The Underworld market seems to have found root in our western regions. The one in Bedelev seems to be the funnel from which the rest funnels into Veta and beyond. This same market seems to also have gotten its rotten roots into Desha and Desma. It is suspected that the market moves around the city of Bedelev which has lead to our hardships in locating it.

More often than not our operatives come to an empty place where just a day before had been a thriving black market. I am suspecting either they have an oracle working for them or there just might be that they have a traitor within my network.

I simply cannot believe that they might have a better information network than our empire. Especially given how we vet and train our operatives for two years before even allowing them to start their work. As such I’ve decided to try different methods this time around.

I’ve hired a team of adventurers to begin infiltrating the lower markets and work their way up to the main one. I’ve also given them a signal stone which will contact a very discrete strike team I’ve trained personally.

I hope this will suffice for it not I’ll have to get personally involved.

- A report for his majesty the emperor Augustus Alocia by spymaster Quinn

Abhorash simply stared at me after I asked him. I’d hoped for more of a reaction given I had just revealed I knew the location and password to get into the city’s black market but he seemed almost bored or is the word apathetic. “I do not see the reason to enter such a place, my lord.” He then said and I decided he was simply not amused at the idea.

“Why not? I’m certain we can find items of value to us there we won’t be able to find anywhere else.” I explained, almost grumbling at Abhorash’s simple reasoning to dismiss the idea. “I’m certain other’s with the same classes as myself use this market frequently for their own needs. So this market might be more accommodating towards our needs.” I continued and this time I noticed a kind of flash in the burning green embers that were Abhorash’s eyes.

“What are those needs? If it’s materials for your skills I can simply go out into the street to get them for you. If it’s arms and armour then why not take what we want from the market place?” He said and dashed my hopes of his intelligence. Well, he is still technically a newborn, Garmur and the others took a few days to get their personalities to the point it is now.

I sighed a little. “I’ll need information, detailed maps, possible skill scrolls, materials certainly which I’m sure they might have rather interesting specimens for that purposes and well gear and items for not only myself but all of you as well.” I gestured towards my ring and satchel when I said that last part. That seemed to make the ghosts of brain cells in Abhorash’s head begin to work overtime as his eyes flared.

“I see, so we might find materials there that wouldn’t be easy to come by ourselves. Information that could also lead us to great locations and skill scrolls would also be very valuable for us.” He began to say while nodding every so often. Well, at least he’s a fast learner.

“But my lord what about myself? I'm rather certain I wouldn’t be allowed into that place even if I was by your side.” He then said and I felt dumb, again. “Considering not only my appearance but my eyes I’m sure you can see why not to mention what I am.” He then continued.

“Jesus titty-fucking Christ!” I cursed as I fell back onto my bed. “I’m also rather sure they’d take my spatial items if not check their contents when I arrive. Not that would be surprising as I’m kind of carrying a personal strike team on me now.” I grumbled as I stared up at the ceiling above me.

“Well, you still haven’t gone over everything yet have you?” Abhorash said as he pointed at both the ring and satchel. Now that I thought about it I had just checked how much I could put into them, I hadn’t really studied what was already within them to begin with. So my newborn general was smarter and more attentive than myself. Well, ain’t that a blow to one’s self-worth.

With a grumble, I began to pull out the things I knew about from the ring and satchel. So what I already knew we had was the following. Four longswords, two of which seemed to be the standard made of steel types. One seemed to be a Damascus pattered sword with high silver, red and obsidian colours in the pattern. The last sword was a sort of almost purple steel coloured if that makes any kind of sense.

The greatsword followed the same Damascus pattern as the longsword however it was almost twice as thick as a normal great sword should be and quite heavy, even for me with over thirty in strength!

I put those last longswords and the great sword aside to look at last.

Two of the spears seemed to be simple steel spears. The third almost seemed to have a green hue to the edge of the spear and the blade came out of a carved lion’s head, with tassels coming out for a mane. Its hilt was also well carved in intricate patterns.

The full leather armours were all simple guard uniforms though I supposed they could come in handy for future troops. Same with the four chain-mail shirts, they seemed to be a simple standard for Bozkurts guards to wear. Same could be said for the shields though they were all good quality heater shields.

Now the amulets and rings were another matter. The amulets even held a rather similar sort of motif as the one that had spread around Abhorash during his birth. Perhaps they were lower-tiered of the same type? I’d have to see later. The rings were similar, one made out of some sort of purple metal, another two seemed to be made out of mithril, then two more seemed to be made of some obsidian like metal and the last was pure gold with an amethyst gem embedded within it.

These I placed all next to the strange swords to analyse later.

Then there were the robes. The first was sort of like a purple hooded silk Kaftan. An embroidery of intricate design seemed to have been sown in with both silver, gold and red threads. I decided to keep it, in case I were ever to be in the company of nobles or rich folk.

The other was a red sort of a travel type of robe, though without a hood it seemed to be comfortable and able to help against the elements. I guessed it was mostly cotton blended with some other fibre I just couldn’t put my finger on. Not like I’m a fabric expert anyway.

Then there was the staff. For some reason, as I took it up I saw it was rather dwarven in it looks. Carved expertly sure but it was the rough angular style one would associate with them. A face was carved into the very top and I figured it must have held some value to Bozkurt.

The two canes were… well, one was sized for someone around my size while the other was sized for Bozkurt’s height. It honestly just reminded me of a cudgel or something, guess I can teach Garm and his pack to play fetch with it. The other seemed to be a simple walking stick without any apparent embellishments or carvings into it, thought the top ball on it almost seemed mailable for some reason.

All in all, I was a little disappointed with this part of the haul. What was also inside the ring and satchel seemed to be a bit of money, a trio of blue gems, some ingots and more ammo for the kurmiz. I’d have to get my hands on a talented engineer so he could reverse engineer this weapon and maybe develop it further. A rapid-fire mechanism to this type of weapon would be fantastic and rather terrifying given the punch this thing delivers.

With that done I decided to actually work on analysis as it was still at level one for some reason. With that in mind, I placed what I suspected were mundane items on the bed while I transferred the one’s I figured were rarer or would need a higher level of analysis to check.

Meanwhile, Abhorash seemed to have gotten comfortable in the corner of the room with the martial book on his crossed-legged lap. I hadn’t taken him for a bookworm but he seemed rather content to just read the book. Guess he’s gotten used to his master's scatterbrained nature.

Analysis results: (level increased! Lvl. 1 > lvl. 5)

2 x Common steel sword, 2 x Common steel spears, 3 x Common leather armours, 4 x Common steel chain-mail shirts, 3 x Common Heater shields (steel-reinforced), 1 x Rare Quality silk hooded kaftan, 1 x Good quality cotton travelling robe with frost bear fur in weave, 1 x Common Dwarven walking staff, 1 x Common Dwarven sized walking cane, 1 x #”$%&$#”&$% Error level too low.

Hmm? Well isn’t this interesting. Seems that simple cane has some secrets too it. Well with that out of the way I put the rare things away into my ring, which of course were the two longswords and greatsword, one of the spears, amulets and rings along with the mystery cane. For good measure, I put the robes in there as well.

As I looked at my hand when I finished putting the last of the robes into the ring I thought of something. I concentrated and activated defensive carapace over just my hand. I smiled wide as the carapace actually covered the ring up! Well, won’t this be rather useful for the future?

With that done I began to move everything else into the spatial satchel, this included my books and extra clothing. As I did so I realized I needed to bathe. I hadn’t done anything of the sort since… was it when I got out of that river when I first woke up that I had a bath?!

I almost gagged when I sniffed at my armpit, seems perception increases all senses. Ugh, I swear I could taste it.

I put my stuff away and walked downstairs to search for Leila. I was actually a little awkward with her when I asked her to help me out with getting myself and my clothes cleaned. She let me hear a rather comfortable laugher that almost sounded like fluttering chimes. No idea why that came to my mind when describing the laugh but there you go.

She told me to leave all the clothes and armour I wanted to be cleaned in one of the rooms she pointed me to. Then I’d get to use the top floor bathing room afterwards. I couldn’t thank her enough and made sure to get everything I needed cleaned put in the room. I had a simple tunic, pants and the travelling robes to wear after that. I need more clothes it seems. Christ I have to get a wardrobe, don’t I?

Once I was done bathing I checked how much I actually had in way of money. I was rather glad that the bottomless coin purse made its contents known to me in a similar manner as the spatial ring or satchel did. Only it simply stated what was inside it with a single box where everything was sorted for me to see at my pleasure.

Bottomless coin purse contents:

PC: 0 GC: 45 SC: 94 CC: 159 IC: 556

Gems: 1 (suspected) Emerald, 3 (suspected) Sapphires

Well, I seem to have enough money. Perhaps I should really invest in more spatial objects? I mean I’ve essentially filled both the ring and satchel with everything I’ve put inside them. My minions do take quite a bit of space in them after all. I cursed in my mind, though almost burst out laughing in the middle of the tavern when I looked into my spatial ring.

There Abhorash was, not a looming angry giant any more like he was this morning but instead he was still sat like a kid with his book. Seems my minions can move around inside the storage space. That is good to know.

Right as I left the tavern to look for a shoe seller first one of my spectres came up to me. I was rather glad no one but myself could see it. It would most likely have caused a riot. What it told me in its miming manner made me growl under my breath.

Seems like something tipped the black market off and they were moving shop to another part of the catacombs to lay low. It would take almost five or six days until they’d open again at the new location. At least this spectre knew that it should report to me and then move in again to continue it’s surveillance. It even told me the new password to get into the black market. “Plague of spirits.” What a password given their location.

My mood turned from that feel good fresh feeling after a good shower to one you get when stuck outside in a cold rainstorm waiting for a bus. I seemed to have grown a light snarling expression given how a halfling jumped back when he looked up at my face as I passed him.

Well, I had planned to just shop around for what I’d need but it seems I’ve been given time to contemplate and buy at my leisure.

Well it was maybe around 4 to 5 pm so I had a bit of time to look around. I decided to not move to where I had first spotted spatial storage for sale at a stall. I decided to go to the main market street. Perhaps I could get something better or more useful for me in a store, which most likely would also have much more of a varied selection.

While I moved through the market stalls set up on the square in front of the Likeable Owl, I decided to train up my analysis skill. Before I knew it I had managed to get it up to the threshold for advancement but of course. It too needed a skill point to advance. Seems there’s a huge recession in the skill point economy. Do I need a skill point seller or something…. Does this world even have something like that?!

I ruffled the unruly mop of hair I had as I had forgotten to tie it back and didn’t really have a string for it. So instead I simply combed it over to one side like I had a leaking Mohawk or something. I noticed a weapon shop and went in for a visit. There I got a few good quality steel longswords around the size of what I was already using as well as a few great swords. I had plans for the next five days and Abhorash wasn’t going to be getting out of this one. If I was going to train, so would my minions.

I said farewell to the flabbergasted weapon shop owner as I tied all the swords together and just slung them over my shoulder. I asked around and found what I had originally set out to look for. A spatial storage and magic item shop! I was in luck actually as I came to the door for the store named… wait, what? ‘The Pharmagician and The Needy Ent~♥’

I’m not kidding here! That is exactly how it is spelled, trailing heart and everything! I didn’t much feel like opening the door, imagining what sort of person would name their shop such a silly name. I hoped it wouldn’t be some old woman that dressed as if she was still in the prime of her youth and beautiful without measure. A shiver ran down my spine and I actually vocalized it. “Brrrr”

I looked around and even saw the guy that owned the store next door, a leatherworker, give me a sympathetic look but then gave me the shoo gesture and I grumbled. Taking hold of the door handle I breathed in deep and just went for it I opened the door.

It was… nothing like I expected, at least from the name. It looked like one of those out of the way mom and pop type show with wooden shelves covering the walls. Every one of them filled with vials, items, herbs, preserved body parts in jars and other such trinkets. It was an honest to god fantasy alchemist shop! In the centre of the room were two stands were some bags and accessories lay on one. And the other had what seemed more magically inclined objects. I even noticed a few scrolls on some of the shelves.

When I drew my eyes towards the back of the shop, behind the paying counter, was a large rack absolutely chocking with scrolls and even a small bookcase. “By Odin’s saggy left testicle...” I muttered at the sight.

“Odin? Who’s that?” A high pitched yet rough woman’s voice came from just next to me. I looked and saw an elderly woman wearing a long flowing robe. She had wrinkles on her wrinkles and seemed to even have her eyes shut from wrinkles. I know I might be harping on this point but the woman looked like she had six eyes shut tightly, that’s how her deepest wrinkles looked like! But that wasn’t what caused my reaction, for when my eyes had taken in her face I noticed the bulge coming out of her backside. A centaur.

“Holly!” I let out as I jumped, almost banging my head on the ceiling. When I fell down I just barely stopped myself from falling on my ass.

The old bat smirked at me. “First time?” She asked with an almost mocking smirk on her face. I didn’t like her instantly.

“I’m just not used to see centaurs around is all.” I grumbled to try and save face, though I felt the tips of my ears burn with embarrassment. She only grinned mischievously and walked over to the counter. Her dress or robe… whatever! It covered up her entire lower half and I felt like her front hooves must be wearing heels or something. There was an ever so soft sound that came right before another each time she stood down with a front leg but not with the back legs. It was a little… weird doesn’t really cut it if I had to describe it. It was like a cold bucket of water was poured on my mind without the usual reaction my body takes when a shiver runs down my spine. Something about it just… yeah, you get the point.

“So young man. What might you be interested in here in my lil’ol shop.” The woman said and her grin of mischief seemed to have turned to an almost grandmotherly smile. I felt guilty then. Both for what I had just thought of the old woman but also about my own grandparents. The state they had been the last time I saw them had also made such bad thoughts come to me. It wasn’t fair towards them, they hadn’t chosen what had happened to them.

I must have simply stared for a while at the woman because she suddenly cocked her head to the side and looked at me almost worry on her face. “Are you alright?” Her tone soft and almost just like my own grandmother the one who had died of Parkinson's.

I cleared my throat and blinked away the sudden wetness that had come to my eyes. I had hated that disease. Watching her just waste away, physically and mentally. I hadn’t ever gotten over it. I shook my head and sucked in a mighty breath through my nose and wiped at my eyes quickly. “Ah sorry, just you remind me of someone I used to know.” I said with a force apologetic smile. What the actual fuck is wrong with me? Is it my inexperience with full-blown emotions causing me to almost bawl my eyes out in grief and loss in front of some strange old woman?!

She didn’t seem all that convinced of my words, with my rather harried emotional state barely hidden. “I don’t suppose you have any good spatial bags or accessories do you? I’d also be interested to know if you happen to have any skill scrolls and though I feel it is a long shot skill points for sale?”

I had felt my breath almost catch two or three times and I closed my eyes a little and went through a short breathing exercise. Four seconds inhale then hold for two then slowly exhale until the lungs are empty. I felt my emotions recede a little and I welcomed that muffling void back to my mind, if only for a blessed moment or two.

The old woman looked at me strangely, as if she knew some deep truth about me but didn’t want to expose it. “I do, though you’d be luckier to bed a dragon than find someone with actual skill points for sale. If someone says they do, it’s most likely a huge scam.” She said pointing a long bony finger at me and wiggled it a little.

“What are you looking for? If you have a budget then tell me now and what you're mostly looking for. I’ll try and sort you out as well as I can.” She said and that smile she gave almost made me whelm up with emotions again.

I nodded and looked at my purse, the swords had only cost a few silver coins so maybe since I was in a magic type shop I could spend a few gold. “I’ve got around maybe in the vicinity of 32 gold to spare. I’m looking for something easy to wear when the spatial storage device is concerned. I have a satchel and ring already just ran out of space with them and I suspect I’d most likely need a very roomy one. Then I’m looking for skill scrolls that might teach me mana manipulation without having to spend a skill point to learn it. Maybe a magic book to teach the skill conventionally perhaps?” I told it as it was, no sense really to lie to this woman.

She put her hand to her chin and rubbed at it, letting out that old person humming sound. “Are you a mage of some kind? I see you have a sword so perhaps you are intending to blend the martial and magical path?” She asked me and I nodded, though she didn’t let me elaborate very well before she took out a large crystal ball and placed it not so gently on the table in front of her.

The loud ‘CLANK’ of the glass hitting the wood counter made me wince a little, the ball was cracked in some places and what looked like improvised duck tape was tapped over one particularly large crack.

I tried to be as tactful as I could as I took a few slow steps towards the ball and pointed almost gingerly at it. “Uhhh… what’s that?” I asked.

The old woman looked at me and I could swear her lower lip ate half of the upper one when she made some face at me. “What’s it look like?” She asked and the clear look of confusion on my face made her scoff at me. “This is to test if you have any mana to actually gain! Even if you have a mage like class or something it will only be in the skills you’ll gain that you can be called a mage, no matter your level! You’d only be considered an apprentice mage at the most!” She said almost haughtily yet also not in a manner that seemed to demean my intelligence.

I nodded and slowly moved my hand towards the ball, I was rather wary of it’s cracked and overly used appearance. The old woman sighed in near exacerbation and gripped my wrist and forced my hand onto the ball. “Go on! Don’t be such a ninny.” She said as she held my hand against the ball. Despite her haggard and aged appearance, she was really freaking strong! I mean I actually but strength into trying to yank my hand away but her grip was like a vice of pure titanium!

I almost activated defensive carapace and every skill I could manage quickly before I noticed the ball. A swirl of blue began to appear in the middle of it, there wasn’t much detail I could see through the glass itself though. It swirled and coiled around itself, turning a pale almost pinkish red yet still clearly red, purple, grey and then finally a pure black as it shrank in on itself until only a tiny ball of condensed whatever was visible. It was maybe the size of my little toes nail.

The old woman let go of me and stared at the ball. I shot my hand back and soon the black ball began to expand and go through everything it had just in reverse before finally leaving the ball empty. I stared at my hand and then took a step back from the woman, wary of any more tricks from her.

The silence hung heavy between us as she stared at the ball in front of her then looked up. “You’re a talented individual it seems.” She said almost under her breath and it seemed to break the spell we had been under.

“What do you mean?” I asked and I made it clear I wasn’t coming within arm's length of her again by my stance. Crossing my eyes and giving her a pointed look.

“You have four kinds? Yes, four kinds of mana you are rather suited for. The red is for fire-type mana which would make you a talent in pyromancy but the colour was a little off to me, too light. Perhaps some aspects of it will suit you. Then there was the purple. It was deep and vibrant which means you will be talented in spiritual and/or shadow type magic. Then there is the grey.” She stopped talking then and looked at me.

I raised an eyebrow at her. “The grey means what? Wind magic?” I asked showing I was both curious and wary of her words. Though I didn’t mean to show it to her.

“You are a necromancer.” She said with an almost dark smile and I felt I might have to run from Bedelev with a horde of angry peasants after me. She then chuckled and waved at me as if to dispel what I was thinking. “I don’t care much if you are, it isn’t what I found strangest about you though. I’ve never seen black. That reaction showed you had immense talent for whatever type of mana that is but I have no clue on what it might be. It certainly isn’t spatial magic, that is a light purple with glittering stars within it. It is quite a head-scratcher.” She said as she scratched at her chin, clearly dumbfounded at the results.

“You.” She started before looking towards the door and frowning a little. Then as if by sheer boredom she waved her hands and I turned to see the open sign flip over to closed and even the door locking. “Have you had any training in magic?” She asked me and I felt a blood-chilling finger run up my spine. This old woman wasn’t what she appeared to be that was for sure.

Slowly I turned to look at her and I had to suppress the urge wraith step to the other end of the store. I could see her staring at me intently as if I was some puzzle she had to solve. I swallowed, hard. “I haven’t, I have a mage like class but I’ve only been using its skills.” I said slowly, who was this woman?!

She seemed placated by that if only a little. “What is the class?” She said and though it sounded like a question, it for some reason felt more like a command.

“Shadowmancer.” I almost croaked out.

She seemed unconvinced and I decided to create a shadow bolt above my hand. Might as well try and steer her away from my necromancer class. She seemed to take that in stride and then gestured for me to cancel it and I did. “I see.” She half muttered as she looked me up and down.

“Well, then I suppose I should serve the customer shouldn’t I?” She said with a sneaky smirk at me. This woman was all over the place and I felt confused just dealing with her. She moved around behind the counter and then turned to ask me. “It was 32 gold right?” She asked over her shoulder but almost ignored me right away and continued to go through the back.

“There we go.” She said as she brought up a book, a redwood case as well as what looked like a scroll case. She patted the book and pushed it towards me. “I’d say you need this one.” She said and I looked at the book’s cover. A single white silver engraving in the shape of a rather complex magical circle covered the… well, cover. Then there was the name of the book. ‘The in-depth fundamentals of magic and it’s advanced methods.’

I stared at it and began to open it after I had given the old woman a good look to tell her not to try anything more. I flipped through the book and then I came to a small diagram were a mage seemed to create a gemstone. The words magic stone made me flip even more through the book and found the mana manipulation diagram. The man seemed to be sitting in a meditative posture and I saw how they drew in the mana into their bodies.

A light bulb went off in my head and I began to smile wide. The old woman looked at me as if I was insane but I was smiling wide. That is due to a comment I had made in jest when in Deepguard made me think of an interesting experiment to try out later.

She seemed to huff a little then opened the wood box, within was a pair of rings. Beautifully made out of a black metal with silvery writing around it. It sort of reminded me of the one ring just black and silver instead of gold and black. I marvelled at the rings. “These are known as the devourer rings. Spatial rings that work only for extremely rare mana types. These are able to devour other spatial storages to add to their own. Of course, where they access is actually the user's own soul. So if another came along that could use them the storage spaces would not only be vastly different in size but they’d also not access the same things.” She said and I almost said she had me at devourer.

She then turned towards the scrolls. “This is a spatial scroll case which can only store scrolls, no matter the type. Oh yes, it can also store maps. Currently, I have no clue what might still be in it, it’s a resale item so it doesn’t matter much to me.” She said and shrugged.

I looked at the three items in turn and then up at her. “I’ll sell you all of these for 38 gold coins.” She said with a wide and slightly sneaky smile.

I looked from her to the items and from one to the other. Then I looked up at her and my face must have shown my suspicions. “Why? Why would you sell me these for so little? Just from looking at these items, I could maybe buy the book and scroll case for that amount. So why the rings in too?”