39: Black Market (1)
Black Market.
It is a place where everything in Eternity gathers.
From illegal items traded in secret for money laundering, to magical items that cannot be obtained even with money.
It even includes ‘artifacts’ that, once surfaced, can lead to bloodshed.
A massive market where the saying goes, “If it’s not in the Black Market, it doesn’t exist in this world.” That was the Black Market.
“But no one knows where this Black Market is located.”
“Even though it’s such a huge market?”
“Yeah, you can only enter via ‘warp’ with an entry pass recognized by the market.”
After school, at the academy’s café.
The silver-haired Eun-ga-ye sitting across from me sucked on her caramel macchiato as she spoke.
“You’re just going to leave it be in your country?”
“What else can I do? I don’t even know where it is.”
Eun-ga-ye tilted her head.
“There have been many attempts to find the black market, but no one has claimed to have found it.”
It was a fact I already knew. However, since there was no guarantee that the black market in the game and this world’s black market were entirely the same, I asked just to confirm.
“They’ve hidden such a massive market so well.”
“It’s said to be a world created by a magician with extra-dimensional gifts, but no one knows for sure.”
Not belonging to any specific country or organization, openly forming even an underground market, yet with no known location, the black market was an extra-legal market that couldn’t even be sanctioned due to its nature.
“In reality, it’s not just illegal talk; even officials frequent the market.”
I nodded in agreement with Eun-ga-ye’s explanation.
Indeed, there seemed to be no difference between the black market in the game and this one. However.
“You seem to know a lot about it.”
“I occasionally go to buy awakening potions.”
Awakening potions.
In other words, physical awakening elixirs.
Taking this elixir and exercising would significantly boost the effects of the workout.
It was like steroids of the superhuman world, and since there were no side effects, it was an item anyone with superhuman abilities would use.
With so many types and effects varying widely, the really expensive ones could only be found at auctions.
Of course, I wasn’t particularly interested.
The things considered good in this world had significantly lower effects compared to those in the game.
For example, while the rise effect of the red potion for creating a combustion board in the game was ‘+5,’ the rise effect of the short-lived elixirs in this world only increased by 1 to 2 at best.
Well, since items from the Eternity game did exist in this world to some extent, with a proper search, one could find genuinely good items, but those were either already owned by someone or extremely rare and hard to come by.
Anyway, the reason Eun-ga-ye and I were sitting face to face like this was also because of these awakening potions.
She wanted to buy awakening potions at the auction held at the black market this time, and the entry conditions for the auction were ‘participation of 2 or more people’ and ‘proficiency in runes.’
The reason why proficiency in runes was included in the entry conditions was because the host was the ‘Magician Association’…
It was said that auctions hosted by the ‘Magician Association’ sometimes had such absurd conditions.
Anyway.
“What level of rune proficiency is required to enter the auction?”
“You need to be able to read intermediate-level runes.”
At that level, one had to have followed the classes properly at the academy to be able to read them with great difficulty.
It was naturally impossible for Eun-ga-ye, who had ‘rune phobia.’
It was said that as long as one person among the entrants could read, it was fine, but…
“Do you have anyone at home who can go with you?”
“If my dad finds out I’m going to the auction, he’ll kill me.”
Eun-ga-ye’s father was her guardian.
Although she had a biological father, she had been entrusted to her guardian since she was young.
And Eun-ga-ye’s guardian was a ‘Pure Human’ who pursued naturals.
In an era where it was hard to find a superhuman who didn’t take awakening potions, he was indeed a rare individual.
“Well, then, isn’t it better to just buy them elsewhere?”
“No, they said a limited edition would be released there. Please help me a bit.”
“I don’t want to. It’s a hassle.”
“I’ll share some Awakening Pills with you. Hm? I’ll cover all the market expenses.”
This seemed intriguing.
The Black Market itself was a tourist attraction, where everything from the entrance fee to facility usage required money. If you provided that, you could at least get some Rune knowledge.
“On which floor is it happening?”
“4th floor, Wizard’s Hall.”
“Perfect.”
“Yes, with a Blue Marble, you can enter.”
As the Black Market was a gathering place for people worldwide, it had its own rules.
Considering super rankings, social status, skills, etc., the space was divided into six floors from 1st to 6th.
The designations were as follows:
1st floor: Down
2nd floor: Lower
3rd floor: Normal
4th floor: Upper
5th floor: Noblesse
6th floor: Babylon
For your information, with the Blue Marble I possessed, courtesy of Diaz, I could enter up to the 5th floor.
To enter the 6th floor, you had to be within the top 1000 in the super rankings.
Of course, the concept of these 6 floors was merely abstract; it didn’t mean the Black Market was in a building format.
To move between sections, they used warps, and for convenience, they referred to it as ‘floors’ in the Black Market.
The Black Market might be called a market, but it wasn’t just a place for transactions.
At that moment, Eungaye glanced at me and smirked.
“By the way, what’s with the Grim Reaper fashion?”
“Isn’t it convincing?”
“Well, it’s kind of stylish.”
Eungaye nodded slightly.
It made sense; I had dressed up quite well today.
I was wearing the ‘armament’ worth 300 million won that I had received from Amelia before. Going to lure Han Seyul required proper attire.
Similar to Eungaye’s comment about the Grim Reaper, I was dressed in an all-black coat.
You might wonder if it wasn’t hot to wear this in early April, but with the ‘armament’ of a super, temperature control was basic, so I didn’t feel the heat.
“What are you planning to do in the market?”
“Since I got the entrance ticket, I thought I’d take a look around.”
“Is that so? Just in case, I’ll advise you not to go to the 1st floor.”
“Why?”
I had to ask. If it was the 1st floor, that’s where Han Seyul’s shop was.
“They don’t manage things there in the market.”
“In the market?”
“Yes, management by the market starts from the second floor. The first floor is not worth bothering about.”
“How bad is it?”
“Well, it’s chaotic. People from all walks of life gather there, and the security is a complete mess.”
The mention of the first floor brought a frown to Eungaye’s face.
“The second floor is somewhat better, but it’s hard to see the first floor as a market. There are many aggressive and deceitful individuals. Anyway, it’s better to avoid the first floor.”
“Hmm.”
This was a somewhat unfamiliar story.
In the black market of the game, there were no such detailed settings.
Granted, since the floors were divided, it was possible that the lower floors had poor security. But I wasn’t too concerned about security.
“It shouldn’t matter much.”
As seen in Mount Bukhan earlier, the superhumans of this world were generally weaker than the academy students.
The Eternity Academy was where the elite from around the world were selected and gathered.
Roughly speaking, if we were to classify the combat power of academy students by floor, it could be said to range from the third floor up to the fourth floor.
The first floor was just ordinary superhumans hunting monsters. They were just individuals who paid for tickets and entered.
Since there were many newbies driven by curiosity, it was obvious that there would be those trying to take advantage of such individuals.
That was how tourist spots usually were.
Eungaye’s advice seemed more like a warning against potential trouble I might face rather than genuine concern for my safety.
Just then, after finishing her drink, Eungaye suddenly waved her hand.
“Let’s go then.”
“Sure.”
Eungaye raised her blue marble. Subsequently, a blue light rose and enveloped Eungaye.
When the light disappeared, Eungaye, who had been sitting across from me, was gone.
We had transitioned to the black market.
From Noble mtl dot com
The blue marble itself was a ‘warp stone’ that led to the black market entrance.
As long as you had a blue marble, you could move to the black market from anywhere in the world.
As someone without magic, there was the hassle of enchanting the marble to recognize me.
“Shall we go.”
Sitting in the café, I enchanted the marble with magic as I said, “Fourth floor.”
Whoosh!
In an instant, the blue marble emitted a blue light and swallowed me up.
***
The place that appeared right after the warp was a square with a giant clock tower standing tall.
There were numerous superhumans of all races bustling around the square, but no one paid any attention to my sudden appearance.
This was the black market fourth floor, Upper.
The scenery of Upper Town felt like a medieval European city had been directly transplanted.
“It’s fascinating, isn’t it? It’s because this place has a long history.”
Eungaye, who had approached me without my notice, remarked.
“It’s more like a city than a market.”
“Yes, while we call it a market, each floor here is like a neighborhood.”
I looked around with curious eyes.
There was a distinct difference between the scenery seen through the game screen and what I was seeing directly.
Just one warp, yet I felt like I had crossed over to Europe.
“Anyway, the auction house opens at 7, so just come to the Wizard Hall up there until then. If you’re unsure, send a message.”
“Yeah, got it. See you later.”
The silver-haired man, pointing to the massive building next to the Clock Tower, waved his hand as if he had matters to attend to and disappeared across the square.
I glanced at the clock on my smartphone.
1 PM. I had six hours left until I needed to be at the auction house by 7.
“Time sure flies.”
Finally, I infused magic into Blue Marble, just as I did when I arrived.
“1st floor.”
My vision turned blue, revealing old modern-style buildings.
The first floor of the Black Market, Downtown.
“Well, let’s see.”
I navigated my steps, feeling my way through the game’s location. It was time to find Hanseul somewhere around here.
***
Located in Downtown’s northern region on the 1st floor of the Black Market, Hanul Pharmaceutical, ‘Hanseul.’
“Phew, another failure this time.”
Hanseul, who was making potions, sighed as he set down the beaker.
Inside the beaker, the red potion, clumped together in jelly form, was slowly melting.
He aimed to create a solid form of potion. However, for the past ten years, he had only faced repeated failures.
It was understandable since modern potion-making was still at the liquid “potion” stage, unable to solidify it.
Potions had a tendency to explode or fly away when their magic was concentrated.
Considering this, Hanseul’s skill in turning the potion into jelly form was truly remarkable. However, even after pouring ten years into it, solidifying the potion remained elusive.
“Perhaps solidifying it is impossible after all.”
Hanseul, with a lowered head, stood up.
For some reason, the counter had been noisy since a while ago.
“Those buzzards are back again.”
Hanseul’s expression turned grim.
The Guild of thieves who fed off the first floor of the Black Market, the Buzzards. They had been eyeing his workshop since last year.
Thinking the Buzzards were causing trouble again, Hanseul went to the counter, only to confirm that they weren’t there. He inwardly sighed in relief.
“A strange one has come.”
A young man in a long coat was causing a ruckus at the counter.
In early April, during broad daylight, and in a long coat?
Seeing that it seemed far from normal, Hanseul quietly tried to retreat back into his workshop.
Dealing with such people was why he hired employees. They deserved their paychecks.
But before he could go back in, a customer approached, confirming his face.
“Mr. Hanseul, is that you?”
“···Yes, I am Hanseul, but what brings you here?”
The man took out a transparent glass box from his arms. Inside was a red potion.
“I’ve come to show you this.”
“What is this?”
“An elixir.”
“Sir, this is not an elixir.”
Han Seul tilted his head as if there was nothing to see.
“Why?”
“Because elixirs cannot solidify. Have you ever seen a solid elixir on the market?”
“Well, no.”
“Yes, that’s right. That’s why this cannot be an elixir.”
“Still, could you please just check it once?”
At the persistent man’s request, Han Seul reluctantly nodded.
But really, ‘potion’?
That was something he had failed to achieve in ten years.
Han Seul was already subtly aware. It was impossible for an elixir to solidify.
The common knowledge in Eternity was that elixirs were meant to be consumed as a ‘potion.’
“Well, this is an elixir—!”
However, the moment Han Seul opened the lid of the transparent box containing the potion, he felt that common knowledge crumbling.
“This is…”
As soon as he opened the box, a dense aroma of potion filled the store in an instant.
It was a supreme fragrance, unmatched by any potion he had ever smelled before.
“No, I have smelled this before.”
He remembered vividly the scent he had briefly caught once in the past.
That scent of the potion was so unforgettable even now.
It was this scent that had introduced him to the world of alchemy.
And now, Han Seul was once again encountering that scent that had drawn him into the world of alchemy.
“…The ancient Eternity elixir.”
With a trembling voice, Han Seul gazed down at the potion, and the man who brought it chuckled and made a suggestion.
“Wouldn’t you like to try making it once?”
A dreamlike proposal that would never come to him again in his lifetime.