전생검신 80권 12화

I decided to first liberate Xuyou, for no particular reason other than that it was the first one I found among the Seven Luminaries. I subtly checked the price of Xuyou.

[Xuyou Makiya (unsealing in progress / sealed with ‘The First Character’)

One-time price: 2,253,100 Ma-do

Unsealing price: 4,921,000 Ma-do

Advance payment and collateral settings are acceptable.]

The price difference with Huayou Ganjiang was nearly nonexistent. After confirming that the prices of the four I had gathered – Huayou, Xuyou, Jinyou, and Gold Crow – were similar, I spoke to Shim Su-ryeok beside me.

“It seems all Seven Luminaries are on the same level, so the price difference is negligible.”

“Calculating is straightforward. Roughly speaking, if you estimate 5 million Ma-do each and multiply that by four, you just need to prepare 20 million Ma-do upfront.”

“Hmm, 20 million, huh…?”

What could I sell to generate 20 million?

While pondering, the thought of the Fire Dragon Sword came to mind. The Fire Dragon Sword was still sealed underground in the Shangguan family, and it was restored using divine power. Wasn’t the Fire Dragon Sword also a legendary treasure equal to the Seven Luminaries?

‘But… even though I restored the Fire Dragon Sword with divine power, I don’t sense the aura of the Fire Dragon Incarnate.’

I tilted my head, examining the price of the restored Fire Dragon Sword.

[Fire Dragon Sword (unsealing / impossible to complete)

One-time price: 5,941,600 Ma-do

Advance payment and collateral settings are acceptable.]

“… Impossible to complete?”

What on earth does that mean?

I was relieved that it had a decent price, almost 6 million, but that strange wording was messing with my mind. When I mentioned the discomfort around the Fire Dragon Sword to Shim Su-ryeok, he pondered carefully before replying.

“I believe the Fire Dragon Sword cannot be completed because the Fire Dragon Incarnate is absent.”

“Oh!”

“This world is devoid of any willful beings, only lifeless entities appear. However, the Fire Dragon Sword is a treasure that matches the Seven Luminaries based on the premise that the Fire Dragon Incarnate exists. No matter how well you restore the sword body, without the Fire Dragon Incarnate’s divine aura, it cannot compare to the Seven Luminaries.”

“I see…”

“Perhaps the same goes for other treasures. Those that were valued highly on the premise of divine beings’ blessings or seals may have significantly diminished in worth.”

Shim Su-ryeok was right. The Divine Sword also had a label that read ‘impossible to complete.’ In fact, its price was merely around 2 million Ma-do, far lower than the Fire Dragon Sword.

‘The Divine Sword was valued highly because a powerful divine being was sealed within it. But since that being is no longer sealed, its worth is bound to plummet…’

With nothing to unseal, the Divine Sword was just an exceptionally good famous sword. It could hardly be called a divine treasure level.

I felt a bit sour about it, but I thought I should be thankful that I could still gather as much as this. While gathering various items, I came up with a plan to reach 20 million Ma-do.

“Fire Dragon Sword 5,900,000, Divine Sword 2,100,000, Yodo Muramasa 700,000, Black and White Lotus 500,000 each, Sacred Lotus 150,000 each, Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate 5,200,000, Crystal Stele 6,900,000, Jeon Wook’s statue 4,400,000… This should be enough to unseal all four of the Seven Luminaries.”

Hearing what I said, Shim Su-ryeok chuckled.

“Haha. It seems that divine treasures generally average over 4 million, while famous treasures in the human world are valued around 500,000 to 1 million. Now I have a grasp of how prices are set.”

“I think so too.”

“But why is your arm so expensive? 9 billion Ma-do? What on earth…”

“……”

Why on earth is the unsealing price so high?

Even the divine treasures in the human realm are worth only several million; that couple of million Ma-do is equivalent to the value of hundreds of thousands of demon heads. It implies that defeating hundreds of millions of demons just to acquire a single divine treasure.

In fact, just 10,000 Ma-do would likely be needed for a fair-sized great demon hunt. I didn’t amass that much when taking down a dragon. So why does my arm require 9 billion for unsealing?

At that moment.

“I think I understand.”

“Subori! When did you arrive?”

Swish

Before I knew it, Subori, who had appeared through a spell, smiled and said.

“I have been here all along. So, I’ve heard everything, no need to elaborate.”

“Hmm. What do you think is the reason for my arm’s high unsealing price?”

“That unsealing price is tied to the nature of the curse.”

“Nature?”

“You stole the curse from the awakened Hong Gyun Do-in’s [Mask], right? But the awakened Hong Gyun Do-in is no ordinary being. Even the Three Sovereigns couldn’t face him directly, he has reached the utmost peak that the mask can achieve. If that being’s essence were taken, along with his final resentment, and if he delivered a curse, that would be one of the universe’s greatest curses.”

Subori glanced at the petrified treasures lying around.

“Even if it’s a curse left behind by the god of magic, it pales in comparison to the curse on your arm. And considering that what emerged from your arm could be the utter chaos of the cosmos…”

“Hmm… still, 9 billion…”

“About that, I think what you’re concerned with isn’t merely unsealing the four Seven Luminaries.”

“What do you mean?”

“The priority is raising your merchant grade.”

As he said this, Subori picked up the Fire Dragon Sword from the ground.

“A hollow shell of a Fire Dragon Sword without the ability of Pasa. Even so, it’s hard to accept that a divine treasure that matched the Seven Luminaries is worth only 6 million. In my view, you should sell off the cheaper goods first.”

“Cheap goods?”

“Try selling the Sacred Lotus first, as I suggest.”

“Got it.”

I sold 100 bundles of Sacred Lotus. Then words appeared above my gauntlet.

[You sold 1 Sacred Lotus.]

[You sold 1 Sacred Lotus.]

…

[Your merchant grade has risen! Congratulations on becoming the 9th tier low merchant (Lower Merchant).]

…

[You sold 1 Sacred Lotus.]

[Your total balance is 56,837,000 Ma-do.]

Ding!

[Your merchant grade has risen! Congratulations on becoming the 8th tier lower merchant (Lower Merchant).]

“……?!”

Oh?!

“My merchant level rose to 8th tier lower merchant!”

I was shocked, and Subori chuckled.

“What’s shocking isn’t that. I believe you originally had 15,090,000 Ma-do, right? What’s your balance now?”

Now that I think of it, I had earned that much from the last dragon hunt and hadn’t spent a dime!

I looked closely at my balance.

“Hmm… about 56,800,000 Ma-do, I guess.”

“Does the calculation seem off? Roughly speaking, if you take 15 million from 57 million, that leaves you with 42 million. In other words, you made a 42 million profit from selling 100 Sacred Lotuses. However, didn’t the price of the Sacred Lotus per unit show 150,000?”

“Oh! I see now…”

“You should have made a 1.5 million profit from selling 100 units. But since you earned 42 million, the unit value of Sacred Lotus skyrocketed to nearly 420,000, close to threefold!”

“Gah…?!”

What is going on?! I feel good about this profit!

While I was bewildered, Subori said.

“Did you not catch on to why?”

“Why is that?”

“Hmm… Is it that you genuinely didn’t notice or are you just pretending…?”

As Subori looked a little flustered, Shim Su-ryeok chimed in.

“This means the selling price varies based on the merchant’s grade, doesn’t it?”

“Exactly.”

“Oh!”

Finally realizing what had happened, Subori continued.

“Listening to you, I thought from the very beginning that it made no sense. No way could legendary treasures like the Seven Luminaries be worth only the value of several million demons. Conversely, if it were merely a few million demons to acquire the Seven Luminaries, can you imagine how many warriors would rush to do so? It would be way too easy.”

“Catching hundreds of millions of demons is that easy?”

“You said the Ma-do you set are equivalent to one human being to one demon, right? Just a bit stronger intermediate demon would be worth around 100 Ma-do. Besides, if the Yin energy is strong in that realm, the number of demons spontaneously increases. So, that few hundred million Ma-do is…”

“So, my low merchant level prevented me from assessing the true value of the Seven Luminaries?”

“Exactly.”

Subori’s eyes sharpened.

“Just by rising from 10th to 8th tier as a merchant, you were able to raise the unit price nearly threefold. Besides, Chang-hee was originally a 4th tier merchant, right? If Chang-hee were in your shoes, he could have easily sold at least ten times higher than the prices you have!”

“……!!”

“And it seems the higher the merchant grade, the more frequent high-level sales elevate it. However, if you sell expensive high-valued items from a low grade, you’ll incur losses, right?”

“That… makes sense. That’s why you told me to sell the Sacred Lotus in bulk first.”

“Doing so prevents unnecessary losses. After all, the Sacred Lotus is just an internal power enhancer, and neither you nor Shim Su-ryeok nor I need it right now.”

“Hmm…!!”

I had no idea the merchant grade was this crucial!

‘If that’s the case, I need to raise my merchant grade before selling top-tier items like the Seven Luminaries to make a profit!’

Only then could I sell for a high price!

At that moment, Shim Su-ryeok, who’d been listening beside us, crossed his arms and spoke in a puzzled tone.

“But isn’t that strange?”

“What’s strange?”

“Creator Chang-chee set his merchant level to 1st tier yet could only achieve a 4th tier status as a merchant. If, as you said, gaining a higher merchant status allows for higher trading prices, then why didn’t he go higher?”

“It’s a simple matter. It’s not that he didn’t raise it, but clearly, he couldn’t.”

“He couldn’t raise it?”

Subori nodded in response to Shim Su-ryeok’s question.

“Just now, Baek Woong sold a whopping 100 units of Sacred Lotus. With this amount, you could produce 100 peak experts, making it an enormous value in the human realm, right? Strength equates to wealth, and I’m sure that’s enough to buy ten cities in the Central Plains. However, despite trading such treasure in bulk, Baek Woong only increased to the 2nd merchant tier.”

“Ah… So that’s it.”

Shim Su-ryeok seemed to get it, but I was still confused, so I asked Subori.

“I don’t quite understand. Could you explain to me as well?”

“To put it simply, while the Merchant Authority is a powerful skill, it has a high limit. Therefore, as you reach higher tiers, you need to pay a hefty price to upgrade. This limit is so massive that even Chang-chee, who reached the divine realm, found it hard to meet those requirements, and that’s why Chang-chee herself remained stuck at tier 4.”

“……?! Could that even happen?”

“It can. Many times, powerful spells or authority created are made so that one cannot fulfill the conditions to use them due to their own limitations. Though normally, it’s often artifacts that fall into this category… regardless, it’s clear that Chang-chee set up an overly powerful Merchant Authority and ended up unable to accumulate enough treasures.”

“……”

If that’s the case, does it mean that obtaining Merchant Authority levels beyond tier 3 is extremely resource-intensive, that even a powerful individual like Chang-chee couldn’t achieve it?

I was struck dumb by this realization.

“Chang-chee has been practicing commerce since the Shang Dynasty and without a doubt hoarded treasures through countless human sacrifices. I assume she devoted thousands of years to gathering offerings or tributes. If even she couldn’t reach tier 3, how on earth could I?”

“Well, I wouldn’t worry too much. While Chang-chee is undoubtedly exceptional, you have the potential to surpass her.”

With a light-hearted comeback, Subori chuckled.

“That’s enough explanation for now. The next course of action is set. Focus on selling treasure from the lowest tier gradually, aiming to boost your merchant grade. After you reach a higher merchant grade, you can sell your expensive items for maximum profit; what to do with the Ma-do can be a later concern.”

“Understood!”

Ding!

First, I sold the Divine Sword, Twin Broadswords, Yodo Muramasa, Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, and 10 Black and White Lotuses. While they couldn’t be considered divine treasures, they were the best the human realm had, and I had no hesitation in selling the devalued Divine Sword. As expected, words appeared above my gauntlet.

[You sold the Divine Sword.]

[You sold Twin Broadswords.]

[You sold Yodo Muramasa.]

[You sold Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.]

[You sold Black and White Lotus.]

[Your balance is 95,712,000 Ma-do.]

[Your merchant grade has risen! Congratulations on becoming the 7th tier middle merchant (Middle Merchant).]

“Oh!!”

I just acquired 95 million Ma-do!

Am I about to hit 1 billion?!

Excited, I shared my joy with Subori and Shim Su-ryeok, to which Subori stroked his chin.

“It seems I have elevated more than tenfold from tier 10. About 3.6 times, perhaps?”

“At this rate, I just need to get to tier 4 like Chang-chee!”

“Hmm. For now, let’s sell everything that can be categorized as ‘various.’ That’ll yield us answers.”

“Got it!”

[I sold Xuyou Ruins’ Gold Bars.]

[I sold the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate.]

[I sold the Crystal Stele.]

[I sold Jeon Wook’s statue.]

[I sold the Suspicious Fishhook.]

[I sold Amenohabaki.]

[I sold the Manpasikjeok.]

[I sold the Silver Phoenix (completed item).]

[I sold the Dragon King’s wish-granting orb.]

[I sold the Pasa…]

…

[Your merchant grade has risen! Congratulations on becoming the 6th tier upper merchant (Upper Merchant).]

[Your merchant grade has risen! Congratulations on becoming the 5th tier upper upper merchant (Upper Merchant).]

[Your balance is 1,281,823,900 Ma-do.]

“Gah… Huh…?”

I actually… sold everything.

I sold off the Golden Crow Island’s egg, the National Seal, and the Golden Eagle, except for the Seven Luminaries!!

Even Banwang Hall’s treasures sold at once!

Now, I stood at 5th tier and held 1,281,823,900 Ma-do. I must have achieved this multiplication due to hitting tier 5!

Witnessing the progression alongside me, Subori seemed impressed.

“Remarkable… Though you’re a reborn individual, you managed to almost catch up to Chang-chee’s accomplishments, which took thousands of years of history in the Central Plains.”

“Hmph. Chang-chee probably never amassed this many treasures as I have!”

“Haha. That’s true enough for me to have nothing to counter.”

As Subori smacked his lips, he added.

“Now, it’s time to unseal the Seven Luminaries. By selling the liberated seven at tier 5, you could likely earn an incredible amount of Ma-do.”

“Sure!”

Ching –

“… What?”

As I held the gauntlet, I felt something odd. The gauntlet that had once been perfectly sized suddenly felt like it had swollen to the size of a giant watermelon. A moment later, that huge turtle shell started spinning with a strange light.

Chee-oo!!

Pasa

Before me appeared a translucent spirit of a turtle. It looked at me and started talking using the astral wave.

[Having become a 5th tier upper merchant, I have successfully awakened as a new constellation. I look forward to your guidance, my master.]

“Constellation?! Wh-what are you talking about?”

[That’s a perk of being in 5th tier. As one who ascends to the merchant position, they can forcibly bind a star from one of the constellations they own.]

“……!!”

I can awaken a constellation at just tier 5?!

I wasn’t the only one shocked. Subori, who was nearby, looked like he might faint.

“Remarkable… It seems that Chang-chee initially created absurd powers under the assumption that she would become a divine being. To reach a mid-level point of creating a star constellation as someone who hasn’t even become a god yet is astonishing.”

“Though it’s called a constellation, this turtle doesn’t look strong at all…”

“Don’t say that. Although it’s not an ‘Old Ruler,’ constellations possessed power at that level. In certain scenarios, they could even wield powers capable of upending heaven and earth.”

“Hmm.”

After all, the three constellations I had seen in outer space did wipe out the mighty Great Immortals without breaking a sweat!

This turtle may appear weak, but it could end up providing me significant assistance later on.

At that moment, the turtle spoke.

[Please call me Daegwi (大龜).]

“Understood, Daegwi. What can you do?”

[In the future, you won’t need to fumble around with my shell; I’ll present the price window directly in front of you. Moreover, with your elevation to tier 5, functions like short selling (空賣渡), rising index (上場指數), auctioning (競賣), futures (先物), co-signing (連帶保證), private lending (私債), bond issuance (債券發行), and interest rates (金利) have all been unlocked.]

“……? What’s that supposed to mean?”

[I’ll recommend the relevant function when the time comes.]

I had no idea what he meant, but it sounded beneficial!

Just then, Subori interjected.

“It seems spectacular, but I feel like there might not be any directly helpful functions. Are there abilities specific to your constellation?”

[There are.]

“What are they?”

[It will be unlocked once you reach 4th tier.]

“…….”

So it means I need to reach 4th tier to access that!

With that in mind, I presented all four of the Seven Luminaries and boldly declared.

“Okay, then, I’m going to become 4th tier today!!”

Unsealing all four of the Seven Luminaries!!

Pasa

Moments later, as I submitted the necessary Ma-do, a brilliant light erupted, and the seals on the Seven Luminaries dissipated. I held the liberated Xuyou in my hands.

[Xuyou Makiya (liberation complete / great liberation incomplete)

One-time price: 452,253,100 Ma-do

Advance payment and collateral settings are not acceptable.]

“…… 4.5 billion!!”

What on earth caused its value to skyrocket?!

I realized the other three Seven Luminaries had similar pricing. I felt my heart race slightly.

‘If I sell them all…’

Combining it with my previous total means I’d have over 30 billion Ma-do!

But then, I felt a slight letdown.

“Hmm. Still, it falls far short of 90 billion…”

Just how overpowering could the curse around my arm, left by Hong Gyun Do-in, be?

Regardless, I floated all four liberated Seven Luminaries into the air and said to Daegwi.

“Daegwi. I plan to sell off the liberated Seven Luminaries.”

[Understood.]

Ding!

Then I heard that delightful sound in my ears.

[Your balance is 3,527,831,820 Ma-do.]

[Your merchant grade has risen! Congratulations on becoming the 4th tier great merchant (大商人)!]

I did it!!

I just caught up to Chang-chee’s 4th tier in a flash!!

In an ecstatic mood, I promptly opened the Wooden Armor and stepped inside. Then, seeing all the petrified items piled up, I shouted.

“Daegwi!!”

[Yes.]

“Unseal everything petrified!!”

[Understood.]

Papa-

And the next moment.

In front of me stood Lee Kwang and Lee Hwan-woong, both with dazed expressions after being freed from petrification.