Quadruple split.

Chapter 2615 The Black Market (?)
Anka's "Black Market" is located in the underground area in the center of its large market. As the temporary guide Chris said, this special trading area is located in a vast space deep in the underground waterway. Although the buyers and sellers inside are generally of diverse backgrounds, they are still supervised and managed by the market's regulatory authority and even pay taxes on time.

Unlike the black market as commonly understood, Anka's "Great Black Market" can be considered a semi-public trading area. It is not the "niche carnival" in the bard's story, but rather a special market.

According to Chris, over 80% of the locals in Anka know about the "Black Market," and more than half of them have traded there. About 50% of outsiders who come with the specific goal of buying and selling are also aware of the existence of the "Black Market," and almost 90% of these people have visited it at least once.

Admittedly, compared to the legitimate trading areas and wholesale markets in Anka Market, the transaction volume of the [Black Market] is not superior. As for the large market, which is almost a mirror image of the Black Market and even has a similar relative location, its liveliness is dozens of times greater than that of the underground black market. Even so, it is still regarded as having unlimited commercial potential and is loved by people from all walks of life.

In this world, there are certainly fewer illicit goods than those that can be traded openly. But if we disregard the 'quantity' and only consider the actual transaction amount, then even a bustling marketplace may not be able to maintain its dominance over the black market as much as it does due to its geographical location.

Of course, given the nature of the black market, the 'transaction amount' on its books will never be that high. For example, the transaction between [Grey Wolf] August and Xiu Blaisen, although it was also recorded in the accounts of the [White Mane Merchant Guild], those seemingly outrageous figures are only worth a glance. If you really delve into them, you'll just look silly.

Similarly, in places like the "Black Market," the good deals are those that cannot be disclosed to outsiders.

"Here, here, line up and follow me!"

In front of a bookstore in the market, Chris waved cheerfully to Mo Tan and the others, then turned to the tall man who had just settled the carriage. He was wearing a simple and comfortable set of work clothes with a market supervision bureau badge on his chest: "Bodyguard, is it alright for you to walk at the very back?"

"Ah."

The middle-aged orc, with a rather frightening-looking scar on his face and a fierce appearance, nodded and gave a succinct reply.

"Alright, let's go then."

Chris walked into the bookstore with a grin, ignoring the bookstore owner who was also ignoring them. He went straight to a bookshelf in the corner, pulled out a copy of "The Great Black Market Guidebook" from about a third of the way down from the middle shelf, and tossed it to the curious Xueyin: "Take a look, although it's basically not very useful."

At the same time, just as the "Big Black Market Guidebook" left the bookshelf, accompanied by a faint mechanical sound, the bookshelf in front of everyone slowly opened like a door, revealing a small, empty room behind it, except for a circular metal platform.

"Come stand here. You might feel a little weightless for a moment, but that's normal, don't worry~"

Unlike her half-dead appearance at the Adventurers' Guild reception, Miss Chris, who was now taking on some great freelance work, enthusiastically invited everyone to stand on the metal platform. She then lightly stomped her foot, activating the disc beneath them, causing what was likely an 'elevator' to slide smoothly down.

"It's a bit too secretive and high-class."

As Mo Tan observed the elaborately constructed and incredibly expensive 'elevator' beneath him, he casually remarked, "I thought the way to enter the Black Market would be simpler."

"There is an even simpler way."

Chris grinned and said, "There are about seventeen regular passages available at this time of day. The closest one is the tunnel in the backyard of the second grain store on the left of the entrance to the main market, called 'Eat Rice.' If we go there now, it will take us about three hours to get into the black market."

Ji Xiaoge exclaimed in surprise, "Wow! Does it really take that long?!"

"Because there's a queue. The black market has only just opened, and the people at the back of the line are probably still blocking the entrance to the grain store, let alone the backyard."

Chris shrugged and explained in a light tone, "Of the remaining sixteen, eleven of the regular lanes are in similar situations. The fastest is the one at [Jin Miaomiao Fertilizer Shop] because the smell is so strong that there are fewer people in line. It takes about an hour to get in. However, it's best to change your clothes once you're inside, otherwise the fertilizer smell will definitely cause you a lot of trouble, or at the very least, it will make it difficult for you to negotiate with the shopkeeper."

Feeling quite excited, Ya Ya, who was wagging her tail like a little windmill, twitched her ears and asked curiously, "What about the next dog?"

Chris, who hadn't quite figured out the adventurer quest acceptance process with Ya Ya back then, turned to Mo Tan with a serious expression and said solemnly, "...What is the puppy saying?"

"Uh, what YaYa means is, what about the last five regular passages?"

Knowing perfectly well that Chris meant no harm and that Ya Ya didn't care about being called "puppy," Mo Tan thought for a moment and translated it succinctly.

"Oh, so three of the last five are paid, and two are for members."

Chris, living up to his current role as a guide, immediately explained, "There are fewer people at the toll gate. Except for the big promotion from the 1st to the 5th of the Light Moon Prayer every year, you can get in in a maximum of fifteen minutes. The price is set by the regulatory bureau and is usually around five hundred gold coins."

Xueyin, whose savings were already astronomical but who was very frugal, widened her eyes: "So expensive! So rip-off!"

"Hehe, it's not that the regulatory bureau is deliberately trying to rip people off, but the number of lanes is limited. If it's too cheap, there won't be much difference in the queuing speed. It's better to be more expensive so that there will be fewer people queuing."

Chris smiled and continued, "Generally speaking, those who use the paid channel are buyers or sellers who don't stay in Anka for long and have a strong purpose. As for those who do business in the Black Market for a long time, they generally choose the more spacious and suitable membership channel for freight, which costs 2 gold coins per month or 20 gold coins per year."

"Well……"

Xueyin turned to look at Jiali and muttered, "Suddenly I realize that the allowance my husband gives me isn't that much!"

Carrie completely ignored her idol and asked Chris curiously, "So what are we walking on now?"

"The luxurious interior uses special passageways."

Chris snapped his fingers and said cheerfully, "You guys are [Grey Emerald] members, so Anka officials definitely won't neglect you. This kind of internal special passage, personal bodyguards, and an external guide is already fairly standard treatment. If big shots like the president of the Wanderer's Inn, the president of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild, or the speaker of Miracle City came, I'm afraid even the director of the Regulatory Bureau would come to accompany them, and also give the [Great Black Market] a good overhaul." Almost as soon as the guide finished speaking, accompanied by a soft click, the 'elevator' came to a smooth stop.

"Well then, welcome to Anka's [Black Market]."

Without any hesitation, Chris ordered the orc bodyguard to push open the door. With a beaming smile, he gestured for them to enter, pointed to the bustling, lively, and scattered streets outside, and grinned, "I wish everyone a pleasant evening!"

……

Time flies, time flies
In the blink of an eye, the night had passed.

It has to be said that under the guidance of Miss Chris, the "black market expert," everyone had a really great time, especially Xueyin and Yaya. These two energetic beauties were eating and shopping the whole time. In the first two hours, they explored almost all the "food and beverage" sections, which had the lowest proportion in the "Big Black Market."

Of course, even within the food and beverage industry, the food and beverage industry in the Black Market is slightly different from that in the outside world, and Miss Chris's dutiful introduction can basically be summarized in two words—curiosity.

That's right, it's about seeking the bizarre.

To give a simple example, if you are a blood collector, you can find more than 100 types of blood plasma in Anka's "Black Market". About 50% of them will have you seeing the blood donor, and about 30% of them will allow you to have your blood drawn on-site in a quiet, private, and safe environment. Some shops even accept customized services.

For example, after Xueyin casually made up the absurd request that "I want a virgin's blood from an 18-year-old fox-orc half-human," a certain shop directly quoted 100cc for 15,000 gold coins and said that if she paid now, she would only have to wait about 5 hours to see the "in stock."

Naturally, Carrie didn't let Xueyin's eager desire to meet the fox-girl goose go unchecked. So, she immediately gave the excited idol a flick on the forehead and, after buying everyone a sweet blood popsicle (made with wine, 50 gold coins each), she quickly ran off with the little troublemaker.

In short, although they didn't eat anything too exotic, as long as it wasn't too bizarre, Ya Ya, who never refuses anything, and Xue Yin, who is fearless, would put it in their mouths. Surprisingly, but as expected, thanks to the player's unfair constitution of not knowing when they are full, hungry, or sleepy, Ya Ya never ate Xue Yin.

As for Mo Tan, Ji Xiaoge, Jia Li, Chris, and the bodyguard, they mainly focused on trying things in moderation, avoiding anything particularly exotic, and only eating a little bit of anything slightly unusual. Along the way, they had quite a few novel experiences.

After Ya Ya could barely eat anymore, and Chris and his bodyguard were feeling quite full, they began to shift their focus from food to the strange and unusual goods in the Black Market.

Those strange and sensitive items that are rarely seen in the market are everywhere here. There are probably hundreds of genuine cursed items on one street, and none of them are the same.

The Soul-Guiding Bottle, widely defined as an evil soul container, is a blasphemous item used only by high-risk professions such as necromancers. In some stores, there are even more than two counters offering it, with all kinds of styles, reliefs, and materials, and even couple's sets.

Xueyin bought a pair, with blue and white and black and red color schemes respectively.

Ya Ya bought a decorative cursed collar and tied it to her leg. Although it was sold as a cursed item, it was actually just a magical item with the [Frenzy] spell. The reason the girl bought it was because she was worried that she would lose her fur over time if she needed to use methods such as 'igniting her tail' to enter a frenzy state.

Ji Xiaoge bought a brand new necklace, but the same model (which is now discontinued) was said to have caused the deaths of more than a dozen owners. It was a decorative necklace (that doesn't take up equipment slots). According to the shopkeeper, the previous owners of that necklace would become obsessed with a perfect image that did not exist in reality and seemed to come from a dream. In order to get as close as possible to that perfect face, they would suddenly start to self-harm frantically from a certain period of time, trying to modify their face shape with anything including but not limited to stones, carving knives, daggers, battle axes, and millstones, and in the end, they would meet a tragic end.

In Chris's words, the 'curse' inside seemed to be a strong form of mental suggestion. However, given the exorbitant price tag and the fact that the shopkeeper had indeed provided corresponding evidence, this necklace called the "Magic Mirror" was probably a genuine cursed item with unpredictable power.

So here's the question: what's the point of buying this 'real thing' that has such a high chance of causing the wearer to self-harm and die? If it's about suicide, there are clearly many better ways.

"Of course it's a gift, young lady."

The gaunt beast spirit shopkeeper narrowed his eyes, revealing a sinister smile, and whispered to the curious Ya Ya, "No one says that you can only use things yourself after you buy them, right? You know, many close friends who seem so intimate on the surface and frequently exchange gifts actually wish the other would die sooner. Not only that, there are also those old people who, even though it's in the interest of the vast majority to die early, are reluctant to breathe their last..."

"No need to explain anymore."

Mo Tan glanced at the somewhat talkative shop owner, then looked helplessly at Ji Xiaoge, who had happily put the necklace around her neck, and said with a wry smile, "It's clearly an ominous thing..."

"But you looked at this necklace several times just now!"

Ji Xiaoge winked playfully, struck an adorable pose, and pointed to the necklace that shimmered with a mesmerizing soft light, a perfect match for her long hair, and adorned with an oval pebble in the center: "Is it pretty~?"

"nice."

Could it get any better?

"It feels very difficult."

"Perfect?"

"Hmm, but it has little to do with the necklace."

"Hehe, look, isn't it perfectly safe?"

Chapter 2606: The End
(End of this chapter)