8 That was... easy?
I suppose I never told you about the 'means of payment' in the black market. We measure our wealth in tears. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond and Platinum Tears.
As for the rest of the world, they use GC. Global Currency.
The black market only accepts up to 1 trillion GC, then they have to use Tears.
One Bronze Tear is 1 Billion GC.
One Silver Tear is 1,000 Bronze Tears which is 1 Trillion GC.
One Gold Tear is 1,000 Silver Tears which is 1 Quadrillion GC.
One Diamond Tear is 1,000 Gold Tears which is 1 Quintillion GC. (I am continuing with the numbers because there are people who won't know the number names, it's not filler I promise.)
One Platinum Tear is 1,000,000 Diamond Tears, which is 1 Septillion GC. (Still not filler.)
Then there's Trading.
We trade artefacts for artefacts. The difference between Trading and Buying is that Trading is between two or more Artefacts that are worth more than 1,000 Platinum Tears to one or more parties.
The last form of currency is an IOU, an I Owe You, but those only apply to people with extremely high standings like those at the Mid-Rank Booths and above.
In the case of my quest, it'd be great if I was able to only use GC at the time, it was impossible. Because everything in the auction (that I cared about) was being sold Tears. Why? Because the 'Demon' is a greedy bastard.
'Well, it's actually because most of the artefacts are priceless in the open market and even some closed auctions. But still. Greedy bastard.'
I thought as I watched the flower put onto the pedestal.
"The bidding will start at 1 Silver Tear! You must bid at least 500 Bronze Tears per bid."
"1 Silver, 650 Bronze!"
"3 Silvers!"
"4 Silvers!"
"4 Silvers, 500 Bronze!"
"5 Silvers, 500 Bronze!"
The bidding continued to go up and up and up, all the way to the 30s in silvers.
"37 Silvers, 750 Bronze!"
The entire place went silent. It was a lower booth that bid. Right, there are four levels to the booths.
The Lower Booths are for those in large mafia or yakuza families that have a slight influence in the black market.
The Middle Booths are for PHPs (People in High Places).
The 15 Higher Booths are for the 7 Sins and 7 Virtues, 14 people who have a humongous influence on The Black Market. Of those, all of them were there. The extra booth was for their guests, it was empty.
The Top Booths. Only 7 Exist and they are for the 'Gods' of The Black Market. They were the first to be contacted when it started.
The God of Truths, Hoarding and Money, the 'Demon';
The God of Love and Slaves, the 'Serpent';
The God of Territory and of the Sands, the 'Jackal';
The God of Intelligence and Stealth, the 'Owl';
The God of the Hunt and Weapons, the 'Wolf';
The God of Destruction and Duels, the 'Komodo Dragon';
The God of Connections, Honor and Deception, the 'Fox';
Of those key figures, the 'Demon', the 'Owl' and I, the 'Fox', were there.
I looked down at the flower as they counted down.
"Going Once!"
I thought about it.
"Going Twice!"
I thought more.
"Three Times!"
In the end, I decided.
"Going Four!"
Why not?
"AND SO-"
"40 Silvers."
My voice silenced the entire place. Everyone stared up at my booth and saw my hand on a microphone. Then they saw the mask. No one dared to bid afterwards... is what I would've liked to say.
"41 Silvers."
I trembled in annoyance.
"Tsk. 42 Silvers."
"43"
...
"50"
The 'Demon' decided to stop annoying me at 50. He made me spend an extra ten Silvers. I thought, 'fine, it's only ten', but I was so, so wrong.
=---=(POV: Skylar)=---=
"450!"
"575!"
"700!"
...
"1 Gold, 75 Silvers!"
"1 Gold, 200 Silvers!"
"1 Gold, 325 Silvers!"
"Going Once! Twice! Three Times! Four! AND SOLD! The Ice Fury Core goes to Mid-Rank 'Riot Cougar'!"
The past few minutes have been... weird. The others around us have been casually chatting and occasionally bidding but... with what? Gold, Silver, Bronze what? Tears?
What are those!?
"Um... May I be permitted to ask a question."
The younger ones stared over at me as I spoke. The one that the 'Owl' called the 'Demon' stared at me before saying.
"Go on."
I nodded before speaking.
"What are Tears?"
Everyone of them looked towards the 'Fox'.
She spoke again, unknowingly my ears perked slightly as if to hear every word of hers, I closed my eyes to focus on the word and, albeit short, some small part of my being felt 'graced' by her voice.
"What?"
I nearly stumbled over myself.
"Oh."
She seemed to have reached a realisation and began to speak again.
"One Bronze Tear is 1 Billion GC, 1,000 Bronze Tears are one Silver Tear and so on."
'...what?'
*CRASH*
We all turned to see Sebastian on the floor, the blank black mask not covering the fact that he fainted.
"Oi, 'Demon', bid for the Asura Valley items for me and after the last Asura Valley item is brought out, prolong the Auction by putting some extra stuff on."
"Why the hell sh-"
"An IOU."
Everyone stared at the 'Fox' in confusion, myself included. The 'Demon' was staring as if they were crazy.
"Are you sure about this?"
The 'Demon'. From the knowledge I have of him, which is miniscule, the 'Demon' is a money loving being who will take anything that will benefit him. That benefit-oriented person, is asking for someone to reconsider a deal that is extremely beneficial to him. That's how much an IOU from the 'Fox' is worth.
The 'Fox' stood up.
"I'm sure. Brat, grab the boy and follow me, the dude needs to go the infirmary."
Slightly puzzled, I ask.
"Why is that?"
The 'Fox' stomps the floor twice.
"The floor is poisonous to average people."
'...'
It took a second to register but I immediately picked up Sebastian and followed the 'Fox'. We went through the winding halls until we reached a room, we entered it and there was no-one there.
It looked like an average school infirmary. I placed him down on a bed and the 'Fox' stabbed him with needle and injected a fluid.
"He'll live. He'll have a headache when he wakes up but he'll live."
I sighed.
Suddenly, I could see the ceiling. I could feel a mattress against my back and something on my lower body.
I looked towards my lower body and my words got caught in my throat.
The 'Fox' was there, sitting over my lower body and staring directly at me, without a mask. She had long and wavy hair colored electric and cerulean blue. Her Ocean-Cobalt blue mixed eyes seemed to drag me into the abyss.
She had an average face by all means. But she was anything but average. The subtle aura around her was like a deep whirlpool, people were naturally drawn towards her without thinking. There was also a subtle feeling to the aura, I couldn't place it though. Her eyes seemed wise and... sad.
She had one knee on my crotch, one finger on my lips and her eyes locked with mine.
The most important fact was not that though.
The fact that caught my words is that I realised something.
Feeling her touch me, being in contact with her.
It felt wrong.
I felt unworthy of it.
I realised what the other feeling in the aura was.
It felt divine.
She spoke with an unnaturally alluring and seductive voice.
"Why don't you become my High-Priest."
I didn't even think. I instantly said.
"Yes please."
=---=(POV: Rose)=---=
\Plot: Just a small note, this right here - ['Insert Thought Here.'], is when Janice and Rose think the same thing.
['She accepted? What the fuck?']
