Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 202
>Chapter Title: Inyeonmun: The Ghost Night Market
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
The night market was teeming with at least a hundred souls.
‘So this is the Goblin Night Market?’
- Whoa lol, it’s so dreamy.
- The lanterns are walking around!
- Snowman’s a lantern too lol.
Kang Seol knew about this place.
‘Inyeonmun. It looks chaotic at first glance, but it’s not that high a hurdle.’
Even so, with five of his peerless treasures scattered around, he had no idea where to start.
And when things felt this overwhelming, the best move was to call in reinforcements.
“Ur.”
- I’ve got no method. Sorcery is too far removed from my roots. I can’t figure it out in a short time.
Ur said this and then stayed perfectly still in the shadow space.
It seemed like being useless was stirring up his shame.
“Then… Jamad, can you track it down?”
Jamad pondered for a moment before replying.
- One by one, sure. But it’ll take time. And some items are bound to the fairies, not you—so have them search for those.
“Right.”
Whoosh…
Whirr…
Karen and Karuna were summoned to the ghost night market.
“You heard? Breath and Ember are linked to you, so you’ll find them faster.”
Pop-!
Karen struck a clumsy salute and replied.
“Yes, sir! Leave it to us!”
“Understood.”
Kang Seol said to Karen’s bubbly demeanor.
“If you cause trouble…”
Jamad said to Kang Seol.
- She’s already gone without listening. Let her be—we’ve got our own work.
“…Right.”
Kang Seol wandered the night market, searching for his peerless treasures.
A massive goblinfire soul was stuffing its cheeks with street food from a stall, puffing them out.
“Um…”
When Kang Seol spoke to it, the goblinfire swallowed its mouthful and responded.
“…Huh?”
[An unknown soul is bewildered by your approach. How will you respond?]
1. Just one bite.
2. Have we met somewhere before?
3. You eat so endearingly.
4. Haven’t you seen someone like me around?
…
Jamad said to Kang Seol.
- Not this one.
Kang Seol nodded and said.
“No, sorry. Keep eating.”
“Uh… okay.”
The soul resumed munching away. Jamad signaled Kang Seol.
- Ahead.
Kang Seol looked forward at Jamad’s cue.
“D-Don’t do this…”
“Heh heh… Who did something naughty?”
“Stay away… Leave me alone.”
“Shh… Come on now…”
It was the classic scene of a refined lady surrounded by sleazy playboys.
‘Which one’s it?’
- Unclear. Need to get closer.
Kang Seol had no choice but to approach the playboys and the woman.
‘How do I butt in?’
- That’s on you.
“Ah… Let go of my hand.”
“Heh? Who’s holding your hand…?”
Kang Seol held back, then threw out a line he’d heard somewhere before and intervened.
“Enough of that.”
- Oof… what a cliché.
- Hunting paused!
- ‘Who’re you? Me? I’m this girl’s boyfriend’—that’s the full set.
One of the playboys, the burly leader of the pack, stepped up to Kang Seol.
“Who’re you?”
[An unknown soul feels repulsed by your approach. How will you respond?]
1. All huddled up like this…
2. She doesn’t like it!
3. I’m her boyfriend!
4. Looks like I’ll have to teach you a lesson.
…
Kang Seol sighed, scanning the lame options for something usable—when.
- Found it.
Jamad brought hopeful news.
‘What? Who?’
Slightly distorted hopeful news.
- Right in front.
Kang Seol asked the burly soul he’d pegged as a playboy.
“Have we… met before?”
“Me? You?”
The playboys behind grew flustered as time dragged on.
“Hey! What’s going on?”
“Hold on! This guy…”
The burly soul stared hard at Kang Seol, then scratched his head.
“Feels like I’ve seen you somewhere…”
Kang Seol grabbed the soul’s wrist.
“Remember now?”
“Ah… Aah!”
“What are you doing here?”
“S-Sorry… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to…”
“Sorry for what?”
“Well… uh… everything… I’m sorry.”
“Let’s go.”
“Y-Yes…”
As Kang Seol led the soul away, the remaining ones stared in disbelief.
“Wh-What?”
“Hey! What about me? Why not me…?”
* * *
Crunch… Crunch…
Karen was totally immersed in the night market.
“This is good!”
“Right? Pretty tasty, huh?”
“What’s it made of?”
“Poison dart frog.”
“……”
“But the poison’s removed, of course!”
“Oh, that explains the flavor!”
“Want more?”
“Yeah!”
She’d been given some important task, but couldn’t quite recall.
That was the defining trait—and insidious trap—of Inyeonmun.
Wandering Inyeonmun’s night market induced a temporary daze.
Memories faded gradually, until you forgot who you even were.
The gate’s master designed it this way, insisting true treasures let you sense each other intuitively.
Anyway, the trap was affecting Karen too.
“Ooh… Amazing taste.”
“My own recipe!”
Poke poke…
Karen was deep into her feast when someone prodded her thigh.
“What the—? Who’s the punk?”
“……”
“…Kids?”
Some familiar-feeling children stood nearby.
Feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, she asked them.
“What, you kids hungry too?”
“Y-Yeah…”
Nod nod…
“Sigh… I’m too nice for my own good.”
Karen shared some skewered food with them.
The sibling-like pair neatly split the shares and ate heartily.
Poke poke…
“Sip… More?”
“Y-Yeah…”
“This is the last time.”
Skewers piled up one by one, and the promise was broken.
A short while later.
A mountain of skewers occupied one corner of the stall.
“What is this…? You kids ate this much?”
“Sis ate more, sis.”
“I pay for mine!”
“We just took what sis gave us…”
“…You little punks. We’ll settle up.”
Karen reached into her pocket and asked.
“Boss, how much?”
“Whoa, you put away a lot. Let’s see… 2 million ghost coins total.”
“…Ghost coins?”
“Yup! Why?”
“No gold coins or anything?”
“Gold? What for?”
“Kahaha… Hold on, the kids are acting up.”
She leaned down to the young siblings.
“You kids fast runners?”
“Us?”
“N-No… not really.”
Karen’s face turned cold.
“Too bad. I am.”
“…Huh?”
“Sis?”
Pop-!
Karen bolted away.
The stall owner jumped in alarm and pointed at her.
“Get her!”
“Sis!”
“Sis! Wait!”
The siblings barely kept up with Karen’s lightning speed, but the owner lost sight of her.
Panting, Karen searched for Kang Seol.
“Huff… huff… Someone chasing me?”
“Yeah.”
“Run!”
“They’re just kids.”
“Huh?”
Karen glanced back to see the siblings from earlier staring blankly at her.
Jamad said.
“See? Told you there’s a bond.”
“Yeah, they found their way here fine.”
Karen tilted her head at the cryptic words.
“Huh?”
“I asked you to find the items, remember?”
“Oh! Right… but?”
“You did great—brought two friends.”
“Huh?”
A closer look revealed the sister radiating an aura much like Karen’s sword.
“Magra-related items, so similar vibes.”
Brother must be the fire monkey then.
Karen grinned sheepishly.
“L-Leave it to me, right?”
Just then, Karuna approached with one soul in tow. Kang Seol asked.
“Found it?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“By the lake…”
Karuna had bonded long with his weapon Breath, so he located it quickly.
After Kang Seol’s orders, Karuna sought a soul with a matching aura.
Approaching the source, he found a woman seated by a large lake.
Karuna spoke.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing.”
“……”
“I think… I was waiting for someone.”
He gently placed a hand on Breath’s shoulder.
Breath replied.
“Yes… it was you.”
Unlike Karen, it was quiet and flawless.
Thus, Karuna successfully returned Breath to Kang Seol.
Now, with four peerless treasures recovered, only one remained.
As Kang Seol pondered where to search next, Karen urgently whispered to him.
“D-Don’t say I’m here!”
“What?”
“Us too…”
Duck!
Duck duck!
The trio hid behind the group.
Soon, a stern-faced soul approached Kang Seol.
“Haven’t seen a flighty soul around here?”
“Flighty… soul?”
It screamed Karen.
“Yes. She ate and ran without paying, so I’m looking at the owner’s request.”
“Ah…”
Sounded just like her.
But Jamad, listening quietly, chuckled.
“Hey, all found.”
“What?”
“This one.”
Kang Seol stared at the soul per Jamad’s words, then chuckled too.
“It’s you, huh?”
“Huh?”
Kang Seol placed a hand on the soul’s body.
“Wh-What are you—Huh?”
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Ah… yes…”
Karen and the kids popped up from hiding, pestering the group playfully.
“What the—? You scared me!”
“Guh…”
“Scared! Scared!”
“Dummy! Dummy!”
With the material soul taking form, Kang Seol looked like the head of a big family.
Anyway, business here was done.
“Now we just need to exit… Let’s ask.”
Kang Seol went to a quiet stall and asked.
“Excuse me, where’s the way out?”
“Over there…”
“Thanks.”
“But… you taking that with you?”
“Huh?”
Kang Seol startled and looked at his right arm.
A child soul dangled from the nape of his clothes, held aloft.
“……”
Swing… swing…
The flailing kid.
- Aaaah, shit what is this?
- Again, you klepto!
- Let your guard down and your hands grab stuff lol.
The other souls came in every color.
But this one was pitch black.
“N-No, it’s not.”
Kang Seol set the kid down.
In Inyeonmun, the third gate of Guimun, you couldn’t take others’ items besides your own.
‘It defies karma. Heavy penalties later.’
Kang Seol nodded, deciding not to take the kid.
But the stall woman smiled and said.
“Again…”
Kang Seol looked at his right hand again.
Swing… swing…
He’d unconsciously picked up the black soul again.
The stall woman said.
“Seems like a good match.”
“…Huh?”
“The kid wants to go too—why not take him?”
“But if I do…”
Kang Seol gazed at the black soul.
Then he bowed his head and sighed.
“Sigh… Wanna come along?”
Taking items was one thing, but ignoring their will and forcing it out would bring backlash even Kang Seol couldn’t escape.
Yet this black soul bobbed its head furiously in delight.
Nod nod.
“No helping it. Now… what to do about this klepto…”
Kang Seol headed toward the door the woman indicated.
Creeeak…
Kang Seol vanished beyond the door with his items, leaving the woman. A soul from the next stall approached.
“Offering Yahum-nim’s item? Are you sane?”
“Hee hee hee… They won’t leave with it anyway. Yahum-nim will punish him severely!”
“Oh ho… Planned that from the start! Indeed… this’ll be entertaining.”
* * *
[You have reached the end of Guimun.]
[Linked adventure continues.]
[This adventure is extremely dangerous.]
[Rewards granted only after all adventures end.]
[Next adventure begins.]
[Twenty-eighth adventure begins.]
[Adventure 28. Lord of Guimun]
Kang Seol opened the door to find Han Yeomyung soaked in blood and Philia with a grim glare waiting.
‘They’ve been through hell.’
Han Yeomyung and Philia couldn’t greet Kang Seol warmly—their minds weren’t in the best shape.
But as top-tier fighters, they didn’t show it.
Dong…
Dong dong dong…
“…Drums?”
Clap-!
“Claps?”
It sounded like an Eastern military band—grand drums overlaid with claps.
Whoosh…
Whoosh whoosh whoosh…
The dim surroundings brightened.
Candles appeared at regular intervals around them.
And…
“Hee hee hee…”
“Kuhahaha!”
“It’s been ages since I sensed life.”
Ghosts lined up in a row, human-like in build but with grotesquely fierce faces.
“You come with greed, ugly greed.”
“What do you desire?”
Click-!
Click-!
Han Yeomyung and Philia gripped their weapons and stepped forward.
One ghost said.
“Greed indeed! But greed is the ultimate power!”
“Greed lets you do anything! Hee hee hee! Good!”
“But what do you want?”
Dong dong dong…
A ghost asked Kang Seol.
“I’ve no intention of answering you.”
Clap-!
“Fool!”
“No matter! Heh heh…”
One ghost stepped forward and pointed at Han Yeomyung.
“You! Whirlwind Hwin will face you!”
“Yes.”
Another pointed at Philia.
“You, Iron Gzo will handle.”
“…Yes.”
Dong dong dong…
Another stepped up and pointed at Kang Seol.
“And you…”
Clap-!
Right then, a thunderous voice boomed from behind the ghosts.
“Step back… Hee hee hee hee!”
“Y-Yahum!”
“All of you… annoying. Step back!”
“Yes!”
Dong dong dong…
Clap-!
Drums and claps.
The ghosts retreated in terror to the sides.
The obscuring darkness thinned.
Swish…
“Gasp…”
“Th-That’s…”
Han Yeomyung and Philia gasped in shock.
A ghost the size of an adult ogre lay on its side, grinning at Kang Seol.
“Arrogant human… Thought you’d take my item and leave?”
Kang Seol looked at the black soul and chuckled in disbelief.
‘Yahum’s item, huh? No wonder…’
Yahum rose.
Dong dong dong…
It wasn’t just the size—the presence was crushing.
Clap-!
“You… get nothing.”
“…Why?”
“You can’t surpass me, Yahum. Hee hee hee hee!”
Steal another’s item in the night market, and Yahum handles you personally. Lord of this Guimun.
Stronger than all other ghosts combined.
“Thieves deserve… proper punishment… Right! I’ll crush and forge you into a weapon!”
Yahum slammed his spiked club on the ground.
Kang Seol retorted.
“Thief? Watch your words.”
“…What?”
Dong dong dong…
Kang Seol stood firm even now. He’d come prepared to face Yahum from the start.
“Not a thief. A robber.”
“Insolent fool!”
Clap-!
Whirr…
The souls around Kang Seol reverted to gear form.
Dong dong dong…
The black soul turned into pitch-black gauntlets. Kang Seol swiftly discarded his old ones and donned the new.
“Armed robber looks better than petty thief anyway.”
Clap-!
Shadows enveloped Kang Seol’s body as a message appeared.
[Ghost (鬼) - Peerless (不世出): Yahum’s Goblin Gauntlets activate.]