In a hidden passage somewhere in Doff City, a fierce man with a knife scar on his face was idly flipping a silver coin.
The reward that an ordinary worker could earn after a full week of labor danced up and down in his hand.
Clink clink clink.
Footsteps echoed from the other end of the passage; Scarface looked up and saw a young man approaching him.
“…Do you have that?” Scarface stopped the coin.
“That?” The youth looked puzzled. “Which that?”
“You don’t have it?”
“I heard from others that there are good things here, so I came out of curiosity to take a look.”
“Unrelated personnel, leave immediately.”
“Don’t be so cold,” the youth tried to get friendly. “Big bro, you must know something, right?”
“This is my final warning.”
“Come on, little brother I—urgh!”
The youth doubled over.
His stomach was punched hard by Scarface; the impact churned his insides, and the food he had eaten in the afternoon that hadn’t been digested yet all came vomiting out.
Immediately after, his face was met with two whooshing punches; Scarface’s two strikes knocked him unconscious, and he collapsed to the ground.
“Throw this thing into the trash pile next to us.” Scarface said.
“Yes!”
Two lackeys emerged from behind Scarface, lifted the youth, and carried him out of the passage.
“Hm?”
Scarface noticed another figure standing at the other end of the passage.
It was a person of average height, wrapped tightly in a black robe, face concealed by a mask.
He had seen plenty of people like this.
“You here to get beaten too?”
“……”
The black-robed masked person walked up to Scarface and extended a card from beneath the wide sleeve.
Scarface’s eyes lit up when he saw the card; he took it, examined it carefully, and injected a trace of magic power; the pattern on the card glowed briefly.
After confirming, he returned the card to the black-robed masked person.
“Alright, go ahead; someone will take you there next.”
The black-robed masked person nodded and continued forward; at the end of the passage came the splashing sound of water; a small boat was moored by the shore, with a dozing boatman on board.
When someone boarded, the boat rocked; the boatman opened his eyes, said nothing, untied the rope, and rowed the boat.
The black-robed masked person stood at the bow, staring ahead; in the pitch-black waterway, nothing could be seen at first, only the sound of flowing water and the boat moving, until the boat passed through a cave opening, and everything ahead suddenly opened up; a bustling market illuminated by lights appeared vividly.
“As expected, it’s here; the old drunkard didn’t lie to me.” Via murmured under her mask.
Some time ago, she had gone to a tavern in Doff City to gather information.
Many locals gathered there, especially adventurers who loved ordering iced beer after completing commissions and drinking freely.
People get drunk when they drink, and drunk people love to talk.
Although most drunkards’ words contained boasting, after several days of staking out, Via still obtained an important piece of intelligence.
There was an underground black market in Doff City, where many controlled items that circulated on the surface were sold; taking them outside would definitely land you in jail.
Besides illegal transactions, there were also many shady industries like prostitution, blood sports, gambling…
According to the laws of the Saint Luo Empire, the underground black market was a den of evil that the upper class absolutely could not tolerate.
Yet in reality, the underground black market had existed for many years, and even families that had taken root there for generations had emerged.
The reason…
Was that the nobles above also needed people from the underground black market to do their dirty work.
Via had spent some effort to obtain this information; she anonymously covered an old drunkard’s drinks for three days to attract his attention.
After the old drunkard couldn’t suppress his curiosity, she appeared at the right time.
“Lady Sylvia’s… daughter?” The old drunkard showed considerable surprise upon seeing Via.
Via said she could cover the old drunkard’s drinks for a whole month; in exchange, he would provide her a way into the underground black market.
The old drunkard tried to think for a while but ultimately succumbed to his dependence on alcohol.
After all, completing commissions was just to earn money for drinking; now that someone was covering it, couldn’t he just lie flat and drink happily?
Thus, the old drunkard told Via the method to enter the underground black market.
Considering that her appearance would definitely cause a huge uproar in the underground black market, Via chose to disguise herself.
Fortunately, there were plenty of oddballs in the underground black market; people in black robes and masks were considered common.
“It’s been really strict outside lately.”
“Of course; I heard demonized beings have appeared; even Rapier Monica showed up.”
“That exaggerated?”
“Yeah, it’s not peaceful now; the higher-ups have been investigating.”
Several thugs in strange attire were chatting idly by the underground black market dock, waiting for boats to approach.
Via, who knew the truth, said nothing, pretending to be indifferent; when the boat stopped, she immediately jumped ashore.
“…This place is really lively.”
Via looked at the street in front of her and felt it was even more bustling than the normal markets in Doff City.
There were even some non-humans here.
Thump, thump, thump.
A massive minotaur carrying a huge severed magical beast arm passed by Via; every step he took made the ground shake.
“Hey, keep it down; I’m doing business! If you spill my goods, be careful or I’ll rip off your horns!!”
A vendor squatting by the roadside setting up a stall cursed angrily.
Via looked toward the vendor and met his gaze.
“Yo, customer, want some?”
“…?”
Via noticed various glass bottles on the vendor’s stall, filled with liquids of all colors.
“Want to try this? This is the latest improved synthetic agent Big Ice No. 5, infused with purple poison flower buds from the swamp; while ensuring safety, the hallucination duration is double the previous model, but the price hasn’t changed!”
The vendor handed a glass bottle to Via, shaking the strangely colored liquid.
“Free trial; if you’re not satisfied, no charge; guaranteed to make you fly in three seconds after using it!”
Via glanced nearby and saw some people lying on the ground, clutching identical bottles, their expressions dazed, muttering something, bodies twitching continuously.
She seemed to understand what this was, didn’t take it, chose to ignore him, and left.
“Tch, penniless bum; won’t even try such good stuff.”
The vendor spat at Via’s back, then turned to peddle to others.
“Customer, come take a look; our latest product—”
“This underground black market is indeed as dangerous as the old drunkard said.” Via sighed in her heart.
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