Black Market Monster
The moment the man stepped into the room, 'Ugh!' Kang Hyo-jun's breath caught in his throat. It felt like the gravity pressing down on his entire body had suddenly intensified. From behind the creepy, grinning pierrot mask, an overwhelming surge of mana poured out.
Just standing before the man, Kang Hyo-jun could feel his internal organs being crushed. 'Guh... I... I can't breathe.'
This was a remote branch, but he was still the manager of the Black Market. During training, he'd once caught a distant glimpse of the world's strongest EX-rank hunter, the 'War God'. Even then, he hadn't felt this primal terror.
'On par with the War God... no, even stronger...!'
Who the hell was this guy? The natural question sprouted in his mind. A hunter stronger than the War God? He'd never even heard of such a thing.
Another EX-rank hunter? No, that didn't fit either. The only other EX-rank besides the War God was known to be non-combat oriented.
'Something beyond EX-rank?'
Such a thing... didn't exist!
'I'm... gonna die...!'
Kang Hyo-jun desperately circulated his mana, forcing it into his crushed mana circuits. He thrashed about.
"Came to sell a manastone."
The man tossed out the words in a voice devoid of any emotion. After desperately cycling his mana, Kang Hyo-jun finally managed a response.
"...Yes."
Once he stabilized it, the pressure eased up considerably.
'Phew.'
Thud.
The man set down the massive object he was holding.
'!!!'
Kang Hyo-jun's eyes widened like they might tear.
Manastones had five grades, similar to hunter ranks: S, A, B, C, D. The Black Market only dealt in the top three: S down to B. And B-grade stones were the most commonly traded.
That was the image that came to mind when Kang Hyo-jun thought of "manastone." But... what this man had casually dropped was far too large for one.
B-grades were about the size of a child's fist. A-grades matched an adult man's fist. S-grades were like a child's head. In this fruit-scarce era, that was the best analogy.
Yet this stone was the size of an adult man's head. An S-grade, or beyond.
'...Even conservatively, that's from a boss monster on the 80th floor or higher.'
Kang Hyo-jun's eyes sharpened. And that purity... No surface damage. Smooth as glass.
'...One shot. A perfect ambush, no margin for error.'
Gulp.
In that instant, Kang Hyo-jun decided to wipe clean his past habit of dismissing alchemists as "crazy bastards." This guy wasn't crazy.
'He's a monster.'
An unknown powerhouse not in any database...!
"Appraisal done?"
"...Pardon? Ah, yes."
Kang Hyo-jun snapped back to reality.
"Minimum S-grade."
"I see."
The man replied nonchalantly.
'...S-grade, and he's that casual?'
This was worth enough to buy even Guardian Han Seol-ah's gear. Tossing such a treasure like a pebble and staying this calm?
"...Shall I convert it to 'Gold,' the Hunter Association's standard currency? Since it's an unofficial channel, there'll be a fee."
"Don't need Gold..."
'...A hunter turning down Gold?'
The universal currency that could buy even national treasures if you had enough?
"Th-then cash...?"
"Cash is meh too."
The man shook his head.
"Too heavy."
"...Pardon?"
"Pay in goods."
"What kind...?"
The man held up three fingers.
"Three things I need right now."
"Understood."
"First priority: An artifact to hide my identity. Something reliable."
Kang Hyo-jun's mind raced. Plenty of such artifacts existed. But he couldn't offer this heavyweight anything subpar.
'It'd make the market's judgment look bad.'
"Possible. We have an A-rank artifact, 'Shadow Mask', in stock."
If the wearer willed it, it enabled top-tier stealth with the supreme skill 'Shadow Stealth'. Plus a face-altering function—the supreme 'Thousand Transformations' skill.
Once Japan's national treasure and a ranker's gear. The ranker died climbing the Tower; it wandered inside before reaching the Black Market. A supreme artifact.
Nod.
The man nodded with an expressionless face.
'One down.'
Kang Hyo-jun wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and swallowed dryly.
"Second: Darknet access rights. Highest grade."
"I'll issue it immediately. Highest grade—actually, 'Admin grade,' even higher."
Kang Hyo-jun went big again. Admin grade! A super account only branch managers held. Delete posts, ban users—powers no regular user should have.
'Overstepping, but if I say it's to satisfy the alchemist, HQ will understand.'
Nod.
The creepy mask bobbed slowly.
'Good. One left.'
"Consumables for Tower climbing. Potions, food, miscellaneous tools. All top-grade."
"... ."
Tower climbing? The unexpected request froze Kang Hyo-jun's mind briefly.
'Which Tower?'
Someone this strong could clear any Tower if they wanted. Except Korea's.
'No way it's Korea's Tower, right?'
...Even this monster couldn't solo that hellhole.
'No suicide wish.'
Ignoring Korea's 94th floor, the next toughest would be...
"Problem?"
"Ah, no. Yes. All top-grade. I'll prepare everything, including a non-commercial flight ticket to India for the 74th floor climb..."
"India? 74th?"
"...?"
'...No way, right? Please say no.'
"Then where...?"
"94th."
"... ."
'Korea's Tower. Crazy.'
Kang Hyo-jun was speechless.
'Suicide a hobby?'
He wanted to ask, but...
"A-alright. I'll prepare."
A customer— a VIP with bottomless wealth—wanted it. No refusing.
'F-fuck. What does the 94th need...?'
Nod.
Ignoring Kang Hyo-jun's whirring brain, the man nodded indifferently.
"H-how about the remaining balance...?"
Even fulfilling all this left a huge surplus. He could pretend and pocket it, but... scary.
"Hold it."
'Thinks this is a bank?'
No such function for leftovers.
"Yes. I'll manage it well."
But Kang Hyo-jun just nodded. He'd make it exist now.
Nod.
'Phew. Done.'
As the man nodded one last time and turned for the door.
"Ah."
That short exclamation made Kang Hyo-jun's heart plummet.
"...Gasp."
"One more thing."
The man turned back to him.
"Need a forged identity."
"... ."
'Should've led with that!'
Kang Hyo-jun couldn't answer easily. Forged IDs in Korea? Not hard. But ones that don't get caught? Impossible.
Thanks to Hunter Association Vice President 'Iron-Blooded Min Ji-hee'.
'That psycho has every Korean hunter's full profile in her head.'
Get pinged on her radar with a fake ID? 100% busted.
'...Pair it with the Shadow Mask, impersonate a dead hunter?'
Not easy. Her "every profile" included the dead.
Parade as a dead hunter, cross her path?
—You died 2 years, 3 months, 14 days ago. 836 days ago, in the 96th Break defense at Namyangju front.
She'd know instantly.
"...Need time. I'll figure something out."
Impossible now. That settled, his thoughts flowed naturally.
A normal hunter registers with the Association, climbs with honors. Someone this strong? Every Association worldwide would roll out the red carpet.
Yet he comes to the Black Market for a forged ID to enter the Tower?
One conclusion.
'Infiltration.'
This monster had some "something" to do secretly, dodging Association and national surveillance.
And that "something" was no small matter.
For the first time since the hunter era began, glimpsing the system's underbelly. A hidden secret...
Excitement pounded in Kang Hyo-jun's chest.
"W-wait 30 seconds, please."
He moved without a word. No questions. Just deliver what the customer wants.
Clatter!
He rushed downstairs. The small teleporter linked to HQ hummed.
He typed rapidly on the connected keyboard.
Shadow Mask (A-rank). Admin-grade account key (new issue). Top-grade recovery potion set.
Plus.
'Throw in service.'
Space expansion bag (S-rank). Equal or pricier than the mask!
Not time for math.
◈ Supreme storage capacity
[Payment?]
"Admin rights. Send the items first."
[Confirmed]
Spark—zzzt!
Pop! A black gate ripped open on the plain wall.
Items poured out from beyond.
This was the Black Market's secret. Trading across all space-time.
The 'Exchange'.
Kang Hyo-jun stuffed everything into the space bag and hurried back up.
"Here."
He placed the black bag on the table.
"For Tower climbing, I packed a potion set for now. I'll research 9...4th floor needs and prepare more."
"I'll come tomorrow."
"...Yes. Ready by tomorrow."
Bow.
Kang Hyo-jun bowed deeply in apology.
When he looked up.
'Huh?'
The spot where the man stood was empty. Only faint cold lingered.
* * *
'That was close.'
On the way home, synchronization nearly dropped.
'Time was tight, so I bailed without proper goodbyes.'
Luckily, my timing held. Landed right on target as planned.
Synchronization ended, my body reverted to unawakened human.
"Haaah."
Muscle pain everywhere. Inevitable after mana-boosting my whole body.
"Let's check the goods."
Why return not home? Simple: The appraisal shop for artifacts was here.
Whirr—
Entered the appraisal shop.
Passed the empty lobby.
Pulled a plain mask from the bag, placed it on the appraiser.
Ding!
A-Grade
Shadow Stealth (Supreme)
Thousand Transformations (Supreme)
"Oh."
Just as described.
Had to prioritize an artifact hiding my identity. Climbing the Tower would inevitably expose me.
...But "me" doesn't exist in post-hunter era Korea's citizen DB.
However, pre-hunter records would reveal me.
Then they'd know I'm an anomaly impossible in this era.
And peg me not as "humanity's strongest savior hunter," but "mysterious monster."
No mana? Humans can't exist without it. Mana-less lifeforms are just magic beasts.
'Performance test.'
Put on the mask; it clung comfortably to my face. Like a thin sheet.
"Hoo—ha."
Breathing fine. No stuffiness or smells.
Now, the disguise.
Checked my face in the appraisal room mirror.
"Perfect."
A totally ordinary face, faint impression, hard to remember.
"Satisfying shopping."
Should spend the leftover coins wisely too.
'Can shop from home.'
Been a while... maybe order cup ramen?
"Heh."
That dreamy moment.
Whirr—
Door opened.
"?"
Neck hairs stood up.
'...Who's left in Incheon? Shouldn't be anyone.'
Full conscription or evacuation. Incheon was human-free now.
Yet someone entered... only one possibility.
'...Magic beast.'
Guerrilla gate somewhere. Beast from it now inside.
'...'
Big trouble. No sync, I'm mana-less old human.
To sync, need home—5 min walk.
Appraisal room: backless benches, appraiser, open space... one exit.
No running or hiding...!
Felt cold sweat on my neck.
Slowly turned.
What I saw.
'People?'
Three people.
Ones I knew very well.
And one shouted loudly.
"N-Nebula-nim!"
That pathetic voice I loved.
And... calling my character's nickname in reality, of all places.
'...Han Seol-ah?'
Why the hell are you here?