Meeting the Black Market Boss
Indomitable SA
The notification rang out the moment I stepped through the iron door.
I wrinkled my nose slightly, and a strange scent tickled my senses.
This is…?
Some kind of aphrodisiac? An alluring fragrance, maybe?
My whole body heated up, like I'd been dosed with a heat inducer.
Was this scent classified as a poison too? Thanks to my resistances, the only real effect was a bit of discomfort—nothing more.
[Gross! That smell sucks! Smash it! Kill 'em all!]
The left head's reaction was especially fierce.
She'd always been like this, but she seemed twice as pissed off as usual.
Did they prepare this on purpose?
I'd thought they were being too compliant in guiding me here. Looks like they had some countermeasures after all.
Hmm. Was my warning not strong enough?
I'd planned to wrap up business and leave right away, but maybe I should use this chance to drive the point home.
They needed to learn that these little pranks could lead to serious trouble.
The room beyond the iron door was a plain office.
Piles of documents stacked nearly to the ceiling, and a woman seated at the desk on one side.
Scribble-scribble—
She didn't even glance up as someone entered, her eyes fixed solely on the papers in front of her.
I watched her for a moment, and only then did she finally turn toward me.
"You look healthy enough."
"Did you set up that scent in here on purpose?"
"Not intentionally. It's just my constitution—can't control it. This is already a diluted version."
"A skill?"
The woman just smiled faintly without a word.
She finished one document, set it aside, and removed her glasses.
Her sharp, intellectual features emerged from behind the lenses.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lisa, the boss of the Black Market."
"Lisa? Not Korean?"
"Of course I am. Lisa is just an alias, you could say."
"You don't mind telling me it's an alias?"
"Anyone with half a brain would guess it is. I'm just not giving out my real name—that's enough."
With that, Lisa (alias) casually rummaged in her desk drawer and pulled out a cigar.
She slipped it between her lips and lit it with practiced ease.
"So, what about you?"
"Nix."
"Sounds like an alias too."
I'd been straightforward, but Lisa clearly didn't buy it.
No reason to clear up the misunderstanding, so I said nothing more.
"Don't just stand there—sit down."
Still seated at her desk, she gestured to the sofa on one side of the office.
"Pardon the intrusion."
"I'd love to offer you some tea, but… sadly, I'm terrible at brewing it."
"Don't bosses usually have subordinates handle that?"
"My subordinates suck at it too. You saw the guy who brought you here, right? Does Na Yeon-seong look like the tea-brewing type?"
I pictured Na Yeon-seong's face and silently nodded in agreement.
He didn't strike me as the type at all.
Lisa chuckled lightly at my slow nod.
She exhaled a puff of smoke and spoke.
"So, what's the purpose of your visit? You said you had business with the strongest person here. Well, that's me, so no issue."
"S-rank?"
"Unofficial, but yes. The Association has me registered as roughly B-rank."
Lisa openly admitted to being an S-rank hunter.
She even revealed her Association registration as B-rank, which surprised me a little.
"You're awfully forthcoming."
"I don't want to get on your bad side… SA?"
I nodded lightly.
She'd clearly suspected as much, letting out a flat "wow."
"Never heard of someone like you in Korea until now… You're unofficial too?"
"Something like that."
"…Not quite, huh? Recently hit SA? Or a hunter operating abroad?"
Hmm. Lisa eyed me thoughtfully, trying to piece together my identity, then shook her head.
"No need to pry when things are already chaotic enough. Just tell me that business you mentioned."
"First off, I was just curious about you."
"And how's that curiosity now? Satisfied?"
"Are all the other S-ranks on your level?"
"Hmm… You don't know much about S-rank hunters… Definitely recent SA or from overseas, huh? No, I said I wouldn't pry."
She shook her head again and continued.
"There are 21 S-rank hunters in Korea right now. 22 including me… Anyway, we've gained seven S-ranks in the last three years. SA-ranks went from three to five or six. Six including you."
"Quite the growth."
"Yeah, ever since Seong Jae-myeong the hunter went missing, everyone's calling it Korea's second golden age for hunters. Speculation's rife that we'll see an SS-rank soon."
She exhaled another puff of smoke.
"I was skeptical, but seeing you… those experts might actually be onto something. An SS-rank could appear any day now."
"What makes you say that?"
"You're infinitely close to SS-rank, aren't you?"
"…Why think that?"
"I've seen America's SS-rank hunter Garcia. You remind me of him. Your aura isn't quite as overwhelming yet…"
—but your vibe is scarier.
Leaning back languidly in her chair, Lisa piqued my interest even more.
Was this what made her the boss of Korea's top Black Market?
She already seemed highly capable from what I'd observed.
Could be useful down the line?
Mind control might not work right away, but with other methods, I could make good use of her.
Paired with Na Yeon-seong, she'd be plenty helpful.
"Could you not look at me like a snake eyeing prey? No matter how tasty I look, I'm not ready to be eaten yet."
Her deadpan voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I flashed a light smile at Lisa, who eyed me with a hint of revulsion.
She shivered.
"Oh, have I been marked? By a future SS-rank hunter, no less? Please tell me it's not the bad kind…"
"That's my second piece of business."
"Not confirming it feels weird… Anyway, what's this second thing?"
"I want to offload some gear."
"Gear? Hmm?"
Lisa glanced me over.
After a silent moment, she nodded.
"No idea what it is, but wanting to sell it back here… Not exactly legit stuff, huh? Or maybe you're not legit enough for official channels… Hmm, intriguing… No, no. Can't get curious."
She muttered to herself like a detective, shaking her head yet again.
"So, mind showing me? What gear are we talking?"
"Mm…"
I scanned the office.
It wasn't tiny, but with the sheer volume of items, pulling them all out would be a hassle.
Lisa watched me for a bit, then nodded with an "aha."
"Must be a lot. Did you raid a whole strike team or something?"
"Sharp instincts."
"…Damn. For real? Not joking? You're getting more intriguing by the minute… But that danger vibe is too strong. No. Resist."
Shaking her head in inner conflict once more, she pressed on.
"Alright, just show me the most valuable piece for now?"
I rummaged in the item pouch at my waist.
This was leagues beyond the carrier-grade junk I'd used before.
Naturally, it'd come from Song Myung-sin the hunter.
What I pulled out was, of course, Song Myung-sin's sword.
A blade with a blue hilt and pristine white edge—more artwork than weapon.
I didn't know the name, but it was one I particularly liked.
I'd planned to gift it to Snow later and had no intention of selling it, but it was the priciest-looking item, so I showed it off.
Lisa's face stiffened as she recognized the sword.
"This is… the Cheongsong Sword…?"
"Hmm? You know it?"
"How do you have this…? Where'd you get it?"
"Picked it up in the labyrinth."
"…Oh, damn…"
Lisa, who'd been cool as ice, stood up excitedly.
She stubbed out her half-smoked cigar roughly in the ashtray and approached.
First time she'd moved from her desk since we started talking.
"This is the sword used by Hwarang Guild's vice-guild master."
"I see."
"…You know Hwarang Guild's been in the news lately?"
"No clue."
"The whole hunter world's in an uproar—not just the Association. In this era of standardized labyrinth clears, a full wipe of a top-tier strike team is rare. Hwarang's first incident was their B-team, so maybe excusable, but the second…"
She trailed off, then turned to me with a suspicious look.
"…Was the first incident you too?"
"Who knows."
"…Oh my god. This dangerous man… And that makes you even hotter."
More excited now, Lisa plopped down in front of me.
She thrust out her hand.
"You've got another item pouch, right? Lend it here. No funny business, promise."
I handed over one of the pouches from my waist.
"Oh my god, oh my god."
Peering inside, she let out a sigh-like gasp.
"…If this gets out, not just Hwarang—the Association will mobilize immediately. The whole hunter scene will shift massively."
"I see."
"…You know the storm you're brewing and still act chill? Hwarang's guild master is furious right now…"
I just smiled quietly.
Lisa stared, then sighed deeply.
"You… You know exactly what's coming… You showed me on purpose… You want something big to happen."
"I don't particularly want to stir things up. But I'm not dodging out of fear either."
She let out a low sigh at my calm words.
"Never seen a guy this dangerously hot… Makes you even more appealing, though… Hey, you got a girlfriend? If not, how about me?"
Her sly smile was captivating.
I paused for a moment.
Not because of her looks, but Snow's face flashed in my mind for some reason.
I shook my head.
"Not interested."
"…Hmm. Alright, got it. But if you change your mind, say the word. One-night stands are fine by me."
"……."
[This woman's crazy! Idiot! Kill her! Rip her apart!]
She's useful. No need to kill…
[I'm telling Snow! Telling her, you idiot—!]
The left head started snarking immediately, so I shut my mouth.
Shaking my head, I changed the subject quickly.
"So, can you handle offloading them?"
"…Of course. This is Korea's biggest Black Market, after all. Not just domestic—overseas channels too. It'll take time, though."
"Good. Sell everything except the Cheongsong Sword."
"That's the most expensive one…"
I tossed her the other item pouches from my waist.
Her mouth snapped shut.
"How much if you sell it all?"
"…Depends on the contents, but Hwarang gear? Top dollar. Roughly this much."
She held up a few fingers quietly.
"Ten million won?"
"Go big."
"A hundred million?"
"Billions."
"…A lot."
A fortune I'd never touched as a human. I fell silent.
Lisa smirked at me.
First time I'd felt embarrassed since arriving.
"…Now for the third piece of business."
"Honestly, you're starting to scare me… What's the third one? More shocking news?"
"I want the whereabouts of three hunters: Kim Jun-su, Shin Jae-jun, and Lee Ha-na."
She frowned with a "hmm…" as I cut in.
But soon spoke calmly.
"Compared to the other stuff, this is nothing. Got myself worked up for no reason."
"Can you get info on them?"
"It's our bread and butter. We could even arrange clean hits if needed… Interested?"
"No, I'll handle it myself."
She let out a quiet admiring hum.
"Those three— whoever they are—have my pity. Marked by an SA-rank… and the guy behind the Hwarang buzz…"
"Too much chatter. How long to track them down?"
"Depends on the targets. Easier with some prior info…"
"All three were E-rank three years ago. They partied with D-rank Park Kwang-yeol back then."
"That's plenty. Quick work."
She lit another cigar.
"How detailed? Age, education, family, lovers, current weight, height—we can get it all."
"No need for trivial personal details. Just where they are and what they're doing now."
"Two to four days minimum. Gotta verify the info too."
"Got it."
I stood.
Lisa glanced up.
"How should I contact you? I could come to you… Nah, finding you would be tough. Give me your spot?"
"No need. I'll pick it up in three days. Deduct your fee from the gear sale."
"You know we take a cut, right?"
"Just don't gouge me."
With that, I turned to leave.
A quiet "take care" from Lisa followed.
I exited with Na Yeon-seong's guidance, just like on the way in.
It was dawn now.
I paused and looked up at the night sky.
Vengeance was drawing ever closer.