Alden's body finally stopped distorting as he found himself in a new room identical to the room he had entered from.
There was a man standing in the corner, but unlike the one in the room before, he was completely ignoring Alden.
The portal system had a clear communication line.
Who entered the portal and through which room? It was all recorded and transmitted to the receiving teleportation hub.
Alden knelt slightly as nausea hit him like waves of a tsunami.
Great.
Just great.
If there was one thing that never got old, it was the lovely side effects of teleportation.
He took a few more deep breaths, trying to calm his body.
Just as he shook off his nausea, he walked towards the exit of the teleportation hub.
He exited the hub.
He was greeted by the view of the magnificent city.
He was finally in Valloria, the city of dreams.
And by "dreams," it really depended on what kind.
So people here dread of wealth and success.
While others ? A life where they weren't stabbed in an alley.
Valloria had both types.
There were many towering skyscrapers, and their glassy exterior was shining under the light.
He saw many billboards hanging above the streets. They were advertising high-tech weapons, luxury cars, and so legal enhancent, which Alden found very questionable.
The streets were crowded with many hovering cars and so normal ones too.
The footpaths were also crowded with many people going on about their business.
So people were in sleek suits, probably so businessn or employees.
Others wore various armours; they were the hunters who worked in various guilds.
There was one more type of people who had a gentle smile on their faces, but Alden wasn't fooled by the gentle smile, he knew those people were definitely about to scam soone.
Alden barely had any ti to take it all in before one of them locked onto him.
A man in a faded trench coat and warm smile on his face, walked toward him.
What scamr liked the most? Young Country Bumpkins.
Alden was young, and from the way he was staring at everything, he sure looked like a bumpkin as well.
Alden had visited Valloria before when he had first arrived at the academy, but at that ti he didn't even exit the teleportation hub.
He had taken a portal from the Draven family to Valloria and imdiately taken another portal straight to Astria City.
So this was the first ti he was actually seeing the imperial capital.
Hence the shady man, who had considered him as a bumpkin, walked towards him with a smile.
Alden suppressing his rank to appear as the lowest rank didn't help either.
But there was a reason he was suppressing it.
To lure scamrs.
He needed information about the black market, and who else would know about it better than so scamrs whose livelihood depended on it?
"Hey, young man. You look like soone in need of a proper artefact."
Alden resisted the urge to laugh.
'That was fast.'
The scamr took his silence as an invitation to continue.
"You are really lucky. I happen to know just the right place."
He leaned in slightly as he whispered quietly.
"Between you and , I can get you an artefact that can increase your potential."
"Real secret stuff. Not sothing you'll find in those overpriced guild stores."
Potential enhancent artefacts? Oh, this guy was ambitious.
Not content with small-ti scams, he was going straight for the biggest lie he could sell.
Still, Alden didn't walk away.
"H—How c—can that be possible?" Alden asked, acting hesitant, "I have not read anything about an artifact like that."
He knew if he gave in too soon, the scamr would find it suspicious, so he had to act his part.
"It's true, the main families had long since found out how to create such an artefact... but they are hiding the truth."
The scamr said, making his voice as small as possible.
"They don't want us ordinary folks to find out about it…"
"Really?" Alden asked in surprise.
But he knew internally of the source of such information.
Source: trust bro.
"Yes… so do you want it or not?" The scamr said.
"Oh? That sounds… incredible, sir." He made sure to widen his eyes slightly.
The scamr's grin widened.
"Yes, yes… Although it's not cheap—but for soone like you, I'm willing to negotiate. After all, I see potential in you."
'Yeah, buddy. I bet you do.'
Alden didn't break his character. Instead, he took a small step closer, lowering his voice as if genuinely worried.
"Please, sir. I… I'll do anything. Just tell where to find it."
"Well, well… You're in luck." The scamr said, "The shop isn't too far. Just follow ."
"Lead the way." Alden said it as if he was excited.
He followed the man without hesitation.
The scamr guided him away from the main streets, going through narrow alleys.
With each turn, the noise of Valloria's bustling roads was fading.
The deeper they went, the fewer people there were. But Alden could sense a few people watching them from the shadows.
Truly a classic setup.
He could already guess the scamr's plan:
Lead the naive idiot to a secluded spot.
Demand an absurd amount of money.
If the idiot hesitated? Bring out so "friends" to help convince them.
And if they refused entirely?
Well.
A disappearance or two wasn't really that rare in Valloria, especially in these dark alleys.
The authorities didn't really care about what happened to a few people as long as it was not on a too big level or soone influential.
Corruption was everywhere after all.
'It was a proper scam.'
After walking for a while, the scamr finally stopped.
The alley they had entered was a dead end, blocked off by a tall wall.
There were no doors, no shop—just a perfect, enclosed space.
There was no one in sight, but Alden could still sense so people blocking the alleys.
The scamr turned around.
His face was plastered with a grin that had finally lost its gentle nature.
"We're here."
Alden didn't say anything for a mont and just stood still.
His expressions are unreadable.
He took a good look at the surroundings before speaking. " Where is the store, sir?
"Patience, my friend." The scamr chuckled. "Before we begin, let's talk about the paynt."
"Artifacts of this kind? They are not cheap after all."
"Oh, of course. How much are we talking about?" Alden tilted his head.
"For you? 500,000 E." The scamr spoke, rubbing his hands.
Alden blinked.
What the—
Then—
He couldn't keep up the act anymore and laughed.
It wasn't a forced or mocking laugh.
It was a genuine one.
The scamr looked at him with confusion.
"Look here, buddy," he said, "I could probably buy you for less than that."
The scamr's eyes darkened.
There it is.
The big reveal.
The n Alden had sensed before finally moved.
Three figures stepped out from the shadows behind him, blocking the only exit.
'And here co the friends.'
"You misunderstand , kid." The scamr's grin returned. "This isn't a negotiation."
Alden didn't say anything and only smiled.
His smile is anything but warm.
'Let's get this over with.'
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