Dark Side of Alten City
"So, what did you manage to learn from those two?" Ina asked, the couple already changed into their morning get up.
"More like from one of them, but apparently, the city has it's dark side," Ryker answered, remembering what the man told him.
The stalker had told him, how aside from the mayor and his subordinates, along with the Three Great Families of Alten City, there is one more underlying force hiding in the deepest part of the city, Dark Market.
The Dark Market is an underworld trading place, where goods, usually illegal ones, are sold there. Ranging from different materials and cultivation resources, to even slaves, there is very few things that they will not sell.
The Dark Market is a part of the city's underworld, being the largest part of it. Apparently, the Underworld is formed with the Dark Market in mind, the other forces in the Underworld being underlings to the one who controlled the Dark Market.
As for the one who send the black coated people after them, apparently, they are just one of the many, send to every corner of the cities along with nearby settlements, to capture some people to be turn them into slaves.
To hear that there are groups of people running around to turn people into slaves send make his qi go haywire, causing the stalker to look at him in fear. Only after he reigned in his disturbed emotions did the man continued their talk.
Apparently, the two are from Craw Family, a family in the Underworld specializing in slave trading. Their men often captured people and put them for sale, earning them a lot of money in the process.
To be honest, if he could, he would destroy the family. But unfortunately, he can't. The family is a powerful family even in the Underworld. While they cannot be compared to the Three Great Families, who possess experts at the 5th major realm in the Genesis Grand Realm, they still have elders at the 4th major realm, a person who could kill him with ease.
For now, he need to control his urge and desire to destroy the Family in favor of learning more about them.
"I see," Ina said, digesting the new information thrown her way with a frown. While she except it to be somewhat serious, she never expected to be potentially under the sight of a powerful force, at least in Alten City.
"So, what's the plan?" she asked, looking at Ryker. She did not know of the best course of action, but she believe her husband might have a plan.
"We should visit the Underworld soon. Maybe we will learn more information of the Craw Family there," he told her.
Ina nodded, seeing there is nothing wrong with it.
"However," Ryker continued just when she thought it was over, "The Underworld is not safe. Apparently, aside from some enforcer, it is a lawless place, where crimes take place. A women like you, unless there are already a fearsome reputation behind you.
So, if we are going there, we need to make sure we are prepared," he emphasized.
"Understood. So, what do you have in mind?"
-x-
Two cloaked figures can be seen running from one alley to the next. There are some people nearby, allowing them to blend in. Soon, the two figures reached an alleyway that lead to a dead end.
However, the place was not what it seem like, as the two walked towards the dead end and knock on it.
"Password," a voice reverbetate from the wall. A light qi fluctuation told him the man is at the Genesis Condensing realm, a strong expert he would struggle with at the moment.
Thankfully, they did not plan on fighting him, "When the cat goes to sleep, the mouse come out to play," the voice went silent before the door opened, a slender and thuggish looking men appeared.
"You two manage to learn this from a friend?" the man asked. Ryker is not surprise. After all, the guards had been around since forever, or so the man said.
"Yes," not hesitating to reply, he answered even if there is a lot of things he lied about.
"Come in then. Please make sure to not make scene. Try to not get the attention of the ruling families if you want to get out of here alive. That is all," just as the two are about to head in deeper, the man then said,
"Oh, and welcome to Alten Underworld,"
-x-
"This place is surprisingly busy," Ryker admitted. When he heard of the Underworld, he had expected it to be less busy, with a lot of underdealing in the happening.
To his surprise, it is a bustling place, even if the number of people is only a tenth, if he is being generous, of what can be found at the topside. Still, even if the population is less than the top, it is no less busy.
The two walked carefully, hiding their faces behind a mask they bought, their features hidden with the cloak covering their bodies. As they walked, they could sense some gazes landing on them, though none make a move.
"Let's head to one of the taverns," Ryker decided, pulling Ina with him as they both walked towards the nearest tavern.
As they entered, they could see some people staring at them, before turning back to what they are doing before. The two head towards the bar where a bald man currently cleaning a glass.
"What can I get you?" he asked, looking at them while his hands keep on cleaning the glass.
"A couple of wine and some information, if you please," Ryker told the man. The stalker had told him that the best place to learn anything is in the tavern, and if one did not have any connection to any informants, asking the bartender would be the next best thing.
"I see," he put down the glasses and look at them. Ryker could tell his cultivation is only at the Genesis Formation, but for a bartender to have a cultivation that surpassed many other in the city, even compared to many adventurers, it's quite a feat, and showed that he should be connected to one of the many factions that ruled the Underworld.
"Both are not cheap, especially the latter," he told them, before his eyes bulging at the sight of him taking out a large sack, filled with silver coins.
Ryker want to go with gold coins, but their finance would not allow them to do such thing.
"Is this enough for both?" his words seem to taunt the man, who scrunched his brows before nodding.