A Black Market LitRPG

Kyle headed back to the Oracle chamber himself. While he was seen leaving the palace, he still kept in contact with Orisa, explaining to her what she needed to do in sequence.

Pacifying the entire goblin population here in the Culdao Peaks was not going to be easy – but with the advanced capabilities of the A.I. and the puppet head that was Sahusa the Great, it made it easier for Kyle to implement an agricultural revolution.

However, first on the menu was stabilising the local area first. The rebel army was still occupying many parts of the valley, being the main domineering force that was still unaware that their leader Osir had already fallen.

Kyle decided to leave the cleanup to Orisa and Sasha. As for heading back into the Oracle Chambers, there was a few good reasons.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Announcement
[Sub-Class Upgrade (Level 20)]	Congratulations, sub-classes will be unlocked now Please wait

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Class Announcement
[Class Upgrade (Level 25)]	Congratulations, Unique Class will now be upgraded Please wait

The last time he had done a class upgrade was when he was level 10 – and it was an extremely painful process. If Kyle wanted to get the upgrades right now, he needed to do it somewhere out of sight and completely safe from any possible enemy attacks.

Kyle returned to the research lab, sighing as he sat back down in the chair. Now that he had seen how the hobgoblins and goblins had been experimented on, a burning question began to nag in his mind. How is the System conferring the skills onto me?

Regardless, the moment he thought about the sub-class upgrades, a new system message appeared.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Announcement
[Generating Sub-Classes]	Please Wait Please Wait

It better be good this time, and before I make a final choice, I should ask for the skills first. Kyle tapped his fingers impatiently, waiting for about a minute before the sub-class windows appeared.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Announcement
[Sub-Classes Generated]	All subclasses come with one class-unique skill at the start Please choose carefully

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Tycoon (Basic)]	Money makes the world go round Active Skills revolve around business acumen, persuasion and leadership

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Slave Driver (Basic)]	Seize the means of production into one hand Active Skills revolve around intimidation and manipulation

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Drug Cook (Basic)]	Mixing nature to get people high Active Skills revolve around the increased quality of drugs and a higher chance to learn new recipes

Kyle glanced through all of them, his face frowning. None of the subclasses generated seemed to be useful to him. He had learnt how powerful the System was when utilising his Crime Lord skills during combat – if he did not have such skills, he would have progressed much slower than he would have originally.

As such, neither of the three classes seemed to offer something that Kyle could not actively work towards himself. Weird. The Tycoon sub-class is entirely revolved around making money. Can the System manipulate rakels directly?

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Skill
[Rich Man’s World (Basic)]	Reduce the opposition people have towards your deals +50% Persuasion Success Chance Duration: Five minutes Cooldown: One day

So it seems that the skill is similar to the Intimidation Aura except inversed. Kyle did not find any interest in selecting such a subclass – he did not need the help of the System to persuade anybody. What he needed was a sub-class that actively boosted things that he was sorely lacking.

As such, the other two subclasses of Slave Driver and Drug Cook were also dismissed by him. If he really needed the System to support him in those areas, he would prefer to work towards a title instead of taking up a subclass slot. As of now, he had no idea if he could even revert any of the choices he has made or will make in the future.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Announcement
[Regenerating Sub-Classes]	Please Wait Please Wait

Another minute passed before another three windows appeared in front of him.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Inventor (Intermediate)]	Breaking the norm, one patent at a time Active Skills revolve around an increased chance to optimise new blueprints for invented parts

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Revolutionary (Intermediate)]	Move the people with a wave of your hand Active Skills revolve around crowd control and persuasion

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Poisoner (Basic)]	Mixing nature to kill people Active Skills revolve around poison and its applications

Kyle was not impressed with any of these sub-classes either. Why did he feel like the System was looking down on his capabilities and background as a former Galactic Era Crime Lord?

For one, he already knew how to improve many of the current inventions of this era - it was more of an issue with secrecy rather than with the inability to make new stuff.

Kyle also prided himself on his ability to lead or at least to use fear and power to control people. I used to rule an entire star sector! Why would the System think I need help persuading a small crowd?!

Lastly, poison was also nothing new – Kyle could already think of a few chemical mixtures that could kill someone with a small drop, no sub-class needed.

Seriously, can you show something more useful? Something I can’t do myself. And maybe show more than three this time.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Announcement
[Regenerating Sub-Classes]	Please Wait Please Wait

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Serial Killer (Advanced)]	Once you start, you can’t stop Active Skills revolve around increasing stats the more you kill within a given timeframe

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Pact Maker (Legendary)]	Enforces written contracts to a certain level Active Skills revolve around applying debuffs to signatories who do not adhere to the contract

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Tamer (Advanced)]	Even the animals shall be exploited Active Skills revolve around subjugating animals for various uses

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Mind Controller (Legendary)]	Manipulate the thoughts of others at will Active Skills revolve around the manipulation of thoughts and emotions

Kyle began to take more interest in the sub-classes shown. He immediately dismissed the Serial Killer subclass, which he considered useless. He did not need extra help killing multiple targets - he could easily invent a machine gun for that.

The Pact Maker subclass looked fairly interesting. Kyle was clear that the underworld contract was enforced by strength and reputation – many of the contracts served as proof of justice in the event one party decided to renegade on the terms. However, if one party had an overwhelming power advantage, the contract was completely unfair.

I could definitely use this to my advantage… Kyle decided to keep the Contract Dealer subclass in mind while he explored the others.

Tamer… sounds interesting. Kyle was not a human nor humanoid supremacist in anyway – the Galactic Era had taught him a simple rule: if it can work, it can be exploited. However, domesticating animals was not exactly extremely hard as well. Humans have been doing it for a long time, so Kyle did not see a clear need for it just yet.

Mind Controller had the most interest from Kyle. The ability to influence emotions… sounds similar to the First Apocalypse. Kyle would like to have this sub class, but it felt too similar to how he currently used the intimidation aura as well. Let’s keep this in mind first.

Store Pact Maker and Mind Controller as possible sub-classes. Show me the next set.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Announcement
[Regenerating Sub-Classes]	Please Wait Warning: Last Three Sub Classes for Selection

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Shadow (Legendary)]	From the shadows you strike Active Skills revolve around infiltration and self-concealment

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Manufacturer (Unique)]	Lead the Industrial Revolution Active Skills revolve around mass production and assembly lines Unique Class – Single Upgrade Track

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Sub-Class Generated
[Arcia Mystic (Unique)]	The flow of arcia energy is in your hands Active Skills revolve around the manipulation and understanding of engravings both physically and remotely Unique Class – Single Upgrade Track

Kyle was sitting on the edge of his seat now, his mind racing through all the possibilities now. The three sub-classes provided were clearly attuned to what he intended to achieve.

He recalled the plan he set out to achieve when he first arrived in Raktor:

1. Build a solid base/group of people to perform menial labour and reach a position preferably on the same level as his previous titles. Remain hidden from the big powers as much as possible.
2. Find a niche market to sell, preferably illegal, so as to exploit profit margins. Scale up and dominate the market, as well as ensure no competition.
3. Figure how the hell did he survive/woke up in another person’s body

Points 1 and 2 could have been said to have been slightly accomplished, with the addictive potions still being circulated through the Seven Snakes businesses along with their legal aboveground businesses of construction and media, with an upcoming weapons industry.

If he were still intending to follow the same plan, then Pact Maker or Manufacturer would be the best option. However, the Arcia Mystic class was far too alluring to give up simply. What’s the unique skill of the Arcia Mystic Class?

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Skill
[Negation Field (Basic)]	Disable all engravings in an area around you Disable all engravings in a five-meter radius Upgradable Duration: Ten minutes Cooldown: Three days

WHAT?! Kyle nearly lost his mind at how broken the skill was. It was a perfect duelling skill – combined with the skill This is My Turf, would he not be invincible for the overlapping duration?

Kyle calmed himself down, checking the Manufacturer’s unique skill.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Skill
[Mass Production Drones (Basic)]	Instantly gain knowledge on how to construct arctech drones Able to control up to five drones remotely Upgradable Duration: One hour Cooldown: One day

Kyle immediately selected the Arcia Mystic class as his subclass. The ability to create said drones could be easily developed from the ground up – Kyle already had a working example of a general-purpose A.I. such as Orisa to simply duplicate.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] WARNING
[Sub-class Integration Beginning]	Please find a safe location Please find a safe location

Before Kyle could even brace himself, the familiar sharp, sudden jabbing pain erupted at the nape of his neck. The fiery pain shot through the nerves, spine and bones like lightning, causing him to wince and fall off the chair, writhing in pain. How is this as painful as the main class upgrade?!

As he rolled around the floor, a million needles prickling his skin, he could feel the same foreign object in his body slicing away at his internal organs and underlying flesh, as though it was rearranging his vessels and blood flow, albeit in a brutal gruesome fashion.

[Sir, you seem to be experiencing severe distress.] Orisa’s holographic image appeared. [Symptoms include talking to oneself and undergoing extreme cramp cycles. Do you need me to play you some soothing music?]

Kyle grunted unintelligibly, unable to reply in coherent words as the pain continued to envelop his entire being. He began to struggle to keep awake, the continuous waves and bouts of pain nearly making him lose consciousness.

“Ti..tis is nuthin…” Kyle tried to speak to Orisa, nearly biting his own tongue off. The spasms caused his body to convulse on the floor, making him involuntarily hit his head against the edge of a gas tank before falling unconscious.