Black Market

Name: Chris Hammsworf
Reborn: Scholar
Tier: Rebirth 2 — Scribe
Reason of Death: Perished due to corruption and subsequent monsterification upon a failed Rebirth attempt. Failure was a result of a highly risky attempt which included:
(1) Immediate attempt after a successful Rebirth the day before,
(2) Consumption of a Tier 2 Scholar Rebirth stone (lightning) that was highly incompatible with his main element of practice (ice).
Monsterified form (if applicable): Sentient Living Grimoire-Type, harnessing the power of both ice and lightning.
Judgement: Excecuted upon confirmation of Rebirth attempt failure and hostility of monsterified form.

Jimin looked at the death report that had fallen off the young woman’s hands. The young woman named Celes was now crumpled onto the floor of Spellbound’s Ledger of the Fallen, the quiet hall where the guild received and recorded the remains and final fates of its members.

“He’s gone,” her companion said as he knelt beside her. “Let’s go.”

“I-I… what am I supposed to do now, Marx?” She looked at him and sobbed endlessly. “What am I supposed to tell his parents?”

Marx placed his hand on her shoulder and gave a solemn nod.

“We tell them the truth. We tell them how their son was agitated and rash, and how stupid he was to try and rush everything. They deserve to know everything.”

“It’s all my fault…” Celes cried, her two hands covering her face. “If… if I hadn’t argued with that stupid person at the bar, none of this would have happened…”

“Yeah, you were stupid too,” Marx scolded. “What’d gotten into you? Arguing with a gang leader just because he wanted to sit at the place you sat? Why didn’t you just let him have it?”

“I—He was staring at me lecherously!” Celes bawled, her emotions erupting outwards for all to see. “He even tried to touch my—”

Celes covered her chest insecurely.

“After that, Chris just wouldn't stop talking about getting stronger.”

“Even so, it's not like you to lash out,” Marx raised his voice, his face red from frustration. “You've been through so many of such situations before and you know better than to fight—”

“Hey,” Jimin interrupted. “Marx, was it? I think you need to calm down.”

The urn containing Chris’s remains stared down at his two companions there were arguing as the container sat in the small squarish spot five rows from the bottom, amongst the countless other urns that lined the columbarium.

“I…” Marx said, his voice fading off into a soft whisper. “I’m sorry. I’ll wait outside.”

He walked off and exited the hall, leaving Celes alone with Voidborn and Jimin.

Voidborn looked at Jimin who crouched and sat beside Celes. She grabbed on to Celes’s hand and rubbed her thumb tenderly on the back of the griefing woman’s palm, spreading the tears across as they started to dry.

“Hey,” Jimin muttered. “I know I’m just someone that don’t know you, Chris, or Marx. But I hope you listen what I have to say.”

Celes looked at Jimin with her swollen eyes.

“Regardless of whether he was rash or not, I believe that he did what he did because he loved you. The choice was reckless, but the reason behind it wasn't, so please do not blame yourself for what had happened.”

Voidborn focused his sight and looked at the two.

As Jimin tried to console her, she was subtly using her power, slowly drawing out the black grief that was flooding Celes’s entire body. The sadness was pulled out in thin wisps, which travelled through Jimin’s hand that was in contact with hers. The wisps floated towards Jimin’s chest, twirling around the prismatic gem hanging around her neck before disappearing into it.

“So please hold on to the precious moments you had with him and use that to carry on his will.”

Jimin spoke her final sentence and stood up.

By then, Celes was no longer sobbing, and she no longer looked as self-resenting as before. Jimin grabbed Elian’s hand and smiled at him.

“Let’s go.”

Elian nodded and followed her lead, both of them leaving the columbarium.

Right outside, another argument was taking place.

“Why did you back out?” Chaewon frowned and questioned Robert.

“I didn’t want to take the risk…” he stammered. “Didn’t you see what happened to that guy?”

“I did. So?”

“I didn’t want that to happen to me.”

“Yeah, but that was him being rash,” Dylan said. “Your situation is entirely different from his?”

“I don’t know. Maybe yesterday I would have taken it.”

He looked at the rest and bit his lower lips.

“Today? No. I just feel like I will fail after seeing that. Call me a coward if you want, but I don’t want to become a pile of ashes and live in an urn when I’m still so young.”

He sighed and fiddled with the stone in his hand, staring at the swirling green inside that was tempting him to consume it.

“Plus… this isn’t even light,” Robert muttered. “It's wind. Even if I wanted to advance, I’d rather find a stone of my main element.”

The group fell silent.

“It's his decision, so let's respect it,” Voidborn said. “There is nothing wrong in protecting oneself.”

Robert looked at Voidborn and gave him a small smile of gratitude.

“So what are you going to do with that stone?” Joy asked.

“Black market. I’ll probably visit the market to see if I can do a trade.”

“That works,” Joy said. “Alright, I’ll need to leave for a meeting with the higher ups regarding our patrol missions over the next few days. I’ll see you guys back in the Abyss cube.”

Joy waved and left, walking back to the lobby.

“So… anyone wants to join me?” Robert asked.

“Not me,” Dylan said. “I wanna head back and use the training room to test some of my new stuff.”

Robert looked at Senia.

“I'm with him. Do you even have to ask, single man?”

“Wow,” Robert said. “Rude.”

“Do you guys want to join us?” he asked Jimin and the rest.

“Nope,” Derrick said. “I have to head to the Machinist Union.”

“Can I go?” Jimin asked Derrick.

“No. Your father sent me here with you. If he finds out your first stop in Kandar isn't the union but the black market, I’m dead.”

“Please? I wanna see the black market!”

“No.”

Jimin tugged Voidborn’s shirt and pouted at him.

“How about this,” Voidborn spoke. “We’ll visit the black market first, then head to the union. It's still early after all. I’ll make sure Jimin is there in the afternoon.”

Derrick squinted his eyes and glared at Jimin.

“How bold of you to hide behind your man. I’ll—”

Jimin blepped at him.

“Fine.” Derrick turned to Voidborn and said firmly. “Make sure she visits the union. Otherwise I’ll launch Bomb at you.”

“Hey! Don't threaten Elian!”

Jimin lunged forward and tried to poke Derrick’s waist, but Voidborn held her down and reassured Derrick.

“I promise.”

“Nice,” Robert said. “Now I have some company. What about you two?”

“Nope.”
“No.”

Chaewon and Rei answered at the same time.

“Oh…” Robert’s eyes sank, sad that Chaewon did not want to follow.

“We were going to train with Dylan and Senia,” Rei explained.

“Alright… Then it’s settled,” Robert said, clapping his hands together as he tried to lighten up his mood.

“I’ll see you later,” Derrick said, staring daggers at Jimin. “You better not run, or I’ll complain bad things about your hugging partner to your dad.”

“I know you won't, and there's nothing bad about Elian,” Jimin huffed.

“I’ll escort the rest back,” Mina said. “I presume you’ll be alright alone?”

“Yeah,” Derrick said, waving her off as he made his way out of Spellbound.

Mina left with the rest and the trio were left with Bob.

“So… how do we get to the black market?” Jimin asked.

“There’s both the official and unofficial route,” Bob explained. “All faction headquarters offer direct access, but you can also look for entrances scattered throughout the entirety of Kandar. It’s not exactly hidden anyway.”

“So we can enter access the black market right here?” Voidborn asked.

“Yep,” Robert answered, beckoning them to follow him. “I’ve already obtained permission earlier.”

He walked to the lobby and pressed the button, waiting for the elevator to arrive. After close to about a minute, the elevator arrived and the door opened.

Right as the elevator doors closed, Robert pressed the buttons in the following order: B24, B17, B11, B5, B20, B12, B16.

The moment the last button was pressed, the elevator shook slightly and a soft click echoed from outside into the small enclosed space. Then it started moving.

Voidborn watched the numbers change.

B25, B26, B27…

Right when the display jumped past B30, B31 did not arrive. It simply switched to BM. The elevator continued descending, but the letters on the display did not change.

After what seemed like a good two to three minutes, the entire elevator stopped with a strong tremor, one that Voidborn could feel it through his bones.

The doors slid open.

The bustling sounds of negotiations and rallying filled the world outside. As they stepped out, they were greeted by an underground cavern of sorts.

No, Voidborn re-evaluated his thoughts. It was a second city that was thriving underneath Kandar. One that was at least twice as large as the city’s core zone.

“Welcome to Kandar’s black market,” Robert introduced with a small bow as he gestured for all to see.

Voidborn looked around.

The place was massive, and it looked more alive than the city above.

Phosphorescent orbs lined the cavern's ceiling, illuminating the entirety of the market, dotting the faux sky with countless everlasting stars.

Right about a hundred meters below the ceiling lay the tallest building the market could offer, but it was at best a three-storied building. Shophouses, smithys, pharmacies, and roadside stalls populated what his eyes could see and could not see, everything stretching out into the far.

“Look here,” Robert said, pointing back towards the elevator. There was a map stuck on a noticeboard nailed to the elevator’s right wall.

Voidborn looked at the elevator.

Compared to every other building, this was the only construction that extended high, stretching all the way to the ceiling and piercing it.

“Can we go back to Spellbound using this?” Voidborn asked.

“No,” Robert replied. “It’s a one-way entrance .”

“Yes,” Bob added. “It's actually the same for the rest of the factions. Each of the six factions’ headquarters have an official entry point to the black market, but for security purposes and obvious reasons, they do not allow re-entry through their market access points.”

He pointed to the two guards stationed by the sides.

“There are people guarding the elevator, stopping anyone from attempting to climb up the elevator shaft. Furthermore, the moment a forced entry is detected, the entire elevator will disassemble, leaving nothing but metal pieces scattered all over the floor and a blocked hole up there.”

Voidborn nodded silently.

“Jeez. I sure do hope none is dumb enough to do it,” Jimin giggled.

“There has actually been quite a few,” Bob said. “Factions definitely have enemies, or people thirsting after their treasures. But none was ever successful. Even if one wanted to forcefully drill through the blocked hole, they would be deleted by each of the faction’s specialised defence and security system.”

Robert agreed.

“Joy once told us before that a Rebirth 4 criminal tried to access and raid Spellbound's treasure vault from here, but right as they entered the elevator shaft through that hole, the earth moved and the hole was covered shut.”

Robert pressed his thumb to his neck and dragged it horizontally across.

“Execution. Molten lava, or perhaps I should say magma, since it's underground, poured out from holes around the shaft walls. Pressurised by the small diameter, the magma jetted out at high speed and force, melting and boring holes through the intruder’s body at the same time.”

“Damn, that sounds painful as hell,” Jimin shivered, hugging her own shoulders.

“Not really,” Bob said. “The magma came in from all directions, which meant that his heart and brain were also targeted. It was instant death, given the force of the jets.”

“Wanna see the body?” Robert asked, waggling his eyebrows playfully.

“Body?” Voidborn asked. “Isn't the intruder dead already?”

“Yes, but is out for display for all to see,” Robert said, pointing to the map. “As you can see, the entire black market is divided into five different sections, like a pizza. Similar to how the core zone above is divided among the five factions apart from the Shadow faction, and each faction regulates their own district above and underground. The factions only regulate their areas, nothing else. They do not dabble in anything else other than upholding the safety and security of their regions.”

Robert circled his finger around the perfectly round layout of the black market and stopped at the small cirfular area in the market's centre.

“As for here, this is where the factions’ trophies are stored. The bodies of intruders which have been dealt with are put out on display for all to see, to act as a deterrent and reminder of the consequences of defiance.”

“Then how does one exit the black market?” Voidborn asked.

“There are designated routes,” Robert replied, pointing at the door-shaped logos scattered around the map. Each one was green and red, colours split in half by a slightly slanted diagonal line horizontally. “Apart from the entrances through faction headquarters, there are Bookscalators scattered throughout Kandar that offers both entry and exit. They are also highly guarded, so you don't have to worry.”

“Anyone can enter?” Jimin asked.

“Yep. Transactions rule here. As long as you have something of value that another wants, you are welcome.”

“That makes sense,” Jimin said.

“Shall we?” Robert asked, walking towards a crowded path to the right. “There's a section nearby that has a cluster of merchants trading rare items and equipments. I purchased my Tier 2 stone for advancement there previously.”

The three followed behind closely, wading through the countless people that were bargaining for goods of all kinds — potions, relics, ingredients. Every buyer was doing their best to lower the price to the best of their ability; every seller was trying to profit as much as possible.

“Say, what were those numbers that you’ve pressed earlier?” Jimin asked. “Some kind of entry code?

Robert raised his neck as high as he could as he tried to look out for any stalls trading in Rebirth stones along the way.

“Somewhat? It’s a cipher. To enter the black market through our headquarters, a person has to press the buttons in certain combinations.”

“Why use a cipher?”

“Spellbound’s basement levels are split into three main sections. General facilities like the advancement rooms you’ve seen earlier, and stuff like archives and admin offices are located on the floors closer to ground level. Then we have the more secretive and restricted stuff like interrogation rooms, treasure vaults, and the personal rooms of higher-ranking people of the faction.”

“So?”

“The black market is located below all of these things,” Bob explained. “If one were to be able to easily access the black market, they would pass through these restricted areas, and obviously, intruders from the top would be able smash past the doors when the elevators pass through those levels! So obviously, entry to these areas would need to be regulated. It’s the same for all the other factions.”

“But what if someone cracks the cipher?” Voidborn asked.

“Given that the keyword and ciphertext to solve the cipher changes every ten minutes, it is virtually impossible to bruteforce the solution without any clues,” Robert said. “Furthermore, to obtain both words, one has to undergo strict screening in both the mind and body to ensure that they are not being controlled or impersonating as someone else.”

Robert quickened his footsteps as he saw something of interest.

“It's basically foolproof unless you’re god,” he said. “If you want, you can try solving it, since both of the required words have already changed.”

Then he stopped in his tracks.

“Wait. Shouldn't you know all these, given that you're attending the Reborn Gala event, and that you're part of the Machinist Union?”

“Uh…” Jimin scratched the back of her neck awkwardly. “I didn't bother to remember.”

Robert laughed and patted his chest.

“I understand. Anyway, the cipher used is a Vigenère cipher.”

“Words?” Jimin asked.

“Why would I give you the words? That's like giving you the answer!”

Jimin clicked her tongue in frustration, groaning that she didn't manage to “trick” the answer from Robert.

“Awww… a clue?”

“Do you even know how ciphers work…” Robert grumbled, shaking his head in exasperation.

“I can ask Rei to guide me! Come on, clue, clue, gimmie a clue!”

Robert pressed a finger to his chin and thought.

“Same number of letters for both the keyword and ciphertext.”

“That's all?”

He stared at her shamelessness, but Jimin simply looked at him with a pout and glassy eyes.

“Fine,” Robert said. He cleared his throat and recited a riddle.

I am the face of every word you speak,
yet sometimes am I not what people seek.
They twist me, bend me, and paint me absurd,
but I remain exactly as written and heard.

“That's for the keyword. The next one’s for the ciphertext.”

They pray for me in the darkest night,
sought after me when they land in a plight.
Sometimes I arrive when the stars align,
other times I get mistaken for the result of hard work during the grind.
But in the end the result only matters,
for all one needs is some hope or their dreams will shatter.

Jimin listened with a blank face, having already lost Robert at the second line of the first riddle.

“Got that?”

“I got it,” Voidborn said, stuffing his notepad and pen back into his sidepouch.

“Elian!” Jimin exclaimed. “Did you write it down for me?”

“No,” he said. “It's for myself.”

“Wha—”

Jimin’s face fell.

“But I will share it with you if it makes you happy.”

Her face instantly switched back to a bright smile.

“Hehe~ yay!”

“Anyway, we're here,” Bob said, gesturing to the section right in front.

Voidborn looked at the sight.

It was exactly the same. Sellers selling things, buyers buying things. Except the stalls displayed things that looked much more valuable.

Weapons. Artifacts. Relics.

Each one looked like they could change someone's life.

“Do help me to keep a lookout for stones!” Robert said, already rushing forward to a potential stall.

Jimin looked at Elian.

“Are you going to buy anything?”

“Depends.”

“Will you buy me something?”

“Okay.”

Jimin covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.

“Budget?”

“…”

“I’m joking,” she chuckled, skipping off to a stall nearby. “I’m definitely going to buy the most expensive thing I like.”

INFOGRAPHIC