Black Market

The Black Market is an illegal underground trading hub in South Korea where hunters, smugglers, and criminal intermediaries deal in restricted goods such as mana crystals, magical artifacts, potions, and rare dungeon materials. These transactions occur outside the regulation of the Korean Hunters Association and governmental oversight, making it a hidden yet pervasive part of the hunter economy.

Operating through secret auction houses and encrypted networks, the Black Market allows individuals to bypass official taxes, registration, and the scrutiny of guilds. While its existence is an open secret among hunters, the Association continuously tries to crack down on its operators, though its deeply embedded nature makes it difficult to eradicate.

Sung Jin-Woo first became involved with the Black Market when he sought to sell a mana crystal obtained from a low-rank dungeon to fund his mother’s medical treatment. Displeased with the meager offers from official channels, he was introduced by Yoo Jin-Ho to a black market auction run by Kim Yongjun. There, the crystal sold for a significantly higher price, giving Jin-Woo his first taste of the illegal trading world.

This encounter exposed Jin-Woo to the dangers lurking behind the Black Market, as criminal hunters tracked him and attempted to seize his earnings. The subsequent events revealed the violent underbelly of the hunter world, where theft, murder, and exploitation are common alongside the secret trade. Despite the risks, the Black Market remains an essential outlet for those who cannot or will not operate within the official system.