Goblin Market (2)
The place Jang Lee-hyun headed toward was an abandoned building in Uijeongbu, on the outskirts of Seoul.
It looked like no human foot had touched it in over ten years. This was the gateway to the black market.
Swish!
Jang Lee-hyun appeared directly in front of the derelict structure, clad in a white coat and the black goblin mask.
From now on, I am not Jang Lee-hyun. I am the Apostle of Zeus. I must act with arrogance, recklessness, violence, and savagery.
All the way here, Jang Lee-hyun had weighed how best to extract Go Jin-woo. He had no intention of revealing his true identity.
Unlike the situation at White Burn, his name could easily leak here. Creating friction not only with Seo Chang-woo’s group but with the black market itself would invite endless trouble.
The Drug King, who controls more than seventy percent of the world’s black markets, never tolerates filth in his own domain.
The reason the Drug King—one of the Nine Thousand—could privatize every underground market on the planet was his ruthless enforcement of order. He permitted no disputes in his territory. Even trivial quarrels earned swift punishment; an actual murder brought hitmen under the excuse that his face had been tarnished.
Because of that fanatical obsession, most people avoided conflict inside black markets. Even the underworld’s most fearless souls ultimately feared the Drug King’s wrath.
That’s also why I sent Woo-jin-hyung in the first place.
Yet Jang Lee-hyun was prepared to flip the entire black market upside down if necessary. Korea’s relatively stable security meant the Drug King’s main interests lay elsewhere, so the local managers were pathetically weak. Moreover, no one could predict how large a collision between a prestigious family and the black market might become.
If the ones who kidnapped Jin-woo-hyung really are from a prestigious family, there must be some secret connection between them and the Korean black market.
Even if he eliminated the family and rescued Go Jin-woo, he would still have to prepare for the market’s tenacious pursuit. That was why he had decided to reuse the disposable identity of “Apostle of Zeus.”
Rumors about the Apostle of Zeus are already spreading quietly among rankers. Drawing all eyes in that direction is the cleanest solution.
Of course, several conditions had to be met for the plan to work.
First, he must leave no link between the Apostle of Zeus and Go Jin-woo. Second, any clash between the Apostle and the prestigious family must appear to stem from an unrelated reason. Third, he had to display the Apostle’s arrogant personality and overwhelming violence without restraint.
And above all—
I must create zero connection to Jang Lee-hyun.
Fortunately, the current “Jang Lee-hyun of White Burn” was still a recent returnee recovering from injury. In contrast, the Apostle of Zeus was the monster who had obliterated India’s famous ranker Mukesh Ambani in a single move. Linking the two identities immediately would be difficult.
Still, there’s no harm in being careful. The Drug King is an extremely persistent bastard.
The biggest problem, however, was the absence of a stage saturated with great curses like the one he had used against Mukesh.
If there isn’t one, I simply need to make it.
Jang Lee-hyun was a fighter who knew exactly how to drag his opponents onto a board favorable to himself.
“Huu…”
He exhaled slowly, then opened his closed eyes. Both pupils flashed golden as white lightning—Keraunos, the symbol of Zeus—crackled upward.
Thankfully, the mask made it easier to immerse himself in the new persona.
He forced open the door of the abandoned building. Inside, a hidden dungeon revealed itself.
You have entered the dungeon!
Goblin Market
Tales of ghost markets that open only at specific times and vanish without a trace are common throughout the world.
The goods sold in these markets carry mysterious and grotesque traits because they are touched by the hands of non-humans such as fairies. Their sense of common sense differs greatly from that of humans.
Choose and purchase the items you need with care. Depending on what you buy, the fairies may bestow a curse—or a blessing.
On Success: Purchased Item.
On Failure: Purchased Item.
The moment Jang Lee-hyun stepped inside, he found himself in a bustling marketplace crowded with a massive throng of people.
“Pick it, pick it! Anything at all!”
“Buy some fruit! These are fingernail-fruits grown from the pinky of a human-faced beast! So juicy!”
“I’ll trade anything! Fortunes, divination, good luck, bad luck—anyone curious, come this way!”
Half the crowd were human; the other half were non-humans normally classified as monsters. They moved along the paths between stalls, browsing displayed goods, haggling with merchants, and adding to the chaotic atmosphere.
It’s been a while since I’ve been here.
So this dungeon was originally built around a marketplace concept?
Sun Wukong scanned the surroundings with evident interest.
Sa Oh-jeong added with a chuckle, “Katkatkat. Among the poems this monk enjoys, there is one titled ‘Goblin Market’ written by the poet Christina Rossetti. I suspect that became the origin.”
Humans and non-humans gathered from everywhere, paying no attention to one another and focusing solely on market activities… A clever design. It makes it difficult to tell who is a native and who is an outsider, so it’s perfect for moving around while concealing one’s identity.
Sun Wukong had instantly seen through the structure of the black market.
“The gates connected to this dungeon appear sporadically in various locations.”
Ah, then the administrator only needs to control those gates thoroughly?
“That’s correct.”
Jang Lee-hyun strode quickly through the noisy marketplace. Flower shops selling jewel blossoms, fruit stalls displaying apples that glittered like obsidian, fabric stores offering cloth sewn from monster hides—he passed every variety of block until he reached the butcher district tucked into one corner of the market.
A space where the stench of rotting corpses mingled with the smell of grilled meat.
This is it.
He headed for the butcher shop located deepest inside. Body parts from humans and demi-humans hung on display for sale. At first glance the horrific appearance seemed meant to attract only non-humans, but it was merely camouflage. In truth, this was a fence shop Jang Lee-hyun had visited several times alongside Go Jin-woo.
“Oh my! It’s been a long time since a human customer stopped by. So, what would you like? Liver, lungs, intestines, heart—whatever part you desire, we have it. Just speak comfortably.”
A butcher whose entire forearms were covered in tattoos greeted him with a hearty laugh.
Golden Arhat's Mask
Curse Inscriptions 'Voice Modulation' and 'Chill Infection' applied.
A voice completely different from Jang Lee-hyun’s usual tone flowed out from beneath the mask—one that oppressed listeners and stimulated anxiety.
“I came to obtain some parts.”
“……Are you looking for any specific parts in particular?”
The butcher’s eyebrow twitched in clear displeasure, yet he soon laughed it off.
“Kidneys and spleen. Something that will circulate well.”
“The ratio…”
“Mix shadow fairy and volcanic dwarf at 3.5 to 6.5. Total weight 31.7 kilograms.”
“……”
“Not available?”
“Oh my! Of course not. It’s just that customers rarely ask for those particular parts, so I was surprised. They are quite precious, after all. Please wait a moment. I’ll go check the stock.”
The man hurried into the back and soon returned with an awkward expression.
“Ah, what should we do? It seems we don’t have enough because we rarely handle those items. You’ll probably need to come back next time. I’m sorry, sir.”
Beneath the mask, a cold smirk leaked out.
“There seem to be quite a few people shopping downstairs. Is that why it’s difficult to bring the goods out?”
His tone was arrogant.
Jang Lee-hyun stomped hard on the floor.
BOOM…!
Alarm flashed across the butcher’s eyes. The entire building had swayed as if it might collapse. Moreover, the aura radiating from Jang Lee-hyun was no joke.
Crackle-crackle-crackle!
White lightning leaped above his shoulders. The bolts drew spirals in the air, gathered together, compressed tightly, and began forming spherical shapes.
A dozen white orbs of concentrated lightning.
Each one growled as though it might explode at any second. The result of the training Sun Wukong had assigned him to practice conducting lightning had become a proper weapon.
Naturally, this was not a level a mere gatekeeper or lowest-ranked gang member could handle.
“Sir, that’s—!”
“Enough word games. Tell Director Yang. I came because Chairman Peng said you were trustworthy. If you treat me like this, it won’t be fun.”
The man did not know who Chairman Peng was, but the overbearing attitude of casually addressing his boss left him at a loss; his eyes simply spun.
Just as Jang Lee-hyun had predicted, the boss had been greeting guests in the basement since morning. The code phrase he had spoken was reserved for the store’s VIPs, yet the current situation was so serious they were turning even those people away.
And the visitor clearly did not care about any of that.
“You look troubled.”
Jang Lee-hyun’s eyes curved coldly.
“I’ll relieve you of that worry.”
“……!”
He extended his hand. The butcher’s face asked whether he truly intended to cause a scene even inside a black market.
The man tried to shout for him to wait, but—
Flash!
Kwaaaaaaaaang!
A lightning sphere shot forward first and detonated. A violent storm raged in an instant, accompanied by bolts crashing down in thick streams. The power was more than enough to obliterate a small butcher shop.
“There it is.”
A hidden door set into the floor of the shattered storeroom was revealed. Jang Lee-hyun walked toward it with his hands in his coat pockets.
With every step, another lightning sphere flew forward and poured down thunder.
Kukukung! Kukukukung!
Kwaaaaaaaaang…!!
Jang Lee-hyun had decided on several traits the Apostle of Zeus should possess.
It can’t be limited to personality or aggression. Overwhelming destructive power. And a combat style that matches it. It must be completely different from Jang Lee-hyun.
Therefore, he had chosen the new identity of a lightning sorcerer.
Jang Lee-hyun’s fighting style was rough and aggressive. The Apostle of Zeus, however, had to be overwhelming yet flamboyant, arrogant yet elegant. A lightning mage who wielded destructive power and firepower driven to absolute efficiency would suit the Apostle of Zeus perfectly.
Fortunately, Jang Lee-hyun possessed plenty of tools for the role.
By infusing collected lightning from Zeus and Indra into the rage emitted by Dueoksini’s Deep Breath (A).
Curse Inscriptions 'Attribute Lock,' 'Range Compression,' and 'Exhaustion Induction' granted.
A new spell has been born.
The name Thunder Sphere has been assigned.
Congratulations! By awakening to curse-utilizing magic, your proficiency with lightning attributes has deepened significantly.
Technique +2.
Mana +1.
The lightning fragments that poured out while the firepower expanded connected with one another and even induced additional chain explosions. The downpour of lightning bolts swept away everything they touched.
“B-block it! Block it!”
“We can’t! His firepower is too strong!”
“What the hell is this guy? How can he produce so many lightning bolts—uwaaak!”
“Black market! What the hell is the black market doing?! They should be here stopping him right—keuk!”
The first floor had already been reduced to ashes long ago. The storeroom that had held a wide variety of meat was blown away in one strike. The gang members who had rushed down from the basement after hearing the commotion met the same fate.
Many of them did not escape with minor injuries; third-degree burns and outright deaths occurred one after another.
Dust and smoke billowed. The smell of burning flesh vibrated everywhere.
Jang Lee-hyun had already resolved to completely erase the organization called Blue Dog.
They are the ones who abandoned trust and sold Jin-woo-hyung to a prestigious family. They must pay for their own sins.
He had already confirmed his suspicion that they were involved in the kidnapping. Just before detonating the Thunder Spheres, he had eavesdropped on the conversation taking place underground using his Fiery Golden Eyes and Battle Sense.
—But the doctor we handed over…
—I hope you haven’t forgotten that unnecessary curiosity only hastens your death.
—That’s not what I—
—If you’re worried about the cartel, don’t be. They will turn a blind eye.
—That’s not it!
—Hm?
—There’s something about that man’s background I failed to mention.
—Something you failed to mention?
A conversation that clearly revolved around Go Jin-woo. Moreover, the guests speaking were unmistakably members of a prestigious family.
That was why Jang Lee-hyun intended to wipe them all out and seize the family’s tail from the very beginning.