Chapter 53 – 53. Into the Pleasant Darkness (2)

I looked around the store.

If the poacher’s hut was very messy and messy, and the goods were randomly arranged, the drug dealer’s shop had the atmosphere of a bar.

Inside the store were all sorts of medicines in fancy bottles, as well as common liquors and infused spirits with unusual creatures.

And various unusual posters attached to the walls, unknown letters shining on the electric signboard inside the store, a sweet scent that tickles the nose, and a jukebox-like machine or creature that does not know whether it is a machine or a living thing.

This was a near-futuristic bar filled with neon signs and colorful lights.

In terms of atmosphere, it is the safest place in the black market and at the same time gives a strange sense of security.

If it weren’t for the drug dealer’s shop, I’d like to have a drink in peace. Maybe this is the drug dealer’s target.

It’s probably intended to provide an intended sense of security, to loosen up and loosen up the opponent, and then do some tricks.

“Have a drink.. It’s good for mental and physical stability.”

“No, that’s all right.”

I firmly refused the unknown drink he was handing over.

According to the rules of use, there is a high probability that the food or drink given by the drug dealer has something strange burned on it, so it is better not to eat it at all.

“Okay? I feel better. Too bad. Then, check out the products while you’re here. I’ll give it to you cheaply. It smells familiar to our cute human friend. Do you like it.”

Does Tenma’s Favor work here?

The poacher didn’t seem to react, but the drug dealer sniffed around me and let out a pleasant snort. If it’s a target that Manma’s favor works on, I think I can use it a little.

“Now. Let’s sit here for a while I won’t do anything bad. And I have something to tell you. Wandering around the black market alone for the first time is nerve-wracking.”

Actually, I was going to get out of here just by looking at things, but the woman-dresser forcibly grabbed me and sat me down on a long table and on a sofa so comfortable that I felt like I was sinking into my body.

Having met the drug dealer, I was curious about what he was selling, and when he said that he had something to tell me, I followed his words, hoping to find a way out of this crazy black market.

Then the transvestite drug dealer went around her store and picked up her things. Then she began to place the vials one by one on the table.

I checked my watch. 2 hours and 5 minutes left. Let’s spend just 10 minutes here. No more.

“But aren’t you sweating too much? Did you experience anything scary?”

A man dressed as a woman who displays a bottle of medicine in a nice way and asks for it warmly. There were a total of four vials on the table.

She didn’t know if it was her or he, a little creeped out by her guy’s warm voice, rubbed her cheeky arm, and she answered roughly.

“The road… It’s a very complicated place.”

“Okay? Is it? Hmm. If this is your first time here, you may feel that way. Well, as long as you listen carefully to your vigilante friends and avoid the underground guard properly. There’s nothing too scary about it.”

“They, the people wearing the diving caps are vigilantes, right?”

“Huh. That’s right. Black market services. A vigilante, in a good way. If you openly steal or eat without pay, they’ll come to catch you.”

Saying that, the first thing he put on the table was an orange vial filled with white pills.

He handed me the medicine to check it out.

[Kran’s Nervous Sedative: Take one tablet per day when mentally challenged. It will help you want to live one more day. Concentration increases slightly during battle. 30 days’ supply.]
[Price: 2000C]

I checked the description of the medicine with my eyes and asked him what I was curious about.

“Do you have any idea how to get out of this black market? Do you know how to find a door with a keyhole?”

The most important question right now is this. You have to find a corner to get out of.

If not, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk straight through the black market because I’m anxious.

“Do you want to leave already? But, just asking for information without buying anything? I’m not an informant…”

“Ah… Wait a minute. I will buy it.”

Nervous tranquilizers were not as expensive as the poacher’s offerings.

A very reasonable price that makes you want to spend this much.

If all other items are at this level, you can buy them all.

Then, just like when the peddlers sold out, the drug dealers might trigger the same thing.

Above all, this guy is more communicative than the poacher who seemed to be unaffected by Manma’s favor, so if I raise my favorability rating, I think it will help me in many ways.

I quickly paid, put the vial in my bag, and asked again how to get out of here.

“How to get out. I have a friend who knows that.”

“Really?”

“Huh. Friends we call guides. Although he calls himself a ‘broker’, he goes around. Anyway, good friend. It’s hard to find such a kind person here.”

“Couldn’t you be the guy with the box on his head…?”

“No? Hmm. You already met him fortunately? Whoops. A real guide is not a box man.”

As expected, the monster with the box head was a dangerous guy.

If indycrons hadn’t warned me, if I hadn’t felt any reluctance. And above all, I hated to imagine what would have happened if I had followed him carelessly.

“Then, please introduce someone who is that broker or guide..”

When I said that, he smiled as he handed me the second vial.

[The blue pill to turn away: Swallow one of these blue pills and go to the world of dreams. A special encounter might be waiting for you. 1 minute.]
[Price: 5000C]

“One grain.. Five thousand..?”

“It is difficult to obtain. It is a special product.”

Bought right away I was a little excited about what kind of event this special meeting would be, and more than anything, it was because I didn’t have time to worry about it.

“Then now… That broker…”

“The introduction fee is not enough yet.”

I immediately looked at the two remaining items.

[Rejuvenating beauty pack: After 10 minutes of applying it to the face, the body age becomes 5 years younger. Life expectancy is also increased by 5 years. Wastes from the body are excreted through urine. 2 servings. Recommended for use once per person.]
[Price: 1500C]

[Chipane solution: It is a hair loss treatment. When applied to the scalp, hair grows. Also, the hair becomes elastic, hard, and not easily damaged. 10 servings.]
[Price: 2000C]

Both are beauty related items.

Because he was a drug dealer, I thought he would only sell extremely dangerous items, but he showed me relatively normal items.

“Then I’ll buy the other two as well.”

After saying that, I put my things in my bag, and he smiled and took out a small switch with a black button from his pocket.

“If you press this button, you can call the guide Cheshire. Come on, take it.”

“Oh..”

“It’s a gift given to anyone who spends 10,000 coins or more.”

The total amount of the items he presented to me was just 10,000 and 500 coins. I wonder if it was to show me things that fit the price to help me.

“By any chance, whose store did you stop by before coming to me?”

“That’s… A poacher’s shop.”

“Hmm… He would have only shown high-priced items from the beginning. If you pick one, you can meet the guide right away.”

“Ah…”

That’s why today’s recommended products he showed me were all 10,000 units. Maybe he was kind in his own way.

“Because he is a grump. Well, still, a poacher is better than that son of a slave trader. If it was a slave trader, he probably wouldn’t have informed the guide’s existence. He always wants someone’s ruin.”

Of the three black market merchant NPCs, the slave dealer seems to be the most vicious. He even beats drug dealers.

To be honest, if you look at the drug dealers scattered outside the store, he’s not much different, but he’s a villain.

“Anyway, it’s nice to meet you now, right? Just press the button and wait and Cheshire will be here soon.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Soon he was back at the counter smoking a cigarette and writing something. One side of his head, still intoxicated, mumbled his words unintelligibly.

With my daughter

Exactly three minutes after pressing the button, the store door opened and someone came inside.

“Howdy. Jackie. A new customer?”

“Huh. This human friend must have come here for the first time today.”

“Oh. What a cute human More than that, Jackie! Drinks are handed over naturally! I never eat anything you give me.”

A person who does not know if it is a man or a woman who wears a black raincoat deeply and covers his face with a blue neon mask.

He came up to me and held out his gloved hand.

“Phew. It’s hard to come here in a hurry. Nice to meet you, visitor.”

Perhaps it was a function of the neon mask, but his voice was a modulated mechanical sound.

“I am Cheshire. The best hauler and broker in the black market.”

“And a guide for new chicks.”

“Hey! Jackie. I am not a guide! An idiot who can’t even get out of here is a guide. It’s funny.”

Cheshire was very reluctant to be called a guide.

There seems to be some kind of story, but I haven’t developed a close enough intimacy between him yet to dig into it, so I just shook Cheshire’s hand briefly.

It seems that the inside of the glove is a bit soft.

‘Did you hear a wall in your gloves?’

I didn’t feel particularly ominous or reluctant. Above all, there was no warning from the goddess who would be watching me.

“I am..”

“Wait, friend. Let’s not know each other’s real names. I prefer not to mention my real name here. And cover your face as much as possible.”

“Uh.. Yes.”

“Let’s see.”

Cheshire took an old gas mask from his side bag and handed it to me.

“Only those who show their faces in the black market are those who are confident in their skills. You… I don’t see it that much. So cover it up don’t listen to anything It’s best to hide and cover as much as possible. That’s how you survive here.”

I put on the gas mask Cheshire gave me.

My vision narrowed, and a savory scent wafted from the gas mask. What did you eat while wearing a gas mask? Suddenly, I realized that I was hungry.

“Good. Then now… Oh, 5,000 coins for 2 hours of companionship. Advance payment. Let’s start by calculating.”

“Ah, yes. But how do I give it to you?”

Until this point, if you bought something, the coin was automatically withdrawn.

But how do you pay for something like this?

“Haha! This dude is a total novice. A human newbie… It’s been a while… So cute…”

I think I just said cute. Did you hear me wrong?

Cheshire went on without even thinking about it.

“Ruler! Then, think of holding out your wrist like this and giving me 5,000 coins.”

“Uh.. Here..”

“Good! I definitely got it! Sir.”

Cheshire let out a good laugh and asked me where I wanted to go.

Of course I just wanted to go home right now, so I asked where the keyed door would be.

“A door with a key is somewhere in a twisted alley. By the way, how many hours do we have until we escape?”

“Less than two hours left.”

“Okay? Where have you been all this time?”

In response to Cheshire’s question, I told him that I had walked through an alley full of pipes, passed an underground mall full of unpleasant restaurants, and walked through a sewer full of drug dealers.

At the explanation that it was full of something, Cheshire held her stomach and laughed.

“Hmm. I came into a twisted alley… I also went to the food street. The drug addict’s den has passed. Then all that remains is the central square and a sad festival.”

“But what about the structure here?”

I could visit again next time, so I had to find out as much information as possible.

In response to my question, Cheshire talked about the internal structure of the black market.

First of all, the black market is twisted here and there with a distorted space, and since newbies like me can’t control this distortion, they say that if you pass through an entrance somewhere, you will definitely go to another unspecified place.

And there are 5 major areas in the black market. The narrow alley full of pipes I first came across is a twisted alley where a door with a key appears in an unspecified place. It is called the lair of the wardens.

The remaining two were the Central Square and the Sad Festival.

“The central plaza is literally in the center of everything. So you can go anywhere from there. There are many merchants and a few normal restaurants. And… The sad festival is where the slave trader is. Merchandise is on display in the dungeon of the central circus arena.”

Saying that, Cheshire smiled and asked.

“Where do you want to go? Can’t we just look around and go?”

“Will it be time?”

“Don’t worry too much about this. It takes less than 30 minutes to visit the remaining two places. And if you go into a twisted alley, it only takes 15 to 20 minutes to find the door. How is it? That’s enough.”

Now that I had a guide, I had a corner to get out of this crazy space.

But if you ask me if I can completely trust this mysterious neon mask, it’s not.

Honestly, who can I trust in this strange place? Still, you can’t blindly deny that you don’t believe it. For now, I just hope that Cheshire isn’t a madman.

I just believed in Indicron and Carshinax, who were silent and silent.

Two goddesses are my lords, who should I believe in them?

“Let’s go where the slave dealer is.”

“Good. Don’t let go of my hand while I’m on the move If it bounces off, it’s annoying to go looking for it!”

I grabbed Cheshire’s outstretched hand.

“Then..! To the place of festival!”

The moment Cheshire opens the entrance to the drug store, Drug and Rush.

Sooooo!!!

I feel like my body is being sucked into something, and we are standing in a completely different place than before.

“Abandoned.. Amusement park..?”

It was a very old and old… No one’s amusement park blocked by a black ceiling.

“Isn’t it spooky? Let’s go.”

I quickly let go of Cheshire’s hand and followed him.

Even though there was no one in the amusement park, the machines were running wildly.

And sparsely, in a place where no one thought there was anyone, shapes like black shadows, indistinguishable from whether they were human or biracial, were caught in the field of vision as if they were passing by and disappeared in an instant.

“Don’t watch too much. Because they are shy guys. If you stare too hard, you’ll hurt me. If it sticks, it’s hard to break.”

“Ah, yes…”

I decided to just look at Cheshire’s boots and walk.

Still, there is someone who gives me some tips, so I feel a little relieved.

Flutter..!

Cheshire soon arrived in front of the circus, opened the entrance and went inside.

“Hey! It’s me!”

The audience at the circus arena was full of mannequins.

The mannequins, who are persistently smiling broadly, are very reluctant and ominous, so I naturally feel depressed.

“Don’t make a fuss, Cheshire.”

Soon, the floor in the middle of the circus arena went off, the entrance opened, and a man dressed as a clown walked out.

He was dressed as a crying clown, and he took one look at Cheshire, expressionless, and then he turned his gaze to me and said in a sullen voice:

“You come with a guide. He’s not funny. Follow me.”

Saying so, he went downstairs.

“Swimming. Did you feel offended? You must be embarrassed to come with me because you were trying to make a joke.”

Cheshire giggled as if laughing at a clown and went downstairs.

The basement that they followed down was full of iron cages where people of all races were confined.

And their screams and the smell of manure made it hard to breathe.

“Hey. Are you not managing properly?”

“Never mind. I am the owner of this place.”

“Under. A monstrous guy who only cares about collecting people. If you capture it, is that the end?”

The clown ignored Cheshire’s words and asked me.

“There are four products. Pick one. There is only one.”

I nodded at his words.

Then I looked at the four slaves trembling in front of me. She was naked, not wearing a single thread.

“Start introducing yourself.”

As the slave trader swung his whip on the floor as if for a show, the man on the far left of the four who were trembling opened his mouth.

“My name is Creton… A great warrior. Good strength work well If you let me live… I will serve you for the rest of my life.”

A bearded old man with a cow’s horn on his head bowed his head. The shivering was the appearance of barely holding back the shame.

It may definitely help increase power, but… The furry man feels a bit repulsive.

“This guy costs 34,000 coins. Then next.”

A clown slave trader who wields a whip in an emotionless voice.

The fish-woman who was trembling next to Creton started to introduce herself startled.

“I-I! Kessia!! Uh… So yes! Oceanian female warrior! It is especially strong in the water, and it lays eggs.. Because the eggs are nutritious..”

His stuttering looks a bit crazy, but his appearance is quite eye-catching.

It’s kind of mysterious. And the sea blue skin felt very smooth and elastic.

“This year’s price is 27,000 coins. Then next.”

Of course, even so, she is less beautiful than the next slave.

“I am Merhere. Fallen angel. Lost all powers. All I have is this wretched body. No wings or halo. And I don’t even want to live anymore. So take care of yourself, stranger.”

A tall woman glaring at me coldly.

I am not short, but taller than me. I think it will be close to 190.

And her voluptuous breasts, explosive silence followed, and, most of all, beautiful platinum hair.

I felt the urge to be held in my arms. However, the moment I heard the price, I folded my mind.

“It costs sixty-eight thousand coins.”

They say it’s a fallen angel and it’s filthy expensive. I don’t know if I can survive, but…

“Then the last.”

The last still looked like a young boy.

“Heeep.. Uh, mom…”

“You don’t introduce yourself right away!”

Aww!!

The clown hit the crying boy on the back with a whip.

Then, the tearful face of the boy, who had seemed innocent to the world, was distorted like a demon, and the place was filled with deadly murder and venom.

“OMG!! Fuck this!!! Fucking clown!! Can’t you see I’m acting!!! Shit! Wow.”

He spat on the floor and started to introduce himself.

“What are you looking at! Even after all this, he is an 80-year-old half-foot. Okay! Whoa. Shit.. To a human.. His name is Lowe. He is good at pickpocketing, picking locks, disarming traps, and theft in general. If you buy it, it will be useful.”

After the introduction, Low did not hesitate on the floor.

“This guy is 40,000 coins.”

All four slaves were introduced. Everyone is heterogeneous. Who to choose…

At that time, the slave trader spoke in his characteristic emotionless voice to me who was in trouble.

“Now, take your pick.”

I instinctively checked my watch and looked around at the four different races.