Chapter 98
The Market Under the Prison
Erin’s group followed after Keenan, who led them to an elevator. Once inside, the inmate took out a key card that he put underneath a special scanner, before pressing a combination of buttons on the panel. This was because the people running the Black Market didn’t want any outsiders to get there even on accident. By having the system require not only a special key card, but also a specific button combination ensured that no one uninvited got into areas they weren’t supposed to be at.
The machinery running the elevator hummed as the people inside could feel themselves start to descend. The Black Market had been dug even deeper underground than the city in order to keep it out of the public eye as much as possible.
“Is it now safe to speak about what we are really here for or do we still have to keep up the act?” Erin whispered to Keenan. “When are we going to be safe from people that we don’t want to hear our talks?”
“The moment the elevator’s door closed we got away from prying eyes. No need to act like you’re my family anymore,” Keenan replied. “Still, what the hell kind of a group of amateurs are you? You could have ruined the whole thing back there! Even if people know that there is shady stuff going on around here, it doesn’t matter as long as there isn’t any evidence! Do you want to give the authorities a reason to come down here or something!?”
“Hey, don’t talk shit like that to us! We aren’t some crooks who live like this every day!” Ryle shot back. “Besides, what’s the idea of putting on a dumb show in order to hide something that people know about!? That’s like running around naked down the street in the middle of the day and then putting on clothes at night when most people are already asleep!”
“Are you simply deaf or just as dumb as you look? The reason nobody has come down here to stop this whole operation is because there hasn’t been any solid evidence!” the inmate said. “The people who would want this thing to get shut down won’t move over simple rumors, no matter how many people might talk about them. They want actual proof that there is something going on here, which is why we need to put up with these acts in order to not give them even a hint of a proof! The way you guys keep talking unnecessarily is just going to put unwanted eyes on us and make things even more difficult!”
The blonde was about to continue arguing, but Erin managed to stop her. Picking a fight with their guide would only cause trouble for everyone involved.
“Look, we’re sorry about what happened there, but we are still not used to these kinds of deals. All we got from the people who set this up was that we needed to make up some sort of a story about being related to you and your picture. We didn’t realize just how sensitive this whole operation truly is,” the redhead explained. “Are there any other things that we need to know from this point on?”
“Good to see at least one of you has some brains,” Keenan said. “There isn’t much else to really say. You just go there, buy what you want and don’t cause any issues. The only thing is that you guys do have a bit of a time limit, unlike in the Black Markets of other areas.”
“How long do we have?” Erin asked.
“A few hours, so you should be able to get everything done before you need to leave. They’ll even announce it when you need to start packing your things up and leave,” the inmate explained. “And before you ask, this is all in order to keep up the act that you’re only here to visit me. It wouldn’t make sense for a prison to allow its visitors to stay overnight, right?”
“But isn’t it already strange that some inmates are allowed to take visitors to private rooms and have them there for long periods of time?” Arkay asked out of curiosity.
“That would be the case normally, but the prison here is run by a private company. They get quite a lot of freedom in how they do things,” Keenan replied. “As long as they fulfill certain requirements, they can do pretty much whatever they want. Some of these requirements include transferring prisoners wanted by the government to their facilities and maintaining order within the prison itself.”
The elevator suddenly came to a stop and opened its door, allowing the group to finally enter the Black Market itself.
“We’re finally here,” Keenan said as he stepped out, followed by Erin and the others. “Just remember to behave and you shouldn’t have any issues.”
As they got out of the elevator, they were greeted with a sight that was both beautiful and eerie. Back in Moonstone, the Black Market had lived up to its name as a large market. However, the place they were at now looked more like a small town, as there were far more actual buildings and they were larger than the ones in Moonstone. The same hustle was there, just as noisy as it had been at the previous location. Much like the city above them, the area was also illuminated by special stones that glowed. However, unlike in Grand Mine Central, the stones were much larger and placed on the ceiling above them. The stones glowed in a ghostly green light, bathing the Black Market and revealing what it held within.
“So, you guys go do what you came here to do and come back here, alright?” Keenan said as he walked away from the group. “I’m gonna go over there and have some fun with colleagues.”
Erin looked over to the place where the inmate was heading towards and saw a small area set up by other people dressed in the same prison uniforms. There was a barbeque pit and a small bar set up, along with a couple of tables and chairs as well. The other prisoners were sitting at a table, playing a card game while enjoying the food and beverages. The redhead assumed that since Keenan had referred to them as “colleagues” and the were from different races that these were the other guides that visitors to the Black Market used to gain access.
“Hey, are you asleep or something?” Lexton suddenly asked, snapping Erin out of her thoughts. “You heard what he said! We have a limited amount of time to get things done around here, so let’s get going already!”
“R-Right!” the redhead said as she blushed a bit from embarrassment.
The group entered the town before them, looking around for any stores that could provide them with the services they needed. This meant any place that specialized in selling valuable information.
“Big place. It’s gonna take a while for us to find what we are looking for,” Ryle said as she let out a whistle. “Any idea what should we be watching out for?”
“Any shops that keep themselves simple-looking and don’t have windows are ones you should be searching for. Since information merchants don’t want the things they are selling to leak out, they try to keep themselves hidden even in places like this and minimize ways to gain access into their shops,” Lexton explained. “As for the name, it should simply read “Information” on it. They don’t want to bother with fancy names, as they could be misleading.”
“Makes sense. I doubt it would be good for them, if people looking for a restaurant ended up walking in,” Erin said. “I do have to wonder, how is this place so big? Considering how difficult it can be to get here, you’d think that business here wouldn’t be as profitable.”
“That’s simple. A good amount of people that work here also live here,” the kobold answered. “Since it can be difficult to get in or out, some simply decide to settle down here and only leave when they either need to or they want to. That’s why there are actual residential buildings here, unlike in Moonstone.”
“I guess that makes sense, but how is it still so lively here?” the redhead asked. “Wouldn’t only very few people be coming here to do business?”
“You’re assuming that the way we came was the only way in. Take a look over there,” Lexton said as he pointed to a place on the outskirts of the Black Market. There was a cave on the side of the bedrock surrounding the place with people going in and out. “You remember that cave system close to Grand Mine Central? That’s most likely also connected to this place from multiple places. However, due to the routes being very difficult and dangerous, only those with enough money and connections are able to use them.”
“Makes sense, I suppose. And I bet there are more than enough of people with the kind of money to throw around to get inside, no matter which route they wish to go,” Erin said, before noticing that a certain someone was missing from their group. “Hey, where’s Arnie?”
Upon noticing that their young friend was no longer with them, the group began to look around frantically, hoping to find him before anything bad happened to him. Luckily, it didn’t take them long to find the missing cat boy, as he wasn’t too far away from them.
However, he wasn’t alone, as there was a group of women dressed in a rather special manner.
“Hey, cutie! Wanna come and have fun with us?” one of the women surrounding Arkay asked. “I’m sure a guy like you would enjoy it!”
“Umm… T-Thanks for the offer, but I’m kind of traveling with others!” the cat boy said awkwardly with a blush on his face. “I don’t think they’d like it, if I went on my own somewhere!”
“Aww! Don’t be like that!” another woman said, grabbing his arm. “I’m sure they won’t mind it, if you come hang with us for a moment! Please? Just a little while!”
Erin and Lexton simply stared at what was happening to their young friend with wide eyes.
“You know, I always though that Ryle was a special case of some kind, but I guess she isn’t that rare in the end,” Erin said with a sigh. “Arnie is surprisingly popular, though, isn’t he?”
“Well, it isn’t really all that surprising when you think about it. He’s the type of guy who shows just who he is on the outside, so you can tell what he’s all about with a single look. And what you’ll see is a very sweet and nice guy,” Lexton said with a shrug. “Combined with his looks, I’m honestly not too surprised by his popularity. He’s natural born lady killer.”
The redhead and the kobold suddenly heard a weird and unpleasant sound coming from next to them. They looked to their side and felt shivers run down their spines, upon realizing that the sound came from Ryle gritting her teeth from anger. If looks could kill, the sheer fury behind the blonde’s eyes could have wiped out everybody in the Black Market.
The women surrounding Arkay seemed to sense the anger directed at them, as they eventually turned to look at Ryle stomp her way over to them. The blonde didn’t need to say anything, as the group of women backed away instinctively, allowing her to simply pick the cat boy up, slung him over her shoulder and carry him away. Once she thought that they were within a safe distance, she placed Arkay on the ground.
“Alright, this isn’t a good place,” Ryle said as she regrouped with Erin and Lexton. “I say we do our business here and get the hell out as soon as possible.”
“I don’t know. I’d say it’s not too bad,” Lexton said. “I mean, the neighborhood seems to be pretty friendly. At least to Arnie.”
“You watch your mouth, scale ball!” the blonde said angrily, as she glared at the kobold. “I don’t plan to go to jail for baby murder, but you keep pushing me and I’ll-!”
“Excuse me, miss?” someone called out to Ryle from behind, making her turn around. The blonde’s eyes went wide, as it was a group of boys around the same age as Arkay, all wearing different kinds of outfits. “We’re having a special offering at the cafe we work at. Would you be interested in visiting us?”
“...On second thought, maybe we could spend a little extra time here,” Ryle said with a big grin on her face. “I suddenly feel like I want to take in the sights.”
Before she could go and enjoy what the Black Market had for offer, the blonde felt cold stares at her back. She turned around and saw both Erin and Lexton glare at her in disgust.
“H-Hey, I was only joking! Joking!” Ryle quickly said. “I wasn’t really going to go over to their cafe or anything like that! I promise!”
“Sure. Maybe you’d be a bit more believable, if you didn’t have that trail of drool on your chin,” Erin pointed out. “Seriously, do you even know what dignity means?”
“You’re expecting far too much from here,” Lexton said. “We know Ryle is essentially an animal, only working according to her base instincts and nothing more.”
“That’s way too harsh!” the blonde exclaimed angrily, before looking at Arkay for support. “Arnie, you don’t think like that about me, do you!?”
“...To be perfectly honest, even I’m a bit disappointed in you,” the cat boy said with a sigh, shocking Ryle down to her soul. “I get that there are things you are curious and excited about, but we are here on a mission. The way you acted just now was disrespectful to everybody else in the group and I would have expected better from you.”
After getting such a brutal verbal strike from Arkay, the blonde fell to her knees in shock. She could hardly believe what she had just gone through.
“I’m the worst,” Ryle muttered to herself. “I made Arnie upset. How could I ever do something like that? Is there any point in even living any longer?”
“...You know, if she had anywhere near the same level of dedication to pretty much anything else, I shudder to think what she could accomplish,” Lexton said, as he stared at the blonde’s overly dramatic behavior. “Too bad it only comes up when it’s not really needed.”
“What a coincidence. I was just thinking the same thing,” Erin said.
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After managing to calm down Ryle and getting her to move again, the group was able to continue their search for the information merchants within the Black Market. They were eventually able to find what they were looking for at the outskirts of the town.
Much like Lexton had described, the building looked very plain and didn’t have a single window on it. There seemed to be only one door, but one could be certain that the building also had a secondary exit, so that the ones inside could escape in case things got hairy. Right above the entrance was a simple sign that read “Information” on it. Had Erin not known any better, she would have assumed that this was the place one wold go to for directions and other such things, like the info desks at malls.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“We’re finally here then,” the redhead said as she looked at the store. “What should we ask for, Lex? Do you think these people have maps that lead to Gotzmeyer’s base or should we ask for simply directions?”
“Erin, if we just asked for directions, we would simply end up getting lost. Do you have any idea just how difficult it is to navigate those caves?” Lexton asked. “There are stories where even elves have gotten so badly lost that they died from old age without ever finding their way back. Not to mention, all the horrible beasts that live there are also going to be a major pain in the ass for anyone trying to even get just a few steps in, much less through a whole passage. What we need are maps. If that’s not possible, then someone who can guide us.”
“Okay. Anything else?” Erin asked.
“I’m not sure if we will have enough money, but if you can get anything related to Gotzmeyer or his base, it would be useful,” the kobold said. “However, let’s focus on finding our way to the base itself first.”
“Think they could also give us the address to that cafe I was told about?” Ryle asked, only to earn dirty looks from the others. “I was just asking…”
The group entered the building to find a simple waiting area. There were a few chairs placed neatly against the walls, with a front desk facing them and the door. Behind the desk were stairs leading to another floor above. There was a person sitting behind the desk, reading a books. They were a male ratfolk, who were basically humanoid rat people in the world of Five Realms.
However, while everything around them seemed perfectly normal, Erin couldn’t help but feel alert for some reason. There was a strange smell in the room, almost like incense of some kind, but that wasn’t what truly bothered her. There was something else that also sent shivers down her spine, like there was a monsters hiding in some dark corner, ready to pounce on her at any moment.
“Oh! Customers!” the rat-man said as he put away his book. “Welcome to the store of us information merchants! How may we be of service?”
“Hello. We came here looking for information in regards to the cave systems surrounding Grand Mine Central. Particularly in regards to the path that would lead us to the base of Gotzmeyer,” Erin said. “You wouldn’t happen to be selling maps leading there and other information regarding the base itself?”
“But of course! Even the smallest of passing whispers can be bought from here. As long as you have the money, that is,” the receptionist said with a smirk. “Although, if it’s a map that you wish, I fear you might be going home empty handed this time…”
“What do you mean by that?” the redhead asked. “Why wouldn’t we be able to get a map from you? Have they all been sold or something?”
“Not at all. Not all. It’s just that you are talking about some rather expensive merchandise here,” the rat man explained. “Still, it never hurts to at least see the price and see how much you can offer. Would you like to go upstairs and meet the owner of this fine establishment?”
“The hell is with that? Why the need to go deeper inside a shady as hell place like this?” Ryle asked. “Can’t we just do our business right here and now?”
“I see that one of your companions is of lower intelligence,” the receptionist said, earning a glare from the blonde. “Information is one of the greatest things one can possess. And the less people know it, the more valuable it is. Do you really want to risk someone walking in and hearing what you’re talking about? There’s a reason why we don’t have windows here, you know…”
“You ratty little bastard… I should just-!” Ryle began, only to be stopped by Erin and Arkay.
“We appreciate your concern and would like to see what your store has to offer,” Erin said. “Please allow us to enter.”
“Good choice,” the receptionist said with a smirk. “Besides, I doubt your little baby there would have been able to last much longer anyways…”
Erin, confused by the strange comment, looked down at Lexton, only to find him in a state of absolute terror. His eyes were as wide as possible, his body was shivering and his breathing was only very minimal, almost like he was afraid to draw breath.
“Hey, what’s the matter?” the redhead asked, worried over something having happened to Lexton. Seeing no other possible source for his distress, she turned to glare at the rat man. “What did you do to him?”
“Me? I didn’t do anything at all,” the receptionist replied. “Maybe you should look at what he’s looking at?”
It was then that Erin realized that Lexton was actually staring at something. Because he was laying in her arms, he was constantly looking up. And right now, there was something above them that absolutely terrified him.
Wanting to know what was causing such horror to the kobold, the redhead looked up, along with Ryle and Arkay. What they found was so terrifying that they all felt their blood freeze. Erin now knew what it was that made her feel so alert upon first coming inside the store.
Right above them, sticking to the ceiling was a giant spider. Thanks to the building not being all that big, the creature took up the entire space on the surface it was clinging to, making it look even more massive. It had dark gray coloring on itself, allowing it to blend to the surroundings of its habitat. Massive fangs were kept ready to strike at prey, as its eyes surveyed the area below it.
image [https://i.ibb.co/Twv8kRr/Ch-98-Pic-1.jpg]
“It seems you’ve finally discovered our little security measure,” the receptionist said with a chuckle. “Don’t worry, though. It’s not going to attack, unless you decide to cause issues. You probably noticed an odd smell when you walked in, right? That comes from a special incense that helps keep that guy docile. However, all I need to do is cut it off and he will go back to being the bloodthirsty monster that you wouldn’t want to mess with.”
“Isn’t this a bit of a dangerous way to have security?” Erin asked, terrified of the giant spider looming over them. “What if something happens that gets it, you know, riled up? And how are the people running the Black Market okay with this?”
“Didn’t I already tell you that information is one of the greatest things one can possess? The same way it’s power, lack of information is a weakness,” the rat man explained. “As long as the people running this whole operation don’t know about it, they can’t really complain, can they? And before you even think about telling anyone, you should know that it only requires one message from us and no information store in the world will ever do business with you again.”
Seeing how they didn’t really have a choice in the matter, the redhead decided to simply accept the fact that they would be making deals in a building that had a gigantic spider in it. As she and her companions walked to the staircase leading to the upper floor, she took one last glance at the monstrous arachnid before making her way up the stairs.
“Why does it always have to be spiders?” Erin muttered to herself unhappily.
After walking up the stairs, the group arrived at a room that was almost completely dark. The only source of light that came to the room was from the numerous computer screens scattered around. All of the screens were showing different things. Some had videos playing on them, others had text scrolling across them and some displayed codes.
However, the strangest thing withing the room was the lone person sitting in the middle of it all. It was a goblin, who as wearing some strange goggles over his eyes. The goggles themselves were flashing periodically, as the one wearing them kept switching what he was viewing at a very fast pace. But the most disturbing thing about him was that there were cables coming from all the screens that were connected to the back of his head.
“Grix, we’ve got customers,” the receptionist called out to the goblin. “They are looking for information regarding the base of Gotzmeyer.”
“Gotzmeyer? I see,” the goblin said without moving even an inch from his spot. “Well, as long as one has the money, nothing will remain a secret. That’s our motto.”
The rat man waved goodbye to the group as he walked back to the entrance of the building. Erin walked towards the goblin, getting ready to ask for what they wanted.
“Hello. As your colleague mentioned, we are looking to buy information in regards to the warlord stationed nearby, Gotzmeyer,” the redhead explained. “We are specifically interested in buying maps that would lead to the base and any other valuable information you might have regarding the base or Gotzmeyer himself. Do you have anything of sorts that we could possibly buy?”
“Did you say maps? ...Of course, the cave systems. One would have to be either a fool or suicidal to enter those without proper preparation,” Grix said in thought. Erin and her companions noticed that the goggles he was wearing, as well as some of the monitors, seemed to switch to show information in regards to the caves, like he was looking at them himself. “We do indeed have maps, but they will be quite pricey. You see, while there are plenty of others that wish to find Gotzmeyer’s base, there are numerous other reasons for people to venture into those caves. Not only do they hold great dangers within them, but also treasures. You can probably now see why the maps might cost quite a bit.”
“...Yes, your colleague mentioned that,” Erin said, feeling a bit worried over what they might ask for the map. “So, how much is a single map going to cost then?”
“A single copy? That would be about 15 million credits,” the goblin answered.
To say that the group was taken by surprise would be an understatement. They had expected the price to be incredibly high, but nowhere near to this extent. The redhead looked down at Lexton, who shook his head from side to side. This told her that they didn’t have enough money at all.”
“What the hell!? How can a simple dumb map cost that much!?” Ryle asked angrily. “It’s just a piece of paper! It should only cost 20 credits at best!”
“You don’t seem to understand. What we are selling you isn’t any simple map, but the information that will help you navigate the greatest natural labyrinth in the whole world,” Grix explained. “With it, you not only are able to locate Gotzmeyer’s base, but you can also avoid some of the creatures that live within those caves, as well as locate the riches I mentioned earlier. In other words, not only can you find what you’re telling us you’re looking for, but so much more as well.”
“H-Hang on! We don’t need all that other information! All we need is a way to get to Gotzmeyer’s base!” Erin quickly said, hoping that they could still get what they needed. “How about you sell us a map that only tells us that? Would that be possible?”
“While I suppose we could give you an edited version of the map, that would still be quite pricey,” the goblin answered. “Even with a lot of information taken out of it, a map of the caves could still lead you to some of the greatest treasures hidden there. Besides, are you sure you would even want a map like that? After all, you’d still be walking in without any knowledge about the many dangers awaiting you. You can do that, but I must say that I doubt you’ll make it back alive.”
“I think we’ll take our chances,” Ryle said as she glared at Grix. “We might have to take a big risk, but that was obvious from the beginning. Besides, I think we’ll feel a lot better knowing that we didn’t allow ourselves to get screwed over by you crooks.”
“...Is that so?” the goblin asked, with a small hint of irritation, the only sign of emotion he had showed through this whole conversation. “In that case, I suppose I might as well sell you what you want. However, all transaction here require a payment first, before we provide our service. Is that okay?”
Erin looked at Ryle, who seemed to be certain in regards to this, giving her an encouraging nod. She also looked at Arkay, but the cat boy didn’t seem so sure about the idea. Despite his and her own doubts, the fact that they needed a map still remained. And as long as the one they got was enough to get them to their destination, it was better than nothing.
However, just as the redhead was about to agree to the deal, Lexton grabbed her hair and pulled on it very hard, causing her to cry out in pain. She looked down at the kobold and saw him giving her an angry glare.
“J-Just a moment! I think the baby needs something!” Erin quickly lied, before walking away from the group a bit. She then glared at Lexton, angry over what he had just done. “Lex, what the hell!? Why did you just yank on my hair!?”
“Hey, I needed to get your attention somehow!” the kobold said. “It’s not my fault that babies don’t have much of a vocabulary!”
“...Alright, so what do you want?” the redhead asked, still upset. “I was just about to make a deal for the map that we need.”
“Yeah, specifically for one that will just get us killed! Are you out of your goddamn mind!?” Lexton asked angrily. “Just because we can afford something, doesn’t mean that we should buy it right away! Didn’t you listen to when he told you about the dangers in those caves!? There are countless things in there that are pretty much designed to kill us and you want to face them blind!? What the hell are you thinking!?”
“What else do you expect me to do!? It’s not like we have enough money for a proper map!” Erin argued. “Like it or not, we need at least something to get to Gotzmeyer!”
“Exactly! We need something!” the kobold said. “Doesn’t mean it has to be a shitty map!”
“What are you-?” the redhead began to ask, only to realize what Lexton was getting at. “Hang on… You mean to tell me that there is something else that can get us there?”
“Now you’re getting it!” the kobold said. “When you think about it, the map is so valuable mostly because you can use it whenever you want. You sell one to a customer, they won’t need to come to you any longer. The solution is that we buy something that meets our needs, but isn’t as valuable!”
“...And that would be?” Erin asked.
“A guide. We simply hire someone who knows the way to guide us,” Lexton replied. “There has got to be more than one person in this place that can take us there. With any luck, these people might help us contact them even. Having a guide would be perfect for us, as we aren’t planning to stay around here anyways.”
“You think that will work?” the redhead asked. “I mean, what if we get someone who claims to know their way around the caves, but is simply lying? Not to mention, they could try and betray us.”
“Don’t worry about that. During this time I looked into whatever info was available in regards to the caves and with just a couple of questions we should know who can actually guide us,” the kobold explained. “As for fearing whether they’ll betray us, not only do we have people like Durge and Zeldana with us, but if you give me enough time, I can whip something up that will ensure our safety.”
“Got it. I’ll see if we can work something like that out,” Erin said with a confident smile.
After her talk with Lexton, the redhead went back to the others.
“I see that you’ve managed to get your baby to calm down,” Grix said. “So, what will it be? Will you be buying a map from us or not?”
“Actually, I thought about it a bit and wanted to ask you something,” Erin said. “If maps are too expensive, would it be possible for us to hire a guide?”
“A guide, you say?” the goblin asked, as his goggles and the surrounding screens went through different images once again, showing different people that were most likely potential guides. “That is indeed possible, although, not directly through us. We can, however, give you a reference that will allow you to hire one from people that specialize in providing those with specific skills to customers. May I ask what brought this up?”
“Simple logical thinking,” the redhead replied. “We understand that a complete map of the caves is incredibly valuable for numerous reasons, not just for the reason we need it, which is why it has the high price. However, using an edited map would be reckless, as we wouldn’t know about the dangers ahead of us. That’s why what we need is essentially a one-time use map, so we can simply use it for what we need and that’s it. That’s what gave me the idea of hiring a guide, as they will do their job and nothing more. I’m certain that will be cheaper than the map we were asking for, right?”
“That would certainly be the case. However, like I said earlier, as we do not deal in renting the services of guides or anything like that, we cannot provide this to you directly. What we can do, is give you something that will help you out in that,” Grix explained. “I think this document will come in hand for you.”
Near one of the screens was a printer that let out a piece of paper. Erin took it and looked it through quickly, but was unable to understand the text at all.
“What is this?” the redhead asked. “It seems to be nothing but a bunch of nonsense.”
“It might look like that to you, but it’s actually a special code,” the goblin answered. “You should hand it over to the person who escorted you here. He’ll be able to read it and then take you to the warden of the prison above. He has a side business, were some of the inmates can be hired by people. You should be able to find a suitable guide there.”
“Thank you,” Erin said as she bowed her head a bit. “How much will this cost?”
“Since we aren’t directly providing you with the service itself, it’s nowhere near as expensive as the map. Still, we need to charge for giving you the reference, which allows you to do business with the warden,” Grix said. “I’d say around 50 thousand should be enough.”
Despite still being a rather steep price, the redhead paid it regardless. After all, thanks to the money they had found at Zeldana’s place, along with their side business of selling Lexton’s medicines, they had more than enough to spare. Now they just needed to see if they could get anything else that was useful.
“Now that we have managed to get that done, do you have anything in regards to Gotzmeyer or his base?” Erin asked. “Anything that could help us gain access would be very useful. And if you can tell us any sort of weaknesses or the fighting abilities of Gotzmeyer himself would also be greatly appreciated.”
“Unfortunately, the base in question has some very strict security measures and anyone who breaks them is swiftly punished with death,” Grix explained. “However, we do know of one method of getting inside and have video evidence of the way Gotzmeyer fights. Do you wish to have this information? It will be about 60 thousand in total.”
The redhead nodded and gave the money to the goblin. After he had counted the money and made sure it was the correct amount, the largest screen directly behind him suddenly switched to showing an image of what appeared to be the front entrance to a military base, which Erin and her companions assumed to be Gotzmeyer’s.
“Please observe this,” Grix said as a video started playing on the screen.
The screen showed a large truck belonging to the military driving up to the front gate. After a quick check up, the gate opened, allowing the vehicle to go inside.
“Gotzmeyer’s base is heavily guarded, as its surroundings form natural defenses for it. Coupled with all of their security measures, it’s almost impregnable,” the goblin explained. “However, there is a weekly delivery of supplies to the base, which is when the gates are opened. From what we know, this would be the best method for you to gain access.”
“...I see. Thank you for this,” Erin said, already thinking about how they could utilize this for their goals. “What about the video regarding Gotzmeyer?”
“Observe,” Grix said, as the screen behind him switched again, now displaying another picture. This time the picture showed them a very tall man wearing armor that covered his whole body and face. Over the armor he was wearing a bright red jacket and was holding a very large sword in his hands. It didn’t take long for everybody to figure out that this was Gotzmeyer.
The pictures was another video that proceeded to show Gotzmeyer in one of his battles. Everybody watched as a large group of armed soldiers rushed towards him, as the armor-clad warlord slowly walked towards his opponents, holding his sword at the ready in front of him.
As soon as the attackers had gotten close enough, Gotzmeyer made his first move and what followed was a one-sided massacre. Despite looking heavy and cumbersome, the armored warlord was able to swing his sword at a lightning fast speed. None of his enemies had even the slightest chance to retaliate, as they were mercilessly cut down with a single strike each. Some tried to use ranged attacks in order to take down their opponent, only for those same incredibly fast swings to strike down any projectile sent his way. After their attacks had failed, the people trying to use ranged attacks were soon run down and killed by the warlord.
Erin and the others watched with wide eyes at the carnage before them. The fact that the warlord was able to cut down his enemies with such ease was nothing short of terrifying. It seemed like there was nothing that could be done to even harm him, let alone defeat him. It was obvious how he had become such a feared opponent.
image [https://i.ibb.co/s1nhZQf/Ch-98-Pic-2.jpg]
“T-This is insane,” Erin managed to say after getting out of her shock. “I know that we need to defeat him, but he is that powerful? And there are two more people at the same level? How is something like that even possible?”
“He just cut through those people like they were made of jelly! And he swung that huge as hell sword around like a stick!” Ryle said, also shocked by what she had seen. “How the hell can you even get close to that!? You’ll be cut in half before you can even touch him!”
Neither Arkay or Lexton said anything, but you could tell by their expressions that they shared the same sentiment as the redhead and the blonde did. This was a monster that they had no confidence that they could defeat.
“I see that you’re all rather shocked by what you’ve witnessed, which is understandable. He is, after all, a warlord known for his combat prowess,” Grix said. “However, I want you to watch this video until the end. I feel like you’ll witness something very interesting.”
Despite their loss of hope, Erin and the others kept their eyes on the screen. The video showed the battle was still continuing with just a few of Gotzmeyer’s opponents left. But just as the warlord was about to take down the last man standing before him, something happened.
Erin’s lone eye went wide from what she saw.