Jiiiiiii!
The Venomous Centipede trembled all over, expressing its intense rage. Ever since Exa had transformed into its movement-assist (Booster) form, it couldn't even graze my body, let alone keep up with my footsteps.
"Over here, you fool."
Eventually, I became so relaxed that I could run along its back. Thud, thud, thud.
Jiiiiiii!
The Venomous Centipede twisted its body violently from side to side, and I kicked off its back to leap even higher. I couldn't waste my time with this thing forever. I might be fine, but Bi-soo was on a time limit.
The length of its upper body alone was well over two meters. If I leaped off its head, I could get a much higher vantage point than from the ground.
‘Where is it…!’
While suspended in mid-air, I channeled Black Ether into my eyes. A pain as if my eyeballs were about to pop out washed over me, but it was worth it. Because far across the desert, I could see a faintly glittering object.
The distinctive color I had seen from the Copper Eternal Flower. I had finally found the rare herb.
"I found it!!!"
A cheer burst out of me uncontrollably. How many Poison-type dungeons had I gone through to find this thing? While still in the air, I released Exa's energy to its maximum.
Fwoosh.
In effect, I had performed another leap in mid-air. Launched forward like a human rocket, I reached the rare herb in an instant. The only problem was, I hadn't thought about the landing.
Thump!!
"Ugh…!!"
Since I crashed upper-body first, sand invaded not only my mouth but also my nose and ears. Just like the first time I used Poison Step, it seemed there was always some trial and error when attempting a new skill(?).
Jiii!!
The Venomous Centipede, which had been blankly watching my air show(?), hastily buried its body in the sand. It must have realized what lay at the spot where I fell. My eyes and nose stung, but this thing was more important than the sand.
Glint.
A rare herb with only its head peeking out from the vast sand. A silver plant, its leaves a bit fuller than the Copper Eternal Flower, glowing with a noble light. It was the Silver Eternal Flower.
As if boasting that it was a rare herb of a higher grade than the Copper Eternal Flower, it showed off its form with a brilliant glow. I carefully harvested it. At that moment, Crunch.
"Ugh…!!"
The horn of the madly charging Venomous Centipede pierced my side. If it had stabbed just a little deeper, my intestines would have burst. I could have easily dodged if I had been prepared for an attack, but I didn't have time to activate Poison Step while harvesting the Silver Eternal Flower.
‘Damn, that hurts like hell…’
Pain beyond a certain threshold blurred my consciousness. It was something I always experienced when suffering from pain before my Awakening. My head spun for a moment, but I couldn't lose consciousness here.
It was a relief that it had rammed me with its horn instead of biting me. The moment it drank my blood, it would have walked the path to the netherworld before I did.
Fshhhhhhh. Look.
Even that sturdy-looking horn was turning to dust upon contact with my blood.
JIIII!!!
The Venomous Centipede writhed in burning pain. After coughing up some blood, I commanded the V1.
"Back… to offensive form."
Shing, shing.
The two parts of Exa merged back into one, returning to its original dagger form. Even though I felt like I was going to lose my mind from the pain, I felt a sense of wonder. A Hunter device that changes form according to the user's will.
Dr. Jin was a much more monstrous scientist than I had thought.
Swoosh.
When I held out my hand, Exa flew into my grasp as if drawn by a magnet. It seemed the Black Ether infused into Exa was responding to my will.
Oho. Then?
With my side torn up, it was difficult to use Poison Step. Even if I could use it, I might not be safe near the Venomous Centipede, which was thrashing about so wildly.
‘Should I give it a try?’
With one hand clutching my side, I raised Exa with the other and brought it back behind my head. Like an assassin preparing a killing blow. I extended my hand toward the Venomous Centipede.
Shwiiiiik!
The dazzling white blade. Exa, in its White Dream state, shot toward the Venomous Centipede like an arrow.
‘It's fast…!’
A speed absolutely impossible to achieve just by throwing it. Exa was literally ‘flying’, using Black Ether as its fuel.
Jiii!
The Venomous Centipede, its horn gone, shook its head at the approaching Exa. But Exa gracefully dodged the centipede's attack, then slashed its neck from behind.
Jiiiii…….
As if resisting the overwhelming sleepiness, the Venomous Centipede flailed its legs. But even the mightiest hero cannot lift his own eyelids. It slammed its head into the ground and fell into a deep sleep.
"Hah… Hah…."
Even with Self-Healing, it was a pretty serious injury. If there were another similar Monster nearby, I couldn't guarantee my survival.
‘If I absorbed that thing's Core, I'd heal in an instant, but…’
How much Black Ether would I accumulate by absorbing a 4-star Monster's Core? It was a mouth-watering(?) prospect, but if I killed it right now, the Poison-type dungeon would disappear. If a dungeon that had never been issued an entry permit were to close, the Hunter Association would launch an investigation.
I couldn't trade my chance to become a Hunter just to escape a moment of agony. Maybe I should have left some Cores behind when I was getting attacked earlier. It wasn't until I reached the dungeon entrance that my body returned to normal.
I was seriously injured, and the Venomous Centipede lost its horn. The only thing that remained in its original state was one thing. The single Silver Eternal Flower, emitting its noble light.
My shredded side was completely healed. And I hadn't even consciously activated my Healing Ability. At this point, wouldn't it be more accurate to call my body a Monster?
However, my body was so drained of strength that it was impossible to use Poison Step. Moving at a speed no different from a civilian's, a considerable amount of time had passed.
"Huh?"
I saw a figure squatting in front of the entrance, their head buried. It was Bi-soo. She said she would leave after two and a half hours, so why was she still here?
"Hey! Why are you still here instead of leaving?"
I checked the time; three and a half hours had passed. The antidote's effective period was already over.
"…What took you so long?"
Bi-soo grumbled upon seeing my face. But in her defiant eyes, the blood vessels were starkly visible. Symptoms of poisoning.
"I was injured, so I couldn't come back sooner."
"For that, you look perfectly fine."
Bi-soo scanned my body up and down.
Mm.
This was a bit unfair. Since my Self-Healing was complete, I would look fine on the outside. Through the hole in my clothes, my pale skin was visible.
"I'll explain later."
Seeing as she was waiting at the entrance, it seemed she was done with her business. What was her reason for waiting here, even while being poisoned? I hurriedly hoisted Bi-soo onto my back.
"Kyaa! What are you doing?"
"Just be quiet."
Her complexion was pale, and her voice came out cracked. I ran toward the dungeon entrance with Bi-soo on my back.
"Ppori."
Kkuwang!
As if it knew without me saying a word, Ppori swallowed a large amount of the poison inside my body. This was to heal Bi-soo. Besides, in a poor condition like this, even a familiar poison could be a risk factor.
Ggeuk.
Ppori burped and flapped its wings. Was it trying to digest? Seeing it like that, it looked no different from a human.
"Eumm…."
Perhaps because the poisoning had worsened, Bi-soo's consciousness was fading. Even though she had an antidote, to think she frequented such a dangerous place. I wondered if there was anyone in the black market with a Healing Ability like mine.
Once again feeling the heartlessness of Yaksha, I focused healing energy into my fingertips.
Shhhhhh…….
With my Black Ether, poison, and healing energy all depleted, my body felt completely empty. It would have been nice to absorb some Goblins on the way back. Gathering them all at the start had turned out to be a bad move.
Unless it was an emergency, I should leave spare Black Cores as if they were potions. That was a valuable lesson learned in this dungeon.
"Hooam~" Bi-soo's healing was complete.
Perhaps thanks to the antidote she had taken beforehand, her poisoning symptoms weren't too severe, and she stretched with a refreshed look on her face, as if she had just woken up from a nap.
"You look quite comfortable."
"You should have come back sooner then."
"You said you were going to leave first, so why were you waiting?"
"Well… because I couldn't see you… Aish."
Bi-soo hesitated for a moment, then suddenly struck my chest with her elbow.
"Ouch!"
Is she a fool? What did she take my D-rank physical body for? Although my Black Ether was nearly depleted, I still had enough to protect my body.
Bi-soo teared up and blew on her elbow.
"Shit. Is your whole body made of iron…?"
"Kekeke."
"From now on, come back quickly. The outside world isn't any different for me just because it's outside the dungeon."
"…."
Ah.
So that's how it is. For Bi-soo, who lived in the black market, there was no such thing as a 'normal outside world'. Is that why she was always so on edge?
"I'll try. Can you drive?"
"I have to. No matter how tired I am, I can't let you take the wheel."
"Showing off with your illegal license."
"You wanna walk?"
"Let's go, best driver."
Bi-soo and I met each other's eyes and snickered.
"Ah, by the way, did you find it?"
"Of course."
I took out the day's earnings from my clothes and showed it to her.
"Woah!!!!!"
Bi-soo's eyes seemed to have tripled in size. In truth, it was an item that would surprise anyone, not just Bi-soo. The Silver Eternal Flower, glowing nobly under the moonlight, felt more graceful than any jewel in the world.
"This is the best of the best. If we're lucky, it might sell for over a hundred million."
"It better. After all the trouble we went through."
Bi-soo, happy as if it were her own accomplishment, slammed on the accelerator.
Vrooooom.
Her driving skills were impeccable, but I really couldn't get used to this damn speeding. Compared to my Poison Step, the car was actually slower. Why do I get so nervous whenever I sit in the passenger seat?
Two months passed in the blink of an eye. Bi-soo knew of fifteen 'normal' Poison-type dungeons in total, and from them, I managed to secure one more Silver Eternal Flower and five Copper Eternal Flowers. Although I was dying to sell the rare herbs along the way, I couldn't just meet Yaksha whenever I wanted.
"What's so great about the guy that I have to make an appointment?"
"I told you. The fact that a first-timer to the black market got to meet Yaksha was a stroke of heavenly luck."
Well, they said the flowers wouldn't wilt as long as I didn't extract their components, so it didn't really matter. Bi-soo and I headed to the black market on the appointed day, that is, two days before the Hunter Qualification Test.
My sister must have felt awkward about the situation all this time, but she stroked Bi-soo's head with a look of pure regret.
"Come visit again anytime."
"I… will. Sister."
Her voice was thick with emotion. My sister's eyes were as friendly as ever, but Bi-soo's gaze was fixed on the ground. Tears dripped onto the ground, and my sister gave her a sympathetic smile and hugged her.
They probably wouldn't be able to meet again as easily as my sister's farewell suggested. Bi-soo was in Yaksha's grasp, and opportunities to stay in the outside world for this long were likely not common.
"Let's go."
"…Yeah."
It would be a lie to say I wasn't sad about it either. But right now, my abilities as a Hunter hadn't even properly blossomed yet. One day, when I have enough power and wealth, then….
"We're here."
Had seeing the black market settled her mind? Bi-soo's voice had turned as cold as it was when we first met. After passing the subway entrance, I saw the square I had walked through before.
A massive market that stretched out endlessly. They said everyone here paid rent to Yaksha, so I couldn't even begin to guess its scale. Belying its name as a black market, the place was filled with an everyday peace.
Still, given its name, isn't it a bit too quiet?
Whoosh.
The moment I thought that, a large object shot past between Bi-soo and me.
An object?
No, it was a person. Someone had thrown one of the merchants trading in the black market.
"Cough…!!"
The merchant who was sent flying looked quite portly. He looked like he weighed a fair bit, and someone threw him?
"Ouch!"
The man who threw the merchant pushed through between me and Bi-soo. The impact made my own shoulder throb, so it must have been a considerable shock for Bi-soo. …This bastard?
"Give me my money while I'm asking nicely. Or I'll rip off one of your limbs every minute."
Right.
This is what the black market should be like.