The Wealth God Aries was a fairly famous divine seat.
Part of the reason was that it was a highly renowned and prestigious high-ranking divine seat, but well...
[He's a huge spender.]
[He must be among the top five richest in the divine realm.]
He dealt in sacred items, rented out storehouses, and even lent and sold vassal gods and holy cities he had enslaved.
There was not a god who didn't pass through Aries's hands.
He was literally the merchant of the divine realm.
Where there was war, Aries was there, and countless gods died through his interference.
But the real reason for Aries's notoriety wasn't that.
[That madman, he actually sold a marshal-level divine seat's patron god as a slave!]
That was it.
One of Aries's authorities, the [Auction] authority. That was the problem.
It appraises the opponent's soul, puts a price on it, and turns it into a commodity.
And once that price was paid, the opponent could be bought irresistibly.
The activation conditions were tricky and the risk was great, but if you could just pay the price, you could make anyone your slave, no matter who.
That was how Aries ran his business of lending and selling vassal gods.
However.
[Insanity! The master of a huge army just got sold!]
[The Iron-Blood's master has been sold!]
[As expected of the big spender of the Zodiac Twelve Palaces!]
Among gods, there were supreme king-like beings that even other gods dared not approach.
Called Sovereigns (Lord Gods), they were the ones hailed as emperors among the soaring gods.
No one could do a thing to them.
But Aries had once auctioned and enslaved the master of an army that was ranked second at the time.
Of course, after making him a slave, he sold him to the number one and made a huge profit.
Naturally, the enslaved Iron-Blood's master resisted, but it was useless.
[You wretch, do you think you'll get away with this?!]
[Haha. This is what you get for looking down on a master of the Zodiac Twelve Palaces, just because you're a great sovereign.]
[You who only get special treatment due to the power of the throne!]
That was the end of that one.
In any case, after that incident, all gods avoided Aries.
They didn't want to become slaves before that wealth.
And because of such events, Aries's master couldn't help but be arrogant.
Though the one ranked one was strong, he himself was the merchant who had enslaved the Iron-Blood army, ranked second, the strongest in the universe.
'A low-ranking god that's just awakened, how insignificant.'
No matter what his identity was, he had a rough estimate.
'The money to pay is overflowing.'
That was certainly the case.
But.
[Ugh!]
At this moment now.
The master of Aries nearly choked at the number that rose from Igeon.
He had definitely used his pricing skill on Igeon to activate his skill.
But the number that came up was a bit strange.
It had to be.
[Value 66.6 billion (talents)]
'W-what is this figure.'
66.6 billion talents?
Talent (currency, opportunity) was the currency of the gods, issued to them by the universe.
Of course, as money of the gods, beyond a simple medium of exchange, possessing it allowed one to create special things through the law of equivalent exchange, or borrow the power of the universe.
In other words, talents were the capital power of the gods; if you had zero talents, you could do nothing.
To use a car analogy, it was like running out of gas.
Anyway, the average talant needed to auction a low-ranking god was 100 million. For a mid-ranking god, around 1 billion, and for a high-ranking god, around 10 billion.
Yet.
Igeon's value was 66.6 billion?
'The most expensive one ever was 40 billion, what in the world.'
He was talking about that number two, whom he had auctioned by pouring in nearly all his fortune.
So he had no choice but to be flustered.
It was because his entire current fortune was exactly about that amount, around 66.6 billion.
'No matter how arbitrarily the values of gods are set.'
Meaning, after auctioning Igeon, Aries's entire fortune would be completely spent.
And with just a tiny misstep, his talents would immediately go into the negative.
'That's troublesome.'
And with reason—every god is granted 1 talent the moment they are born.
It meant that even the most insignificant god was given one chance.
And newborn gods would use that one talent to buy something to grow their own power, or buy followers, or something to increase their own value. And from that starting point, they would gradually raise their divine status.
But if your talents fell below zero.
That is, the moment it goes into the negative, that god's divine status is stripped away.
In other words, demotion and enslavement.
That was the law.
That's why Aries's master, seeing Igeon, couldn't help but be flustered.
'Still, he has the power of a high-ranking god, so I thought it would be around 10 billion.'
Really, maybe up to 30 billion at most?
But his bewilderment was only momentary.
'Well, fine. It could happen.'
Since he wasn't an ordinary fellow.
And.
'At about 66.6 billion, it's still worth trying.'
Of course, Aries's entire fortune was around that much, so it might be a bit touch-and-go, but that was fine.
'If I dispose of some slaves and somehow scrape together all the scattered talents, it'll be around 66.7 billion.'
That would just barely avoid bankruptcy.
After the auction, I wouldn't be able to do anything for a while, but once Igeon was enslaved, multiplying the money would be instant.
'In fact, there's no chance to catch him except now.'
There's no way he could catch someone of Igeon's caliber again.
So now, right after awakening, before he gets used to his power, was the perfect opportunity.
Perhaps that was why.
[Will you proceed with the auction using your authority?]
Aries's master laughed at the voice that came to his ears.
That voice was that of the Bank of the Gods, which issued talents.
It lent the power of the divine realm to the gods, managed talents, and did all sorts of things.
And naturally, the messenger and voice for the auction came again.
[Will you truly purchase the target?]
[If you proceed with the auction while lacking funds, debt enforcement will be applied for business interference, so please be sure to recheck your fund status.]
[Once the auction proceeds, it can never be canceled.]
[The amount paid will not be recovered.]
[Will you really take the target as your slave?]
Aries's master looked at Igeon and smiled.
He already knew the risks well.
So he activated his authority toward the captured Igeon.
[Auction]
At the same time, a golden light shot up from beneath Igeon's feet.
[Proceeding with the auction.]
[Auctioned for 66.7 billion.]
Aries's master cheered inwardly.
[With this, the Snake Master is in my hands!]
But it was then.
"Hey."
[!]
At the sudden low voice, Aries's master flinched.
It was Igeon.
And his voice was naturally low, but now it was mixed with killing intent, making it far more terrifying.
Moreover, for some reason, Igeon was glaring not at the auction matter but at the transparent cube Aries's master was holding.
And.
"You. That thing. Where did you get it?"
[!]
It was the cube that had made Aries's master immobilize him.
It was about the size of a finger. A small cube.
Of course, it was no ordinary cube.
[It feels like the power of its original owner, the former master of the Throne.]
He didn't know exactly, but he sensed the power of a powerful god.
But the reason Igeon focused on that cube wasn't simply that.
-You always carry it. Is it precious?
That was the item that Yeonwoo, the family who used to live with him in the past, always had.
He didn't know why she kept it so preciously, but it was handmade, with unique colors and unique patterns engraved, so it was impossible to mistake it.
And after Yeonwoo died, it was an item he couldn't find anywhere.
Most likely, she had it on her the day she died and was swallowed along with the monster.
That was why Igeon's eyes flashed.
"You, where did you pick that up?"
Aries's master laughed.
[Ah, this? You want to know?]
Aries's master looked at Igeon as if pitying him.
[Well, it's because the owner of this was the 13th we've been searching for.]
"!"
[Still, even as the 13th, she was just a human. She couldn't even awaken before she was devoured by that monarch.]
Igeon narrowed his brow.
Soon Aries's master spoke.
[Rest easy. You seem to think this woman died because of you, but she was destined to die anyway.]
At those words, Igeon smiled.
"Is that so?"
[Indeed. It's a shame we couldn't also arrange for you beside her to be killed, but don't worry. Now that you're about to become my slave, I'll be generous and at least make you a doll resembling your beloved...]
But right then.
[Ugh!]
Aries's master screamed at something that suddenly flew at him.
The object flying at his face was none other than a shard of iron chain!
[No... wait...!]
And at that instant, an amazing thing happened.
Crunch!
In a flash, the iron chain binding Igeon was completely torn off.
[?!]
Not only Aries's master but also the vassal gods of Aries who were watching were astonished.
Startled, Aries's master hastily activated the cube.
Boom!!!
Igeon, having greatly enlarged the Heavenly Judgment, sliced off the bastard's arm.
And the cube and Aries master's arm fell to the floor!
At the same time, Aries's master screamed.
[What is this, why isn't the cube's power working!]
What was inside the cube was the power of binding that they had used when they pulled down the former masters of the Throne from their respective thrones.
Of course, it seemed the 13th had also tried to use this cube to wield the power of the Throne in this lifetime, but anyway, that wasn't important now.
'This is the power of bondage that even pulled down the original masters of the Throne. Any ordinary foe would have been utterly immobilized.'
That was why, while on the run, he had visited the monarch of that army to obtain this cube, wasn't it?
Because that one had the memento of the 13th.
But!
[Keuk!]
A tremendous flash of light enveloped Igeon.
Raising the corners of his mouth, Igeon lifted the Heavenly Judgment.
At the same time, blood gushed out.
This time, the left hand was severed.
Aries's master screamed.
[You bastard!]
But his fit of rage was short-lived.
[Even so, it's already too late! The auction has already begun!]
["!"]
[The moment you become my slave, I'll show you hell in full!]
Aries's master burst out laughing.
The auction skill was already activated.
[Auction in progress.]
[Transforming target into a slave.]
As proof, golden ropes began to rise from beneath Igeon's feet.
That was the power of the divine realm (of the primeval), summoned by the authority of the Bank.
It was a force so vast that all gods called it mother.
Just as holy cities borrowed the power of their patron gods, patron gods would sometimes borrow the power of beings stronger than themselves, and that was that power.
Thus, that skill could never be broken by any god.
'No, never once!'
Even the marshal-level master, whose scale combined several of the Zodiac Twelve Palaces, had become his slave by that very power.
Finally, the ropes bound Igeon's legs, feet, and neck.
The gods that Yang Wei had summoned laughed, saying they got to see that sight again.
[It's a spectacle every time. I still vividly remember how Iron-Blood screamed and cried, not wanting to become a slave.]
[Right, that bastard too...]
But it was then.
[Auction failed.]
[?!]
Suddenly, the red ropes binding Igeon fell away from him.
And as if handling something immensely precious, they restored his messy hair and clothes to their original state.
At that sight, Aries's master screamed.
[Why on earth!]
But soon Aries learned the reason.
'Th-that's!'
The visible price on Igeon's body was changing.
[Value 66.9 billion (talents)]
[Value 76.5 billion (talents)]
[Value 80 billion (talents)]
[Value 89 billion (talents)]
Aries's master shrieked.
[What is this! The price is going up!]
There had never been a case like this.
He had never even seen such an amount.
The highest price he had ever seen was around 60 billion!
But regardless, Igeon's price skyrocketed exponentially.
And.
[Value 666.6 billion (talents)]
[......?!!]
At the unimaginable price, Aries's master let out a scream.
[666.6 billion, what nonsense is that!]
At that scream, the vassal gods and outer gods stirred.
[What? That bastard's price is what?]
[What did we just hear?]
But regardless, Aries's master, whose eyes met Igeon's, trembled.
'D-don't tell me.'
The value measured earlier was Igeon's value right after awakening, before he had used his power!
But what was more terrifying wasn't that price.
[Total usable talents of Aries at present: 66.9 billion.]
[Ability to pay is zero.]
[Auctioning.]
[Once the auction has proceeded, it cannot be canceled.]
[Aries talents: -599.7 billion. Debt will be incurred.]
[Bankrupted.]
[Due to auction failure, risk activates.]
[Ah, no, wait!]
[Your divine status is being stripped. By risk, you are demoted from patron god to slave grade.]
(Continued in next episode)