Chapter 80: Chapter 80

That was the question chewing on Xenos’s brain.

The moment came when he had to seriously reconsider his path.

So, again, he stood there, his hands behind his back, staring blankly at the sky.

Around him, most of the people had gone, either back home or to undertake a quest.

They left him to reflect in quiet.

He was officially a Priest now, one of the fastest to ever reach it.

And yet, he didn’t feel any different; his clothes were still cheap, and his pouch was still heartbreakingly empty.

’To become a Shepherd, huh...’

Level thirty—that was the target.

And it wasn’t even that far, about fifteen hundred ’experience’ away.

He could practically taste it, but that was where the real problem started.

It was the key that unlocked the next stage.

Most Runebearers would get stuck there permanently.

It was supposed to be the class where one’s body began to manifest their Runes, embodying them, and letting them channel every single one at once into a partial transformation.

A real tiny taste of what a Rune Domain felt like.

This taste made many go mad...

And those that didn’t weren’t much better.

They’d try to the point where everything in their life would break and their Souls would explode.

So, yes, it wasn’t exactly a fun step.

Even if he got a new Rune and enough experience, Xenos would still need to learn Synaxis properly... which meant finding someone to teach him.

Teachers cost money, and yes, that included those in the Academy too, as Synaxis was far from something they’d teach the disciples now.

If he were to request it, he’d need to pay them.

’So what am I to do...?’

Xenos began to tick off the options.

Farm monsters? No, again, it was too slow.

Hunt down whoever sent those assassins after him during the Colosseum Game?

No, he unfortunately didn’t know where to start.

Was he to go after Runes in land wars again?

Not unless he wanted to end up on a wanted poster.

They’d likely beefed up their goons, expecting another ’thief.’

’Hmm. Maybe I can just... get someone to carry me?’

That’d work if he had good connections.

’But that’d still require money.’

He paused only to grin.

’Oh, and speaking of money...’

He had to empty it out before it got broken.

’Let’s go to my piggy bank.’

Xenos never forgot debts, especially ones with interest.

He glanced down at himself.

"Need a shower first."

The next morning, a clean and smug Xenos stepped out of a cheap inn, his pouch even lighter now.

Far above, the sun wasn’t even high yet, and he was already on the move.

Unfortunately, there were usually no lessons after Colosseum Games, so he didn’t bother going to the Academy, knowing he wouldn’t find them there.

Instead, he went and checked the fancy inns.

Even though this town wasn’t all that advanced in Third Stratum standards, much like the Hieron station he visited yesterday, there were other buildings that largely stood out from the rest, buildings that Nobles usually crawled to after a public event in the area.

Xenos didn’t find them there.

’...maybe they’re at the house then?’

It was a valid theory; Veynar was crafty.

He likely had invited Arc after the game to visit, so perhaps they were at House Kharon’s manor.

Finding his logic well-founded, he made for the north gate, but just as he crossed out of town, he paused in his tracks.

Arc, Aspen, and the seven guards were there.

A new carriage and fresh horses were behind them. The source of thɪs content is novel※fire.net

All looked ready to set off, making their final second preparations.

He started waving his arms.

Nearly panicking, the guards drew their weapons, forming a quick defensive wall, only to realize that the "attacker" sprinting towards them was none other than the lunatic who had wiped the floor with a few dozen monsters and Disciples yesterday.

Half of them rushed him with cheers, half-hugging and slapping his back.

"We saw you out there!"

"Are your Runes that strong?"

"You can use that many Elements?!"

"Was all that the Luck Element or what?!"

Xenos was surrounded by excitement and questions, but he didn’t feel deja vu, for these Lyacons were genuine.

Was he to answer them or keep quiet?

He gave a vague shrug.

’Yeah, sure, why not?’

And so he did, though much like his shrug, he kept things ’vague.’

If it wasn’t obvious enough by now, Xenos wasn’t exactly the secretive type.

He usually told the truth in whatever he was asked. It was simply said in a way that made it seem like a lie; whether on purpose or not, that was something only he knew.

And the guards, forgetting that they were supposed to keep something called ’boundaries,’ went on and on, bombarding him with questions, as if competing with each other.

Xenos, eventually having had enough, bulldozed through them and reached Aspen.

The poor wolf-man was stuck staring, his jaw hitting the ground.

"You know what I’m here for. Pay up."

Shaking his head after a few seconds, Aspen chuckled, clearly in good spirits.

"Relax, relax. I didn’t forget; twenty gold is already waiting for you on the table."

For a second, Xenos froze.

Surviving only on a few coppers did something to a man.

So that was an answer that Xenos loved, as it seemed like the two Lyacons truly believed that the assassins who attacked them in the Colosseum Game were after Arc, not Xenos.

The extra ten gold were added over the original ten as he had ’protected’ them.

It was enough drachma to buy four houses.

Or one good Divine Relic, not the crap those five likely got in the game. Or about forty thousand bowls of stew; basically a lifetime supply of food.

Xenos clapped Aspen’s shoulder.

"...is the sound of a man who respects his debts."

"I could almost forgive you for delaying it so much."

Arc finally stepped in, perhaps feeling left out, his forever-angry expression returning.

"We’re heading back to the manor. What do you want?"

Xenos’s grin didn’t fade; he decided to be a little more shameless.

Arc raised an eyebrow.

"I want to go to that auction house you lot sneak off to. The black market one."

Aspen and Arc exchanged a long look before the bigger of the two let out a sigh.

"You really don’t waste time, huh?"

Xenos chuckled, smacking his shoulder again.

"And I’m broke, or I was until seconds ago~."

Another shared glance and a little shrug.

Since these black markets and auctions were reserved only for the rich, the wealthy, and the influential, mainly the Main Houses and Great Houses, it stood to reason that Xenos could use those two to easily get into those spaces, fully bypassing the needed quest.

And it also stood to reason to find familiar faces there.

That evening, as the sun dipped into the horizon, Xenos followed them through the city’s winding streets until the mortal crowd noise faded away, and they stopped before what looked like a tiny, old, and unassuming government building.

A familiar voice reached them.

They turned and met Dei, an unexpected sight.

She had her own entourage, many more in number.

"Are you guys going there too?!"

Xenos’s grin came back instantly.

’My Luck’s redeeming itself a little~.’

Before he could speak, Dei leapt at him, wrapping an arm around his neck.

"And I see you brought along the boss monster himself."

He peeled her off and turned to Arc.

"Control your woman."

Arc went red while Dei just laughed.

"It’s nice to meet you too!"

"S-Shut up and let’s go."

Arc quickly walked ahead, all flustered.

"The auction starts before sundown."

Leaving behind the guards outside, Aspen led the group through the small building that felt wrongly clean down to a lone clerk at the front desk, a thin man with the polite smile of someone who’s seen too much.

Again, the place looked like any other reception hall, but something was obviously off about it, and they didn’t bother to hide that fact.

Aspen stepped forward.

"House Hades. House Ailuros."

The clerk looked up, and his gaze landed on Xenos.

Aspen opened his mouth.

"House Kharon, he’s—"

Cutting him off, Xenos stepped in:

"Once of House Kharon, now I’m of House Eris, and I’m interested in selling a Rune to you lot, or maybe trading it in for a Divine Relic I fancy."

The clerk took a moment and then nodded.

"We won’t accept the Time Rune, so it’ll have to be the Blood Rune. Is that acceptable?"

Xenos nodded back, not at all surprised that he, or rather, they knew.

The clerk gestured toward the wall behind him.

"Then please, proceed."

Aspen smiled in thanks while stepping forward and walking straight through the wall.

"Be careful, there are stairs."

Arc and Dei followed, vanishing through the stone.

Still at the back, Xenos blankly stared at the wall.

’This reminds me of something...’

He tilted his head, trying to remember.

Only to give up and walk straight through it.

The moment he crossed, a weird chill ran down his spine.

Soon after, the world shimmered, its light bending around him until the air opened into an entirely different space.

At the base of the stairs he stood on was a grand hall bustling with Nobles, merchants, and collectors, its carpet velvet and its chandeliers golden, easily brightening up the entire place.

This was a different ’world’ entirely.

A voice said softly behind Xenos, making him turn and see the same smiling clerk there.

"Welcome to the Black Market."