Chapter 59

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: MJK

Chapter: 59

Chapter Title: The Malefic Devouring Tree

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The abandoned warehouse district near Incheon Port.

It was the location of the black market that Old Man No had told me about.

It looked like a rundown factory building from the outside, but the moment I pushed open the massive iron door and stepped inside...

A completely different world unfolded before me.

"Never knew a place like this existed."

The vast interior space was packed with hundreds of street stalls and shops.

Sparks flew from forges smelting rare magical metals, and glass bottles filled with unidentified liquids emitted eerie glows.

I pulled a plain black mask from my pocket and slipped it over my face.

"Welcome, customer! Got some fresh griffin hearts—care to taste one before you go?"

"A-rank magic scroll, yours for just 200 million! Only one left!"

The atmosphere buzzed with energy, yet carried an undercurrent of danger.

I took in the black market's unique vibe firsthand, scanning the bizarre array of items spread across the stalls.

Legendary items priced in the tens of billions—even trillions—were casually laid out like fish on a market stall.

In the old days, I wouldn't have dared even glance at them. But now things were different.

The realization that I could buy several off those shelves on a whim brought a sharp sense of reality crashing down.

"Boss, how much for this?"

I pointed to a fist-sized chunk of griffin thigh meat at one stall.

"Whoa, customer—you've got an eye for quality. That's top-grade fresh today; just 3 million won."

"I'll take two."

This would taste amazing grilled over Okinawa charcoal.

Imagining a mouthwatering barbecue party already had me feeling satisfied. Next up: the farming tools stall.

"This hoe's got a unique look."

"That's just for decoration."

The owner shrugged it off nonchalantly.

"Mind if I take a closer look?"

"Go ahead."

It was a weathered hoe with dwarf runes etched into the handle.

I quietly channeled a thread of Internal Energy into it.

A cursed item, huh.

My eyes locked on the final line of the description.

'Pure energy.'

With the Internal Energy in my body, couldn't I tame this hoe?

And if I succeeded, it'd be an incredible asset for the fields.

For instance, using it to weed? It could suck the life from weeds alone, recycling that energy back into the garden—eco-friendly weeding at its finest.

Or after harvest, clearing roots could scrape up every last nutrient left in the soil, turning it into perfect fertilizer for the next crop.

"How much for this?"

"Hmm... It's just taking up space, so a million won."

Against my bank balance of over 7 trillion, a million was pocket change.

Tower shop items felt standardized by the system, but these carried stories and wear from real hands—browsing was half the fun.

Plus, scoring deals like this.

"Here you go."

I bought the hoe without hesitation.

And finally, I spotted one of my main goals for coming here.

"Found it."

Tucked in the corner of one shop, amid flashier plants, a small sapling exuded an ominously black aura.

It seemed to warp space just by existing, as if sucking in the light around it—a truly bizarre tree.

"Boss, what's that tree?"

"Oh, that eyesore? Heh, customer—it's just pretty decoration."

"Eyesore?"

"It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was trendy once. Called the [Malefic Devouring Tree], rumor was the Chinese used it to reform criminals. Supposedly eats away at people's evil emotions."

"But why'd it flop?"

"It worked at first, but then it grew by feeding on those emotions and started spewing even fiercer malice. Got scrapped. Used to fetch 1.7 billion. And..."

The shop owner scratched his head vigorously.

"It's not cheap to maintain—it eats mana stones as fertilizer. Who'd buy that?"

"Mana stones as fertilizer?"

"Yeah, doesn't add up financially."

I quietly channeled Internal Energy into the sapling.

True information invisible to the owner popped up.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

'Chaotic energy and evil hearts.'

Chaos meant it'd thrive in Okinawa, squeezing out maximum efficiency from that land.

"Sell it to me—how much?"

"Alright, 400 million flat. I'm taking a loss here."

400 million.

Back in the day at the Bureau, six years of breathing might not have covered it.

Now? Just the price of a pricey ornamental tree.

"Here."

I paid the 400 million cheerfully and took the sapling.

'Planted in Okinawa, it'll sprout a whole little forest in no time.'

I tallied up today's spending roughly.

Griffin thighs: 6 million won. Hoe: 1 million won. Sapling: 400 million.

'Total: 407 million won.'

Nearly 500 million gone in under thirty minutes.

A wave of poignant contrast hit me.

Just months ago, I was a regular office drone counting down to payday.

Now, dropping hundreds of millions without batting an eye.

'Not bad at all.'

Having money didn't make life a drama.

But no more giving up desires or hesitating over cost.

No more snags.

That felt damn good.

On the way out after shopping, my eye caught a particularly shabby stall in the farthest corner.

A young boy sat listlessly, waiting for customers.

Skinny frame, ragged clothes, shadows too deep for his age darkening his face.

"......"

The boy eyed me warily.

His stall held only crude wooden dolls and some beads.

"Cough, cough!"

A hacking cough echoed from the tiny shack behind him.

At the sound, his scrawny shoulders—visible through his oversized thin shirt—trembled.

'So young, and already this rundown.'

I approached the stall, examining the wares up close.

Roughly carved wooden dolls, faded beads from who-knows-where, a cracked potion vial.

Utterly worthless junk.

Through the open door of the shack, I glimpsed a little girl huddled under a blanket.

"That your sister?"

"......Yeah."

After a moment's thought, I pulled a thermos from my inventory.

"Share this with her. Good for colds."

"What's... this?"

Inside was a warm soup brewed from [Vitality Tomatoes] and [Deep-Sleep Pumpkins].

Suspicion of unfamiliar kindness flickered in the boy's eyes.

"Barter. Take these off my hands cheap, and I'll buy 'em. Your cold'll clear up fast."

"......"

I gathered up the wooden dolls and beads from the stall.

"I'll come back."

Not wanting to linger under his distrustful gaze, I left quickly.

A rundown single-room shack.

The young boy sighed as he changed the damp cloth on his sleeping sister's forehead.

Pneumonia, the doctor said.

But he knew.

'Same symptoms Dad had years ago.'

Definitely a respiratory illness from mana pollution.

Otherwise, it wouldn't resist treatment like this.

No improvement despite meds—in fact, the coughs and fever worsened daily, keeping his little sister groaning through sleepless nights.

'Money... I need more money.'

That's why he'd taken over Dad's stall in the black market.

Regular part-time gigs couldn't cover her pricey meds.

All day today, not a single customer—except one.

That guy.

The weird customer from earlier came to mind.

'What difference will drinking this make?'

Looked like plain food.

In this black market, free kindness was as good as poison—that nagged at him.

"Oppa... smells yummy."

But his listless sister's words left no room for hesitation.

"Hold on a sec."

Figuring he had nothing to lose, he warmed the soup and fed it to her.

Yuna, usually too sick to eat, scarfed down the bowl—drawn by its sweet, nutty aroma amid her hunger.

"Feels... sleepy..."

Sleepy?

Normally, pain and coughing kept her tossing till dawn.

Snore... snore...

Now, miraculously, she slept peacefully.

Her sweat-damp forehead was dry; her ragged breaths evened out softly.

"Just some random food, huh?"

The boy muttered unwittingly.

The black market teemed with grim rumors: organ-harvested corpses in alleys, people vanishing without trace if you crossed the wrong folks.

But that customer was different.

Above all, those warm, kind eyes peering from behind the mask.

And he'd taken the worthless junk—then shoved 10 million won as "payment."

This den of greed, rife with scams and haggling, had never shown him pure goodwill before.

"If he comes back... I'll call him big bro."

Would they meet again?

Clutching his sleeping sister's hand, the boy harbored hope for the first time.

Maybe that man can save us.

Okinawa, the land of disaster.

I planted the [Abyss Malefic Devouring Tree] sapling in the spot brimming with the strongest energy.

Shwaaaa—

The moment its roots took hold, the ominous black aura gave way to a rainbow shimmer, purifying the ashen soil around it.

New life was budding in the dead earth.

-Heumyuut!

"Ppoaeng!"

Muryong and Hasuo circled the sapling curiously.

To them, this glowing new tree looked like the coolest playground ever.

-Heumyu!

Muryong swung back and forth from the lowest branch like a swing.

Hasuo, loving the pure energy flowing from it, stuck close to the trunk and dozed off with nods.

I smiled contentedly at the peaceful scene.

"A little forest here wouldn't be bad."

Turning this disaster-ridden land into my own garden of life and healing? Sounded perfect.

"Kkiyoot!"

Gorani bounded across the vast expanse like it was flying.

Clearly thrilled with the space—far bigger than the house yard.

And no qualms about welcoming new friends; all around a win.

Same time, underground level 2 situation room, Secret Intelligence Agency, Virginia, USA.

Beep—beep—beep—beep!

"Jane! What the hell's going on?!"

The director burst into the room, shouting urgently.

"No idea."

Jane stared at the massive monitor, oblivious even to her Chupa Chups hitting the floor.

The screen showed a mana map of the Okinawa area.

"Okinawa's total mana output... spiked over 300% in just 10 minutes! Impossible numbers!"

A researcher yelled frantically.

The Disaster Flower in Okinawa was gone.

Normally, mana there should stabilize gradually.

Instead, vastly stronger, purer life energy was exploding outward.

"Was that place... hiding potential like this?"

"No, Director! Data says it's impossible!"

"Then what the hell is that?! Jane, explain!"

Unlike the panicked chaos around her, Jane stared piercingly at one spot on the screen.

She zoomed the satellite feed to its limit.

"!"

In her view: a small tree at the island's center, shimmering iridescent rainbow hues.

"......"

Jane stayed silent for a long beat.

The director pressed impatiently.

"Jane, what is that thing? Send the analysis team now..."

"Don't do anything."

"What?"

"That's not for us to touch."

Jane pulled her hand cleanly from the screen.

"What do you mean? You know what it is?"

"Exactly because I don't."

She shot the director an incredulous look.

"Something casually wielding that level of power. Anyone who picks a fight gets turned to dust before they blink. Can't you tell?"

"......"

"Warning you: no tracking, surveilling, or contacting that place. Not if you wanna live."

Standing, Jane added her final words.

"We can't do a damn thing. Just watch."

"......What's the chance that thing harms us?"

The director's last question.

"Who knows."

Jane thought of Gorani Man 12, the hot topic lately.

"Power to casually crush a Disaster Flower... If it wanted to wreck the world, it'd have done it already."

"Then what the hell's it doing there?"

"Can't comprehend it, but maybe just tending its garden. Ignoring ants like us scurrying at its feet."

Jane picked up her fallen Chupa Chups and strolled out.

The stunned director and researchers, not fully grasping her words, could only gape at the monitor.