Chapter 15

#7. Black Merchant

The down gems were worth twice their estimated value. Kim Jin-Woo had expected them to be worth 300 to 400 million won in total, but each down gem had been appraised at 90 million. In addition, he could sell three down gems at 100 million each due to the lack of supply. He was hesitant to sell them at first, but eventually decided to proceed with the transaction.

Fortunately, Mr. Baek didn’t question the source of the down gems, as he was already aware of Kim Jin-Woo’s level.

All in all, Kim Jin-Woo enjoyed a 300 million won profit.

With the cash, he first purchased a house in the countryside to travel to and from the Naga's Labyrinth without locking his door every time. The last thing he wanted was his family unlocking his door and discovering the portal while he was gone. Therefore, Kim Jin-Woo had to leave the house despite his parents’ dissent.

***

“Cough.”

Kim Jin-Woo had chosen the house for its privacy and security, rather than its comfort. As a result, it wasn’t in the best condition. There was a thick layer of dust everywhere, and he recalled that the previous owner had used the house for storage. 

Kim Jin-Woo had a hard time clearing the dust before unpacking his things. Eventually, he gave up and tossed the cleaning equipment aside. He opened the portal. 

<Master.> Dominique welcomed him as usual. She noticed that the scenery beyond the portal had changed, and gave Kim Jin-Woo a curious look.

“I moved out of my parents’ house,” Kim Jin-Woo briefly explained to Dominique.

Dominique pretended to roll up her nonexistent sleeves. <Oh, you should have called me earlier.> She asked Kim Jin-Woo for his permission, then brought a few naga workers out of the portal.

Kim Jin-Woo was hardly surprised. He’d learned from his previous experience in the Underworld that the nagas could go through the portal without any restrictions.

Still, the quality of their work shocked him. Dominique and the naga workers finished the housecleaning in just thirty minutes, when he couldn’t even finish it in two hours. They even rearranged the table and the bed.

<This place is a little shabby for you, master. But it’s good for going to and from the labyrinth.> Dominique had let down her hair while cleaning, so she tied it back again after. She chuckled in hopes of receiving praise. She looked strangely elegant.

Kim Jin-Woo smiled and thanked Dominique for the hard work. She smiled as her body twisted in embarrassment. Then, she remembered to update Kim Jin-Woo. <Master, the labyrinth’s upgrade will be complete soon.>

Kim Jin-Woo had invested three out of the nine down gems in his possession into upgrading his labyrinth. He had learned the usefulness of the nagas and the portal in the previous battle. In truth, money spent on the labyrinth was never wasted.

“Ah, there’s still about four more hours left,” he said as he checked the remaining time in his status window.

Dominique looked excited about the change. Unlike Kim Jin-Woo, who could travel between the Underworld and the surface freely, she was stuck in the labyrinth most of the time.

Kim JIn-Woo also had high hopes for the upgrade.  Even the naga warriors from a Level 3 labyrinth were strong enough to defeat the hell spiders. He couldn’t even imagine how powerful the Summons from a Level 4 labyrinth would be. “That aside, where’s the guy I mentioned?” he asked.

Dominique immediately understood his question. <Ah, I sent that naga warrior on a hunt. I’ll get it to find you once it returns.>

“It’s nothing urgent.” Kim Jin-Woo had been eyeing the naga warrior who had displayed remarkable courage in the battle against the hell spiders. It was easily discernible, as it was a head taller than the rest. It seemed that every summoned unit was unique.

<You seem to have taken a liking to that naga warrior.>

“Of course. It’s strong.”

Strength was the most important quality in the Underworld. In that harsh environment devoid of morality, only the strongest could survive.

<If you want your naga warriors to become stronger, you have to take better care of them. Spending one to two hours in the labyrinth every day can hardly help them grow.> 

“Argh, okay. I promise to put in more effort. That’s why I left the house in the first place.” Kim Jin-Woo accepted Dominique’s bitter advice. “Wait, are you saying the nagas can become stronger?”

<Their power increases with battle experience. One may even become a hero-grade naga if the stars align.>

It seemed there was more to the nagas than just summoning them. 

<It will be more efficient if you personally train the warriors and soldiers, at least until the labyrinth becomes larger.>

Kim Jin-Woo agreed, saying, “Well then, let’s devise a plan as soon as the upgrade is complete.”

He was one step closer to his goal to expand the labyrinth and strengthen the nagas.  It was a pity that many naga soldiers had lost their lives in the battle. They could have also evolved like the naga warriors.

However, Dominique shook her head. <That naga warrior is special. A soldier will always be a soldier, the same way I’m only a Naga Maid despite my heroine status.>

Kim Jin-Woo nodded at Dominique. He knew she didn’t actually have such a pessimistic view of her own situation. Dominique was heaven-sent. Without her, he would still be panicking without knowing what to do.

Dominique blushed when Kim Jin-Woo gave her a look of gratitude. The lower half of her body was that of a snake, but she was a rare beauty otherwise. This put a smile on Kim Jin-Woo’s face.

Embarrassed, Dominique quickly excused herself from the master room. However, she returned soon after. <Master. You should come to the gate for a moment.>

Kim Jin-Woo was puzzled.

<The naga warriors have brought in a guest.>

“A guest?” Kim Jin-Woo gave her a confused look. How could anyone visit him in this secret labyrinth?

<A black merchant is here.>

*** 

The merchant had a large head and red skin. His hands and feet were as small as a baby’s. He resembled an imp, except for his crafty face under the hood.

“Nice to meet you, new labyrinth master.” The black merchant’s voice was deep and low, despite his childish appearance. His greeting was overly formal to the point of being amusing, but Kim Jin-Woo didn’t laugh.

Kim Jin-Woo’s expression stiffened instead, and he asked, “How did you know about this labyrinth?” 

Dominique had already told Kim Jin-Woo that rumors of the Naga's Labyrinth had already been disseminated through the Underworld.

Initially, he couldn’t comprehend how the rumors could spread when there were no survivors of the battle, but he finally understood when the black merchant turned up on his labyrinth’s doorstep.

“Everyone in the Underworld knows of the brave nagas and their even braver master who defeated the hell spiders,” the merchant said.

<He’s lying. The black merchants are always looking out for big and small events in the Underworld. This man was probably lucky enough to acquire your information first.>

Kim Jin-Woo was taken aback by Dominique’s advice, but he pretended to remain composed. After all, Dominique communicated mainly via telepathy. There was no way for the black merchant to hear her.

“Is that so? What brings you here?” Kim Jin-Woo was amused at this scene, but he tried his best to sound dignified nonetheless.

According to Dominique, black merchants were dangerous. She even spoke of instances in which they had visited a labyrinth and eventually taken control over it. Kim Jin-Woo could never take them lightly.

“The birth of a new labyrinth master is a celebratory occasion for the whole Underworld. It is an even greater blessing when he is an unparalleled warrior.”

The naga warriors standing off to the side roared arrogantly.

This was giving Kim Jin-Woo a headache, and he snapped, “Cut it short.” 

The talkative black merchant appeared to be surprised. “I must have wasted too much of your precious time. Please forgive me.”The way he bowed his huge head toward Kim Jin-Woo made him look more proficient than servile. It was as if he could bow a thousand times if needed.

“Congratulations on becoming the master of a labyrinth. The Underworld has long since lost its old glory, but being crowned the king of a labyrinth is truly an occasion to be celebrated. We, the black merchants, came here hoping to establish a good relationship with the master.”

Kim Jin-Woo frowned. The black merchant hurriedly added in return, “Long story short, I came here to sell things.”

Kim Jin-Woo’s eyes glinted immediately.

***

<Master. The black merchant is definitely a threat to be reckoned with.>

“Can’t we just kick him out?” 

Dominique shook her head. <If we did, he’d blab about our labyrinth’s location all throughout the Underworld. It would be much wiser to do a trade with him.>

Kim Jin-Woo frowned again and sighed. “How annoying.”

<Never let him look down on you. Better to be known as a demanding master than a pushover.>

“Understood.”

<The black merchants are definitely difficult to deal with. If handled well, however, they can be of great benefit to us.>

Kim Jin-Woo had to accept that the black merchants were a double-edged sword. He had also heard about the useful items they sold. Since one of them was already here, trading with him would be a good idea.

When they show you the items, always buy the first one on the list.>

“Why?”  Kim Jin-Woo asked her. Dominique’s words made no sense.

<I’ll explain to you shortly. Please do as I say.> Dominique shut her mouth tightly as they approached the labyrinth’s gate, where the black merchant was waiting.

Kim Jin-Woo agreed that keeping the unwelcome guest in the labyrinth for long wasn’t a good idea, and didn’t question her further.

***

“Well then, let’s see what you’ve got,” Kim Jin-Woo said.

“Of course.” The black merchant began to dig through his possessions with his short arms in a dramatic manner. Whenever he moved, the jangling of items could be heard. His cape had no pockets, but it surprisingly carried a mountain of goods.

“Oh, here it is.” After digging for a long time, he fished out an item from the bag and handed it to Kim Jin-Woo.