Kim Jaehyun walked through the streets of Arkus, his destination one of the places he hated the most.
The Black Market.
'He accepted but told me that he had a condition. I need to make sure that nothing happens.' He thought.
He rounded a corner, walking into an alleyway that was hidden from sight if you came from the north side, but could be seen from the south side. It was a rather special alley in the sense that attempting to enter from any direction other than from the north side would end with you walking out of the alleyway.
'It's cool. I don't know the specifics myself, but the design was pretty cool. It magically forces you to exit, and you remain none the wiser.' He thought back to the first time he visited The Black Market.
That day, he entered The Black Market, ready to be wowed. He had described it as this magical yet shady place in the book, that had a very nice sci-fi element to it, but that was not what he had found.
'It was worse than the slums.' The Black Market was supposed to be a respectable underground trading area run by the Tri-Government, but it had been corrupted for whatever reason.
The idea behind their decision was to make The Black Market so that no one else did, ensuring that all goods were passed through government hands, and no terrorists would get their hands on anything. Of course, no one knew that the Tri-Government was behind The Black Market, as they created a Corp called 'Moonlight' to disguise themselves.
'Criminals everywhere, prostitutes abound, slave trading? What the fuck! That's not how it's meant to be.' Was the thought that ran through his mind as he looked upon the depravity that plagued The Black Market.
His head became haunted by doubts at the sight, yet at the forefront of it all was a single question.
'Is the Tri-Government like this?'
He had designed the Tri-Government to be strict in all undertakings, so letting their main underworld branch in the Human Domain go to the dogs was appalling. It implied that either his memories were wrong, or that the Tri-Government was just as corrupted.
He prayed that it was the former, for if it was the latter, wrong memories would be the least of his worries. The idea that the web that holds Arkusia together could be rotting was far worse. There would be no hope of killing the Vampire Monarch.
Besides, even if his memories were wrong, it was not like he planned to depend on them entirely. From what he knew, the whole 'Reincarnated Into My Novel As An Extra' shtick would always follow the main plot points, so he just had to take measures against them, and take advantage of everything else.
'It matters not if my memories are wrong. Besides, I don't care about this world. I wrote it, but it wasn't that good. And, my family is far more important than this world.'
In Arkusia, Kim Jaehyun was fit, could do Magic, and had parents, whilst back on Earth, he was obese, couldn't do Magic, and didn't have parents. However, that was where the line was drawn. Kim Jaehyun loved his life back on Earth; after all, he had a wife and kids.
He was an accomplished author, a loving husband, and a doting father, whilst here he was strong but alone. That was why he wanted to go home.
'I'm here.' He thought, standing before an alley. He pulled out a compass on his hologram, ensuring that he was on the north side, facing south. He walked alongside the wall, taking a right into the alley, all the while facing the south.
'I don't know why I designed it like this.'
Once he entered the alleyway, he turned his head to the side, spotting a door that would have been invisible otherwise.
'Maybe they have an external element user.' Was the answer that Kim Jaehyun came up with.
He came up close to it, putting on a mask before entering. Originally, one wouldn't have needed a mask, considering it was a safe organization run by the government, but now there was a need for one.
The mask he wore was a simple white mask, something he picked up from a craft store. 2 eyeholes and a single black teardrop beneath the left one were the features of the mask.
Once he fastened it around his head, he opened the door and stepped through. The door was a teleporter, that, following the same principles as an Association one, teleported you to wherever The Black Market was.
Beyond the door lay a massive dome of black, illuminated by a single, large light that hung from the ceiling like a mini-sun. Tall buildings rose high into the dome, brightening the area with neon signs. There were many stalls made of Blackwood, decorated with ornate designs made of Whitewood.
However, everything was ruined. The mini-sun didn't work in a certain area, almost 20% of it lacked light. The high rises were covered in lacerations, accrued from many years of fights. The neon signs flickered, some failing, whilst the stalls were missing chunks from their wooden design.
To the left and right lay several alleyways, and from his position, Kim Jaehyun swore he could hear cries of anguish.
"Ergh." Kim Jaehyun shivered in disgust, not caring to cover it in lies. If someone heard him, so be it. What would they do?
'That's the only good part.' Kim Jaehyun thought. Whilst The Black Market was most corrupt and ruined, their security was perfect. Guards would be there before anyone could complain about his actions, and the perpetrators would be detained for god knows how long, depending on their infraction.
He strolled through the main street, looking for the shop that had sold him the lock overrides. It was supposed to be the best electronic store that The Black Market had, and whilst it still was, instead of being a place with at least a modicum of elegance, it was a pig sty. Had he not known the name of the place, he was sure that he would have passed it by, dismissing it due to the looks of the place.
He quickly arrived there, the place still as disgusting as the last time he saw it, and hurried in. It was a regular 1 story building, if you ignored the fact that half the wall was missing, and a pile of trash sat in its place. Also, the door was gone, the hinges still there, and the windows were so greasy that if you collected the grease, you'd have enough for a deep fryer.
'My god, ever heard of trash disposal?' He thought, looking at the impressively yet sickeningly large pile of trash. The smell of it made him want to vomit, but he held it in, forcing his stomach to comply.
'Can't puke with a mask on, can I?'
He walked up to the counter, ringing a bell, and waited.
A few minutes later, when he began to curse the waiting time, someone exited the back of the store, greeting him. It was an old man who looked insane, with white hair on the sides of his head, and air on the top.
"What can I do you for, Sonny?" He asked, grinning wide, displaying dark-yellow teeth with horrendously large gaps and several missing teeth.
'First, you can go to a dentist.' Kim Jaehyun thought.
"I'd like a Truthteller. 1. I have someone I need to verify." He said in the deepest voice he could muster, not wanting to be connected to the last time he came.
"Hmm, good. Odd you know the procedure, but sure mate. Give me a minute." The man said, gleefully entering the back of the shop to get the item.
The 'procedure' simply referred to stating what you wanted, how many you wanted, and a vague reason for it. Within reason, of course. Saying you wanted it just to use it wasn't valid.
Again, Kim Jaehyun was forced to wait for several minutes, which gave him time to regret his life decisions.
CLATTER!
'What on Earth is he doing back there?' Kim Jaehyun pondered, although he didn't really want to know the answer.
The man came out with an object in his hand, the Truthteller, and spoke.
"Ooh, sorry Sonny. The backroom's a lil' messy, so old John here got lost. Anyway, that'll cost ya about 15,000 Arks."
"Yeah, no. First of all, if the backroom is a 'lil' messy', I'm terrified to know what you consider 'very messy'! And secondly, a Truthteller costs 4,000 Arks. Even if it's marked up because you're selling it in The Black Market, it's at most 8,000. Would you like me to either go somewhere else, or get the guards, or will you negotiate?" Kim Jaehyun responded to the man with a small burst of passion, before realizing that he was ranting and reeling himself in, keeping to the topic of the price.
"Why, this old man was being nice. John knows that a Truthteller is the latest tech, costing upwards of 20K. If you want it for 8, you'd be better off killing me!" The old man declared.
"HMMMMM! HUUUUH!" Kim Jaehyun took a deep breath.
'I learned this the first time, but my god is he insufferable.'
"Well, John, Truthtellers are over a decade old, and now sell for 4K. If you think that they're worth 20K, then you should go outside and see the light of day. LIKE HELL I'D PAY THAT MUCH!"
"Geez, Sonny boy, calmate, or however the cool kids say it. Just 'cause I haven't left in the past 20 years, don't mean I don't know tech. Don't lie to me, or I'll call your parents!"
Kim Jaehyun muttered several swears under his breath, taking one last breath of air, ensuring he didn't snap.
"No, sir, Truthtellers are old tech. If needs be, we can get a guard."
"Yeah, you best! Go on, get! Don't come back without a guard!" The old man spoke, clearly pissed at the boy.
'Argh, kill me now. It's easier to argue with a 4-year-old.' He thought, walking out to find a guard that could act as a mediator.