After the Divorce, a Treasure Map Made Me a 1,000-Trillionaire Chapter 8
Chapter 8: The Treasure Hidden in Dusty Pages
I dove right into investigating the next clue.
Compared to the last one, this hint felt easier. The words "dusty memory" and "paper" gave me a solid guess as to what the treasure might be.
It had to be a book—an old, secondhand one, most likely.
“Okay, then I should search for keywords like…”
[Red sign, used bookstore, Gwanak District] [Gwanak-gu Bongcheon-dong old bookstore date spot recommendations!]
Bingo. Much easier than I expected.
The place was called Bongcheon Used Bookstore—its red sign and Gwanak location matched the clue perfectly.
"Now, it's time for the final magic."
If it’s a used bookstore, the only thing that could count as treasure would be… well, books. Nothing else.
“This is going to take a while…”
The bookstore opened at 9 AM and closed at 5 PM. The next morning, I headed straight there.
A big red sign proudly displayed the name Bongcheon Used Bookstore. The moment I stepped in, I was hit by the musty scent of old paper. An elderly man sat by the entrance, barely glancing at me before returning his gaze to the tiny TV in front of him.
It was even older than I thought—and packed with books. I've been to a few used bookstores before, but this was easily the biggest.
Textbooks, comics, foreign novels—every kind of book you could imagine was stacked to the ceiling.
“Where do I even start?”
First things first, I looked for anything that had to do with magic or sorcery—books that might seem valuable.
The narrow aisles and haphazard piles made even browsing a single row take ages.
After what felt like hours…
My stomach reminded me that I hadn’t eaten. A quick glance at my phone showed it was already past 1 PM.
“Maybe I should grab lunch and come back…”
I stepped out, slightly worried. Spending hours digging through books without buying anything usually earns you some side-eyes. But the old man didn’t seem to care one bit.
I thought about heading to Gimbap Heaven but then remembered— I have ₩60 million in my account.
“I’m going to be a billionaire. Might as well eat like one.”
So I marched to Gahojeong, a high-end restaurant.
Without hesitation, I ordered their premium Korean beef short ribs—₩102,000 per serving. I got two.
₩200,000 for lunch? Totally worth it.
It. Was. Divine. American beef was top-tier last time, sure, but this… was on another level.
"Mmm~ Seriously, what kind of black magic did they use on this beef!?"
I devoured the meat like a lunatic.
Suddenly, I heard raised voices from the next room.
“Grandpa! I told you, I don’t want to meet him!” “Yesul! Are you planning to live in that tiny room forever? I don’t have much time left. I want to see you married before I go!”
The voice sounded oddly familiar.
I peeked around and saw her.
The boarding house manager. And the man arguing with her? Had to be her grandfather, judging by their conversation.
“Whoa, his outfit’s expensive…”
He was wearing a suit so fine even I, someone completely clueless about fashion, could tell it was designer. He looked like Richard Gere straight out of a Hollywood movie.
Their argument continued—
“I don’t care! Don’t call me for this again—I’m leaving!” “Yesul! Song Yesul!!”
She grabbed her bag and stood up.
As she passed by, her eyes briefly met mine.
No words exchanged. Just a silent nod. She quickly left.
“…” The old man rushed after her.
“Guess her life isn’t easy either.”
Whatever the situation was, it didn’t seem like a happy one.
But before I could dwell on it—
The beef was gone. Caught up in their drama, I’d absentmindedly cleaned the plate.
"Well… I guess that’s enough."
It’s better to leave a meal wanting just a bit more anyway.
Back at the bookstore, I searched nonstop until closing. Still no sign of anything that looked like a treasure.
I even flipped through pages, wondering if something was inside the books.
Time was running out.
Frustrated, I grabbed a random book and walked to the counter.
“₩1,500.” The old man quoted the price without emotion.
“Card… probably not accepted.”
I handed him a ₩10,000 bill.
He gave me the change and asked:
“You’ve been looking through books all day for this?”
“Haha… no, actually. I was looking for something specific but didn’t find it today. I’ll come back tomorrow. Just bought this one to read at home.”
“You’re going to read this at home?”
Wait—what book did I grab?
I looked at the cover:
[Recommended Tourist Destinations in Korea, 1997]
Who would ever buy this? Why is it even here?!
I burst out laughing.
With a sheepish bow, I left the store.
“God, that was embarrassing…”
The next day, the treasure hunt continued.
The old man didn’t say a word. Just a glance and back to his TV.
Another lunch at Gahojeong. Another full day of searching.
The next day, same routine.
By day four, I’d gone through almost every book.
Still, the treasure clue hadn’t disappeared from the map—meaning I hadn’t found it yet.
"Wait… what if it’s not even here?"
I’d already spent nearly ₩1 million just on food over four days.
“No, let’s finish searching first.”
Only one section remained: the English originals.
No one touched them, so they were in pristine condition.
Books with titles like:
Beginner’s Guide to Magic Magic in the House
But still… nothing that felt like the one.
“Maybe this isn’t the right place after all…”
Just then, at the far end of the shelf—
A familiar title caught my eye:
[Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone]
“Whoa, long time no see.”
The legendary novel that became a global phenomenon. Nostalgia kicked in, and I opened it up.
This book is a first edition.
First editions of books this famous can be worth a fortune.
“This has to be the treasure…”
I pulled out the treasure map from my inner pocket—
Carefully, I carried the book to the counter.
“Heading out early today?”
He glanced at the book.
“So, this is the one you were looking for?”
“A foreign book, huh… ₩3,000.”
I didn’t want to feel guilty later, so I took out a ₩50,000 note.
“Huh… don’t have anything smaller?”
“It’s fine. Keep the change.”
“You’re giving me the whole ₩50,000?”
“Yes. I’ve been looking for this book for a long time.”
“Still, that’s a lot…”
“The value of a book depends on the reader, right?”
“Haha. Thanks. I’ll call old man Park on my way home—we’ll share a drink.”
“Come again, alright?”
You can’t just enjoy treasure alone.
Even gamblers split their winnings. This much, I can share.
Back home, I carefully brushed the dust off the book.
It looked almost brand new. No damage. No scribbles. Nothing.
I placed it gently on the desk and started researching.
“Better search in English.”
First edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
And then— I lost my words.
I had guessed maybe ₩20 million, tops.
But the auction listing said:
Sold for $50,000. Condition: Grade B.
₩70 million. For a damaged copy.
Spotless. Grade S, no doubt.
“This one… is worth at least ₩100 million.”
My heart skipped a beat.
Even ₩20 million would’ve been overwhelming.
“This… might be the start of some serious treasure hunting.”