How Did It Come to This?
How the hell did things end up like this?
"...Snore."
I stared at the black-haired beauty sprawled on the sofa in front of me, dead to the world in sleep, then dropped my head in utter defeat.
Really, how did it come to this?
If I could turn back time, I'd go back ten minutes—no, even one minute ago in a heartbeat.
"Why you of all people here?"
This wasn't the right timing for her to show up. She wasn't supposed to be here at this point in the story.
So I'd just helped her out thoughtlessly when the monsters attacked.
And that turned out to be a flag.
One of the main heroines falls into distrust of humanity and awakens her ability in this event. But by saving her, I'd prevented that awakening.
"The original plot's been twisted...."
All because of me.
How the hell did it come to this?
I replayed the morning's events from the start.
April 4, 2020, 9 AM. A dingy office near Incheon City Hall.
"So you want me to convert all of this to cash right now?"
Baek Sang-woo scratched his head, eyeing the colorful assortment of orbs in the crossbag.
"Yep. Right away?"
The culprit behind this headache, Phoenix, beamed as she pointed at the orbs on the table.
"These are fresh ones, not even turned into cores yet. See? So vibrant. Not a scratch on 'em."
"Yeah, they're so pristine, it feels like monsters could swarm this place any second."
When Phoenix had pulled out the monster cores, Sang-woo had seriously considered bolting for the door.
Thanks to years as a fence, he could gauge core grades with the naked eye, and his instincts screamed these were C to B-rank.
If this weren't near City Hall, guarded by A-rank heroes, monsters would've smelled the cores and come charging in with eyes rolled back.
"The quantity's insane...."
If a B-rank monster gobbled all this, it'd evolve to A-rank in no time.
Sensing his worry, Phoenix waved it off with a laugh.
"Nah, no way that'll happen. Right, Deok-bae?"
"...Yeah."
Deok-bae, standing behind the sofa where Phoenix sat, pulled off his hood.
Underneath was a monster person with skin entirely covered in rock.
"Villain?"
Since the kaijin hadn't gone public yet, Sang-woo mistook Deok-bae for a villain showing off his ability.
Phoenix nodded, making excuses.
"As you can see, my guard here's an ability user. North Incheon’s crawling with prime monster-hunting spots, y'know?"
"Sure, but...."
Sang-woo eyed Deok-bae and the core-filled bag suspiciously.
Deok-bae didn't look strong enough to gather this many on his own.
"What about you, then?"
"Kinda."
Phoenix shrugged.
Sang-woo racked his brain for ability users matching her description.
Striking blue hair. Ability awakenings often changed hair color, but this shade was uniquely bold. No match in his memory.
Newbie who'd just awakened, maybe?
"Eh, doesn't matter if you hunted 'em or killed someone and stole 'em."
"Quick on the uptake with customer needs. Heh heh."
"Any proper registered hero would've gone through the Association. Anyone hauling this here? Obvious off-the-books type."
This was a black market joint from the start.
Sang-woo slipped on white gloves and inspected each core.
The gloves swept over the dark gray orbs.
"Seems legit C-grades. And these...."
He carefully lifted three cores from the bag's depths.
They were noticeably larger than the others, with a faint 'color' unlike the C-grades—green lines twisting like DNA, glowing. Definitely B-rank.
"B-grades. Took some doing to snag 'em."
"Two of you taking down B-ranks? Must've been rough. No run-ins with heroes or hunters? If these are from some guild, I'm out of business."
"All good. No chance of trouble. We got 'em from Yeongjongdo."
Pfft!
A staffer sipping coffee at another desk sprayed it all over his monitor.
The stale coffee scent filled the room.
"You calling that a joke?"
"Believe it or not, up to you. So, what's your best offer?"
"Sigh. Frustrating. Mind if I smoke?"
Phoenix nodded.
Sang-woo lit a cigarette from his pack, fumbling for his lighter.
Fwoosh.
"...Huh?"
Gray smoke rose before him. A tiny flame danced on Phoenix's fingertip.
"Oh. Found your lighter."
"Heh heh."
Sang-woo took a drag, running a hand through his hair.
"What, gonna kill me if the price sucks?"
"Threat? Nah, just being nice."
"A tiger playing with a rabbit ain't friendship."
Sang-woo tapped ash into the tray. The cigarette burned faster than usual—not his imagination.
"...Bottom line: can't do cash."
"Can't do cash?"
Phoenix tilted her head.
"Obviously. You think this haul's chump change? D-grades alone go for ten mil each."
"Thirty mil?"
Silence-broken Deok-bae chimed in.
Phoenix tsked; Sang-woo relaxed, nodding approval.
"That's Association official rates. Selling to a fence like me? You know you take a hit."
"Value's down to a third, Deok-bae."
"Tch."
Deok-bae scowled at the jab. Sang-woo continued.
"C-grades: five mil each. B-grades: five hundred mil total."
"...? That's generous. Profitable?"
Phoenix blinked; Sang-woo stubbed his cig.
He barely held back a sigh, sniping at the frantic staffer wiping coffee.
"See? Sharp dealer. If she'd lowballed, we'd be dead."
"Nah, wouldn't kill ya."
"Yeah, yeah. So, bare minimum margin: two-point-two bil. Cool?"
"Sure."
Phoenix nodded coolly. Sang-woo eyed her warily, pulling out a contract.
"No haggling? I'm recording. Stamp here?"
"Don't care. But two-point-two bil? And no cash?"
"Yeah. Shipped a big cash load to Shin Seoul recently."
Sang-woo sipped instant coffee. Cigarette and coffee stench mingled rottenly.
"If you're eyeing us long-term, note this: profits from fringe spots like here go straight to HQ after expenses. Payments from HQ. We're just brokers."
"Oh? And?"
Sang-woo rubbed his throbbing temples, pointing at the cores.
"You're majorly misunderstanding something."
He smirked pityingly, tapping his smartwatch.
"Who carries cash these days? All digital."
"Ah."
Phoenix frowned for the first time—real headache.
Sang-woo grinned snakelike.
"No virtual account? In this smart era, planning to flash paper bills? Fine in Shin Seoul, but around here? Get dragged to some alley and fleeced."
"Tactical timeout."
Phoenix raised a hand, beckoning Deok-bae.
"Phone got an account?"
"Yeah, but it's Ho-cheol hyung's. No biometrics, frozen instantly. Cops trace it."
"Yours?"
"Nah. Never made one."
"...Shit. Should've chopped off a finger."
Wasted reviving him.
Phoenix licked her lips regretfully, facing Sang-woo again.
"Fine. Since we're trading, throw in some service?"
"This flow's gonna make my life hell."
Phoenix clapped.
"ID card. Virtual account. Phone in that name. Ongoing business—easy, right?"
"That your real goal?"
"Perks. Heh heh. Can't?"
Sang-woo shrugged smugly.
"Two hundred mil."
"Deal."
"??"
"????"
Cognitive dissonance hit Sang-woo. Did I mishear?
"Misunderstanding? Me underquoting? For your terms, core price drops to two bil. Just shaved two hundred mil. Got it?"
"Yeah. Problem?"
Phoenix looked baffled. Sang-woo glanced around.
Deok-bae averted eyes indifferently; staffer frozen since the spray.
"Sigh."
Sang-woo lit another cig; blue flame rose naturally.
Thoughtful gesture, but he'd pass.
"......Listen. Money play or not, funny saying this, but for future dealings: heed it."
"Could skip it then."
Sang-woo jabbed his cig at her.
"Money's precious. Yeah?! Hero world or not, value holds—rose even! Shin Seoul needs cash to enter now. Two bil? Barely a ten-pyeong outer apartment. Fake ID via China route? Under a hundred mil. Girl, you're way too green...."
"Whoa. That boomer lecture?"
Sang-woo nearly flung his cig, restraining.
Opponent: ability user. Him: powerless.
"Can I get mad now? She's clueless AF. Rich but powerless, so I endure."
"Kidding, puhuhu."
Phoenix covered her mouth giggling, then straightened seriously.
"Shave two hundred mil or strip all two-point-two—don't care. Money's just earned as needed. So ID, account, burner phone—today afternoon latest? Oh, almost forgot: Black Market account too."
"Haa, fine. Starve broke once, you'll learn. Yesung! Papers!"
"Yes, boss!"
Staffer, wiping keyboard crevices, rummaged cabinets.
Sang-woo stubbed his cig, checking watch, muttering.
"Hmm. Hundred mil more, done before three...."
"Do that."
"Yesung!! Add jumbo sweet-and-sour pork to lunch!"
"Yes!!!"
Yesung beamed, dashing about gathering stuff.
"City's wrecked—delivery works?"
"Not Seoul, but Incheon. Haha. Anyway, customer, bit of a wait? Nineteen bil to account after three hundred mil cut. More needs? Right away."
"...Personality flip?"
"Hahaha! For our two-hundred-mil-slasher—er, valued customer—anything! I'd kiss your shoes! Hahaha!"
"Wait, you said anything?"
Phoenix's eyes sparkled, hands clasped.
Sang-woo shivered inexplicably.
"W-Well, within my power—"
"Ongoing trades, sell these too?"
Phoenix yanked three cores from her pocket.
Striking colors, worlds apart from C/B-grades.
"Pretty, right? A-grades show attributes strong, whole thing their hue.... Hey? Listening?"
Sang-woo rubbed eyes, reality blurring.
A raw A-rank core in central Incheon.
"President Baek Sang-woo~ Hearing me?"
"Why."
"Huh?"
"Why no monster alert? Yeongjongdo monsters should've smelled it and flown here."
Yesung had already fled.
Phoenix fiddled absently, then got it.
"Oh. Why no attack with all these cores?"
She grinned wide, slapping her shoulder, tossing cores back.
"Told ya. Monsters'll never hit here."
Sang-woo met her eyes.
Blue flames burned in those round pupils.