Chapter 94
Chapter 94
Chapter 94: Black Market (4)
Translation: godtl
From the smallest trinket to every single glass.
The luxurious room was entirely crafted from Arena-made materials.
"A private room, huh? I never would've guessed the Myth Guild's Master was a VVIP of the Black Market."
Lee Yu-jeong, nibbling on a dessert, spoke casually.
"I used to frequent this place quite often in my younger days."
A handsome, middle-aged man with sharp, refined features—Go Chang-jin—smirked faintly.
He glanced out the window, overlooking the Black Market sprawled below.
"As you know, building a guild requires money. A lot of money."
"Well..."
Yu-jeong gave a small nod.
Go Chang-jin, the Iron Blood.
His fame wasn't just due to his exceptional skills as a 1st Generation Ranker, on par with Do-hu and the Iron Wood King.
It was also because he had single-handedly founded Myth Guild, one of Korea's top three guilds, without any backing.
"As I've always said, I've always admired you, Guild Master."
Go Chang-jin, who had no connections or financial foundation to lean on.
He built Myth Guild purely through sheer skill and effort.
And by dedicating his entire life as a player, he had forged the Myth Guild as it stood today.
'He's truly incredible.'
Yu-jeong looked at him with genuine respect.
To create an organization representing an entire nation without any foundation—
That was an achievement worthy of praise, not just among players, but in any field.
Yu-jeong quietly studied him.
'Could I have done it?'
A thought that always surfaced whenever she met Go Chang-jin.
And the same answer always followed.
'Of course not. It'd be impossible.'
Sure, she had once been the Master of Seongsam Guild, Korea's top guild.
'But that position wasn't built by my strength alone.'
It was only possible because of her mother, the guild's founder, and the backing of Seongsam.
It wasn't a guild she had raised with her own power.
'In the end, without Seongsam's support...'
A bitter shadow flickered across her delicate face.
Noticing this, Go Chang-jin spoke nonchalantly.
"As I always say, if someone like you had been in my guild, Myth would've been Korea's top guild."
Yu-jeong's eyes widened at his words.
Then—
"...Honestly, seeing you like this makes it hard to believe you're called Iron Blood. You're so kind."
"That makes even less sense to me."
A faint, almost imperceptible flush crept onto Go Chang-jin's stoic face.
Yu-jeong's lips curled slightly.
'Would my father have been like this if he were alive?'
Regaining her composure, Yu-jeong stood up.
"I'll go freshen up and brush my teeth. Be right back."
"Turn right outside."
As Yu-jeong left the room—
"......"
"......"
A heavy silence pressed down on the luxurious space.
Go Chang-jin's sharp gaze settled on a stunning woman whose eyes mirrored his own.
"Stop staring. It's fucking annoying."
And the instant, unfiltered profanity that followed.
"Have you been well?"
Go Chang-jin smiled softly.
Anyone who knew him would be stunned speechless at the sight.
"How did you meet Yu-jeong? And what brings you to the Black Market?"
Go Chang-jin, the Iron Blood, smiling this gently and warmly?
For anyone who had ever crossed paths with him, it was a sight unbelievable enough to make them rub their eyes in disbelief.
His female fans would probably clutch their chests and swoon on the spot.
But—
Was this rare smile truly meaningless?
"Who the hell are you interrogating now? Who I meet and where I go is none of your damn business!"
The woman with the same sharp eyes as Go Chang-jin—Go Mal-suk—only glared at him with irritation.
An attitude that would've been deeply offensive to the Master of Myth Guild.
"Still, I'm relieved you've made a friend your age. Yu-jeong is a good kid."
Go Chang-jin simply replied with a warm smile and gaze.
"Do you need money? The Black Market is expensive, even for small things. Yu-jeong is known for her shopping habits—"
"Ugh, seriously!"
Mal-suk cut him off sharply, her eyes narrowing like blades.
"Money? What money? Do I look like a beggar to you? How many times do I have to say I don't need a damn thing from you?!"
"Mal-suk."
"Fuck off!"
BANG.
Mal-suk's fist slammed onto the spacious table.
Whether it matched the room's standards or not—
"Didn't I tell you not to call me that?"
Despite the activation of her Thousand Killing Fist, the table didn't even get a scratch.
The only thing damaged was—
"Have you lost your damn mind from being obsessed with the Arena? Listen carefully."
It was Go Mal-suk's face.
"You and I have no relationship whatsoever. So please, just turn off your interest! Get the hell out of my life!"
Go Mal-suk, her anger cracking her composure like fissures in stone.
Was it because of her growth until now?
Her presence was so threatening that calling her a Silver-rank player felt inadequate.
"Mal-suk."
Go Chang-jin didn't even blink.
Not because he was a player on a level incomparable to Go Mal-suk.
"I've never once given up on anything in my life. You're no exception."
What kind of parent would ever fear their own child?
Go Chang-jin was no different.
"What? Never given up? A man like you—how dare you call yourself a mother!"
Go Mal-suk exploded in fury.
But that was all.
Her lips trembled violently, her face flushed with rage, until—
"X......!"
She bit down hard on her lip and clenched her fists.
At the sight of her like that,
"......I'm sorry."
The name Iron Blood crumbled.
"The only words I have for you are... I'm sorry."
His face filled with guilt, Go Mal-suk slowly closed her eyes.
Then—
"......Forget it."
When she opened them again, her expression was as blank as before.
"It's all in the past anyway. That matter, and you."
Her reply was dry and emotionless.
Silence fell once more.
Click.
"Wow, even the restroom here is packed with artifacts. We should get a few for our guild house too."
Only after Lee Yu-jeong entered did the heavy silence dissipate.
"Oh, right. Si-hyeok and Senior Jin-uk will be here soon. Would you like to join us for a meal?"
"No. I have business to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
"Ah, what a shame. There was someone I wanted to introduce you to."
"We'll arrange something another time."
Go Chang-jin rose from his seat.
Lee Yu-jeong stood up as well.
"Since you treated us to such delicious desserts in this VVIP room, I'll make sure to return the favor next time."
"I'll look forward to it. Ah."
Go Chang-jin glanced sidelong at Go Mal-suk, who remained seated with her back turned.
"The more people, the better, I suppose."
"Ah......"
Lee Yu-jeong let out a small sigh.
Then—
"Of course. I'll prepare a fairly large venue. The more, the merrier."
Her quick-witted response followed smoothly.
"I'll leave it to you."
Satisfied, Go Chang-jin gave a faint smile and exited the room.
After seeing him off, Lee Yu-jeong glanced back.
Mal-suk might have a blunt personality, but she's not the type to lash out at just anyone.
Go Chang-jin, the Iron Blood.
How many people in the country would dare raise their voice at him?
Yet Go Mal-suk had shouted.
Loud enough for anyone to hear the fury in her voice.
And Go Chang-jin had apologized.
Lee Yu-jeong slowly closed the door to the private room as she pondered.
I only caught the latter half, so I'm not entirely sure what happened...
But one thing was certain.
Mal-suk and Go Chang-jin... Their relationship isn't ordinary.
The fact that Go Chang-jin had gone out of his way to say those words was proof enough.
He wasn't the type to enjoy crowded gatherings.
Wait. Come to think of it, Mal-suk's surname is Go, isn't it?
Lee Yu-jeong's eyes widened.
And her features...
Especially her sharp eyes—they were practically identical.
But—
No, I shouldn't jump to conclusions.
Lee Yu-jeong refrained from making hasty judgments.
After all, unless the person involved brought it up first, prying was impolite.
Click.
With the door fully closed, she turned back.
"Mal-suk, didn't you say you were starving earlier? Why haven't you taken a single bite? This is really good."
She approached Go Mal-suk as casually as ever.
After returning from the Black Market, Si-mun holed up in his lab for days.
Though Paracelsus's Flask had automated much of the lab's processes—
-Oppa, the Mana Sclerosis Cure and the Dual-Cycle Treatment are done.
"Yeah."
Even the most automated factory still required human oversight.
Si-mun meticulously checked everything—from material management to the entire production line—before carefully packing the completed cures into expensive cases.
"Phew."
As he wiped the sweat beading on his forehead, he exhaled deeply.
If my Stamina stat were any lower, this would've been hell.
Thanks to the steady intake of Spirit Elixirs, his Stamina had risen steadily.
After returning from the Black Market—
He had distributed the matured elixirs to his companions and taken his share as well.
With Strength, Agility, and Stamina all at 20, I can handle a few days of hard labor.
Each of his physical stats had now reached 20.
With the +4 bonus from the title 'Pick of Kings,' it reached 24.
For someone who had invested all their stats into their main attributes at level 80, these Strength, Agility, and Stamina stats were almost unbelievable.
And on top of that...
'Is it because of the Spirit Body of the World Tree? My fatigue recovery seems better too.'
The trait World Tree.
Its effects clearly weren't limited to just the Companion of the World Tree title.
It allowed him to endure several sleepless nights without issue—nights that would have exhausted even a seasoned player.
Of course, even with such robust stamina backing him up...
-Oppa, the Mana Blood Disease treatment is done too. The next one will be finished soon.
...there was no way he could handle all the treatments pouring out from the homunculus Philosopher's Stone by himself.
"Got it."
Naturally, Si-mun had prepared efficient production assistants for this very purpose.
To be precise...
"You, and you. Go pack the Mana Blood Disease treatments into the cases."
...he had made them.
Creak.
At Si-mun's command, sleek, silver-white metallic beings—
Mithril Golems—immediately moved to the production line.
Unlike their mineral-based bodies would suggest,
Clink.
their movements were incredibly delicate and precise as they organized the treatments.
And then—
Creak creak.
Clank, clink.
Over a dozen such Mithril Golems were busily working throughout the lab.
Si-mun watched them with satisfaction.
"Being made of mithril really makes a difference. Their intelligence and movements are on another level."
-Right?
A long, arm-like appendage descended from the ceiling.
At its end dangled Paracelsus's Flask, inside which a large, cute, single eye rolled around, scanning the golems.
-Golems are all about materials, after all. Nothing beats mithril.
"True. Their dexterity alone is in a different dimension compared to regular golems."
-Mm-hmm! We were so lucky to stockpile all that mithril last time. I was shocked when we had enough left over even after making over ten of them.
"No kidding."
The Doria Mountain mithril they had obtained as a reward from the last Special Arena...
Thanks to the substantial amount they had secured,
they could now afford the luxury of using over a dozen Mithril Golems as mere laborers.
'No security concerns either. Perfect.'
With absolute loyalty and just a steady supply of Transmutation Power, they worked tirelessly—
At this point, the Mithril Golems were nothing short of a godsend.
"Then there's nothing left to do here."
Shifting his gaze from the busy golems, Si-mun walked toward a corner of the lab.
Flick.
He snapped his fingers.
Rumble—
The wall slid open, revealing a small space.
Inside, a mithril skeleton gleamed with its distinctive luster.
-Hmm~ Looks well-aged?
"People don't usually describe things like this as 'aged,' do they?"
-What's the big deal? It's nice and firm.
Si-mun chuckled at the Philosopher's Stone's quip as he examined the mithril frame.
"I haven't made the head yet, but at least the basic skeleton is well-formed. The rest will have to wait until we gather more materials."
-Our genius oppa spent nights working on this. There's no way there'd be any issues.
"Hey now. Even if you flatter me, I'm not a genius."
-You kidding? The fact that a Gold-rank can control over a dozen Mithril Golems alone makes you a genius.
The single eye in the flask radiated disbelief.
Fundamentally, golems weren't something just anyone could create just because they had good materials.
From their external appearance to their joints and internal structure—
Golem transmutation required a concrete mental image of their form and composition, just like Mythic-grade Equipment.
And to transmute over a dozen of them?
That meant holding the images of over a dozen golems in his mind simultaneously.
Not to mention—
-These production golems are no exception! By Arena standards, you'd normally need to be Diamond-rank or higher to make these!
The difficulty of crafting production golems was in a league of its own.
And yet, Si-mun had refined and purified the mithril himself to create their skeletal frames.
-Anyway, this is something only a genius could pull off.
"Is that so?"
-'Is that so' my foot! Ugh, my blood pressure! Oppa? I keep telling you, you don't realize how amazing you are.
The Philosopher's Stone fumed as Si-mun just scratched his head awkwardly.
Having recovered from Mana Disability by creating an Elixir all on his own at level 1,
Si-mun honestly didn't have a good grasp of what an average alchemist's standards were.
And so—
-Ugh! Whatever! Looks like I'll have to explain it again! Listen carefully, Oppa, you're—
Just as the Philosopher's Stone was about to launch into another lecture on 'Just How Much of a Monster Our Oppa Is'—
-Ugh! Why does that hunk keep showing up so often?!
A savior arrived.
"Si-mun-nim, I'm here!"
"Jin-uk-ssi, welcome."
Si-mun gladly greeted his rescuer.
It was the Night Hunter, Park Jin-uk.
And as Park Jin-uk stepped inside—
"About this month's treatment sales report— Gah!"
Before he could even finish his sentence—
"M-Master Sihyeon? What in the world is all this?"
His eyes widened into perfect circles at the sight of Golems gleaming from every corner of the laboratory.