Chapter 20: The Black Market Dungeon
A dungeon?? Did the black market just casually use a dungeon— calm down, maybe it was a cleared, empty dungeon used for the market...
But Lucien had just calmed down and took a step forward when a pair of golden eyes suddenly snapped open in the void.
A majestic voice echoed softly in a place no one could see or hear.
—An interesting newcomer. To be able to influence my territory to this extent...
The gender neutral voice chuckled as a strange pressure slowly swept over Lucien, scanning him from head to toe.
Lucien’s body froze— not because he was afraid but because he really couldn’t move!
A bead of sweat slowly trickled down Lucien’s face as he felt an emotionless gaze staring at him from somewhere.
It felt like they were staring straight into his soul.
What...what is this...
The dungeon boss? The black market owner?
Soon, the strange pressure disappeared, but Lucien could still feel a sticky gaze lingering on his body, watching from somewhere he couldn’t see.
Lucien swallowed, his body trembled.
F-fck, fck, fck. Why is this black market so strange?!
Lucien hadn’t even snapped out of his shock when the void around started to twist and a few figures covered in black robes from head to toe came out of it.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The newcomers also stood still for a few seconds like Lucien before they moved forward leisurely, their robes fluttering with ease.
Must be regulars.
Even when the newcomers covered their appearance tightly, Lucien could feel the fierce and bloody aura bursting out of their bodies.
F-rank...no, maybe higher.
And Lucien noticed that everyone was tightly covered while he came with casual clothing, his face bare.
Is it too late to turn around and leave now?
Lucien hugged the box in his arm tighter as he quietly straightened his back and walked behind the group.
His steps were light and casual, as if he was just strolling the back garden.
’Calm down, calm down. Act as if this isn’t my face and I’m a regular!’
As Lucien’s dignity came back, his Landlord’s aura slowly soared.
An invisible pressure emitted from Lucien’s body, subtle but lingering.
The group of newcomers ahead keenly noticed the heavy presence of the person behind them.
Influenced by Land Affinity’s passive skill, the sense of dread coming from that person was multiplied several times.
Gulp.
D-rank hunter? No, maybe...maybe higher!
The group immediately walked faster into the distance and unaware Lucien finally saw the true appearance of the place he was in.
A vast sand-colored cave stretched far and wide, so vast that he couldn’t see the end of it.
Dim orange-yellow lights shone upon the place, but the light only illuminated some parts of the dungeon as the rest was shrouded in a black mist.
Trapped in the middle of the towering cave wall was a huge "city" with maze-like streets and faint, blurry silhouettes of buildings.
So...big.
Is this really just a black market? Is this not a high-level dungeon that hasn’t been cleared yet??
Lucien didn’t dare to think about the latter thoughts.
He just held his breath and finally stepped outside of the starting point.
The solid, dark ground before slowly changed to a soft, flesh-colored ground.
Lucien treaded carefully, his feet sank every time he stepped forward.
Throb. Throb.
The ground throbbed subtly, moving up and down.
It felt like walking on a breathing...flesh.
Lucien shuddered at the thought and quickened his pace, entering the nearest street around him.
A white mist twisted and wriggled in front of the street, forming two words—
[Dungeon Material Street]
A street as wide as four cars side by side quickly appeared behind the swirling mist, stretching as far as Lucien could see.
Countless glowing domes were rooted to the ground on the left and right side, a few floated in the air leisurely.
The path in the middle was covered in strange liquids and scraps, so dark that one couldn’t see whether it was black soil or...something else.
Lucien’s figure quickly blended into the bustling street.
Swish.
A strong sour and bitter smell of sweat, blood and other odours immediately stabbed his nose.
Ugh....
Even Mumu, who lived in a slimy place, immediately regained consciousness, his blue face turning white!
Lucien could only pinch his nose as he looked around subtly.
"Welcome, welcome, new spider eggs freshly farmed just this morning!"
"Three-tails Cattail herb! Buy one get one free!"
"Shelled worm’s armoured skin! 90% intact!"
The merchants’ voices travelled far and wide amidst the hustle and hustle around.
At the middle road only as wide as two adult men, people’s robes grazed each other and their bodies would bump into strangers from time to time.
Someone passed by Lucien and their shoulders collided.
Before Lucien could even wince, a loud voice instantly exploded,
"Hey! Watch out, you bastard— "
Lucien lifted his head slightly and stared at the burly man silently. His purple eyes were as still as calm water.
The loud man subconsciously stiffened.
The burning anger that suddenly exploded in his heart cooled down in an instant.
An instinctive fear crept over his spine and he immediately looked away, walking past Lucien with quick steps, his mumble faintly drifted through the air.
"H-huh! Flaunting your strength? M-must be a newbie."
At those words, Lucien gripped the box tighter and suddenly doubted his decision.
Should he have stayed low-key instead?
But—
"Hey! You broke my ribs! Pay compensation!"
Another figure shrouded in a grey robe shouted not far from Lucien’s place and a skinny person with a weak presence immediately bowed tremblingly.
"I-I’m sorry, sir! I’m sorry!"
Ah, nah. He doesn’t want to be an easy pick for bastards like those people.
Lucien kept his aura intact as he slowly walked around the street.
Instead of entering the light domes, Lucien slowed down and observed silently.
From outside, it looked like he was picking goods casually.
Whenever Lucien passed by a light dome, he faintly felt a strange tension in the air.
"Hey, this is fair! What more do you want?"
A merchant slapped the wooden table full of purple eyeballs and a customer, whose face was covered by a hood, shook his head.
"It’s not fair enough. Lower the price to— "
Lucien instinctively looked away from the purple eyeballs.
It looked...so much like his eyes!
Another merchant not far away shouted in a shrill voice,
"Fair price! Fair price! You won’t be cheated! Come and try our slime cub’s essence! 100% real, sourced right from the slime dungeon!"
Mumu inside the box stiffened and immediately flipped over, pretending to be dead.
Mumu isn’t a slime! There’s no slime here!
Other voices, both male and female, started to mix in.
"Yoo, these Four-eyed Hounds’ meat and bones real? No imitation, yeah?"
"Real, real, I swear on my life, please don’t slander me! It’s all fair!"
"Fair trade— "
"The price is fair— "
Lucien keenly caught the words the merchants and the buyers uttered so many times.
Fair trade.
Is that...the market’s rule or something?
Let’s test it out.
Lucien slowly approached a nearby light dome.
Inside, a merchant in ragged clothes sat cross-legged in front of a fabric on the ground, the goods scattered messily on it.
When the merchant, dressed in shabby clothing, noticed someone approaching the dome, the merchant slowly lifted his head.
A pair of lifeless eyes suddenly lit up and a chilling smile rose.
"Welcome..."
A voice as hoarse as a sand gravel pierced through the dome and Lucien, who was about to enter the dome, subconsciously stiffened.
A faint trace of malice burst out of the merchant before disappearing as if nothing happened.
Lucien’s coward— no, his animal instinct instantly screamed loudly.
Something is wrong!