The Ancient Relic of the Black Market

The heavy iron E-rank adventurer token felt solid in Eren's hand as he walked down the bustling capital streets, his silver-haired "Rean" mask still flawlessly active. But the time for solo grinding in the outer fields was temporarily on pause. To climb from Level 2 toward Infinity without his original 10x cheat code, his standard steel blade wasn't going to cut it. He needed real gear.An hour later, Eren met up with Lady Marine in a hidden carriage courtyard near the lower districts. The duke's daughter had shed her royal dresses for a dark, hooded cloak, but her face flushed that signature crimson color the moment she saw him. Her heart hammered against her ribs, completely captivated by his calm, dangerous confidence."Everything is prepared, Eren," Marine whispered, handing him a heavy, leather-bound spatial pouch. "My father's intelligence network tracked the location of the capital's hidden Black Market. The rarest, ancient magical tools that never see the light of day are traded there."Eren opened the pouch. Inside, the unmistakable golden glow of Royal Mon coins reflected in his eyes.When the King had crowned him the Sovereign Hero, the crown had deposited a staggering 1,000,000 Mon into his private treasury. To a commoner from the slums, this was an unimaginable fortune—the kind of wealth that could buy a fortress."Let's go shopping," Eren smirked, his golden eyes flashing with high-energy gamer excitement.The Black Market was located deep within the subterranean brick tunnels beneath the capital, smelling of damp stone, burning incense, and forbidden mana. Hooded figures traded illegal potions, cursed grimoires, and ancient artifacts dug up from pre-disaster rifts.Eren and Marine walked past dozens of high-end merchants until Eren's Absolute Adaptability sensory grid suddenly pinged with a sharp, electric vibration.Ding.[High-Frequency Mana Signature Detected. Analyzing...]Eren stopped in front of a dusty, runic weapon rack owned by an old demi-human merchant. Resting on a velvet cloth was a sleek, unpolished black katana. It looked completely ordinary to a normal cultivator or mage, but Eren's VRMMO tactical mind saw the hidden status parameters hidden beneath the rusted scabbard. It was a genuine, ancient original magical tool—a weapon crafted before the gods fractured the world."How much for the black blade?" Eren asked smoothly.The merchant squinted, rubbing his chin. "That? A cursed relic from a ruined spatial zone. It devours the wielder's mana. I won't let it go for a single coin less than 100,000 Mon."Marine gasped, reaching for her cloak, but Eren didn't even blink. He reached into his pouch and tossed a massive stack of high-tier royal gold coins onto the counter. 100,000 Mon was a fortune to an ordinary adventurer, but to Eren, it was a necessary investment to break his level cap.The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt of the black sword, a violent surge of heavy, raw physical power shot up his arm, perfectly synchronizing with his Magic Swordsman class attributes. The weapon felt like a natural extension of his own body.With his new ancient blade secured, Eren returned to the upper district to map out his next progression path. He needed high-tier EXP, and the basic F and E-rank requests on the guild board were too slow for his speedrun.He walked into the capital's central mercenary bureau to scan the restricted, high-paying commission lists. His eyes scanned the parchment until they locked onto a brand-new, high-priority request bearing the silver crest of the Duke's household.High-Tier Escort Mission: Direct Protection for Duke Marine's Father during the upcoming Imperial Diplomatic Summit. Threat Level: High. Requirements: Elite Swordsmen only.]A dangerous, thrilled grin cut across Eren's face. Guarding Marine's own father—the leader of one of the most powerful noble houses in the empire—would put him directly in the crosshairs of the envious noble factions and hidden political assassins. It was the ultimate high-EXP danger zone.