Solo Leveling- Ragnarok-Chapter 277

Magic beast meat was atrocious, but it didn’t just taste disgusting—it was also toxic. Those desperate enough to eat it would suffer crippling stomach pains, and some lost their stomachs altogether when their insides rotted from the venom.

But even among the magic beasts, there were rare edible varieties. Some had weaker venom than others, and the survivors in North Korea used various means to neutralize it in order to eat the meat.

That didn’t make the meat taste any better, of course, but this was apocalyptic North Korea. It had become a paradise for magic beasts after the Great Cataclysm. Cities crumbled into ruins, and people were left struggling to survive, so complaining about food was a luxury no one could afford.

Taste didn’t matter so much when one was on the verge of starvation. A few days without food and even the pickiest eater would shove anything down their throat to stay alive, whether it be beast meat or barely edible scraps.

This brutal reality was the basis for this city’s market.

“Get it here, folks! Low-venom magic beast meat at a special price!”

“Over here! We’ve neutralized this magic beast meat! It’s pre-ground for your convenience!”

“Fresh fruit picked just this morning! Come and check it out!”

“We’ll barter. Hagglers welcome!”

The free market was as bustling as ever. Anybody could buy and sell here, even without joining the coalition. It resembled a flea market more than anything else.

A member of the Huntsman Guild by the name of Kim Cheolsoo—an alias—had laid out fresh meat from magic beasts he’d hunted. He tutted, worry filling his features.

“Tsk. Not many customers today.” 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Beside him was another vendor, Kang Kiho—also an alias.

“You’re right. But what can we do? Just gotta sell what we can.”

Huntsman Guild members usually performed food-fetching jobs from the bank, took their rewards, and sold whatever meat was left over.

Sitting on the ground, Kiho busied himself with dicing up meat as he spoke.

“You should mince it like I do. Makes it easier to chew. It takes a bit more effort, but it’s a pretty effective sales strategy.”

Cheolsoo sighed. “But for how long? It would work for one or two days, but if it doesn’t sell after that, it’s all wasted effort.”

“Then you can eat it yourself.”

“No. This all has a bit too much toxin in it.”

“Wait, what? Oh, come on. You’re a total fraud! Hehe... Not that I’m any better.”

The merchants exchanged sly grins, their eyes gleaming with mischief. In a market rife with deception and manipulation, only the craftiest villains survived.

Regardless, the most sought-after food in the market wasn’t meat. It was fruit—ordinary fruit, not the fruit of the Elvenwood—or spices that were capable of masking the foul stench of beast meat.

Those who specialized in fruits or vegetables with powerful scents were generally referred to as the “fruit traders,” and they were the richest and most powerful people in the coalition.

A prominent fruit trader who went by the alias “Mr. Park” smiled with satisfaction as he stood in front of his shop.

“Business is booming, as usual. Nothing beats fruit.”

The owner of the shop next door, who went by “Mr. Choi,” nodded with envy.

“You’re right. What you’ve done here is impressive. I don’t know how you keep getting your hands on so much fruit.”

Mr. Park smirked smugly, turning to look at him. “Don’t go around asking for trade secrets. Even if I told you, you wouldn’t be able to replicate what I do. It’s too dangerous.”

“Of course.”

Mr. Choi smacked his lips, showing no sign of displeasure at Mr. Park’s insulting tone. Selling this ordinary fruit was a business reserved only for the strongest. Hunting beasts outside the city was one thing, but combing the wilderness for fruit—never knowing where to look or when a beast would strike—was far more dangerous.

There was a reason that the fruit traders were the leadership of the coalition. If a weak individual managed to earn a fortune selling fruit, they wouldn’t survive the night in the city. They would be attacked, their wealth—and their life—stolen in their sleep.

It was then that Mr. Park narrowed his eyes and focused on something in the distance.

“Huh? There’s a new face...”

He spotted a newcomer among the relaxed, bustling activity of the morning market. Many vendors had a keen memory for customers’ faces, and Mr. Park was no exception.

Mr. Choi followed his gaze, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm. I heard someone new arrived last night. Goes by ‘Beru,’ apparently.”

“Ah, so that’s him? It’s been a while since we’ve had a rookie. Doesn’t look like he has much to sell, though.”

“Yeah, not much to see there.”

No matter how vast the city, rumors spread fast. News of the new arrival the night before had already traveled from the city guards to the free market. Even the alias he had used at the bank was common knowledge by now. This was what the coalition was made for.

Mr. Choi grinned. “But the rumors are right. Look, he’s not entirely empty-handed. He’s got a real expensive item next to him, right out in the open.”

Mr. Park smiled, his eyes flashing. “Yeah, I see it too. That’s a real elf, isn’t it? And a live one too.”

His tongue flicked over his lips as he took in the sight of the pointy-eared creature walking calmly beside Beru.

“He claimed to be a summoner at first, but judging from the ruckus in the night, that’s obviously a lie. That elf is no summon either,” Mr. Choi said.

“He’s damn lucky. Where the hell did he find a fresh elf? She’s not even fully grown. The first one to find her would’ve been able to snatch her right up.”

Only moments ago, Mr. Choi had been the one with greed written all over his face. Now that expression had shifted to Mr. Park as well.

Fruits, as expensive as they were, could not compare to elves. Elves were Álfheimr’s favorite fertilizer. A thousand days of selling fruit would never compare to the profit of capturing just one elf and selling it to the bank.

Everyone in the market knew this already. Mr. Park glanced around him to see that every seller had turned toward the newcomer and his elf. Their eyes burned with the same predatory glint as Mr. Park’s own.

“So this is the market? It’s pretty crowded,” Suho remarked.

He and Sirka strolled through the marketplace at a leisurely pace, taking in the sights.

On the surface, it was no different from before they entered—but beneath the bustle, a silent tension was growing among the vendors.

The reason was simple: Anyone who didn’t know the market prices was an easy mark. Newcomers to the city weren’t aware of the prices, and to the merchants, such people were easy prey, nothing more and nothing less.

This rookie, in particular, was perfectly fresh. He didn’t even have debt. With the right persuasion, one could empty his wallet and then some.

What was more, he had an elf with him.

First come, first served, is it?

I’ll have to get to him before someone else bleeds him dry.

If I can buy that elf for a cheap price, I’ll make a fortune.

Countless greedy stares were leveled at Suho and Sirka, watching their every move.

Then a roughly crafted wooden sign suddenly appeared in Suho’s hand. He chose a sizable empty lot and planted the sign into the ground just as the other vendors had done at their stalls.

—Beru Bakery

Confusion flashed across the merchants’ faces as they studied the hastily scrawled wooden sign.

“Bakery?” Mr. Park muttered, narrowing his eyes. “As in... bread?”

Mr. Choi was equally puzzled. “Is he planning to sell bread? Then what about the elf?”

Something felt off. Despite the sign reading “bakery,” Suho was empty-handed. It appeared he had nothing to sell, much less bread.

One vendor murmured under his breath, “What is he thinking? It’s obvious he’s got nothing.”

“You’re right. Maybe he’s just using the elf as an attention-grabber and plans to sell something else.”

A spark of intrigue flickered in the eyes of the merchants.

For a clueless newcomer, his tactics weren’t bad. Rookies were usually fresh out of the south and were likely to have items that were rare in North Korea. It wasn’t a bad idea for him to sell off those goods first and then deal with the elf later.

“Maybe it’s something small?”

“Could it be cigarettes?”

“Oh, it’s gotta be cigarettes.”

They were sure of it. Nine times out of ten, a new vendor would pull out a pack of cigarettes or a lighter.

Naturally, cigarettes were a very rare commodity in apocalyptic North Korea. They were worth their weight in gold—if the seller knew what they were doing, of course.

So what’s it gonna be?

What’s he selling?

The people in the market focused on Beru Bakery, trying to guess from experience what he would unveil. They took care to cast only sidelong glances, never staring outright. If the newcomer caught on that he was drawing attention, he might grow arrogant and inflate his prices.

“Hmm. I suppose this should be enough space,” Suho muttered, looking around him.

So what exactly are you selling?!

The merchants’ curiosity had reached its peak.

Then something happened that made everyone freeze. He took out a key, and the moment he inserted it into his shadow, a massive shipping container materialized out of thin air.

“Wh-what the hell?!” a seller blurted out, rubbing his eyes.

“A... container?”

“What kind of skill is that?”

Murmurs of surprise rippled through the crowd.

The most logical explanation for such an outrageous sight was, of course, a skill, but they had never heard of anything like this. That aside, he couldn’t possibly be selling the shipping container itself.

The sheer absurdity of the scene erased the expectant thoughts of the onlookers. Any pretense of disinterest crumbled on the spot.

Beru snickered beside Suho, noticing the murmurs around them. “Young Monarch, you already have their attention.”

“You’re right. And I haven’t even popped the lid,” Suho said with a grin.

The first step to upending the city’s economy had kept him busy through the night.

First, he completed his daily quest in the Shadow Dungeon. Then using the key and Shadow Swap, he made a brief trip back to South Korea. His first destination: the nearest bakery.

“I’ll take everything from here to there.”

“I’m sorry?”

“No need to pack it up. These guys here will handle it.”

“Huh...?!”

The bakery employee, who had been preparing to close for the night, froze as a swarm of dark figures suddenly materialized.

Suho had bought out the entire bakery. At this point, he could more than afford it. From clearing dungeons, leveling up, and raking in profits via the Scavenger Guild’s sales of Echo Forest Spring Water, the Woojin Guild’s bank account was seeing a steady inflow of funds. It was more than enough to strip a bakery of every last loaf and bun.

A B-rank hunter could do the same if they had wanted to, but none had ever needed to. Suho, however, now had a reason.

The moment he threw open the shipping container doors, a fruit slipped from Mr. Park’s fingers and rolled across the ground unnoticed.

“Holy sh*t.”

His mouth hung agape, his thoughts scattering in pure shock.

He wasn’t alone. Every pair of eyes in the market bulged at the sheer spectacle before them.

“Wh-what the hell is all that?!”

Shocked voices erupted from every direction.

It didn’t make sense. Inside the container, neatly arranged on display racks, sat a mountain of fresh bread. As the doors swung open, the rich, mouthwatering aroma of baked goods flooded the air.

It was a sight that filled the watchers with shock, awe, and true emotion.

Beru grinned, standing at the center of it all, his expression positively wicked.

“You want bread?” he muttered. “You can have it. We just emptied an entire bakery.”

The moment those words left the shadow ant’s lips, the Era of Bread began. People lunged toward Beru Bakery madly, clutching their wallets in desperation.

However, Suho had to cut the joy of his customers—or rather, suckers—short.

“The auction shall now begin,” he announced.

The what...?

The power balance within the coalition—long controlled by vendors hawking fruit and beast meat—was about to be shattered.