A face with a remarkably high success rate when it came to intimidation. Since aliens had trouble distinguishing subtle differences in physical features anyway, perhaps this ability was more useful to me than being reborn as some Earth-style pretty boy.
"M, my apologies! W, we've confirmed your invitation, so please enjoy the rest of your time here!"
After waiting for a moment, I got exactly the reaction I had expected. They broke into a cold sweat, hurriedly apologized, and fled the scene.
I had successfully driven the guards away.
"Phew!"
Now that we'd made it through the inspection safely, it was time to hear what the person in question had to say.
"Excuse me. Seonwoo Yeon-ssi."
Whoosh.
When I turned my head, I saw the masked woman watching me from behind.
"Didn't you say earlier that there wouldn't be anything particularly dangerous here?"
At that, she flinched.
"Right... It seems we misjudged the scale. B, but according to the investigation we've been conducting over the past month, this organization was only supposed to have C-rank Hunters..."
The moment I heard that, a possibility suddenly crossed my mind.
"It can't be..."
This black market mainly catered to non-Awakened customers. Its small scale meant its selection of goods was limited, so there probably weren't many high-ranking Awakened who regularly visited the place.
"Judging from what I've heard, even Kang Changho hardly ever used this market."
Naturally, that would have made the black market's management lax when it came to security. If their usual clientele consisted of ordinary people, one reasonably capable Awakened would have been more than enough to serve as security.
But what if, one day, an unfamiliar S-rank suddenly appeared as a customer?
The idea that such a monstrous Hunter had started browsing the market might have made the black market nervous enough to temporarily reinforce its security... Ꞧ𝘈ℕÒＢËS
It wasn't entirely impossible.
And if that assumption was correct, then the reason Seonwoo Yeon's previous investigation had been wrong could all be traced back to one particular S-rank Hunter.
"T, that can't be it, right?"
The moment that thought occurred to me, cold sweat broke out across my skin.
Then, a violent explosion cut through my tangled thoughts.
Boom!
Seonwoo Yeon immediately snapped her head up.
"That's from our side!"
"Yes?"
"One of the police officers who came in with us frequently uses explosive skills!"
I'd been worried because things had been quiet for so long, but fortunately, the police officers who had entered with her were still safe.
"It's a little different from the plan, but first I need to go check what's happening."
A moment later, Seonwoo Yeon stepped over the counter and hoisted the restrained criminal onto her shoulder. Apparently, her job now was to secure him and join the others.
Just before heading into enemy territory, however, the masked Earthling hesitated and glanced back.
"...Thank you for helping me just now."
With those words, she quickly left the shop.
She neither tried to arrest me for trading Blue Shell nor asked me to assist with the operation.
"Is she not asking me to cooperate because I've lost her trust?"
Well, it was probably better to focus on the situation at hand than waste time arguing with a suspect she couldn't even arrest.
There wasn't enough evidence to apprehend me in the act, and on top of that, I looked far too high-ranked at first glance.
It was a sensible decision.
And it was convenient for me as well.
Soon, the entire market would descend into chaos because of that explosion. All I had to do was slip away in the confusion, and everything would be over.
"I might get reported later, so I should find somewhere else to hide the Blueshell on my way home."
I securely fastened the item box to the Hunter belt I'd recently bought.
But there was still one problem.
"Hmm."
There was an enormous hidden danger lurking somewhere in this black market...
"Hmm."
In fact, one of the shops in this market had an A-rank Awakened sitting behind the counter as security.
Unfortunately, the police officer's assessment of the market's strength had been considerably wrong.
So what would happen now?
"What should I do?"
If that A-rank was left alone, Seonwoo Yeon was 100% going to be in serious trouble.
I didn't know what ranks the officers who had come with her were, but considering the police force's chronic shortage of manpower, there was no way they'd assigned a large number of personnel to raid a small black market like this.
Of course, if I personally dealt with the A-rank...?
Then I'd be the one in trouble.
They'd practically begged me to come, and I'd graciously accepted the invitation. What host would be pleased if an invited guest suddenly started wreaking havoc?
"Tsk. If Kang Changho hears that I interfered with the invitation inspection in the first place, that's already going to look bad..."
I was in an awkward position.
Still, if I did nothing, there was a good chance I'd end up in trouble anyway.
So, after carefully weighing my options, I chose the path that would result in the smallest loss for me.
.
.
About 60 seconds later.
Bang!
I kicked open the door of a shop.
At the sudden appearance of a noisy customer, the Awakened sitting in a chair awkwardly stood up and shot me a wary glance.
Incidentally, the owner of this particular shop was the A-rank Awakened I had mentioned earlier.
"W, what is it?"
But do you know why I'd come looking for this A-rank?
Seonwoo Yeon had clearly said that, according to the police investigation, the strongest combatant in this black market was supposed to be C-rank.
At first, I'd assumed it was simply an investigative mistake.
But thinking about it again...
No matter how you looked at it, professional investigators who had gone through all kinds of testing couldn't possibly be that incompetent.
So, for now, let's assume the police statement—that 'the black market's security level had remained low throughout the past month'—was correct.
From there, simple induction was enough.
First, would an organization that broke the law for money really have such ironclad loyalty?
Second, what if an A-rank Hunter who had never appeared during the investigation suddenly showed up out of nowhere?
'Seonwoo Yeon didn't even know there was an A-rank here. That means this person isn't an important arrest target anyway.'
I finished the calculation and acted rationally.
"---Cops!"
"Huh?"
"Heugh."
In other words, I blatantly snitched.
"There's a raid!"
I shouted it in a booming voice, loud enough to rival the roar of a steam locomotive.
As a small bonus, I even used a derogatory term for the police so that no one would suspect I was on their side.
"W, what did you say? Cops?"
"Didn't you hear that explosion earlier? That was the Awakened cops using their skills! They're arresting shop owners over there right now, and the whole place is in chaos!"
Woong, woong, woong!
That explosive declaration immediately threw the store into turmoil.
The atmosphere had already been unsettled by the loud blast, and now I'd openly announced that the police had arrived as well.
"What are we supposed to do?"
"Damn it."
"So that's why the guards were patrolling."
"How the hell did this place get exposed...?"
"Don't tell me they've surrounded the gate too?"
Everyone fell into confusion.
But I couldn't have cared less about the customers' panic.
I only needed to recruit one Earthling.
"Hey! I know where the dungeon boss is hidden. So let's kill it and secretly escape by ourselves."
"Heuk!"
"The entrance is probably crawling with cops already! But if we defeat the boss, there's still a chance the exit could appear somewhere far away...?"
I spoke directly to the shop owner across the counter.
"You look like you've got a pretty high awakening level. You can handle a boss in a place like this, right? Yeah? While the cops are busy rounding up the small fry--hurry! Let's go!"
That was my plan.
If I was worried that a particular individual might hurt Seonwoo Yeon, then simply removing that individual from the situation altogether wasn't a bad solution.
"And while I'm at it, I can escape through the exit too."
If the exit ended up appearing right next to the entrance... well, then I'd simply open [Surprise Box].
Besides, from the other side's perspective, I would technically be helping a black-market merchant avoid getting caught.
Even if word of this reached Kang Changho, it shouldn't cause any major problems.
"If things go well, I might even be able to frame it as me doing everything I could to protect the black market that invited me."
Of course, if this A-rank decided to remain loyal to the organization, I'd have no choice but to take more aggressive measures.
But if that happened, there really wouldn't be another option.
Just because Kang Changho was frightening didn't mean I could stand by and let an Association employee die.
"If it comes down to it, I'll fight."
I was prepared to draw my weapon at any moment.
But the intellects inhabiting this place truly never failed to amaze me.
"Oh, fine. Let's get out of here--quick!"
"Of course!"
The A-rank Hunter betrayed the black market immediately.
***
Meanwhile, Seonwoo Yeon had barely managed to complete her mission.
"Ugh."
"Keugh..."
When she arrived at the location where the explosion had gone off, the black market's general manager and the police were already locked in a fierce battle.
Using her well-honed air-manipulation techniques, she efficiently subdued the manager's guards.
"Ugh, waugh..."
A spell that drastically lowered the surrounding air pressure and interfered with breathing.
This was a new technique Seonwoo Yeon had mastered after dealing with countless criminals.
The guards, driven to the brink of suffocation, only regained the ability to breathe after they had been restrained with various specialized tools.
"I'm glad everyone is safe."
"Ugh, don't even say that. I thought I was going to die and leave those rabbit-like kids of mine behind."
Come to think of it, Seonwoo Yeon had been wondering why the promised signal had never arrived...
While she had been securing the dangerous fugitive drug dealer, Team A, which had headed toward the manager, seemed to have gone through quite an ordeal.
As you already know, today's black market was operating under significantly tighter security than usual.
Among the personnel present, there had even been a Hunter specializing in status-effect skills.
"Is everyone alright?"
"After being forced to take an unexpected nap, I feel wonderfully refreshed."
They had nearly been put to sleep and buried inside the dungeon without anyone ever realizing what had happened.
"Phew."
Fortunately, several high-ranking Awakened had managed to resist the status effect, preventing the situation from becoming even worse.
Seonwoo Yeon let out a sigh of relief.
But at that moment, a sudden scream erupted from somewhere nearby.
"I mean, what did we even do wrong for you to treat us like this? Who said we wouldn't pay taxes? We'll pay them, alright? So untie me first!"
The black market's manager protested as though he were the victim.
The police, however, remained cold and indifferent.
Still, as that man had said, investigations into black markets usually moved slowly.
Tracking them down was troublesome, and compared to more serious crimes, their offenses tended to rank lower in priority...
"Detective, haven't you told him yet what charges the warrant was issued for?"
"I forgot because things were so hectic."
This was, in fact, a rather unusual case.
"Alright. You're under arrest for violating the Special Act on the Prevention of Illegal Trade in Dungeon Items and for Murder by Request--"
Even after the Dungeon Shock, South Korea's murder clearance rate remained terrifyingly high.
The detective, speaking in a thick Gyeongsang-do accent, mockingly revealed the reason for the arrest.
At that moment, the restrained man's expression changed completely.
He had finally realized exactly which of his crimes had brought about his downfall.
"Ugh, damn it."
However, the tension in his face gradually gave way to a strange confidence.
"Yeah, fine. If I'm already caught, I might as well drag everything down with me."
"What?"
"Everyone here is completely screwed! Do you even know where you are? The only thing waiting for you now is death!"
At first, it sounded like nothing more than the desperate ranting of a captured criminal.
And yet, there was an unmistakable confidence in the manager's demeanor—something that went beyond simple defiance.
"You think you've won, don't you? But tell me this. Is there anyone among you who's A-rank?"
The arrested manager finally revealed his hidden card.
"If there isn't, you're in serious trouble. Do you even know who's in this market? I've got an A-rank Awakened working for me!"
An A-rank Hunter was hiding somewhere inside this dungeon!
Originally, that person had been hired because the organization had become frightened by the appearance of a new member.
But under the current circumstances, that hired combatant had found another potential use.
Fortunately for the black market manager, he had plenty of resources.
Perhaps enough money to tempt someone desperate for cash into committing murder.
"You pathetic b*stards! Go ahead and get your skulls smashed in by an A-rank!"
Hahahaha.
With the hired enforcer as his supposed trump card, the black market operator raised his voice triumphantly.
But about five minutes later, just as the police had finished arresting the organization's key figures and begun rounding up the remaining minor criminals...
"Huh?"
People began wondering why, even after thoroughly searching the dungeon, they still hadn't found any high-ranking Awakened.
"Inspector!"
"What is it? You're supposed to be securing the gate. Why are you here?"
"We've got a problem. This is the exit! It's completely separate from the entrance. We only just discovered it!"
"Huh...?"