The Black Market

The Black Market.

In the place they called the black market, every kind of goods changed hands — even treasures so rare and precious that slaves and ordinary players were not permitted so much as a look. They would sell the title of an entire kingdom, if it came to that. There was nothing you could not find. The market was vast enough that a claim like that was simply taken for granted.

Coming in through the entrance, Yujun could not help but stare. Whoa…… why are there so many players? Most of them, moreover, were equipped to a remarkably high standard. Hero-grade is the baseline…… and Legendary pieces keep turning up, too.

Of course, almost no one was plastered head to toe in Legendary-grade items the way he was. Even if someone owned that many, wearing them openly in a place like this would pull every eye onto them, and that attention would be more burden than boast. There were surely people who enjoyed being looked at that way. Even so…… this doesn't look safe.

Guards stood packed shoulder to shoulder, but they were nowhere near the caliber of the highest-ranked players. He noticed something else as well. Nothing at all was on display in the Black Market — a precaution against theft, no doubt.

Yujun walked the market without a pause. It was so large that simply making a full circuit took an age. Where do they actually trade items? The place ran around the clock, so he ought to be able to buy or sell right now. He had a guess: a building screened off behind a great tent, guarded more tightly than anywhere else.

As he approached, the guards stepped into his path, just as he had expected.

"Honored customer. What business brings you?"

"I came to sell an item."

"Might I see your token?"

Yujun turned over the wooden token in his hand and showed it to them. The guard gave it a glance and nodded.

"Confirmed. Please wait a moment."

The process of getting inside ate up a good deal of time. Because there are so many people in there? Only after waiting some ten minutes was Yujun allowed through the tent.

Once inside, the space felt even larger than it had from without. From every direction came the sound of players haggling over goods. Messenger chat was a perfectly good way to deal, but the nature of a black market meant exchanges through the messenger were not exactly brisk.

The moment he stepped in, a short man came up to him — a man whose long handlebar mustache was impossible to miss.

"Might I see your token?"

"Here."

"A wooden token. No record of prior transactions…… so this is your first time?"

"I was told the token gets exchanged once you trade items."

"But of course."

"Is there a set amount?"

"Complete a transaction of three hundred thousand points or more, and you may receive a token of copper."

"And the one after that?"

"One million five hundred thousand points. The bronze token, sir."

"And after that?"

The mustached man pinched his eyes for a moment, then broke into a bright smile.

"Honored customer. Let us begin by registering your information."

"What comes after the bronze token?"

When Yujun pressed the question with stubborn persistence, the man answered as if he had no choice.

"……The silver token. You must trade ten million points or more."

Having gotten what he wanted, Yujun nodded.

"How do I register?"

"You would not be registering your true information. You need only tell me the alias you will use each time you favor this market with your business. Transaction records can be viewed by our staff alone, so you may rest entirely at ease."

"Fine. I can choose the alias myself, I assume?"

"That is correct."

"Then make it Wandering Knight."

"Wandering Knight. Very good, sir."

He had deliberately chosen a name that made him cringe. He was inventing a fictional character — someone with his usual personality would never use a name like that.

"Would you care to proceed with a transaction at once?"

"Who do I show the items I want to get rid of?"

"That would be for you to decide, Sir Wandering Knight. You may conduct the sale yourself, or you may show the goods to me and entrust me with a proxy sale. I must note, however, that the seller's alias cannot be kept secret."

"Then I'll leave the selling to you."

"Understood. Might I see the items you wish to sell?"

Yujun opened his inventory. Selling a weapon would be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the smart play. Of any single item, weapons fetched the highest price, and his inventory wanted for nothing — spears, axes, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swords, bows, whips, sabers. Among them, he found one that would do. A Legendary-grade shield.

A shield was, admittedly, a stretch to call a weapon. It came with no attack power of its own. Still, it could be used as one: you could shove an opponent back, or swing the shield itself and strike. A shield's real advantage doesn't show itself when you use it to attack.

Back in War of the Gods, death only meant respawning, so few people bothered with shields. They were still rare now — not because shields were unpopular, but because there was no stock. A shield was one of those precious pieces of equipment you could want with all your heart and still be unable to buy. You can pair one with a one-handed weapon, so people lose their minds when there aren't any.

The reason Yujun himself had never used one was that the basic shield items demanded a high equip level, and he simply wasn't used to them. Use a Rainbow Sticker, and I could equip a shield now too…… Even so, he had the feeling that taking one up at this point might do him more harm than good. It was the Swordsmanship trait. That trait reached its full power only when he held nothing but a sword, and Yujun knew it in his body. He had felt it.

In any case, he owned several of those supposedly rare shields. He would put one of them up here in the Black Market.

An option that warded off status ailments and stacked as it went. For a Legendary-grade item, it was neither especially unusual nor something he could call outstanding. But if that option was attached to a shield, it was a different story. Shields rarely came with good options at all. This much was something to be grateful for.

Yujun handed the mustached man a shield the size of an adult man's torso.

"A shield? This is a shield, sir?"

"As you can see."

"One moment, if you please."

The mustached man hurriedly examined the item's information. It was not long before his narrow eyes went round.

"A Legendary-grade shield…… You have brought us a truly precious article."

"Obviously. I don't handle inferior goods."

Yujun was playing a fictional persona. The words could easily sound arrogant. That was exactly what he was aiming for. If nothing else, the way I talk should make it hard to guess who I am.

The mustached man, who had been inspecting the shield from every angle, spoke again.

"Belated as it is, allow me to introduce myself. I am called Yoric."

The man — Yoric — bent at the waist. Yujun kept his face blank and nodded.

"For an article such as this, I should think an auction the wiser course…… What is your view?"

"Whatever. So long as the points come in heavy, I don't care."

"Certainly. An item of Sir Wandering Knight's would profit far more at auction."

The mustached man, Yoric, stole a glance at Yujun's expression, then went on.

"Might there be further items you wish to sell? A seller's name, you see, has its own effect upon the price. Buyers tell themselves that if this person is selling it, they may purchase with confidence. In that fashion."

"You're saying I ought to put up more goods?"

"Not precisely. Taking one's time is preferable, of course. What I wish to know is whether more such items rest in Sir Wandering Knight's inventory."

Put simply, Yoric was asking whether Yujun had the means to keep selling. Yujun nodded without a moment's hesitation.

"Not merely similar. I've got better items stacked up. All you have to do is sell them properly."

"Understood."

Yoric sensed at once that the man before him was not simply puffing himself ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up. That ease was not something you could put on. Another VIP client. Yoric smiled to himself.

There was a separate hall set aside for auctions, and it was the most popular place in the whole Black Market. The reason was simple. Watching alone was entertainment enough. Plenty of people came to the auction house just to look at expensive items, without buying or selling a thing.

The building called a colosseum to mind — though it was far more modern than any real colosseum, and much better equipped.

"Anything today?"

"Two Legendary-grade items came out the day before yesterday. That's probably why it's especially packed."

"Don't get your hopes up. Days like that are incredibly rare."

"Still, if even one Legendary-grade item shows up, you get a good show out of the day."

"And how often does that happen? Even when something Legendary does hit the block, the equip requirement is so low the options disappoint you more often than not."

"True…… Even Hero-grade gear takes an absurd amount of suffering if you want it matched to your level."

"Gear that fits your level is worth pouring your entire fortune into."

"Think any high-level equipment will even show up today?"

"Now, now. Let's be patient. The host will be out soon enough to tell us."

Players of every sort had gathered, and the place was a roar. Yujun, seated where Yoric had placed him, tilted his head. His seat was in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the very front — and walled off behind glass, at that.

"Why am I sitting apart from everyone else?"

"Customers who have registered goods always sit here. When Sir Wandering Knight's item comes up later, you will need to go up onto the platform with me."

"So that's why they put me in the nearest seat?"

"Yes, sir."

"Hmm…… Not bad."

It was the seat with the best view of the items. If something he liked went up, he meant to jump straight into the bidding. Only after I've sold my own item, though…… Right now he was short on points, and there was a good chance he couldn't buy what he wanted. Should I just put more items up?

Yujun turned to Yoric, seated beside him.

"Can I register more goods in the middle of an auction?"

"……Mm. That privilege is reserved for VVIP customers. Sir Wandering Knight still holds a wooden token, so it is not possible."

"What's the bar for VVIP?"

"Once your token is renewed to gold, you are added to the VVIP list."

"A gold token. How much do I have to trade before it renews to that?"

"Five hundred million points."

"……That's considerable."

The bar for a gold token was quite high. No wonder they called it VVIP. But earning one was not purely difficult, either. If you had the items players wanted, you could make points without limit — and Yujun had items like that. I'll have to stay at the auction house for a few days and gather points.

Reaching VVIP. That was the goal. First I should see what prices today's items actually sell for. And get a look at their quality.

A leisurely smile touched Yujun's lips.