Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Black market

Seo I-hyeon succeeded in acquiring information that the black market opens soon.

It was the result of persistently looking at and using the community.

Of course the information obtained from 'Gold hunter' played the biggest role.

If that wasn't there approach itself would have been impossible.

And this time while finding the black market and looking at the community and finding another request, a limit was felt.

Seo I-hyeon coldly looked at his current situation.

In fact what Seo I-hyeon wanted was to live ordinarily.

If according to the original plan doing day labor while gathering money, and doing other work a bit while adapting to this world was the first.

Like that when adaptation is appropriate he wanted to return to university and graduate and while doing so soak in ordinariness.

But while getting involved with weird guys everything broke.

Now even if he doesn't want to he has no choice but to become distant from an ordinary life.

Then what should he do?

Nothing much. Adapt this way. It will be a bit less ordinary, but living like this is enough.

And no matter how careful and thoroughly prepared eventually he has no choice but to be revealed.

Just delaying the timing a bit.

So the plan Seo I-hyeon newly set was to have the minimum power to protect himself.

What Seo I-hyeon currently has is only the blood drawn while sleeping, and the skeleton made with the werewolf, Black.

With only this it's lacking. There was a need to secure a bit more combat power.

"Those Etherix guys seem to be doing some fun research, wouldn't they have obtained a new experiment subject gradually?"

Honestly whatever research those guys do he doesn't particularly care. He is only curious about the experiment subject used in the research.

Anyway he has to repay the debt to Etherix too, so if he can obtain new materials incidentally it would be good.

Anyway that is a later matter, and now it's the turn to go to the black market.

The black market opens irregularly, and the place also always changes.

So finding out when the black market opens and where it opens itself was the entry barrier.

Since the black market is an existence deeply entered into illegality, being careful was natural.

But according to what Seo I-hyeon found out this way and that, it seems the Management Bureau also grasps the black market to some degree.

But they don't particularly manage or crack down strictly and if not crossing the line they seem to leave it.

They must have judged that there is some role unique to the black market.

This time's black market opens in five days. The place is an abandoned village near Samcheok in Gangwon-do.

The black market mainly opens in abandoned villages like this. Of course it doesn't always do that. But the ratio is overwhelming.

In Korea there are more abandoned villages than expected. Cases where population decreases and urban departure accelerates and accessibility falls. And only elderly remain then naturally extinct.

Especially many in the Gangwon-do region so the probability of the black market opening there can be regarded as the highest.

Anyway since he can go in five days, time floated empty in the middle.

'Then shall I look for one simple request I can do in the meantime?'

Seo I-hyeon muttered inwardly and slightly smiled. It was a smile that looked somewhat sinister somewhere.

He scrolled the community board with his finger and roughly scanned the titles.

The request Seo I-hyeon is aiming for is nothing much. Just as long as it's a request with some suspicious corner somewhere it's fine.

Since the income of the past two times was considerable, shaking that off wasn't easy.

Not everyone would have that much money, no, coins, but from Seo I-hyeon's current position even having only a very little coins or equipment was no different from a golden goblin.

But no matter how he rummaged finding such a request wasn't easy.

"Meeting the hunters before this was good luck."

No matter how he rummaged and refreshed and confirmed new posts there was no usable request.

As expected should he insert a broker?

Seeing it the hunters also had a broker inserted. And not one but as many as three brokers inserted and were active.

It was said because each broker's tendency or specialized field differs.

Seo I-hyeon thought for a moment. Inserting a broker is the same as revealing himself to the broker.

If the broker side goes wrong it becomes impossible to prevent Seo I-hyeon's information from spreading widely.

'But if my information spreads is there something that will change?'

Suddenly such a thought arose. What happens if information is revealed?

The surroundings will become dangerous. But since there are no surroundings there is no occasion to become dangerous.

Parents passed away, and it's not that there are no relatives, but from the parents' generation they almost cut ties. It means the relationship is bad.

So there is no occasion for them to become a hindrance. After parents passed away the relationship became even more distant, so just regard as none.

At the current point if particularly choosing the only person he cares about it's about Jeong Sang-cheol, but Jeong Sang-cheol entered Myeongjin Pharmaceutical so is safe to some degree.

And even if Jeong Sang-cheol becomes dangerous it's not to the degree that Seo I-hyeon accepts the threat to his own safety. He can help at an appropriate level though.

The only thing that bothers his mind is the national institution Management Bureau and the National Tax Service.

That damn tax. And proof of fund source.

But isn't that also all resolved if inserting a capable broker?

He should think carefully once.

By the way money is all running out. Even if only eating meals every day money decreases in chunks so soon if not doing something he will starve to death.

Well, he won't really die, but imagining how harsh the pain of hunger is is hard just by imagination.

He has to earn money. But the community all trades with coins, so receiving requests here is useless.

Just refreshingly revealing identity is not yet. At that moment the possibility that Geomuhwe or whatever becomes hostile to Seo I-hyeon arises.

It differs depending on what organization, but it will become extremely bothersome.

Seo I-hyeon who had been rummaging the community for a long while exhaled a deep sigh.

First endure only 5 days.

* * *

In the end he came out to the construction site.

What can he do. There's no money.

Seo I-hyeon grumbled while carrying cement bags.

"There are close to 20 thousand coins over 100 thousand won. Do I have to be doing this?"

If changing to cash it's a full 2 billion.

Just endure 5 days. Only 5 days.

Enduring 5 days like that, before he knew it it became the day the black market opens.

Seo I-hyeon took the train with a glad heart.

First go to Samcheok, then from there find the secluded village where the black market opens.

There are several methods to go to Samcheok, and what Seo I-hyeon chose was taking the train to Gangneung then moving to Samcheok by bus from there.

It takes about 4 hours, but that's not the end, since he has to move again from there it's not an easy trip.

'If changing money should I buy a car first?'

It seems there will be many occasions to use the black market from now on, and if like this every time it would be a bit inconvenient, he thinks.

But going by driving isn't easy either.

'It's not that there's no method...'

If inserting a subordinate who drives well it's fine.

If only resolving two problems he can insert a subordinate who drives well.

The first is selecting a guy who drives well among the void wanderers.

To make subordinates of the undead kind including skeletons, one has to compose a mental body.

And Seo I-hyeon procures that mental body from the void.

Usually he randomly pulls anyone, but he could also put conditions there.

But if putting conditions it becomes difficult to predict how much additional blood will go in. If there is no existence matching the condition it might end with only sucking blood.

Still if gathering sufficient blood then trying it should be fine.

The void is infinite, and the void wanderers wandering the outer edge of the void are also infinite.

The second problem is very realistic.

Because he has to cut off arms or legs.

To raise whatever skeleton or whatever materials are needed.

Even if using any corpse as the base material the core material Seo I-hyeon's arms or legs have to be cut directly and used.

If told to choose whether arms and legs get cut or just drive directly the answer is obvious, right.

Well, if by chance while fighting an occasion of arms and legs getting cut arises maybe.

Going while having such idle thoughts, before he knew it he arrived at Gangneung.

He went to the intercity bus terminal and took the bus going to Samcheok and moved for a long while, and roughly resolved lunch with the kimbap he brought in advance.

Since he departed early from excitement even after arriving at Samcheok there was still a long time until the black market opens.

Of course it's not the end yet. From here he has to go to the abandoned village.

Roughly looking at the map and confirming it seems he can go in about 20 minutes by car.

'At that level can I run?'

Time is also ample and stamina remains so he decided to just run.

Since there's no luggage there's nothing hindering either.

Items he has to bring he all put in the shadow warehouse. Of course he also memoed meticulously.

Seo I-hyeon moved walking leisurely then as soon as people disappeared he started running.

At first he ran relatively slowly, but gradually increased the speed and later ran at a speed faster than ordinary short-distance athletes.

Since world top-class short-distance athlete speed is about 35 kilometers per hour, at this level he will be able to arrive much faster than expected.

Running hard like that, and repeating wandering the path and confirming the map, he was able to arrive at the destination.

He still has to wait a few more hours for the black market to open.

'I came too early.'

He thought that briefly but it soon disappeared. Arriving and seeing, there were those who came earlier than Seo I-hyeon and were waiting.

Probably all those are those active in the hidden world.

Seo I-hyeon scanned them with somewhat curious eyes.

Roughly visible people alone exceeded thirty. Including those waiting in invisible places it will be much more.

But everyone doesn't enter the village. Looking a bit more carefully, someone was guarding the village entrance.

'Oh. Good build.'

It was a man as if packing the whole body tightly with muscle.

Inside the village fog was laid. It was clearly artificial fog. Because not even a bit flowed out outside the village.

Seo I-hyeon caught a seat in an appropriate place and sat. Fortunately, there was one wide rock so sitting there was perfect.

While waiting like that, a few people newly arrived then approached the village entrance.

And exchanged a few words with the build guarding the entrance then entered inside.

'What?'

But the waiting people also didn't mind at all.

Since Seo I-hyeon was staring that way someone quietly approached.

"Hyung-ssi is this the first time here?"

Seo I-hyeon turned his head and confirmed it was a man who looked a bit old as if past middle age a bit.

He was looking at Seo I-hyeon with a peculiar expression as if smiling or not, and exuded a veteran atmosphere that had experienced all sorts of hardships.

Seo I-hyeon looked at him for a moment then nodded.

"Yes. It's the first time."

"Oh, this was a precious body."

"Yes?"

"Newbies are always precious."

The middle-aged man largely nodded and continued.

"You're curious what's different about the people who just entered, right?"

Seo I-hyeon flinched wondering if he showed that much. But soon thinking what does that matter he just nodded.

"Well, yes."

"Simple. The ones who just entered are merchants."

"Ah."

Seo I-hyeon understood right away. Then it makes sense. They have to prepare for business.

"The merchant guys who settled in the black market, don't regard them lightly. The black market guys are dirty picky so they don't let just anyone do business. I also tried a few times, but all got rejected."

The middle-aged man said that and subtly caught a seat next to Seo I-hyeon.

"Hyung-ssi came here to buy something? Or is there something to sell?"

There's nothing to buy and there are a few things to sell, but is there a need to tell that to this person?

"Um, the attitude of suspecting whatever and seeing. Very good. Continue like that from now on. But I am a really harmless person. So if there's something you want to say say it, if there's something you want to ask ask."

He doesn't know what the purpose is. At times like this it's better to just ask directly.

"What do you want?"

"I said there's no such thing? Just worried that a newbie might disappear without a sound. In this field newbies are really precious."

It's a funny sound. Just looking at the clinical test Myeongjin Pharmaceutical does one can't know how many new people will be added to this field, so what's precious about being precious.

The middle-aged man carefully examined Seo I-hyeon up and down then asked.

"The body isn't bad... to endure you'll have to prepare equipment well. Or is there some usable ability?"

This seems to be the purpose. Of course he didn't answer.

"Heo. This friend is really taciturn or picky. I, am a really harmless person you know?"

The middle-aged man continued talking even after that. Seo I-hyeon roughly answered what he could answer, and if even a bit unpleasant closed his mouth.

How much time passed like that.

The middle-aged man quietly asked.

"But what did hyung-ssi say he came to obtain?"

It's a question he asked earlier too. Of course he didn't answer. Even now he has no intention of answering.

"Do you know by any chance? Whether I can obtain it? I also have wider feet than expected and secured items are quite many."

When Seo I-hyeon still didn't answer, the middle-aged man continued.

"Are you doing that worried money might be lacking? How much coins did you prepare? I can also find appropriate items matching the budget. How is it?"

This seems to have been the purpose. Somehow he sought newbies so much. It seems because it's easy to scam.

"I haven't even gone inside and looked around yet."

At Seo I-hyeon's words the middle-aged man laughed haha.

"Of course you have to look around first. I'm just informing that there's also this kind of thing. Do you know? I might have items that couldn't be obtained inside there."

"Well, I'll think about it."

As if satisfied with that level the middle-aged man changed the topic.

"Hyung-ssi also does the community, right?"

The changed topic had no particular content. It was just killing time nothing more nothing less.

The middle-aged man whether not getting tired talked for a long while without resting.

Doing that, it became time.

The man who had been standing guarding the entrance disappeared, and the fog that had been faintly covering the inside of the black market thinned.

And the sun also began to set gradually.

Finally the black market opened.

© Kim Kang-hyeon #12i09