Chapter 92
Chapter 92
Chapter 92: Black Market (2)
Translation: godtl
"You're far more impressive in person than on screen. What a feast for the eyes."
That voice—capable of making anyone's heart flutter regardless of gender—tickled Si-mun's ears like a clear, melodious jade bead.
Such praise would naturally make anyone's face soften, yet Si-mun maintained only a faint smile.
"Fufu. As expected, you're no ordinary person."
The woman in the black-and-white mask let out an amused laugh before gesturing to the seat opposite her.
"Please, have a seat."
As Si-mun sat down, she personally brewed warm tea and presented it before him.
"I don't usually say this upon first meetings, but I must admit—I'm genuinely surprised."
The corner of her lips, visible beneath the mask, curled upward slightly.
"Who would've thought the creator of the Arena cure would be the very rookie making waves these days?"
"Is that so surprising?"
"Of course. You openly mentioned being Magic Class during your broadcast... which means your profession must be Alchemy."
With just that small piece of information, she confidently deduced Si-mun's profession.
'Truly worthy of being the Black Market's owner.'
Si-mun inwardly marveled.
While the speculation about him being an Alchemist had already circulated multiple times in chat rooms...
"Typically, Alchemists require years of experience to... though I suppose the word 'typical' doesn't apply to someone like you, Si-mun-nim."
Her absolute certainty was on another level entirely.
As Si-mun remained silent, observing her,
"Fufu. Drink before it gets cold. The tea's quite good, you know? Ah, don't worry—there's no poison."
The corners of her mouth beneath the mask twitched in amusement.
"Even with all my ambition, I wouldn't dare make enemies of the Sword Saint and Saintess so easily. The Night Hunter is no exception either."
Despite everyone except Park Jin-uk having worn hoods,
The Black Market's owner knew all their identities.
Si-mun wordlessly gazed down at his teacup.
Not because she had completely unraveled their group's secrets, but—
'Saintess...'
That word echoed in his mind.
'Right. Originally, the title of Saintess belonged to Yu-jeong.'
Though currently called the Saintess, Lee Yu-jeong would ultimately meet her end with the epithet "Villainess."
For a moment, that forgotten fact left a bitter taste in Si-mun's mouth.
But only briefly.
'Well, that was a past life anyway.'
He lightly shook off the bitterness.
'This time, I'm here. There's no way it'll happen again.'
No matter what it took, he'd prevent it.
Having steadied his emotions, Si-mun mirrored the woman's gesture and lifted the corner of his lips.
"Truly fitting for the Black Market's owner. I doubt any information about the cure has leaked, yet..."
"Fufu. It wasn't that difficult to deduce. There are only so many people the fearsome Night Hunter would serve so devotedly."
She took a sip from her steaming teacup before continuing.
"Come to think of it, I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Lin—the humble proprietor of this Black Market."
Si-mun's eyes widened slightly at the name.
And for good reason.
'Lin must be her real name. To reveal it so openly...?'
Traditionally, the Black Market owner maintained countless aliases befitting her position.
Lisa, Isabel, Luca, Toru, Trixie, Hanna—just the names Si-mun knew of exceeded a dozen.
Among them,"Lin" was the last known alias from his past life.
And her true name at that.
For her to disclose her real name during their first meeting...
'She must consider this deal extremely important.'
Si-mun took a sip of the slightly cooled tea.
'Well, the Arena Disease cure is quite the hit.'
Additionally,
'She's probably trying to gauge what kind of person I am.'
Depending on how he responded,
She'd assess him and strategize accordingly.
'No wonder Si-hyeok and Mal-suk found her so difficult to deal with in their past lives.'
The Sword Saint and the Heavenly Demon from his past life.
Though they were both top-tier among high-rankers, they had been reluctant to meet Lin, the owner of the Black Market.
After all, both of them had strongly disliked this type of person.
'Looking back, those guys really did care about me a lot.'
And yet.
For the sake of brewing the Elixir, the two of them had procured ingredients from the Black Market every single time.
Even though each one was a rare material, forcing them to maintain constant contact with Lin, the owner of the Black Market.
As Si-mun's smile deepened slightly, Lin spoke up.
"You seem... to recognize my name, don't you?"
Her voice was still sweet, but unlike before, there was now a sharp edge to it.
Naturally, Si-mun—
"Ah, it's just that for the owner of the Black Market, it's a rather pretty name. My apologies, but I was a bit surprised."
—chose not to take the route that would heighten her wariness.
Had his acting worked?
"A pretty name, you say..."
The sharpness in Lin's voice faded, leaving only sweetness once more.
Of course.
"That's the first time I've heard that. I always thought it was just filthy..."
Though the end of her sentence was laced with an inexplicable chill.
Lin then addressed Si-mun, who was sipping his tea.
"In any case, I think I have a rough idea of what kind of person you are, Si-mun-nim."
"Oh? We're on the same wavelength, then. I just now figured out what kind of person you are, too."
"Hehe. That's an oddly thrilling thing to say. As expected, you're not an easy person to deal with."
The corners of Lin's lips curled up even more.
"Since you don't seem the type to enjoy beating around the bush, I'll get straight to the point."
Lin adjusted her mask slightly before continuing.
"Would you consider distributing the Arena Disease cure through our Black Market?"
She charged straight into the heart of the matter.
But Si-mun didn't answer immediately.
'No matter how much I prefer getting straight to the point, a situation like this calls for a bit of hesitation.'
When someone who usually acts decisively hesitates—
It makes the observer think, 'Ah, this person must be seriously considering it.'
Especially for those skilled in psychological warfare, like Lin.
"Oh my. It seems you're quite conflicted?"
Every little reaction like this carries multiple meanings.
After a brief silence, Si-mun finally replied.
"Yes. To be honest, I am a bit conflicted."
"Hmm~ Was my analysis wrong, then?"
A peculiar hum.
Before he knew it, Lin was resting her chin on one hand, wearing an enigmatic smile as she said,
"I was under the impression that you, Si-mun-nim, were the type who disliked beating around the bush."
See?
Si-mun's eyebrow twitched slightly.
Then—
"Well, well. It seems there's nothing I can hide from the owner of the Black Market."
He let out a dry chuckle and shook his head as if admitting defeat.
But even this was a calculated move.
'If the opponent is better at psychological warfare than I am, it's better to openly play along.'
Because people like that usually don't think, 'Ah! I won!'
Instead, they grow even more suspicious, thinking, 'What's this guy really scheming?'
If anything, this was a survival tactic honed from living as a Level 1 in his past life.
Just as Si-mun had anticipated—
"Hmm... For some reason, your compliments don't taste quite as sweet as they should."
—Lin openly voiced her suspicion.
Watching her, Si-mun calmly began,
"To be honest, I do have a positive view of distributing the cure through the Black Market."
"Really?"
"Of course. Even though I'm the one selling the cure for money, I genuinely hope that as many Arena Disease patients as possible recover."
This was the truth.
No one understands the heart of a patient better than another patient.
Having suffered from Mana Disability, Si-mun understood the hearts of Arena Disease patients better than anyone.
Moreover—
'The more normal players there are, the less damage we'll suffer in the upcoming official Arena.'
The most notorious downside of the official Arena was the Outbreaks.
Naturally, the more intact players there were, the less damage Earth would sustain.
"I can understand that. Not too long ago, you couldn't even participate in the Arena due to Mana Disability."
"You're the first person to openly admit they've done a background check on me like this."
"Hoho, my apologies. It seems I've gotten a bit mischievous after meeting someone not so easy to handle for the first time in a while."
Lin maintained her signature smile, rhythmically tapping her cheek with a finger.
Then—
"Since you suffered from Mana Disability, there's no way you're lying. Truly... it's been a while since I've met someone this... difficult."
Lin relaxed her propped-up chin and let out a small sigh.
She took a sip of her slightly cooled tea before lifting her head.
Though she wore a mask.
Si-mun could sense that her gaze had softened considerably.
"Alright, Si-mun. Let's put an end to this pointless probing."
She had acknowledged that Si-mun was no pushover.
And she didn't seem to be saying it just for show.
Click.
'Hm?'
With deliberate showmanship, she removed the black-and-white mask that had been covering half her face.
Silky black hair cascaded down like fine silk.
The sharply upturned eyes typical of East Asians, complete with a beauty mark beneath them.
Even with just the lower half of her face visible until now, it had been easy to guess she was a beauty.
"Is this enough to make up for my rudeness so far?"
The sly smirk that followed made her resemble nothing less than a Nine-Tailed Fox.
But that was all.
"Your apology seems a bit excessive."
Having encountered many stunning beauties—regardless of gender—Si-mun felt no particular reaction.
At that.
"Oh? Hearing you say that somehow stings a bit."
Had her pride been wounded?
The ever-present smile on Lin's lips twitched ever so slightly upward.
"From my perspective, I've made quite the sacrifice, you know."
It was true.
The number of people who knew the real name of the Black Market's owner could be counted on one hand.
How many could say they'd seen her face?
Well aware of this, Si-mun nodded.
"I suppose you're right."
"That's it? Nothing else to say?"
"Hmm... That just makes it more burdensome. I didn't particularly want to see your face."
"Ha. Honestly."
Had she been expecting something else?
At Si-mun's bland response, Lin let out a hollow laugh.
"Ah. I'm actually feeling a bit self-conscious now."
Finally catching on, Si-mun tried to smooth things over.
"Uh... You are pretty, though?"
"I already know that. No need to console me—it just makes me feel worse."
Here she was, the owner of the Black Market herself, personally revealing her identity.
And this was the lukewarm reaction she got?
Not only that.
'"You are pretty, though"? Seriously! Now that I think about it, that just makes me angrier!'
What was that supposed to imply about everything else besides her looks?
He probably hadn't meant anything by it, but somehow, it felt oddly aggravating.
Shaking her head, Lin downed her now-cold tea in one gulp and spoke.
"So, what conditions would make you consider distributing the cure through us?"
Lin was steering the conversation back to business.
This time, Si-mun gave a proper answer.
"As you know, I've already signed a distribution contract with the Seongsam Guild."
"I'm aware. It's the first time Seongsam Bio has agreed to distribute an external product, given how closed-off they usually are."
Lin produced a sheet of paper from who-knows-where.
"That's why we're meeting in secret like this, isn't it?"
"Secretly? You must know exactly who's in my party."
"My, would the Saintess even care about this deal?"
"How can you be so sure? She is the sole successor of Seongsam."
"Who knows? A woman's intuition, perhaps?"
Lin winked as she spoke.
Truthfully, it wasn't that hard to guess.
'Up until now, the only men the Saintess has been close to were the Sword Saint and the Night Hunter.'
And now, out of nowhere, she's hiding her identity to act as some man's bodyguard?
Especially when that man is such a delectably handsome one?
'Only an idiot wouldn't see what's going on here.'
Any woman would have understood exactly what this meant.
Lin's subtle smile.
Si-mun couldn't quite read her intentions, but he set aside his doubts.
"I don't know how you figured it out, but you're right. This matter won't reach Seongsam Bio."
"Fufu. I must admit, I'm curious now. What exactly is your relationship with the Iron Wall Saintess? A secret lover, perhaps?"
"Not a chance."
Si-mun let out a dry chuckle.
His smile carried clear denial and a hint of disbelief.
'Huh? They're really not involved? Then why would the Saintess...?'
Lin's pupils flickered briefly in confusion upon confirming his sincerity.
But only for a moment.
"Well, that makes things easier."
Having neatly tucked away her emotions, Lin slid a piece of paper toward Si-mun.
His eyes widened slightly at the sight.
"An Arena Contract?"
"You recognize it. That's right."
An Arena Contract.
A special contract purchasable from the achievement shop, enforceable only between Players.
Breaching its terms would immediately impose penalties on the Status Window,
and the energy imbued within the contract itself would inflict physical harm—making it both binding and dangerous.
"I know this might sound rude for a first meeting, but I don't trust people easily. Especially not Players."
"I understand."
Contracts only hold weight when backed by legal enforcement.
But Players are the kind of people who, with enough resolve, can easily cast aside legal constraints.
That's why, among Players, an Arena Contract like this carried far more weight than any paper agreement bound by mere law.
"I prefer this method myself. It's more reliable."
"Fufu. It seems we share quite a few similarities, Si-mun. By the way, the energy infused in this contract is Void."
"Void?"
Si-mun's eyes rounded in surprise.
Lin smirked, her gaze fox-like.
"You seem familiar with Void Contracts."
"Hard not to be. They're the most vicious contracts in the Arena."
"Fufu. Exactly."
While contracts infused with other energies weren't exactly safe, those laced with Void were notoriously severe in their penalties.
The penalty was simple.
Break the contract, and your body and mind would warp endlessly—until death.
Forget the Status Window.
You wouldn't even retain a human form.
By all accounts, it was a horrifyingly brutal contract.
"And as you know, those with Void-related traits are exceedingly rare, making it nearly impossible to mitigate the penalties."
Si-mun remained silent.
Did she take that as fear?
"Don't worry. As long as you keep the contract, there's nothing to fear, right?"
She placed her hand over the blank space on the contract, filled with cryptic script.
Si-mun observed and remarked,
"You're putting your hand on it without even hearing the terms?"
"You already know why, don't you?"
"Are you confident you can fulfill whatever I demand?"
"Of course. Really..."
Lin, her hand still on the contract, leaned in slightly.
With a smile so sweet it could melt anyone on sight, she whispered,
"Anything at all... you know?"
A sultry whisper.
The way it tickled not just the ears but the senses wasn't solely due to Lin's beauty.
'Indeed. She lives up to the name Nine-Tailed Fox.'
Lin, the Nine-Tailed Fox.
Possessing the SSS-rank trait Fox Marble, in her past life,
she had wielded such potent charm that even multiple Rankers had fallen under her spell.
Yet, despite Lin's bewitching demeanor—
"Very well. I only have one condition to set, anyway."
"Just one? Fewer than I expected. What a shame."
At Si-mun's unshaken composure, Lin subtly licked her lips.
'I could try enchanting him right now, but...'
Hmm.
For some reason, the Fox Marble nestled in her chest sent a warning.
Avoid this one.
This was the very Fox Marble that had lifted her from the depths and shaped her into who she was now.
"Fufu. If it's just one condition, I'll have to make sure I fulfill it perfectly."
Lin gave up on seduction entirely and spoke plainly.
"Name it, Si-mun. I'll do my utmost to accommodate you."
To which—
"I'd like you to procure Orichalcum and Adamantium for me."
Without the slightest hesitation, Si-mun stated his terms.
Lin's hand, which had been confidently toying with the contract, froze mid-air—then dropped like a stone.