Chapter 68

Chapter 68

The merchant looked at Zeon carefully.

Zeon’s eyes were lit up as he searched for an item worth three thousand sol. He did not even glance at anything without value and examined only the items that were worth money with ghostlike precision.

Zeon picked up a box.

“What is this?”

“That? It’s a kind of alarm device. If someone unauthorized enters a shelter or house, it lets you know.”

While he was at it, the merchant opened the box and showed him the contents.

Inside were something resembling a sensor and a necklace, paired together.

“It’s a common item inside Neo Seoul.”

“Is that so?”

“I should charge five thousand sol for this much, but I’ll give it to you for three thousand specially. How about it?”

“Well, I feel like I’m the one losing out, but I’ll accept it.”

“Heh-heh! A good choice. Then will you take the goods yourself? Or should we deliver them?”

“How much is the delivery fee?”

“Two thousand sol!”

At the absurd delivery fee, Zeon frowned slightly.

If he placed it directly into his subspace and took it away, he could transport it without paying the delivery fee. But if he did that, the fact that Zeon possessed a subspace would be revealed.

Subspace was an extremely rare item.

Even inside Neo Seoul, only a few people possessed such an item, and anyone would covet it.

If it became known that Zeon had a subspace, things would certainly become troublesome.

“Tch! You promise safe delivery?”

“Of course!”

“Fine.”

Zeon took another small Mana Stone from inside his clothes and tossed it to the merchant.

The merchant examined the Mana Stone and exclaimed in admiration.

“Hah! This one was also obtained from a monster. Do you have a hunting team somewhere? Instead of doing this, how about signing a regular Mana Stone supply contract with us?”

“That’s all the Mana Stones I have.”

“Don’t be like that. Think about it again. There’s nowhere in the Goblin Market that will pay as well for Mana Stones as we do.”

The merchant firmly believed Zeon had a hunting team. Otherwise, it made no sense for him to produce high-quality Mana Stones one after another like this.

Everyone knew that Mana Stones obtained from monsters were far more efficient than Mana Stones mined from the mines.

If they could regularly receive Mana Stones of this quality, their influence in the Goblin Market would inevitably grow.

Zeon cut him off firmly.

“There are no more Mana Stones. Don’t imagine things for no reason. Please send the goods to this address.”

“Tch! If you change your mind, tell me anytime. The door to my shop is always wide open.”

“I told you that won’t happen.”

“I’ll send the goods today.”

“I trust you won’t play any tricks.”

“For a merchant of the Goblin Market, credibility is life. I’ll deliver them myself, so don’t worry.”

“Then I’ll see you again.”

Zeon gave a slight nod, then went outside.

After that, Zeon wandered around the Goblin Market for a long while.

The Goblin Market was far larger than it looked from the outside. Thanks to that, browsing was quite enjoyable.

It was while Zeon was looking around the Goblin Market for some time.

BOOM!

Suddenly, an explosion erupted from deeper inside.

Then people’s voices followed.

“It’s a fight.”

“Crazy bastards! They’re fighting inside the Goblin Market?”

No dispute or fight was tolerated inside the Goblin Market.

That was the law of the Goblin Market.

Those who broke the law had no place left to stand in the slums. Yet the fact that a fight had broken out meant either the ones involved possessed strength great enough not to fear the Goblin Market, or they had no knowledge of that rule at all.

Zeon walked toward the source of the commotion.

In the place surrounded by a crowd, two people were facing off.

One was a man of ordinary build with an expression cold as ice, and the other was a massive man wearing heavy armor that made one feel stifled just by looking at him.

Because of their confrontation, the air around them had sunk heavily.

The man with the ice-cold expression opened his mouth.

“It seems you’ve lost all fear, Brickston.”

“You’ve got a long tongue, Taeo! If you’re scared, just bite it off and kill yourself.”

The giant called Brickston took out the enormous hammer slung over his back.

From his entire body, killing intent laced with madness flowed out.

At that instant, the eyes of the man called Taeo grew even sharper.

“Arrogant.”

What he took out was a small dagger with a triangular blade and a lotus pattern engraved on it.

It was a weapon called a Vajra, mainly used as a tool for discipline in ancient religions.

A chilling sharpness emanated from the Vajra Taeo held.

The two glared at one another with murderous eyes, as if they were mortal enemies.

Taeo raised the Vajra before his chest and said,

“Everything that happens from this point on is Dongdaemun’s responsibility. You mad berserker bastard!”

“You’ve only gotten better at running your mouth after staying under Goran. Someday, I’ll smash Goran’s head with this hammer.”

“You insolent......”

A red energy burst from the enraged Taeo’s Vajra.

He had released aura, said to be usable only by high-ranking Awakened.

A pure white light flowed from the hammer Brickston held as well.

It was an energy different from ordinary aura.

It was divine power, which only a very small number of Awakened could use.

The ruler of Dongdaemun, to which Brickston belonged, was a man named Johan.

He had uniquely awakened divine power, and with his ability, he had caused his close aides to awaken similar abilities.

One of them was Brickston the berserker.

Brickston was the first weapon that smashed Johan’s enemies.

Taeo, who was facing him, was a close aide of Goran, the ruler of Shinchon.

Goran also kept four Awakened as subordinates, and Taeo was one of them, a man with reason as cold as ice.

Brickston and Taeo were famous enemies, and they had already fought several times.

Because their abilities were equal, no victor had yet been decided.

Those two had happened to meet in the Goblin Market.

The two forgot even the unwritten rule of the Goblin Market and burned with hostility toward each other.

“I’ll crush your head until no trace remains.”

“I’ll carve out your heart with this Vajra.”

The two charged at each other.

CRAAASH!

Just before the Vajra and hammer collided, a bolt of lightning fell between them.

“Ghk!”

“Damn it!”

The two were flung backward with startled expressions.

“Both of you, stop now. If you cause any more disturbance, I’ll formally file a protest with Lord Goran and Lord Johan. Then this matter won’t end with only the two of you being reprimanded.”

Along with a low voice, a woman wearing leather clothes that revealed her figure walked out.

She was a beautiful woman whose hair, red like a blazing flame, left a strong impression against her white leather clothes.

Behind her followed a man radiating an intense presence like a lion. The man covered his nose and mouth with a black cloth.

Yet his eyes, revealed beneath disheveled hair, were enough to overwhelm everyone present.

The moment the two appeared, the street fell silent.

Even Taeo and Brickston could no longer cause a commotion and fell quiet.

That was how special the status and presence of the two who had appeared were.

The woman with hair red like a blazing flame was the owner of the Goblin Market.

It was extremely rare for her to show herself in the market personally.

That was how great an effect Taeo and Brickston’s clash had on the Goblin Market.

Although it was located on Yeonnam-ro, near Shinchon, the Goblin Market was fundamentally a neutral zone.

No clash between any forces was tolerated here.

It also took no side.

If not, the Goblin Market would not have been able to survive until now.

Shinchon and Dongdaemun, to which Taeo and Brickston belonged, were among the most powerful forces in the slums.

The two of them were central figures even within those great powers.

It did not matter if they fought outside, but if they fought in the Goblin Market and casualties occurred, it was Yu Se-hee who would suffer the headache.

That was why she had been forced to show herself.

The man behind Yu Se-hee was her guard and the strongest fighter in the Goblin Market, the Black Lion.

Only Yu Se-hee knew the Black Lion’s real name.

One thing was certain: the Black Lion’s martial power was by no means inferior to the rulers of Dongdaemun and Shinchon.

With their appearance, even Taeo and Brickston did not dare behave rashly.

Yu Se-hee, who had fired the lightning Magic, was troublesome, but above all else, the Black Lion’s intense presence pressed down on them.

Yu Se-hee stood between the two, her red hair fluttering.

“If you compensate only for the things broken here, I won’t make an issue of it. So let’s end this here.”

A bright smile appeared on her face.

The smile paired with her red hair was beautiful enough to enchant every man present. But Taeo and Brickston did not fall for her appearance.

If Yu Se-hee had been merely a woman with a beautiful face, she would never have been able to lead the Goblin Market until now.

The reason the Goblin Market had gained its current influence was entirely thanks to Yu Se-hee.

Because of that, even Johan and Goran could not look down on her.

The first to withdraw was Taeo.

“I apologize. I will compensate separately for the broken goods.”

“Thank you. As expected of Lord Taeo.”

After lowering his head slightly to Yu Se-hee, Taeo left without hesitation.

Brickston watched him for a moment, then said to Yu Se-hee,

“I’d like to meet you outside someday, Lady Yu Se-hee.”

“Oh? Are you asking me on a date? But what should I do? I like the Goblin Market. If it’s a date inside here, I’ll think about it.”

“Lord Johan wishes to meet you.”

“Then that means we should have the date here all the more. I’m afraid of Lord Johan too, you see.”

She said that, but she did not look frightened at all.

Instead, there was mockery in her expression.

Brickston knew that too. But he did not get angry or behave rashly.

If he offended Yu Se-hee any more than this, the people of Dongdaemun would never be able to use the Goblin Market again.

That was not a situation Johan, the ruler of Dongdaemun, wanted either.

Brickston bowed his head to Yu Se-hee and withdrew.

“If you send me the list of damages, I’ll pay everything back by tomorrow. Then I’ll see you next time.”

“Hoho! Take care.”

Yu Se-hee waved her hand.

Once Brickston disappeared completely from sight, the smile on Yu Se-hee’s face vanished entirely.

“Those fucking bastards! Why are they coming to someone else’s place of business and fighting like idiots? Organize the list of everything that got broken and submit it thoroughly.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

One of the merchants answered carefully.

At that instant, Yu Se-hee’s eyes flared, and she shouted.

“What are you doing? Are you not doing business today? Is business over?”

“Yes!”

“We are. We’re working.”

“Hurry and clean up.”

The startled merchants scattered like cockroaches and began organizing the goods.

The messy market instantly recovered its original appearance, and business resumed as if nothing had happened.

Yu Se-hee shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Honestly, all of you are obsessed only with watching fights. You have to sell even one more thing to make money. You useless bastards!”

“They probably understand by now.”

Unable to watch any longer, the Black Lion stepped forward and calmed her.

“Fine. I’ve calmed down now.”

“When you’re outside, please control your temper a little. There are many eyes watching.”

“Forget it. Since when did I live while caring about other people’s gazes? If I end up with some needlessly mysterious image, it’ll only narrow my range of movement.”

Yu Se-hee grumbled.

Her appearance was unexpected, and Zeon burst out laughing without realizing it.

“Pfft!”

“Who was that? Was there still some bastard watching instead of doing business?”

Unfortunately, Yu Se-hee heard Zeon’s laughter and her eyes flared.

Yu Se-hee looked around, then soon found Zeon standing there blankly.

She strode toward Zeon.

“Was it you? Did you laugh?”

“I apologize.”

Only then did Zeon realize his mistake and apologize.

Yu Se-hee carefully examined Zeon from head to toe.

“You’re not a merchant here. A customer?”

“Yes!”

“I haven’t seen your face before. Whose introduction brought you here?”

“I came with old man Clexi’s introduction.”

At that instant, Yu Se-hee thrust her face close to Zeon’s.

“Clexi? You’re the one that damned old man gave a card to?”

At her unexpected reaction, Zeon blinked.