Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Black Market Bargains
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Relying on the faint light, he took one step at a time.
Unlike the quiet upper levels, the underground grew noisier the deeper he descended.
“Uahaha! Yeah, at this price, it’s worth buying!”
“Oh my, it’s been a while.”
“What? Already sold out?”
The noise came from the people down here.
He hadn’t even arrived yet, but he could already sense how crowded it was.
And sure enough.
“Wow.”
The black market stretched on endlessly, teeming with countless people.
Buyers, sellers, people grumbling as they haggled over prices, and more.
Just from what he could see, there had to be at least a few hundred.
And even more astonishing was something else.
“Is this really the black market I know?”
The size, the facilities, the layout of the shops...
It was completely different from the Asteron black market he remembered from the game.
It had developed almost as much as the academy had.
It felt just like an underground shopping mall in Seoul...
Only on a much grander scale, enough to call it another city entirely.
“Alright then...”
He cut his admiration short and started browsing the wares.
The items were displayed on racks in front of each shop, and true to a black market, they were mostly things you wouldn’t find in regular stores.
Especially the equipment.
With war season in full swing, self-defense gear and artifacts were everywhere.
If they had what he was after, he could get his hopes up.
“Excuse me?”
He picked a shop that caught his eye and stepped inside.
Sure enough, the owner rushed over to greet him.
“Welcome! Hehehe. Looking for anything in particular?”
“I’m looking for [Anatac’s Large Axe].”
“Eek! That expensive item...?”
The owner recoiled in shock, then smacked his lips regretfully.
“We don’t carry luxury goods like that. You’ll probably find it over that way.”
“Over there... you mean the shop with the gold sign?”
“Yes, yes. That’s the one.”
“Thanks.”
His instincts were off, but the result was good.
The owner kindly pointed him in the right direction, even though there was no profit in it for him.
‘Might as well browse while I’m here?’
He felt like buying something as thanks.
A conscientious owner like this wouldn’t rip off customers.
As he started looking around, the owner’s face lit up.
“Heh heh, good choice. Our shop has top-quality stuff.”
And true to his word, the items on the rack were impressively high-quality.
Most were in near-mint A-grade condition.
One item in particular jumped out at him.
A deep yellowish-brown mage’s robe that evoked the feel of autumn...
And the reason it caught his eye was simple.
It was clearly oversized.
‘Uncle would like this.’
Thompson’s bulk made it hard for him to find robes that fit.
This was a perfect chance to get him one.
But the owner’s expression soured.
“Ah, um... that item.”
He hemmed and hawed, unable to speak properly.
There was definitely something special about this robe.
“Does it have any special effects?”
“Well... it has a property that assimilates with the magic used by the mage wearing it.”
Assimilation.
An effect found on pricier gear that prevented the robe from being affected by any magic the wearer cast.
In simple terms, it meant the robe would never get damaged by the user’s own spells.
Perfect for someone like Thompson, who wrapped his body in earth magic.
But that didn’t explain the owner’s reaction.
This was a beneficial effect.
“What else is there?”
Black market goods often came through irregular channels.
As such, they frequently had rare, unusual effects not seen in regular markets.
This robe was probably one of those.
As expected, the owner spoke up.
“That’s just it. This robe... it has a sense of self.”
“Pardon?”
It happened in that instant.
-...Take your filthy hands off me, human!
A voice pierced through his mind, startling him into dropping the robe.
He looked at the owner in bewilderment, but the man just gave an awkward smile.
“Ha, hahaha...”
A robe with a sense of self? In the world?
He’d heard tales of such items, but this was his first time seeing one.
Whatever its backstory, it clearly wasn’t ordinarily made.
“...No other effects, right?”
“No, no. It might just be a bit noisy, that’s all.”
His feelings were half worry, half excitement.
‘Can you fight while wearing this?’
Talking was one thing in daily life, but in battle, it could be a problem.
What if it suddenly yelled while he was concentrating?
That split-second flinch could decide victory or defeat.
And from the “filthy hands” remarks, its personality didn’t seem very pleasant.
It could negatively affect Thompson.
That was the worrying part.
But there was also something to look forward to.
Having a sense of self meant it had other senses open too.
To test it, he picked up the robe again.
It immediately started chattering as if it had been waiting.
-I clearly told you to take your filthy hands off!
Ignoring its yammering, he asked what he wanted to know.
“Can you see me? You can hear, right?”
-Hah, what nonsense! Do you think humans are the only ones with senses? If so, you’re awfully arrogant...
Blah blah blah.
He’d gotten enough info, so he set the robe down.
His mind went quiet again, as if nothing had happened.
He’d already made up his mind.
“I’ll take it.”
“R-Really?”
He nodded gravely.
The moment he confirmed it had senses, the decision was made.
Senses meant it could be useful in battle.
It could warn about attacks from behind or energies the wearer missed.
Sure, the constant noise was a concern...
‘Just tame it.’
It was just a robe, after all.
Threaten to burn it or something, and it wouldn’t have many options.
Besides, it wasn’t his to wear anyway.
‘Uncle can handle it.’
Even if Thompson used it as a punching bag, he wouldn’t interfere.
Anyway, now came the important part: price.
‘5,000 gold of my own, plus 1,000 borrowed. Subtract entry fee and axe cost...’
About 900 gold left.
900 gold was decent, but he couldn’t spend it all here.
He needed to buy other things too.
‘200 gold would be a fair price.’
With that calculation, he spoke.
“What’s the price?”
“200 gold.”
200 gold.
Exactly what he’d deemed fair.
But.
‘A bit disappointing...?’
Human nature was fickle.
Now that it matched perfectly, it somehow felt expensive.
“Could you knock a little off...?”
“Uh, how much should I take off...?”
The previously upbeat owner hesitated.
As a merchant, he was sensitive to haggling.
Well, that was that.
He was the merchant; Yoo Han was the customer.
Cheaper was always better.
“How about 100 gold?”
100 gold.
Half off the asking price.
Naturally, the owner jumped and waved his hands.
“...N-No way! 100 gold would be a loss for me!”
A loss, huh. So production cost was at least that much...
“Who’s gonna use this thing? It’s obviously got a nasty personality from how loud it is. Let’s say 110 gold.”
He started raising his offer bit by bit, diving into serious negotiation.
“W-Well, 110 is nowhere near enough! Do you know how much this costs...?”
“Then 120 gold. It’s not gonna sell anyway.”
“Hmm. I could think about 140...”
“Got it. 130 gold. No more.”
Only then did the owner reluctantly nod.
“You’re a total bandit customer... Fine, 130 gold it is.”
130 gold.
35 percent off the original price.
A fair compromise.
“Thanks.”
“...Here you go. Treat it well, er, wear it well.”
“No worries.”
He bowed in thanks and took the robe the owner handed over.
It came in a fancy disposable bag, like gift wrapping.
Good thing it didn’t make noise unless it touched skin directly.
He was already looking forward to it.
‘Uncle’s gonna love it.’
This would more than repay the experience artifact from before.
‘I’ll get him something better later.’
With that thought.
He arrived at the gold-sign shop the owner had mentioned.
It really handled luxury goods—the scale, the building’s exterior, even the shop’s shine were all different.
A faint perfume-like scent wafted from inside.
He stepped in, desperately hoping they had what he wanted.
“Welcome.”
A sharply dressed man greeted him politely.
The man bowed slightly and stood still.
Meaning, browse at his leisure.
‘Alright then...’
He slowly toured the shop, taking in the sights.
Weapons, accessories, gear, and more.
Neatly categorized merchandise.
Every piece screamed expense.
He felt like someone splurging their first paycheck.
But setting aside the intimidation, it was a feast for the eyes.
‘Whoa, that staff is obviously legendary-grade.’
‘...What? The robe has a built-in barrier?’
‘Insane, a single ring for 10,000 gold...’
Expensive, yes, but quality that wouldn’t lose to anything.
No doubt handcrafted by artisans from around the world.
Of course, that didn’t explain why they were in a black market.
For example...
Pfoom!
Something like this.
“W-Whoa!”
A paperback book on a back shelf suddenly exploded.
Luckily, it was sealed in a transparent cubic glass case, so no damage.
It had just charred the pages inside.
“Sir, are you alright?”
“...What the hell is that?”
“Oh, it’s an artifact that explodes periodically by design.”
“Isn’t that useless? Looks totally burned.”
“Haha, no need to worry. Give it a moment, and it’ll be back to normal.”
“Back to normal?”
And sure enough.
Rustle, rustle!
Fwoosh.
Moments later, the pages flipped wildly, spewing thick black smoke.
As the smoke cleared, the book looked pristine again.
It had repaired itself.
‘...Mind-blowing. Words fail.’
Truly a black market.
No matter how many times he saw it, it was a place of wonders.