How to Survive Against Villains Chapter 77

Chapter 77 – We Are the Black Market

Fenry blinked.

The pitch-black space around her was empty, void of any discernible features.

This was a shadowy domain created by magic—a place where both the identities of the client and the information broker were completely concealed.

Neither party knew the other’s true identity, and even their voices were magically distorted to prevent recognition.

This was a trading space accessible only to VIPs of the Black Market, dedicated solely to information about Divine Powers (Shinmyung).

As a client, Fenry was here negotiating with an information broker for intel regarding the Divine.

"30,000 gold per person?"

"Why? Is that expensive?"

"No, it’s cheaper than I expected."

"The identities of three Divine Powers aren’t exactly high-value secrets—you could get them just as easily elsewhere."

"Not high-value?"

Fenry’s brows furrowed at the broker’s final comnt.

The price implied that only a few "sacrificial vessels"—enslaved individuals often used in such rituals—had been required to obtain the information.

During the witch hunts, the Black Market had bought countless witches as slaves.

It was highly likely that the sacrificial victims used to extract these Divine secrets were witches.

Even after the massacre of witches, it seed the Black Market had continued its cruel exploitation in the shadows.

As a mber of a race that had suffered greatly at the hands of human greed, Fenry found this deeply unsettling but chose to ignore it for now.

The Black Market was a tool wielded by the powerful elites who ruled the world.

At the mont, it was too big of a mountain for Fenry to challenge.

"Will you make the deal?"

"This is the latest information, right?"

"Of course."

The list of Divine Powers was always subject to change, depending on their growth and developnt.

The more influential the owners beca, the higher the value of updated information.

In so cases, such information could beco so valuable it transcended monetary worth entirely, requiring extraordinary sacrifices to obtain.

Fenry nodded and paid the required amount.

She was purchasing the identities of three Divine Powers—at a total cost of 90,000 gold.

It was an enormous sum, equivalent to the organization’s entire annual budget. Fortunately, they had surplus funds thanks to the recent completion of Dorneth’s commission.

Even so, handing over such an amount made Fenry grit her teeth in frustration.

[“No matter the cost, get the information I asked for!”]

Had it not been for Nella’s urgent insistence, Fenry would never have spent so much money on sothing like this.

Nella, one of the few remaining priestesses among the elves, was usually calm and reserved. For her to make such a forceful request ant there had to be a compelling reason behind it.

"Even so, I can’t help but feel bitter about this."

90,000 gold vanished into thin air.

All for the information scribbled on a flimsy piece of paper. With a sigh of exasperation, Fenry began to read the note.

A mont later, her pupils trembled slightly.

"……."

Her jaw tightened, and she swallowed dryly.

She couldn’t hide her reaction.

Though she had always disliked this dark, anonymous space, for the first ti, Fenry found herself appreciating its usefulness.

[Fenry Chaser – Shadow of the World Tree (Shadow)]

[Dorneth Garder – Shield of Tobaron (Frost)]

[Rengua Field – Descendant of the Blood Oak Shaman (Madness)]

The nas on the list of Divine Powers.

All three were people she knew well. And one of them was herself.

Clutching the note tightly, Fenry let out a silent groan.

Now she understood why Nella had urged her to obtain this information from the Black Market so urgently.

She had beco one of the owners of the Divine.

‘When… when did this happen?’

Fenry had always considered the possibility that she might one day beco a Divine host.

After all, most people who reached the Sixth Star naturally awakened to a Divine Power.

The mont one beca a Divine host, their life would change dramatically.

They would gain unparalleled respect wherever they went, and even here at the Black Market, they could secure tens of thousands of gold in loans without question.

But Fenry felt no joy.

‘My personal strength hasn’t changed. Neither has the organization’s overall power.’

Yet she had still received a Divine Power.

This ant that so external force, rather than her own abilities, had altered her fate.

Her gaze shifted to another na on the list: Dorneth.

The Lord of Beneta had also beco a Divine host at the exact sa ti as her.

The note detailed the order and dates of each Divine awakening, and the most recent addition was a week ago—an individual nad Rengua, known as the Black Warlock of Blier.

Dorneth’s awakening had followed shortly after, perfectly coinciding with Fenry’s own.

If the timing was identical, then could the cause also be the sa?

There was only one incident that had recently linked her and Dorneth.

‘Laup Forest, Dominic Huaton.’

And at the heart of that incident was him.

The re thought of his na made her teeth clench.

But she couldn’t shake the feeling that her Divine Power was sohow connected to that man.

It wasn’t just a hunch.

Having witnessed his battle firsthand, she felt certain of it.

The overwhelming sight of thousands of chiras being swept away by waves of light.

The divine authority that had crushed Arena’s awakened aura.

And in the end, how he had slain Arena and consud her heart.

Now, that battlefield lay buried, with only Fenry left to rember its horrors.

No, there was one more—Nella.

Both of them knew of his existence.

Arthur Clayton.

Was he still unconscious? If he had been consud by the Heart and turned into a monster, her assumptions would be completely off base.

Having shared everything about him with Nella, Fenry trusted her to handle the situation wisely.

After reviewing the information, Fenry burned the note.

Most buyers of Divine-related intel avoided sharing it with others.

Not only because of the cost but also because leaking such information could provoke hostility from the Divine hosts themselves.

Even though this particular information involved herself and those close to her, it was still a matter to be handled cautiously.

"I heard there are five newly awakened Divine hosts. Is that correct?"

"Are you asking because you don’t know?"

"No, I already know one is dead. What I need is information on the other one who remains hidden."

Fenry already knew about Arena Huaton’s death.

She had been the one to burn the body, after all.

The remaining mystery was the Divine host Nella had described as being shrouded in secrecy.

Could the Black Market provide information on them?

"That one is… incomplete."

"Incomplete? What do you an?"

"It ans we only have partial details."

"Does that an the sacrificial vessels are gone?"

"Watch your mouth. Even VIPs have their limits."

The broker’s voice, disembodied and distorted, carried a nacing edge.

It wasn’t anger directed at Fenry but rather sha at their inability to fully uncover the information.

"This information is being handled as an interdiary transaction."

"Interdiary?"

"The data has been entrusted to us. Unless you possess the item the provider desires, we cannot reveal it."

"What kind of item are we talking about?"

"A high-tier ancient artifact or better."

"…Are you insane? Do you think that makes sense?"

"We don’t negotiate. These are the provider’s terms."

Fenry let out a bitter laugh.

A high-tier ancient artifact? What kind of absurd demand was that?

‘No, on second thought… it might make sense.’

The Divine Power in question was incredibly special.

It belonged to soone who had broken the very rules governing Divine awakenings.

Given the nature of such a figure, there were likely many willing to et even these outrageous terms.

‘Whoever the provider is, they’re probably hoarding artifacts left and right.’

Fenry hesitated for a mont.

She did possess several high-tier ancient artifacts that could et the requirent.

After weighing her options, she made a decision and initiated negotiations.

"You’re holding this information as part of an interdiary deal, correct?"

"……."

"I’m willing to et whatever price you ask. Sell it to privately."

"There’s a rather tricky spell placed on the interdiary contract. I’m afraid I can’t."

Fenry clicked her tongue in annoyance.

The broker must have access to highly skilled sorcerers.

In the end, it seed she would have to comply with the terms.

Still unwilling to give up, she continued probing.

"How accurate is the information?"

"100%."

"And the source?"

"Arcane, the Prophet of Fate."

There was no need to ask further.

There was no loophole to exploit.

And now, she understood why the Black Market had refrained from trying to monopolize the deal.

Arcane was a figure no one in the business of Divine Power dared to cross.

The fact that Arcane had entrusted this information ant it was exclusive—sothing unattainable anywhere else.

‘Even Nella couldn’t read that person’s Divine Power.’

Fenry considered her options once more but reached the sa conclusion.

She had to uncover this Divine Power, no matter the cost.

‘If Nella is right, the fate of the elves may be at stake.’

Fenry thought about her own Divine Power.

Shadow of the World Tree.

The World Tree had been the ho and sanctuary of the elves since the dawn of ti.

Now, she had been designated its shadow—a role thrust upon her during the Laup Forest incident.

Fenry trusted Nella’s instincts.

She removed a necklace she had been wearing and placed it into the void.

The necklace vanished silently.

It was a relic blessed by the World Tree itself, a high-tier artifact surpassing even standard classifications for the elves.

‘There’s no better bait than this.’

It was a calculated risk.

While the Black Market had presented Arcane as the provider, Fenry was certain there was a hidden player behind the scenes.

Through the necklace, she intended to uncover that shadowy figure.

‘If they’re not an elf, they won’t be able to fully understand the artifact’s hidden properties.’

One of those properties was a tracking spell.

By tracing the artifact’s location, Fenry aid to achieve two goals.

First, to uncover the identity of the hidden player.

And second, to locate…

‘The collection of ancient artifacts.’

Once she found them, she could steal them.

That was her specialty.

The appraisal of the necklace took so ti.

At best, the brokers would evaluate it as rely a high-tier artifact.

Fenry had deliberately refrained from providing a detailed explanation of its value, trusting the Black Market to make a reasonable assessnt.

A short while later…

"The deal is complete."

With the broker’s words, a slip of paper appeared in Fenry’s hand.

She exhaled softly and unfolded it.

There was just one line of information written on it.

[Hunter of Divinity]

"……."

Hunter of Divinity.

Depending on how it was interpreted, this Divine Power could have staggering implications.

Fenry quietly burned the slip of paper.

For so reason, her hands trembled as she lowered them.

"Intriguing, isn’t it?"

"What is?"

Perhaps because she had paid such a high price, the broker threw out a final thought for her to ponder.

"Whether the first word of that title refers to a na… or the prey."

Hunter of Divinity.

Its aning could change entirely based on interpretation.

If the "Divine" in the na referred to the prey, then the owner of this Divine Power could be branded as the enemy of all other Divine hosts.

"What’s the Black Market’s opinion on this person?"

"We are the Black Market."

Fenry nodded and turned to leave.

That answer was enough.

The Black Market always moved in the direction of profit. It wasn’t a single organization but an alliance of profit-driven entities.

Fenry herself had maintained a similar position until learning about this Divine Power.

‘…Hunter of Divinity.’

Muttering the title under her breath, Fenry exited the shadowy space.

In her long life as an elf, she couldn’t help but feel…

…like she had just beco entangled in sothing truly vile.