Chapter 37: Black Market (1)

The next day at noon, Ion met Hong Insu near the black market. Hong Insu hopped out of his car, launching into a rapid-fire rant without a greeting.

“Man, so many fancy cars! Too scared to even park. Oh, I know I’m your sidekick, but I can only stay an hour or two. Inyoung gets anxious without me. Think she’s got PTSD. Told her the overflows are pure coincidence, but she’s still scared.”

Hong Insu bit his lower lip nervously.

It wasn’t Inyoung with PTSD—it was him. If Ade Tuna hadn’t volunteered as a temporary bodyguard, he wouldn’t have come at all.

Ion walked ahead. “One hour’s enough for shopping. Hurry up.”

With just the two of them, he dropped formalities.

“Shopping? We’re shopping? Thought you called me to share something.”

“We’re going to the black market.”

“The black… what?!”

Ion handed a stunned Hong Insu a ticket. Black with a pressed red rose, it read BLACK MARKET in bold.

“Whoa… I tried so hard to get one. Even flashing my Horizon Spec-1 status didn’t work. How’d you score two?”

Ion braced for more fuss, but Hong Insu quieted, narrowing his eyes. “Ion… where’d you get these?”

“Someone gave them to me.”

“…I hate to suspect, but do you have another sidekick besides me?”

“…”

“Who is it?! Do I know them? Do they know about me? You’re running a two-sidekick operation? Didn’t peg you for that! Look me in the eyes and answer!”

Two-sidekick operation?

Hong Insu’s absurdity made Ion slightly regret choosing him.

Leaving the parking lot, a forest path unfolded. It looked like a hiking trail but clearly wasn’t.

[No Entry Except Authorized Personnel]

They’d jumped the wire fence with the sign.

“The black market’s in the mountains?” Hong Insu asked.

“Yup.”

“Is it like that elsewhere? U.S., Japan…?”

“Japan’s branch is in the mountains too. The U.S. one’s blatantly near a city.”

“How do you know all this?”

Not expecting an answer, it was more an exclamation.

“We’re almost there. Be quiet,” Ion said.

Hong Insu looked around, seeing only trees and rocks. A few steps later, a tower with a red rose emblem appeared among the dense trees.

“Whoa,” Hong Insu gasped, overtaking Ion.

A modern mansion emerged—clean white walls, transparent windows, and a low white fence instead of a stone wall. A manicured garden with ornamental trees and marble fountains hosted people of various ethnicities chatting leisurely. Some, like Ion and Hong Insu, dressed casually; others wore extravagant outfits, as if attending a gala.

The commonality? Everyone wore masks—half-masks covering the eyes, full masks hiding head and neck, or even full-body costume masks concealing physique.

“Yo, you should’ve told me there’s a dress code,” Hong Insu whispered.

“There isn’t. The fancy ones are black market staff.”

“Those gaudy, uncomfortable outfits are uniforms?”

Even Ion, seeing it in person, was… taken aback.

What kind of person is the author of Hunter and Hero?

At least the burly gatekeepers wore sleek black suits.

“What about masks? Don’t you need one for the black market?” Hong Insu asked.

“Got them.”

Ion shifted his backpack forward, unzipping it. Sansevieria’s sharp leaves poked out. He gently stroked them, then pulled two crumpled half-masks from a corner.

“You could’ve warned me so I’d pick something cooler,” Hong Insu grumbled, taking a 2,000-won red half-mask. Ion donned a matching white one.

Until now, only birdsong and rustling leaves filled the air. But within five meters of the mansion, sounds emerged—soft classical music, murmured conversations, laughter, the fountain’s spray, and staff moving goods.

“Wild. One step makes all the difference. Item? Skill? Whoa, it cuts in and out. So cool!” Hong Insu marveled, hopping in and out of the five-meter boundary.

The gatekeepers, pulling out tablets to check tickets, mirrored his in-and-out motion.

He’s an embarrassment anywhere…

Ion decided to avoid outings with Hong Insu and approached the gatekeepers.

Wearing earpiece translators, they spoke in slightly accented Korean. “Welcome. Tickets, please.”

“Two,” Ion said.

The gatekeeper scanned and returned them. Hong Insu was still wobbling at the boundary like a bobblehead.

“Hong! Get over here.”

“…! Yo, you used my nickname?” Hong Insu rushed over.

They talked as they entered. “In the black market, we use nicknames. You’re Hong, I’m On.”

“Got it. ‘On’… doesn’t quite roll off the tongue.”

“Then don’t use it.”

“Cold, my hero.”

Guests glanced at the newcomers. A staff member in a lavish medieval dress approached.

“Welcome to the Black Market. Looking for something specific?”

“Just browsing.”

“Any specific destinations?”

“Second, third, and sixth floors.”

“Please wait, sir.”

As the staff operated a device, Hong Insu whispered, “Why not see everything since we’re here? Because I said I’m short on time? If I knew it was the black market, I’d have cleared my day.”

“Basement’s a monster arena, fourth and fifth are gambling dens. We don’t need those.”

“Oh, got it. Mom said she’d disown me if I gambled.”

The staff confirmed their tickets. If they’d named a specific item, a guide would’ve followed, but “browsing” meant freedom.

The building’s interior was less crowded than outside. Like a department store, shops displayed items, each staffed by an attendant. Years later, displays would sort by type—weapons, armor, potions, accessories—but now, they were organized by maker, mixing various items in one shop.

“Sweet! Let’s explore,” Hong Insu said, rolling up his sleeves with a huff.

Ion grabbed his collar. “Look for someone while browsing. Not in a dress, casual clothes, green-feathered half-mask, male. Start on the sixth floor.”

“Oh… we’re not here to shop but to meet this guy?”

“To buy from him. If you find him, say you want his tracking item. His name’s Harry Strange, older than your parents, so be respectful.”

“An foreigner? I suck at English. Didn’t bring a translator.”

“He’ll have a two-way translator.”

“Got it. But why a tracking item? Our guild’s gear includes trackers. Why here?”

Ion stared at Hong Insu, asking quietly, “Want to kill Choi Jungho?”

“What?!” Hong Insu jumped, nearly hitting the ceiling. People murmured, staring. He lowered his voice. “Don’t say creepy shit like that. You know how much Jin Seongha-hyung suspected me because of your blabbing? I barely cleared that up.”

“If you don’t want to kill Choi Jungho, listen to me.”

“…Ugh, I don’t get it, but a sidekick can’t see what the hero sees. I just follow.”

They set a meeting time and place, then split up. The black market was vast, so moving separately was smarter.

Though Ion told Hong Insu to find Harry Strange…

He won’t make items easily.

Harry Strange was one of only two S-rank crafters in the world—at the story’s end. Now, he was the only one.

The UK didn’t mandate awakened registration, so Harry wasn’t officially listed. He crafted for elite Hunters until recently accepting the black market’s invite to be their exclusive crafter, now touring branches.

The world’s sole S-rank crafter.

He knew his worth, making him prickly, cantankerous, and downright insufferable. “Curmudgeon” was a kind term.

He softened only for his daughter, raised alone after his wife’s death, always feeling he fell short for her.

The black market’s protection offer for him and his daughter—after a kidnapping attempt—drew him in.

It was all the black market’s scheme.

No one knew yet, and Ion wasn’t planning to tell.

Or… should I?

His eyes gleamed. Having decided to intervene actively, opportunities were everywhere.

I’ll decide after meeting him. For now, browse.

He had bait in mind, and overthinking wouldn’t help.

Ion turned to the gleaming items.

The black market’s layout: basement for monster fights, first to third floors for item shops, fourth and fifth for gambling. The sixth floor, for VIPs, generated 80% of profits.

First to fifth floors were legal shops; the sixth was the true “black market.”

Ion had no plans for the sixth floor today—no VIP status, and the lower floors had plenty of good items.

After browsing, he bought three items on the second floor:

Ikiki’s Horn Flute (A) Made by a shepherd pondering how to make foolish sheep obey. Lures B-rank and below monsters within a 1km radius of the user. Be thoroughly prepared, as they’ll swarm. Modified once (sunny♥) Durability: 90/90 Uses remaining: 4/5

Dragon Tooth (B) Once a ruler of a mountain range, now reduced to a few teeth. Its great name endures, sufficient to intimidate your foes. Paralyzes B-rank and below monsters on contact. Modified 3 times (اعباد الشم) Durability: 70/70 Uses remaining: 4/5

My Beloved You (B) Crafted by a puppeteer who couldn’t accept their lover’s death. Creates a puppet mimicking the target’s appearance. Only replicates appearance. Modified once (kjl@hunter.com) Durability: 90/90 Clones remaining: 3/3

All items Ion bought were currently minor but would gain immense value later.

Gifts for Jin Seongha, meant solely for the protagonist.