Using a car, we traveled to where the road was, then passed the signpost and entered the nest according to the designated method.
The reaction of the wanderers was noticeably different compared to when I first visited in disguise and when I visited under Baek Cheol-soo's guidance.
Everyone held their breath and stopped whatever they were doing to avoid drawing attention.
Even the wanderers who had been drunkenly fighting or high on drugs froze in place.
"All the goods entering the black market are stored here. Please, come in."
The warehouse was vast and massive.
It was also heavily guarded to the extent that even the most skilled thieves wouldn't dare attempt a break-in, with various magical security devices installed.
'For wanderers, this is quite impressive.'
It was my first time entering the warehouse where black market goods were stored.
The warehouse had two floors.
Countless items were stacked in layers.
"I'll personally guide you. What would you like to see first?"
Baek Cheol-soo spoke with a confident smile.
I shook my head.
"No need. Now that I see it, this guy seems to know the practical details better."
I glanced at Jung Jin-soo and gestured with my chin.
Baek Cheol-soo's face twisted.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Do I need to say it twice?"
Baek Cheol-soo, who had been staring into my eyes, forced his expression to relax.
"I dislike unnecessary complications. One person is enough."
"…Understood. Jung, make sure to assist him well."
Baek Cheol-soo, looking slightly tense, bowed his head.
Jung Jin-soo, sensing Baek Cheol-soo's mood, became visibly nervous and stepped forward to guide me.
I followed Jung Jin-soo and began examining the warehouse.
"Let me explain the items stored here. Please, this way…"
Each floor was divided into different sections.
Though the lighting was bright, the sheer number of items crammed into each section gave the place a dark, shadowy atmosphere.
— Wooong!
I activated my Mystic Eye and scanned my surroundings.
'So, they have things like these.'
The warehouse contained everything from bagged narcotics to all sorts of contraband.
I frequently spotted items that were illegal to import and classified as prohibited herbs. There were also monster byproducts and prototype potions.
'Relics too, huh? That… could it be authentic? Statues, famous paintings… There are tons of artworks here as well.'
Most of these held little value to me, but they would likely be highly desirable to black market customers.
"This area contains magical herbs and elixirs."
These were high-end goods.
After all, nothing appealed more to wealthy buyers than elixirs.
Even those without magical abilities could experience effects dozens of times stronger than top-grade tonics.
"Rather than these, do you have any ancient documents or secret manuals stored here?"
"Huh? Ah, yes. Of course."
Soon, I was led into a room equipped with humidity control devices.
Several bookshelves stood there.
'Magic tomes, martial arts manuals… quite a collection.'
Some were written in medieval languages, making them difficult to read, but I could at least partially decipher them thanks to my consistent studies in ancient texts.
"Are there only paper documents? What about stone tablets or engraved relics?"
"They're on the second floor. Would you like to see them?"
Following Jung Jin-soo's guidance, I moved upstairs.
And finally, in a section filled with ancient records, I found what I was looking for.
'There it is.'
An old stone tablet.
Its edges were corroded and crumbling, and the inscriptions were related to astronomy.
Constellations, along with engravings of the sun and moon, were crudely carved into it.
'I can't believe I found this now.'
Even if I combined the value of everything in this warehouse, it wouldn't compare to the worth of this single artifact.
I wanted to take it immediately, but now was not the right time. If things proceeded as planned, I would obtain it soon.
I left the tablet where it was and turned around.
'What's this?'
The moment I turned, my Mystic Eye caught a familiar energy.
I knew exactly what kind of beings emitted such an aura.
And they had no business being here.
I slowly made my way toward a secluded corner of the second floor.
And then—
"Could it be… a spiritual beast?"
Inside an iron cage was a blue-furred fox.
—Kiiing…
I didn't know its exact name.
But I was certain it wasn't an ordinary animal, nor was it a monster. It radiated the unique energy of a spiritual being.
"…The boss personally hunted this White Snow Fox cub in the northern region."
Seeing it, my heart turned ice cold.
A "spiritual creature" is, quite literally, a being with spiritual power. The place where such a creature resides achieves spiritual balance due to its presence.
If that creature disappears from its dwelling, the area becomes filled with disaster and misfortune.
It would be akin to humans disrupting a river's flow or overturning a mountain for convenience—effectively destroying the local ecosystem.
"Are you insane?"
"I apologize."
"…Forget it."
The deeper I ventured into the warehouse, the more my expression hardened.
The first floor was nothing.
Starting with spiritual creatures, the second floor was packed with all sorts of dangerous items.
'That's poison. And this… military-grade magic bullets. And over there—wait, is that an artifact from a dark sorcerer? Don't tell me they've been storing things like this, too?'
Jung Jin-su cautiously observed my reaction as he continued his explanations.
'I was worried I might change history…'
But there was no need for such concerns.
In fact, it might be better to destroy this place immediately.
"Are all these weapons released in every black market?"
"No. The items on the second floor are usually only sold upon request."
I nodded.
If goods of this caliber were readily available on the market, neither the noble families nor the government would have allowed it.
"Let's head back. I have no interest in seeing more."
"Yes, understood."
Jung Jin-su bowed deeply and led the way.
He walked faster now, as if he, too, wanted to leave the second floor as soon as possible.
With the stone tablet's location confirmed and the warehouse examined, my business here was almost complete.
Only one crucial matter remained.
"There's something I want to ask you."
Jung Jin-su flinched and closed his mouth.
"…Yes, please ask."
"Are you left-handed?"
"…What?"
Jung Jin-su's eyes widened momentarily before he quickly regained his composure and nodded.
"Yes, I am. But why…?"
"You work with wanderers, yet you don't seem to have learned even basic self-defense. Is there a reason for that?"
"Well… I have a chronic illness. That's why I can't use magic."
A left-handed man with a chronic illness.
'That confirms it.'
I had my doubts due to the differences in facial features, but now there was no mistake.
This man was definitely that Jung Jin-su.
"If you're sick, why are you working under Baek Cheol-su? You don't belong in this place. Do you have a special reason for following him?"
Jung Jin-su suddenly stopped walking, lips pressed tightly together.
"I won't spread it around. Just tell me."
He hesitated for a long time, his mouth opening and closing as if struggling with the decision. Eventually, under my gaze, he spoke in a subdued voice.
"You already know about my unusual constitution."
I nodded.
"I have a daughter. But… she inherited my illness, and it affected her even worse."
What followed was a predictable story, unbefitting the name of the famed swordsman Jung Jin-su.
A frail daughter suffering from a rare, incurable disease. No money, no access to medicine.
The only possible treatment was an illegal drug, impossible to obtain within the country—until he learned of the black market through the chairman of a corporation he once served.
"So you made a deal with Baek Cheol-su. He promised to supply the medicine and even lend you money."
At first, he merely handled money laundering and minor speculative investments.
Then, that leverage turned into a leash around his neck.
With both his daughter's life and his career in Baek Cheol-su's hands, Jung Jin-su had no way out.
'To think that Jung Jin-su got caught up in something like this…'
No one would believe it.
Now that I had heard this much, I could already predict how the rest of this story—one that had yet to happen—would unfold.
"So that's why you're preparing to betray him?"
"…What?"
Jung Jin-su's eyes widened as if they might tear apart.
"The ledgers and records you keep—too detailed, too thorough. Even if Baek Cheol-su is cautious, he wouldn't have ordered you to document everything this meticulously."
"T-that's just because I wanted to be thorough…"
"Don't bother making excuses. If you weren't preparing for something, those records wouldn't exist. Why else would you keep files on transactions that are already long settled?"
"..."
Jung Jin-su's eyes trembled violently.
"You were ready to stab him in the back at the right moment. That's why you organized everything into documents."
In the past life.
Since I couldn't use magic, my role before escaping from the Sungmu family had been handling administrative work, not martial arts.
A standard ledger could be interpreted by anyone with basic accounting knowledge just by glancing at the numbers.
But the records Jung Jin-su kept went far beyond that.
'He must have made his move when Sungmu wiped out the Baekgol faction.'
He probably thought Sungmu would erase Baekgol completely.
But they didn't—because they needed an organization to take control of the underground.
Naturally, there was retaliation against Jung Jin-su.
Perhaps that was what ultimately led him to switch sides and follow my third brother.
"F-Forgive me! P-Please, just don't tell President Baek about this! My daughter…!"
Jung Jin-soo immediately fell to his knees and began begging.
I was conflicted.
My original plan was to take what I needed and leave.
But I had come face-to-face with an unexpected figure.
Not just any ordinary person, but the man who was once called the brains of the third eldest brother.
'A dangerous individual.'
If history were to flow as it should, this was someone who had to be dealt with right now.
'If that's the case….'
I quietly looked down at the prostrated Jung Jin-soo.
***
Baek Cheol-soo took a drag from his cigarette and frowned.
Clicking his tongue, he thought about the man who had entered the warehouse with Jung Jin-soo.
'He only wants to take Jung Jin-soo?'
An unpleasant feeling.
The way that man constantly looked down from above, and the fact that he took Jung Jin-soo without even acknowledging Baek Cheol-soo's presence, both irked him.
'He stepped into my warehouse. No matter if he's a warrior from Soongmoogah, this is just….'
As Baek Cheol-soo puffed on his cigarette, his eyes suddenly sharpened.
'Could it be…? Is he planning to take Jung Jin-soo and abandon me?'
That thought crossed his mind.
The man who came as a subordinate of Lee Jae-hak wasn't after the Baekgolpa gang itself—he wanted the black market that Baekgolpa operated.
'…Tsk.'
But he soon dismissed the idea.
That couldn't be the case.
The black market only reached this level because he made it happen. Jung Jin-soo had simply carried out orders.
"Uh, Boss… Hehe, you seem to be in a really bad mood?"
Just then, one of the underlings guarding the warehouse approached with a grin.
Baek Cheol-soo's expression twisted at the tactless remark.
Crack—!
With a swift kick infused with aura, he struck the underling in the stomach.
The man flew through the air and crashed onto the ground, twitching for a moment before going limp.
"I told you to change the way you address me, didn't I? Hey, you there."
Baek Cheol-soo dusted off his knee and turned to the side.
"Y-Yes! Boss—no, I mean, President!"
"Get rid of that bastard. And let me know the moment Jung Jin-soo and our guest come out. Got it?"
"Yes, sir! Understood!"
Baek Cheol-soo flicked his cigarette away and turned around.
'I don't like this.'
The sudden visit from that Soongmoogah bastard, the lifeline that is Lee Jae-hak, and the fact that he even had to concern himself with some weakling like Jung Jin-soo.
With a scowl, Baek Cheol-soo walked away.
***
Two days had passed since the guest from Soongmoogah had left.
Baek Cheol-soo, his face hardened, summoned Jung Jin-soo.
The moment Jung Jin-soo entered the office, he felt tense.
Baek Cheol-soo's expression was unreadable, but his glimmering eyes sent a clear message. Jung Jin-soo knew better than anyone—Baek Cheol-soo was dangerous when he looked like that.
Jung Jin-soo shrank as much as possible and bowed his head.
"Y-Yes, President. You called for me."
"Did you find out what I asked you to?"
Jung Jin-soo swallowed dryly.
There were two things Baek Cheol-soo had ordered him to investigate.
The authenticity of the Demonic Spear.
And the identity of the man from Soongmoogah.
Carefully, Jung Jin-soo opened his mouth.
"The Demonic Spear appears to be sealed, so we weren't able to properly assess it. However, the appraiser said that if the seal was strong enough to deceive even machinery, then it's likely to be authentic."
"Then that means that guy really is one of Lee Jae-hak's men?"
"That…."
Jung Jin-soo hesitated, stumbling over his words.
Baek Cheol-soo's brows furrowed.
"What is it?"
"Well, because we haven't placed any spies in Soongmoogah, we had no way of verifying his identity. We tried gathering information through our sources, but all we learned was that the seventh son of Soongmoogah is expanding his business."
"He's expanding his business? Then isn't that our answer?"
"Lord Lee Jae-hak has always been quick to expand his enterprises. So…."
"Hah."
Baek Cheol-soo's eyes gleamed with a sharp, murderous glint.
"Looks like you've lost your touch, Jung Jin-soo."
"...!"
Jung Jin-soo's body trembled.
"So basically, you didn't find out anything. I don't like keeping useless people around. Do you think you're the only one who could've gotten that information?"
The title shifted from Chief Jung to just Jung Jin-soo.
A faint, heat-like haze began to rise from Baek Cheol-soo's body.
The aura of a warrior who had mastered magic—just that presence alone was like a deadly weapon against ordinary people.
Baek Cheol-soo smirked coldly.
"How's your daughter doing? I bet she's just about out of medicine by now."
Jung Jin-soo's eyes wavered.
"…I have something to tell you."
Clenching his eyes shut, Jung Jin-soo slowly began to speak.
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