Chapter 96 – 96. The Black Market Revisited (3)
As we hurriedly followed Cheshire into the circus arena, the clown naturally walked up to the basement as if he had been waiting for us.
He held a cigarette in his left hand and a whip dripping with blood in his right. Had he been beating slaves with that whip just before?
Seeing the blood splattered all over his face and body, it seems fitting.
As I observed him, the clown smiled and said to me,
“Here again. Even with a damn guide…”
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not. The clown didn’t like the fact that I came with Cheshire. It seemed that they couldn’t kick us out as guests, but he let out a deep sigh and guided us to the basement.
“It’s still dirty.”
“Joy.”
When Cheshire came downstairs and waved his hand as if he smelled it, the clown slaver only snorted at him without replying. Then Cheshire fired one more time as if he was in a bad mood.
“A beast. Get rid of it and live.”
“I don’t think I came here to argue. And don’t worry.”
Soon both were speechless. I looked around in the silence. But today I was relaxed enough to look closely at the iron bars.
As expected, the basement of the circus arena was full of cages where slaves were confined. In the tightly packed iron bars, different races were trapped and screaming.
‘All races are imprisoned…’
Among them, irregular creatures such as frogmen and slimes were wriggling. Literally, it seemed that all intelligent bodies were captured and imprisoned. It was like watching a distorted menagerie of a mentally ill man obsessed with the obsession to collect them all by race.
What I don’t like even more is that it’s just left unattended. All sorts of smells simmered in the cages filled with sick and tasteless slaves. It was just collected like a child, but not managed at all. Some of the slaves were spread out on the bars as if they had already died. For some reason, there were no worms on the dead bodies.
‘They’re running really arbitrarily.. Cheshire deserves something to say.’
I frowned in disgust. It’s not because they’re pitiful. I’m just going to use this place a few more times in the future, because if I manage the slaves like that, I’ll end up having to buy one of them. If you have any kind of disease, you may end up buying it unknowingly and being disappointed. Or they might have great powers, but they might die and disappear before they fall into my hands.
Honestly, I wish they paid a little more attention to the slaves. It must be in good condition to be worth buying. It’s just a pity that the clown doesn’t seem to have any interest in the business. It was when he was walking into the basement storage while watching Cheshire’s back as he was walking ahead.
Suddenly, one of the iron bars to my right rattled. And I heard what sounded like a woman’s scream.
She wanted something. She turned her head and saw a woman shaking the bar in a fit of panic. After attracting my attention, she recognized that I was looking at her and immediately shouted at me.
“I! Hey!! Everything, you…! I’m Korean! Last time I heard you speak!! You speak Korean! I am Korean too!! Please get me out of here!!! I can’t stand this any longer!! Please take me out!! I will do anything!!”
I stared at the woman. Then the clown who was walking ahead asked me in a coy voice.
“Why, are you curious?”
“I am a little curious.”
“Then shall we show that bitch as a product? I’m a human with no powers, but I still want to save him. It’s good that I’m selling useless bad stock. Would you like to raise my crush?”
“No. All right.”
I don’t need a human without any ability. Not very pretty It didn’t seem worth saving.
“Wait a minute!! Don’t just go, please help me!! Hey!! Get me out of here!!! I… I’m good! Would you feel great? Hey!!”
“Do not be quiet!”
When the woman screamed at me, the clown swung the whip she was holding. The whip flew right at the woman, as if it had an ego. It was much longer than it looked.
– Aww!!
“OMG!!!”
The flesh from the whipped area was torn and blood gushed out. The woman screamed and wrapped her hands around her wound. Then she crawled over the edge of the bars and shrugged her shoulders and began to tremble.
Seeing that, I suddenly wondered how that woman had been imprisoned here.
“But why was that woman brought here?”
“The devils sold them very cheaply. It looks like you made a strange contract with them. This is the place where he finally arrived after selling his own children. What a stupid year Still, if you’re a devil worshiper, it’ll come in handy. You’re pregnant with a devil’s child. It is perfect for use as a living sacrifice.”
“Her…”
As soon as I heard that the demons sold out, I turned her nerves off from that woman. Moreover, when he heard that he had sold his children, even the slightest curiosity was completely quelled.
If a person is related to demons, he must be a person possessed by demons or a person who made a strange contract with demons and was tricked into falling here. He foolishly fell for the whispers of the devil and threw his children and his fate into the pit, so he is not worthy of pity. Moreover, she conceived the devil’s child. I can’t even guess what the hell it will be. What kind of Omen’s Damien is born?
As I was thinking such a strange thought, the jester stopped and showed me the slaves.
“Now, today’s recommended menu. Just pick one.”
Again, naked slaves stood in front of me. I asked the slave traders first before receiving their self-introductions.
“Um… Do I really have to pick just one?”
“Okay. Can’t hand over more than one person. Well, the story will be different if I bring an intelligent body that is likely to be in my heart. You should be able to bring up to two people then.”
“It’s an intelligent body you like… Ordinary humans won’t even look at it.”
“Was it unusual? Or was it special? Don’t suffer for nothing, just pick one person, unless you see something special.”
“Yes..”
I’ve figured out a way to buy up to 2 of them, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to get the odd, special, distinctive human the clown wants. Even if you save it, I don’t think I can give you a slave dealer because it’s a waste.
‘I guess I’ll just have to buy one.’
I gave up all my thoughts and decided to just pick the best one out of the four.
“There. Introduce yourself first.”
At the slave trader’s words, one of the slaves who was waiting shuddered and began to introduce himself.
He was a grumpy old man. The moment he saw his body trembling, he had an idea of where to use this old woman.
“I… I’m Hellus… A 2nd class alchemist at the alchemy workshop… Making everything except the elixir…”
“For a moment. What?”
“Yes..?”
What did this crazy old man just say?
Alchemist?
“Are you the player?”
“Oh… That’s not even possible… I’m just an old alchemist…”
Unfortunately, Hellus was not a noble player. That meant that he was not an alchemist with skills, but a real alchemist.
“Is it really possible to brew potions?”
“Yes, of course.. As long as you have enough ingredients.. Even if you can’t make an elixir, you can make anything.. If you give me the ingredients and time…”
He’s not a mad scientist, but he’ll make the potion you want if you give him the ingredients and time. I couldn’t help but cringe.
‘It’s pretty good…’
It was a little disappointing that she was an old alchemist rather than a beautiful witch, but in a way, it doesn’t sound too bad since she is an old alchemist.
And if you’re an alchemist who can make potions, it’s sure to be useful somewhere. In addition, Heesun noona is using her skills to grow vitality plants in a corner of the rooftop, so maybe we can make something out of them.
“I understand for now. Slavery. What is the price of this inspiration?”
“This old man is 40,000.”
After checking the coins I had, I asked the slave dealer in a hint.
“I’m an old man, but I wonder if it’s too expensive..”
“It’s even cheaper than this. 40,000 is because I don’t think I can live for 10 years at the longest. If you were young, it would be 80,000.”
“Huh…”
Price bargaining didn’t work. Because it was already on sale for a low price.
Once I replied that I knew.
“Next. About Me.”
“Kehehe. I’m Mallock He is a master of digging. Even the smell of minerals is amazing.”
The second was a mole man. Unfortunately, she didn’t have anything to dig the tunnel for, so she just moved on. In fact, I was less attracted to him than an alchemist.
“I am Einkea. Highly resistant to poison, disease, and curses. And you can serve the night well. Buy it, human. I will give birth to your offspring for the rest of my life without asking or questioning.”
The third was a female lizard man with a tongue that stretched out. Her eyes, which slit vertically across her green scale-covered body, were worrisome. She even winks at me, perhaps trying to seduce me. In addition, she was able to attend the night well, but she passed because her appearance made her slump just by looking at it.
“This is the last one. About Me.”
“Keuheum.. I am Loran. It was a knight of the royal guard of a defeated country. Now, as you can see, it’s not worth it. If you give me a sword, I can even cut the dragon’s head.”
The last one was a man with long scars on his face. His short-cropped hair gave off a soldier-like feel.
“The price of this guy is 10,000. My nickname is Braggart Loran.”
“Now, wait… Don’t interfere with business. Big hum. Yes, I am the doppelganger Loran. The appearance can be changed freely. For men only.”
Loran swept his face once and he turned into a face just like mine. It seemed like a pretty great ability.
‘The price is also 10,000 coins… Hmm…’
I finally decided to buy the Alchemist. Roran, who can change his face at will, a mole man who is good at digging tunnels, and an active Lizardman were okay, but the old alchemist seemed to be needed the most.
Soon the clown came out with a slave contract. He had the contract reviewed by Cheshire before he signed it. It was only after he was confirmed that there was nothing wrong with him that he was able to sign.
The clown sold simple clothes this time for two thousand coins. I bought it because I can’t take an old man around naked. It’s because looking at the wrinkly skin, it didn’t look good.
The clothes given to the old man were a worn-out brown robe and a bird’s-beak mask like a plague doctor would wear. Dressed like this, I was a little surprised, like a crazy fanatic.
“Once you’ve bought everything, go out.”
“I was thinking of leaving without saying anything. Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
We went out of the basement as if we were being kicked out. After we all got out, the clown who was about to close the door to the cellar spoke to me insinuatingly.
“Next time you come alone. I’ll show you better guys. Don’t you like girls?”
“Ah, yes…”
I like women, but I will never come alone. I’d rather have Cheshire by my side, even if the quality is a little off. She might come alone and be captured by him like the Korean woman who was caught earlier.
Especially since I’m a servant of evil spirits and a half-man, I’m probably the kind of special and distinctive product the clown wants, so I vowed never to come here alone.
When I didn’t react very well, the slave trader clicked his tongue and slammed the entrance to the cellar. As soon as he was sure he was gone, Cheshire started chewing on the slave trader.
“Crazy boy. That guy is a psycho, so once you catch an eye on someone, you have to put them in an iron cage. You never know what will happen to you if you come alone.”
“Yes, I know. I will always come with Cheshire.”
Haha! Okay. It should be Then, let’s go to the central plaza!”
I grabbed Cheshire’s hand. Hellas, an old alchemist, was suddenly caught by Cheshire by the necklace and teleported to the central square.
“Oh.. So many people..”
“Right? This is what a normal, usual central square looks like.”
Floors made of the fur of unknown creatures and strange buildings with various architectural styles jumbled together. And even the obelisks and pillars erected here and there. The central square was a place crowded with non-human beings in a strangely bright and cheerful atmosphere.
The last time I came, the underground guards appeared and all the street vendors withdrew and all the shops were closed, but today the shops were open as if there were no problems.
It is like a night market at night.
“There is a lot to eat. There are many things to see. Shall we go sightseeing together for a while?”
I checked my watch. Not even an hour has passed yet. It was because Cheshire was in such a hurry that he was able to get things done quickly.
‘There are more than 3 hours left, so I can play a bit.’
Above all, Cheshire looked so excited that it was hard to refuse. He should be able to return home without difficulty if he returns to the twisted alley from about an hour later and finds the door.
Because last time Cheshire said if he found the door with him, he’d be able to find the doorway in half an hour at the latest.
“Hehe. It would be nice to play with Cheshire.”
“Ok, fine! Let’s have a lot of fun!”
“Uh… Over there… This place is…”
As we were excited about going on a date with Cheshire in the central square, the old man who had been following us looked around and asked in a fearful voice. He was quite shocked by the sight of strange-looking bipeds walking around.
“Hmm… Inspiration.”
“Uh.. Yes..”
“I’m taking a break over there.”
“Yes..?”
Cheshire, who was staring at the old alchemist, pointed with his finger at a building in the central square and said.
The signboard of the building had some strange characters written on it, but there was a picture of a human being on a leash. From my point of view, the place was roughly like a pet dog hotel. Human version.
“Uh… Uh…”
Hellas, who is being dragged away by us without being able to speak.
A one-eyed, bald man, about three meters tall, was sitting in a store without an entrance.
“What? Which of the two do you want to entrust?”
“Here is this inspiration.”
“It’s five hundred coins an hour. Advance payment.”
I held out my wrist to the one-eyed giant and paid for the generous 3 hours.
When the payment was complete, Hellas was put on a leash around his neck and taken to a room with a bed and a small toilet. Looking around, there were pet humans trapped everywhere. It was like an inhuman alien prison.
“Well then, shall we go out to play?”
“Yes.”
Afterwards, I wandered around the central square along Cheshire. I also ate some weird-looking cephalopods. He also enjoyed crazy street games where he threw darts at living dwarfs and killed them. As a prize, I received a star-shaped doll with an eyeball in the center, but I just gave it to Cheshire as a gift.
“It’s a cute gift from a cute human being. I am happy about this.”
Regardless of how cute the doll is, Cheshire, who received the doll as a gift, seemed very happy. That’s it.
After enjoying her date with her for about an hour, we sat side by side on a bench in front of her fountain spouting red water.
‘Certainly that… It’s not blood…’
The red liquid spouting from the fountain seemed to be human blood with a high probability. Thinking about it makes me feel a bit fishy.
Just as I was contemplating whether to move due to the unpleasant smell of blood, Cheshire leaned lightly on my shoulder and spoke to me.
“It’s the first time in my life that I’ve had a normal date like this. There are few people in this town you can trust. I’ve never been so comfortable walking around with someone.”
“Ah.. That’s right.”
“Huh. You are very comfortable The body smells good too. More than anything, I like it because it’s weaker than me.”
“Her…”
It’s good to be weak This is another fresh confession.
“So… For the rest of the time… Would you like to spend some time together at my residence?”
“Yes..?”
Cheshire’s house… She was inviting me over to her house.
I casually checked my watch. 2 hours and 10 minutes left. Until you set out to find the door. So, I can play with her for about an hour and a half.
“Great.”
“Haha.. I knew that.”
Cheshire gently rubbed my chest.
I crossed arms with Cheshire and headed for her quarters.