SWNOVELXO Chapter 179: Black Market (3)
The unique frequency emitted by Kim Gi-ryeo’s vocal cords.
Upon recognizing that calm tone, the other party flinched and changed their grip. Their finger shifted from the trigger to the side of the gun.
“Ki, Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter?”
“Yes. Hello. It’s been a while.”
But they still hadn’t lowered the gun they aimed at me.
Thus, we had a tense conversation across the mask. The first to speak was the other party.
“How did you recognize me…?”
“You spoke first, after all. Besides, seeing the same person multiple times, I can roughly remember their awakening level.”
A B-Class Awakened born with wind attribute magic, Seonwoo-yeon.
The association employee slowly lowered the gun after gauging my voice several times.
“Anyway, what on earth is going on here?”
I asked, flustered by the sudden situation.
Seonwoo-yeon straightened her skewed mask and replied, “I’m working…”
She began to explain in a somewhat shaky voice.
“Huh?”
“The holders of the Seocher skill are quite rare. I’m cooperating with the police as usual, but perhaps my hard work has been recognized. Recently, I got promoted, which also expanded my authority.”
“Ah.”
“Now I can directly apprehend suspects.”
“Did you come here alone?”
“No, of course not. I’m with the detectives.”
Oh my gosh, the police are already everywhere. How could I have been introduced to such a shady market!
“However, this promotion is mostly thanks to you, Mr. Gi-ryeo. Previously, my progress was always delayed due to not being able to enter gates…”
Just as I was at a loss for words from the embarrassment, Seonwoo-yeon started to repeat something, then fixed her gaze on me.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t the appropriate place to express my gratitude. Mr. Kim Gi-ryeo, why on earth are you here?”
A deep question flowed from beneath her mask.
“Moreover, of all places, at this stall. That person sells Blueshell, doesn’t he?”
“……”
“Hunter, did you… buy Blueshell?”
But just because they asked a few questions doesn’t mean I would spill the truth!
Before entering the black market, I had skimmed through the laws regarding illegal transactions in Korea. Yes, I prepared myself for this worst-case scenario just in case.
And as a result of that diligent prep work…
“No, that can’t be right.”
I realized that the ‘playing dumb’ strategy here was quite effective.
Why not?
In Korea, when cracking down on illegal trading, the focus is often on the suppliers.
‘Surely that would be more efficient.’
It’s a hassle to punish countless consumers one by one. Of course, the severity of the crime varies.
There’s a clear difference between a buyer who buys one or two stolen goods and a thief who sells stolen goods in bulk.
Plus, it’s difficult to find grounds to punish the customer. What could they do anyway?
To charge someone in such cases, you need at least evidence that shows the buyer’s intention to trade was firm.
Things like contracts, payment details, and unrefutable recordings would be necessary to present to a judge.
‘Hmm.’
A simple cash transaction like the one just made sidesteps all that.
Just looking at the black market isn’t a serious crime.
Unless they manage to catch solid evidence, my responsibility would amount to just not reporting my entry into the gate.
“I’ve never bought anything here.”
I boldly acted innocent.
I didn’t care if that Blueshell merchant would talk later.
As mentioned before, the laws in this place are lenient towards those who aren’t suppliers.
“Speaking of which, Ms. Seonwoo-yeon, aren’t you incredibly busy right now?”
After contemplating for a bit, my heart finally calmed down. With that nonchalance, I subtly changed the topic.
“Just barging in and shooting people… No matter how remote a shop it is, if you keep doing this, someone else will find out…”
But the other party wasn’t so easily swayed.
“You’re trying to dodge the topic. I’m waiting for a signal from my team anyway.”
“…”
“And I heard you say ‘I’ll take eight sets’ just before you came in.”
Oh dear.
I got caught more thoroughly than expected.
“You misheard.”
“Could it be the hearing of a B-class Awakened is off?”
“Yes. I don’t actually have the money to buy stuff like that.”
“Then what’s in that bag?”
“Personal gear.”
“May I check?”
Seonwoo-yeon continued her persistent questioning. I rolled my eyes in a panic, trying to direct attention elsewhere.
“…Without a search warrant?”
That came out half-flustered.
Honestly, I hadn’t expected that employee to be so thorough about the illegal trading issues.
“No, Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter…”
The B-Class Awakened trailed off, sounding slightly dazed.
Well, it’s not like a sloppily made-up lie was going to work all the time.
It seemed she wasn’t going to let this slide easily.
‘This is tricky.’
While it wouldn’t be fatal if it was just cash in the bag.
What if Seonwoo-yeon tried to take my item box by force? Should I just scream human rights violations and flop on the ground?
‘Owning Blueshell is illegal just by itself.’
While I was busy thinking of ways to protect my evidence, the woman who had been standing next to me spoke up again.
“Why?”
With a shaken resonance.
“…This is genuinely odd. Someone like Gi-ryeo shouldn’t be here for this.”
Muttering, she posed a question.
Well, Blueshell is a substance effective only for low-ranking Awakened…
If a user’s awakening level reached C-Class, this fruit wouldn’t yield significant results. It clearly shows the limits of enhancements.
So the current situation could give the impression that I was weak…
‘Hmm.’
Fortunately, I had one excuse I could use.
No matter what I bought here, it would obviously reach Kang Chang-ho’s ears. Did I come here unprepared to fetch Blueshell?
But mentioning that excuse would mean admitting to buying a forbidden item. What to do about that?
“Wait a second.”
It happened just then. Seonwoo-yeon suddenly cut off the conversation with a serious tone.
“By the way, this isn’t the time…”
“Huh?”
“Oddly, it’s been too quiet outside, and the signal should come soon.”
Saying that, Seonwoo-yeon stepped into the stall’s counter. She informed the collapsed dark merchant of the Miranda Rights.
He seemed perfectly coherent, reacting with a furrowed brow to the arrest phrases being thrown his way.
Of course, that was the end of it. The other party had been hit by powerful paralysis magic, unable to utter a sound.
“I’ll put the conversation on hold for now.”
Seonwoo-yeon pulled out special handcuffs and added an extra restraint to the criminal.
After finishing the whole process, she turned to me and added.
“You’ll see me again soon anyway. This black market usually targets civilians, so the security isn’t that serious.”
“…”
“They say the highest-ranking individuals around here are at best C-Class. So after the market blockade is over, we can talk then…”
But she couldn’t finish her sentence.
At that very moment, we both realized new information almost simultaneously.
‘Someone’s coming.’
Seonwoo-yeon looked up as she sensed the approaching presence. Though her expression was hidden under the mask, it didn’t matter to me, an extraterritorial being; the tremor of the sound was what mattered. The pitch and fluctuation.
“Awakened?”
Or the heart rate of an opponent, perhaps.
“No, wait, this can’t be…?”
The association employee was more agitated than ever.
It was probably due to the influx of mana from outside the building.
What was approaching us was a group of Awakened—two mages that looked capable of matching Seonwoo-yeon were among them.
‘They said the security in this black market could be at most C-Class.’
Two B-Class…
Had the police done their investigations poorly?
But regardless of how it happened, the situation was undoubtedly troublesome. Soon after, she jumped outside the stall in visible haste.
Bam!
Simultaneously, a rough sound of the door echoed.
The figure who burst into the entrance of the clay-walled shop was a man with a plain face. I recognized their identity immediately since he wasn’t wearing a mask.
‘The organizers.’
Masked individuals were the guests.
Unmasked ones were the shop owners, as per the rule.
“Clients! Excuse me, but may I see your invitation again for a moment?”
The men who dashed into the shop shouted as they needed to reconfirm the black market entry permission.
Though they didn’t explain reason, the atmosphere made it clear that this was likely related to Seonwoo-yeon not receiving a signal from her comrades.
“Invitation?”
“You again?”
For now, since we were legitimate members of the black market, it wouldn’t be a problem for us to face a surprise inspection.
But Seonwoo-yeon was different.
Perhaps they hadn’t managed to obtain invitations, so upon hearing the call for a re-verification, her posture visibly stiffened.
“What? By the way, why isn’t there anyone guarding this shop?”
Additionally, if they discovered the shop owner hiding under the counter…
That would be quite a sight. As I observed the surrounding flow, I deliberated for a moment.
‘Hmm.’
For now, I had entered here on an invitation from Kang Chang-ho, so I should remain calm for his sake.
Since Seonwoo-yeon had seized the weakness of me trading Blueshell…
‘What if I sold those guards off as a rat?’
An appealing option sprang to mind.
With a spirit from a planet where selfish tendencies were rampant, I quickly derived that calculated thought.
However, despite that nature, I ultimately reached a good conclusion.
Ah, that’s enough. Since other police have arrived, it’s not like I can just shut Seonwoo-yeon up.
I decided to protect the Awakened caught in a dilemma.
“The attendant here went to the restroom for a moment.”
Well, I had debts to settle with that earthling anyway…
Thunk, thunk.
I deliberately took a few steps out so that the guards couldn’t see the counter.
Looking at it this way, it was lucky that the unconscious shop owner was a civilian. If it had been an Awakened, they would have been discovered long ago due to their mana.
“Really? Anyway, show me your invitation quickly!”
At that moment…
The guard standing at the back of the group waved his hand insistently to proceed with the inspection.
I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out a folded membership card.
“Here you go. And that guy just standing there in the pants is my guest, so there’s no need to confirm him separately.”
“Huh?”
“When we came in earlier at the entrance, we showed our faces together, right? That’s fine, right?”
I smoothly lied, asking to skip the inspection of my companion.
Because the dungeon is cut off from the outside world, they can’t easily contact the guards at the entrance or Kang Chang-ho. I calculated that it would be difficult for them to judge the facts quickly.
But the biggest Awakened in the group scrunched his face as soon as he heard my words.
“Whether necessary or not is up to us to determine. Show your invitations, both of you!”
“Hmm.”
Of course, the momentum didn’t last long.
“Yeah. After scrutinizing people at the entrance for a while, now you expect a local militia we don’t even know the name of to expose our identities…”
“Huh?”
“We sure have this market well run.”
Right after, someone in this venue flipped the script, speaking in an oppressive tone.
“I just showed you the invitation with my name on it. And I’ve made it clear that I’d rather not disclose the identity of the companions I brought…”
Swipe.
My vision brightened.
I pulled off the mask that was covering my face and stood before them, letting them realize who the invitation belonged to.
“…I wonder if you know who I was invited by.”
Soon, the expression of the organizers changed rapidly.
“And you don’t seem to recognize the person right before you, either?”
With a fierce glare, they shrank back.
But my statement didn’t end there. I hadn’t yet driven the nail in.
“By the way, you think this is enough just to see my face and that’s it?”
Whoosh.
I pulled out the Hydra from the Item Box. Gripping its handle, I declared.
“Should I let you verify whether this is indeed an S-Class?”
“Uh-oh!”
“No, that’s…”
“If you understand, get out of here. I don’t know what kind of incident happened from behind, but if you disrupt my shopping one more time…”
I focused my gaze in a moment of silence.
It had been several months since I reincarnated on Earth.
I couldn’t even manage to complete a full year, but still, if I had a normal intelligence, I’d gradually learn to catch on to things like this.
“Then I’ll cause the problem myself.”
I had learned from past experiences.
This appearance works quite effectively when intimidating my kind.