Black Market was bigger than Aren expected. Much bigger. He thought that it was just going to be some marketplace and not an entire city!

A city sprawled, carved from shadow and stone, a place where black buildings rose like jagged teeth.

Their walls were of volcanic rock and soot-darkened brick, and many of them were leaning in unsettling ways.

Some of the buildings tilted together so closely that their crooked eaves nearly touched.

The streets were narrow, uneven cobblestone polished by centuries of footsteps. Between blackened structures, merchants squeezed their stalls into any available alcove, their goods displayed under patched canopies and flickering lanterns.

The market smelled like spiced smoke, damp stone, and exotic perfumes from distant lands.

Above, suspended high above the black buildings, an intricate network of swing bridges crisscrossed the open air. They creaked and swayed as figures crossed them, their ropes creaking.

It wasn't all that dark, as one expected. The ceiling of the underground city had light lanterns, dangling from chains, with never-stopping light.

Lamp Wardens, taking care of the city's street lamps, made sure that they never went out.

'…This place is bigger than Dark Jewel's Corner.'

Aren took a walk, joined the narrow alleyways, and a feeling of claustrophobia came over him as the narrow streets tightened around him and other pedestrians.

"We have boys and girls, young and old, available for a price!"

On a balcony of one of the tilting buildings, a man shouted. It was a brothel. It was one shout among many others.

"New patch of poppy blossoms, fresh from the fields! Get yours now before they are gone!"

"Apothecary pills right here! Have you ever wondered how it felt to have a body immune to pain? An experimental batch has just arrived!"

"Slaves! Slaves right here! Get them while they last!"

Huddled under a canopy, raggedly clothed slaves hunched together while the slaver kept shouting for customers.

A small crowd gathered around him, looking at the new batch, and a few got sold within the first minute.

Aren pushed the brim of his hat down, then ran down the cobblestone hill and arrived in some dark and narrow alley.

In that moment, he saw a straight building. Like a tree. Very narrow building, just in the corner of the alleyway.

[Fantastico Merchantio]

'…Merchant store?'

Aren stepped inside the merchant store, and there were shelves on his left and right sides. A very narrow walkway and a counter at the end.

This building was about the size of the hallway over in the School of Divinity and Mysticism, but not as long.

The smell of incense and herbs swirled together, filling the air with a calming scent.

"Welcome to Fantastico Merchantio!"

The merchant shop owner greeted him with a smile, rubbing his hands together like a fly.

"What are you selling?"

Aren asked.

"I am selling a lot—herbs, spices, some clothes of the deceased, and other trinkets, but I can tell that you're not interested in those.

"I have some Bottled Shadows, Blood Ink, Hex Talismans, Soul Candles… Caged Wisps, Serpent Eggs, Homunculus Jars, and Poisoned Needles, and then I do have some potion ingredients."

The merchant said with a smile.

"…Do you sell Transformers?"

Aren asked curiously.

"Transformers? Depends on what kind. You want to transform your face? Your skin color? Your hair color? Maybe you want to transform your gender altogether?"

The merchant asked curiously.

"Mind Transformer."

Aren said.

"…Ah, I apologize, I do not have one, and I don't know anyone that does. That product is not only rare but also definitely expensive."

The merchant said.

"…Hmm, ok."

He turned around to leave the shop, but while taking off his hat and tidying his hair, he saw something in the corner of the shelf.

"What…?"

Aren quickly picked it up, and his fake middle-aged face was reflected in a smooth crystal.

It was Memory Crystal.

"What is this?"

Aren asked.

He wasn't sure whether this Memory Crystal was Lord of the Realm Between's or someone else's, but if it was cheap, he might still purchase it.

It could have some extremely important knowledge even if it didn't belong to the Lord of the Realm Between.

"Oh, that? It's just some light crystal that has been piling dust here."

The merchant said, rubbed his chin, and looked at Aren to see whether he was feeling interested in the item.

If he were, then he would increase the price by a significant amount, and there might be some secrets to the crystal that he wasn't aware of.

'…Calm yourself down, and don't look interested.'

Aren reset his expression. The facial control of an Outlaw. And then he put the crystal back on the shelf.

"I am willing to pay you five Iris coins for this crystal."

He said casually.

"Five? But, sir, that is not nearly enough. That crystal is a treasure of faraway lands, and its value far exceeds a mere five coins."

The merchant said seriously.

'…Hah, and now it is a treasure of faraway lands? Didn't you just say that it was some light crystal that is just piling some dust? Shameless one.'

Aren shrugged his shoulders and then said.

"I thought it was worthless, so I thought about buying it for a decoration piece. I don't have enough need for treasure crystal."

He headed to the room, and the merchant visibly panicked.

"Ah, young sir… I don't really need the crystal, and since I don't think I will be getting another customer for it, I am willing to sell it to you for… ten Iris coins!"

"…Ten? What about seven?"

Aren approached the counter and asked.

"Sold!"

The merchant smiled, and as Aren gave him the coins, he picked up the Memory Crystal from the shelf and stepped out of the merchant shop.

He found himself a place a few corners away and then leaned his back against the soot-stained brick wall.

'Is this really Memory Crystal, or did that merchant just not know what it was? Are Memory Crystals just really that rare for merchants to not know about them? Society of Knowers knew.'

Aren wondered, and then he pressed the crystal against his forehead, and it melted as soon as it touched his forehead.

A flood of new memories entered his mind. The pounding headache returned. However, he managed to resist the pain.

"Ah…"