Escape from the Goshiwon — Part 3
I didn’t need a big, fancy weapon. Something suitable for dealing with Level 0 or Level 1 threats would be enough.
It would be even better if I could get some armor too.
‘In the end, it all comes down to money.’
No matter what, I needed money.
Unless I wanted to spend the cash I’d stashed in the safe, I’d have to sell the mana core.
Conveniently, there was a gun shop near the exchange I had already scoped out.
As I walked, guided by the map, I found myself on a familiar street.
The street where the labor office was located.
I guess it made sense that similar businesses would be clustered together.
There were several labor offices here, not just Choi’s Labor Office. In addition, there were shops like the exchange, gun stores, and magic shops.
The exchange I was headed for specialized in buying and selling materials from contaminated creatures, monsters, and magical beasts.
Creak.
I entered a reasonably-sized shop, where a white-haired man greeted me with a friendly smile.
“Welcome! How can I help you today?”
“I’m here to sell something.”
“Hm…”
As soon as I said “sell,” the owner’s eyes changed.
Like the others, he scanned me from head to toe, his expression turning wary.
“Just so you know, we don’t buy Level 0 mana cores. They’re useless to us. Honestly, I’d rather buy a used smartphone or a portable battery that’s been chewed up by a contaminated creature.”
“I understand.”
Level 0 mana cores were trash, and even Level 1 cores didn’t fetch a great price.
Instead of explaining further, I opened my bag.
A faint rainbow-colored glow began to seep out.
Even though I had wrapped the core tightly in black plastic, the light still shone through.
“Oh-ho!”
The shop owner let out a quiet gasp.
“If it’s glowing like this… could it be a Level 2?”
“Yes. Please, take a look for yourself.”
I handed the plastic-wrapped mana core to the owner, who accepted it carefully. He put on latex gloves and unwrapped the core.
Whirr!
The mana core immediately let out a low hum, asserting its presence.
The shop owner’s eyes spun in their sockets.
“Haha! A real Level 2 mana core. Just a moment, I’ll measure its energy.”
Next to the owner was a digital scale, which he placed the mana core on. The device began to hum and glow as it analyzed the core.
Zap! Zap!
The core emitted strong mana waves, and the temperature gauge on the side of the scale began to rise steadily.
The blue light of the gauge flickered twice before it stabilized at a deep, rich blue.
Finally, the screen on the magic scale displayed the result: 2.07 Lv.
The mana core gently descended back onto the scale as the process concluded.
The shop owner carefully placed the core in a small glass case and sighed.
“2.07 Level. Perfect. Not too little, not too much. A precisely ideal Level 2 mana core.”
“Right?”
“So, you’re selling this?”
“Yes. What’s the going rate?”
The shop owner’s eyes twitched, rolling around like a rat’s.
I stared straight at him.
I knew the price of mana cores. I had sold plenty of them in Arcane Seoul. Sure, I didn’t know the housing market or insurance rates in this world, but I wasn’t about to get cheated on the price of cores, weapons, or armor.
“Hmm…”
Had he realized I wasn’t a pushover? Or was he just testing the waters?
He suddenly asked an unexpected question.
“This mana core, may I ask how you came by it? I run a legal business, so I can’t handle stolen goods, you see.”
I had anticipated this question.
I gave him the answer I had prepared.
“My employer sent me to sell it.”
“Your employer?”
“Yes. You didn’t think I hunted it myself, did you?”
“Well, of course not. It’s a Level 2 core, after all… and you don’t seem to have brought any other materials.”
“Exactly.”
“I see. So, is this all you’re selling? It would be nice if you could bring more, or perhaps do business regularly.”
“There will be more. I can’t promise, but one or two cores a week should be doable. The number might increase in the future.”
“Oh… I see.”
The shop owner finally gave me a small smile.
A regular supply.
At least it wasn’t a one-off sale of stolen goods.
It was strange for someone to send just one Level 2 core when higher-level monster hunters usually dealt in larger quantities. But the world is full of strange circumstances, and everyone has their reasons.
Though he still looked a little suspicious, he seemed to accept my explanation.
“Let me show you the current prices for mana cores.”
He tapped one side of the desk.
Whirr!
A transparent monitor popped up, stopping right in front of my face. It looked like a floating web browser.
— [Level 0 Mana Core: 103 won]
— [Level 1 Mana Core: 155,339 won]
— [Level 2 Mana Core: 5,176,983 won]
— [Level 3 Mana Core: …]
A single Level 1 mana core could power a city bus for a year.
Level 2 cores were used in tanks and self-propelled artillery, and occasionally in high-end luxury supercars.
While they couldn’t be used in flying cars, they were more than sufficient for ground vehicles.
The shop owner typed a few numbers into the keypad.
“Since you’re selling it, I’ll take an 8% commission, not the usual 10%. That leaves you with 4,762,824 won. But let’s make it a round 4.77 million.”
“Haha, thank you.”
“Would you like that in a bank transfer or cash?”
The shop owner asked the question with a knowing look in his eye.
I responded with a sly grin of my own.
“Cash is always better.”
“Haha. Got it. Just a moment.”
The owner stepped back, walking toward a hidden wall. He pulled on it, revealing a safe.
Even as he turned away, his eyes remained on me, and a pistol grip popped out from a compartment below the safe.
I let out a dry laugh and asked, “Had some rough experiences, huh?”
“This area’s like that. Though, it’s better here in Sillim-dong. Things get much worse in Geumcheon-gu. The gangs there have given up and just sell drugs all day.”
The safe opened, automatically counting and dispensing stacks of bills.
Only bills featuring King Sejong’s face.
The owner counted the money himself, binding it into bundles of a million won each, before placing it all in a paper envelope.
“Please check it. It’s exactly 4.77 million won.”
“Thank you. It was a good deal.”
“It was a pleasure doing business with you. If you come back, I’ll lower my commission even more.”
“Haha. I’ll be sure to return.”
I left the shop and headed straight to the gun store.
The morning had been cloudy, and now a light drizzle was falling.
Soaked by the rain, I stepped into the gun shop, where a burly middle-aged woman was lazily puffing on a cigarette.
She blinked at me.
“Don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
“What, is it illegal to buy a gun on your first visit?”
“I’m just saying you don’t look like you’re from the Iron Fist Gang.”
“The Iron Fist Gang? No, I’m not with them.”
“Heh. So you’re not here through a referral?”
“Nope. Just found the place myself.”
“Heh, turns out you’re just a good citizen, huh? Well, take a look around. If we don’t have what you need, I can find it for you—for a little extra.”
She blew a puff of smoke directly in my face.
Hey, what the hell?
I was about to snap at her, but my body froze when the smoke hit me.
My mind went dizzy, and the tip of my tongue began to tingle.
This… this was drugs!
And not just any drug—this was powerful enough to knock someone out with one inhale!
Seeing my reaction, the woman smirked.
“You get the picture, right? If you’re just looking for legal stuff, you don’t need to buy from me. There’s another gun shop down the street. But if you’re after something stronger, you’re in the right place.”
I silently looked around the shop.
The walls were lined with all kinds of weapons—guns, swords, crossbows, bulletproof vests, camouflage gear, batons, tasers, sprays, and more.
In this version of South Korea, firearms were legal.
But there were limitations.
Civilians could only own pistols, single-shot shotguns, and air rifles.
Even then, they couldn’t be carried openly. They had to be kept in a bag or case.
As a result, most of the weapons on the wall were handguns.
“No assault rifles?”
“Of course we have those!”
The woman touched the wall behind her, and the entire wall rotated, revealing a new set of guns.
Assault rifles resembling the M16, K2, AK37, G36, and P90 from my original world.
The woman lovingly stroked the rifles.
“The king of guns is the assault rifle. With one of these, you can send a Level 2 superhuman straight to the afterlife.”
“And a Level 3?”
“A Level 3? Those are true superhumans. Don’t even think about fighting one. If you ever face a Level 3, your best bet is to drop to your knees and beg for mercy. Or…”
The woman grinned and tapped a spot on the floor.
A hidden compartment shot up from the floor, opening automatically to reveal its contents.
Grenades, flashbangs, tear gas, and containment grenades.
I was stunned by the sheer number of them.
With this, you could start a war.
“You should take a few of these. When they’re off guard, just toss a containment grenade—bang! Then a flashbang—bang! Throw in a grenade—bang! What are they gonna do after that? I’ve even taken down a couple of superhumans with these.”
“Superhumans? Taken out by grenades?”
“It’s all psychological warfare. Life’s not a game. Superhuman or not, a bullet to the head is all it takes.”
She repeatedly drew her thumb across her throat, grinning like an experienced gamer excited to show off to a noob.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
But there was a problem.
As I looked at the automatic rifles on the wall and the grenades in the compartment, I began to think.
‘Could I even use those properly?’
Sure, I’d served in the military.
A proud veteran of the Korean Army, discharged as a sergeant.
But I wasn’t exactly a sharpshooter. I was average at best.
Warrior Kim wasn’t much different. He was a warrior-type superhuman, not a marksman. The traits related to shooting belonged to the Enforcer class, one of the four major superhuman classes.
It would be an investment, but not a worthwhile one in the long run.
“Sigh.”
I let out a short sigh, and the woman raised an eyebrow.
“What’s wrong? No money? If that’s the case, a submachine gun will do. You can hide it under your coat and spray it in an emergency.”
She pointed to a submachine gun that looked exactly like the Uzi from my original world.
I was tempted for a moment but shook my head.
It wasn’t practical.
A small submachine gun might be useful in a surprise attack up close, but in a real firefight? Not a chance.
“So, what are you going to do?”
The woman grumbled as I stood there, thinking.
What did I really need?
More than anything, I needed equipment for dealing with people.
In this world, people were a hundred times scarier than monsters or contaminated creatures.
“I’ll take that one.”
“Huh? That one?”
“Yes. That’s the one I like the most.”
“Good choice! Nothing beats domestic-made products! Who needs Russian, American, or German guns? You made the right call!”
The woman’s grin widened like a wolf’s.
The gun I chose looked exactly like the K2 from my original world.
I’d never fired anything else, so this was my best bet.
“How much?”
“Since it’s domestic, it’s cheap! Three million won.”
“What? Three million?”
Three million won for a single rifle?
The woman scoffed.
“If you don’t like it, you can always go for a shotgun or air rifle. Those are cheaper—about a million for a shotgun and fifty thousand for a pistol.”
“There’s that much of a difference?”
“It’s a risk fee. You know what I mean? If you don’t like it, come back with a superhuman license. Selling to superhumans is legal.”
She was charging more because it was illegal.
But still, nothing beats a rifle for dealing with people.
After some hesitation, I reluctantly handed over a fat stack of blue bills.
The woman kissed the bills and tossed them into the safe.
“Need bullets?”
“Hah, no freebies?”
“You must be joking.”
“Sigh…”
I really did get cleaned out.
The 4.77 million won I earned from selling the mana core was all gone.
Then again, I didn’t just buy bullets. I also picked up two flashbangs, a legal pistol with multiple magazines, a bulletproof vest, and an extra-large baton.
The woman beamed at me.
“Off on a hunt?”
“Something like that.”
“Haha, thanks for your business. I thought you were just another broke customer, but you turned out to be a goldmine. Here, take this as a freebie. It’s cheap, but it’s better than that bag of yours.”
She handed me a long golf bag as a service.
Sure enough, my old bag wouldn’t fit the rifle. Plus, the individual compartments in the golf bag would prevent any awkward situations where the rifle was visible as soon as I opened it.
“Haha, come back anytime.”
The woman saw me off with a warm smile.
Maybe it was because my pockets were completely empty, but my legs felt wobbly.
Dusk had already fallen.
As I stared at the red sunset, I wondered to myself.
‘Did I make the right choice?’
Maybe I should’ve just bought a handgun and a stab-proof vest and called it a day.
How often would I even get into a gunfight?
Even in a country where guns were legal, most people used knives, not guns.
That’s what I was thinking as I walked.
“Hello?”
Someone blocked my path.
It wasn’t just one person.
There were at least four.
All of them were wearing thick coats and motorcycle helmets.
I couldn’t see their faces, but I instantly recognized the person standing in front.
His legs were oddly bent, not like a human’s but more like those of an herbivore.
I had seen those legs all day yesterday.
And I’d seen them many times before in Arcane Seoul.
“…Roe Deer?”
Without a word, Roe Deer gave a small chuckle and slid his right hand into his coat.
In that moment, alarm bells went off in my head.
–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt