Chapter 48: Black Market (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 48: Black Market (1)
"Be careful? What do you mean by that?"
Jinhyuk lowered his voice.
[That guy. His scent is strange. Unpleasant and... sticky, should I say? Unlike you, it's a scent I wouldn't want to eat even if I were starving to death.]
So that's what it was.
Was she talking about the smell of blood?
What on earth does this girl think humans are?
A walking lunchbox?
Or a snack to eat when she's bored?
Either way, she wasn't normal.
[I can guess what you're imagining from your expression, but I'm not joking. I'm giving you a real warning. That man is absolutely not an ordinary person.]
Her voice was quite serious.
"Hmm..."
Jinhyuk's expression hardened slightly.
Seeing her go this far, she probably wasn't just joking.
Glancing forward, he saw a white man with blonde hair wearing a white suit.
He looked to be in his 20s, quite young. However, the natural ease that exuded from him somehow carried a sense of seasoned experience.
"Hahaha! It's nothing, really."
"No, seriously! How on earth did you know?"
The man and the flight attendant were chatting away, seemingly enjoying themselves.
'On the surface, he just looks like a young CEO or a second-generation chaebol heir...'
Was he really hiding something more, just as Alice said?
There was only one way to find out.
Jinhyuk carefully activated the 'Eye of Truth' so the other man wouldn't notice.
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Name: Alex Judro
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Level: 27
Strength: 15, Agility: 13, Stamina: 15, Mana: 61
Stat Points: 0
Coins: 0
Class: Necromancer
Unique Ability: Forgotten Tumulus
Skills: Lv5 'Resurrection of the Dead', Lv5 'Contract of the Dead', Lv5 'Mana Melting Furnace', Lv4 'Touch of the Dead', Lv4 'Crossbreeding'
——————————————————
[Copy Condition: You can copy one of the target's unique abilities or skills depending on your affinity with them. However, to achieve maximum affinity, you must join the 'Demonic Human Association'.]
Could this be...!
Jinhyuk's eyes shook with shock.
To think that man was actually one of the Demonic Humans.
Was that sly, smirk-filled face all a lie?
[See? I was right, wasn't I? Even if I look like this, my nose is a masterpiece that wouldn't lose to anyone in the Tower of Trials...]
Alice raised her voice to brag, but because he shoved the ring into his pocket, he couldn't hear another word.
She was useful, but her talkativeness was her only flaw.
The fact that she still thought she was a queen was also a problem.
It was then.
"Are you enjoying your flight, Player Kang Jinhyuk?"
The flight attendant approached with a bright smile.
Perfect timing.
This was a chance to ask for more information about Alex.
"Yes, thanks to you."
"Please let me know if you have any discomfort. Oh! And I brought some snacks. Would you like some?"
"I was actually getting a bit hungry. Thank you."
Jinhyuk received a beef steak sandwich and a can of Blanc beer.
He then casually brought up Alex.
"I see there's someone else in first class besides me. Is he an Awakened by any chance?"
"Ah, you mean Mr. Alex!"
When he asked about Alex, the flight attendant's face lit up as she answered.
He must have really won her over.
"He's an executive at a famous French cosmetics company. He came to Korea on business and is heading back to the US today."
That guy is a cosmetics company executive?
A profession that didn't suit a corpse-handling Necromancer at all.
Interesting.
'It's probably no coincidence that he's in first class with me, either.'
There was a high probability he boarded this flight intentionally.
And there was only one reason.
To try recruiting me again, which the duo had failed to do last time.
'Anyway, I wonder how he'll approach me this time.'
Since Cheon Yu-seong's assassination contract had failed, they wouldn't be able to approach openly.
They would either bring a more attractive offer than before or try to win him over by slowly building rapport.
Jinhyuk leisurely crossed his arms.
Now that he knew the opponent's goal in advance, the ending of this play was bound to go exactly as he wanted.
All he had to do was put on an innocent face and pretend to fall for the guy's scheme.
How many hours had passed?
Alex stood up from his seat and headed toward the restroom.
To be precise, he was pretending to go to the restroom while approaching Jinhyuk.
"Oh? No way..."
Seeing Jinhyuk, Alex's eyes widened.
As if he had just run into a celebrity in real life.
"Excuse me. Are you perhaps Player Kang Jinhyuk, who received an S-rank evaluation in Korea today?"
A slightly excited face.
A trembling voice.
Wow. Look at that acting.
At this rate, I'd believe it if he said he was a movie star instead of a corporate executive.
But when it came to acting, Jinhyuk wasn't one to lose either.
"Yes. I was re-evaluated as an S-rank just a short while ago."
"I knew it! I watched the video uploaded to the [Tower of Trials] community today over and over again. This is truly amazing. To think I'd meet the person from the video in real life."
After chatting excitedly for a while, Alex seemed to remember something and fumbled inside his suit pocket.
"Pardon my manners... I am Alex Judro."
The business card he was handed read: 'Overseas Sales Director of De Feona Corporation'.
"I'm Kang Jinhyuk."
"Meeting like this must be fate. Why don't we go to the bar for a drink? A long flight goes by much faster with some alcohol."
Building rapport under the guise of a coincidence.
Certainly not a bad method.
Especially if one possessed a gentlemanly face and eloquent speech.
But well.
Who would be the one laughing at the end of this conversation?
"Sure, it'll be a good way to kill time. I was actually feeling a bit unsatisfied just drinking beer."
* * *
They arrived at the bar designated for first and business-class passengers.
"There's a drink I enjoy. Would you mind if we went with that?"
"As long as it has a high alcohol content, anything is fine with me."
"Haha. You don't have to worry about that."
Louis XIII.
A premium cognac sold for 15 million won per bottle in high-end salons.
Alex ordered it as casually as if he were buying a Coke from a vending machine.
One glass, two glasses.
As the strong liquor was emptied, the guard between the two gradually lowered.
At least, that was what Alex believed.
And finally, when the entire bottle was empty.
"Actually, the reason I came to Korea wasn't for cosmetics. It was to expand our business into the Awakened sector."
Alex began to bring up his real business.
Clink.
An ice cube the size of a child's fist shifted inside the glass.
Jinhyuk feigned ignorance and asked back.
"A business related to the Awakened?"
"Yes. We wanted to start light, but a small problem arose."
"What kind of problem...?"
"Before I tell you that, first, Player Kang Jinhyuk, do you know about the person who has been wearing a mask recently?"
Of course I do.
Since that mask is in my carrier right now.
If I pulled it out and put it on right now, his expression would be quite a sight to behold...
But I had to hold back for now.
The story wasn't over yet.
Jinhyuk composed his expression and continued.
"I've seen him a few times in videos. He's the player who played the biggest role in clearing the 'Corridor of the Fallen' on the 1st floor. He also declared his intention to clear the 4th floor at the recent summit between large guilds. But what kind of problem does he have with your company, Mr. Alex?"
"Should I call it a turf war of sorts? We wanted to help clear the boss, but he blocked us so aggressively. He probably wanted to take all the credit for himself."
Look at this guy.
He's lying through his teeth without even blinking.
Since I uploaded the video after editing out the parts showing their connection to the Demonic Humans...
He seemed to think a third party would never know the truth.
'How can you lie like this right to the face of the person involved?'
Seriously, even if I wanted to pretend to be fooled, I couldn't.
Jinhyuk chuckled.
It would be quite entertaining to see how far he would go with this bullshit.
"He sounds like a very greedy fellow, this masked man."
"Exactly! It's too much! That's why, Player Kang Jinhyuk, if you could perhaps join us... it would be an incredibly huge help to us."
"Me?"
"Yes! Since S-ranks are granted the right to independent action, no one will be able to interfere with you, Mr. Jinhyuk."
So.
He wanted to use the privileges of an S-rank to piggyback on the 4th-floor raid?
What should I even say to this?
Talk about having thick skin.
He wouldn't bleed a single drop even if you stabbed him with a ballpoint pen.
"It's not that I dislike you, Mr. Alex, but that's a bit much for a favor."
"Of course, I intend to offer a reward fitting for such an unreasonable request."
As if he had been waiting for this, Alex opened his subspace inventory.
Hummm!
What revealed itself along with a brilliant light was a blue liquid contained in a transparent crystal—an Elixir.
Even if one contracted a terminal illness.
Or even if their heart was shattered, it was a legendary potion that could heal them.
'Seriously, what on earth do these guys do to have so many of these expensive things?'
No, seriously.
If possible, I'd love to pick a day to film a vlog of a Demonic Human's daily life.
To see and learn just how wickedly they have to live from the moment they wake up until they fall asleep to live such a warm and well-fed life.
Jinhyuk toyed with the bottle containing the Elixir.
"This... is indeed tempting."
At that, Alex pulled out a sheet of paper.
"Just sign this contract, and the Elixir is yours, Player Kang Jinhyuk."
[Alex activates Lv5 'Contract of the Dead'!]
A faint, yet ominous energy surged.
It was a unique skill of Necromancers that held binding power over the contracted party.
'As expected, he's using this.'
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
On the surface, it looked no different from an ordinary contract.
That was why it was terrifying.
It was far too easy to fall for it without knowing.
'Since it's an Absolute Judgment, once you're caught, you must carry out the contents written in the contract.'
Failure to comply meant nothing but death. Therefore, he must not take the bait.
However, it would be such a waste of an Elixir if he didn't sign.
"Ah!"
As if remembering something, Jinhyuk lightly clapped his hands together.
"Have you decided?"
"Yes. I'm sorry, but I won't be signing. There are so many scams going around these days, so my policy is to never put pen to paper lightly."
"That... is indeed disappointing to hear. In that case, I have no choice but to take back the Elixir as well."
Alex reached his hand out toward Jinhyuk.
Since the deal fell through, he was demanding the Elixir back.
But.
"I'll be keeping this."
"What do you mean by that?"
"My other policy is that once I put a piece of candy in my mouth, I never spit it out until I've finished it."
Saying so, he subtly gathered his mana.
Rumble!
The airplane shook violently.
"P-Passengers, due to turbulence, the aircraft is shaking temporarily, so please fasten your seatbelts... Aaaah!"
"Everyone, please stop moving for a moment."
The flight attendants moved in a flurry.
Everyone assumed this phenomenon was due to encountering turbulence.
"I'll head back to my seat for safety. You should follow the flight attendant's instructions too, Mr. Alex."
Jinhyuk smirked slyly at Alex, who was clenching his jaw.
Why?
If you've got a problem with that, why don't you try using force?
But will you be okay?
What can a Necromancer even do in a place without a single corpse?
Don't tell me you're going to kill everyone here?
'I doubt it.'
That wouldn't happen.
Alex's authority within the Demonic Human Association wouldn't be large enough for him to make a decision of that scale on his own.