Chapter 329 – The Black Market (2)
The road to the black market is very simple.
The third floor of the largest, old, and shabby building F.
A store that sells at a slightly higher price than the stores next door.
Upon entering, you are greeted by a man with a common impression that you would see anywhere.
“Welcome.”
An ambiguous greeting that is neither friendly nor unkind.
“Please take your time and look around.”
After that, I approach the man who has reduced his interest in this side and bring out the prepared words.
“I’m in a hurry, but let’s use the bathroom.”
This is the first slang to open the door to the black market.
A man looking up at me with a blunt look asks.
“Is it big or small?”
“Both.”
At the promised answer, the man stepped aside and pointed to the door behind the counter.
“… Go in and go left.”
After opening the closed door, a narrow hallway appears under dim lighting.
And if you walk a little further from here, you will come to a two-way fork.
“Right.”
Here, you have to turn again and move in the opposite direction to where the man said.
If you go to the left, you’ll find a real bathroom.
Another door at the end of the road on the right.
Upon entering, a large magic circle is engraved in the center of the room.
That’s the entrance.
A teleport magic circle heading to the black market hidden somewhere in Korea.
After wearing the mask I brought earlier, I stood in the center of the magic circle.
Scatters mana beneath his feet.
As it devours a considerable amount of mana, the magic circle begins to glow softly.
Shuuk
A world dyed black as if the lights of the whole world were turned off.
When the light of the world flickered again, the scenery in front of me changed in an instant.
A gloomy sky 365 days a year.
A faint smell of gutter brushes the tip of the nose.
Alleyways tangled like a spider’s web.
And the dark and gloomy atmosphere that encompasses it all.
Finally.
“Buy a scroll! We have all the useful scrolls for escape!”
“Hey, don’t you need a transformation potion? Looking at his face, he looks like a heinous criminal!”
“I have everything except what I don’t have! Just look at the price and go!”
Loud solicitation reminiscent of Dottegi Market pricks your ears.
“It’s been a while here.”
The last time I came was 3 or 4 years ago, so it’s been quite a while.
Nevertheless, the landscape of the black market did not change at all.
What… , In fact, it might be right to see that it can’t change.
Because this is not a space created naturally, but a space artificially decorated by someone.
Until the producers change their minds, this landscape will not change.
Street vendors occupying every corner of the street.
They walk out on the broken asphalt road here and there where their heated solicitation is taking place.
Items piled on rugs so dirty that it’s questionable whether or not they were washed.
As one, it is full of things that are difficult to find from above.
“… There are so many rats in the world, Won.”
Most of them are items that are strictly prohibited from sale by the country or can be purchased through limited sales outlets, and the transaction itself is illegal.
There is only one reason why these items are circulated in large quantities on the black market.
Those who steal things separately and take the money behind them.
To take care of my own interests, I pay a premium and take it from those who laughably ignore the borders of the law.
The things I took off like that are sold for an extra money plus another extra money.
The ratio of such puffs is at least three times, and at most ten times.
Popular items are sold like hot cakes despite such enormous profit margins.
If there is no demand in the first place, there is no way to take the goods by committing illegal acts.
Let’s pass the street vendors at a quick pace, and soon a new road opens up.
“I will live for a while.”
The black market is divided into four zones.
The street lined with street vendors that we just passed by is the lowest floor.
An area that sells less important items that are in demand but not too difficult to obtain.
The lower level is where you are now.
A much more orderly place than the one I had been through, made up of shabby but decently decent shop buildings, where only those who had a lot of fairly rare items could be assigned.
There are also various convenience facilities such as pubs and motels here.
Of course, there are no crazy people who drink enough to twist their noses here, or want to spread it.
Because most people know that there are no warm-hearted people here who can warmly embrace those who have lost their minds.
Just quench your thirst in moderation, or eat rice cakes with prostitutes roaming the black market.
Most uses end at this level.
“Pass here too.”
Perhaps it was because of his pride that he climbed up from the lowest floor, reminiscent of a battlefield.
The districts of those who do noble business without any special solicitation also go back.
After that, the destination was the middle floor.
The dark and somber atmosphere is not much different from the entrance, but it is a neat street lined with fairly decent buildings.
This is virtually the end of the reach of the average customer.
There are upper floors and top floors after passing here, but… , You can’t pass there without a special pass.
Even when I was Son Si-woo in the past, my steps always stopped here.
I could have obtained a pass to the upper floors if I wanted to, but that almost inevitably required my identification.
Look at the spread of rumors that national hunters are VIPs who can go to the black market and even to the upper floors.
It will only be a matter of time before the national hunter becomes the national traitor.
Originally, the higher you fly, the more the shock when you fall is proportionate.
Anyway.
I can’t go to the upper floors, and I don’t want to go.
My business today is going to be done here on the middle floor.
“Let’s see…”
You look around to find a particular store.
I must have been here somewhere, but it’s been a long time since I came here, so my memory is fuzzy.
The time when I checked the signboards on the building one by one with slow steps.
“Witch’s Jar…”
It’s here.
The store I was looking for.
I move cautiously into the building, where the pungent smell wafts from my nose.
The mysterious atmosphere inside with purple smoke covering the ceiling.
While I was distracted by the mystery for a while.
“Hall hall hall… , A guest has arrived.”
An old voice is heard from inside.
An old woman with a dark purple robe and a large witch’s hat of the same color over her white hair.
It exactly matches the image of the store owner left in my memory.
It definitely matches…
“… ?”
The shape of the magical energy emanating from the old woman did not match her appearance at all.
The old woman in front of me is a crooked old man who looks to be in his 80s or 90s.
However, the form of her magical power she exudes is that of a woman with a straight back.
The shape of the magical energy that was secretly emitted matched the human appearance.
That is to say.
“Why are you staring at me so intently?”
The appearance of an old woman who is perfect from her appearance to her tone of voice is just camouflage.
“… It’s nothing, Grandma.”
She shook her head with a smile, hiding what she learned.
Even in the black market, the fact that they are doing business while hiding means that there is a story behind it.
In other words, it was like having a card in your hand for free.
A fairly usable hand to take out and put pressure on when a deal is not easily resolved.
“Hall hall… , What did you come to this old man’s shop for?”
There is only one reason why I came to the black market and chose this store.
“I heard that Grandma makes her elixir so well, so I want to ask you a favor.”
Just to make an elixir.
At my answer, the old woman asks back with a puzzled expression.
“This grandmother doesn’t make elixirs for just anyone… , Who did you hear that from?”
Yes.
This old woman does not accept requests for making elixirs from anyone.
A thorough recommendation system, and in addition to that, you can only place a request if you show ingredients that will appeal to you.
Of course I solved both of these things.
Who recommended me to this place?
“Son Siwoo.”
Just set the country.
“Yes… ?”
The old woman tilted her head, wondering if I had heard it wrong.
It must have been because of the unexpected name.
“Son Siwoo… , You mean she heard the story from him?”
“Yes.”
“Hall hall… , A customer of a guy who used to hide his face every time he came to the black market.”
It was more than 10 years ago that I first made a deal with this old woman.
At the time, I was frantic to make Seoyeon, who was born weak, strong.
While searching for and eating anything good for the body, she was recommended by a colleague of this shop and requested the elixir as it was.
But they said that if you want to make an elixir, you have to reveal your identity.
So I got it.
In other words, he is the only person other than his family or colleagues who knows that Son Si-woo is one of the customers using the black market.
The old woman, who had been laughing and laughing at what was so enjoyable, secretly showed a serious attitude.
“Aye. If she’s recommended it, she’ll know what to do.”
“Sure.”
I know very well.
Immediately after answering, the mask with the perception-disabling magic on her face is removed.
Soon, the thinly opened eyes of the old woman widen a little, as if slightly surprised by her naked face.
“This… , An unusual guy recommended an unusual child to be her guest.”
Looks like you know who I am.
If it’s natural, it’s natural.
This old woman had always been very quick at accessing information that was not appropriate for her age.
No… , Wouldn’t it be appropriate to say that I don’t fit my age anymore?
Now that I know she’s hiding an appearance.
Who of her asks her as she puts her mask back on.
“Are you qualified now?”
Then the old woman laughs.
“Hall hall… , Impatient You still have one thing left.”
Oh, it was.
As I said before, she has to bring something that appeals to her, and then she prepares a suitable elixir.
“Now, hurry up and take it out to this grandmother.”
As she leaves the house at a subtle urgency, she takes out her belongings and shows them to the old woman.
The petals and stem of a century-old evening primrose that have been flattened into a shape that has not changed at all even in a dry state.
“Huup… !”
Seeing this, the old woman gasps and is startled.
“I-how can I get this precious thing… ?”
Centenary Evening Primrose is a rare and rare plant that is hard to find.
It’s no wonder that only an A-class hunter came back with such a thing.
“I got it by accident.”
“Ooh, you must have been very lucky.”
“You should see that.”
The old woman, who was gazing at the petals on her hand with her eyes, asked in a puzzled tone.
“But… , How come it seems that the petals are not enough?”
“Ah, that’s it.”
It’s already been put to good use.
“I gave it to my girlfriend.”
“… Did you find it together?”
“No. I just fed my girlfriend to improve her skin.”
“…”
I succeeded in reading a single word in the old woman’s staring eyes with her cold eyes.
Crazy guy
That’s definitely what you’re saying.
