The Collector's Greed

Bartender Jackson pulled out four bottles. Their flamboyant appearance and the sloshing liquid inside immediately caught my attention. I had used the memory eraser and gender-swap potion from my last purchase to great effect. I hoped this batch would yield similar treasures. I started with the blood-red wine. The bottle was tangled in tree roots, making it feel like fruit plucked straight from nature.

"Shit." This was a liquor that boosted the consumer's 'talent' to make them a genius in every field. However, it was also a cursed drug that induced self-destructive desires. If consumed, one would be plagued by endless urges to commit suicide, murder, or eat human flesh.

"This is fucking dangerous. I'll take it immediately."

"Hahaha. Worth the risk... is that it?"

"Yes. Besides... my slaves can't refuse my orders. There's no reason to refuse a chance to mass-produce geniuses."

"Indeed. A sound judgment. I'll pack it up for you right away."

Perhaps because it was over 10,000 coins, the bartender carefully lifted the bottle and packed it into a box. Meanwhile, I checked the next bottle. This one was a blue liquid that looked like it had been scooped from the sea. The color reminded me of a drink called Blue Hawaii I used to buy at the convenience store. 'The color is really pretty.'

I read the detailed description. While I was doing that, the bartender who had packed the Endless Impulse was smiling brightly, making three cocktails and handing one to each of us. Of course, no one touched them. Jackson was a man who didn't know how to give up. His persistence in trying to catch at least one of us was truly tenacious.

"This is... hmm..." I hesitated to buy 'That Summer Day' for a moment. 'A happy dream, huh...' In reality, it was a drug that made you want to drink until you died in your sleep... Since there was nothing happier than dying in your sleep, I doubted I could use this properly. Most of the people I intended to kill were my enemies or people trying to kill me. I didn't intend to grant them a peaceful rest. On the other hand, the high addictiveness made me wary of drinking it myself.

"For now... I'll buy it." I purchased it anyway. Having encountered various products and survived in many ways, I’d learned that if you buy something, you'll eventually find a use for it. Even if I didn't find a proper use, it wasn't that expensive...

I moved on to the next bottle. It was a rum that held the colors of the universe. Watching the indescribable, iridescent colors shimmering, I was naturally drawn in. I felt like I could stare at the liquid inside the bottle all day long...

This was a liquor with a unique effect different from what I had imagined. 'Teleporting to another dimension...' Even the locations I would be moved to seemed incredibly dangerous. Moreover, the warning about becoming a 'susceptible' constitution terrified me. It was an item with no apparent benefits, but... the phrase "May you find what you were looking for" really bothered me. It felt as if some immense treasure was hidden there. In the end, I closed my eyes and burned 20,000 coins on this item I wasn't even sure I needed. Well, my slaves would earn it back. As a master, I shouldn't be too hung up on coin consumption. My slaves would handle the coin collection while I slept anyway. I just had to spend it lavishly... Thinking that, I felt a bit more at ease.

"Then, this is the last item. I hope you like it."

"Ah, yes." I checked the golden, shimmering bottle. This had actually been the most eye-catching one from the start.

"This is an item I can't help but buy."

"Hahaha... because it's an item that allows you to escape anytime, anywhere."

A 50,000-coin liquor. It was an astronomical price. However, its performance was so incredible that I couldn't help but buy it. With this, I could escape alone even from a place like the Thrill Mansion. I could escape immediately, regardless of what happened to the others left behind. 'Though the quantity is severely small...' The mead was in a bottle the size of a soju bottle. It would be gone after a few drinks. I would have liked it to be permanent, but it was a liquor that only worked when consumed, not a tool, so it couldn't be helped.

"Then, we've bought everything, so we'll be going now."

"Ah, w, wait a moment..!!"

"No!! Goodbye!!!"

Bartender Jackson kept persistently trying to recommend something. He was a man who didn't know how to give up and was the type to cling stickily. So, we quickly left the shop. The next place to go was the slave shop run by that clown bastard. In terms of danger, it was the most dangerous place, and once I accepted the final member of the Black Market Underground Raid Team, the preparations would be complete.

"H, hey... Jojun. Those things..."

"Aram. You just have to ignore them. If you keep looking, they think you're interested and get closer. Then it gets really troublesome."

"Oh. I understand."

The path to the circus was through an abandoned amusement park. Black shapes were flickering and wandering around here. It was clear that if I looked or showed interest, they would cause trouble, so I quickly grabbed Aram's hand and pulled her along. Just then, Cheshire, who had been leading the way, spoke up as if something was wrong.

"Hmm... this... it's strange..."

"Yes?"

"Something... the internal structure has completely changed. Jojun... I think we're lost."

At Cheshire's bombshell, the strength drained from my legs.

"L, lost...?"

"That is... I think that clown bastard did something. He seems intent on screwing with us..."

"No, that crazy bastard suddenly... Ah."

Come to think of it, we had teased him mercilessly last time when we bought Phallus for the minimum price of 10,000 coins. The clown seemed extremely furious back then... I didn't think he would still be holding a grudge. What a petty guy...

"No, that guy... he said he'd only show us bad stock. He didn't just show us stock, he moved the whole shop?"

"That's right. He must really hate us."

"H, hey... Jojun. What's going on?"

Aram was anxious. I explained the general situation to her.

"Huu... we're fucked, aren't we?"

"Yeah. Completely."

"Then what do we do now? Should we just go back?"

Perhaps out of stubbornness at Aram's question, Cheshire shook her head and replied quickly.

"No. We can't go back like this. We just need to find it. Trust me and follow me. How much experience do I have as a guide? We can't just leave."

"As expected... you're reliable."

"Cheshire-unnie... you're cool."

"Huhu..."

Cheshire began to energetically search for the circus after we cheered her on. We spent about two hours searching for the circus afterward. If I had only had four hours, I would have just given up and gone back halfway, but since I didn't need to find a door to get out of the twisted alleyway, it didn't matter much if I wasted time. Besides, this was the final destination. I was a bit worried about Aila waiting for us at the central plaza, but I felt relieved thinking that as a Black Market veteran, she was probably more comfortable than we were.

"Found you!! You damn bastard!!!"

Finally, we found the circus. The clown, who had been busy cleaning the audience seats, was startled when he saw us and pointed a finger at me.

"A, ah!! What!! What is it!! It's time for you to leave now!! What is it!! Why did you come here!!"

He was cleaning up the circus, likely expecting us to waste time and just go back. But when we suddenly broke in, he shouted in a very flustered state. As expected, he had twisted the path to keep us from coming. Cheshire mocked him to the fullest and made her legitimate request as a customer as unpleasant as possible.

"Forget it! We don't have time, so hurry up and bring out the goods!!"

"Ugh... you persistent bastards... crawling in here... it's almost closing time..."

"That's why! Move quickly before you close!! You slow-ass slug!!"

"Grrr...!"

The clown scowled as if he were dying of frustration and led us to the basement warehouse.

"Aram, don't go near the iron bars."

"Yeah. I know."

We followed behind the reliable Cheshire. It felt like having a neighborhood thug as my ally. Just a while ago, she had blown the head off a nasty donut shop owner in the food alley. In many ways, she was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠incredibly reliable.

Soon, the clown reached the far end of the slave warehouse and showed us not four, but nine slaves.

"Well, look. It's all the stuff that won't sell. Pick whatever you want!"

"Oh... wow... it really is the leftovers..."

I couldn't help but admire ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them. The slaves the merchant had brought out were all the ones I had given up on buying.