Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Moretti's Black Market
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"This is... something I never expected."
Woojin muttered in a genuinely impressed tone, his voice a bit excited.
"To think a beginner village like this has a place like this."
"Heh, they say the darkest place is under the lampstand, right?"
The place he was in was none other than Moretti.
The starting point for all of Evil Tail, a small village that seemed utterly ordinary, filled only with novices.
But no one could have imagined a secret black market hidden away in a place like this.
Kiiiek—
The spot Peron had led him to was a rundown shop tucked inside Moretti's village square.
Even Peron, who had stood in the square for over a month, had dismissed it as just another village NPC's house and paid it no special attention.
'Well... I was pretty distracted with my own issues back then.'
Even without that, he probably wouldn't have noticed.
"What business brings you?"
A middle-aged NPC sat inside the building.
Miscellaneous items lined the shelves, but it didn't look like a public shop advertising its wares.
"Here."
Peron pulled something like a small seed from his pocket and handed it over. The man took it and popped it into his mouth.
Crunch—
Whatever it was, the proof vanished in an instant. The man gave Peron a knowing glance, as if asking something silently.
"He's a new partner who just joined. You'll be seeing him around a lot from now on."
The man glanced at Woojin and nodded.
Rumble—
He lifted the floorboards, revealing a door leading underground.
"...This is fun."
As Woojin descended the stairs to the basement, he muttered in wonder at what had just happened.
"What's that about?"
"Just... I always thought of NPCs as mere programs in the game. But seeing them involved in things players have created? It's fascinating."
"Isn't that why Evil Tail is so popular? The NPCs feel truly alive."
Woojin's mind drifted to Luen at his words.
In that other world, she was a real living being, but here she was just a created NPC.
Yet she never felt out of place.
Just like Peron said—like she was truly alive within the game.
"They're not just made for handing out quests... huh."
Woojin mulled it over again as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
"It's been a while, Peron."
A fairly large space opened up below, where an elderly man stood dressed impeccably, out of place with the surroundings.
'An NPC?'
The old man stood so straight it was hard to tell if he was a player or not. He asked Peron,
"What brings you here?"
"I have an item to put up for auction."
"Is it yours?"
"No. I'm here on commission."
Woojin watched Peron bow politely to the old man, curiosity piqued about his true identity.
"We need to verify the seller's identity before listing anything."
"I thought so too, but once you see the item, you'll change your mind."
"Hmm?"
At that moment, Peron drew the [Dragon Mana Stone] from his pocket.
"Wh-where did you get this...?"
"I don't know who the client is. It's something that came to us through several intermediaries."
"...It's not dangerous, is it?"
"Who knows? We're just tasked with listing it on the black market."
Seeing the old man's expression shift, Peron flashed a meaningful smile.
"Anyway, the big shots will handle the rest. What would a guy like me know?"
"Hmm... And the auction proceeds?"
"I'll collect them and deposit them in the Parta storage vault. I've already informed the client that the black market will know about it."
Peron shrugged and continued.
"So don't try to pin anything on me. If you're curious, wait for that moment."
"...Understood. How do you want to proceed?"
"Auction."
"Give me a moment. I'll contact the Central Continent side and start as soon as participants gather."
The old man turned hurriedly and vanished somewhere.
"You sure know how to talk your way around it."
"Gotta if you want to stay alive. Once the auction ends, whether they win or lose, everyone will come after us."
That's why he'd explained upfront about moving the money to Parta.
"I just do what I'm told. Being a simple courier is the sweet spot."
Woojin nodded silently.
"The auction will start soon."
The old man returned sooner than expected.
* * *
[Time limit exceeded.]
[Labyrinth Tower 10th Floor攻略 Failed.]
"This won't do. I've run the simulations over and over, but it's impossible right now."
The man pointed at the red warning on the monitor as he leaned back his chair.
Thud—thud—thud—
Lights came on sequentially in the massive room, like a corporate boardroom.
The nine people seated around the oval table in the conference room couldn't shake their grim expressions at his words.
"Simulations aren't the same as real runs... Shouldn't we try once more?"
The youngest-looking man among them ventured cautiously.
"The Guardian Bead that prevents item drops on reckless deaths? We have only one left now."
"Yeah, Kyung-su. Even if we don't lose gear, dropping EXP is fatal. We can't assume we'll hold first place forever."
"You got leveled down from the last failure. Focus on recovering that first."
"...Got it."
The man who spoke scratched his head awkwardly at the reactions.
Continental United Ranking 35th.
Druid Choi Kyung-su was the envy of players everywhere, but here, he was just the regular maknae.
The Phoenix Unit's headquarters in Seocho-gu.
Since Evil Tail emerged into the world, everything had changed.
No one had predicted an era where the world would obsess over a game.
The Phoenix Unit, clinging to first place in this massively influential game, was practically a corporation in its own right.
Countless media and companies watched their Labyrinth Tower progress closely.
"David, good work on the briefing."
As one man stood at the table, David, who had been reporting simulation results beside the monitor, returned to his seat.
Calmly parted brown hair.
Silver-framed glasses and a crisply ironed shirt gave him a very businesslike air.
He was Evil Tail's No. 1 player, Keruga.
Do Kyung-hoon.
"You've all experienced it, and you know from the sims. The reason we can't clear the 10th floor is clear."
He gazed at one of the raid members gathered in the conference room.
"Serin. You know it too."
His voice was as cold as his businesslike appearance.
With countless untouchable achievements and records, and more passion for the game than anyone, he could be more objective about it than anyone.
"To take down Aranmal, the boss of the Blue Temple on Labyrinth Tower's 10th floor, we have to shatter its shield within the time limit. Your magic is key for that."
Phoenix Unit's elite member and 5th-grade mage Serin nodded with a stiff face at his words.
"Aranmal's shield can only be broken by magic."
It had been months since they first challenged the 10th floor.
In truth, everyone knew from experience.
"But adding another mage would mess up our page 2 clears."
Serin, at Continental United 77th, was undoubtedly a skilled mage, but compared to the rest of the raid—all in the top 50—she fell short.
'If only... it was the Red Witch instead...'
Continental United 24th, Mage Ranking 1st.
Suzuki Hana.
With repeated failures, such thoughts lingered in the Phoenix Unit members' minds.
"I'm sorry..."
Serin kept her head down, as if aware of their thinking.
"Why not try allying with Red Tower...?"
"What are you saying?"
"...Pardon?"
"Red Tower is our rival. What I meant was for you to get stronger."
Serin, on the verge of tears, looked up at Do Kyung-hoon.
"Nation, gender, age—none of that matters. You're the best I handpicked myself. I'm climbing this tower with you all."
Despite his cold exterior, his words stirred something in his comrades.
'As expected...'
'He's different from us.'
The people in the conference room nodded toward him.
"But... we need to hurry. Red Tower's publicly recruiting frontliners right now."
"The boss is one thing, but with so many magic-type mobs, Red Tower has the edge."
"Any ideas?"
That was when it happened.
"Uh... hyungnim."
Choi Kyung-su spoke cautiously, phone in hand.
"Message from Jimmy. Looks like everyone should log in and check the game."
"What's going on?"
"Something weird showed up at the auction house."
Kyung-su showed them the photo on his phone.
"...!!!"
* * *
"Is this... real?"
"Who was the manager for this month's Moretti black market?"
"It's Kay."
"Enkla Clan's sub-master? They wouldn't list junk..."
Phoenix Unit's guild house.
As soon as they logged in, the people from the conference room started returning one by one.
A whisper rang in their ears.
Everyone looked up tensely at Keruga.
The bids shot up the moment the auction began, notifications pouring in via whispers.
"What do we do?"
"Kyung-su. Follow in hundred-gold increments."
"Yes, got it."
At Keruga's order, the druid Choi Kyung-su began placing bids.
Their faces tightened as bids climbed relentlessly.
"This..."
Before Kyung-su could even enter a bid, the price jumped, leaving him bewildered as he looked to Keruga.
"Red Tower's joined the bidding."
And they knew exactly who it was.
"David, check how much funds we have available beyond the guild house storage."
Keruga's voice grew urgent.
"We can't let it fall into the Red Witch's hands, no matter what!"
The price kept rising even as he spoke.