Chapter 45 Black Market

I woke up from my slumber in the hotel. blinking at the unfamiliar ceiling. "Where am I?" I asked myself, "Wasn't I in the dungeon?" Suddenly, my head started to hurt as memories flooded my mind.

"Ah, yeah." After defeating the monster and mining the dungeon, I was exhausted and was nearly about to pass out when I arrived at this hotel. The hotel was close to the Elfilial Academy. So I arrived instantly and passed out from exhaustion.

I took out my watch and looked into the spatial storage. Seeing a huge amount of damaged and good mana stones, I smiled in satisfaction.

'I can't sell this in the normal store; that might arouse suspicion about how a kid like me got this many mana stones. So I should have to go to Black Market, and I'm feeling refreshed now, so I should go now' taking a shower, I left the hotel.

I rode my hover bike through the neon-lit streets, the hum of its engine blending with the distant chatter and clamor of the city. My destination was a hidden black market, cloaked in the guise of one of the city's most luxurious restaurants.

As I approached the grand entrance, the soft thrum of classical music reached my ears, mingling with the soft clink of cutlery and the murmur of conversation. I stopped the bike in front of the restaurant and stored it on my spatial watch. I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The restaurant was all polished marble and glittering chandeliers, every surface gleaming with opulence. An employee greeted me at the reception desk, his practiced smile barely hiding the curiosity in his eyes. Nodding to him, I walked to where the elevator was.

I entered the elevator as it opened. "Which floor, sir?" he asked, keeping a smile.

"On the floor of the nightingale, I want to hear her melodious song while enjoying the wine of fallen angel's tears." I said, reciting the hidden code.

The employee's demeanor shifted instantly. He drew something on the elevator button, causing the elevator to shine a little. "This way, sir," he said, motioning for me to follow. We weaved through a series of elegantly decorated dining rooms.

As we arrived at the room, the clink of the glass metal touching the plates and the soft rustle of expensive fabrics surrounded us.

Finally, we stopped at a wall adorned with a large painting. The employee pressed a hidden switch, and with a soft whirr, the painting slid aside, revealing a concealed passageway.

"Before you proceed," he said, handing me a small, intricately designed artifact, "you'll need this. It will hide you from detection by others' skills, obscuring your face, body, and mana signature. You'll appear as a glitch to anyone else wearing a similar artifact."

'Whoa, I need to make something like this.' I thought as I heard his words. Nodding, I accepted the artifact and observed it for a few seconds.

With a nod of satisfaction, I put on my collar. A strange sensation washed over me as it activated, like a veil being drawn over my entire being. Glancing into a nearby mirror, I saw my reflection distort, becoming a shimmering, glitch-like figure. The effect was disconcerting but necessary.

'Yep, I will surely make this'

Clank! Clank!

I descended a spiral staircase, each step echoing with a soft clank. I emerged into a grand underground hall that looked like a small city. The space was filled with people, all of them appearing as shifting, glitching silhouettes. It was a surreal sight, like a gathering of ghosts.

I walked through the road, searching for the store. After walking a few minutes, I found a store with a sign that simply read "Mana Stones." The owner, another glitching figure, stood behind a counter, surrounded by displays of various magical artifacts and stones.

Approaching the counter, I nodded to the owner. "What do you have to sell?" he asked, his voice slightly distorted by the artifact.

I tapped my spatial watch and took out a collection of mana stones that materialized, filling the counter, but it didn't stop there; the mana stones overflowed from the counter. Some were cracked and damaged, while others were in pristine condition, their magical energy pulsating softly.

Snap!

I heard the snapping sound of the finger. Instantaneously, all the mana stones started to float in the air and separate into two. The store owner inspected the stones meticulously; well, I think he was assessing, as I couldn't tell because of the constant glitch.

"These are in good condition," he said, pointing to a bunch of undamaged stones. "These, however," he continued, indicating the damaged ones, "will fetch a lower price."

I nodded. "How much can you offer for the whole lot?"

The owner calculated for a moment before responding. "For the good stones, I can give you 500 Acro each. For the damaged ones, 100 Acro each. Altogether… that comes to 78,915,000 Acro."

'Muhahahaha, I hit the jackpot' The offer was fair, given the market's strict rules against deception. "Deal," I said, extending my hand.

The owner transferred the Acro to my account with a simple touch of his device, and I felt a satisfying buzz on my wrist as the transaction was completed. With my pockets now significantly heavier with Acro, I thanked the owner and made my way back through the hall.

Climbing the spiral staircase, I couldn't help but marvel at the efficiency and secrecy of the black market. It was a world hidden within a world, a place where even the most skilled could disappear behind a veil of glitches. I knew I would return here, not just for the transactions but also for the sense of anonymity and security it provided.

Re-emerging into the luxurious restaurant, I deactivated the artifact and stowed it away. My reflection returned to normal, and I stepped back into the vibrant city night. Mounting my hover bike, I sped off into the neon-lit streets to my hotel.

With money in my pocket The hum of the hover bike was a comforting sound as I navigated the labyrinthine alleys and backstreets, my mind replaying the events of the day. The mana stones I had sold were only a fraction of my haul, but they represented a significant portion of my earnings. The Acro would go a long way in funding my next venture, whatever that might be.

As I rode, the city's lights blurred into a kaleidoscope of colors, reflecting off the sleek surface of my bike. The air was cool against my skin, a welcome relief after the heat and exertion of the dungeon. I took a moment to appreciate the relative peace, knowing it wouldn't last long. There are only four months left to start the real story. The real story starts in the second arc. The first arc is all about the first year of the academy and their struggles making connections, friends, face slapping, showing off, etc. In the novel, when they reached their second year, their rank was D+, but this time it will be different, so I could expect much less damage and deaths. "And I need to prepare for that."

"Hmm, isn't that... Ezreya." As I rode my bike, I saw the figure of Ezreya, and a group of four guys were surrounding her. 'Why is she alone? Well, she's an awakener, so' it was a dumb question I asked myself. Slowing my bike, I observed. It seems like they were hitting on her, and she seems clearly uncomfortable. Should I help her or not?… Well, considering she's a shy type, I should help her' I parked the bike and started to walk towards her.

Suddenly, one of the guys put his hand around, becoming touchy when speaking. Seeing that, I prepared to run towards her, but seeing the scene unfold in front of me, I was shocked.

Instantly, she grabbed his hand and twisted, grabbing his back of the neck, she kneed to his abdomen, causing him to grasp for air.

"You bitch!" A guy shouted after seeing his friend get hit. He rapidly approached her with the speed of an awakener and tried to grab her hair, but dodging it, she kicked straight into his chin, causing him to instantly blackout. The other two guys also didn't survive either.

'So who should I help now?' I asked myself, seeing as all of the guys got beaten up. I slowly approached her.

"Is there anything you need?" She asked, her expression fierce, her tone chilling, and her eyes shining a little. Because I'm wearing a helmet, she doesn't know it's me.

'Is she the same girl I know? Where has the cute little girl gone? Why is she so scary? Numerous thoughts crossed my mind. Shaking my head, I cleared my throat.

"Ahem… No, I thought I needed to help you, but I think it's not necessary."

"Well, thank you for your consideration, but I'm fine." she said, her expression turning softer. Taking a cigarette for her bag, she lit up and puffed a smoke.

Puff!

'The fuck! The actual fuck!' I got confused seeing her smoke without a care in the world. 'Is it the same girl I know?' I asked the same question again.

"The heck are you looking at?" she asked with an irritated face.

"Aren't you underage? And it's not good for your health."

"Huh! Who are you to ask, and it's normal nicotine, the one that non-awakeners use."

"But t–"

"Piss off."

"B-bye then have a good day." Turning around, I instantly went to my hover bike and rode to the hotel.

"That's one hell of a scary face; I didn't know she could even make that face. And what's with the attitude? It's like a wolf in sheep's clothes. Man, I got chills from her glare."