Wizard: Adventures in Two Worlds-Chapter 386 - 151 Blacksmith and City Lord
Carl, holding an old pocket watch, revealed a satisfied smile. I was just worrying about how to get in, and then someone delivered the key right to my doorstep. I didn’t lie to him, though. Ordinary people who enter the Dark Market are just treated as food and eaten. By giving it to me, at least it could be exchanged for some money.
The pocket watch emitted a crisp CLICK, indicating the entrance’s location.
Carl turned and stepped toward the wall to his side, his body disappearing as if sinking into water. At the same time, a faint aura of Spirit Light emerged from the pocket watch, enveloping him.
To enter the Dark Market, one needed a special token, a token that would indicate the entrance’s location each time the market opened; this worn-out pocket watch was precisely one such token.
His vision blurred for a moment, and then the scenery suddenly changed.
The outside world was approaching dusk, the sky growing dark. But here, it was as bright as day; the light source was the multitude of stars spanning the sky, not the blazing sun.
The Star Realm! Yes and no.
Carl could feel that certain restrictions were still in place here; a Wizard’s spiritual power couldn’t easily harness the Star Realm Energy. But at the same time, this was no longer the human world; certain ’Laws’ seemed to bind his very flesh.
"CROAK... CROAK..." a voice rasped. "Welcome to the Dark Market!"
A flower resembling a sunflower stretched its slender stem out from the side, offering Carl an obsequious smile. Its disk, where seeds should have been, was instead a woman’s face, the gaps between her teeth still holding shreds of flesh.
When Carl’s gaze fell upon it, the female face promptly extended its tongue, licked its teeth clean, and swallowed the fleshy bits, chewing them meticulously. Beneath the flower lay several tattered garments and a few white bones.
A Flesh-Eating Flower! One of the Dark Market’s wardens.
The surrounding thicket concealed who knew how many such creatures. Having starved for a year, they would pick out any ordinary people who strayed into the market and devour them to sate their hunger. If that young man from before had entered, his remains would now be among those beneath the Flesh-Eating Flower’s stem.
"Please remember," the Flesh-Eating Flower rasped. "The use of force is forbidden in the Dark Market; otherwise, you’ll be expelled by the power of the Law. As for where you go... well, so far, not a single expelled person has returned.
"The buildings of Third Street and the Six Houses are also forbidden zones. Of course, if you insist on entering, you may—as long as you’re not worried about being unable to get out.
"Furthermore, do not stray from the market’s bounds. No one can guarantee what you might encounter out there. Perhaps even a blessing from a Divine, CROAK... CROAK..."
The Flesh-Eating Flower let out a frog-like, strange laugh, as if flaunting its sense of humor.
"And above all, never anger Gando the blacksmith. His hammer can easily smash you into pulp. He’s the only one in this market allowed to fight."
The flower seemed to muse to itself, Or perhaps he’s human?
"Anyway," it continued, bowing its ’head’ respectfully, "I hope you find something worthwhile in the market."
Carl proceeded onward.
Beyond the dense thicket where the Flesh-Eating Flowers resided, three diverging paths appeared before Carl. Each path ended with a street.
A signpost was planted in the middle, with three signs nailed to it.
The sign pointing left bore a vivid rose—the mark of the Bloodthirsty Rose.
The Bloodthirsty Rose! An Otherworld organization, similar to a Holy Hall. Its leader is said to be a Vampire who stalks the night, with origins tied to a fallen Divine. They specialize in weapons that drain life force and various other magical artifacts.
The sign on the right was engraved with a hammer—the mark of Gando the blacksmith. This individual was a permanent resident of the Dark Market; no one knew how long he had lived or the true extent of his strength. There were even rumors that the Dukes permitted the Dark Market’s existence precisely because Gando resided there.
The middle sign was carved with a stack of books, the mark of the Sages, though that particular Sage had long since vanished. The Vampire, the blacksmith, and the Sage—they founded the Dark Market, but now only one of them remained.
After some thought, Carl took the path on the right. He was curious about Gando the blacksmith, likely a survivor from the War of the Gods. Furthermore, according to Boken’s memories, Gando wasn’t dangerous.
Proceeding a short distance, a street choked with weeds and flanked by derelict houses came into view. Some houses had been claimed, their occupants displaying various goods at the entrances.
Dark Elves from the territory of Duke Joe—children of the night, inherently cruel and bloodthirsty.
A hunchbacked old man stood behind several birdcages, hawking loudly, "Just three thousand jin of essence meat, and they’re yours!"
The cages contained no birds but palm-sized elves. Unlike the pure elves described in books, these had pitch-black skin, sharp fangs, and claws, and they relentlessly battered the bars of their cages. Their wings beat into blurs as they thrashed about, colliding with the cage walls, not stopping even when covered in wounds. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
Given their evident speed and sharp claws, if released, they could easily annihilate a small war squad. To capture them alive... even a Great Knight would have to exert considerable effort.
"Soul Shards!" a figure shrouded in a pitch-black cloak announced from a doorway. Before him floated clusters of dancing soul shards. "Knight-level soul shards, one thousand jin of essence meat! Great Knight soul shards, five thousand jin of essence meat!"
"Tamed Mountain Ogre Giant, strength comparable to a peak Great Knight! Only eight thousand jin of essence meat!"
"Special Dharma Seal: Burning Hands! Not a supreme-grade seal, but its power is formidable! Price..."
Carl continued onward, his expression impassive, but inwardly, he was quite startled.
