The more Ryoshu thought, the more questions he had rather than answers, so he decided to return to his preparation work. The first thing he needed to do was buy skill books because they were one of the most important things. However, to buy the books, he needed at least 150 RC.
“I don’t even have 150 RC, let alone that 80 thousand lump!”
Ryoshu thought for a long time and finally came up with an alternative solution.
“How about the black market?”
The black market was a place for illegal transactions without government approval. It usually dealt with the trade of forbidden items like cocaine, body parts, and tons of other illegal things only the gods knew about.
Ryoshu didn’t like the atmosphere of places like that at all. But it seemed he had no other choice.
And as he mentioned earlier, the map of this game was vast, possibly as big as the real world. While the game mainly took place around the Spiral Academy, it didn’t limit players from entering other areas. Players could still participate in the main storyline even if they weren’t studying at the Spiral Academy.
Ryoshu would think about these things later. For now, he had to go to the black market.
He quickly switched out his dirty short-sleeve shirt for a plain black hoodie.
“This kid I’m controlling actually has decent taste in fashion.”
Then Ryoshu walked out of his apartment, grabbed the key from the shoe rack nearby, and opened the door.
“It feels like I’m forgetting something...” he thought, but shrugged it off and slammed the door shut.
----0w0----
As Ryoshu stepped onto the street, the scene of a futuristic city immediately hit him. He seemed overwhelmed and couldn’t tell if it was real or a fantasy. Tall buildings with modern architecture reached up into the blue sky, covered in layers of glass and metal that reflected the sunlight beautifully.
Ryoshu had thought he’d only see such things in famous sci-fi movies, but now they were standing right in front of him, even more vivid than ever.
As Ryoshu walked, he felt the lively rhythm of city life. The urban landscape shimmered with thousands of people, and flying vehicles soared in the sky. Occasionally, he saw someone flying too. The dynamic atmosphere was indescribable.
“I can’t believe there was a war here before. Humans really have progressed quickly.”
Right before him was a nearly 100-story building with a white and golden design surrounding it. This building was the focal point, drawing thousands of gazes around. Everyone was staring up with faces of awe and amazement.
“Right, that building is the pride of Distinct City, or rather, the whole United Kingdom, isn’t it?” He recalled the NPCs’ dialogues about the bright building.
The voices of the people around him filled the corners of the narrow street.
“Is this the famous Solar Guild?”
“You probably don’t know, but my nephew works there! He’s a B-Rank Hero now!”
“You must be so proud! That’s a lifetime of good fortune.”
Ryoshu wasn’t here to admire the shining building. He had more important business to attend to.
He walked over to the police station near the street corner.
Just then, a tall young officer walked past the station. Ryoshu didn’t hesitate and immediately approached him to ask for directions.
“Excuse me, officer, can I ask something?”
Getting closer, Ryoshu saw that the officer was quite fit. The young cop also had shiny blonde hair and striking light green eyes that were oddly captivating.
“Maybe he’s an Awakened too?” Ryoshu thought for a moment, then quickly dismissed the thought.
Hearing someone speak to him, the officer turned to see who had asked. When he saw it was a scrawny boy, he immediately softened his tone and asked with concern:
“What’s the matter, kid? What can I help you with?”
Being called “kid” made Ryoshu feel a bit strange, as he briefly thought of himself as the failed 22-year-old he used to be.
“I guess I have to get used to being called that...” he sighed internally, trying not to show his frustration.
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“Uh, I wanted to ask where the West Soul district is.”
“Hmm... if I’m not mistaken...” The officer seemed a bit flustered by the question.
“I thought police officers were supposed to know all the places in the game... Or have they changed the system?”
Another officer came out from the station, slinging his arm over the flustered cop’s shoulder.
“Sorry about that, kid. This young man has been forgetful lately. Let me help you out. Just keep walking straight down this road, and you’ll reach the West Soul district.”
“Thank you very much!” Ryoshu bowed and thanked the officers.
Seeing his politeness, both officers adjusted their caps and smiled, feeling somewhat proud of their small act of assistance.
“No problem, kid.”
“Sorry again for not being able to help. Guess I’ll have to go back and study the city map,” the flustered officer added with a smile.
The two colleagues began chatting while Ryoshu walked away from the station.
“I swear, Justin, you forget the smallest things...”
“Probably because I’ve been drinking too much lately... I need to straighten up.”
The fit officer scratched his head, looking quite helpless.
Ryoshu paid no attention to them and continued walking. He walked to save his most valuable resource—money.
He’d deal with financial issues later, but for now, he needed to get stronger so he wouldn’t be expelled from the academy once he entered.
Although he could drop out to save money, the benefits of staying near the main characters were immeasurable.
Luckily, at Spiral Academy, they provided enough money for students to buy food and other necessities. And even though there were dormitories, the academy ensured students had a variety of options and felt as comfortable as possible.
“That’s why I say these academies are filthy rich...”
“Oh, I’m here!”
After walking and thinking about his plans, Ryoshu arrived at a modest bar compared to the grandeur of the city he had just seen. But this made it stand out even more.
The outside was decorated with vines, emphasizing its ancient charm. The entrance was made of solid ebony wood with intricate carvings of twisting crosses.
“Here it is! Angels' Whisky!”
This was one of the main entrances to the Black Market. Ryoshu had changed into a more discreet outfit back at his “apartment” to prepare for entering one of the most dangerous places in Distinct City.
Ryoshu slid his hand into his pocket and entered the bar. As the door opened, the humid air and the scent of old ebony wood filled the space, reminding him of the buildings in the forest when he used to visit his grandparents.
That nostalgic feeling came with a hint of bitterness because that house now belonged to his greedy relatives.
“It’s just the smell in the game, but it feels so real... Makes me miss my grandparents. I haven’t visited since they passed. I really don’t want to see them, but I should’ve gone to visit... I feel so unfilial now...”
Thinking about this, Ryoshu felt even more motivated to escape from this damn game.
Inside, the room was decorated in Victorian style, with high ceilings and old pillars that made the place feel spacious and nostalgic.
In contrast to the solemn atmosphere, there was an eerie tension as most of the people there stared at the newcomer. Ryoshu felt a bit uneasy under their gaze but forced himself to remain calm.
He gently walked over and sat down at a nearby chair. The server, wiping a glass, glanced at him quickly before asking,
“What would you like to drink, sir?”
Ryoshu remembered the first code, which was almost like a password to begin the conversation regarding the Underground World:
“I’ll have a glass of Joel’s Madam.”
“Please wait a moment.” The server didn’t flinch or react excessively, which made Ryoshu admire his professionalism.
“Thank goodness, the password hasn’t changed.” Ryoshu felt a little relieved.
The server picked up a bottle of expensive-looking wine and poured a glass for him. Afterward, he continued,
“Would you like anything else with that?”
Now that he knew everything was on track, Ryoshu felt more at ease.
“Give me a plate of Sweet and Sour Dragon Ribs.”
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the bar grew darker. The server remained calm as ever, but the young, naive Ryoshu could sense the hostility in the server’s suspicious gaze.
Two men in suits stood at the entrance, blocking the way. Something was wrong.
“Sorry, sir, but we’re out of that dish today.”
“Oh! Damn, did I mess up?”
It had been a long time since Ryoshu had been here in the game, so all the codes were jumbled in his head. Invisible sweat began to form on his forehead. One more wrong word, and he would be kicked out of the bar for good.
And not to mention, he could be suspected and have an assassin sent after him by the Black Market.
“It’s fine. I’ll have a plate of Sichuan Tofu.”
Though his voice sounded calm, inside, he felt like he was on a battlefield. The two burly men at the door were glaring at him, making the situation even more tense.
“Those two must be at least rank D... They could probably punch through a concrete wall without getting a scratch. And surely... I’m not a wall.”
In this world, Ryoshu was practically an ordinary person. But this feeling of powerlessness and weakness wasn’t new to him—he had always been weak and shameless in the real world.
He had always begged others for help. Coming into this world, he was no different—still a weak, cowardly person.
But there was one small difference: In this world, one mistake and he would truly die without being able to do anything.
“Begging might even get me killed... Nobles here really hate commoners...” Ryoshu shuddered at the thought of bumping into a noble and imagined the brutality of this new world.
Though there were laws, commoners like him had little standing in society.
“Please, don’t mess this up!”
Ryoshu silently prayed, and it seemed like the gods had heard his plea. The server’s expression had lost its hostility.
“Will you be paying in cash or via bank transfer?”
Ryoshu sighed in relief, his voice no longer as worried.
“I’ll pay in cash.”
The server waved his hand, and another female server arrived to bow before Ryoshu. Her movements were very professional, and from the intuition of a 6-year experienced gamer like him, she seemed to be at least rank C.
All employees in the branches were Awakened above rank E and equipped with skills to kill quickly.
Ryoshu restrained his fear and lightly nodded to the woman’s greeting.
“Please follow me, sir.”
He got up and followed the server down the hallway. After walking for a while, she stopped and opened the door.
“Please enter this room.” She gestured for him to go inside.
Ryoshu didn’t hesitate and entered the room, noticing a free mask on the table nearby.
This mask had a Kitsune design, like the ones he had seen at Japanese festivals. But it wasn’t just any mask; it seemed enchanted, just like in the original game.
“Safe travels, sir.” The server bowed to him as he stepped into the room, and that was the last thing Ryoshu heard before being teleported.