PAST LIFE RETURNER

Side Story 27 – The Day of the Auction - Humphrey and Hans (2)

The Stage of Advent was the battlefield where they had to strive for survival while being disconnected from the existing civilization. The strong Awakened wielded absolute power as mighty authorities internally, but they had been commanders who had to be at the forefront of battle externally.

Due to the nature of that battlefield, they had to face demons with capabilities equal to theirs directly at the front lines rather than just leading from the back. Such times had lasted for at least twenty years, so their spirits must have withered day by day.

Thus, in those circumstances, it was inevitable for them to become another demon, only thinking about ruling and fighting. It was quite natural to become like the things you were fighting against.

The realization that to consume a demon, one had to consume even its horns, was inevitable, and the Stage of Advent had pushed everyone there to that limit for that long.

Look at the rumors about Osiris and Mary. They were at the top of all Awakened, fighting against the demon of demons Doom Kaos.

That was the reason. What if He hadn't been imbued with the Holy Spirit?

November 1st of the past year could have been a day for humanity to face an even stronger evil after defeating the great demon. He was not just a human with the power to defeat divinity. He was complete because he carried the Holy Spirit, and thus, humanity was blessed with a future no different from the past.

The Caliber had been the person He chose to be his own. Hence, Caliber, one of the powerful Awakened, had not forgotten his child as a father after his return and had been able to share laughter with the public as someone's neighbor.

Humphrey couldn't take his eyes off Caliber since he arrived. Caliber was now surrounded by beautiful ladies. His effort to hide his fluttering smile was noticeable. Unable to hide his joyous expression, he couldn't ward off these beauties.

However, Humphrey wasn't disappointed at this sight of Caliber. On the contrary, his heart became even fuller because he once again confirmed his belief through Caliber.

***

"Why not go and introduce yourself to him instead of just watching? You look like you're smitten with first love," Hans said.

When Hans turned his gaze back to Caliber, the Caliber was eating cherries offered by the beauties. The area around Caliber was buzzing with these ladies. Even the ones wandering from the back showed no sign of leaving.

Humphrey replied with a smile, "How do I squeeze into that? I'm not good at that. Maybe, soondae[1] stew? He's fond of it."

"Soondae stew?"

"It's a traditional dish that Koreans enjoy. It's a kind of soup made with Korean sausage, Soondae. It's similar to the German sausage, Blutwurst."

"You seem to have studied a lot about Korea."

"Not just that."

Humphrey continued his explanation. His sparkling eyes reminded one of his younger days. Especially whenever he talked about Him, Humphrey seemed to have gone back in time. And it wasn't just in his eyes.

Hans suddenly realized he hadn't heard Humphrey complain about his chronic pain recently. Whether it was faith or a hobby, finding something they could fully invest in was hard for people who have lived a long life. Nonetheless, it seemed Humphrey found it in Him on November 4th.

Hans felt envious of Humphrey. As Humphrey concluded his explanation about soondae soup, he said, "Regardless of the auction result, I've reserved a ticket to Seoul."

Hans nodded.

"You must want your wish to come true. But what if you fail to win the bid?"

"I already planned for the trip? Would you like to hear it?"

"It must include soondae stew, right?"

"Of course."

"I'm worried whether you might have any problems with your old body."

"We need to travel while we can. We can't guarantee even tomorrow."

From the land He renounced after victory, to the headquarters of the World Awakened Association, the school He graduated from, and His hometown… Also, the 'Soondae stew' chosen by Him for Caliber Kwon Seong-Il… Even the food that King of Hell Jonathan Hunter shared with Him were all from Korea.

Therefore, Korea had many places to visit and food to try.

Then, Hans spoke, seemingly worried. At that moment, his concern wasn't directed towards Humphrey. To him, Caliber, who was surrounded by beauties, seemed dangerous.

Beautiful guests were essential at parties. While the organizers likely invited those with proven identities and discretion, it did not one hundred percent guarantee that everything in the party would be confidential.

If there was an issue with Caliber's personal safety, whether by intention or by accident, the problem would not merely be a minor one.

Hans said, "The Awakened can't use their powers as they used to. As far as I know, even the heroes are under the same restrictions."

"That's the case here."

Humphrey actually had the same concerns. However, the Caliber and King of Hell did not go to outer space even though they could enjoy the power they had in the Stage of Advent there.

It was not just about power. They even gave up superhuman strength and an irreplaceable, strong strength.

That's probably why He chose them...

Humphrey looked around, searching for someone likely from the organizer's side. But all he saw were party planners and staff. No one seemed to have the apparent authority.

It was not only Humphrey and Hans who saw the current situation as precarious. Some of them were already approaching the party planners, looking at Caliber and the beauties around him and having cautious conversations. Every time, the party planners just looked uncomfortable.

Hans said, "He should be aware of his position."

"He just got back less than a week ago. Didn’t you say the Final Stage runs in a different time, like the Stage of Advent? Unless he clarifies, no one knows how long that time was. It's the organizers' fault, not his."

"The World Awakened Association should hire you. They don’t have a spokesperson."

"If they hire me, then I might dedicate the rest of my life. I'm serious."

"I know, I know. But..."

Hans began to walk, looking for a space away from other guests. Humphrey followed him, depending on the cane to support him.

When Hans found a suitable spot, he asked, "Now, tell me honestly. How much money can you invest?"

Hans had been supporting Humphrey for a long time, but he still didn't know much about his family's wealth. What Hans knew about Humphrey's wealth was limited to a few major businesses that Humphrey personally oversaw, like the automobile and carbon fiber businesses. But surely, Humphrey's family wealth wasn't limited to that.

Then Humphrey showed four fingers.

"Four billion euros?"

Hans felt his heart started pounding. The amount was astonishingly small.

However, Humphrey shook his head.

Was it four hundred million euros? That is too little, my friend.

Hans was worried because four hundred million euros would not be enough to beat other competitors.

Among the guests enjoying the party on the yacht deck were potential competitors for Humphrey in the auction, including Arabs, Russians, and a significant number of Chinese. It was a collection related to him, famously referred to as a relic!

"Looking at your face, I can tell. If it was four billion euros, you wouldn't even have thought about it."

"Well..."

"I can spend up to forty billion euros."

The amount was bigger than expected, but Humphrey's eyes seemed to lose their spark for a moment.

Humphrey already looked defeated. His gaze also turned to the distant competitors that Hans had already scanned. Moreover, the host hadn’t even appeared yet.

***

Da Vinci's "Salvator Mundi" was previously auctioned for a record four hundred fifty million dollars in an art transaction history. However, it was merely a piece that was traded in the market and limited to art.

A record for the highest auctioned price for a single item came out last July. Their equipment that only the Awakened could handle was an S-class item. It was named after a traditional Chinese god and was traded for a whopping one hundred billion dollars. The impact of that transaction on the market was so great that he still remembered its name ‘Xi Wangmu's Ten Thousand Year Old Spider.’

Of course, it should have been treated as a military supply rather than a collectible. But it was a unique item in that it had never been traded in human history.

There was another example they could refer to. Among all collectibles, including artworks, Da Vinci's ‘Mona Lisa’ was considered priceless. It was often said to be an inestimable pinnacle of human art.

But could its value truly not be estimated? Wasn’t it just another piece of art?

France had not placed it in the market, but when they faced a severe economic crisis or lost a war, facing significant reparations, they would have to sell national treasures.

Experts estimated the ‘Mona Lisa’ could fetch four hundred billion dollars in such a scenario. If they included the number of people who paid the Louvre museum to see the piece, such a number came out.

It was not just the Mona Lisa. Experts could estimate the price of famous artwork, including the Last Supper. The only item that could be truly priceless was a single category.

That was why Humphrey felt increasingly disheartened thinking about it. Today, a price tag would be placed on an item that should have remained priceless.

If astronomical prices could be placed on the Mona Lisa, then what would competitors think of His relic? In a world with trillion-dollar companies, His relics should not have been equally priced as them.

Humphrey wasn't confident he would win the auction, but he was certain of one thing. He felt frustrated from the moment he boarded the yacht.

"I might not even be able to bid the starting price,” Humphrey said with a dejected tone.

"Don't give up yet. There's still a way."

Hans wasn't just saying this.

"Find others who came in with the same goal as you. You won’t have to look far."

Hans was looking at Caliber Kwon Seong-Il.

"Doesn't he also need an alliance? Look closely."

After a while, Humphrey noticed something unusual about Caliber. The Caliber wasn't just enjoying the party surrounded by beautiful women. He was secretly observing every guest.

1. Korean blood sausage. ☜