Chapter 51: Encounter (8)
Chapter 51: Encounter (8)
During her two years active as Wolyeong, Kang Yujin’s sole purpose was to save money for Han Shin.
In the early days of Han Shin’s injury, he had spent a long time unconscious in the hospital, and even when he did regain some semblance of consciousness, he spent most of his time asleep.
Back then, Kang Yujin never wanted to leave his side. However, burdened by the weight of hospital bills, she had to swallow her tears and take on any request the Association threw at her, clearing dungeons indiscriminately as Wolyeong.
As time passed and Han Shin began to recover to the point where he was awake more often—even if he still couldn't move his body—Kang Yujin had already amassed enough wealth that hospital fees were no longer a concern.
From that point on, loath to be away from Han Shin for long, she mostly accepted one-day assignments, occasionally traveling to nearby Japan or China and returning immediately.
Having lived as Wolyeong for two years for Han Shin’s sake, Kang Yujin naturally knew of places like the Black Market, where artifacts were traded through unofficial channels.
Given the immense value of artifacts, the existence of such a place was a natural phenomenon.
There was a Black Market shared by Korea, China, and Japan.
Naturally, the majority of the items listed there came from China.
Because China was so vast, Portals appeared there with high frequency. Consequently, management was often lax, leading to many artifacts being embezzled; it was inevitable that China would supply the bulk of the inventory.
Japan followed, with Korea coming in third.
The auctions were primarily held in Mokpo, Korea.
Artifacts from China and Japan were gathered and traded there, and all three governments turned a blind eye despite being well aware of it.
While political bribery played a part, the biggest reason was the tacit acknowledgment that such a market was necessary.
Trading artifacts through official channels required exhaustive procedures and formal justification. Because artifacts were treated as a type of national resource, the general public kept a close eye on them. Therefore, trading under the table in the Black Market was simply more convenient.
Kang Yujin was the world's only S-Rank Psychokinetic.
Naturally, she was granted every convenience, and being introduced to the Black Market was a matter of course.
Kang Yujin had come here today to sell the artifacts she received from Grace.
She was, of course, dressed to thoroughly conceal her identity, wearing a deep robe and a mask. Such attire was standard in the Black Market, so she didn't stand out as unusual.
The artifacts Grace had provided were a necklace embedded with a ruby and a golden, shimmering bracelet. Both were mage-type artifacts with the function of amplifying Mana.
Not long after she put them up for sale on the Black Market...
While the surface remained calm, the undercurrents of the Black Market were thrown into an absolute frenzy.
An artifact that amplifies a mage's Mana might seem like a simple function, but it was considered a powerful, dream-like item for any mage.
Given the sheer firepower mages possessed, large clans doted on them and nations developed them strategically. Thus, securing such artifacts was of paramount importance.
The large clans of Korea, China, and Japan all had eyes and ears planted in the Black Market.
Since there were always Awakeners stationed there on a rotating basis, everyone knew the moment Kang Yujin listed the items for auction.
The fact that two artifacts with Mana-amplifying properties had appeared on the market at once naturally drew everyone's gaze.
Having been active as Wolyeong to save for Han Shin’s medical bills and their future life together, Kang Yujin had taken an interest in this field before and knew the value of artifacts well.
Because of this, she was acutely aware of just how incredible the artifacts Grace had handed over were.
The funny thing was that Grace had only expected them to fetch enough for a single house.
To her, such artifacts weren't particularly valuable.
Back when she was active as a knight in Nippur, artifacts with Mana-amplifying functions were practically basic equipment; their value was determined by their rank, and the ones she was selling now were nothing special in her eyes.
Kang Yujin received the most hospitable treatment.
As someone selling such valuable artifacts, it was the treatment she deserved.
The Black Market staff guided Kang Yujin to a luxurious private room. From there, she could monitor the progress of the auction on a large screen.
The reaction to the artifacts she was selling was even more explosive than she had anticipated.
Even for Kang Yujin, who had visited the Black Market several times, experiencing such a fervent response was a first.
She had heard that Mana-amplifying artifacts were excellent and expensive, but there was a clear difference between knowing it intellectually and witnessing it firsthand.
A short while later, when she stepped out of the Black Market, the face hidden behind her robe and mask was beaming with a wide smile.
Though she had traded in the Black Market several times before, this was the first time she had walked away with such a staggering amount of money.
Each artifact Grace gave her had sold for 80 billion won.
This was because the performance of the artifacts Grace had given Kang Yujin was significantly superior to similar artifacts currently found on Earth.
While typical artifacts provided around a 10% Mana amplification, the appraiser confirmed that the ones Kang Yujin brought offered approximately 15%.
Consequently, every clan showed interest and immediately entered the bidding war...
The Korean clans were eliminated early on, leaving China and Japan in a fierce competition until the very end.
In the end, it seemed they reached a compromise behind the scenes, as they each took one.
Having received a secret, untraceable account, Kang Yujin wasted no time in arranging a private jet and purchasing a house to stay in in Nepal.
Before the Portals appeared, Nepal was a famous tourist destination known for its massive mountain ranges that challenged climbers.
However, after the Portals emerged, the rugged mountainous terrain made it difficult to properly manage them. Eventually, monsters poured out and adapted to the region, making it their home.
Naturally, many of the locals were sacrificed, and the survivors had to huddle together in specific areas to stay alive.
Regardless of the scale, in regions where monsters appeared in such high numbers, cities had to revert to the past—building high barriers like fortresses and relying on one another within.
Even now, years later, as things had stabilized significantly, people lived clustered in the capital, Kathmandu, and a few other base cities.
Through a broker she had dealt with a few times over the past two years, Kang Yujin unhesitatingly purchased a luxury mansion built for wealthy foreigners.
She had paid quite a premium and could have negotiated, but her priority was a quick purchase. Since money was no object, the process moved with lightning speed.
Seeing Kang Yujin’s attitude, the Nepalese sellers, assuming she was an incredibly wealthy individual, went out of their way to provide various conveniences to build a good relationship.
They approached it with the mindset of providing extra services since they had been paid so much, which suited Kang Yujin perfectly as it allowed her to handle everything at once without any hassle.
During this time, Grace and Han Shin had wanted to help Kang Yujin, but since both were somewhat ignorant of the ways of the world, they weren't of much help.
Still, trying to be of some use, they brainstormed and purchased necessary supplies together, storing them in Grace’s Subspace.
The three of them spent a busy week in preparation.
Finally, the day of departure arrived.
Han Shin and Kang Yujin were to depart alone via the private jet she had arranged.
Since they were leaving secretly by paying a premium for anonymity rather than through official channels, Grace could have come along, but just in case, she had been temporarily Reverse Summoned to her Sanctuary.
Furthermore, to the outside world, Han Shin was still a man whose disabled body had not yet recovered.
Even now, both Kang Yujin and Han Shin were concealing their identities with hats and masks, but for extra precaution, Han Shin acted his part by sitting in a wheelchair.
Han Shin had considered throwing the wheelchair away immediately after his body was fully healed through the contract with Tiamat. However, doing so would have invited suspicion. Since he had to be exposed to the outside world even under the guise of anonymity, he had kept it to maintain the act—and it turned out to be the right choice.
‘This feels a bit awkward...’
Unlike in the past, Han Shin was now healthier and more capable than anyone, so sitting in the wheelchair felt strange.
In the past, it had been a useful tool that replaced his broken body, yet it was also something that had triggered deep feelings of self-loathing. It stirred complex emotions within him.
Kang Yujin, pushing the wheelchair behind Han Shin as they boarded the plane, felt a renewed sense of gratitude that his body had healed.
After boarding and taking her seat, Kang Yujin tightly grasped Han Shin’s hand beside her.
Though she wasn't exactly going on a vacation, she couldn't help but feel her heart flutter.
‘To think the day would come when I’d be on a plane alone with Shin like this...’
“Phew... Noona. I’m glad we didn't get caught.”
“Huh? Oh. Yeah. Hehe...”
Kang Yujin didn't respond immediately as she was savoring the moment, but she understood what he meant.
Since Han Shin was officially injured, he was in a wheelchair despite his healthy body. A stewardess had come over to help him into his seat.
If they had allowed that, Han Shin’s sturdy, well-built physique—which he was currently hiding under layers of clothing—would have surely been discovered. So, they had politely declined and sent her away.
Giggling foolishly out of pure joy, Kang Yujin looked at Han Shin and said, “Come to think of it, this is Shin’s first time on a plane.”
“Yeah. You’re right.”
Han Shin reflected on how unpredictable life could be.
Until recently, he had never dreamed he would be heading to Nepal on a luxury private jet that only the wealthy could afford.