Chapter 35

〈 Episode 35 〉Chapter 1-3 Part 4

The Black Market, being the place for under-the-table deals, thrives in areas untouched by the government’s eye.

A prime example is cores from monsters not officially reported to the association. These poorly managed cores are problematic factors that can attract more monsters, so the government keeps a close watch and specially manages them.

Three days ago, Sang-woo scoffed at a seller’s post while browsing the Black Market.

“Selling monster cores. Over 100 D-Rank, over 50 C-Rank cores available. B-Rank and above sold based on demand.”

All the comments were along the lines of “Stop messing around” or “Aggro much?” If Sang-woo hadn’t seen the seller’s username, he would’ve cursed too.

Blazing Phoenix.

The villain who sold three B-Rank monster cores for 1.9 billion won. In fact, due to insufficient authority, Sang-woo couldn’t even purchase the A-Rank ones.

Sang-woo immediately contacted Phoenix.

“Did you just put up a sales post on the Black Market?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll buy it directly from you if you take down the post.”

“Alright, was getting annoying anyway.”

Thus, they met again. Phoenix invited him to Guro, which happened to be the day Phoenix had occupied Digital District in Guro.

After clearing out all the monsters in Guro and bringing the area under their organization’s control, Sang-woo was convinced. He believed that working with this villain would lead to big success. He quickly contacted headquarters, and after confirming via video call, the main office rushed from Incheon to secure the A-Rank cores.

Naturally, headquarters wanted to connect with the seller, and the client also wished to speak with someone from headquarters. Sang-woo acted as the intermediary between the two.

This led to their current meeting inside this container.

“So your organization’s name is… and you want to do business with us?”

“Yes. This is a gift.”

Phoenix tapped their feet on a drum barrel and kicked a duffel bag with their foot. Watching the monster cores rattle inside, Milky Way’s chairman swallowed hard.

“All of this?”

“Yes. Every single one. Since you came all the way here, I expect transportation fees.”

The chairman hesitated as he took out one core from the duffel bag. The blue magical barrier encasing the dazzling core shimmered like a gem.

“With this quantity, we’ll check safety and loss rates later. What matters now—”

The chairman tossed the core back to Phoenix, who didn’t even bother catching it but instead flicked it with their toe into the open duffel bag.

“The real question is whether you can regularly supply cores of B-Rank and above, not these trivial things.”

The chairman flipped the duffel bag upside down, scattering the monster cores across the container floor.

“Selling these scraps won’t make money. Even if you collect coins forever, they’ll never equal a check. You know that a truckload of D-Rank cores isn’t worth a single B-Rank core, right?”

“Of course.”

“Exactly. So rather than going through the hassle of moving these little things, we want B-Rank and A-Rank cores.”

Phoenix reached into their pocket.

“Like these?”

In Phoenix’s hand were green-filled spheres. At a glance, the chairman realized all four were A-Rank cores.

“One from Guro. Three from Yeouido. Once we cross the Han River, we might clean everything out.”

“…Yeah. Even just crossing the Han River, B-Rank monsters swarm like ants.”

The chairman scratched his head, then suddenly remembered something and looked surprised.

“Wait. I heard there’s an S-Rank threat in Yeouido? Is that a rumor?”

“…Pfft.”

Phoenix pulled something small and black from their inner pocket, resting it on their index finger like a Go piece. The tiny spherical core exuded a mesmerizing malevolent aura.

“I’ve already dealt with it.”

Swallowing hard, the chairman asked,

“How much?”

“I’m not selling this. S-Ranks aren’t common finds you dig up from the ground, you know?”

“I’ve heard about Seoul falling into chaos since the Dimensional Gate opened, but I haven’t heard that an S-Rank in Yeouido has been eliminated. Speaking of recent news, wasn’t there a fire at the National Assembly a few hours ago?”

The chairman stopped mid-stroke and chuckled.

“Was that you?”

“Yes. That monster’s weakness was fire.”

“An S-Rank at the National Assembly? …This story is getting more intriguing.”

The chairman licked his lips and recalled some information.

The representative of the first opposition party at the time insisted on staying in Seoul when everyone thought abandoning Seoul was inevitable. His strong resolve to stay boosted the first opposition party to the top in approval ratings, but politically died once the government took the Light Blade away to New Seoul.

Currently missing, last seen near the National Assembly building in Yeouido.

Since his disappearance, the National Assembly became a mysterious dungeon where anyone who enters goes missing.

“…The former leader of the second opposition party, now the president’s biggest rival, right? Did the president know?”

“Hmm, but he benefited greatly either way. His rival disappeared, Seoul residents fled to New Seoul out of fear of monsters, increasing its value. It was quite advantageous for the president based in New Seoul.”

“Deliberate? Or coincidence? Either way, you exploited it well. President Sun Icheol is terrifying.”

“Excuse me, but I think our conversation is veering off-topic.”

Sang-woo interjected as the discussion strayed far from its original path. Neither of them acknowledged his comment.

“So, does the Seoul Recovery Operation have anything to do with this?”

“It’s about eliminating living threats he doesn’t want around. Perhaps checking if anyone survived as wanderers, or if someone still hiding in Seoul holds incriminating evidence against his faction.”

“What about Pine Tree Squad?”

“Using them to pretend to hunt monsters while quietly eliminating troublesome remnants he hasn’t dealt with yet. There must be a reason why Pine Tree Squad was stationed in Seoul. The issue arises if he intentionally avoids restoring Seoul—”

Phoenix rubbed their fingertips together, laughing softly. Flames flickered from their hands.

“When the National Assembly caught fire, he probably wanted to come himself to confirm if anyone was alive or dead.”

“Hey, what’s with this conversation jumping from the South Pole to the North Pole? We were talking about core trading, how did we end up here?”

Sang-woon interrupted, unable to keep up with the flow of the conversation anymore.

“If we’re here to trade cores, shouldn’t we be thinking about future supply and trading methods instead of talking about the president and his rivals?”

“……You’re right.”

“…Ah. Sang-woo, pretend you didn’t hear any of that.”

Phoenix and the chairman shared a knowing smirk.

“We’ll continue this discussion another time when we have more time. For now, let’s proceed with what he wants. So, what’s your plan for future supplies?”

“I intend to take over south of the Han River, centered around Yeouido. I’ll gather wanderers to drive out monsters.”

“Just that?”

“Of course not. Once the organization stabilizes, I’ll push monsters out to northern Gyeonggi Province. Then we’ll set up camp along the old 38th parallel line, hunting monsters as they come down for regular core supply.”

The chairman frowned, nervously tapping his leg.

“Anyone can make plans. Until they cry after getting beaten up, that is. Do you really have enough time to conquer south of the Han River? Over a hundred heroes will likely arrive for the Seoul Recovery Operation.”

“No matter who comes, it’s fine. Because I always win.”

As Phoenix grew smug, the chairman summoned a screen and pointed at it with disdain.

“Can you beat Princess Seulhwa?”

On the screen was an S-Rank hero revealed in New Seoul, alongside Hwakwon Lee Seung-hyeong.

“Hmm. Princess Seulhwa and Hwakwon…so both S-Ranks are coming?”

“Yeah. Word is that Hwakwon has Round Table-level talent.”

“Hahahaha!”

Phoenix clutched their stomach laughing, leaving the chairman somewhat embarrassed.

“Are you losing your mind because your plans got disrupted?”

“Hahaha, nope. Not at all.”

Phoenix finally calmed down, waving their hands defensively.

“I was worried about dealing with the Light Blade, but this works out perfectly.”

Phoenix chuckled lowly.

“With those two, I can toy with them using just one hand.”

* * *

The white-haired maiden listened to music with headphones, her eyes closed.

♩♬♪

Humming along with the song gave her a youthful vibe fitting for her age. Knowing the nature of the song, Seung-hyeong felt uneasy.

“Why do you carry military songs on your smartphone, huh?”

The girl furrowed her brow, pulling one earphone out and opening her eyes.

“Got a problem?”

Her deep navy-blue irises resembled the ocean.

“I’m just saying, you’re playing random songs. Want to listen?”

“Nah. You’re teasing me on purpose with that military song.”

“Tch.”

The girl clicked her tongue regretfully. Through the removed earphone, the sound of reveille made Seung-hyeong’s mouth go dry.

“Enough fooling around. Tell me, why are you here?”

With a serious expression, Seung-hyeong asked, prompting the girl to turn off her phone and sit properly.

“Obviously, to reclaim Seoul.”

S-Rank hero Seok Harang, better known as Princess Seulhwa, briefly left her hometown Busan to visit New Seoul.

Naturally, New Seoul and Busan experienced contrasting emotions.

New Seoul celebrated the unexpected visit of the S-Rank hero long confined to Busan, while Busan trembled at the increased risk of monsters with Seulhwa gone.

Especially considering her mission was ‘to reclaim Seoul,’ Harang might be away from Busan for quite some time.

“You’re S-Rank now, Uncle. How long can we let monsters play around in Seoul? They say it’s best to pull horns while they’re hot, right?”

“…Haa. Really.”

Seung-hyeong massaged his temple with his index finger. Harang’s casual posture while declaring her intent to fight in Seoul seemed almost like she was going out for a stroll.

Yet beneath her light-hearted attitude, Harang burned with determination. Seung-hyeong could sense her fiery spirit through her magic, resonating with his own at their shared level.

“Is it because of that dragon at City Hall? Seeking revenge?”

“Ugh.”

Harang scrunched her nose, clearly hit a nerve.

“What, is there a problem? I’m just finishing what I couldn’t catch!”

“Plenty. A grown adult diving into the middle of Seoul’s battlefield, risking her life. You’re twenty years old.”

Seung-hyeong pointed out her age, causing Harang to slam her palm on the table in frustration.

“I turned twenty-one! And you’re only twenty-six! Not much of an age gap!”

“And you’re calling me uncle despite that small age gap? Isn’t that a bit much?”

“Hmph. You’re too old-fashioned in heart. If you want me to call you brother, get stronger and come see me.”

“Don’t say things that’ll make me uncomfortable…”

Seung-hyeong sighed, noticing other heroes and journalists nearby eavesdropping intently.

“Why am I assigned to guard you…”

“They’re sending you to Seoul too. The government and the association are desperate this time.”

Harang sipped her iced tea through a straw before continuing.

“Of course, rescuing wanderers and those still trapped in Seoul is part of it. But they also aim to root out villains lurking in Seoul during this opportunity.”

“Villains?”

Harang nodded.

“Dimensional Gates, Fire Demons. With Seoul already dangerous, adding more risks means even self-preserving villains won’t stay in Seoul. They’ll try escaping to Incheon or southern Gyeonggi Province.”

Harang explained the situation while pointing out the behavior of villains.

“Already, wanted villains from光明and Seongnam are starting to appear. The exodus of villains has begun.”

“…That sounds terrible.”

Currently, practically all villains in Korea are concentrated in Seoul. It’s both a lawless zone abandoned by the government and a place where they can chase quick riches through monster hunting.

If these villains start leaving Seoul, the situation will spiral out of control.

Not only do villains need to be captured, but they also have to deal with monsters descending to fill the void.

Best to capture everyone before things get messy and potentially reform useful ones.

“That’s why the association dispatched a governor to Busan just to send me here.”

“Do you plan to freeze all the villains?”

Harang shrugged. Her lukewarm iced tea cooled instantly upon touching her hand.

“No. Villains should be arrested. Freezing and killing is reserved for monsters only.”

Harang’s low chuckle sent a chill down Seung-hyeong’s spine. The temperature seemed to drop by a degree momentarily.

Clack.

Harang swirled her iced tea then pointed the straw at Seung-hyeong.

“So, uncle, don’t slack off. Come to Seoul with me. This is a great chance to practice controlling your new S-Rank power.”

“I appreciate the advice.”

Seung-hyeong lifted his cup, taking a sip of coffee.

“But do we really need both of us? Can’t one person go?”

“…Master Light Blade said we all three must go,” Harang pouted, idly poking the ice with her straw.

“There’s a major threat in Seoul, so we need to pool all our strength. I could handle it alone though.”

Harang’s chilling smile brimmed with confidence.