Chapter 373: The True Black Market

Remembering that Titans and Dragons were mortal enemies, Hegel Samo relaxed his guard.

"It's nothing worth keeping secret, really. A while ago, a Dimensional Explorer deployed by the Raven Council sent back a signal. We dispatched scouts and discovered a Small Material Plane. The Council was preparing to contact the natives and develop the plane's resources, but a Titan faction emerged out of nowhere."

Hegel rubbed his nose in frustration. They had finally found a material plane, only to be beaten to the punch.

If they wanted to seize it by force, the Raven Council had to weigh the consequences. The capacity for cross-planar exploration inherently marked a certain level of magical civilization. Such a force was no minor player; they would have at least a High-Tier Legend among their ranks.

To make matters worse, if a war erupted over seizing a plane already occupied by another faction, the Nordhill Guardian Council would not intervene. The aggressor bore all the risks.

Naturally, if the aggressors had the strength to conquer the plane, the Council wouldn't punish its own people on behalf of outsiders.

"Lord Hegel, since there really is a Titan faction, I'll be blunt: I want their heads. What does the Raven Council intend to do?"

Hegel fell silent. When the Council couldn't be relied upon, an aggressor faction needed allies to help force competitors out of the plane entirely. The Titans' mortal enemies—the Dragon Race—were undeniably natural allies for this operation.

"Lord Amos, to be honest, with the outbreak of the blood war, we originally planned to abandon our bid for that plane. I need to consult the Council President."

"Understandable. I'll await your good news."

Just like the Northland Witches' Council, the Raven Council only had two High-Tier Legends. With Hegel Samo committed to the blood war, the Raven Council wouldn't dare contest a Small Material Plane against a Titan faction on their own. The Titans were, after all, a renowned powerhouse race across the multiverse.

Not long after, Hegel Samo initiated a communication request.

"Lord Amos, the President has decided to give it a try. We'll first gather clear intelligence on our opponents. If we are confident in our chances, I will contact you."

The White Dragon Lord nodded.

"If you don't mind, could you share what the Raven Council already knows?"

"We only had a brief encounter with the Titans, so our information is extremely limited. According to the returning scouts, those Titans claim to be subordinates of the King of the Red Lotus."

"The King of the Red Lotus..."

The White Dragon Lord muttered to himself.

"Since they aren't nobodies, we should be able to find information on them in the Star Realm."

Overseas Archipelago, Triumph Plaza.

The White Dragon Lord's clone, resting atop a pile of gold coins, opened his eyes. An enigmatic light flashed in his gaze as he rose from the hoard. Rapidly chanting a spell, he teleported to the nearest Magic Tower.

Using the Teleportation Platform inside the Magic Tower, the clone—now in a draconic humanoid form—arrived at Sky City. From there, he borrowed the Council's cross-planar Teleportation Platform to reach the Star Realm city, Grey Tower City.

After paying the transit fee, the White Dragon Lord donned the Shapeshifter's Cloak to conceal his figure and headed straight for the Demon Hunter's Hut. He was going to visit an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time—the Amethyst Human, Mage Miphen.

Seeing the White Dragon Lord, Mage Miphen looked somewhat surprised.

"Amos, aren't you part of the blood war rotation? How do you have the time to visit me?"

"My true body is indeed at the Blackrock Fortress in the Abyss. I am just a clone right now."

Mage Miphen covered his mouth in shock, unable to hide the astonishment on his fair face. He had just realized that the White Dragon Lord's clone was also at the High-Tier Legendary Level, no weaker than the White Dragon Lord who had first arrived in the Star Realm all those years ago.

"Well, this is truly surprising."

As Mage Miphen recovered his wits, an envious look flashed across his face. The White Dragon Lord was participating in the blood war, where high-end combat power was stretched thin. Sending a powerful clone at the High-Tier Legendary Level here meant there had to be an urgent matter.

"You definitely didn't come just to chat. Tell me, how can I help you?"

"Miphen, have you ever heard of a Titan who goes by the name or title King of the Red Lotus?"

"King of the Red Lotus... No, I haven't."

Mage Miphen scoured the memories he had accumulated over countless years, but nothing came to mind.

"Is he a Titan from that plane?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out."

"Perhaps you can find the information you want in the Star Realm's black market."

"That's exactly why I came to you. Information on a powerful Titan at the High-Tier Legendary Level is likely only recorded in the core zone of the black market. Do you have a way to get me inside?"

The underworld had its own rules. As an outsider to the dark world, the White Dragon Lord needed a guide to enter the black market's core zone, so he sought help from Mage Miphen, a well-connected local.

"I do know someone qualified to bring people in, but his asking price won't be cheap."

"As long as it gets the job done, price isn't an issue."

"Alright, then."

Mage Miphen took out a delicate round badge. It bore the image of a glamorous woman wearing a half-mask, her lips curled into a slightly eerie smile.

"This badge carries my magical imprint. Take it to Number 53, Talin Street in the West District. Look for a man who goes by the alias Slick Tongue. He can take you where you want to go."

The White Dragon Lord carefully accepted the badge.

"Thank you very much."

"Then I wish you luck."

Taking the badge, the White Dragon Lord headed toward the West District of Grey Tower City. Just like decades ago, the city's slums hadn't changed at all. Food scraps floated in the gutters along the slippery streets, while numb, idle people lay on the ground waiting for death. Scantily clad prostitutes winked at passersby, and emaciated beggar children stared eagerly at the foot traffic, though hardly anyone spared them a glance.

"Who here can take me to Number 53, Talin Street? I'll pay one silver coin as a reward."

A single silver coin could buy enough black bread to eat for three days. Hearing this, the starving beggar children's eyes lit up, and they scrambled up from the ground to swarm around the White Dragon Lord.

"Mister! I know where Talin Street is! I can take you!"

"Don't believe him! He's just an outsider! I was born on Talin Street! I know it best—pick me!"

"Pick me! Kind sir!"

"..."

In the end, the White Dragon Lord selected a relatively clean and pleasant-looking little boy from the ten beggars to be his guide.

Though their eyes betrayed their reluctance, the other beggars didn't dare question the White Dragon Lord's choice, watching the chosen boy with sheer envy and jealousy.

"Please follow me, kind sir. I'll show you the way."

Overjoyed, the little boy practically skipped the whole way.

"Generous sir, you aren't a local of Grey Tower City, are you?"

Perhaps fueled by his good mood, the boy chattered away non-stop.

"Tall sir, I don't know what you're doing at Talin Street, but I have to warn you. People die there all the time. It's terrifying."

In the blink of an eye, the little boy had changed his title for him three times, causing the White Dragon Lord to smile in amusement.

"Don't worry, little guy. They can't do anything to us."

"Oh, I know! You must be a powerful professional! That's why you aren't scared of those bad guys! My dad was a powerful professional too. Coba and the others never dared to bully me back then!"

The little boy, who had been so cheerful just a moment ago, suddenly turned somber.

"But my dad followed an adventuring party to the Abyss and hasn't come back in a long time. Everyone says he's dead, and Mom ran off with someone else..."

The White Dragon Lord fell silent, reaching out to pat the little boy's head.

"Don't worry. Maybe your father will be back in a while."

To comfort his little guide, the White Dragon Lord told a few jokes that made the boy burst into laughter. Talking as they walked, the two soon arrived at a narrow street lit by dim streetlamps.

"Kind sir, this is Talin Street. Let me take you inside."

The White Dragon Lord looked down the gloomy street. Talin Street was less of a street and more of an alleyway, barely wide enough for three people to walk shoulder to shoulder. The only lighting came from dim lamps spaced some twenty meters apart. Their yellowish glow illuminated only small patches, leaving large swaths of darkness in between.

Light footsteps echoed from the adjacent alleys. The people hiding in the shadows had heard the boy's voice.

The White Dragon Lord extended his senses. These were all professionals. It seemed Talin Street truly was the core territory of Grey Tower City's dark factions. He took out a silver coin.

"Little guy, this is far enough. I'll find Number 58 on my own."

The boy looked down the street, which was as pitch-black as a giant beast's intestines, and shivered. Reaching out, he took the silver coin from the White Dragon Lord's hand and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, kind sir."

Clutching the silver coin tightly, the boy ran off.

Actually, the White Dragon Lord had considered giving him a gold coin, but ultimately decided against it. For a beggar child with absolutely no means of defending himself, a silver coin was the absolute limit of what he could safely keep.

As the pitter-patter of the boy's footsteps faded away, the White Dragon Lord—fully shrouded in his Shapeshifter's Cloak—stepped onto Talin Street's stone slabs. Unlike the rest of the slums, the paving stones here were perfectly dry. Even members of the dark factions didn't like living amidst garbage and stench.

As he walked, the White Dragon Lord observed the houses on both sides of the street, but found no door numbers or signs, leaving him a bit puzzled.

A scrawny man darted out from a side alley, hands hidden behind his back, blocking the White Dragon Lord's path.

"Halt! What..."

Before he could finish, the scrawny man saw a faint crimson glow flash beneath the dark cloak. His mind instantly turned to mush, completely losing the ability to think.

Charm Person!

"Which way to Number 58?"

The hand gripping a dagger behind the scrawny man's back raised an index finger, pointing toward the dark street ahead.

"Walk all the way to the end."

"Thank you."

The White Dragon Lord bypassed the scrawny man and continued forward.

Not long after the White Dragon Lord left, the scrawny man snapped out of it. Realizing what had just happened, beads of cold sweat broke out across his forehead. To silently control a Level 7 Rogue, the caster had to be at least a Master Tier lord mage.

"Thank goodness that lord didn't take offense."

Grateful to have kept his life, the rogue slipped back into the alley, his heart pounding with lingering fear.

Almost every fifty meters, someone else would jump out. The White Dragon Lord simply unleashed the coercive aura of a legendary powerhouse, finally forcing the dark factions' lookouts to back off in fear.

Walking all the way to the end of Talin Street, the White Dragon Lord immediately spotted a brightly lit tavern. A signboard hung above the door—'Number 58'.

The White Dragon Lord was speechless. "..."

Right then, a one-eyed burly man pushed his way out of the tavern. A strong stench of alcohol drifted into the White Dragon Lord's nostrils, and the noisy clamor from inside reached his ears.

The White Dragon Lord sidestepped the one-eyed man, who was sizing him up, and headed for the tavern's entrance, only for three muscular brutes to block his path.

"Hey, strangers aren't welcome here."

The White Dragon Lord pulled back the hood of his Shapeshifter's Cloak.

"I'm looking for a man called Slick Tongue."

Seeing the draconic head beneath the hood, the three brutes jumped in fright. No matter where you were, anything related to dragons was not to be trifled with.

The White Dragon Lord's exchange with the brutes reached the ears of the patrons inside.

"Hey, Slick Tongue, someone's looking for you."

As the White Dragon Lord pulled his hood back up, the three brutes gulped and moved out of the way.

"Don't cause trouble. This is the territory of Ducasa, the Bloodletter."

The White Dragon Lord entered the tavern, and a remarkably handsome young man dressed in fine clothes walked up to greet him.

At first glance, the handsome youth possessed an extraordinary bearing, looking every bit the young noble. However, his shifty, darting eyes completely ruined the image, making it hard not to laugh.

Spotting the Shapeshifter's Cloak on the White Dragon Lord, the handsome youth's eyes lit up as if he'd just found a fat sheep to fleece. After all, the Shapeshifter's Cloak was a specialized wondrous item for hiding one's appearance, and it was quite valuable.

In the blink of an eye, the man hid the gleam in his eyes, as though that predatory gaze had never existed at all.

"Honored sir, did you need something from me?"

The White Dragon Lord took out the badge Mage Miphen had given him. The youth accepted it with a puzzled expression, which quickly turned into one of realization.

"Ah, so the mysterious lady introduced you. Then she must have told you that my fees aren't cheap, right? At least ten thousand Divine Power Gold Coins."

"I need to go to the black market's core to look into some information."

"One thousand Divine Power Gold Coins."

One thousand Divine Power Gold Coins was equivalent to ten million ordinary gold coins. As a mere guide fee, it was absurdly expensive, but the White Dragon Lord didn't care about such a small sum.

"No problem."

Seeing the White Dragon Lord agree so readily, the man began to regret pricing it so low. But since he had already spoken, going back on his word violated his personal code of conduct.

"Alright, honored guest. My name is Vlakid, but of course, you can call me Slick Tongue."

A flash of annoyance crossed the man's face as he turned and walked deeper into the tavern.

"Follow me. Once we enter the true black market, you must make sure not to leave my side, don't look around, and it's best to keep your mouth shut too."

The White Dragon Lord followed Slick Tongue through the bustling tavern. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, they slipped through a door and entered an empty back room.

Slick Tongue lifted a corner of the room's wooden floorboards, revealing a pitch-black entrance below.

"Welcome to the true black market."