As Jake stepped off of the train, he quickly made his way down the stairs of the station, bleeding into the mass of people. As he made his way towards the main door, weaving through the people, he brought his hood over his head before pulling up his mask. Stepping out into the street, he quickly ducked into the alleyways, the cover of the buildings protecting him from the sun’s gaze.

As he walked through the labyrinthine alleys, the faint sound of chatter and footsteps fading away, he felt a familiar shift in the area. The same warmth, the same sink into soil. It was as if he was walking through grasslands in summer, rather than the chilling air of an ending winter. Turning a corner, he found the old man, sitting at the end of an alleyway.

“Why, hello there. What can I help you with?” the old man said, a smile on his face. It was like he was greeting a familiar friend or a relative.

Strange.

Walking towards the old man, Jake reached into his bag before pulling out one of the Demon Hearts and tossing it onto the floor. As the gem-like item clattered on the ground, he felt the air grow sharp, as if a blade was at his neck. He understood why, from a practical standpoint. People who had anything with demonic energy were considered people of concern, even amongst their colleagues.

“Show me the Shadow Market,” Jake said, his voice even. As soon as the words left his lips, he felt the pressure relent, if only slightly.

A warning.

“...Follow me,” the old man said, the Demon Heart disappearing from his gaze. Getting up from his spot, the old man towered over him, almost a foot or so taller. Stepping past him, Jake quickly followed behind, the footsteps echoing through the alley.

As they made their way to the destination, moving away from the bustle of the Hunting Station, he noticed something. Everything felt…clearer, somehow. The echo of footsteps, the feeling of his mask on his face, his shoulder brushing against the old man and his small grunt of acknowledgement. All of it seemed more notable, if only a bit.

Odd.

“We're here,” the old man said as he suddenly stopped in front of a building. Reaching into his coat, he then brought out what seemed to be a medal before placing it in Jake's hands, the message clear in the air.

Making his way into the building, he found himself in a hallway of some kind. as he walked down the hall, his footsteps echoing around him, he was met with a rather modern looking elevator. As he looked it over, he noticed a slot on the side, looking similar to the medal he was holding. Setting the medal into the slot, he watched as the door hissed open. Stepping into the elevator, he heard the door snap shut behind him before something sounding like a vending machine went off. Turning around, he saw the medal sitting in a basket. Picking the medal up, he suddenly heard the turning of gears before feeling it move. As the elevator descended, he ran through the things he was planning to purchase.

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1. Combat Enhancements. Particularly things to change his style to be more effective in areas.

2. Processing Equipment. While he could get them above board, he would have to prove that he had some type of skill and training in order to acquire them.

3. Occult Research Materials. This would be the most useful for him, giving him some steps ahead.

Feeling the elevator come to a halt, he watched as the door hissed open showing what seemed like a mall floor. People walked in front of him, each conversation bleeding into one another. Pocketing the medal, he then stepped out of the elevator, weaving into the crowd of people. As he made his way through the area, his eyes skimming over the wares being sold, one store in particular caused him to pause. The air around it seemed sharper, the faint scent of worn paper matched with the scent of blade oil.

‘Martial Library, huh,’ he thought as he looked over the sign. This could work for what he was looking for. Entering the bookstore, he was met with shelves filled to the brim of books and scrolls. Turning his gaze towards the main desk, he saw an old man, possibly in his late seventies, sitting at the desk with a book in his hands.

As he made his way through the aisles of the bookstore, picking out and memorizing the styles he found, he noticed something. In certain books, there was a pattern of sorts. Pieces of movement seemed…incomplete, somehow. Attacks that seemed to be useful on their own, but not fully made viable in an actual fight. Multiple moving parts, but not a full machine. As he started to break those moves down, he noticed that they seemed to connect to each other, almost like pieces to a puzzle.

‘Odd way of doing it,’ he thought as he set the last martial manual back on the shelf. Stepping out of the bookstore, he continued on his way through the marketplace, silently breaking down each move. As he did so, he felt like he was making something else, crafting a new tool.

“Well, hello there, Little Wolf. Pleasure to see you here,” a familiar voice suddenly said, bringing him out of his thoughts. Turning his gaze to the side, he was met with a familiar pair of pink and purple eyes, gleaming behind raven hair.

“What do you want?” Jake asked before he continued on his way. He was busy and didn’t really have much to talk about.

“Well, I wanted to catch up. You never showed after I gave you my card,” she said, a small pout on her face.

“Never had a reason to,” he stated as he looked over one of the stalls. As he made his way through the area, he noticed that everyone in the vicinity seemed on edge. Stray glances in his direction, hushed and fearful whispers, it was as if they were looking at a monster.

“You know, i could help if you need some things,” Jill suddenly hummed, causing Jake to stop in his tracks.

“What do you want in return?” he asked, turning to face her. No one would simply give help without getting something in return.

“Come to the Bleeding Blackout later tonight and I'll tell you,” she chuckled before walking off, blending into the crowd before disappearing.

As Jake watched her leave, he silently mulled over the offer. While risky, it was clear that nothing gave off the signal that she was lying. It would also be a good way to advance his skills and adapt them to fighting the more powerful creatures of the world and eventually demons. While he was able to fight the Siren, it was mainly due to its age and the fact that it was pretty simple for a demon.

Might as well go and hear her out. He didn’t really have much to lose.