The deeper they went, the quieter the Black Dungeon became. The strange market they had passed through seemed to disappear behind them, along with the voices of merchants, the smell of food, and the sounds of creatures being sold. Even the footsteps around them had become quieter, as though everyone who entered this part of the dungeon knew they were supposed to keep their voices down.
Kai walked beside Hana, his eyes moving from one dark corner to another. The deeper they went, the more uneasy he became. There was something strange about this place. It did not feel like an ordinary part of the dungeon anymore. It felt like they had crossed some invisible line into a place they were never supposed to discover.
Hana kept her hood pulled low over her pink hair as she followed him. Every few steps, she glanced behind them to make sure nobody was following. Neither of them knew exactly where they were going anymore. They only knew that the old woman had pointed them toward the BlackDungeon selling area and told them that rare creatures and unique beings were often brought there for people with high ranks and unusual skills.
That was enough for Kai.
If Hori had been captured because of his ability, there was a good chance whoever had taken him would bring him somewhere like this.
Eventually, they reached a large set of dark wooden doors. They were much taller than Kai expected, covered with strange markings that looked like scratches from some enormous creature. The doors stood at the end of the corridor without anyone guarding them.
Kai stopped in front of them.
He looked at Hana, then back at the doors. "I guess this is it" Kai whispered.
Hana swallowed nervously and nodded. "If Hori is really inside, we have to get him out" Hana whispered.
Kai placed one hand against the door and slowly pushed it open.
The moment they stepped inside, the light around them disappeared.
Kai froze.
The door slammed shut behind them with a heavy sound that echoed through the enormous room. Hana immediately grabbed his sleeve, and Kai instinctively reached out to make sure she was still beside him. For a few seconds, neither of them could see anything.
There was only darkness.
Then Kai began hearing things.
Footsteps.
Quiet breathing.
The rustling of clothing.
Someone coughing in the distance.
There were people everywhere.
Kai slowly adjusted to the darkness and began making out dozens of silhouettes surrounding them. Then he realized there were far more than dozens. Hundreds of people were scattered throughout the enormous room, all of them dressed in dark cloaks with their faces hidden beneath their hoods.
Nobody was speaking.
Nobody seemed interested in the newcomers.
They simply stood around, waiting.
Kai looked at the people surrounding them and felt a chill run down his back. "This place is seriously creepy" Kai whispered.
Hana moved closer to him, keeping her hood low over her pink hair. "Just stay close to me" Hana whispered.
Kai almost laughed at that, considering he was supposed to be the one protecting her, but the strange atmosphere quickly killed the joke before it could leave his mouth. He nodded and kept his eyes forward.
Then a bright light suddenly flashed ahead of them.
Both of them turned toward it.
A large stage had been illuminated in the middle of the room. The sudden brightness forced Kai to squint as the rest of the darkness remained around them. Several people stood along the edges of the stage, but the person who stepped onto it immediately captured everyone’s attention.
He looked almost human.
Almost.
His skin was green, his ears were long and pointed, and his face had the unmistakable features of a goblin. Yet unlike the ragged goblins Kai had seen earlier, this one was dressed in an expensive-looking suit with polished shoes and a fancy vest. He even had his hair neatly styled.
In one hand, he held a microphone.
Kai stared at him for several seconds.
"A goblin?" Kai muttered.
Hana looked at him before quickly looking back at the stage. "A very well-dressed goblin" Hana whispered.
Kai had to admit she wasn’t wrong.
The goblin walked toward the center of the stage and tapped the microphone a few times. The sound echoed throughout the enormous room.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Every conversation immediately stopped.
The hundreds of cloaked figures turned toward the stage.
The goblin smiled.
"Welcome, everyone, to another wonderful night at the BlackDungeon!" The goblin announced, spreading his arms as the crowd responded with excited noises.
Kai’s eyes moved across the room.
The people around them weren’t ordinary adventurers. Some wore expensive-looking jewelry, others had weapons strapped to their bodies, and several seemed to have servants standing behind them. Whatever this place was, it clearly wasn’t meant for ordinary dungeon explorers.
The goblin continued speaking as the crowd settled down. "You all know why you’re here, and you all know what we have prepared. Rare creatures, powerful materials and things you won’t find anywhere in the ordinary Dungeon markets!" The goblin announced.
The crowd became louder.
Kai felt Hana shift beside him.
Neither of them had come here to buy anything, but they needed to stay hidden. If Hori was somewhere inside, rushing around and drawing attention to themselves would only make rescuing him harder.
"Are you ready for today’s items?" The goblin asked.
"YES!" The crowd shouted.
The sound nearly shook the room.
Kai and Hana slowly moved closer to the stage while trying to blend in with the cloaked crowd. Kai kept his hood low, but he couldn’t stop himself from staring at what was being brought onto the stage.
The first creature was enormous.
It looked like some kind of beast covered in thick scales. Its eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, and enormous claws dug into the wooden floor as several men struggled to keep it restrained with thick chains.
Kai’s mouth opened slightly.
He had never seen anything like it.
The goblin began explaining its abilities and rarity before announcing the starting price. Almost immediately, people began shouting numbers from different parts of the room.
One person raised the price.
Another immediately raised it again.
The auction continued until someone finally purchased the creature for an amount Kai couldn’t even imagine spending.
Kai stared in disbelief.
Then another creature was brought out.
Then another.
Some looked like animals.
Others looked almost mythical.
A few were so strange that Kai couldn’t even figure out what kind of creature they were supposed to be.
The more he watched, the more uncomfortable he became.
They weren’t selling monster materials.
They were selling the monsters themselves.
Hana stood beside him with her hands held tightly together. "They’re really buying them" Hana whispered.
Kai nodded slowly. "Yeah" Kai said.
He wanted to look away, but something about the entire situation kept pulling his attention back toward the stage.
Then the items changed.
The next group wasn’t made up of monsters.
Several goblins were dragged onto the stage.
Kai’s expression immediately hardened.
The crowd continued watching without much reaction.
Then humans were brought out.
Kai’s stomach tightened.
Some looked frightened. Others kept their heads lowered. A few appeared exhausted and barely seemed to understand what was happening around them.
Yet the crowd continued bidding.
To them, people were simply another type of merchandise.
Kai clenched his fists.
"This is messed up" Kai whispered.
Hana immediately grabbed his arm before he could move. "Kai, wait. We need to find Hori first" Hana whispered.
Kai looked toward her.
She was right.
If they caused trouble now, they could lose their only chance to find Hori. Worse, whoever was controlling this place could capture them too.
Kai slowly relaxed his hands.
"You’re right" Kai whispered.
They remained hidden among the crowd, waiting.
Then the goblin on the stage suddenly raised his microphone again.
The expression on his face changed.
He looked far more excited than before.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, we have something very special tonight!" The goblin announced, his voice filled with excitement.
The crowd immediately began murmuring.
The goblin smiled wider.
"Something that you certainly won’t find being sold every day!" The goblin announced.
The lights around the room suddenly dimmed. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Kai’s heart began beating faster.
A single light appeared at the back of the stage.
Someone was standing there.
A small figure.
Kai stared.
At first, he couldn’t make out the person’s face.
Then the figure was slowly brought forward.
Kai froze.
His entire body went still.
His eyes widened.
"Hori..." Kai whispered.
Hana immediately looked toward the stage.
The moment she saw the little boy, her expression changed completely.
"Hori..." Hana whispered.
There he was.
The child they had spent all that time searching for was standing under the bright light in the middle of the stage.
Hori looked frightened.
His eyes moved across the enormous crowd, searching desperately for something familiar. Kai wondered if the boy could see them from where he stood, but there were too many people between them.
Kai instinctively took a step forward.
Hana grabbed his arm.
"Don’t" Hana whispered.
Kai stopped himself, even though every part of him wanted to run onto the stage and grab Hori.
The goblin stepped closer to the child and placed one hand on his shoulder.
"Tonight, we have something truly unique! A human child possessing an ability capable of showing another person their wildest desires!" The goblin announced.
Kai frowned.
What kind of ability was that?
"What is he talking about?" Kai whispered.
The goblin continued explaining.
"Some of you may have heard rumors about this little one’s ability, but tonight you have the opportunity to witness it for yourselves!" The goblin announced. "This child can create special bubbles. Anyone trapped inside one will see visions of whatever they desire most!"
The crowd immediately became interested.
Kai stared at Hori.
The goblin continued speaking as though he was advertising some expensive treasure rather than a frightened child.
"The visions can be beautiful. They can show wealth, power, family, love, revenge, or anything else the trapped person desires most!" The goblin announced.
A few people in the crowd began whispering excitedly.
Kai’s expression darkened.
The goblin lifted one finger.
"Of course, such an extraordinary ability comes with a price. The bubble will eventually disappear, and depending on the strength of the victim, the experience may leave them asleep or completely exhausted!" The goblin announced.
Kai finally understood.
Hori wasn’t being sold because he was simply a child.
He was being sold because someone had discovered his skill.
Kai looked at Hana.
She looked just as horrified as he felt.
Hana’s hand slowly tightened around his sleeve.
"We have to get him out" Hana whispered.
Kai nodded without taking his eyes off Hori.
"Yeah. We do" Kai whispered.
The goblin smiled as the excitement in the room continued growing.
"And the starting price for this rare ability is..." The goblin announced.
The entire room fell silent.
Kai’s hands slowly tightened into fists.
He had finally found Hori.
But getting him back was going to be much harder than simply finding him.