Dark Market — Part 3
“Damn it… damn it…”
Iron Scorpion was drenched in cold sweat, as if a storm had passed over her.
Was it because her underlings were watching?
She wasn’t crying, but she was biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, cursing under her breath, and clawing at the ground.
Thunk!
I tossed the severed steel finger aside.
“Do you want more?”
Iron Scorpion’s head whipped up to glare at .
Her eyes were filled with rage, hatred, and venom, practically dripping with it. She looked like she was ready to tear into , perhaps to even use Gray Reaper on , but she couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth.
The hierarchy in a gang was strict.
Even if you were the No. 2, you couldn’t disobey the boss’s orders.
“What… what’s your na?”
Now you’re asking?
I crossed my arms, looked down at her, and answered.
“Warrior Kim.”
“Kim… Warrior Kim…”
Iron Scorpion growled, rolling my na in her mouth, hatred burning in her eyes.
“Just wait, Warrior Kim! Soday, I’ll shove my finger right into your heart!”
“Yeah, sure.”
I let out a scoffing laugh.
“You cliché extra. If you’re not gonna fight, get lost.”
“Grrrr!”
It seed like she realized just how unoriginal she sounded.
Iron Scorpion forced herself to her feet.
Her Poison Gang cronies, who had been watching from the sidelines, scrambled into action.
“Sister!”
“Let
carry you!”
“You need to get to the hospital imdiately!”
“Get off ! I’ll walk on my own! Move!”
Iron Scorpion refused to be carried or even helped as she staggered off on her own two feet. Her gang mbers followed her like the tide pulling out.
That left just the Naked Gang, still standing around as a living eyesore.
I turned my gaze toward Exhibitionist, eyeing him calmly.
“Your turn now.”
“Heh heh heh, indeed it is. How remarkable. I never would have thought the infamous Iron Scorpion of Doksan-dong would flee in such disgrace. You’re Warrior Kim, correct? I advise you to watch your back from now on.”
“That’s my business to worry about.”
As if this was anything new.
I had been ambushed by a bunch of thugs led by Roe Deer right after selling mana cores at the exchange.
In the end, the only thing I could rely on was my own strength.
And to do that, I needed to get my hands on a mana cultivation technique, no matter what it took.
Exhibitionist spread his arms wide theatrically.
“Since things have co to this, why not devote yourself to the Primordial Goddess? You’re quite handso, and your physique is superb. With those manly scars, the Primordial Goddess would be most pleased with you. If you accept her, our church and our organization will fully protect you. Heh, you might even start out as a higher-ranked mber than .”
As expected of a priest-class superhuman—always eager to expand their congregation.
I hit him with so cold, hard truth.
“Why the hell would I join your cult?”
“Allow
to explain agai—”
“Think about it. If I were going to join a cult, I’d obviously go for a big, strong one. Not one of you second-tier, trash cults. You’re not even one of the Seven Major Churches, or even a second-rate church. You’re a third-rate, borderline heretical cult. Why would I bother?”
I jabbed my black flas at him as I spoke.
The aning was clear—I could join the Old Father’s Cult if I wanted. Why would I waste ti on his group?
My black flas flared brightly, and Exhibitionist’s face flushed with anger.
“How dare you!”
“What? Does it hurt to be called a heretic? You are one. Don’t you know? If you’re not listed among the 100 divine entities recognized by the Westphalian Covenant, you’re a heretic.”
“Y-you insolent wretch!”
His face turned a furious shade of blue.
But then, surprisingly, he cald himself down.
“Ah, of course. You are a nonbeliever. Co closer. I shall press the rcy and love of the Goddess deep into your feeble mind.”
“Yeah, sure, that’s your specialty. Fine, I’ll play along.”
Exhibitionist’s trait wasn’t complicated.
[Mind Control].
It was a useful ability in combat—being able to turn an enemy into an ally.
In this world, where things had beco all too real, it was even more dangerous.
The Iron Fist lieutenant looked at , concern in his eyes.
“Superhuman… please be careful. That guy might look ridiculous, but he’s no joke.”
“He didn’t seem like much earlier.”
“It’s different when he uses his divine power directly. It’s a lot more powerful than when it’s used at a distance.”
In the ga, there wasn’t much of a difference, but it seed that wasn’t the case here.
Didn’t matter.
I stepped forward, confidently standing right in front of Exhibitionist.
He started spouting nonsense as he reached out.
“Kneel, my strong and handso brother.”
“Cut the crap.”
“To receive the blessing of the Goddess is…”
Warrior Kim stood a little over 180 centiters tall.
Exhibitionist, on the other hand, was about 160 centiters.
Even with his arm stretched out, he couldn’t reach the top of my head, so he had to stand on his tiptoes, making for a rather pathetic sight.
But I didn’t laugh.
With the eyes of the crowd on —both expectant and worried—I switched my traits.
[Holy Resistance], [ditation], [Focus]
[Endurance], [Mana Core], [Black Fla]
This should be more than enough to fend off an N-rank superhuman’s ntal attack.
Still, I remained vigilant, keeping my eyes wide open.
I could feel it.
An unfamiliar power was trying to seep into
through the crown of my head.
A sacred, overwhelming shadow—a towering presence—was casting itself over my mind.
It made
want to kneel.
To kiss her feet.
To praise her beauty, her nobility, her glory.
To strip off my clothes.
To bare myself as well.
To beco a dog in heat, rubbing myself against this great shadow as a form of worship, gratitude, and devotion.
Stronger than I expected.
Even with Holy Resistance and Endurance shielding , this is how far it got.
Now I understood why the rchants had resorted to drugs, and why enemies in the ga never escaped mind control.
I bit my tongue hard.
The sharp, dull pain and the taste of iron spread through my mouth like a jolt from a numbing anesthetic.
‘Stay focused.’
This was a body that had even endured the Saintess’s baptism.
It would be embarrassing to lose to an N-rank, level 2 superhuman.
I delved deep into myself.
I focused particularly on my brain and central nervous system.
Mana circuits ran alongside the cardiovascular and nervous systems.
I imagined the mana shooting out from my Mana Core like a rocket.
It soared through my body, into my brain, flooding my central nervous system and building fortresses, erecting mile-long barriers at every turn.
My mind felt like it was on fire.
My brain burned white-hot, and searing heat coursed down my spine.
It was a grueling task, but I already had experience.
Plus, I had the traits to back
up.
Victory was already mine.
The mont my mind cooled, the invasive power was reversed, surging back into Exhibitionist, who still had his hand awkwardly pressed to my head.
“Kuh-heok!”
Exhibitionist coughed up blood and flew backward.
He tumbled over 10 ters before crashing to the ground.
Blood spurted from every orifice on his face as he looked at
in shock.
“T-this can’t be! How could you… how could you repel the Goddess’s power?!”
Seems like he had a lot of pride in his mind control ability, huh?
But you know, mind control isn’t unbeatable.
Just one defensive trait or piece of gear can reduce its success rate drastically.
If mind control always worked, every superhuman in Arcane Seoul would use it.
Besides, I got sothing out of this little exchange.
Acquired the trait: [Resolve]
A trait specialized in ntal defense, and it also reduces magical damage.
Nice. Everything’s falling into place, piece by piece.
“My turn now, right?”
I clenched my fists.
I switched my traits.
Veins bulged on my fists, and the fabric of my tracksuit rippled nacingly.
Exhibitionist freaked out and scread.
“W-wait! Don’t hit ! Brother! I’ll pay you compensation!”
“Compensation?”
“Yes! Yes! Brother, you don’t need to go through the trouble of doing this! I’ll give you 100 million, no, 200 million, no, 300 million, so please let it slide just this once!”
Wow, look at that sudden shift.
Priests always had deep pockets, didn’t they?
300 million was a lot of money.
Maybe not hitting him and just taking the money would be a better deal.
But instead of nodding, I swung my fist.
BAM!
“Gyaaack!”
My punch landed squarely on his jaw, sending a straight jet of blood flying through the air.
Exhibitionist’s eyes rolled back, and his plump body convulsed before going limp.
I flexed my hand, shaking off the faint sting from the impact.
“300 million? Not enough.”
Maybe one billion would’ve made
pause.
But honestly? From the start, I’d been itching to knock him out.
That mini-cape and red thong… Ugh, it’s the kind of thing that gives you nightmares.
“Now, get lost.”
“W-we’re leaving!”
“Hurry up and grab the priest!”
“What are we supposed to tell the bishop?”
The Naked Gang hurriedly scooped up their unconscious leader and scurried away. The Iron Fist lieutenant raised his intact middle finger at them as they retreated.
“Serves you right, you bastards! Hahaha!”
“Thank you, Superhuman!”
“Warrior Kim, you’re the best!”
“We did it!”
The Iron Fist gangsters, who had been looking like wet dogs up until a mont ago, were now cheering around , chanting my na.
If I were actually part of their gang, I might have even gotten tossed in the air by now.
But despite the triumphant cries from the Iron Fist Gang, the rchants around the market didn’t seem too thrilled.
And that was understandable.
The Iron Fist Gang was infamous for their brutal protection fees.
I recalled the ti my old boarding house landlady had been murdered. She’d been practically obsessed with making rent because of the protection money she had to pay the local gang.
It wasn’t hard to imagine what the rchants were thinking right now.
I turned toward the lieutenant and called him.
“Hey.”
“Yes, Superhuman sir!”
He answered with an almost comically stiff voice.
“Let’s be honest. I did most of the work today, right?”
“Uh… well, yes, sir, that’s true. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to secure this market.”
The lieutenant looked a bit uneasy.
Nothing cos for free in this world.
Sure, I told him I’d talk things over with Kim Chulkwon, the Iron Fist boss, but that didn’t an I was going to just walk away without any benefit. If not sothing tangible, I at least needed so leverage.
“I deserve a cut of the market, don’t I?”
“Uh, well… But earlier you said…”
“What about the future? Sure, for now the Poison Gang’s gone back to Doksan-dong, and the Naked Gang’s scurried back to Bongcheon-dong. But do you think they’re gone for good? What will you do when they co back, hungry to take over this market again?”
Stepping into another district’s territory was risky; the cops were always watching, and crossing district lines required paying off more than just the local station. You had to grease the palms at the police precinct, too, not just the neighborhood office.
But for a market like this? They could easily co back and try to take control.
“Well, uh… I’m sure our big boss has plans!”
“Yeah? And those plans involved leaving this market unprotected until now?”
“Well, you see…”
“The truth is, Kim Chulkwon isn’t strong enough to hold all of Sillim-dong. He’s the only level 2 superhuman in your gang, right?”
To be fair, the fact that he managed to hold his own against the Dagger Gang was impressive.
But the truth was, the Dagger Gang had all the pri spots in Sillim-dong.
Like this market here.
The slums outside the police jurisdiction? Big territory, sure, but not much money.
I pointed my finger downward, drawing the lieutenant’s attention back to the ground—to the market.
“If you want my help in the future, this is the deal: I’ll back you up in Shinwon Market.”
“You’ll… back us up?”
“Yeah. You handle the market’s day-to-day affairs. But if any serious disputes co up, I’ll step in. If gangs from outside Sillim-dong show up, I’ll help take them down.”
It was more than a non-aggression pact—it was a limited alliance.
Not a bad deal for
either. I had business in the shadows from ti to ti, and even the lowest-tier gang connections could co in handy.
The lieutenant gulped audibly.
Even if it was limited to just Shinwon Market, an alliance was still an alliance. I could practically hear the gears turning in his head.
He was probably thinking about how this could strengthen his position in the gang. If he managed to secure , a proven superhuman, as an ally, his standing in the Iron Fist Gang would skyrocket.
He might drop in rank slightly, but within the level 1 superhuman cadre, his influence would shoot up.
“Alright, what do I need to do?”
“It’s simple.”
I lifted my finger, which had been pointing at the ground, and drew a circle in the air.
Pointing at the market.
At the rchants around us.
“Collect the sa amount of protection money that the Dagger Gang did. No more than that.”
This was for my reputation.
If the Iron Fist Gang bled the rchants dry, who do you think they’d hate more—just the gang? No. Their resentnt would reach
as well.
That would make it hard for
to get my hands on any rare items these rchants might have hidden away.
“Uh, but… that wouldn’t leave us with much profit…”
“Not much profit? Don’t bullshit . I know exactly what I’m saying.”
“Ugh…”
“What? You don’t want to? That’s fine. But it’s a little disappointing, don’t you think? I did all the heavy lifting, and you can’t even grant
this? And I even said I’d help in the future… Disappointing, isn’t it?”
I put a lot of emphasis on the word disappointing.
The lieutenant squird uncomfortably, glancing around, before finally screwing his eyes shut.
“Alright. I’m sure the big boss will understand. From now on, we’ll collect the sa amount of protection money that the Dagger Gang did.”
“Naturally.”
I had expected as much.
“Woohoo!”
A short cheer erupted from the rchants nearby.
“Thank you, Superhuman!”
“You’ve saved us!”
Several rchants rushed over to thank .
I didn’t hold back my true intentions as I spoke.
“In the future, just give
a good discount. That’s all I need.”
“Oh, of course! We’ll definitely give you a discount… maybe not below cost, but definitely a big one!”
“I’ll sell you at a loss if I have to!”
“Ah, such a strong man with such kind words.”
“A rare sight these days.”
“Now that those thugs are gone, we’ll bring in more custors and make more money! I’ll contact the others who are closed and tell them to reopen too.”
“Absolutely!”
“We’re counting on you, Superhuman!”
The rchants were practically singing my praises, while the Iron Fist Gang looked on awkwardly.
Anyone who didn’t know better would think I had taken over Shinwon Market myself.
Honestly, that wasn’t too far from the truth.
The Iron Fist Gang would be collecting the protection money, sure, but when any real trouble ca up, the rchants would co to .
And with every ti they did, my reputation would only grow, and I’d have easy access to whatever goods I needed—be it a mana cultivation technique or anything else.
I smiled warmly and waved at the rchants, keeping up appearances.
The rchants cheered louder, while the Iron Fist gangsters forced themselves to smile along.
The next day, I finally stood face-to-face with Kim Chunbok, who had reopened his junk shop.
–TL Notes–
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