The slender woman, known as the Viper, stood beside the secret door and gestured toward the boy. "You may enter, valued customer," she stated, her tone devoid of any suggestion.

Alfred cautiously approached the door, his senses on high alert. He pushed it open and stepped into the room beyond. The space was dimly lit and carried an eerie atmosphere. Bookshelves lined the perimeter, and at the center of the room, there was a solitary table crafted from a single, massive piece of wood.

At the table, a hooded man was engrossed in scribbling something on a piece of paper with a feather pen.

"Please, have a seat," the man gestured to the empty chair in front of him without glancing up from his writing.

Alfred approached the chair and sat down, his shoulders tensed, and his eyes remained keenly observant. "What's up with all these strange people I keep running into?" he muttered to himself under his breath.

After he finished writing, the man removed his hood and finally looked up at Alfred. In an instant, both of them wore stunned expressions.

"Sticky fingers!" shouted the man, his voice filled with a mixture of surprise and accusation.

Alfred couldn't help himself and blurted out, "How?" They spoke at the same time, their fingers pointing accusatorily at each other. Alfred was irked by his new nickname, but he managed to conceal his annoyance behind a composed expression.

The man behind the desk was none other than the clerk Alfred had robbed at the market. Fury flashed across his face as he recognized the boy. In a moment of anger, he reached beneath the desk to grab something, but Alfred's lightning-quick reflexes came into play.

With a flick of his wrist, Alfred sent a knife hurtling through the air. The blade halted just as it drew a bead of blood from the man's throat.

Kazuma Fujimoto, the clerk, was left utterly stunned. He couldn't fathom how the boy had reacted so swiftly, beating him to the draw. As he stood there, he fell into deep thought, his mind racing to comprehend what had just transpired.

The Black Market was safeguarded by an enigmatic power, and those who attempted theft rarely lived to tell the tale. The clerk wasn't particularly concerned about someone trying to rob him, but he was thoroughly surprised by how he had misjudged the boy during their initial encounter.

Alfred couldn't contain his curiosity. "How can you be here? I thought you sold meat buns!" he exclaimed.

Fujimoto, the clerk, remained composed, unruffled by the knife at his throat. "It's all for appearances," he replied mysteriously. "But why are you here?" he inquired, returning the question without a hint of fear.

"To purchase your merchandise, of course!" Alfred responded with a grin, the knife still poised at the man's neck.

"You think I'm stupid, don't you? You couldn't even afford meat buns, yet you believe you can buy things here? You're quite audacious to attempt the same trick twice!" the clerk asserted, his voice filled with suspicion. "We may not have many guards, but you're sorely mistaken if you think you can outwit the Viper."

Alfred let out a sigh of exasperation and reluctantly dropped the knife, placing it firmly on the table. He reached into his pocket and produced the pouch before carefully removing 100 Qi coins and placing them before the man.

"No, it's not what you think," Alfred explained, his tone earnest.

"I apologize for my actions earlier, and this payment includes some interest for any inconvenience," Alfred said as he placed the Qi coins on the table. He then continued, "I'm also sorry for any harm I caused you with the knife. I'm not very skilled with it yet. Can we please start fresh and proceed with our business?" He hoped to mend their initial encounter, as going to another branch wasn't a viable option for him at the moment.

The clerk couldn't help but let his shock show. "His knife work is that efficient, and yet he claims to be an amateur? What a formidable boy!" he thought to himself.

"Hmph, that's more like it. Here at the Black Market, we don't turn away anyone with money, even if the money they have is stolen," remarked the clerk as he stared at the pouch, clearly skeptical.

"Do you purchase stolen goods, and if so, can you assure me of anonymity?" Alfred inquired.

"Of course!" The man replied almost instantly. The black market's entire appeal lay in its promise of anonymity, and Fujimoto took great pride in that.

"First, take a look at this and tell me its value." Alfred produced a small talisman with an inscription, causing the man's eyes to widen in surprise.

"It would be impolite of me to inquire about its origin, but I must ascertain if you can procure more. We assure you that we will offer the best prices, or rather, prices even better than the market!" The man rambled excitedly.

"Hold on, you're getting ahead of yourself. First, tell me what it is and how much you're willing to offer," Alfred requested.

"This is an Arcane Adept freeze talisman, easily activated with minimal mana. It's a life-saving item capable of freezing any opponent for a minimum of 30 seconds, depending on their strength. It can even immobilize Celestial Mages for up to 2 seconds!" Fujimoto explained.

"What! Really?" Alfred's enthusiasm was palpable; if the talisman was truly this valuable, he could secure a high price for it. "So, how much are you willing to offer for it?" he inquired further.

"For a one-time sale, I can't go higher than 20,000 Qi coins," the clerk responded, clearly aiming to take advantage of the situation.

Alfred was elated and nearly jumped out of his seat. 10,000 Qi coins could sustain a small family of three for an entire year; 20,000 was a substantial amount.

"I'm not so sure, 20,000 Qi coins seems rather low for a life-saving treasure, don't you think?" he questioned.

"Don't try to haggle, kid. If anyone found out you have that on your person, you wouldn't live long. I'll add 2000 Qi coins to the price, but only to build relations. I'll be honest; I like you, kid. If you managed to acquire an item like that and keep your life intact, then you're someone worth working with," grumbled Fujimoto.

"Oh, alright, I'll thank you for your business," Alfred replied, feeling embarrassed that his bluff had been exposed. "I'm also looking for some items that could help me."

"We have plenty of Thief Equipment, Sticky Fingers."

Alfred's eye twitched, and his face fell. 'I've never needed to steal anything my entire life. The only thing I stole was ideas and designs! Wait... that's still stealing, whatever!' He was conflicted as he fell into a daze.

"Are you interested?" the man continued.

"Yeah, tell me the items you have," Alfred replied with a helpless look.

"Here, take a look at this." Alfred was handed a magical device. He could see many useful items, but two caught his eye:

- Cloak of Invisibility: Grade - Spirit Novice; Reduces the wearer's presence during the day, providing complete invisibility in dark environments.
- Shrouded Armor Set: Grade - Spirit Novice; Boosts movement ability and reduces sound when moving.

"How much for the Cloak of Invisibility and the Shrouded Armor set?" Alfred asked.

"I can give you the set for 10,000 Qi coins and the cloak for 5,000."

"Okay, deal." Alfred handed the clerk the talisman and received the merchandise, along with 7,000 Qi coins. Pleased, he stood up.

"Before I leave, do you have anything that can help me change my appearance?"

"I have plenty of items that can do that, but most are not very effective against stronger opponents," the clerk informed.

"Do you have anything that can make me look older?" the boy asked.

"If you want something that can alter your height, I have a Mystic Apprentice talisman that can change your appearance to whatever you desire. Even Arcane Adept mages will find it hard to discover your identity unless they use a special item or spell," the clerk explained.

"How much?"

"90,000 Qi coins."

Alfred winced when he heard the price. "Got anything cheaper?"

"The cheapest in that category would be the Troglodyte Aging Ointment; it changes your face but not your height. You can have it for 5,000 Qi coins."

"Alright," Alfred said reluctantly and gave him the coins.

"Pleasure doing business with you," the clerk smiled before reaching for his feather pen and returning to his writing.

Alfred left through the door, feeling a bit shortchanged.

Back at the bar, he noticed the Viper was serving a man in black with an indigo belt. Paying no mind, Alfred made his way to the exit. The man glanced at Alfred briefly before turning back to continue his conversation.

After leaving the inn, Alfred decided to grab some food before heading home and trying out his new equipment. He walked past several streets before reaching the markets.

The food in the slums was not very appetizing, but when you were starving, anything would taste great. He found a stall that sold rice and mystery meat before buying a healthy portion.

The stalls were some distance from his hut, so he dragged his feet as he made his way home, arriving half an hour later.

The rice was dry and stale, while the meat was salty and slimy. Closing his eyes, Alfred devoured the food and discarded the scraps outside.

The clerk had given him a sack to carry the wares he purchased. Alfred opened it and examined his new cloak. It was made of thick black cloth and exuded a mysterious aura.

Alfred set the cloak aside and then retrieved the armor set. The black armor set was crafted from tough leather and appeared to absorb all the light that touched it.

It was evident that these were enchanted items, not made from ordinary materials. As he examined them closely, the youngster couldn't resist running his fingers across the seams to appreciate the craftsmanship.

Alfred slipped on all the pieces, which included boots, bottoms, a top plate, and arm guards. Initially, they were oversized but then shrank down to fit his frame. He was impressed with their functionality.

"I'm going to take a nap and wait for nightfall to see what all these skills and equipment can truly do," he planned before drifting off to sleep on his bed.