Chapter 180: Black Market (4)
It’s leather with a high success rate of intimidation.
After all, aliens wouldn’t notice the difference in appearance traits much. Perhaps having this function might be better for me than reincarnating as a handsome man in the Earth style.
“E-excuse me! I-I’ve checked the invitation, so please enjoy the remaining time comfortably!”
After a brief wait, the expected result came back.
They were sweating profusely, apologizing, and then suddenly, they ran away in a hurry.
I successfully chased away the guard.
‘Phew!’
Well, that means I passed the inspection without any issues. Now, I should hear from the parties involved.
“Excuse me, Ms. Seonwoo-yeon.”
Whoosh.
When I turned my head, a masked woman was watching me from behind.
“Earlier, you said there wouldn’t be anything special here?”
As I broke the ice, she flinched her shoulders.
“That’s right. I think we misjudged the scale. B-but there was an analysis from the investigations over the last month that stated this organization only has C-Class Hunters…?”
Hearing that made a sudden assumption flicker through my mind.
‘Could it be?’
This place was originally a black market targeting non-awakened individuals.
Since it was small, the range of products was limited, so high-ranking awakened individuals probably wouldn’t frequent this place.
‘From what I gather, Kang Chang-ho hardly used this market either.’
Thus, the black market’s management might have naturally become lax with their security.
If they were dealing with ordinary people, one suitable awakened individual would be enough manpower.
But what if suddenly an S-Class, interacting for the first time, became a customer?
It wouldn’t be impossible for the black market to get nervous and temporarily tighten security upon hearing that a monster-like hunter was coming to browse.
In that case, if this assumption is correct, then the pre-investigations from Seonwoo-yeon’s side must’ve been thrown off by an S-Class Hunter being the culprit.
‘Ah, no way?’
As I examined this sudden hypothesis, cold sweat began to form. Just then, a sharp explosion sound pierced through my tangled thoughts.
Kaboom!
Upon hearing this, Seonwoo-yeon perked up her head.
“It’s coming from us!”
“W-what?”
“It’s one of the police officers who often uses explosion-type skills!”
I had worried for a while since it was quiet, but fortunately, the police who entered with her were still safe for now.
“It’s a bit different from the plan, but I need to go over there.”
Soon after, Seonwoo-yeon crossed over into the booth and picked up the secured criminal.
It seemed her task was to join the scene with him in custody.
Right before heading into enemy territory, the masked earthling turned around, hesitating for a moment.
“…Thank you for helping me just now.”
She said this and quickly exited the shop.
She neither tried to arrest me on suspicion of dealing Blueshell nor asked for my assistance in her operation.
‘Doesn’t asking for help mean her trust in me has been shattered?’
Well, it was better to focus on work than to collide with a suspect that couldn’t be caught.
Over here, there just wasn’t enough evidence to apprehend him as he was caught in the act, and he looked too high-ranking superficially.
It was a smart decision.
Moreover, it was advantageous for me as well. With that explosion, the marketplace would soon turn into chaos. Now, I just needed to slip away in the confusion.
‘I should find a hidden place to stash the Blueshell on my way home, so I don’t get reported later.’
I firmly secured the Item Box to my hunter belt that I had bought not long ago.
But the problem was.
“Hmm.”
It’s about an enormous hidden threat in this black market…
“Hmm.”
In fact, there was an A-Class Awakened outright guarding a selling seat in this market.
Regrettably, the police’s power predictions had gone way off the mark.
How would the situation unfold next?
“What to do?”
If I leave that A-Class alone, Seonwoo-yeon would surely run into big trouble.
I wasn’t sure what rank the people who came with her were, but the police, struggling with chronic manpower shortages, wouldn’t invest heavily in personnel in such a small black market.
Of course, if I dealt with that A-Class recklessly?
From that moment, it would be awkward for me.
Letting someone beg for mercy only for the invited guest to cause a ruckus would be disastrous!
‘Tsk, it’s already bad if the report of my invitation check reaches Kang Chang-ho…’
I was in a tricky position.
But doing nothing would surely lead to a disaster.
Therefore, after careful consideration, I chose the option that would incur the least damage.
.
.
About 60 seconds later.
Thud!
I burst open the door of a shop.
Upon my noisy entrance, the Awakened sitting in a chair stood up awkwardly and glanced at me.
Just to clarify, the owner of this shop is that A-Class Awakened I mentioned earlier.
“W-what is it?”
But do I know why I came to this A-Class?
Seonwoo-yeon had clearly said, according to the police’s investigation results, the maximum power in this black market was estimated to be a C-Class.
At the time, I thought it was just a simple mistake.
But reflecting on it now…
There’s no way that skilled investigators selected through various tests could be that incompetent.
So let’s assume for now that the police’s statement about the black market’s security being low for the past month is true.
All that’s left is a simple inductive reasoning.
First, are groups that break the law for money really tightly bound?
Second, what about a newcomer who suddenly appeared, like an A-Class Hunter who hadn’t been detected until then?
‘Seonwoo-yeon didn’t even know there was an A-Class here. Anyway, that person isn’t a vital arrest target.’
Hiss.
I completed all calculations and acted rationally.
“──Cop!”
“Huh?”
“Huh!”
I just blurted out a snitch.
“There’s a crackdown happening!”
And I did it with a booming voice that sounded like a train whistle being eaten alive.
Just so you know, I used a derogatory term for police so I wouldn’t be recognized as one of the good guys. That’s a little bonus.
“What? Cop?”
“Didn’t you hear that explosion earlier? That was the sound of the awakened police using their skills! They’re capturing vendors over there and it’s total chaos!”
Buzz buzz buzz.
With that bombshell statement, the shop quickly fell into uproar.
The atmosphere was already murky due to the recent loud noise, and now the revelation of the police’s appearance sent everyone into a frenzy.
“What do we do?!”
“Damn it.”
“So that’s why security was patrolling!”
“Why did we get caught here?!”
“Don’t tell me the gate is surrounded too?!”
Everyone was confused and panicking.
But I didn’t care about the shock of the guests. I just needed to recruit one Earthling over here.
“Hey! I know where the boss of the dungeon is hiding, so let’s kill it and sneak away together!”
“Huh!”
“The entrance is probably surrounded by the police! But there’s a chance the exit could appear somewhere isolated…!”
I said to the sales clerk across the booth.
“You look like you have a high Awakening level; you can take care of a boss, right? Huh? While the police are preoccupied with catching the boss, hurry up! Let’s go!”
This was my plan.
If I was worried that a specific person might harm Seonwoo-yeon, it wouldn’t be bad to eliminate that target from the incident altogether.
‘And I’ll slip out the exit too.’
If the exit spawns next to the entrance… At that moment, I’d just pop open the [Surprise Box!] and that would be that.
Plus, looking at it from another angle, it’d mean I was helping the merchants in the black market not get arrested.
Even if the situation got reported back to Kang Chang-ho, there wouldn’t really be a big problem.
‘If everything goes well, I might even spin it as if I was doing my best to protect the invited black market.’
Of course, if that A-Class tries to keep their loyalty to the organization.
Then I’d have to resort to various hard-line measures, but this part was beyond choice.
I couldn’t just let Kang Chang-ho kill an Association staff member out of fear.
‘If it comes down to it, it’ll be a fight.’
I was ready to pull out my weapon at any moment.
But it seemed the beings in this place didn’t disappoint my expectations.
“Alright, let’s hurry up and get out of here!”
“Absolutely!”
That A-Class Hunter immediately betrayed the black market.
*
Meanwhile.
Seonwoo-yeon, who rushed to the scene, barely completed her mission.
“Ugh.”
“Gugh…”
When she arrived at the place where the explosion sounded, the black market’s main mastermind was engaged in fierce battle with the police.
Using her finely tuned spatial manipulation skills, she skillfully subdued the guards protecting the operator.
Fwhoosh! “Cough, cough!”
Her skill created an extreme drop in nearby air pressure, obstructing their breathing.
This was a new magic acquired while dealing with criminals. The guards, pushed to the brink of suffocation, regained their freedom to breathe only after being restrained by various items.
“Thank goodness everyone’s safe.”
“Ugh, don’t say that. I thought I was going to die leaving those rabbit-like fellows behind!”
By the way, I was wondering why the promised signal hadn’t arrived…
While Seonwoo-yeon was securing the drug dealer, Team A had apparently faced quite a tough time heading toward the administrator.
As you know, today the black market had significantly heightened security compared to usual.
Some of the hunters specialized in abnormal status skills were even added.
“Is everyone okay?”
“Just woke up from a short nap, so I feel pretty refreshed.”
They had nearly fallen into a sleep state, ending up buried in the dungeon without anyone noticing.
“Phew.”
Fortunately, several with high awakening levels resisted the abnormal states, preventing things from escalting.
Seonwoo-yeon breathed a sigh of relief.
But at that moment, suddenly a loud shout erupted from somewhere.
“Ugh, what did we do wrong to be treated this way! Who said we wouldn’t pay taxes? We do pay! So untie us first!”
The black market administrator complained, looking unfairly aggrieved.
But the police’s response was just cold indifference.
In fact, just as that person said, the black market is usually easy to track down but serious crimes take priority, so investigations are generally carried out quicker…
“Detective, did you inform him of the charges against him yet?”
“I forgot in the chaos.”
This was quite a rare case.
“Alright then, we are charging you for violating the Special Law regarding the illegal trade of dungeon items, and for commissioned murder!”
Even after experiencing Dungeon Shock, Korea’s murder crime clearance rate remained terrifyingly high.
The heavily-accented detective spoke with a mocking tone while stating the reason for the arrest. The expression on the arrested criminal changed completely.
He recognized what flaw of his was the cause.
“Ugh, damn it.”
But rather than looking resigned, his firm face gradually shifted into an assertive mood.
“Yeah, whatever! Now that I’m caught, let’s turn everything upside down.”
“What?”
“Do you think I’m just some ordinary guy here? Who the hell do you think you are to barge in here? Now you’re all just waiting to die!”
The woman with a fierce expression shouted back.
Initially, I thought it was a meaningless struggle from a captured criminal, but for some reason, the confidence emanating from the administrator felt like something more.
“Do you think you’ve won? But do any of you have an A-Class among you?”
The arrest’s main mastermind soon revealed his trump card.
“If not, you’ll be in big trouble! Do you know who’s here in this market? I have an A-Class Awakened working for me!”
An A-Class Hunter hiding inside this dungeon!
Originally, it was a resource called upon by a new member out of fear, but now it found other uses given the situation.
Fortunately, he had plenty.
He must have had a vast fortune that was capable of enticing a modern person thirsty for money into committing murder.
“You broke bastards! Just wait until you get captured by an A-Class and get your heads smashed!”
Hahahaha.
The black market operator boisterously raised his voice, emboldened by his hired help.
But around five minutes later.
When police finished arresting the major executives and began rounding up remaining lowlifes…
“Huh?”
People became puzzled as the high-ranking Awakened was not found despite searching the dungeon thoroughly.
“Detective!”
“What’s going on? You’re supposed to be blocking the gate. Why are you in here?”
“There’s trouble! The exit! The exit! It’s definitely been opened somewhere completely apart from the entrance! We just found out now!”
“W-what…?”
The unintended butterfly effect started to grow at a rapid pace.
