"That whole affair was truly terrifying. Those people from the Twilight Council are truly insane. Luckily, I hid well enough and wasn't discovered."
Olivia sighed, her tone laced with relief, though her emotions remained stable.
After all, Ruth was naturally a bold person.
It was because of that boldness that Ruth hadn't hidden immediately when the Twilight Council was rounding people up in the streets. Consequently, she was found, a transcendent battle ensued, and she ultimately died.
Of course, it was also because Ruth didn't initially know that the danger came from the Twilight Council. Had she known, no matter how bold she was, she would have run as far as possible.
Who in the transcendent world didn't know the reputation of the Twilight Council?
"I wonder when the Church will finally wipe out these evil god organizations like the Twilight Council. It's such a headache," Phoebe said, shaking her head helplessly.
Most wild transcendents were law-abiding and naturally wary of organizations that had thrown themselves into the embrace of evil gods. Such organizations often possessed subversive worldviews and used bloody, cruel methods that were beyond what normal people could accept.
"Let's not worry about them. Let me see what's here today, hehe."
Olivia, pretending to be Ruth, continued deeper into the area with a nonchalant air.
Phoebe wasn't surprised by Ruth's reaction. With a helpless shake of her head, she followed her inside.
Passing through a dark passage, they saw several men in black armor, looking like guards, standing before a heavy black iron gate.
These were the guards of the underground black market, there to prevent accidents and ensure that not just anyone could enter.
"Code names," one of the armored men asked in a heavy voice.
"Black Moon."
"Red Moon."
Their code names were extremely similar.
This was the reason why the original Ruth and Phoebe had known each other in the first place.
Initially, Ruth had wanted the code name Red Moon, but she was told it was already taken, so she changed it to Black Moon.
The matter of the code names had formed a story belonging to the two of them.
Only now, one side of that story had fallen into death.
After giving their code names, the two were granted passage and entered the black iron gate.
The moment they stepped inside, Olivia was met with a wave of noise, as if that gate possessed some magical power to mask all the clamor behind it.
A massive space opened up before them, divided into various sections by neatly partitioned stalls. For a moment, it felt like standing in the middle of a commercial street.
This underground space was quite large. Or rather... were some spatial methods being used?
Olivia mused inwardly as she walked in at a leisurely pace.
Many people had already arrived and were moving back and forth between the stalls.
Most, like Olivia and Phoebe, used methods to conceal their identities, hiding their true faces to avoid recognition.
Yet, some individuals made no attempt at concealment, walking about openly and boldly.
People nearby would instinctively give such individuals a wide berth. Such behavior signaled a high level of confidence, and those with confidence naturally inspired wariness in others.
After scanning the area twice, Olivia's gaze fell upon the various stalls.
Most of these stalls sold spiritual materials, with the occasional spiritual weapon. There were also books and documents related to the transcendent, as well as various strange and exotic items.
Olivia's eyes eventually landed on a stall not far away.
The stall owner was heavily bundled up to hide his identity. On the stall before him lay many bronze fragments. He was telling the crowd that these were fragments he had discovered while exploring a certain ruin. He claimed that when he first approached them, he heard mysterious, indecipherable languages swirling around the pieces, which made him think they were extraordinary, so he brought them back.
Though the fragments were currently quiet, he insisted that based on the anomalies present when they were found, they were definitely nothing simple.
"Ten thousand Belu. For just ten thousand Belu, you can take a fragment home. Believe me, these items hold great secrets. They can bring unpredictable and wonderful changes to your transcendent path," the stall owner said persuasively.
Seeing this, Olivia immediately questioned the magic mirror in her mind. Soon, a strange look appeared in her eyes.
【These are fake goods, intentionally aged. They possess no mystical properties whatsoever.】
Olivia was a bit speechless. In this underground black market, could fakes be sold so openly?
But thinking about it, it was normal. This was a black market, not a legitimate establishment. The market organizers didn't check what people sold... or rather, they couldn't distinguish the genuine from the fake themselves, so they simply didn't bother.
The underground black market merely provided a location for transactions and collected a stall fee from the sellers.
Olivia had already spotted the person in charge of the black market standing in a prominent position next to a notice board. It stated that by paying a certain amount of Belu, one could occupy a stall for a set period and sell anything they wished.
Naturally, Olivia had nothing to sell. She withdrew her gaze and continued browsing.
She soon separated from Phoebe, who had her own objectives and wouldn't be walking with her the entire time.
Furthermore, they were merely acquaintances, not particularly close friends.
Being alone made Olivia feel more at ease, as she didn't need the magic mirror to provide her with lines for every interaction.
Her goal was clear.
She planned to buy a spiritual weapon.
Although she already possessed one—the one Melanie had given her—she couldn't use Cross Grace if she was acting as Ruth. That would expose her identity.
She needed a sword, one she would use specifically while disguised as Ruth.
Sword-type spiritual weapons were naturally common in this underground black market, but as for which sword was the most effective, the magic mirror had the final say.
Before coming here, Olivia had already locked onto her target through the magic mirror.
Gradually, she arrived in front of a particular stall.
This stall sold nothing but spiritual weapons, all of which were swords. This had attracted many customers who were gathered around, carefully examining the blades and pondering which one would be most effective.
The stall owner was a figure completely covered in black robes; one could only tell from his voice that he was quite elderly.
"Stall owner, can I test the spiritual weapons here? You understand, it's a necessary part of the inspection process," someone requested of the owner.
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