Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert-Chapter 68

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 68

The merchant scrutinized Zeon closely.

Zeon’s eyes were ablaze with the search for an item worth 3,000 Sols. He didn’t even glance at the worthless items, only looking at valuable items like a ghost.

Zeon picked up a box.

“What’s this?”

“Oh, that? It’s a kind of alarm device. It alerts you if someone unauthorized enters your shelter or house.”

The merchant opened the box to show its contents.

Inside were a detector-like item and a necklace, paired together.

“It’s a common item in Neo Seoul.”

“Is that so?”

“With this, you should be paying at least 5,000 Sols, but I’ll let it go for three thousand just for you. How about it?”

“Well, it seems like I’m getting a bad deal, but I’ll accept.”

“Hehe! You’ve made a good choice. So, will you take the item with you, or should I arrange for delivery?”

“How much is the delivery fee?”

“Two thousand Sols!”

Zeon frowned slightly at the absurd delivery fee.

He could transport it directly into his subspace without any delivery fee. However, doing so would reveal that Zeon possessed a subspace.

Subspaces were extremely rare items.

Even within Neo Seoul, they were coveted by few, and everyone desired to have one.

It was certain that things would get troublesome if Zeon’s possession of a subspace were to be revealed.

“Tsk! Do you promise safe delivery?”

“Of course!”

“Fine.”

Zeon took out another small Mana Stone from his pocket and tossed it to the merchant.

The merchant admired the Mana Stone.

“Heh! So, this too is from a monster. Do you have a hunting team or something? Instead of that, how about making a regular supply contract for Mana Stones with us?”

“These are the only Mana Stones I have.”

“Don’t say that. Think about it again. There’s no place in the Goblin Market that pays as well for Mana Stones as we do.”

The merchant firmly believed that Zeon had a hunting team. Otherwise, it didn’t make sense for him to consistently offer such high-quality Mana Stones.

It was widely known that Mana Stones obtained from monsters were far more efficient than those mined from mines.

If they received such high-quality Mana Stones regularly, it would inevitably increase their influence in the Goblin Market.

Zeon said flatly.

“There are no more Mana Stones. Don’t imagine things. Please send the items to this address.”

“Tsk! If you change your mind, let me know anytime. The doors of my shop are always wide open.”

“That won’t happen.”

“I’ll send the items by today.”

“I trust you won’t play tricks.”

“For merchants in the Goblin Market, credibility is life. I’ll personally handle the delivery, so don’t worry.”

“Then, goodbye.”

After Zeon slightly nodded his head, he walked out.

Even after that, Zeon wandered around the Goblin Market for a while.

The Goblin Market was much larger than it appeared from the outside, making it a fascinating sightseeing spot.

While Zeon was leisurely exploring the Goblin Market, it happened.

Boom!

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from inside.

Then voices of people followed.

“It’s a fight.”

“These crazy bastards! Fighting in the Goblin Market?”

No disputes or fights were tolerated in the Goblin Market.

That was the rule of the Goblin Market.

Those who violated the rule would have no place to stay in the slums. Yet, engaging in a fight meant that they either had a force strong enough not to fear the Goblin Market, or they were ignorant of such knowledge altogether.

Zeon walked towards where the disturbance occurred.

Many people were surrounding the area where two individuals were standing face to face with each other.

One was a man with an icy-cold demeanor, of average build, and the other was a giant man clad in armor that made breathing difficult just by looking at it.

The atmosphere was heavy with the confrontation between the two.

The man with the icy-cold demeanor spoke up.

“You seem to have lost your wits, Brixton!”

“You have a long tongue, Theo! If you’re scared, just bite your tongue.”

The giant referred to as Brixton pulled out a huge hammer he had behind him.

A fierce madness emanated from his entire body.

Instantly, Theo’s gaze became sharper.

“You insolent fool!”

He pulled out a small dagger with a triangular blade and a lotus pattern engraved on it.

It was called a Vajra, a tool mainly used for asceticism in ancient religion.

A terrifying aura emanated from the Vajra Theo was holding.

The two men stared at each other with murderous eyes, as if they were about to engage in a fierce battle.

Theo raised his Vajra towards his chest and said.

“From now on, whatever happens, it’s Dongdaemun’s responsibility. That crazy berserker!”

“Being under Goran’s command has made you bold. Someday, I’ll smash Goran’s head with this hammer of mine.”

“You arrogant…”

Anger emanated from Theo’s Vajra in a burst of red energy, an Aura that only high-level Awakeneds could wield.

Similarly, a bright light emitted from the hammer held by Brixton.

It was a different energy from the usual Aura.

It was a sacred power that only a select few Awakeneds could use.

The leader of Dongdaemun to which Brixton belonged was a figure named Johan.

He had Awakened a unique sacred power and had even granted similar abilities to his subordinates.

Among them was the Berserker Brixton.

Brixton was Johan’s first weapon against his enemies.

Facing him was Theo, a subordinate of Goran, the leader of Sinchon.

Goran also had four Awakeneds under his command, and Theo was one of them, known for his icy, rational demeanor.

Brixton and Theo were famous rivals and had fought several times already.

Their skills were evenly matched, so they hadn’t determined a winner yet.

Such fierce rivals happened to run into each other in the Goblin Market.

Ignoring the unwritten rules of the Goblin Market, they ignited their hostility towards each other.

“I’ll smash your head to pieces without a trace.”

“I’ll cut out your heart with this Vajra.”

The two charged at each other.

Crash!

Just before the Vajra and the hammer collided, a bolt of lightning struck between them.

“Tsk!”

“Shit!”

The two men stumbled back, showing signs of confusion.

“Both of you, stop. If you cause any more trouble, I’ll have to file a complaint with Mr. Goran and Mr. Johan. Then, the matter won’t end with just the two of you being reprimanded.”

A woman wearing a leather outfit that revealed her body stepped forward with a calm voice.

She was a beautiful woman, with red hair that contrasted with her white leather outfit.

Behind her followed a man emitting a fierce aura like that of a lion. His nose and mouth were covered with black cloth, but his eyes, visible beneath his messy hair, were enough to overwhelm everyone in the audience.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

As soon as the two appeared, the street fell silent.

Even Theo and Brixton couldn’t stir up any more trouble and fell silent.

The presence and status of the two newcomers were exceptional.

The woman with striking red hair was none other than the owner of the Goblin Market.

It was extremely rare for her to show up in person at the market.

This was because Theo and Brixton’s conflict could have a significant impact on the Goblin Market.

Although located near Sinchon on Yeonnam Road, the Goblin Market was fundamentally a neutral zone.

No conflicts of any faction were tolerated here.

Furthermore, it didn’t take anyone’s side.

If not for this, the Goblin Market wouldn’t have survived until now.

Both Sinchon and Dongdaemun, to which Theo and Brixton belonged, were influential factions even in the slums.

The two were central figures even within these powerful factions.

Fighting outside might be fine, but fighting in the Goblin Market and causing casualties would only bring trouble.

Hence, Yoo Se-hee had no choice but to reveal herself.

The man behind Yoo Se-hee was her guard and the strongest in the Goblin Market, known as the Black Lion.

Only Yoo Se-hee knew his real name.

One thing was certain: the Black Lion’s power was not inferior to that of the leaders of Dongdaemun and Sinchon.

Theo and Brixton couldn’t dare to act rashly at their appearance.

Yoo Se-hee, who sent the lightning bolt, was also uneasy, but more than anything, the overwhelming presence of the Black Lion weighed them all down.

Yoo Se-hee, with her red hair fluttering, stood between the two.

“There won’t be any problems as long as you compensate for the items that were broken. So let’s end it here.”

A bright smile adorned her face.

Her smile, combined with her red hair, was enchanting enough to captivate all the men present. However, Theo and Brixton were not swayed by her appearance alone.

If Yoo Se-hee was merely a beautiful woman, she wouldn’t have been able to lead the Goblin Market to its current state.

The Goblin Market’s influence was solely thanks to Yoo Se-hee.

Therefore, Johan and Goran didn’t underestimate her either.

Theo was the first to step back.

“I apologize. I’ll compensate separately for the broken items.”

“Thank you. As expected of Theo.”

Theo nodded slightly to Yoo Se-hee and left without hesitation.

Watching him leave, Brixton spoke to Yoo Se-hee.

“I’ve been wanting to see you outside.”

“Oh? Are you asking me out on a date? But what should I do? I like the Goblin Market. If it’s a date inside here, I’ll consider it.”

“Johan wants to see you.”

“In that case, we should definitely have our date inside here. I’m scared of Johan too.”

Although she said it lightly, there was no sign of fear on her face.

Instead, there was a hint of mockery.

Brixton knew this fact, but he didn’t show anger or hesitation.

If he provoked Yoo Se-hee any further, the people of Dongdaemun would never be able to use the Goblin Market again.

This was something even Johan, the leader of Dongdaemun, didn’t want.

Brixton bowed his head to Yoo Se-hee and stepped back.

“Send me a list of the damages, I will pay it all by tomorrow. See you next time.”

“Hoho! Take care.”

Yoo Se-hee waved her hand.

As Brixton disappeared from view, the smile on Yoo Se-hee’s face vanished completely.

“Damn bastards! Why come to someone else’s place of business to fight? Compile a detailed list of damages and submit it.”

“Yes!”

One of the merchants responded cautiously.

Instantly, Yoo Se-hee’s eyes narrowed, and she exclaimed,

“What are you doing? Are you not going to do business today? Has business already finished?”

“Yes!”

“Yes, we will.”

“Hurry up and organize it.”

Surprised merchants scattered like cockroaches and began organizing their goods.

The chaotic market quickly returned to its original state, and business resumed as if nothing had happened.

Yoo Se-hee shouted angrily.

“You’re all too busy watching the fight. You need to sell more to make money. You incompetent fools!”

“That’s enough, they should get it by now,”

The Black Lion, her guard, stepped forward to calm her down.

“Yeah. I’m calm now.”

“Try to control your temper when outside. There are many eyes watching.”

“I know. When did I ever care about others’ opinions? Putting on a mysterious image only narrows your range of action.”

Yoo Se-hee grumbled.

Seeing her unexpected reaction, Zeon couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

“Pfft!”

“Who’s there? Is there someone still not doing business and just watching?”

Yoo Se-hee happened to catch Zeon’s laughter and narrowed her eyes.

Amidst the bustling crowd, Yoo Se-hee soon spotted Zeon standing there.

She approached Zeon with determined steps.

“It’s you? You were laughing?”

“I’m sorry.”

Only then did Zeon realize his mistake and apologized.

Yoo Se-hee scrutinized Zeon carefully.

“You’re not a merchant here. A customer?”

“Yes!”

“I haven’t seen you before. Who introduced you to here?”

“I came thanks to old man Klexi.”

At that moment, Yoo Se-hee suddenly leaned her face closer to Zeon’s face.

“Klexi? Was it that damn old man who gave you the card?”

Zeon blinked in surprise at her unexpected reaction.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

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