Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: The Long Road to Poison Mastery (2)
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“I’ve heard there are humans who eat things even we won’t touch... but I never imagined it’d be this close.”
“Normally, no one eats poison.”
Suhyun spat out a quiet curse as he wiped his mouth. The cocktail of foul tastes had left his tongue completely numb.
“All done. Huh?”
When Bjorn returned, he saw that all the poison vials were empty.
“Where’d the poison go?”
“I bought it with my own money, so where I put it is my business. I transferred it somewhere else.”
“Mixing poisons like that on your own... No, forget it. If you know how to blend, you’d know better than that. I set this aside for you.”
“Good. Thanks.”
Suhyun gathered his things and stood up.
“Hang on, weren’t you here to buy something on the black market too?”
“You just watched me clean house, and now you’re asking that?”
“Sorry about this. You needed poison, huh?”
“Nah, I don’t really use poison anyway.”
Shaina waved her hand dismissively.
“I was just looking for a decent weapon.”
“What kind?”
“Something easy to handle with good firepower. Bombs are fine, guns work too.”
“For that, it’d be easier to ask the Development Planning Department. No need to hit the black market.”
“And artifacts.”
Suhyun stared at Shaina in disbelief.
“Artifacts? What are you trying to score on the black market?”
“Huh? Don’t they show up sometimes?”
“Most of those rumors are bullshit. Artifacts rarely even make it to the black market in the first place.”
Securing artifacts was something everyone on Cameron Planet obsessed over. They held limitless value, and there were plenty of legitimate ways to offload them without resorting to the black market.
“No, they do.”
“?!”
Bjorn, who had been listening in, spoke up in a bored tone.
“What? Say that again.”
“There are artifacts for sale on the black market.”
“Tell me more.”
Suhyun’s eyes gleamed as he pressed Bjorn. The dwarf, who’d spoken without much thought, seemed a bit flustered by Suhyun’s enthusiasm.
“It’s not that surprising, is it? Artifacts are rare, sure, but none ever leaking into the black market would be the real shock. I heard from a guy working elsewhere the other day—one slipped in. Sounded like they’d auction it off soon.”
“Secretly?”
“Of course on the down-low. Who’d sell black market goods openly?”
“Sounds intriguing.”
An artifact on the black market had to have a story. Otherwise, it wouldn’t end up there. The most likely reason? Stolen.
‘One hitting the Korean black market... Maybe swiped from China or Russia? Not the US, surely.’
Suhyun didn’t care if it was from another country. Once it was in his hands, he could bury the info or launder it no problem.
More importantly, performance mattered. A useless superpower artifact wasn’t worth the hassle.
“Any way I can get in?”
“What? For real? I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Why not?”
“Even rotten, it’s still an artifact. Every lowlife will swarm it. Cash alone won’t cut it. Plus, you know black market stuff—get duped, and tough luck complaining.”
“True enough.”
Suhyun nodded. If you got scammed on the black market, that was on you.
“But that doesn’t matter.”
“What? Why?”
“Anyone trying to scam me won’t walk out in one piece.”
“...!”
Bjorn stared at Suhyun like he was insane. He’d never seen the guy as a pushover, but this was worrying.
“Why stare like that?”
“No, hold on.”
If Suhyun went in using his name for an invite... and caused a scene...
“Anyway, I’ll handle what happens after. Just tell me how to get in.”
“Thinking about it, there is a way...”
“You’re not gonna say no, right? Not scared I’ll trash the place?”
‘Damn ghost of a kid!’
“This is disappointing. Staring at me like that. I won’t wreck it there, but if you disappoint me more, I might wreck it here.”
‘%#^&$^#$&!’
Straight-up blackmail. Bjorn swallowed a thick dwarven curse, pulled out paper, stamped it, and scribbled an address.
“Old-school.”
“Harder to forge than digital. Hack one system, and it’s copied.”
“Security’s not my field... Anyway, I’ll put it to good use. Who do I give this to?”
“Wait. It’s still just rumors—no auction yet.”
Bjorn was a grizzled vet of this black market. He knew how it worked.
First, spread rumors. Interest builds naturally. Once hype peaks, drop the info and hold the auction.
“When it opens, I’ll contact you. Head there. And don’t say I sent you.”
“I won’t cause trouble. Relax.”
“Got it. Still, don’t mention me. They just check the stamp for secret auctions.”
Bjorn hammered it home, not trusting Suhyun one bit.
“Got it.”
Outside, Shaina asked curiously.
“Buying an artifact?”
“Maybe... if the price is right. But I’m worried. The crowd there will be loaded.”
Securing one artifact—even illegally—drew swarms of factions. Legality didn’t matter; the value did.
Suhyun was building personal wealth, but he couldn’t yet match corporate heavyweights in a bidding war.
“And from the setup, the auction’ll overheat.”
Spreading rumors like that was obvious: maximize profits.
“Human society’s so complicated. We’d just raid and take it.”
“What?”
“Huh? Oh, no, I’m not saying I would... I don’t do that stuff!”
Shaina frantically denied it when Suhyun double-checked.
“Raid and grab it?”
“I said I wouldn’t...”
“Shaina.”
“?”
“Great idea.”
Suhyun grinned. Back in the day, he’d have thought of hijacking it first. But going legit after returning had dulled that edge.
Stolen goods anyway—what trouble could come from swiping them? Hide identity, snatch and go. Suhyun was an expert at this.
* * *
“Thank you.”
After the handshake, Suhyun headed down. Uncle Jo Company and Development Planning Department reps were at the US military base.
With prep done, they’d notified the US about the rock giant’s defeat and visited for a modest award ceremony.
“But did we really need to come all this way?”
“Didn’t wanna come either. Could’ve just taken the money separately—what’s this ceremony crap?”
“Still, it’s an award.”
“US handing out medals to outsiders is nothing. They called us for intel sharing, probably.”
“Intel?”
“On the rock giant. No one’s grinding their teeth over it like the US troops.”
“Giving it away free?”
“Nothing’s free in this world.”
In exchange for Korea’s intel to the US, Suhyun got compensated by the Development Planning Department. Credit could go to someone else.
“Man, the US military’s impressive.”
The team’s awe made sense. Among Cameron Planet forces, the US military boasted top gear and power.
‘Hetero races everywhere...’
Non-humans in uniforms milling about. Korea had them too, but the US scale dwarfed it.
“Info control lifts tomorrow—media too. Euterph’ll be buzzing for a while.”
“We heading back in?”
“Nah, we’re off for a bit.”
“Yes??”
Key spots were already pinpointed with coordinates. No need to jostle for resources.
“Those going in are resource-hunting pros. Compete if you’re confident, but you’ll just lose out.”
It wouldn’t stop at competition—fights could erupt. Only go if you desperately needed to.
“Rest up while you can. It’ll get busy later.”
“Yes!”
* * *
Suhyun’s prediction was spot on. Next day, Cameron Planet media blasted the Euterph rock giant takedown.
-This hunt was led by Uncle Jo Company, a Korean mercenary firm...
The team gawked at their names in the press, but Suhyun ignored it, prepping the next job. Downtime meant work.
“Cleared out the breakables. This right?”
“Yeah, now light it up.”
“Go call Kang In-gyu...”
Knock knock-
With Shaina’s help, Suhyun finished prepping to burn the cassica. He was about to fetch Kang In-gyu when someone knocked.
“Who is it?”
“K-Kang In-gyu, Team Leader. May I come in?”
“Oh... Come in, come in.”
Suhyun schooled his face and opened the door. Planning something shady, only for him to show up—awkward.
‘He didn’t catch us, right?’
“What’s up?”
“Got a question...”
“Ask away.”
“I’ll head out then.”
“Yeah.”
Shaina left. Suhyun grabbed the cassica vial with his words—ready to ignite anytime.
“Am I helping the team at all?”
“Hm?”
“Everyone else has specialties, fights skillfully... Feels like I’m just dragging you down.”
‘Not everyone fights that skillfully.’
To Suhyun, the team had plenty of flaws. He kept them for reliability, not skill.
“Anyone say you’re dragging them down?”
“N-No. Everyone’s great.”
“Then why think that?”
Thanks to Suhyun’s training, Kang In-gyu had basics down. Just basics. To advance, he needed his own specialty.
“Back at Jindo Dog, I wasn’t much help. Basically got kicked out... You’d prefer a superhuman over a guy like me, right, Team Leader?”
“Well, yeah.”
“!”
“What, expected me to sugarcoat? Don’t count on that.”
“......”
Kang In-gyu drooped, head down. He’d braced for it, but it stung.
“But don’t think I got duped by Choi Jae-ho into bringing you. I saw value in you.”
“V-Value? What?”
His face lit up as he asked.
“Don’t wanna spell it out. Find your own worth. You asked if I’d prefer a superhuman. Then become one.”
“Not like I can just...”
Suhyun set down the cassica vial.
“Was on the fence about giving this, but if you’re hung up on your value...”
“What’s this?”
“My special brew. Wanna try?”
“Don’t know what it is, but if you say so...”
As Kang In-gyu reached, Suhyun stopped him.
“Not forcing you. If it’s just ’cause I said, don’t. It’s no picnic—you’ll have a hellish time.”
“D-Drugs?”
“Nah... probably not?”
“You’re sure it’s not?”
Suhyun’s hedge made Kang In-gyu anxious.
“Doesn’t matter. Burn and inhale it, and it might fry your brain.”
“Then why offer?”
“Might awaken hidden potential. Or just a nightmare. No guarantees.”
“Don’t care.”
Kang In-gyu seized the vial.
“Quick on the draw, huh?”
“If it helps the team, this is nothing.”
Suhyun smirked and lit it. Smoke rose.
“See ya.”
“Huh?”
Suhyun dazed Kang In-gyu, slipped out, and shut the door.