It sounds like the title of a documentary, but it's not an event about environmental destruction.
There's only one condition for triggering this event. Secure the corpse of a spiritual beast from a specific auction house.
Take it to a certain point on Seorak Mountain, and the Tears of the Snowfield event will begin.
"Oh, Seoul. It's changed a lot!"
"Young master, we don't know where danger might lurk. Please be careful and stay behind me—"
"Ah, Master Han Seonga. Don't be so stiff. Let's just be natural, okay?"
"…But… yes, understood."
Yoo Baekjun was in Seoul with Han Seonga.
The scenery in Seoul was quite different from the one in the real 'me's' world. There were buildings he hadn't seen before, and people who looked like hunters roamed the streets.
"The Seoul branch of the family offered to send a car, yet you insisted on walking…"
"I wanted to move with my own feet. Seeing with your own eyes is different from looking through a window, right?"
Han Seonga sighed.
The teleportation magic circle in the Sword Saint Clan connected directly to the family's branch in Seoul.
It was an unnecessarily extravagant building, and they had offered to provide a car, but he refused.
Because he wanted to see it all for himself.
"Is that the Hunter Association or whatever?"
"Yes. But since they lack real power… it's just a symbolic organization."
"The guilds are stronger than the association."
Yoo Baekjun nodded.
It had been hundreds of years since monsters and gates first appeared. Hunters had formed organizations to deal with the monsters since then.
Organizations like the Sword Saint Clan.
'As time passed, those organizations transformed into guilds, magic towers, or noble families.'
Most of them were profit-driven groups.
They sought benefits for their hunters and for their organizations. Over time, the power they accumulated became so strong that they often held more influence than even the Hunter Association—or the government.
"For ordinary hunters, it may matter, but for someone like you, Young master, there's no need to worry about them."
"Yeah, I figured."
Han Seonga had said the Hunter Association was just symbolic, but that wasn't the case for regular hunters.
The Association managed domestic hunters, identified gate locations, and mediated job opportunities.
'But later, once Han Changwoo joins the Association, things will change.'
Han Changwoo, the main character of Heroes' Road. A regular person who joins the Hunter Association and makes a name for himself with incredible talent.
'Han Changwoo supports the Association. He'll clash with several guilds to strengthen it.'
And the Sword Saint Clan would be one of them.
Yoo Baekjun sighed. Sooner or later, he would end up clashing with Han Changwoo or the Hunter Association.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to start thinking about how to cut things off before they took root.
"Young master."
"What is it?"
Yoo Baekjun was walking around Seoul with Han Seonga, sightseeing. She seemed on edge, constantly glancing around.
"People are staring a lot."
"Well, if they look at what we're wearing, who wouldn't stare?"
"I—is that so?"
Yoo Baekjun wore a dobok underneath and the black demon coat on top. Han Seonga wasn't dressed much differently.
People were walking around in clothes that looked like hanbok—there was no way they wouldn't draw attention.
'Tch, it's not like I had normal clothes.'
The only clothes in Yoo Baekjun's wardrobe were like these. Of course, that made sense—he had never really left the family house.
'Han Seonga too, I think she said she was an orphan taken in by the family. She probably doesn't have proper clothes either, and naturally, wouldn't know much about the world.'
Yoo Baekjun glanced at the people staring.
–Wow, their clothes are crazy.
–Are they hunters? Is that some kind of item gear? Wait, I feel like I've seen the woman's outfit before.
–Isn't she a model? The guy's handsome too.
Words the real 'me' had never heard. Words he wouldn't hear even if he died and came back.
Yoo Baekjun smiled bitterly.
"Should I cut my hair?"
"Pardon? But that would be a shame, Young master. You've grown it out for so long… don't you have some attachment to it?"
"What attachment?"
Yoo Baekjun and Han Seonga walked for quite a while. Eventually, they arrived at their destination.
"This must be it."
A small building came into view.
The signboard read: Somnium Bar. Somnium… didn't that mean "dream" in Latin?
Yoo Baekjun entered.
"Young master, I've never been to a place like this before."
"Don't gawk around like a country bumpkin. Just follow me."
"Y-yes, understood…"
Even though it was close to evening, the bar was empty.
Yoo Baekjun walked up to the bartender.
"Welcome, sir. What can I get for you—"
"I want to go downstairs."
He silently handed over the invitation.
The bartender checked the invitation carefully, then opened the door behind the counter without a word.
Beyond that door, a stairway led underground.
"Hmm… feels like a movie, Young master."
"I told you, don't gawk like a country bumpkin."
Yoo Baekjun descended the stairs.
At the entrance, a group stood guard. They looked strong—probably hunters.
When he showed them the invitation, the tightly closed door opened.
"Hm."
And a whole different world was revealed.
Far removed from the shabby bar above, it was a dazzling space like a casino overseas.
A bar loaded with all kinds of snacks stood in the center, and many staff walked around carrying trays of wine and champagne.
"Y-Young master! There are so many people! From here, they look like bugs!"
"They'll be pissed if they hear that, you know."
"R-right, of course."
And yes, the number of people was staggering.
Everyone wore obviously luxurious clothing. Among them were hunters who radiated strong power.
"To think such a space exists underground. Using hunters as guards… the owner must be loaded."
"They've got plenty of money."
"Oh? You know who it is?"
Yoo Baekjun didn't answer.
He did know. The owner was a rich guy with eccentric tastes, but not a bad person at heart.
They might meet later in an event.
"Excuse me, when does the auction begin?"
"In an hour. Would you like a glass of champagne while you wait?"
"Two glasses, then."
Yoo Baekjun accepted the champagne and handed one to Han Seonga.
She eyed it curiously, then began sipping.
"It's bitter, Young master! And there's kind of a burnt smell… oh! Suddenly there's a fruity aroma too!"
"It's expensive—savor it slowly."
"Mm, mm. It's not bad…"
She seemed to like it.
Yoo Baekjun looked around and sat in a nearby chair. At the center of the auction house was a large stage.
'That's where the auction is held.'
In about an hour, the host would come out.
Yoo Baekjun looked over the attendees. Surely there were familiar faces here.
"Ah, there we go."
"Yes?"
There were people he recognized.
A man with a massive scar on his face. His head was shaved, but he radiated mana.
Yoo Baekjun gestured to Han Seonga.
"Look at that guy. What do you think?"
"Even if you suddenly ask me that… hmm, he does seem to have a lot of mana. And…"
Han Seonga's expression turned serious.
"The way his mana flows… I'd guess he's a mage. Fairly skilled, too."
"Yeah? Make sure to remember him."
"Remember him? Why?"
"You'll be fighting him soon."
"Fighting…?"
Han Seonga tilted her head.
It was strange for him to suddenly point someone out and say they'd be fighting soon.
Yoo Baekjun sipped his wine.
"Oh, the snacks here are pretty good. Master Han Seonga, want anything?"
"M-me? Uh, I…."
"You'd prefer something sweet, right? Let's go with this."
Yoo Baekjun picked some snacks without asking.
Mostly cakes and confections—sweet things. They weren't really his taste.
"Waaah…"
But they were Han Seonga's favorite.
She didn't say anything, but she loved sweet things. The way her face lit up when she saw the snacks made her look like she was melting like cotton candy.
"Mmm! They go well together!"
"Glad you like it."
"Yes! I want to take some back to the family and eat them!"
"Ask Seungmin to teach you. He's great at cooking. As for the champagne, I should stock some."
"Choi Seungmin… I didn't know he was so amazing."
Han Seonga nodded.
She was 24. Yoo Baekjun was 21, so technically she was his senior.
Though right now, she looked more like a much younger sibling.
'But in the real world, she's younger than me.'
Going by the 'me' from reality, she was younger.
Yoo Baekjun let out a small sigh.
'Should I be glad I got younger?'
What a joke. There was nothing good about being in a world full of death threats.
"Oh, right. Young master, did you hear that someone from the Magic Tower will be visiting the Sword Saint Clan tomorrow or the day after?"
"From the Magic Tower? Ah, for the magic circle?"
"Yes. They said they're inspecting the teleportation magic circle and also exploring something on Seorak Mountain."
"Exploring…"
Yoo Baekjun tried to recall.
There was definitely an event around this time involving someone from the Magic Tower visiting.
'The problem is, that person is randomized.'
Depending on who shows up, the event can unfold very differently.
Yoo Baekjun sighed.
'Guess I'll just have to see who it is and deal with it then.'
He continued enjoying drinks and snacks with Han Seonga.
Before long—
"Thank you for waiting, everyone!"
The host stepped onto the stage.
Everyone's attention turned toward him.
"Welcome to the Somnium Auction! Here, we offer rare items from this world—and even rarer ones from other world!"
The host beamed with a wide smile.
"Tonight, we'll be showcasing items from otherworld and drops from special monsters! Shall we take a look?"
Clap clap. He clapped his hands.
The lights outside the stage dimmed, and staff rolled out a mobile case from the back.
"What's in that?"
"It's probably the auction items."
As Yoo Baekjun guessed, the box opened to reveal the first item.
It was a B-rank bow—nothing exciting.
'Everything except the spiritual beast's corpse is random, so you never know what'll show up.'
Sometimes rare items, sometimes just average stuff.
Yoo Baekjun stifled a yawn as the auction continued.
"Alright! Our next item is an A-rank item brought from the Dark Zone of the Other World! This is…"
Again, nothing he could use. Yoo Baekjun held back another yawn, waiting for the main item.
"Oh, that one…"
Han Seonga, who hadn't shown much interest before, finally reacted.
Curious, Yoo Baekjun looked at the item too.
"Some of you may have already guessed at a glance! This one's a Skill Book! And what it contains is…"
The host paused for dramatic effect.
"Magic!"
Yoo Baekjun's eyes sharpened.
Now that was something worth bidding on.