. Shall we go get something to eat?”
“Yeah, steak!”
“Alright, alright.”
He was a complete sucker for his daughter. He laughed and set her down.
“Alright, now tell me.” 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
“Hm?”
“How much do you need?”
But he was a smart sucker—the chairman of a global conglomerate. There was no way he would take his daughter’s visit at face value, who often forgot to eat because of her gaming. Besides, this wasn’t the first time. She had a credit card, but when she made a personal visit like this, it was always to ask for a jaw-dropping amount of money.
“Tsk. I can’t fool you, Dad.”
Her cover blown, Yeseul dropped the cute act and sat down in a chair. Then she began her briefing.
“Dad, a really good skill book dropped in the game I’m playing, and I think it’s going to be auctioned off. So I need some money...”
Even for someone as confident as her, her voice trailed off. It was an item whose price was impossible to predict. If this were a typical online game, the money she already had would have been more than enough. The best item in the most popular game during its peak had been $500,000, and this was a far more daunting purchase. Fantastic World had become a global phenomenon, and wealthy players did not hesitate to invest in it. The amount she was thinking of was naturally enormous, and she felt sorry asking her father for it.
“My daughter, is the thing you want that expensive?”
“...Yeah.”
Her father chuckled. He had never seen her like this before. Hadn’t he always raised her to be confident and never bow down to anyone? She had shamelessly asked him for cars and houses without a hint of embarrassment, which had been both absurd and a source of pride. That’s right, you had to fight for your own food. As long as you didn’t harm others, and she was a child who knew where to draw that line.
But this was the first time she had hesitated while asking for money. For a moment, even the chairman felt a jolt of fear. The amount that flashed through his mind was staggering even for him.
“Hmm. Is it an item like that Ten-Strike Sword? The kind that will make my little girl the best in the game if she buys it?”
“Ten-Strike Sword? I don’t know what that is, but I’m a mage, and for a mage, this is the best skill book there is.”
“Oh ho.”
After a moment of thought, the man smiled. Memories came flooding back. A long time ago, there was a time when he, too, had enjoyed games. The desire and will to become the best! The items that supported that ambition were the most important thing for any player.
“Alright.”
He made his decision.
“I will buy it for you!”
“...Really? Even if it’s an auction? It might be incredibly expensive. Rich mages from all over the world will probably throw all their money at it,” she explained.
Seeing his daughter’s anxious eyes even after he had made his grand decision, the doting father’s pride was wounded.
“Hey! Who do you take the chairman of Hanshin Group for?”
“Hehe. Thanks, Dad.”
“Is the auction going to be in cash?”
“I’m not sure. But probably? I don’t think anyone could afford it with in-game money.”
“Alright. I’ll make sure the war chest is full, so just let me know when the auction date is set.”
“You’re the best, Dad!” Kang Yeseul exclaimed, clinging to her father’s sturdy back with a satisfied smile. They hadn’t discussed an exact price, but she had absolute faith in him; he had never once broken a promise to buy her something. “Let’s go eat! And let’s see a movie!”
“Of course, of course.”
Having gotten what she wanted, Yeseul completely forgot about hunting and decided to enjoy a day with her father.
* * *
Around that same time, similar scenes were unfolding all over the world.
“Chantless and Penta Casting?”
“Yes, sir. It appeared on a player’s stream an hour ago, and they’ve announced it will be sold via public auction.”
“Are we certain it’s an SS-rank skill?”
“Yes, sir. A screenshot of the item’s information has already been posted on the community forums. We can’t see the skill’s details, but it doesn’t appear to be a scam.”
“Hmm. An auction. A clever fellow.”
“The starting bid has been posted at one million dollars.”
“He must be expecting at least two million, then.”
“It will likely depend on the number of participants.”
“Prepare five times that amount.”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
The world was full of wealthy individuals who, while not staking their lives on a game, would certainly stake their honor on it. In a game now considered a world unto itself, a one-of-a-kind skill book was an irresistible prize. Possessing it would make one the object of envy and gossip among tens of millions. As a result, interest in the SS-rank skill book skyrocketed.
Thanks to the buzz, the VOD of the broadcast, which cost $10 to view, exploded with over ten thousand views. Han Simin’s verification post on the FW Community forums was flooded with comments.
The top comment read:
[I am the rightful owner of this skill book. As the Legendary Grand Mage, a Legendary-grade job, I am requesting that the original poster in possession of the skill book please contact me.]
The third Legendary job owner had appeared.
* * *
Episode 78
