Chapter 395

“What did you just say, sir?”

“I said all you need to decide is whether you’re buying or not—why ask about the source? Guess being from a speck-sized country makes your mind just as small.”

“This is the Goblin Market. It’s not like any ordinary black market. We don’t deal in goods without a clear origin.”

“Cut the crap and just tell me how much you’ll pay. If you’re not interested, I’ll take it to another shop.”

“You won’t find another store willing to buy that. So just answer the question, sir. Where did you get that Ghost Beetle shell?”

At the shopkeeper’s firm stance, the massive man’s eyes turned cold.

“Hah! What a joke. I’m not selling it to you.”

“I don’t care if you don’t sell it. Just tell me where it came from.”

“Unbelievable.”

The man yanked the sack back and turned to leave.

At that moment, the shopkeeper shouted:

“Guards! Suspicious person here!”

Just last night, all shops in the Goblin Market had received direct orders from Yoo Sehee:

If anyone tried to sell Ghost Beetle shells, report it immediately.

At the shout, the guards came running.

“Stop right there!”

“Hands in the air! Step away from the bag!”

The massive man’s lips twisted at the guards’ commands.

“Tch. I was trying to keep things quiet.”

In an instant, he drew the enormous blade strapped to his back and swung it.

Slice!

With a chilling slicing sound, the shopkeeper’s head flew off.

It was lightning-fast—too fast to follow.

In his hand, the man held a massive cheongryongdo (Blue Dragon Sword).

A master-crafted weapon, not a drop of blood clung to its polished blade.

“M-Murder!”

“He just killed a man!”

Nearby merchants and customers screamed and scattered in every direction.

“That bastard...!”

“After him!”

The panicked crowd, scattering like a flock of startled ducks, got in the guards’ way.

“Humph.”

The man grinned wickedly, sheathing his sword, and hoisted the sack of Ghost Beetle shells back onto his back.

Glancing once at the headless corpse, he muttered,

“Should’ve just listened when I was being polite.”

Without a second thought, he turned and walked off.

“Stop right there!”

“Freeze!”

Guards from all over were converging on the scene.

Not just the ones stationed nearby—those farther away had heard the commotion and were rushing in too.

“Tch.”

The man gave them a quick glance, then reached into his coat and pulled out a cloak-like fabric, throwing it over himself.

And in that instant—he vanished.

“What?!”

“He’s gone!”

“It’s a stealth item. He can’t have gone far—search the area!”

Despite the unexpected situation, the guards kept their composure and responded efficiently. But the man was faster.

He slipped out just before the market gates could be sealed.

“Heh. Not difficult at all.”

Once outside, he peeled off the cloak and smiled.

Just as the guards suspected, the cloak had a stealth function.

Its effect didn’t last long, but it was perfect for critical moments like this.

“Shame, though. Didn’t expect them to respond so quickly. Guess I’ll have to offload the beetle shells at a different black market.”

Even after all that, he wasn’t about to give up the shells.

It was his only way to make money right now.

Still carrying the sack, he walked into a secluded alley in the slums.

After walking for some time, he suddenly stopped.

He tilted his head slightly… then, without warning, set the sack down and drew his cheongryongdo.

“Come out.”

“……”

“I’ve already sensed your presence. It’ll go better for you if you crawl out before I drag you out myself.”

“Tch.”

From the shadows of the alley, someone emerged.

It was Zeon.

He had been secretly tailing the man ever since the commotion at the Goblin Market.

But he hadn’t expected to be discovered.

This time, the hunter had become the hunted.

Zeon was usually the one doing the sensing—not the other way around. He hadn’t imagined someone so big and clunky-looking could be this perceptive.

It was a sharp reminder not to judge a book by its cover.

Zeon asked,

“Would you mind telling me how you noticed me?”

“Don’t know about Qi Sense, huh?”

“Qi Sense?”

“Heh. Guess it’s too much to expect some backwater country’s Awakened to know about that.”

“Whatever it is, sounds like an insult. You must be from Sichuan.”

“Wha—?! How did you—?”

At Zeon’s unexpected remark, the man’s eyes widened in shock.

“Knew it. You smell just like Jang Woo-hang.”

“You met Woo-hang?”

“You all have the same vibe. Same stench. Same way of speaking. Same arrogant way of looking down on others.”

“So you were probing, huh? You’re sharper than you look.”

“I get that a lot. But now I’m curious. Who else came here with you?”

“You think I’d tell you?”

“You don’t have to. I’ll make you talk.”

“What? Pfft—hahaha!”

The man burst into loud, belly-deep laughter.

It was so loud it rang in Zeon’s ears.

Bzzz...

The laughter echoed through the alley, shaking objects with its force.

Zeon narrowed his eyes slightly.

The sound was resonating through his eardrums, vibrating inside his brain.

‘A sonic attack embedded in his laughter? Now that’s new.’

Thankfully, Zeon had resistance to this kind of attack.

After all, the last enemy he fought—Karlin—specialized in sonic magic.

Compared to him, this guy’s little trick was child’s play.

Seeing Zeon unfazed, the man’s expression darkened.

Gripping his sword tightly, he said,

“My name is Ma Gwang-ryang. Yours?”

“Zeon.”

“What a dumb name.”

“‘Ma Gwang-ryang’ isn’t exactly impressive either.”

“Did you just insult me?”

“You started it. Don’t get sensitive now.”

“Silence! Watch your mouth.”

“Wow, you really do whatever you want, huh? Sneak into someone else’s land and start barking orders.”

Just as Zeon muttered—

Fwip!

Ma Gwang-ryang kicked off the ground, charging at Zeon.

Whoosh!

His cheongryongdo flew toward Zeon’s neck with terrifying speed.

As fast as a lightning bolt.

Any average Awakened would’ve died before realizing what hit them.

But Zeon was far from average.

He raised his hand and blocked the attack.

Clang!

The sword bounced back with a metallic ring.

It had struck the Inferno Gauntlet on his arm.

He was unscathed, but the impact reverberated through his forearm.

Shaking his hand, Zeon muttered,

“No manners, either…”

“There’s no reason to show courtesy to a backwater Awakened.”

“Backwater this, backwater that. You people fled underground because you were too scared to live on the surface, remember?”

“You dare insult the Subterraneans?!”

“Come on. I hear your population’s barely 300,000. That’s not even one slum district’s worth.”

“You little—!”

That last jab pushed Ma Gwang-ryang over the edge.

He could take a lot, but insulting his people? Unforgivable.

With a furious roar, he charged again.

“Mad Dragon Slash!”

Fwoooosh!

His sword erupted with a fiery red aura.

“An Aura Blade?”

“No—it’s Sword Qi, damn it!”

Ma Gwang-ryang swung his weapon without mercy, enveloped in deadly do-gi (blade energy).

Zeon dodged with his Sand Step technique.

The spot he’d just been in was obliterated by the swing.

Boom! Boom!

The ground cracked open and nearby walls were shredded.

The sheer power was devastating.

Even one hit could’ve meant serious injury—or worse.

Shffft!

The cheongryongdo whizzed past Zeon’s nose.

But Zeon didn’t flinch. He kept his eyes locked on Ma Gwang-ryang’s movements.

They were strange.

At times clumsy, like a drunk—then suddenly, fierce like a wolf.

The unpredictability was mesmerizing.

Slice!

The blade spun oddly and grazed past his neck.

Even though the weapon didn’t touch him, a shallow cut appeared.

It was the do-gi.

Blood trickled down Zeon’s neck, but he didn’t even blink.

‘There’s a pattern to his footwork.’

At last, Zeon caught the rhythm in Ma Gwang-ryang’s movement.

Unaware, Ma Gwang-ryang laughed confidently.

“Can’t figure out how to counter this, huh? This is Battle Wolf Step, one of our subterranean elite techniques.”

“It’s nothing special.”

“What? Still bluffing, are you—?!”

Enraged, Ma Gwang-ryang raised his sword overhead.

The do-gi around it flared even more violently.

Just as he was about to strike—

BOOM!

His body shuddered.

Zeon had launched a Fire Missile at his weapon mid-swing.

“You little…!”

Zeon didn’t respond. Instead, he kept launching missiles.

Dozens of Fire Missiles flew toward Ma Gwang-ryang.

Panicked, he swung his blade defensively.

A screen of layered sword auras formed.

It was a technique called Sword Barrier.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The missiles exploded against the barrier, not a single one breaking through.

But Zeon wasn’t disappointed.

The missiles were just a distraction.

By the time the smoke cleared, he had already slipped behind Ma Gwang-ryang using Sand Stride.

Crack!

Zeon’s fist slammed into his back.

“Gah!”

Caught off guard, Ma Gwang-ryang’s face twisted in pain. But his huge frame didn’t crumble that easily.

“You dare—!”

Enraged, Ma Gwang-ryang spun like a top, swinging wildly.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The do-gi from his sword flew like shuriken.

Unexpected—but none of them touched Zeon.

He countered with a Sand Blaster, knocking them all out of the air.

BOOM!

The blasts obscured Ma Gwang-ryang’s vision.

As he retreated, he noticed the air had gone cloudy.

Squinting, he saw fine particles floating around.

“Sand…?”

The moment he recognized it, Zeon’s voice rang out.

“Sand Mixer!”

Vrrrrrrrm!

The fine grains spun at extreme speed.

“Aaaaagh!!”

Ma Gwang-ryang screamed in agony from within the storm.