"Help! Please anyone..."

A young woman is screaming, seeking for help out of desperation. In the streets where people are passing by, passersby were walking while staring at her, the vendors and shop owners were continuing with their business, and the alleyways where dangerous people reside were looking at her out of curiosity. 

"Anyone, just anyone...I don't care about the cost!" 

The gloomy rain was pouring down on to her clothes. If it was a normal situation, her wet clothing might arouse the men around her, but she was wearing a ragged clothing. 

"...just please...save my child- Iyaaaaa!!"

She slipped on the wet stone ground. The baby held on her arms were her priority, she hugged it tightly and forced herself to turn sideways which can help avoid fatal damages.

Fortunately, a huge hand held her shoulder and the other held the arms that were supporting the baby. 

"Oof.. Are you okay Miss?" 

A huge middle aged man with scars spoke as she landed on his chest area. Noticing the baby she was hugging, his expression turned serious. 

"What are you doing in this heavy rain?! You are holding a baby and don't you know how dangerous that is!" 

The man had worries attached to his words. 

The woman who looked up to his savior, felt emotional and bursted out her words of selfishness. 

"Please!! Help my child, he is about to die!" 

"Whoa calm down Mis-" 

"How can I calm down if my child is dying?!" 

He clenched his teeth, showing anger in his words. 

"I said calm down!!" 

The woman made a "Hiiiiiii" sound and covered her child as he boasted his loud voice, making the passersby, vendors, and people in the alley look at one point, making them the center of attention. 

The man looked at the surroundings, noticing that they were at everyone's attention, he then lead the way. 

"I know of a way to heal your child, follow me." 

"....."

She followed him silently without making a noise, suppressing her emotions as he leads her on an alley. 

They reached a dead end and a door at the end, the man stopped at his tracks. He then knocked. 

"Why are you outside my house?"

The woman was surprised as a voice behind the door spoke.

"Mogi rock 87, entering."

The man replied to the voice, connecting both making something like a code.

The door opened, the man started walking again as the woman followed him.

The inside made the woman unconsciously express "waaaaa..where are we?" as they continued walking. 

The insides is like a big tunnel, and a giant road which can fit two carriages. 

The structures were entirely different, a casino in the side, a large auction with a sign outside, slave markets which consisted of a big tent and many stands, a forging shop which makes fake forged documents, poison and herb sellers, people who sell cursed accessories on the side with a small stand, and stalls that are randomly placed on the sidewalk.

"This is the black market, just follow me and avoid interacting with weird people."

"...okay."

There are various locations for the black markets, in the Serrum Territory where they are right now, other towns, and the royal capital. 

She still can't understand why is he leading her here, but If it's for the sake of her child, she will go no matter where it is.

"Hey, look at your fashion sense , it's disgusting. Don't you want necklaces to lure rich nobles?"

"Did your husband run away from you? Don't worry Missy, I can curse him for 3000 cig, just write his name here."

"Hmmm..you smell nice, won't you give me a tiny portion of your sweat? For experimental purposes, so I can make a natural sweeted scent love potion!"

Weird people kept flocking her but they aren't really stopping her tracks because of the huge man infront of her.

The man stopped after walking a considerable amount of distance till they find the stalls with few customers.

He stopped at a particular stall which a man was sleeping, and behind him was a red curtain.

"Hey, wake up you fool!"

"Ahhhh!"

The huge man slapped his large palm on the plank where the man with messy black hair was sleeping.

"What's the big idea Mogi?"

"You have a customer here, it seems she needs you to find a problem with her child."

Mogi pointed at the woman carrying a child, making her blurt out "Eh? You can heal him?!"

"Please help my child! His mana pulse is unstable and I'm afraid it's the cause of his recent heating up."

She raised her voice out of excitement and worried state. 

"Argghhh you're so noisy."

"But-"

"I know, I know. You sure you would get out of my stand after I fix your thing right?"

"it's not a thing, it's my child!"

Quickly denying his words as it was disrespectful for her, the man replied with a small vein popped up on his face. 

"Fine! Hand. Me. Your. Child. I'll quickly check his mana pulse."

"Please handle him carefully."

As worried as she is, she handed her child to the man, she has no choice but to trust him as her only chance. Mogi made a huge sigh and told her "Don't worry, he's just a bit grumpy after forcing him to wake up." to ease her up. 

The woman looked at Mogi completely with dead eyes, making a huge "?" appear beside his confused face. 

The man who handled the baby placed his hand over the baby's head, faint light glowed before it. Soon after his eyes widened. 

"Sh*t! His mana pulse is depleting!"

"What do you mean?!"

The man noticed the baby's abnormality, making an exclamation that resulted the woman's shock. 

"I shall explain. While walking through the black market, many powerful mages are around, unconsciously suppressing him with their mana, his instincts noticed the powerful foe, making him deplete his own mana. For veterans, this is good for survival while hiding from a dangerous monster, but he is a kid! He might die at this rate!"

As he exclaimed that, he added "Not that I care about it." at the end of his words. 

"Can you do something about this?! Please I'm begging you!"

Looking uninterested at the current situation, asking for money was the only option for him to be motivated. 

"Hmm.. Do you have money?"

"...I have 2000 cig."

"....wait, let me check."

Looking troubled by the woman's words, he turned around facing a a giant red curtain. 

He opened the red curtains, revealing empty bottles, but one stood out from the rest. A blue light was inside one of the bottles.

He grabbed it.

"Ayayayai, this one's expensive you know? It's atleast 50,000 cig."

"What?!...that's..impossible for me to pay."

The woman dropped on her knees, as despair showed in her eyes, she lost hope.

Then, Mogi spoke after staying silent the whole time.

"I'll pay for it!"

"Wha-"

"Do your thing now, I'll handle the trouble for her."

The man started bending down as if taking something below while saying "Okie doki!" while looking motivated. 

Looking confused by the situation Mogi made, she can't understand why he would pay a large amount of money for a stranger that he just met. 

Accepting the situation, a tear was at the corner of her eye. 

"I...dont have the money to pay you."