“Sudah waktunya.” Mata Park Chan-woo berkilat. Alasan mengapa ia tidak melakukan apa pun sejak menyelesaikan Abyss Dewa Air kini terungkap di hadapannya. “Fever Time.” Sebuah event yang terpicu ketika probabilitas kegagalan mencapai skor target turun di bawah 1%. Jika ia menyelesaikan dungeon lain tepat setelah berburu Dewa Air, event ini tidak akan muncul.
“Fever Time” juga pernah terjadi di masa lalu. Para Pencipta berasumsi bahwa Korea Selatan tidak akan mencapai 5.000 poin. Dengan berpura-pura baik hati, mereka membuka ujian dan melakukan pembantaian massal. Tak terhitung orang, tanpa memandang usia atau gender, menemui kematian yang tidak diinginkan. Semua karena “kondisi” yang diperlukan untuk memicu event tersebut.
“Belum pernah memasuki dungeon berarti mereka lemah secara mental dan fisik.” Sebanyak 20% orang yang belum pernah memasuki dungeon dipilih secara acak. Kebanyakan orang yang kuat secara fisik dan mental sudah pernah merasakan dungeon. Masalahnya terletak pada sisanya: pasien yang sulit bergerak, orang yang terlalu tua atau terlalu muda untuk bertarung, semuanya dilempar ke dalam dungeon secara acak. Hasilnya sudah jelas tanpa perlu melihatnya.
“76,1%. Tingkat persetujuannya bahkan lebih tinggi dari sebelumnya.” Satu-satunya perbedaan dari masa lalu adalah jumlah orang yang mendukung “Fever Time”. Angkanya naik hampir 10%. Apakah karena perolehan poin awal melonjak tajam? Saat laju akumulasi poin melambat, orang-orang tampak menjadi tidak sabar.
“Avatar dan Han Shin tidak bergerak. Pantas saja sulit mendapatkan poin.” Banyak Avatar tewas di Abyss Dewa Air. Karena Avatar diklasifikasikan sebagai individu terkuat saat ini, kematian dan cedera mereka meninggalkan kekosongan kepemimpinan. Itu tidak terlalu penting. Bahkan jika mereka mencoba memimpin sekarang, jumlah manusia yang akan mereka bantai nantinya akan sepuluh kali lebih besar.
“Mengejutkan bahwa Han Shin pun tidak melakukan pergerakan apa pun…” Mungkin, setelah kehilangan Dewa Air dan rencana yang telah ia susun, ia memutuskan untuk mengamati sejenak. Park Chan-woo menggelengkan kepalanya. “Tidak. Mengingat kepribadian Han Shin, tidak mungkin dia diam saja. Jika dia menyelesaikan krisis ini, dia akan menjadi penyelamat Korea Selatan yang tak terbantahkan. Pencipta yang mengontraknya… Aheta pasti telah campur tangan.”
Park Chan-woo menyeringai. Salah satu alasan ia bersembunyi kini menghilang. Han Shin dan Aheta pasti mencarinya dengan mata yang membara. Namun, jika Han Shin tidak bisa bertindak bebas, situasinya berubah. Di masa lalu pun, Han Shin skeptis tentang mencapai 5.000 poin. Ia berpura-pura menjadi penyelamat, tetapi pada akhirnya, Korea Selatan kekurangan 500 poin dan menghadapi “Invasi Abyss”. Akibatnya, lebih dari 200.000 orang tewas. Seandainya ia bertindak lebih proaktif, ia bisa memburu Dewa Air. Han Shin adalah monster. Tidak seperti dirinya yang mengandalkan celah, Han Shin akan membantai Dewa Air dengan cara konvensional.
Park Chan-woo yakin Han Shin tidak akan bertindak tegas. Berkat itu, para Pencipta menilai skor target tidak dapat dicapai dan mengusulkan “Fever Time”.
“Hadiah dungeon ganda.” Itu bukan hal yang buruk. Bahkan, bagi Park Chan-woo, itu adalah keuntungan. Proposisi konyol untuk menggandakan hadiah penyelesaian dungeon telah diajukan. Dan bukan itu saja.
“Jika aku melihat matahari, aku bisa memasuki dungeon apa pun secara instan.” Untuk menghemat waktu perjalanan, masuk ke dungeon dibuat lebih mudah. Sebelumnya, pintu masuk dungeon hanya muncul di depan struktur tertentu. Sekarang, selama matahari terlihat, seseorang bisa memasuki dungeon yang belum diselesaikan dari mana saja.
Namun, hal yang paling diantisipasi Park Chan-woo adalah kondisi ketiga. “…Aku harus menemukan Pedagang Iblis.” Pedagang Iblis! Mereka jarang muncul. Bagi mereka untuk muncul secara terbuka seperti ini hampir tidak pernah terdengar. Pedagang Iblis adalah satu-satunya entitas di Abyss yang memungkinkan “perdagangan”. Tentu saja, hanya pertukaran “nilai” yang setara yang dimungkinkan.
“Mungkin aku bisa menyembuhkan statusku.” Jika nilainya cukup, Pedagang Iblis bisa menyediakan apa saja. Ia pernah mendengar rumor seseorang mendapatkan “Buah Pohon Dunia” dari Pedagang Iblis. Harta yang tak tertandingi oleh eliksir apa pun, mampu menyembuhkan semua penyakit parah dan kutukan! Jika ia bisa mendapatkannya, menghapus kondisi “Paling Lemah, Sakit-sakitan, Lemah, Kondisi Terminal” miliknya bukan lagi sekadar fantasi.
Park Chan-woo menatap langit, memandang matahari.
『Saat ini, ada 13 dungeon yang belum diselesaikan di ‘Korea Selatan.’』
『Anda akan dipindahkan ke dungeon yang dipilih di antara 13 tersebut.』
『Anda telah memilih dungeon.』
『Memindahkan ke ‘Dungeon Api (300)!’』
『Jumlah peserta saat ini di Dungeon Api adalah 587.191.』
* * *
『Selamat! ‘Han Min-oh,’ Anda telah mengatasi probabilitas 20% dan telah terpilih!』
“A-Apa?!” Han Min-oh melihat sekeliling. Sesaat lalu, ia berada di kamarnya. Wush! Tiba-tiba, segalanya berubah. Lahan tandus yang terbakar. Beberapa pilar api yang menjulang tinggi.
“Apa itu?” Bukan, itu bukan sekadar pilar api. “Itu… tornado api!” “Lari!” Area itu dipenuhi orang-orang yang, seperti Han Min-oh, dipanggil secara tiba-tiba. Tornado yang dilalap api menyapu mereka dalam sekejap. “Aaaaah!” “Selamatkan aku!!”
Ini bukan mimpi. Ini kenyataan. Han Min-oh secara naluriah bangkit dan mulai berlari seperti orang gila. “A-Apakah ini Abyss?” Ia adalah salah satu dari 20% yang terpilih. Lusinan orang sudah mati tepat di depan matanya. Mereka tersapu angin topan atau terbakar hidup-hidup, menjerit kesakitan.
Wush! Wush! Setelah berlari beberapa saat, kadal raksasa muncul. Kadal api dengan punggung yang menyala menjentikkan lidah mereka dan menyambar orang-orang yang melarikan diri. Han Min-oh segera berbelok ke timur. “Kikik.” “Kikikikik.” Kemudian, bersama suara tawa mengejek, kerangka melayang muncul. Kerangka itu memuntahkan api dari mulut mereka, membakar orang hingga mati. Di sekelilingnya hanyalah jeritan.
“I-Ini neraka.” Han Min-oh menyadari realitas situasinya. Tempat ini adalah neraka yang kacau. Hanya tersisa satu arah, barat. “Groooar!” “Grrrk! Grrrk!” …Saat ia menuju barat, zombie muncul. Anehnya, mereka hanyalah tengkorak telanjang. Seolah-olah kerangka yang ia lihat di timur telah mengambil alih mayat dan berevolusi.
“Seragam militer? Apakah ini zombie tentara?” Sebagian besar zombie mengenakan seragam militer. Mereka pasti memasuki dungeon lebih awal dan menemui nasib tragis. Sekarang, mereka menjadi zombie dan menyerang Han Min-oh dari segala sisi. “J-Jangan mendekat! Menjauhlah!” Han Min-oh, yang jatuh ke tanah, berteriak dengan air mata dan ingus yang mengalir di wajahnya. Ia ketakutan. Ia tidak ingin mati.
“T-Tolong selamatkan aku…”
“Apakah kau ingin hidup?”
“……!” Suara dari samping mengejutkan Han Min-oh. Tanpa ia sadari, sesosok iblis yang membawa tas punggung berdiri tepat di sampingnya. Dengan kulit hitam, tanduk di dahi, dan dua sayap besar, tidak salah lagi. Itu adalah iblis.
Iblis itu memperkenalkan diri. “Aku adalah pedagang agung, Dagon. Selama harganya cocok, aku bahkan bisa membangkitkanmu dari kematian.”
Han Min-oh dengan putus asa mencengkeram kaki Dagon. “U-Uang! Aku bisa memberimu sebanyak yang kau mau! Jika aku memberi tahu ayahku, dia bisa membayar apa saja! Ayahku adalah ketua Grup Hanyeon!”
“Uang? Itu adalah hal yang paling tidak berharga di Abyss.”
“L-Lalu apa yang harus kuberikan padamu…?”
“Sebagai permulaan, sepuluh jari.”
“……Apa?”
“Kau menolak? Saat ini, satu-satunya hal yang bisa kau tawarkan adalah tubuhmu sendiri.”
“T-Tidak! Jika itu berarti aku bisa hidup, jari-jariku bukanlah apa-apa…!”
Slash! Dengan suara sesuatu yang terputus— Plop! Kesepuluh jari jatuh ke tanah dalam barisan yang rapi. “Aaaaaaah!” Han Min-oh mengerang kesakitan dan jatuh berlutut. Dagon mengambil jari-jari yang terputus itu. “Hmm, nilainya hanya 20? Jauh dari cukup.”
“A-Apa maksudmu…!”
“Tubuhmu terlalu lemah. Nilainya menyedihkan.”
“Tapi kau bilang kau akan menyelamatkanku…!”
“Aku bilang ‘sebagai permulaan’, bukan? Sepertinya aku butuh setidaknya dua lengan agar kesepakatan ini berhasil.”
Seolah terhipnotis, Han Min-oh mengangguk. “O-Oke, baiklah! Aku akan memberikan lenganku, tolong…!”
Rip! Dagon mencengkeram kedua lengan Han Min-oh dan merobeknya. “Gaaaaah!” Rasa sakitnya begitu hebat hingga mata Han Min-oh berputar ke belakang. Dagon hanya mengangkat bahu. “Maaf, tapi kedua lenganmu hanya bernilai 50. Mungkin jantungmu akan cukup.”
Itu omong kosong. Seseorang tidak bisa hidup tanpa jantung. Satu-satunya pilihan adalah mati di tangan iblis atau dicabik-cabik zombie. “Apakah sakit? Aku setidaknya bisa membunuhmu tanpa rasa sakit sebagai pembayaran atas apa yang telah kau berikan sejauh ini.”
“Ahhh…” Ini adalah rasa sakit yang belum pernah ia alami seumur hidupnya. Jika ada cara untuk melarikan diri dari penderitaan ini, ia akan melakukan apa saja. “T-Tolong, cukup…”
“Cukup?” Dagon menyeringai, memperlihatkan gigi tajamnya. “Lanjutkan. Memohonlah padaku untuk membunuhmu. Jika kau melakukannya, kesepakatan akan selesai.”
“Bunuh aku—!”
“Berhenti.”
Pada saat itu. Seseorang muncul, menyela kata-kata Han Min-oh. Seolah-olah mereka bangkit dari tanah entah dari mana. “……Hm? Dari mana kau datang? Apakah kau menggunakan sihir tembus pandang?” Bahkan Dagon memiringkan kepalanya dengan bingung. Sihir tembus pandang lengkap adalah sihir tingkat tinggi. Namun, orang ini muncul tanpa tanda apa pun.
Menatap Han Min-oh yang pingsan, Park Chan-woo berbicara kepada Dagon. “Bukankah nilainya setidaknya cukup untuk bertahan hidup?”
“Kau tiba-tiba muncul dan mengucapkan omong kosong. Apa maksudmu dengan ‘bertahan hidup’?”
“Kau bisa saja membangun dinding atau setidaknya memasang penghalang pertahanan untuk menjauhkan zombie.”
“Dengar. Nilai berubah tergantung situasi. Seseorang yang sudah hampir mati tidak punya apa-apa lagi untuk ditawarkan.”
“Hampir mati?” Growl! Dari ujung celana Park Chan-woo, seekor Anubis yang cemerlang muncul, ukurannya membesar dan mendorong zombie mundur. “Sekarang dia tidak akan mati.”
“…….” Dagon terdiam. Seperti yang ia katakan, masa depan yang ia nilai telah berubah. “Jelas… Aku pasti salah. Aku tidak menyangka seseorang sepertimu akan muncul.” Nilai kedua lengan yang ia potong dari Han Min-oh juga telah berubah. Kesepakatan itu sendiri menjadi tidak perlu.
Park Chan-woo berbicara dengan jelas. “Kesepakatan dibatalkan, jadi pasang kembali lengan dan jari yang terputus itu segera.”
“······.” Benar. Untuk membatalkan kesepakatan, lengan harus segera dipasang kembali. Dan untuk memasang kembali lengan dan jari yang terputus sepenuhnya, setidaknya diperlukan eliksir kelas tinggi. Namun, itu tidak masuk akal secara finansial. Aturannya adalah hanya kesepakatan bernilai setara yang bisa dibuat. Aturan mutlak itu adalah sesuatu yang bahkan Dagon tidak bisa hindari.
‘Untuk meningkatkan peringkat pedagangku, aku perlu menyelesaikan sebanyak mungkin kesepakatan.’ Bahkan pedagang iblis memiliki peringkat. Dan saat ini, peringkat Dagon adalah ‘Kuno’. Itu adalah peringkat yang cukup tinggi, tetapi masih kurang untuk disebut sebagai ‘Pedagang Agung’. Itulah sebabnya ia mati-matian mencoba berbisnis dengan manusia.
‘Masalahnya, jika aku mendapatkan eliksir kelas tinggi, peringkatku mungkin turun.’ Secara alami, untuk menutupi kesalahannya dan mendapatkan eliksir kelas tinggi, Dagon harus membayar nilai yang setara sendiri. Nilai seorang pedagang didasarkan semata-mata pada peringkat mereka. Itulah sebabnya wajah Dagon terdistorsi.
Di sisi lain, Park Chan-woo berbicara dengan nada datar. “Kenapa kau hanya berdiri di sana?”
“······.”
“Jika pria ini mati, status pedagangmu akan dicabut.”
“······!” Untuk pertama kalinya, pupil mata Dagon melebar. Tampaknya pria di depannya mengetahui aturan dunia pedagang. “Kau… Apa kau ini? Bagaimana manusia bisa tahu aturan pedagang?” Suaranya dipenuhi kemarahan.
Park Chan-woo tersenyum tipis. ‘Tepat seperti dugaanku.’ Dagon dan semua pedagang iblis lainnya mati-matian berkeliaran di dungeon. Mereka mencoba mengekstraksi ‘nilai’ sebanyak mungkin dari manusia. Jika mereka naik ke peringkat ‘Pedagang Agung’, mereka bisa berdiri sejajar dengan Penguasa Abyss. Namun, keserakahan yang berlebihan sering membawa masalah.
“Apakah kau penasaran bagaimana aku tahu aturanmu? Informasi ini cukup mahal. Kau mungkin tidak memiliki ‘nilai’ untuk membayarnya.” Ia menyarankan kesepakatan balasan, mengejek Dagon. Dagon menatapnya dalam diam. Rasanya seperti menghadapi iblis lain.
‘Dia pasti membeli informasi ini dari pedagang iblis lain.’ Dagon yakin. Ia pasti bertanya pada pedagang iblis lain tentang aturan pedagang. Informasi dasar bisa ditukar dengan nilai item kelas unik. Ia mungkin menggunakan itu untuk memeras Dagon.
‘Dia tahu aturan melalui kesepakatan dan berniat mengekstraksi nilai dariku untuk menutupi situasi ini.’ Dagon mencibir dalam hati dan berkata, “Baik, aku akan membayar nilainya sebagai ganti informasi tersebut. Sekarang, katakan padaku. Dari siapa kau mendengar aturan pedagang?”
Ia menerima kesepakatan balasan itu. Fakta bahwa Dagon bersedia melakukan kesepakatan menunjukkan bahwa manusia ini mengesankan. Jika ia bisa melucuti nilai manusia ini dan membeli ‘eliksir kelas tinggi’, Dagon bisa menutupi kesalahannya. Itulah rencananya.
‘Bodoh. Apakah dia tidak tahu tentang klausul kerahasiaan?’ Informasi semacam itu biasanya memiliki klausul kerahasiaan. Sebagian besar kontrak ditulis dalam ‘Bahasa Iblis’, jadi kecuali manusia bisa menggunakan sihir terjemahan, mereka tidak akan mengerti. Namun, apa yang tertulis dalam kontrak sudah jelas. ‘Jika dia mengungkapkan nama pedagang iblis yang memberinya informasi, dia harus membayar sepuluh kali lipat nilai sebagai penalti.’ Itulah klausul standarnya. Dagon berencana menggunakan itu untuk melawannya.
Namun, Park Chan-woo menyeringai dan berkata, “Sephiro.”
…Sephiro? Dagon memiringkan kepalanya. Tidak ada pedagang iblis dengan nama itu. Tapi terdengar familier. ‘Mungkinkah?’ …Sesaat, entitas tertentu terlintas di benak Dagon. Tapi tidak mungkin. Tidak mungkin manusia tahu nama itu.
『Penilaian nilai informasi dimulai.』
『Informasi diverifikasi sebagai kebenaran.』
『Kesepakatan selesai.』
『Perkiraan nilai informasi setidaknya ‘20.000.000’.』
『‘Dagon’ harus membayar sesuai nilai tersebut.』
Chapter 32. The Demon Merchant ‘It’s here.’ Park Chan-woo’s eyes gleamed. The reason he had remained inactive since clearing the Abyss of the Water God was now unfolding before him. ‘Fever Time.’ An event triggered when the probability of failing to achieve the target score drops below 1%. If he had cleared another dungeon right after hunting the Water God, this event would not have appeared. And ‘Fever Time’ had occurred in the past as well. The creators similarly assumed that South Korea would not reach 5,000 points. Pretending to be benevolent, they opened a trial and committed mass slaughter. Countless people, regardless of age or gender, met undesired deaths. All because of the ‘condition’ required to trigger the event. ‘Not having entered a dungeon until now means they are mentally and physically weak.’ A random 20% of people who had never entered a dungeon were selected. Most physically and mentally strong individuals had already experienced dungeons. Many others had entered out of curiosity. The problem lay with the rest. Patients who had difficulty moving. Those too young or too old to fight, all of them were thrown into a dungeon at random. The outcome was obvious without even needing to see it. ‘76.1%. The approval rate is even higher than before.’ The only difference from the past was the number of people in favor of ‘Fever Time.’ It had risen by nearly 10%. Was it because the early point gains had spiked sharply? As the rate of point accumulation slowed, people seemed to grow impatient. Opinions must have rapidly diverged on social media and online communities. ‘The Avatars and Han Shin aren’t moving. No wonder it's hard to gain points.’ The reason was clear. Many Avatars had perished in the Abyss of the Water God. Since Avatars were classified as the strongest individuals at present, their deaths and injuries left a leadership vacuum. It didn’t matter much. Even if those guys tried their best to lead and save people now, the number of humans they would later slaughter would be ten times greater. ‘It’s surprising that even Han Shin isn’t making any moves…’ It was unexpected for that attention-seeker to stay quiet. Perhaps, after losing the Water God and his arranged setup, he had decided to observe for a while. Park Chan-woo soon shook his head. ‘No. Given Han Shin’s personality, there’s no way he would stay still in this situation. If he solves this crisis, he will become South Korea’s undisputed savior. The creator he contracted with… Aheta must have intervened.’ Or it could be Aheta’s own will. Aheta must have bet that South Korea wouldn’t be able to reach 5,000 points. But since the most difficult Abyss of the Water God had been cleared, she had already lost 1,000 points. If Han Shin made a move now, the target score would be achieved too easily. ‘Aheta must have placed quite a few coins on this.’ Park Chan-woo smirked slightly. One of the reasons he had been lying low had now disappeared. Han Shin and Aheta must have been searching for him with burning eyes. But if Han Shin was unable to act freely, the situation changed. After all, even in the past, Han Shin had been skeptical about achieving 5,000 points. He pretended to be a savior, but in the end, South Korea fell short by 500 points and faced the ‘Abyssal Invasion.’ As a result, over 200,000 people died. Had he acted more proactively, he could have hunted the Water God. As much as he hated to admit it, Han Shin was a monster. Unlike him, who relied on loopholes, Han Shin would have slain the Water God using conventional means. In any case, Park Chan-woo was now certain that Han Shin wouldn’t act decisively. Thanks to that, the creators judged the target score to be unattainable and proposed ‘Fever Time.’ ‘Double dungeon rewards.’ It wasn’t entirely bad. In fact, for Park Chan-woo, it was an advantage. A ridiculous proposition of doubling dungeon clear rewards had been put forth. And that wasn’t all. ‘If I look at the sun, I can enter any dungeon instantly.’ To save travel time, dungeon entry was made more convenient. Previously, dungeon entrances only appeared before specific structures. You had to be near an entrance to enter, but now, as long as the sun was visible, you could enter any uncleared dungeon from anywhere. However, the thing Park Chan-woo anticipated most was the third condition. ‘…I must find the Demon Merchant.’ The Demon Merchant! They rarely appeared. For them to show up so openly like this was nearly unheard of. Demon Merchants were the only entities in the Abyss that enabled ‘trade.’ Of course, even in trades, only exchanges of equal ‘value’ were possible. ‘Perhaps I can cure my status ailments.’ If the value was sufficient, a Demon Merchant could provide anything. He had even heard rumors of someone acquiring the ‘Fruit of the World Tree’ from a Demon Merchant. A treasure beyond comparison with any elixir, capable of curing all severe ailments and curses! If he could obtain it, then erasing his ‘Weakest, Sickly, Frail, Terminally Ill’ condition would no longer be a mere fantasy. Park Chan-woo gazed up at the sky, looking at the sun. 『Currently, there are 13 uncleared dungeons in ‘South Korea.’』 『You will be transported to the selected dungeon among the 13.』 『You have chosen a dungeon.』 『Transporting to ‘Fire Dungeon (300)!’』 『The number of current entrants in the Fire Dungeon is 587,191.』 * * * 『Congratulations! ‘Han Min-oh,’ you have overcome a 20% probability and have been selected!』 ‘W-What?!’ Han Min-oh looked around. Just moments ago, he had been in his room. Whoosh! Suddenly, everything before his eyes changed. A burning wasteland. Several towering pillars of fire. ‘What is that?’ No, they weren’t just pillars of fire. “It’s… a tornado of flames!” “Run!” The area was filled with people who, like Han Min-oh, had been abruptly summoned. The fire-engulfed tornado swept over them in an instant. "Aaaaah!" "Save me!!" No matter how much he thought about it, this wasn't a dream. It was reality. Han Min-oh instinctively got up from his spot. And then, he started running like mad. "C-Could this be the Abyss?" The random 20% who had never entered a dungeon before. And he was one of the ones chosen. Dozens of people had already died before his eyes the moment it started. They were swept away by a typhoon or burned alive, screaming in agony. Whoosh! Whoooosh! After running for a while, giant lizards appeared. Flame lizards with blazing backs flicked their tongues and snatched up the fleeing people. Han Min-oh immediately changed direction and ran east. "Kikik." "Kikikikik." Then, along with sounds that seemed like mocking laughter, floating skeletons appeared. The skeletons spewed flames from their mouths, burning people to death. All around him were nothing but screams. "Th-This is hell." Only then did Han Min-oh realize the reality of his situation. This place was a chaotic hell. There was only one direction left, west. "Groooar!" "Grrrk! Grrrk!" …As he headed west, zombies appeared. The odd thing was that they were little more than bare skulls. It was as if the skeletons he had seen in the east had taken over corpses and evolved. "Military uniforms? Are these soldier zombies or what?" Most of the zombies were wearing military uniforms. They must have entered the dungeon earlier and met a tragic fate. Now, they had become zombies and were attacking Han Min-oh from all sides. "D-Don't come closer! Stay away!" Han Min-oh, collapsed on the ground, screamed with tears and snot streaming down his face. He was terrified. He didn't want to die. Never in his life had he felt such fear. "P-Please save me..." "Do you want to live?" "…!" A voice from beside him startled Han Min-oh, and he turned his head in shock. Before he knew it, a demon carrying a backpack was standing right next to him. With black skin, horns sprouting from its forehead, and two large wings, there was no mistaking it. It was a demon. The demon introduced itself. "I am the great merchant, Dagon. As long as the price is right, I can even bring you back from death." The merchant, who called himself Dagon, smiled. Han Min-oh desperately grabbed Dagon’s feet. "M-Money! I can give you as much as you want! If I tell my father, he can pay anything! My father is the chairman of Hanyeon Group!" "Money? That is the most worthless thing in the Abyss." "T-Then what should I give you…?" "For starters, ten fingers." "…What?" "Do you refuse? Right now, the only thing you have to offer is your own body." "N-No! If it means I can live, my fingers are nothing…!" Slash! With the sound of something being severed— Plop! All ten fingers fell to the ground in a neat row. "Aaaaaaah!" Han Min-oh groaned in agony and fell to his knees. Dagon picked up the severed fingers. "Hmm, their value is only 20? Nowhere near enough." "W-What do you mean…!" "Your body is too weak. Its value is pathetic." "But you said you'd save me…!" "I said 'for starters,' didn't I? Looks like I'll need at least two arms for this deal to go through." It was like he was hypnotized. Without realizing it, Han Min-oh nodded. "O-Okay, fine! I'll give you my arms, just please…!" Rip! It was an unreal sight. Dagon grabbed both of Han Min-oh’s arms and tore them off. "Gaaaaah!" The pain was so intense that Han Min-oh's eyes rolled back. Dagon, however, just shrugged. "Sorry, but even your two arms are only worth 50. Maybe your heart will do." It was nonsense. Absolute bullshit. A person couldn't live without a heart. Even if he gave it up, the only thing waiting for him was death. The only choice was whether to die at the hands of a demon or be torn apart by zombies. "Does it hurt? I could at least kill you painlessly as payment for what you've given me so far." "Ahhh…" It hurt. This was pain unlike anything he had ever experienced in his life. If there was any way to escape this agony, he would do anything. Getting eaten by zombies seemed a hundred times worse. "P-Please, just…" "Just?" Dagon grinned, revealing his sharp teeth. "Go on. Beg me to kill you." "If you do, the deal will be complete." "Kill me—!" "Stop." At that moment. Someone appeared, interrupting Han Min-oh’s words. It was as if they had risen from the ground out of nowhere. "…Hm? Where did you come from? Did you use invisibility magic?" Even Dagon tilted his head in confusion. Complete invisibility was a high-level magic. But invisibility magic didn’t erase presence completely. Yet this person had appeared without any sign at all. Looking down at the unconscious Han Min-oh, Park Chan-woo spoke to Dagon. "Isn't his value at least enough to survive?" "You suddenly appear and spout nonsense. What do you mean by ‘survive’?" "You could have built a wall or at least set up a defensive barrier to keep the zombies away." "Listen. Value changes depending on the situation. A man who’s already as good as dead has nothing left to offer." "As good as dead?" Growl! From the hem of Park Chan-woo’s pants, a brilliant Anubis appeared, immediately growing in size and pushing the zombies back. "Now he's not going to die." "……." Dagon was at a loss for words. As he said, the future he had judged had changed. And the fact that the future had changed meant, in other words… “Clearly… I must have been mistaken. I didn’t expect someone like you to show up.” The value of the two arms he had severed from Han Min-oh had also changed. The deal itself had become unnecessary. Park Chan-woo spoke clearly. “The deal is nullified, so attach the severed arms and fingers immediately.” “······.” Right. To nullify the deal, the arms had to be reattached right away. And to reattach the fully severed arms and fingers, at least a high-grade elixir would be needed. However, it didn’t make sense financially. The rule was that only equal-value deals could be made. That absolute rule was something even Dagon couldn’t escape. ‘To increase my merchant rank, I need to complete as many deals as possible.’ Even demon merchants had ranks. And right now, Dagon’s rank was ‘Ancient’. Among the demon merchants here, it was a fairly high rank, but it was still lacking to be called a ‘Great Merchant’. That’s why he was desperately trying to make deals with humans. The merchant rank could rise based on the ‘value’ of the deals made. ‘The problem is, if I get a high-grade elixir, my rank might drop.’ Naturally, to smooth over his mistake and obtain a high-grade elixir, Dagon would have to pay an equal value himself. A merchant's value was based solely on their rank. Moreover, high-grade elixirs were rare and hard to obtain. That was why Dagon’s face was twisted. On the other hand, Park Chan-woo spoke in a flat tone. “Why are you just standing there?” “······.” “If this man dies, your merchant status will be revoked.” “······!” For the first time, Dagon’s pupils widened. It seemed that the man in front of him knew the rules of the merchant’s world. “You… What are you? How does a human know the rules of a merchant?” His voice was almost filled with anger. Park Chan-woo smiled slightly. ‘Just as I expected.’ Dagon and all the other demon merchants were desperately wandering through the dungeon. They were trying to extract as much ‘value’ from humans as possible. Forcing deals to satisfy their own interests. If they rose to the rank of 'Great Merchant,' they could stand on equal footing with the Lords of the Abyss. However, excessive greed often brought trouble. Dagon’s situation was exactly that. “Are you curious about how I know your rules? This information is quite expensive, though. You may not have the ‘value’ to pay for it.” He suggested a counter-deal, taunting Dagon. The question was whether Dagon could afford the ‘value’ of the information. He was skillful. Dealing with demons was second nature to him. Dagon, however, kept glaring at him silently. It felt like he was facing another demon. ‘He must have bought this information from another demon merchant.’ Dagon was certain. He must have asked another demon merchant about the merchant's rules. Basic information could be exchanged for the value of a unique-grade item. He must have used that to blackmail Dagon. He had probably been lurking, waiting for Dagon to make a mistake. ‘He knows the rules through a deal and intends to extract value from me to smooth over this situation.’ It seemed that the human was using the advantage of knowing the rules to try to get something from Dagon. How despicable. but, Dagon sneered inwardly and said, “Fine, I’ll pay the value in exchange for the information. Now, tell me. Who did you hear the merchant’s rules from?” He accepted the counter-deal. The fact that Dagon was willing to make the deal showed that this human was impressive. To surprise him to this extent meant the human had significant value. If he could strip this human of his value and buy the ‘high-grade elixir’, Dagon could smooth over his mistake. That was the plan. ‘What a fool. Does he not know about the non-disclosure clause?’ Such information usually had a non-disclosure clause attached. Most contracts were written in 'Demon Language', so unless the human could use translation magic, they wouldn’t understand. However, what was written in the contract was clear. ‘If he reveals the name of the demon merchant who gave him the information, he will have to pay ten times the value as a penalty.’ That was the standard clause. Dagon planned to use that against him. He would say that he would keep the secret or erase the relevant memories, but in return, Dagon would take half of the penalty. ‘The moment you reveal the name of the merchant, you’re finished.’ Having accepted the deal, it was over. The human might think he was threatening Dagon, but it was futile. The human had fallen into his own trap. Of course, the more significant the demon merchant who shared the information, the higher the value Dagon would have to pay. But Dagon was convinced that the information came from another demon merchant. Then, it happened. A grin spread across Park Chan-woo’s face as he spoke, “Sephiro.” …Sephiro? Dagon tilted his head. There was no demon merchant by that name. But it sounded familiar. It was certainly a rare name. ‘Could it be?’ …For a moment, a certain entity flashed through Dagon’s mind. But there was no way. There was no way a human would know that name. Even if it were true, there was no reason for such a being to have told a human about the merchant’s rules. 『The value assessment of the information begins.』 『The information is verified as truthful.』 『The deal is completed.』 『The estimated value of the information is at least ‘20,000,000’.』 『‘Dagon’ should pay as the said value.』
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