In the black market, it has always been a gathering place for all sorts of people.
Apart from some players who come seeking vengeance, there are also many locals who are afraid of disturbances. Sometimes, players who visit the place end up losing several items from their backpacks before leaving, often stolen by those mischievous native NPCs.
That’s why, for ordinary players, this place is usually best avoided. When it comes to causing trouble, aside from the battles over world bosses in major guilds, this place tops the list.
Those who steal from the natives and get caught by players usually end up in violent confrontations. This situation of disrupting the harmony between NPCs and players has caught the attention of the official creators of the game, and you can see that there are more GMs with patrol duties in the black market than in the regular city areas.
However, even with all these measures, the crime rate remains high, highlighting the lawlessness of this place.
Pojun Baba joined the game Genesis after receiving an appointment as the guild leader. From the very beginning, his purpose was clear, and he had always been dealing with various guild matters. He never ventured into such lawless areas during normal times.
So, you could say it was fortunate for him that he had the opportunity to set foot in the black market for the first time, even if it was with an alternate character.
He couldn’t deny that he wasn’t used to the somewhat dark atmosphere of this place. In front of his fellow guild members, he always exuded an imposing presence, but in the atmosphere of the black market, he couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward.
Especially on this journey, the occasional sly glances from the native NPCs made him extremely uncomfortable.
Pojun Baba finally made it to the black market trading hall and entered one of the shops with a sign that read [Assassination Intermediary].
Dim lighting created an intense atmosphere inside the shop. The shop owner was quite burly, with a string of earrings on his ears that glimmered in the dim light.
Upon seeing Pojun Baba enter, the shop owner, with a scar stretching across his face, grinned, and his voice, hoarse from years of smoking, said, “Friend, looking to hire an assassin?”
His nonchalant tone made it sound like he was offering vegetables in a market.
Pojun Baba glanced at the prices on the wall, found a chair at the back of the counter, and sat down, trying to keep himself hidden from outside view. He asked, “What are the specific rules?”
The shop owner, Luke, was an indigenous inhabitant of Genesis Continentand had been doing business in the black market since the first season.
He had seen all sorts of people come and go, so when he noticed Pojun Baba’s reluctance to reveal his identity, he understood immediately. “Your first time here, right?”
Pojun Baba replied with a low “Yes.”
Luke chuckled and lit a cigar, then retrieved a dusty book from a corner and handed it to Pojun Baba. His calloused fingers lightly tapped the price list on the book. “Black market standard rates. Every three targets make one order. Service fees are 400,000 silver coins for Class 1 assassins, 100,000 for Class 2, 50,000 for Class 3, and 1,000 to 5,000 silver coins for Class 4 and below.”
After explaining, Luke added with a meaningful look as he swayed the cigar up and down, “Furthermore, we operate on a double secrecy system here. Regardless of which class of assassin you choose, all information about both parties will be encrypted. You won’t know the true identity of the service provider, and the service provider won’t ask for any of your information. So, besides the price, you don’t need to worry about anything else. I can assure you that this transaction will be absolutely safe.”
Pojun Baba hadn’t expected his reluctance to reveal his identity to be so easily noticed. He cleared his throat with a disguised cough. “Why is there such a big price difference between Class 1 and Class 4?”
“Naturally. There are four classifications in total, but there’s a huge gap in terms of completion rate, ranging from almost 90% for Class 1 to less than 30% for Class 4.”
At this point, Luke chuckled softly. “Even for Class 1 assassins, they are only the top ten assassins on the assassination leaderboard. If the boss wants to hire someone from the top ten, you’ll have to negotiate with them in person. That comes with a different price tag, and there’s no upper limit to their quotes.”
Pojun Baba fell into deep thought. Obviously, he hadn’t expected the prices in the black market to be so exorbitant.
Three targets for 400,000 silver coins?
“Is this inlaid with gold!?”
Moreover, it’s just the quote for Class 1 assassins.
Pojun Baba wasn’t sure if those in Class 1 could handle a top-tier expert like Yu Weize. In the ideal scenario, he would prefer to hire someone from the top ten in the rankings. But even those just outside the top ten had exorbitant prices.
As Pojun Baba thought about leaving his personal treasury, he couldn’t help but feel the pain of parting with his wealth.
Luke, who had dealt with all sorts of people in the black market over the years, had encountered many individuals who created secondary characters to inquire about prices. Seeing Pojun Baba hesitate, his smile became even more apparent, softening his naturally fierce appearance.
Finally, he began to make a recommendation. “Here’s the thing, if you’re worried that a regular assassin can’t handle this job and you find the top ten too expensive, I have a good recommendation for you.”
Pojun Baba immediately asked, “What recommendation?”
Luke opened a folder, flipped through it, and handed over a document. “Take a look at number 00074. He’s one of the earliest assassins I collaborated with, with a near 100% completion rate on previous assignments. He used to consistently hold the top position on the leaderboard, making him a highly popular choice. Unfortunately, he took a break for a while, and now he’s back, but he’s fallen off the top rankings and is currently in Class 1. If the assassination target is particularly challenging, I recommend him. In terms of cost-effectiveness, he should be the best choice.”
Pojun Baba looked at the document, with nearly all attributes close to max. He furrowed his brows. “Does this mean he just returned?”
Luke knew what he was worried about, and he blew a series of smoke rings from the cigar in his mouth. “He’s an old acquaintance of mine, so I can assure you of his skills. After each order, an independent assassination system evaluates the completion status. If the mission isn’t completed, you’ll get a full refund. Boss, you can give it a try; you won’t lose anything. The main thing to consider is that he’s currently in Class 1, but if he returns to the top ten in the assassination rankings, the price will likely be much higher.”
Pojun Baba hesitated at first, but the prospect of a potential price increase in the future convinced him. He gritted his teeth and said, “Alright, let’s go with him.”
Luke smiled and said, “Thank you for your business. Now, please make the deposit.”
Pojun Baba reluctantly agreed. The deposit was calculated based on 30% of the total price, which was the cost for four complete orders. Within three days, any excess would be refunded, and any shortfall would be compensated.
If he had seemed somewhat nervous when he arrived, he left with an empty wallet, and his steps felt rather buoyant.
Once Pojun Baba left, the shop owner, Luke, contacted assassin number 00074 through the assassination system.
The voice connection was established, and Luke, sitting back in his chair with his legs crossed, grinned. “Not bad, 74. You’ve only just returned, and I’ve already secured a big deal for you.”
On the other side, a gentlemanly voice replied, “Impressive, Luke. You’re a true friend.”
“Enough with the compliments. Why don’t you come over and have a few drinks with me when you have the time?”
Luke chuckled and flipped through the newly registered information. “If you have some time now, I can send you the assassination list.”
Gentleman voice responded, “There’s more to the list? Sounds like it’s quite substantial.”
“Indeed, this is a large order where you can reap the corresponding rewards within three days just by taking out a few heads!”
Luke said as he directly input the data into the assassination system. “I’ve uploaded it; take a look yourself.”
Gentleman voice replied, “Thanks.”
Luke also smiled and added, “When you come over for drinks, you rascal!”
Gentleman voice clearly went to inspect the assassination list and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke with a hint of amusement in his tone, “These are the people you want me to assassinate?”
Luke asked, “Is there a problem?”
“No, there’s no problem.”
Gentleman Fan swayed his fan, trying hard to hold back laughter. “Just feel that this benefactor has quite an eye.”
After some thought, he gave a precise evaluation. “Generous.”
“What do you mean, hiring someone to assassinate me?”
Almost at the same time, on the other side, Jiang Shi had just heard Han Yuze explain the new intelligence. “Does the Crusaders not know what Gentleman Fan does? Are they trying to be killed in return?”
“Not just Gentleman Fan, probably none of us here are easy to kill, right?” Han Yuze paused. “Oh, except for your new disciple. So you might want to keep him indoors for a while.”
There was a hint of schadenfreude in his tone, making Jiang Shi curious about how this upright young man had managed to offend the God Yu in such a short time.
Just as he was about to gossip, a pop-up request to join the team interrupted their conversation.
Gentleman Fan, back in the team, looked at the two inside and whistled softly. “Did I disturb you?”
Han Yuze chuckled, “Yes.”
Jiang Shi pushed the person away a bit with a cross. “No, what’s the matter?”
Thinking about the intelligence Han Yuze had mentioned earlier, before Gentleman Fan could answer, Jiang Shi made his own speculation. “Has someone already tried to send you to your death?”
“Huh? How do you know the Crusaders went to the black market?” Gentleman Fan sounded even more surprised.
Han Yuze asked, “Did they really hire an assassin?”
“Understand the rules. Even if they did place an order, it won’t officially take effect until tomorrow.”
Gentleman Fan had some disdain for these outsiders and didn’t waste much time. He directly sent a list to the team channel. “Here, I just received a new mission. Congratulations, everyone; you’re all my prey now.”
Jiang Shi quickly scanned the list and found that, in addition to Scavenger, who had always been acting in the dark, and Serious young man, the unappreciated healer, he, the Deep Well Ice Player, Yu Weize, and even Gentleman Fan himself were all on the list.
After a moment of amusement, he pondered for a moment and earnestly threw out a question. “For the other people on this list, how do you plan to deal with yourself? Suicide?”
“…”
Gentleman Fan, rarely left speechless, said, “Is that the main point?”
Han Yuze asked, “So, who placed the order at the black market, Pojun Baba?”
“I don’t know about that.”
Although not present, judging from his tone, it seemed that Gentleman Fan innocently shrugged. “The black market has a two-way confidentiality protection mechanism. Both the buyer and the service provider don’t know each other’s specific identities. But I guess it’s about the same. The only requirement is outdoor killing plus intimidation. Besides the Crusaders, no one else would do such boring things. This pseudonym is as good as not having one.”
Han Yuze nodded. “Indeed.”
Gentleman Fan raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter with you guys…?”
Jiang Shi chuckled. “Helping you increase the success rate of the assassination. How could that be considered a bad thing? Just think that now it’s probably a good time to go offline and sleep. When everyone is online tomorrow, we can gather and discuss it together.”
Gentleman Fan raised an eyebrow. “So you guys mean…”
Han Yuze said, “No need to ask.”
Jiang Shi’s tone was full of anticipation. “Fate brought us together to buy a hit on the real boss. Of course, we can’t let it go to waste.”
lol as expected it was Gentleman Fan