Even if you gave an absurd amount of money, high-class mercenaries had to be interested in the job to take it.

He didn’t know for sure, but the other dead mercenaries were probably quite expensive as well.

Atran was definitely skilled. He had even been able to raise the stakes by this much with just a few pieces of the tablet. It was a better result than Yeon-woo expected.

‘I definitely found the right person.’

Yeon-woo stared at Atran. Atran stepped back, thinking he would be tricked again.

“What? What is it this time?”

“You still have the authority to open the Merchant Window, right? I want to make a deal.”

The Merchant Window. It was a system that was only allowed to mysterious merchants. Also, the higher a merchant’s rank, the more types of items they could have.

Even though Atran was on the edge of a cliff, he was still a director of the West Wind Union, so he could handle most items.

“Deal, my ass! Think of what you did until now! There’s nothing good that comes from…..!”

“This item is probably good enough.”

Yeon-woo pushed the Yaltabao Safe towards him.

Flinch.

Atran’s body shook. The Yaltabao Safe as an item that mysterious merchants went crazy for.

Its value would never decrease. Rather, its value was steadily increasing as people tried to hoard them.

When you made deals with those, you could always collect a fee from using it. The calculator in Atran’s head quickly spun.

Atran’s guard went a bit down and he coughed.

“But still, that’s…..!”

At that moment, Yeon-woo pulled out 4 more safes.

“Anything you want! We love our customers!”

Atran bowed deeply enough for his head to touch the ground. Five Yaltabao Safes were enough to attempt a comeback from his bankruptcy.

“Hehehe. So, our lovable customer, do you have anything in particular that you’re looking for? We at the West Wind Union have a 2,000-year history, so we have all kinds of rare items that you can’t find at prices like these. Would you like to look at the boutique?”

He was rubbing his hands like a fly, looking like he was ready to sell his soul. The Ice King, Twice, and Nocturn shook their heads. They laughed in disbelief, knowing where Yeon-woo got the safes.

The Red Dragon quest. What was he trying to do with the rewards he got?

It was widely known that the Hoarder was the Martial King’s disciple. They thought it incredulous that he was trying to bother the Red Dragon with a reward he got from them. They were all thinking the same thing.

‘The disciple takes after his teacher.’

Yeon-woo didn’t care about the looks he was getting and spoke to Atran.

“I want your entire stock of Dragon Killers.”

“……!”

“……!”

“Hahaha! So that’s what it was! There was a way!”

Twice and Nocturn had surprised eyes, and the Ice King clapped as he chuckled.

Dragon Killer. A lance that also went by the name Dragon Spear.

It was over 6 meters large and weighed hundreds of kilograms. But at the same time, it was as thin as a woman’s arm.

Like its namesake, it was a weapon that was specialized in catching dragons.

A long time ago, people who had grudges against the Summer Queen had gathered to create this, but they were found by the Summer Queen, and the creation process of the weapon vanished from history.

However, there were a select few that leaked into the black market or the unions, and Yeon-woo was asking for these.

‘If I can use this…..!’

Atran’s mind quickly circulated. The West Wind Union had more Dragon Killers than the rest of the unions combined.

They had about 80% of the remaining ones. It was because they had thought that its value would rise astronomically at the time, so they brought it in bulk.

However, the West Wind Union was regretting this decision.

The Dragon Killer was definitely outstanding, but the way it was used was tricky. It was heavy, and it broke easily.

You could only use it once. Who would want to buy something like that at such a price?

The Dragon Killer was just gathering dust in their storage room. And if he got a hefty commission for getting rid of the horrible items?

‘I’m lucky!’

Atran shut his lips so he wouldn’t cheer from happiness. During times like these, he couldn’t show how he was feeling. He wouldn’t be able to scam the customer like that.

But when he cleared his throat and met Yeon-woo’s eyes, Atran sighed. Yeon-woo’s eyes were curved upwards, with a gaze like he knew what Atran was thinking.

Of course he would know that the Dragon Killer was treated like an ugly duckling. It was expected. Someone who tried to scam a mysterious merchant wouldn’t have brought it up otherwise. Atran wasn’t positive, but Yeon-woo probably knew the economy more than the merchants.

Here, the pushover was Atran.

“Hehehe. Of course! As expected from you! Your insight is incredible. You’ve considered well. Sir. The Dragon Killers that we have at the West Wind Union are better cared for than the rest of the Dragon Killers in the market, and they function great. However…..”

But it wouldn’t hurt to try. Atran’s words faded away as he continued.

“With this amount, you can only buy 3% of our current stock…..”

“I’ll look for another merchant if you don’t want to.”Atran grabbed onto Yeon-woo, who was turning away.

“Aigoo! Hehehe. Why are you being like this, sir? You’ve done business with me before. Is this all our relationship amounts to? Why are you so rushed? You have to finish listening to what I’m saying. Of course, that would be under normal circumstances, but I’ll give you a special discount!”

Yeon-woo smirked as Atran began to speak faster.

“Then how much can I buy?”

“A little more than half…..”

Yeon-woo turned away again.

“Aigoo! Of course we have to give you more than that!”

“7 percent.”

“Heek! N, No, we can’t do that! We still have the fees from taking care of them so there won’t be anything left for us….!”

“8 percent.”

“Yes, sir! The deal is done!”

Atran sealed the deal after getting ripped off by Yeon-woo.

[You have paid ×5 ‘Yaltabao Safes’ to purchase ×31 ‘Dragon Killers.’]

All the Yaltabao Safes in Yeon-woo’s hand disappeared and in their place, 31 6-meter-long spears were at his feet. [TN: Instead of 31, it said 30 of them in the raw. I changed it assuming it’s an author mistake.]

But Yeon-woo wasn’t satisfied with that.

“You still have some left in stock, right?”

“Sir, even if they’re in stock right now it’s too diff…..”

“I’ll buy not only what’s left in stock, but all that’s been exchanged in the black market or in other guilds. You can take whatever fees you need.”

“Are you talking about the rest of the Dragon Killers?”

“Is that a no?”

“Of course you can! Definitely! We’ll bring everything that’s in the Tower, and even the ones that are outside as well!”

“There are other things I want to buy too.”

Yeon-woo spoke of the things he was thinking about. But Atran’s face changed as he heard the list.

They were all horrible products that were in the backroom like the Dragon Killer. However, they were ridiculously expensive, so they were a pain in the butt for the union.

He didn’t know why Yeon-woo needed them, but Yeon-woo said the more of them there were, the better.

It was a colossal amount for a single purchase, and Atran’s smile got wider every time.

If this purchase was successful, he would definitely be able to stay in the union.

It meant that he could have a chance to make a comeback.

Now, Yeon-woo didn’t look like a demon but a heaven-sent angel.

“…..And that’s all. Is that possible?”lightsnovel

“Of course. Even if it’s not, we’ll have to do whatever we can to get it.”

Atran was ready to give his kidneys and liver to Yeon-woo.

“As fast as possible.”

“Understood. Um, but…..”

“Is there a problem?”

“How are you planning on paying…..”

Yeon-woo grinned.

“Why? You think I’ll run away with the items?”

Atran jumped up and down where he was standing.

“Aigoo! I wouldn’t dare to think that! Of course I trust you! Hehehe. However, as you know, there isn’t much affection in this world and everyone’s struggling financially…..Hehehe.”

“Of course I’ll give it to you.”

Yeon-woo nodded his head. Atran’s eyes were filled with expectation as he held his hands forward.

What would he give as the payment? More Yaltabao Safes? Karma? Or books from the One-horned tribe? Anything was fine. They were all things that were trustworthy in the market.

However, Yeon-woo crushed Atran’s expectations.

“Credit.”

“…..Sorry?”

“Put it on my credit.”

“……!”

Momentarily, Yeon-woo seemed like a demon that would swallow Atran up.

Atran’s face quickly turned red.

“Are you telling me to trust you?!”

“Why can’t you?”“You must be joking…..!”

“Do you really think I’ll steal them?”

Yeon-woo scoffed. Atran was about to say something else but quickly realized something.

“…..The quest of the Bureau.”

“What are you doing now that you know? Aren’t you getting on it?”

There was still a quest that was left—the quest calling for Red Dragon’s arrest. The more Red Dragon’s buildings were destroyed and the more their members were killed, the greater the rewards.

And of course, Yeon-woo planned to get the 1st place position.

“But shouldn’t we at least do the pledge of mana…..!”

“I don’t think this is the time to be doing that. Well, if you don’t want to, I’ll go to another merchant.”

“Shit!”

Atran kicked the ground.

“Scamming a merchant! You’ll definitely go to hell when you die!”

“I already know that, so quickly get on it.”

“Argh!”

Atran glared at Yeon-woo with a wronged face and quickly adjusted the system.

This quest was probably going to end in a day, so he quickly brought the items on the condition of getting the payment a day later. This was only possible because Atran was reputable amongst the unions.

[You have purchased an additional ×14 ‘Dragon Killers.’]

[You have purchased ×21 of ‘Fabio Forest’s Hunter’s Bow Trick.]

[You have purchased ×6 of ‘Great Monkey’s Tail Thorn.]

……

Yeon-woo’s eyes shined as he saw the items piling up. He didn’t realize he had asked for this much when he listed them out loud, but seeing them in front of him, there were quite a lot.

Atran handed over the ‘Life Blood of Albino Trolls’ after making the last of his purchases, grinding his teeth. He doubted how much would be leftover for him.

“Here you are…..sir.”

lightsΝοvel “I’ll use them to their fullest. Thanks, investor.”

Atran felt like crying, having been demoted from a merchant to a kind investor. This guy really frustrated people every time he spoke.

And it suddenly occurred to him.

‘But where’s he planning on using them all? No, can he even use them properly?’

Dragon Killers were too heavy, so most rankers couldn’t even lift them. It was tricky to use them the right way.

But the Hoarder was still a lower-floor player. Atran didn’t understand how he would use them.

The same for the other items. They were probably harder to use than the Dragon Killers.

He couldn’t get rid of his anxiety. He ended up making the purchases because of the flow in their conversation, but if something went wrong, it was the end of him.

Yeon-woo calmly tossed the items in his shadow and hid himself using Blink again.

He searched for somewhere he could prepare for the hunt.

* * *

“Be on guard so no one can approach me.”

「…….」

「Yes, sir.」

『Got it. Be careful.』[TN: From this point on, brackets will be changed to something that is more similar to those in the raws.]

“I will.”

After Yeon-woo settled himself, he called for Shanon and the others to come to him.

Hanryeong and Rebecca split left and right, and Brahm and Boo began to set up a temporary barrier.

However, Shanon was quiet. His footsteps were heavier than normal. Yeon-woo called for him.

“Shanon.”

「Do you have any more orders, Master?」

There wasn’t a face under the head armor, but his Inferno Sight was a bit duller than normal. Yeon-woo looked into Shanon’s eyes as he spoke.

“I’m your master now. Be aware of that.”

「……I showed a side of myself I shouldn’t have. I apologize.」

Shanon kneeled on a single knee and bowed his head. He had been a bit uncomfortable fighting against his old master since he was a part of the Red Dragon once.

Yeon-woo saw his confusion, and Shanon acknowledged his mistake with a bow. Even if they didn’t put a label on their statuses, they had to be clear about who was above who in times like these.

“This is the only time I’ll forgive it. Remember that.”

「Thank you, sir.」

Shanon’s Inferno Sight flamed up again. His mind was at ease now. War was just war. He had to be loyal to his current life.

After Shanon returned to his position, Brahm carefully asked Yeon-woo a question.

“Will it be okay? To leave him like that?”

“It’ll be fine. That guy isn’t that weak.”

“I suppose. If he was weak, he wouldn’t have become a Death Noble.”

Brahm nodded. He turned towards the items that were messily piled up.

“What are those? It’s been a while since I saw that foolish spear.”

“Do you know something called Mercuri?”