“Hey handsome, interested in experiencing some wonderful service? We guarantee it’ll be unforgettable~”
A heavily made-up woman sidled up to Via, looping an arm through hers like they were old friends.
Through the mask, Via saw the woman dressed in garish, revealing clothing, clearly meant to entice.
She glanced around; similarly dressed women were hooking other men on the street and leading them into a suspicious building nearby.
“Handsome, you’ve been carrying all that stress; don’t you want to release it?” the woman asked curiously.
Via understood what she was after; she had mentally prepared for this kind of encounter before coming to the underground black market.
In her previous life, Demon King Ville had dealt with women.
But Ville touching women was unlikely.
To maintain his image, Demon King Ville had deliberately arranged for different beautiful women to follow him.
At night, he would bring them to his room, knock them out, leave them there overnight, then chase them away the next day and replace them, deliberately putting on a show for his subordinates to spread the word.
After all, if the Demon King never touched a woman, it would be laughable if word got out.
“Handsome, don’t be shy~”
As she spoke, the woman’s hands started moving restlessly, trying to reach for Via’s body.
Via immediately flung the hand away, stopping her.
“What’s your problem? If you don’t want to play, fine, but putting on a sour face—who do you think you are!” The woman stormed off in embarrassment, targeting someone else.
“I need to hurry; staying here is really uncomfortable.” Via muttered.
……
……
Ding-dong.
Via stepped into a shop selling various materials; the sensor immediately sounded, alerting the owner.
“Welcome, customer.”
The owner was a balding man with a sharp, monkey-like face, wearing a monocle, wiping a newly acquired magic stone without looking up.
“Want anything? Look around yourself. Reminder: the magic automaton killed a light-fingered thief just yesterday. Keep your hands clean.”
Via turned and indeed saw a massive magic automaton in the corner of the shop. Unlike the regulated ones at the Adventurer’s Guild, this one had clearly been illegally modified with many weapons; its gaze locked onto her.
“……”
Via browsed the shop.
She had little interest in the displayed items and simply stood silently at the counter, watching the owner.
“What is it? See something you like?” the owner asked.
Via shook her head.
“Oh? Interesting. In Goren’s shop, there’s actually nothing you want?” Goren set down the magic stone. “Speak. What do you want?”
“I want some good stuff.” Via spoke.
“Hm?”
Goren froze.
What surprised him wasn’t the content but Via’s voice.
Beneath the mask was a girl?
“Little kid, this isn’t a place for you. Go on, the doll shops are where you belong.”
“How can you be sure this isn’t a disguised voice?” Via smiled. “Or do you usually talk to high-quality customers like this?”
“High-quality? Heh.”
Goren sneered.
“Fine, I take back what I said. What good stuff do you want?”
“Controlled items you can’t buy on the surface,” Via said. “If I could buy them up there, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Controlled items, I do have. Like this—Crystal Rat.”
To show off his connections, Goren slapped a pet box onto the counter; inside was a rat whose belly glowed.
Crystal Rats were rare small magical beasts strictly forbidden for sale by the Saint Luo Empire; captured ones couldn’t be kept privately and had official acquisition channels.
The reason wasn’t danger but that these beasts were active in special mining areas, swallowing magic stones and condensing them into beautiful crystals inside their bodies—rarer and more valuable than natural gems.
Thus, the higher-ups controlled Crystal Rats, banning their circulation.
Displaying one proved Goren’s channels.
“See? Customer, I have good stuff. Just afraid you can’t afford it.”
“The Crystal Rat is tempting, but it’s not what I want.”
“What do you mean? Here to cause trouble?”
Goren’s face darkened; he waved, and the oppressive magic automaton approached.
Its arm emitted clanking sounds; a cannon barrel extended from its palm.
Though the underground black market boasted no taboos, competition meant rivals sometimes sent people to sabotage business.
He now suspected the masked figure was hired by a competitor.
“I’ve checked other shops; they have rare items like your Crystal Rat, but I’m not interested. What I want are true contraband—”
Via paused for several seconds.
Goren had dismissed her at first, but upon hearing the request, he fell silent.
“Monster cores infected with abyssal aura—do you have any?” Via lowered her voice.
“……”
Goren said nothing, carefully studying the person before him.
Abyssal-infected monster cores were far more dangerous than controlled items; possession meant more than just prison.
Prison could be escaped with connections and money.
But anything involving the abyss meant the Holy Land would intervene.
He had never heard of anyone taken by Holy Knights for abyssal crimes returning alive.
“Looks like you’re admitting it, Boss Goren. Otherwise, you would’ve had the automaton throw me out the moment I asked.” Via felt she had found the right place.
“Take off your mask.”
“Me?”
“Who else is wearing a mask here?” Goren narrowed his eyes. “Unless I see your face, I’m not discussing this.”
Faced with the demand, Via frowned.
She absolutely could not reveal her identity in the underground black market.
But if she didn’t comply, Goren had no intention of talking.
After several breaths of thought, she raised her hand to her mask.
“Alright, Boss. Since you want to see what’s under this mask, I’ll let you see clearly.”