SWNOVELXO Chapter 178. Black Market (2)
As I entered the house, I cut to the chase.
“Do you happen to know about the black market?”
Kang Chang-ho, who was drying himself with a towel, paused and reacted.
“Black market?”
“I figured you, as a Hunter, might know a place or two.”
I spoke to the silent S-Class.
“To be honest, I’m personally interested in markets like that.”
Black market. Or rather, a place that operates outside government oversight, secretly trading goods.
Just as I mentioned, I was currently gathering information on illegal trades. And I had already confirmed the existence of a black market specializing in magic tools.
Merchants offloading dungeon items to the black market for tax evasion; ordinary people without qualifications secretly acquiring dangerous equipment and committing crimes—it wasn’t hard to find examples with just a bit of searching.
‘Korea is no safe zone either.’
If there’s a black market where illegal items run rampant, there might be some ingenious tool that could help my situation.
Besides, I clearly needed “some item” that circulates only there.
Originally, I had planned to check out the black market myself, but unfortunately, it’s not easy for an ordinary person to gain access to the underworld.
These days, in our IT society, even dangerous transactions mostly occur online.
Especially, the methods used by those merchants, creating anonymous chat rooms in highly encrypted messenger apps and repeatedly dissolving them to attract customers, were decidedly unfriendly to an Earthling like me.
‘I gave up on doing this alone a long time ago because it was too complicated.’
Kang Chang-ho was a former VIP customer of some kidnappers who targeted Awakened ones.
So, wouldn’t it be natural for him to already know how to enter the black market?
“If you don’t mind, could I get some help from Hunter Chang-ho…?”
I came here with that hope. He was the only person I could think of who might know something about the criminal world.
“Black market, huh.”
As expected, Kang Chang-ho seemed to know a bit about the subject.
“Kim Gi-ryeo, you have good connections with the association, so don’t you usually use the public markets without any issues?”
“I don’t have any problems.”
“Then why are you interested in such places?”
His hair, colored a shade of blue due to a common affliction among Awakened people, caught my eye as I observed the moisture drying off it.
“It’s a light reason, so it’s kind of hard to say, but honestly, I’m half curious.”
The truth was that I was searching for materials to use for a revised plan, but I didn’t have to report everything. Honestly, I was genuinely curious about the black market.
“Curiosity? Not looking for something specific?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm.”
“Would that make it difficult?”
I casually lied, turning to the landlord standing by the window.
“If you could help me gain entry to the market, I can repay you as best as I can. For example… I could appraise some items for you. By the way, didn’t you mention needing a personal appraiser before?”
I wasn’t thinking of just taking advantage; I’d be paying for the value of information, so this was more than courteous.
“…I can’t believe this is the kind of request.”
Kang Chang-ho seemed to ponder for a moment after hearing me. However, the silence didn’t last long.
“Alright.”
Soon, he gave a positive reply.
“I’ll connect you with a black market I know. You’ll be able to get on the customer list.”
“Oh.”
“That should be enough, right?”
The S-Class Hunter dried his hair with the dry towel and continued his sentence.
Since this was nothing too significant, I’d just let him know out of goodwill between contractors.
But he’d better not have high expectations. That place was just a small, low-quality flea market…
“I’ve long found an appraiser, so if you’re done with your business, leave without wasting my time.”
“Ah, yes, yes.”
Surprisingly, Kang Chang-ho was being generous.
He accepted my request without asking for anything in return.
So, aside from him being unpredictable depending on his mood, he was quite a useful Earthling.
‘Let’s just flatter him until I regain my power.’
I thanked him once more and prepared to leave.
But then.
Kang Chang-ho suddenly approached and picked up a beverage box he had set aside, saying,
“By the way, what brings you the gifts?”
Wasn’t it a little late for that?
“It’s the first time I’ve received a gift from a fellow Hunter.”
“Is that so?”
Swoosh.
The S-Class with blue hair lifted the beverage set to his eye level.
“Let’s see, the weight of sincerity from Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo is…”
He closely examined one side of the box and quietly said.
“Thirteen thousand won.”
I should have removed the price tag after all.
*
How is today’s black market operating?
At one time, trading through delivery or mail was prevalent.
However, items coming from dungeons were mostly large and detectable by magic, making it impossible to use older methods.
So, the dark merchants came up with different tricks.
More specifically, they started utilizing the new technologies introduced in this world.
“Hello.”
Now, I stood in front of a gate in Seoul.
And this gate was the identity of the black market I had been introduced to.
I heard that some bold dark merchants occupy the nests of monsters and use them as their places of business.
‘Wipe out all but the boss in a low-level dungeon and convert the remaining space into a market…’
Designating the gate as a meeting point for illegal trades had its advantages.
By taking advantage of the fact that dungeons collapse once they are fully cleared, you could quickly eliminate evidence.
Above all, enjoying a vast space without paying the high land prices in the capital of the country was a big deal from a capitalist perspective.
“Please show me your clearance certificate.”
At the entrance of the F-Class dungeon, which stood in a shady spot, a security guard in a suit was posted.
I handed her the invitation I had prepared.
To get this invitation, I originally had to go through all kinds of trials on a site called the “dark web”…
“But are you really Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo?”
“……”
“Ah! Of course, I heard in advance that you would be coming. But just in case… I’m sorry, but I need to check one last time for the application of any illusion skills.”
Thanks to some S-Class Awakened, it had been relatively easy for me to become a member here.
Shortly afterward, the guard applied a potion that disrupts magic maintenance, dabbing it on her finger before rubbing it against my cheek.
But nothing happened, so she quickly bowed her head and said,
“Conf-, confirmed! You are allowed to enter now.”
To her, I probably looked like an S-Class Hunter visiting thanks to Kang Chang-ho’s introduction. It was only natural for her to be nervous.
‘If I had come with him, she’d probably be fainting by now. I’m grateful I asked to shop quietly.’
I put the invitation the guard returned neatly back into my pocket. However, it seemed all procedures weren’t over yet.
Just before crossing the gate.
The guard suddenly pulled out an item towards me.
“Ah, customer!”
“Hmm?”
“We prioritize our customers’ privacy. So, we require masks to be worn inside the market so identities don’t get revealed.”
“Aha.”
The item was a face-covering, mass-produced Earth product.
‘Will it even be possible to see with this all blocked up…?’
Upon putting on the mask handed to me, I realized the visibility was only slightly dimmed—no big deal.
It seemed the eyes were made up of something akin to sunglasses.
With a long piece of cloth covering my hair down the back, it was still enough to make it hard for anyone to figure out who I was, as long as I didn’t speak.
‘Of course, I picked an outfit with that in mind.’
Swoosh.
I lowered my head to check my outfit. A black short-sleeved tee and dark blue pants.
I didn’t usually wear such clothes, so I figured it would keep my identity from being revealed.
“Is everything done?”
“Yes, yes!”
Having completed the procedures, without hesitation I stepped through the gate.
“Ha.”
But the sight that welcomed me was unbelievable.
Bright daylight.
Signboards scattered around.
Young men actively soliciting customers.
And among them, a variety of masked guests.
‘Surprising beyond imagination.’
Truly, this place was a perfect environment for a market to open.
With buildings made of rammed earth, resembling an old village atmosphere, as long as the monsters were kept in check, I could directly set up shops in the internal structures.
‘It’s smaller than they said, but it seems to have a good variety.’
I scanned the nearby earthen houses one by one.
Some sold weapons, while others had items for categories like Knight’s Pact.
But despite being a black market, I didn’t find anything particularly special or high-quality.
Most items for sale were things you could find outside as well.
‘Wait, what?’
Surprisingly, their prices were absurdly high.
Since they were primarily hunters, perhaps they didn’t understand this market as they usually got their items more easily from regular markets.
‘What on Earth are these people thinking to pay such a markup?’
Yet, even claiming to be a black market, some stalls were selling magic tools banned by the government.
But what I really needed wasn’t available.
‘Hmmm.’
I wondered if they didn’t deal with that here.
I felt disappointment as I moved on, entering a small earthen house on the outskirts.
“Ah.”
Finally, a familiar sight appeared.
A thick cardboard sign prominently displayed.
[Blueshell – 0.5 per set]
The blue bead illustration drawn here was the very fruit I had seen before.
‘Here it is!’
Blueshell!
That’s right. I came all this way to the black market at risk just for those fruits.
———————=
Preparation Material 3. A total of five types of magic.
Required internal magic for activation.
———————=
The Lung Exchange required quite a bit of magic.
‘A fruit that explodes one’s magic…’
I indeed had a minuscule amount of Blueshell in my system right now.
Alphauri were quite adept at this technique, able to maintain a temporary state of awakening, akin to caffeine.
But for my future, I needed a level of magic enhancement that was utterly beyond what I had previously raised my awakening level by ten.
So I planned to buy more Blueshell.
‘Calculating now, I’d have to overdose to the point of death just to barely meet the criteria; it’s a problem.’
Well, still better than having no options, right?
Having thought briefly, I approached the stall clerk.
“How many come in one set?”
“Sold in units of five beads.”
By the way, the 0.5 on the sign referred to five million won in slang.
‘The price is ridiculously high…’
Grumble grumble.
I cursed internally, moving my arms resolutely. I pulled out cash from the bag I had been holding.
“I’ll take eight sets.”
“Thank you, customer!”
A bundle of fifty-thousand-won bills, which an adult male could hold in one hand, was handed out about four times to the dark merchant, who eagerly provided the hidden products.
Since Blueshell is an item that fits in an item box, there was no need to wrap it in a bag.
‘Great. I’ve bought what I needed; now just to check out a few more shops before leaving…’
After transferring the Blueshell into my item box, I turned my body.
But then.
“Ah, welcome, customer!”
Creeeak. With the sound of an old door, a new guest entered the earthen house.
A woman wearing a mask with a drawn mustache.
She looked around the place she had just entered, and my back was drenched in cold sweat.
‘Uh-oh?’
I immediately recognized the identity of the guest from the magic emanating from her.
‘What’s she doing here…?’
Drip drip.
A bad feeling washed over me. I tried to ignore the cold sweat running down my back as I quietly prepared to escape.
But it seemed it was already too late for that.
“Teachers.”
Just a few seconds later, she pulled out a weapon without warning.
“There will be a brief official duty.”
What’s going on here?
Pussshh!
The item she pulled from her possession was none other than a firearm. As she pulled the trigger, a muted bang resonated.
“Urgh…!”
What was shot wasn’t a metal bullet.
But an orange substance that transformed into gas upon contact with the target. The merchant hit by it collapsed to the ground as if cut off abruptly.
With a thud, as she confirmed the dark merchant was paralyzed, her gun turned toward the next target.
“Wait a moment!”
But she couldn’t quite pull the trigger on it either.
“Do not attack! It’s me.”
They probably wouldn’t forget this voice so quickly either.