Dongdaemun Market
The next station is Dongdaemun, Dongdaemun.
Jinhyuk emerged from the subway station and looked around.
'It's completely different.'
The Dongdaemun in his memories was a massive clothing market selling all sorts of apparel.
The visitors were people with a keen interest in fashion and clothes, too.
But that was all in the past.
Dongdaemun's entire business had changed.
"Orc tusks for sale cheap! Perfect for crafting weapons and armor—these are in great condition!"
"Goblin chieftain's oak staff for sale! Boosts magic power and doubles as a physical bludgeon when you're low on mana!"
"Buying bulk sundries! I'll give you a fair price!"
The emergence of the Tower of Despair hadn't just brought climbing and awakenings.
With a synchronization rate of zero, awakening abilities could only be used inside the tower.
But items obtained from the tower could be taken out freely.
And right now, the whole world's biggest obsession was, without a doubt, the tower.
The formation of a related market was, in a way, a natural progression.
"Hey, kid over there! Got anything to sell? Show me if you do!"
"Oh, come on, young man! That auntie's prices are a total rip-off! Come over here—Uncle'll give you top dollar!"
"This old coot, seriously! Business is already tough as it is!"
"Tough? If you're so confident, follow me into the tower!"
Back in the day, it was "follow me to the rooftop" that was the go-to threat.
Now, it was "follow me into the tower."
Of course, no one actually went, not like the auntie and uncle in front of him.
You could only enter one at a time, anyway.
It was all show and bluster.
He slipped away while the auntie and uncle were busy shoving each other.
He'd spent the last few years holed up playing games, but that didn't mean he was clueless about the world.
Most markets marked up prices right at the entrance.
It was wiser to head deeper in, where fewer feet trod.
He navigated the maze-like alleys, checking signs as he went.
All to find the general store he'd researched online beforehand.
'There it is.'
After pushing further in, he spotted a shop belching out thick smoke.
The shop owner is a heavy smoker—raccoon den levels of haze. Non-smokers beware.
Just as the review had said.
Jinhyuk approached and gave a slight bow.
"Hello. I've got some goblin-related junk to sell."
From behind the smoke, an old man eyed him and jerked his chin.
"Lay it out on the counter."
He pulled out the items he'd gathered clearing floors 1 through 5 from his inventory.
Goblin fangs and skin scraps, fist axes, rusted bronze swords—everything.
The old man quietly tallied them up, then tapped at his calculator.
520,000.
It was about what he'd expected, so he decided not to haggle.
There were too many reviews about getting verbally torn apart for trying to squeeze out a bit more.
He stuck out his thumb in agreement, and the old man swept up the items, handing over a wad of cash in return.
"Cool transaction, thanks."
A cold sweat beaded on Jinhyuk's back as he took the money.
The general store grandpa's habit of using internet or gamer slang despite his age was something he'd read in the reviews.
Even so, hearing it firsthand was disorienting.
"Watch yourself."
"Watch out for what?"
"Lots of shady types around here. Don't follow anyone blindly."
Jinhyuk smiled.
Worrying about a total stranger like this. The speech was still tough to get used to, but he was a good grandpa.
"Thanks. I'll be careful. Do lots of business."
"Bye."
He bowed his head and turned to leave.
The grandpa resumed puffing smoke, back to his usual slouch.
It felt like he'd just traded with a game NPC.
"Hyungnim!"
"Oppa!"
How long had it been since he'd left the general store?
A young boy and girl latched onto both his arms.
They looked about second or third year middle schoolers.
"We know a place that sells awesome items super cheap! Wanna come with?"
"This? We got it there too! It's tower-exclusive gear, but just 30,000 won!"
The girl showed off the bracelet on her wrist.
Jinhyuk rubbed his chin.
He'd seen this before.
The orc mage's bracelet from floor 13 of the tower.
No matter where you sold it, you'd get at least 500,000 won.
"Pretty sweet, right? Special discount for you, oppa! Let's go!"
"We've got even better stuff that's cheap too!"
As the middle schoolers tugged at both his arms, urging him on, Jinhyuk watched them quietly.
"Should we?"
Smiling, he took a step forward.
It was a prime chance to score some decent gear.
He couldn't let it slip.
And so, Jinhyuk and the two middle schoolers vanished from sight.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Watching the scene, the general store owner, Oh Jaegap, clicked his tongue.
"I warned him."
The kids who'd just led Jinhyuk away were infamous in Dongdaemun for scamming rookies.
Most visitors to Dongdaemun Market were tower newbies.
High-floor climbers or players with high synchronization rates went to official hunter bureau or guild shops instead.
Those places didn't deal in low-floor junk, so newbies had no choice but to flock here.
It was a system the kids exploited ruthlessly.
"What can you do? It's all on them for their greed."
Reporting it didn't help—the cops half-assed it at best.
Even if caught, the kids' age meant a slap on the wrist and release.
The merchants had long since stopped bothering.
Oh Jaegap leaned back in his chair and exhaled smoke.
Another valuable customer lost.
"Five million won."
"Wasn't it five hundred thousand?"
"Your ears must be going already, ajusshi. Dropping a zero like that on your own."
What a complete one-eighty.
The moment they dragged him into a dingy alley, they popped out gum and started chomping away.
The "shop" they'd brought him to was just a tiny mat laid out in the dead end of a backstreet.
"Buy or not? Hurry up and decide. We're busy."
"This ajusshi is pissing me off for real. Why's he so slow?"
"No five mil? Then leave that cash you just got. Looked like about fifty grand."
Middle Schooler A grinned wickedly, his true colors showing.
Making money was this easy.
Dongdaemun was crawling with newbies fresh off awakening, sync rate at zero.
Pick one, threaten, and take their haul—tens of thousands were pocket change.
What other honey pot was this sweet?
"Don't make us say no. We might just beat your ass."
"Go ahead and report us—we're juvenile offenders, so we walk. Meaning we could half-kill you and get away with it. Right, bros?"
Three or four more rough-looking guys popped up.
"These oppa are scary as hell. They've beaten people to death and done time in juvie. You wanna end up like that too, ajusshi?"
Jinhyuk stood at the alley's dead end, saying nothing.
Not out of fear or panic, though.
He'd seen this coming a mile away.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Ninety-nine out of a hundred who approach with sweet talk are con artists or worse.
Simple reason he'd followed, though.
[Blank Card: Black Knight Order Swordsmanship - Basics]
Might as well test it out now that he'd learned it.
Monsters charging with blades were still terrifying.
For a first go, these delinquent punks were perfect.
Rustle.
In a shadowed corner out of their sight, Seira materialized.
Enemies threatening her master were to be eliminated without mercy.
The knight's most fundamental duty.
"Step back, master. I'll handle it quickly."
"No. I'll take care of it, so wait. If I need you, I'll yell 'help!' But I won't."
Seira, eyeing Jinhyuk, nodded reluctantly.
That look—full of overflowing ambition and grim resolve.
If he was set on trying something, she wouldn't stop him.
"Fine."
Jinhyuk drew the wooden club he'd pocketed from floor 4 of the Tower of Despair.
Laughter swelled from the other side.
The jeers poured in: You really gonna fight us? You wanna die?
"Gonna turn you into a halfwit, ajusshi. No regrets."
"We'll see who regrets it."
Grinning triumphantly, Jinhyuk took one step forward.
No real practice yet, but the Black Knight Order's basic swordsmanship was already etched in his mind.
A few swings, and it'd stick in his muscles too... Sching!
'Sching?'
One of them had whipped out what looked like the nastiest sashimi knife imaginable.
'A middle schooler with a sashimi knife?'
The rest now brandished small knives, nail-studded bats, and the like.
Kids these days are scary, just like they say. Not a word of it wrong.
Watching them close in armed, Jinhyuk turned his head.
Then, casually raised one hand.
"Help."
First swordplay debut: postponed.
To a time with more assured safety.
—————
Oh Jaegap's jaw dropped.
He'd gone so long without puffing that the raccoon-den haze in the general store had actually cleared a bit.
"Grandpa at the general store? You okay?"
That's what he wanted to ask.
Are you okay? No—how are you okay?
Jinhyuk reappeared less than five minutes after following those punks.
For some reason, as he approached the store, Oh Jaegap had pulled out his phone.
In case he was badly hurt—maybe call 119.
But the Jinhyuk who arrived was spotless, unchanged from when he'd first shown up.
The only difference was his hands.
Light and empty when he'd left, now they sagged heavy.
A bracelet and necklace from floor 10 or higher, plus clothes loaded with defense buffs.
"Wanna sell all this."
"Uh... uh. Yeah, I'll buy."
Too stunned, he'd forgotten his hard-boiled shopkeeper persona for the first time since opening.
He quickly appraised the goods, then spoke instead of flashing the calculator.
"Four million four hundred fifty thousand won. Can do bank transfer too."
"Transfer it is, then. But your speech..."
"Ah."
Realizing in a flash, Oh Jaegap smacked his lips.
The tough, rude gamer lingo was a gimmick he'd started after too many complaints about being gruff and unfriendly.
Today, he was done with it.
"Sent."
"Thanks. Got any low-level swords? About this length would be good."
"Got a few."
Oh Jaegap fetched a handful of beginner blades from the back.
"Sold me a ton, so the sword's on the house. Pick whichever you like."
"Oh, thanks."
Jinhyuk swept them all into his bag.
"No, I meant one."
"Ah. Right."
As Oh Jaegap broke into a cold sweat, Jinhyuk grabbed one and bowed.
"Thanks. I'll be back. Take care."
"Ba-back again."
Watching Jinhyuk recede into the distance, Oh Jaegap furrowed his brow.
What the hell is this guy's deal?
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T/N:
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