Chapter 19 · 12 min

Chapter 19

Ether Pay

Seo I-hyeon entered the village. In fact even saying the village entrance there was nothing much. Just a path stretching straight.

But even so he definitely felt it was an entrance. Because it was as if fog was surrounding like building a wall around.

The middle-aged man who stuck close next to Seo I-hyeon who entered the village quietly spoke.

"If there's something curious anytime ask. I am also a regular who attends every time the black market opens."

Seo I-hyeon roughly let his words flow and examined the village's scenery.

It was flashy to the degree hard to think of as an abandoned village. No, it would be right to say covered with flashiness.

On collapsing houses they hung signs and decorations flashing with neon or LED and decorated.

And they also laid stalls in front of houses, and placed display cases. Of course inside the display cases were full of LED lights.

They weren't using the entire village. Just following the path crossing the village center one could look around most shops.

Occasionally there are cases of having to enter inside, and there more secret transactions seemed to be taking place.

Going like that, a house where quite a few people gathered was visible.

They had completely opened the front of the house so the inside was clearly visible, and there numerous tables were placed.

"Do they also sell meals here?"

At Seo I-hyeon's question the middle-aged man grinned.

"Of course. Would they only sell meals? They also sell alcohol and sell women. If wanting men they also sell men. If wanting beasts they also sell beasts."

The middle-aged man gestured with his chin at the bar Seo I-hyeon was looking at and asked.

"Shall we go eat something? It's very delicious."

"I don't have cash."

It was natural. He didn't come here to use cash but to change coins to cash.

"What cash talk. In the black market. Here it's all coins. If not coins they don't accept."

"You eat meals with coins too? Alcohol too? Women too?"

"Of course."

"It would be bothersome but amazing."

"What's bothersome. Much more convenient than cash. Just scan is enough."

Seo I-hyeon looked at the middle-aged man as if what sound is that. Then the middle-aged man asked with a speechless expression.

"Don't tell me you don't have Ether Pay?"

"Ether Pay? Is there such a thing too?"

"Heo, this really knows nothing. Ah, well, is not knowing natural? Because a newbie?"

The middle-aged man continued as if slightly boasting.

"It's something that links with the coin wallet and allows payment with coins right away. Just bringing the phone to the terminal and it pays right away."

"It seems dangerous."

"So you have to put only an appropriate amount of coins in the wallet. Still Ether Pay itself is trustworthy. Because the black market developed it."

Seo I-hyeon made a somewhat speechless expression. Trusting the black market. Does that make sense?

But unexpectedly the trust toward the black market was considerable.

Watching a bit, everyone without hesitation brought the phone to the terminal and paid.

"It's up on the store so first install it. Ah, don't forget to newly make a coin wallet. If you don't know shall I do it?"

"It's fine."

Seo I-hyeon said that and found and installed the thing called Ether Pay.

There was no need to newly make a wallet. Anyway he had made one more. It was something he did just in case and he thought it was fortunate.

Of course he also procured one more burner phone.

On the phone that installed Ether Pay he transferred one thousand coins.

Linking the wallet and Pay a message that it was completed appeared.

"How about it, one drink to commemorate installing Pay?"

"Alcohol is enough, let's eat a meal."

"Good. I was also a bit hungry."

Since meal time had passed a bit Seo I-hyeon was also quite hungry.

Going inside and catching a seat at an appropriate table and sitting the employee brought the menu.

Seo I-hyeon who opened the menu and confirmed what there is frowned hard.

"Is this price correct?"

The middle-aged man giggled.

"It's a bit expensive, right?"

"I don't know if this can be called a bit."

One gukbap is a full 2 coins. Gukbap over 200 thousand won.

Even if here is the black market isn't this too much?

Even that is the cheapest.

Other menus are usually 3 coins even some are 5 coin ones.

The middle-aged man grinned and said.

"I recommend gukbap. Others also worth the money, but cost-performance gukbap is the best."

Seo I-hyeon worried for a long while. Eat this, or not? While doing so.

The middle-aged man while Seo I-hyeon was worrying raised his hand and called the employee and ordered gukbap.

Bringing the phone to the terminal the employee held out a beep sound and payment was done.

Seo I-hyeon watched that then eventually ordered.

After a moment, gukbap came out.

It was gukbap that came out with rice mixed in, and the shape looked just good. The smell was also excellent.

The middle-aged man looked at Seo I-hyeon and gestured as if to eat quickly.

"If you eat it, you'll know why it's expensive."

Seo I-hyeon with a reluctant expression scooped a spoonful of gukbap deeply and put it in his mouth.

The hot broth that entered with rice grains spread in the mouth. Chewing a few times it went down the throat in an instant.

"Wow."

Seo I-hyeon admired. It was the best among gukbap he had eaten until now. No, compared to this gukbap the gukbap eaten until now was not gukbap. It was food waste disguised as gukbap.

It was a taste with that degree of difference. To the degree that the thought that this level is worth paying two coins slightly arises.

'No. Even so two coins was severe. It's just gukbap after all.'

The moment he thought that, a peculiar feeling was felt from the gukbap that entered the stomach. No, it was a feeling coming from the mana filling Seo I-hyeon's body tightly not the gukbap.

Part of the mana tried to activate. But it was forcibly suppressed by the overwhelming power of the mana Seo I-hyeon has then disappeared.

'This... what is it?'

Seo I-hyeon quietly looked down at the gukbap. No, glared.

The middle-aged man who saw that couldn't hide a surprised expression.

"No, you felt it after eating just one bite? Hyung-ssi's senses are considerable? Wow, if done well this will see some effect?"

Seo I-hyeon raised his head and looked at the middle-aged man.

"What does that mean?"

The middle-aged man pointed at the gukbap with his finger and said.

"That, is not ordinary gukbap. Since you ate it you know, right?"

When Seo I-hyeon nodded, the middle-aged man killed his voice hard and leaned his upper body toward Seo I-hyeon and opened his mouth.

"The cook here is an enchantment sorcerer."

"Enchantment sorcerer?"

He didn't ask what that is. Because he knows. A person who grants special abilities to weapons etc.

"Usually enchantment sorcerers do it on equipment like weapons, right? Granting attributes or granting special abilities. Of course usually temporary."

It is possible to grant semi-permanently. But to do that special materials are also needed and the consumption value that goes in when granting is considerable.

So usually they temporarily grant in combat situations to raise combat power or grant suitable attribute power to turn the situation advantageously.

"But the enchantment sorcerer here is a bit special. He can use abilities on ingredients. No, should it be said he can only do that?"

"You use it on ingredients?"

Seo I-hyeon asked like that and ate the gukbap hard. It was a demonic taste that seemed addictive. And even the thing struggling to activate mana after entering the body was a fairly okay feeling.

"Originally he grows all ingredients directly. While growing he grants ether. It's close to almost pure ether, and in the process of growing it is refined little by little and special attributes dwell."

Seo I-hyeon looked at the middle-aged man with somewhat fresh eyes. He knows in detail too. As if he is a related person.

"He combines that and cooks. So how special would the cooking made like that be? Right? Even the water he scoops directly from a mineral spring and steadily uses enchantment so everything is said."

The middle-aged man raised one finger and continued.

"So that's also why the price is set like this. Even saying the materials going into gukbap it's rice and water, and broth and garnish degree, and most are made with leftovers used in other cooking."

Seo I-hyeon glanced around at those words.

There weren't as many people eating gukbap as expected.

And after a moment people flocked from somewhere and occupied seats and sat. Doing that before he knew it it became full.

"The people who came now, aren't they a bit strange?"

At the middle-aged man's question Seo I-hyeon examined the people who just entered.

It was a young man who appeared accompanied by bodyguards wearing black suits.

"Is he some precious family young master?"

"He came out from a chaebol family."

"Chaebol?"

"What do you think is the reason here is famous?"

Seo I-hyeon tilted his head.

"Well. Because it's delicious?"

"It's delicious, but is it to the degree a chaebol comes to this rural remote village and eats?"

"It seems that degree?"

The middle-aged man chuckled.

"You haven't eaten really delicious things. There are also more expensive and much more delicious ones."

Seo I-hyeon at those words muttered the words that rose without realizing.

"It's ether."

The middle-aged man flicked his finger.

"Right."

"Are they trying to awaken by stimulating ether?"

"Accurate. The possibility of awakening opens."

The middle-aged man's expression became slightly bitter.

"Do you know how many people are active in this field?"

"Well. I am a newbie."

"Kekek. Well, it is like that."

The middle-aged man laughed alone then cleared his throat once and started the explanation.

"Ahem. Our country's population is a bit over 50 million. Roughly about 51 million they say."

Seo I-hyeon looked with an expression of why start with useless talk. But he didn't care and continued what he wanted to say.

"Among them people who even indirectly have a foot in this field and are active can be regarded as about 100 thousand."

"100 thousand? Many?"

"Hey, among 51 million only 100 thousand what's many about many?"

Hearing those words it also seems like that. Calculating by ratio it's not even 0.2 percent.

"Among them people who are active directly are about 30 thousand."

"Suddenly it decreases sharply?"

"Right. Being active directly means bearing considerable risk. Probably among people who indirectly have a foot there will be people who don't even know if they are working in this field?"

Seo I-hyeon finally looked at the middle-aged man with somewhat interested eyes. He as if slightly excited continued.

"Alright, then a question here."

The middle-aged man raised one finger and sparkled his eyes.

"Among those 30 thousand how many ability users would there be?"

"Well. Still at least 10 thousand wouldn't it be?"

"Wrong. About 3 thousand."

"Only 10 percent?"

"Yeah. Only that. If meeting ten people among them ability users are one or not. The inflow personnel of this field continues to increase but ability users don't increase easily so the ratio is a trend of gradually decreasing."

Interest deepened a bit more. Certainly this kind of content is not easy to know anywhere.

"Anyway then what kind of thing will happen?"

Seo I-hyeon finally could roughly know what the middle-aged man was trying to say, and why this restaurant is expensive, and what a chaebol family person came all the way here for lacking.

It's because of jealousy and desire.

How much would the 9 parts who don't have envy the remaining 1 part and long to become like that?

Even that doesn't change just because one has a lot.

Rather people who have a lot regard themselves as special so they long for special power even more.

Even if just using money a path opens so is there a reason not to.

"It's fun."

Seo I-hyeon grinned.

But the middle-aged man seeing that couldn't smile.

"What's fun. It's regrettable. How much do you think the probability of awakening by eating this is?"

"Well. I don't know. Is it about 1%?"

The middle-aged man chuckled.

"If that degree they would bow thanking. Looking at the data I gathered until now it's 0.001%."

One in a hundred thousand? Isn't that a probability too close to impossible?

No, anyway the important thing is that it's not 0. The fact that that probability came out means they confirmed successful cases, right.

The middle-aged man pointed at his own gukbap with his finger and said mixing resentment.

"You have to eat 100 thousand bowls of this kind of gukbap to awaken or not. Do you know how many bowls of this gukbap I have eaten until now?"

Seo I-hyeon didn't answer. No, he didn't even care. Because he was already in other thoughts.

They want awakening to the degree of clinging to such a low probability? To the degree even chaebol families stick?

Seo I-hyeon's mouth corners slightly rose. His hand was already stroking his chin.

'Isn't this worth trying?'

What is awakening, is there something special? Isn't it just raising mana suitability?

"Is 200 thousand coins a child's name! Fuck it's 20 billion."

The middle-aged man's lament of his situation continued. But his lament of his situation was another calculation for Seo I-hyeon.

'So the expected value is 20 billion, right? I'll just cut it in half and sell for 10 billion.'

That kind of uncle maybe not but wouldn't chaebols buy as much as they want?

However, he has to confirm whether there is really an effect. A test is needed.

'This I should also think carefully.'

He can't just use it on anyone carelessly. There might be unknown side effects.

'There won't be.'

Seo I-hyeon was certain that if he makes it paying a bit of attention there won't be side effects or such.

It's a full 10 billion one so shouldn't he make it carefully and sincerely.

Anyway today's important thing isn't that. Now he should gradually look around the black market.

At 5 in the morning tomorrow the black market closes. Before that he has to do all the looking around and also confirm whether he can cash the coins.

Seo I-hyeon stood up from his seat.

"Huh? What, you're just going? You should also eat other menus here? Have a drink too. The alcohol here, is really delicious."

"Eat a lot."

When Seo I-hyeon coldly turned around, the middle-aged man also hurriedly stood up and stuck to Seo I-hyeon.

"Ehe, why are you trying to go alone so heartlessly? We should go together."

Seo I-hyeon quietly looked at the middle-aged man. Why on earth is he sticking so stickily?

Well, until now there was no harm and only gain so it doesn't matter.

"Let's go."

At Seo I-hyeon's words the middle-aged man smiled brightly and nodded.

"Yeah. Let's go. If there's something you don't know or are curious about anytime ask."

Seo I-hyeon chuckled. If a person who knows a lot helps from the side it's thankful.

The two people walked toward the center of the black market like that.