Chapter 68
The merchant stared intently at Zeon.
Zeon, meanwhile, was scanning the shop with sharp focus, searching for something worth 3,000 Sol. He ignored anything of no value and instinctively examined only items that were actually worth something.
He picked up a small box.
“What’s this?”
“That? It’s a kind of alarm device. It alerts you if an unauthorized person enters your shelter or house.”
The merchant opened the box and showed him the contents.
Inside were a sensor-like device and a necklace, paired together.
“It’s a common item inside Neo Seoul.”
“Is that so?”
“This would normally go for about 5,000 Sol, but I’ll let it go for 3,000. What do you think?”
“Well, it feels like I’m taking a loss, but I’ll accept.”
“Heh! Good choice. So, will you take it with you, or should we deliver it?”
“How much is delivery?”
“2,000 Sol!”
Zeon frowned slightly at the outrageous delivery fee.
He could easily store everything in his subspace and transport it himself for free. But doing so would reveal that he possessed a subspace.
Subspace was an extremely rare item.
Even in Neo Seoul, only a handful of people had one, and everyone coveted it.
If word got out that Zeon had one, things would definitely become troublesome.
“Hmm… you guarantee safe delivery?”
“Of course!”
“Alright.”
Zeon took out another small magic stone from his pocket and tossed it to the merchant.
The merchant examined it and let out a low whistle.
“Whoa! This one’s from a magical beast too, isn’t it? Do you run a hunting team or something? Why not make a regular supply contract with us?”
“That’s all the magic stones I have.”
“Come now, think it over. You won’t find another place in the Goblin Market that pays as well as we do.”
The merchant was convinced Zeon had a hunting team.
Otherwise, there was no way he could keep producing such high-quality magic stones.
Everyone knew that magic stones obtained from beasts were far superior to those mined.
If he could secure a steady supply of such stones, his influence in the Goblin Market would grow significantly.
Zeon cut him off.
“I don’t have any more magic stones. Don’t imagine things. Just send the items to this address.”
“Tch! If you change your mind, come back anytime. My shop’s always open.”
“I won’t.”
“I’ll send the goods today.”
“I’ll trust you won’t try anything funny.”
“A merchant in the Goblin Market lives and dies by trust. I’ll personally handle the delivery, so don’t worry.”
“Then I’ll be going.”
Zeon gave a slight nod and stepped outside.
After that, he continued wandering around the Goblin Market for quite some time.
The place was far larger than it looked from the outside, making it quite enjoyable to explore.
Just as he was still browsing—
Boom!
A sudden explosion erupted from deeper inside.
Voices followed immediately.
“A fight!”
“Are those idiots crazy? Fighting in the Goblin Market?”
No disputes or fights were tolerated in the Goblin Market.
That was its rule.
Anyone who broke it would have nowhere left in the slums.
So if someone had started a fight, they either possessed power strong enough to ignore the market—or they were completely ignorant of its rules.
Zeon walked toward the source of the commotion.
At the center of the crowd stood two men facing each other.
One was a man of average build with a cold, icy expression.
The other was a massive man clad in heavy armor, whose mere presence felt suffocating.
The air around them had grown heavy from their confrontation.
The cold-looking man spoke first.
“Looks like you’ve lost all sense of fear, Brixton.”
“You’ve got quite the mouth on you, Taeo. If you’re scared, why not just bite your tongue and die?”
The giant called Brixton pulled out a massive hammer from his back.
A murderous madness radiated from his entire body.
At that moment, the eyes of the man called Taeo sharpened even further.
“Insolent bastard!”
What he drew was a small dagger with a triangular blade engraved with a lotus pattern.
It was a weapon known as a vajra, often used in ancient religious practices.
A chilling killing intent emanated from it.
The two glared at each other like sworn enemies.
Raising the vajra in front of his chest, Taeo spoke.
“Whatever happens next is the responsibility of Dongdaemun. You insane berserker bastard!”
“Looks like serving under Goran has only made your tongue longer. One day, I’ll smash Goran’s skull with this hammer.”
“You dare…!”
A red aura burst forth from Taeo’s vajra.
It was aura—something only high-level Awakeners could wield.
At the same time, a pure white light began to flow from Brixton’s hammer.
It was different from ordinary aura.
It was divine power, something only a rare few Awakeners could use.
The ruler of Dongdaemun, whom Brixton served, was a man named Johan.
Uniquely, he had awakened divine power and could grant similar abilities to his loyal subordinates.
One of them was the berserker Brixton.
He was Johan’s primary weapon for crushing his enemies.
Facing him, Taeo was a trusted subordinate of Goran, the ruler of Sinchon.
Goran also had four Awakeners under his command, and Taeo was one of them—a man with an icy, rational mind.
Brixton and Taeo were well-known rivals and had clashed several times before.
Their skills were evenly matched, so neither had been able to claim victory.
And now, of all places, they had run into each other in the Goblin Market.
Forgetting even the unspoken rules of the market, they burned with hostility toward one another.
“I’ll crush your head without leaving a trace.”
“I’ll carve your heart out with this vajra.”
The two charged at each other.
Boom!
Just before the vajra and hammer could collide, a bolt of lightning struck between them.
“Ugh!”
“Damn it!”
Both were thrown backward, visibly startled.
“Both of you, that’s enough. If you cause any more trouble, I’ll formally lodge a complaint with Lord Goran and Lord Johan. And then this won’t end with just the two of you being reprimanded.”
A low voice rang out as a woman stepped forward, clad in tight leather that accentuated her figure.
She was a striking beauty, with flame-red hair that contrasted sharply with her pale leather outfit.
Behind her stood a man radiating an intense, lion-like presence. His nose and mouth were covered with black cloth, but the piercing eyes beneath his disheveled hair alone were enough to dominate the surroundings.
The moment the two appeared, the street fell silent.
Even Taeo and Brixton stopped and held their tongues.
That was how overwhelming their presence and status were.
The red-haired woman was none other than the owner of the Goblin Market.
It was extremely rare for her to appear in person.
That alone showed how serious the clash between Taeo and Brixton was.
Though located near Yeonnam Road in Sinchon, the Goblin Market was fundamentally a neutral zone.
No clashes between factions were allowed here.
Nor did it side with any particular group.
Otherwise, it would never have survived this long.
Sinchon and Dongdaemun, to which Taeo and Brixton belonged, were among the most powerful forces in the slums.
And these two stood at the core of those factions.
Fighting outside didn’t matter—but if casualties occurred within the Goblin Market, it would become a major headache for Yoo Sehui.
That was why she had no choice but to intervene.
The man behind her was her personal guard and the strongest individual in the Goblin Market—Black Lion.
Only Yoo Sehui knew his real name.
One thing was certain: his strength was on par with the leaders of Dongdaemun and Sinchon.
Faced with their presence, even Taeo and Brixton dared not act rashly.
Yoo Sehui’s lightning magic was troublesome enough, but more than anything, the overwhelming presence of Black Lion pressed down on them.
Yoo Sehui stepped between the two, her red hair flowing.
“I won’t make an issue of this as long as you compensate for the damages here. So let’s end it at that.”
A bright smile rested on her face.
Combined with her red hair, it was captivating enough to charm every man present.
But Taeo and Brixton were not fooled by appearances.
If Yoo Sehui were merely beautiful, she wouldn’t have been able to lead the Goblin Market this far.
Its current influence existed entirely because of her.
That was why even Johan and Goran did not take her lightly.
Taeo was the first to step back.
“My apologies. I’ll compensate separately for the damages.”
“Thank you. As expected of you, Taeo.”
After giving a slight bow to Yoo Sehui, Taeo left without hesitation.
Brixton watched him for a moment before speaking.
“I’d like to meet you outside someday, Lady Yoo Sehui.”
“Oh my? Are you asking me out? What should I do? I rather like it here in the Goblin Market. If it’s a date inside, I might consider it.”
“Lord Johan wishes to see you.”
“In that case, we definitely need to have that date inside. I’m afraid of Lord Johan too, you see.”
She said it lightly, but there wasn’t a trace of fear on her face.
If anything, there was a hint of mockery.
Brixton was well aware of that, but he didn’t get angry or act recklessly.
If he provoked Yoo Sehui any further, Dongdaemun’s people might lose access to the Goblin Market altogether.
Even Johan wouldn’t want that.
Brixton bowed his head slightly.
“Send me the list of damages. I’ll have everything repaid by tomorrow. Until next time.”
“Hoho! Take care.”
Yoo Sehui waved her hand.
The moment Brixton disappeared from sight, the smile vanished completely from her face.
“You bastards! Why the hell are you fighting in someone else’s place of business? Make a proper list of everything that’s broken!”
“Yes!”
One of the merchants answered cautiously.
Suddenly, Yoo Sehui snapped, eyes blazing.
“What are you doing? Not working today? Business over already?”
“Yes!”
“We’re working! Right away!”
“Clean this up!”
Startled, the merchants scattered like cockroaches and began tidying up.
In an instant, the chaotic market returned to normal, resuming business as if nothing had happened.
Yoo Sehui shouted again.
“Honestly, all of you are too busy watching fights! You should be selling more if you want to make money, you idiots!”
“That’s enough. They’ve understood.”
Black Lion stepped in to calm her down.
“Fine. I’m calm now.”
“Try to control your temper outside. There are many watching.”
“Whatever. When have I ever cared about what others think? If I start putting on some mysterious image, it’ll just limit what I can do.”
Yoo Sehui muttered irritably.
Her unexpected behavior made Zeon let out a small laugh without realizing it.
“Heh.”
“Who was that? Still watching instead of working?”
Of all times, Yoo Sehui caught the sound of Zeon’s laughter and snapped her gaze toward him.
Looking around, she quickly spotted Zeon standing there blankly.
She strode over to him.
“You? Were you the one laughing?”
“My apologies.”
Only then did Zeon realize his mistake and apologize.
Yoo Sehui looked him up and down carefully.
“You’re not a merchant here. A customer?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve got an unfamiliar face. Who sent you?”
“I was introduced by old man Clexi.”
At that, Yoo Sehui suddenly leaned in close to his face.
“Clexi? You’re the one that old geezer gave a card to?”
Caught off guard by her reaction, Zeon blinked.