Chapter 33

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: The Secret Gathering of the Wealthy
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「The Secret Gathering of the Wealthy」

Known to be run by the goblin race, masters of calculation and profit, this place offered a variety of services beyond simply storing valuables.

It operated much like banks in various dimensions, handling products such as deposits, savings, loans, insurance, securities, and even bonds and promissory notes.

As a result, it had established itself as a ‘large-scale private bank,’ boasting an innumerable number of branches throughout the entire Abyss.

And…

Even for a place like this, with its clientele of formidable tycoons from various dimensions, there was one client who had become the stuff of legend.

The Immortal of Anux.

He had deposited the largest sum of any client and had not visited the bank even once in the two or three hundred years since.

Thanks to this, heated debates often erupted among the goblins about the mysterious client, ‘Immortal.’

‘I dare say, the deposits Immortal has with our bank amount to no more than ten percent of his total assets.’

‘What kind of utter nonsense is that! You’re telling me he became the top client of 「The Secret Gathering of the Wealthy」 with just a tenth of his assets?’

‘Isn’t it obvious that the client known as Immortal treats that astronomical sum as if it were a single gold coin he forgot in his coat pocket?’

Of course, the manager of this Earth branch, ‘Kajan,’ who had personally recruited Immortal as a client, knew the truth behind these arguments.

‘It’s true....’

He was, after all, the one who had successfully brought the protagonist of those rampant rumors, Immortal, into the fold of 「The Secret Gathering of the Wealthy」.

‘Then I shall prepay the fees for ten thousand years.’

The great tycoon, whose infamy resounded throughout the Abyss, had expressed his intention to join and, at the same time, paid a staggering ten thousand years’ worth of fees in a single lump sum….

That day.

Kajan became the first outsider to set foot in Immortal’s secret vault, located deep beneath the Anux Imperial Palace.

What he witnessed then was a rapturous golden feast, as if all the wealth of the world had been gathered in one place.

The sight of all sorts of gold, silver, treasures, and divine artifacts piled up like troublesome junk was enough to make one’s head spin.

‘Even I, who entered and exited the dimensional vaults containing the deposits and valuables of the Abyss’s most formidable tycoons as if it were my own home, couldn’t help but be overwhelmed….’

Kajan, who had been lost in deep thought for a moment, quickly shook his head and continued walking down the long corridor.

*Thud, thud.*

He was just moments away from a private audience with Immortal—the most esteemed client of 「The Secret Gathering of the Wealthy」 and the subject of rampant rumors.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it….”

Long before he was known as a man of wealth, wasn't Immortal already an all-powerful ruler who had driven the entire Abyss into terror?

An innumerable number of dimensions had fallen and submitted to his ‘Army of the Dead.’

The absolute beings of many dimensions were no match for him, often kneeling in defeat or meeting their end…

And it was a widely known fact that even the haughty gods of various constellations feared Immortal, calling him ‘■■■.’

He had a history of reviving an ‘Ancient Dragon’ he had slain with his own hands to keep as a pet, and he had plundered the World Tree, only to let it wither.

Was that all?

He was a monarch of fear who oversaw the affairs of the Anux Empire while seated on a throne crafted from the meticulously carved and polished bones of a demon king….

He was called an ‘unclassifiable disaster’ for tearing apart even the primeval monsters that the gods themselves were reluctant to face.

“And yet, my foolish subordinates failed to recognize such an esteemed person, treating him as a mere intruder and trying to drive him away….”

It was a desperate situation, one where no one would find it strange if his head were to roll today.

“Hoo…”

He soon stopped before a massive, ornately decorated door. After straightening his clothes, he looked at the nameplate with a grim expression.

‘VVIP Private Reception Room’

A luxurious space created solely for serving clients belonging to the ‘top five percent’ group of all branches.

Of course, the Earth branch, which had been open for less than a few years, had no clients who could be included in that top group….

As a result, this was the first time even the general manager, Kajan, would be attending to a VIP-level client in the VVIP Private Reception Room.

‘To think that the first client I would host here would be the Immortal who reigned over a distant dimension… I never would have imagined it in the slightest.’

He quickly wiped the cold sweat drenching his hands on his trousers a few times before cautiously knocking on the door.

*Knock, knock….*

The door opened, revealing the full view of the ‘VVIP Private Reception Room,’ the product of a massive investment.

The entire spacious room, tastefully decorated in an antique style, was plated with gleaming pure gold, making it dazzling to the eyes.

Moreover, original works by the most renowned artists of the Abyss were tastefully displayed everywhere one’s gaze fell.

However.

No glittering work of art could outshine the presence of the man sitting on the sofa in the center, savoring the aroma of his tea.

“Are you the one in charge?”

Overwhelmed by that unique aura, Kajan swallowed dryly and, without realizing it, immediately knelt and bowed his head.

“G-Great Immortal! I beg you, with your ocean-like generosity, to forgive, just this once, the discourtesy committed by my foolish underlings who failed to recognize you….”

At those words, Kang-jun carefully placed his teacup on its saucer and replied as if it were nothing.

“Yes, that can happen.”

“I-I am eternally grateful….”

Kajan cautiously glanced up at Kang-jun.

Had it been any other VIP-level client, all hell would have broken loose.

Could this be what they called ‘the magnanimity of the victor’?

“I-I wonder if the great Immortal remembers this humble goblin, ‘Kajan’….”

“Have we met before?”

“Actually, I once had an audience with you in the Immortal’s imperial palace….”

“Ah, that was you?”

Kang-jun asked nonchalantly before adding softly.

“Anyway, I'd like to withdraw a portion of my deposited funds.”

“If the amount is not too large, I will have it withdrawn for you immediately.”

“I’ll withdraw about one and a half billion won in this place’s currency for now.”

“One and a half billion…,” Kajan muttered at those words before nodding once and readily replying.

“I will have the full amount prepared in cash so you can take it with you on your way out.”

At those words, Bong-gu, who had been silently observing the situation, couldn't help but let out a soft, “Huh….”

In truth, Bong-gu hadn’t believed Kang-jun when he said he had deposited quite a bit of money a long time ago.

After all, how on earth could someone deposit such a huge amount of money and then just forget about it?

‘Wh-What in the world is going on….’

Just then, as if remembering something he had forgotten, Kang-jun muttered, “Ah, right,” and added a few more words.

“And I'd also like to check the list of valuables I've entrusted to your care.”

At that, Kajan replied in a thoroughly polite tone.

“First, I shall grant you access to the vault where the Immortal’s valuables are stored.”

Kajan immediately rose from his seat and carefully selected one of the keys dangling from his waist….

When he made a motion of inserting the key into the empty air before him, a “Clank!” echoed, and a steel door began to materialize.

“Wow….”

Despite Bong-gu’s expression, which might have looked comically rustic enough to invite ridicule, Kajan maintained his business smile and asked benevolently.

“It seems this is the first time the Immortal’s attendant has seen a ‘Goblin’s Dimensional Vault.’”

“Huh? Yes….”

“This is but one of the ninety vaults the Immortal possesses.”

He then began to grunt and strain as he pulled open the large handle of the vault that had appeared out of thin air, adding briefly.

“It will take quite some time to inspect everything.”

A harsh metallic screech of “Screeeech—!” rang out, and soon, Kang-jun’s first vault door began to open.

Through the narrow gap of the slowly opening door, a golden light so brilliant it felt almost holy began to leak out and shimmer.

“Heo….”

Unlike Bong-gu, who clamped both hands over his mouth, unable to hide his astonishment…

Kang-jun didn’t even spare a glance at the contents of his vault, simply continuing to speak in a flat tone.

“I’d like to see if an ‘Elixir’ is among the items entrusted for safekeeping.”

The moment Kang-jun mentioned ‘Elixir.’

Bong-gu slowly turned his head to look at Kang-jun….

Sensing his gaze, Kang-jun replied in a calm tone.

“If there’s an Elixir in there, I’ll give it to you.”

“Sir…?”

“Don’t get your hopes up just yet, there might not be one.”

Hadn’t he already confirmed that his valuables were being kept safe and sound in the goblin’s safe deposit box?

Giving a bottle of Elixir to Bong-gu, who had gone through so much trouble attending to him, wasn’t a particularly difficult task.

“Would you mind waiting a moment?”

After politely asking for their patience, Kajan recited an incantation. With a soft “Pop!”, a thick ledger materialized.

*Flip, flip….*

He began to carefully check if an Elixir was included among the stored items, flipping through the pages for some time….

“G-Great Immortal. I am terribly sorry, but it appears no ‘Elixir’ is listed in storage….”

At those words, Bong-gu’s face, which had unknowingly swelled with anticipation, instantly turned gloomy.

“Hey, Bong-gu.”

“Yes, boss.”

“Chin up.”

At that, Bong-gu forced an awkward smile and tried to act nonchalant, giving a single nod.

Although his hope of obtaining an Elixir had vanished into thin air…

An Elixir was an item so expensive that it was difficult to obtain even with hundreds of billions, as its supply was infinitesimally small compared to the demand.

He couldn’t help but be genuinely moved by Kang-jun’s kindness in offering to give him such a thing.

“A man getting all down over a little thing like this….”

“Boss, I will truly serve you with loyalty until the day I die.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll revive you after you die and keep working you then, too.”

Kang-jun replied gruffly, tapping the armrest of the sofa with his long fingertips, “Tap, tap….” for a moment.

“I’ll buy you one.”

“Sir?”

“I said, I’ll buy you one.”

Finishing his words, Kang-jun looked at Kajan and asked.

“How much is it?”

His tone was so nonchalant, as if he were asking for the price of live fish at a seafood market.

“The market price for that item soars every time a new one appears, so it is a bit ambiguous to give you an exact answer, but….”

“Are there any available?”

“I am not aware of any at the moment, but I have heard that one will be put up for an auction to be held in Manhattan, New York, in a few months.”

Finishing his sentence, Kajan fiddled with his monocle and cautiously added his final thoughts.

“There are quite a few of Earth’s tycoons aiming to bid on the Elixir, so the bidding is expected to become quite heated, however….”

“And?”

“Not only is their wealth incomparable to yours, Immortal, but no one would dare try any dirty tricks or attempt to harm you.”

“Naturally.”

“Therefore, I believe you will be able to win the Elixir without any particular difficulty.”

Kang-jun nodded in satisfaction and replied.

“Good, I’ll participate in the auction.”

After replying, “Understood,” Kajan immediately continued speaking eloquently.

“Great Immortal, if you would write a proxy form, I will handle all the necessary procedures for participating in the auction on your behalf.”

Kang-jun gave a short, “Alright,” and rose from the sofa, casually asking.

“Do you normally handle such trivial tasks as well?”

“For our most esteemed clients, we can do even more.”

Kajan replied respectfully, then added with a sly smile.

“Moreover, are you not the most powerful absolute being in all the Abyss, known as ‘■■■’? Even if you were not an esteemed client, we would be prepared to follow any command you give.”

At those words, several question marks floated above the head of Bong-gu, who looked dazed as if in a dream.

‘The frost giant, Hrimthurs, that we met in the disaster-grade Gate definitely called him that, too….’

What was the true identity of this word, ‘■■■,’ that he could never hear, no matter how hard he listened?

He had a feeling that if he could decipher that word, all his questions about his boss would be answered at once.

Questions like where his incomprehensible power, which defied all common sense, and his jaw-dropping, immense wealth came from….