Chapter 45

 Opening the Gate (2)

"A–An alien? You mean the merchant is actually an alien?"

Inside the speeding car, Myeong-ho asked.

Not long after, he realized it had been a foolish question.

If it was a being that descended from beyond the sky riding a pillar of black light, then of course it was an alien.

"Yes. Strictly speaking, I suppose it is..."

Young-woo trailed off after hearing the question.

The merchants were indeed aliens, but they felt very different from what people normally imagined when they heard the word alien.

If he had to describe them differently, beings from another realm sounded more appropriate than aliens.

Besides, through his conversations with the Moks—creatures he had once thought were nothing more than monsters—he had learned that they, too, were beings from another world with homes and purposes of their own.

If that was the case, didn't that mean every monster, including the Moks, was technically an alien as well?

Then what's the difference between the ones who come here as merchants and the ones who become monsters? Why are some merchants while others are monsters?

At the very least, up until now, only the aliens playing the role of merchants appeared in forms familiar to humans.

Why were the monsters always goblins, orcs, and similar creatures?

His thoughts became increasingly tangled.

Still, he knew there was no point dwelling on it now.

If I survive long enough, I'll eventually find out.

The timer counting down to the merchant's arrival disappeared from his view, and in the distance the black pillar of light flashed brilliantly as thunder roared.

Rumble!

The merchant had finally arrived in Mungyeong City.

At the same time, Myung-ae, who had been unconscious until now, suddenly opened her eyes.

"...Yu-Yoon-hyo!"

Calling out the name of her deceased eldest son, she awoke as though she had been trapped in a terrible nightmare.

Unfortunately, reality was no kinder.

"Ah...!"

Realizing she was still living inside that nightmare, Myung-ae broke down in despair.

Rumble!

Another black pillar of light twisted violently through the air.

Seeing it, Young-woo reached for the passenger-side door handle.

"Pull over."

"Huh?"

"I'll go ahead. Bring your mother and follow me."

"W-Will that be okay?"

Naturally, what Myeong-ho meant by okay was whether he and his mother would be safe.

"Yes. It's not far, and there aren't any monsters nearby. If anything happens, just honk the horn."

With those words, Young-woo flung open the passenger door and leapt out.

He made that decision because trading with the merchant was first come, first served.

Since this city had both the Number One and the Mutant working together to eliminate monsters, there should still be quite a few survivors.

Of course, how many people would actually dare approach that ominous black pillar of light on their own was another matter.

Still... you never know. There are always variables.

Young-woo sprinted through the city streets at incredible speed, heading straight toward the pillar.

Before long, he saw groups of people running frantically from the opposite direction.

The survivors in the area were fleeing from the merchant's location.

Wow... there are quite a lot of people.

Perhaps because he had spent the last several days talking to orcs and other inhuman beings, simply seeing fellow humans filled him with unexpected relief.

The people, however, reacted very differently.

"What the...?"

"H-Hey, something's coming!"

"Damn... that scared me!"

Just as the Jeong family had when they first met him, they felt an overwhelming sense of unease.

He wasn't carrying a mountain of sacks on his back this time, but he was barefoot, dressed in bizarre equipment, and moving in a way no normal person possibly could.

Even those whose stats had become high enough to fight monsters couldn't imitate movements like his.

Several seconds after he had already passed them, someone suddenly realized something.

"...Wait."

The man who had just shot past them at lightning speed looked exactly like the face engraved on the golden coin that had fallen from the sky.

Whoosh!

Ignoring the astonished gazes following him, Young-woo arrived at the merchant's landing site.

Unlike the main roads, where people had been running in every direction, the area around the black pillar was nearly deserted.

But there were still a few people there.

"Wh-What is that?"

"Huh? Someone came?"

"Damn... you scared me."

Three people.

They were the only group of humans lingering around the merchant, seemingly debating whether or not to approach any closer.

Young-woo quietly positioned himself between them and the black pillar before asking,

"You haven't started trading yet, have you?"

"...Trading?"

The one who answered instinctively was the tall man standing at the front.

Judging from his position and the halberd in his left hand, he was clearly the group's leader.

When Young-woo calmly looked at him, the tip of the halberd that had been pointed threateningly in his direction slowly lowered.

He wasn't happy about this unexpected stranger cutting in line.

But after witnessing Young-woo's inhuman speed earlier, he instinctively became cautious.

"If you haven't started yet, I'll go first."

Leaving the three, who neither backed away nor challenged him, Young-woo strode confidently toward the black pillar.

"H-Hey!"

The tall man frowned and tried to chase after him, but the other two hurriedly stopped him.

"Are you crazy?"

"Look at this first!"

They quickly shoved something in front of his face.

It was...

...a golden coin.

I risked everything to eliminate the Mutant in Mungyeong...

But if the merchant has already arrived... then what happens now?

By then, Young-woo was within about ten meters of the black pillar.

The silhouette of the merchant inside gradually became visible.

Whatever it is... it's huge.

Just as he tilted his head and stepped even closer—

Rip.

The space between Young-woo and the black pillar suddenly tore open.

The intermediary he had been waiting for finally appeared.

"Human of Earth, strongest warrior of Gyeongbuk, Jeong Myung-woo! It is an honor to meet you again!"

Pitch-black eye sockets.

Pure white pupils.

Eyes blinking with empty space itself serving as eyelids.

It was definitely him.

"I am Kubu, heir to Daro and master of the Tenta Tribe, assigned as the intermediary for this transaction."

Unlike before, Young-woo wasn't particularly intimidated by the black pillar or the extraterrestrial merchant.

If anything, he was impatient.

Where's Kubu? Didn't he say I'd see him again during my next trade?

Kubu—the exclusive broker assigned to Gyeongbuk's strongest swordsman, Jeong Young-woo.

According to his promise, from the second trade onward Young-woo would not only pay only half the brokerage fee, but would also be able to see every merchant guild participating in the bidding.

As during their first meeting, Kubu proudly introduced himself.

Then he continued,

"The brokerage fee for this transaction is 10% and is included in the item prices. A total of four merchant guilds have submitted bids for this trade."

"Would you like to view the list of bidding guilds and their proposals?"

He was finally receiving the exclusive benefits Kubu had promised.

"Yes. Show me."

Young-woo nodded.

Kubu blinked his large eyes before adding a warning.

"You will communicate directly with the remaining three merchant guilds, excluding the Mir Alliance, which has already arrived here. The process may be somewhat inconvenient."

"Inconvenient...?"

The moment Young-woo asked—

The black pillar suddenly turned crimson.

Then it released an unbearable shriek.

SKRIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEK!!

"What the hell...!"

The noise sounded like countless fingernails scraping across a chalkboard.

Not only Young-woo but even the three people standing far away screamed while covering their ears.

"Aaaagh!"

"W-What are you doing?!"

"Turn that thing off!"

Of course, a mere human's request had no effect.

The horrible sound continued.

Only when his ears began to ache did Young-woo finally realize...

There was meaning hidden within the chaotic noise.

It felt like trying to read advertisements flashing past from inside a high-speed subway train.

Yet, unmistakably, several messages were repeating over and over at regular intervals.

"Life... Concealment... Peace."

Despite the threatening sound, the actual meaning it conveyed was remarkably friendly.

Life, concealment, peace...? What exactly is it trying to say?

Young-woo looked toward Kubu, hoping for an explanation, but this time the broker gave him nothing.

So that's as much help as he's allowed to give?

Then again, if Kubu intended to help any further, he wouldn't have made Young-woo communicate directly with the alien merchant guilds in the first place.

Life. Concealment. Peace.

After confirming there were no hidden meanings beyond those three concepts, Young-woo spoke.

"For now, that's enough. Connect me to the next merchant guild."

Without a word, Kubu blinked.

This time, the pillar of light turned violet, pushing the surrounding air outward.

Whoosh!

"Ugh...!"

The sensation was completely different from before.

Young-woo instinctively tensed, goosebumps spreading across his body, but he didn't feel any pain.

What's this? It doesn't seem to carry any meaning at all.

Whoosh!

Another wave of air burst outward.

Once again, he sensed no message.

What are they trying to—

Just as Young-woo frowned and prepared to move on—

Whoosh!

The air surged out again, with exactly the same timing and intensity.

Only then did something feel strangely familiar.

Because...

...It's breathing.

Whoosh!

Young-woo finally realized it.

The other party was demonstrating that they breathed, just like humans.

Whoosh!

The anonymous merchant continued pushing out nothing but air, like someone making a phone call only to let the other side hear their breathing.

In a way, it was an incredibly subtle marketing strategy.

"Can I check the remaining merchants before making my decision?"

As Young-woo asked, Kubu turned his white eyes toward him.

"If that is your wish, yes."

"Then connect me to the next one."

"Understood."

Kubu blinked again.

Fwoosh!

The third merchant was alarming from the very beginning.

The pillar of light instantly burst into flames, radiating overwhelming killing intent.

"Are these lunatics really here to do business?"

Gasping for breath, Young-woo squeezed his eyes shut.

It felt as though the murderous aura alone could melt his eyeballs.

Fwoosh!

Yet, just as intense as the killing intent was the meaning carried within it.

Rather than a message, it was an expression of pride.

A violent temperament.

An obsession with strength.

Whatever race they belonged to, they were undoubtedly an extremely warlike people.

Naturally, the goods they offered would mostly be related to combat.

"Enough! N-Next!"

Having understood the bare minimum, Young-woo hurriedly called for the next merchant.

Flash!

The terrifying aura that had swept across the area vanished instantly.

The pillar returned to its original black color.

"…Ah."

That was because the merchant who had already been waiting here from the start was the final one.

Grrrk...

A faint sound, like a massive stone rolling, echoed from inside the black pillar.

This time—

Kubu translated for him.

"The final bidder is the Mir Alliance. Although they have waited for quite some time, they are not displeased."

It was probably another privilege reserved for the highest-ranked bidder.

After all, had Young-woo not appeared here, the Mir Alliance would have been the only merchant guild participating in this transaction.

"Ah... I'm sorry about that."

Feeling genuinely apologetic, Young-woo looked toward the figure inside the pillar with sincere regret.

The enormous silhouette shifted slightly.

Grrk... Grrrk...

Maybe it's not merely hidden by shadows...

Maybe its body itself is made of shadow.

Just as that thought crossed his mind—

Kubu began another lengthy interpretation.

"The Mir Alliance is a prestigious merchant guild that has conducted interdimensional trade for eight hundred million years by Earth's reckoning. Unlike ordinary peddlers who simply sell whatever spoils they happen to acquire, their standards are on an entirely different level."

Wait... all I actually heard was a couple of stone-grinding noises.

How does that translate into all of that...?

But the Mir Alliance wasn't finished.

"The Mir Alliance mainly specializes in consumable items and products useful for overcoming special situations. Their prices are affordable, and their quality is excellent."

"…Wouldn't it be easier if I could just look through the item list myself, since we're already here?"

Young-woo asked hopefully.

Kubu refused immediately.

"The bidding phase has already begun. By law, the contents of each offer cannot be disclosed directly."

In short—

No.

With a troubled expression, Young-woo stared silently at the shadowy figure inside the pillar before finally looking away.

"Then... I'm sorry, but I guess they'll have to return empty-handed. Please call back the merchant who was only letting me hear its breathing."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes."

After Young-woo nodded once more, Kubu blinked.

"Per Jeong Myung-woo's request, the Mir Alliance will be dismissed, and the Wandering Merchant of the Breathless Pact will be summoned."

The moment Kubu finished speaking, loud noises erupted from inside the black pillar.

Grrrk! Grrrk...!

Even without a translation, Young-woo could roughly guess what the merchant was saying.

Perhaps because of that, Kubu chose not to interpret it and simply proceeded with the exchange.

Paaang!

Accompanied by a clear, resonant tone, the Mir Alliance merchant was pulled upward into the pillar and disappeared.

Then—

Whoooom...!

A tremendously imposing sound echoed as the pillar of light turned violet once more.