The Hunted Regressor: My Heretic Saint System-Chapter 103: Welcome To The Black Market

Indeed...

’...now what?’

That was the question chewing on Ignotus’s brain.

The moment came when he had to seriously reconsider his path.

So, again, he stood there, his hands behind his back, staring blankly at the sky.

Around him, most of the people had gone, either back home or to undertake a quest.

They left him to reflect in quiet.

Ignotus had done it.

He was officially an Acolyte now, one of the fastest to ever reach it.

And yet, he didn’t feel any different; his clothes were still cheap, and his pouch was still heartbreakingly empty.

’To become a Priest, huh...’

Ordination thirty—that was the target.

And it wasn’t even that far, likely about fifteen hundred Soul Fragments away.

He could practically taste it, but that was where the real problem started.

Synaxis.

It was the key that unlocked the next stage.

Most Runebearers would get stuck there permanently.

It was supposed to be the class where one’s body began to manifest their Runes, embodying them, and letting them channel every single one at once into a partial transformation.

A real tiny taste of what a Rune Domain felt like.

This taste made many go mad...

And those that didn’t weren’t much better.

They’d try to the point where everything in their life would break, and their Souls would explode.

So, yes, it wasn’t exactly a fun step.

Even if he got a new Rune and enough Soul Fragments, Ignotus would still need to learn Synaxis properly... which meant a whole new learning curve.

Though he had experience with Synaxis and even a complete transformation, that was for Time; doing the same for Luck would get him nowhere, especially after what happened to him, regression and all.

’Hm. So what am I to do now...?’

Ignotus began to tick off the options.

Farm monsters? No, again, it was too slow.

Hunt down whoever sent those assassins after him during the Trial?

No, he unfortunately didn’t know where to start.

Was he to go after Runes in land wars again?

Not unless he wanted to end up on a wanted poster.

They’d likely beefed up their goons, expecting another ’thief.’

’Hmm. Maybe I can just... get someone to carry me?’

That’d work if he had good connections.

’But that’d still require money.’

He paused only to grin.

’Oh, and speaking of money...’

He had to empty it out before it got broken.

’Let’s go to my piggy bank.’

Ignotus never forgot debts, especially ones with interest.

’But well...’

He glanced down at himself.

"I need a shower first."

...

The next morning, a clean and smug Ignotus stepped out of a cheap inn, his pouch even lighter now.

Far above, the sun wasn’t even high yet, and he was already on the move.

Unfortunately, there were usually no lessons after Colosseum Trials, so he didn’t bother going to the Academy, knowing he wouldn’t find them there.

Instead, he went and checked the fancy inns.

Even though this town wasn’t all that advanced in Third Stratum standards, much like the local Parish he visited yesterday, there were other buildings that largely stood out from the rest. Buildings that Nobles usually crawled to after a public event in the area.

’No luck.’

Ignotus didn’t find them there.

’...maybe they’re at the house then?’

It was a valid theory; Genus was crafty.

He likely had invited Lykos after the game to visit, so perhaps they were at House Plant’s manor. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Finding his logic well-founded, he made for the north gate, but just as he crossed out of town, he paused in his tracks.

Lykos, Ulv, and the seven guards were there.

A new carriage and fresh horses were behind them.

All looked ready to set off, making their final preparations.

Ignotus blinked.

’...nice.’

He started waving his arms.

"HEY!"

Nearly panicking, the guards drew their weapons, forming a quick defensive wall... Only to realize that the "attacker" sprinting towards them was none other than the lunatic who had wiped the floor with a few dozen monsters and Disciples yesterday.

"Stranger, hahaha!"

"Professor Ignotus!"

"Hey, tall man!"

Half of them rushed him with cheers, half-hugging and slapping his back.

"We saw you out there!"

"Are your Runes that strong?"

"You can use that many Elements?!"

"Was all that the Luck Element or what?!"

Ignotus was surrounded by excitement and questions, but he didn’t feel deja vu, for these wolves were genuine.

Was he to answer them or keep quiet?

He gave a vague shrug.

’Yeah, sure, why not?’

And so he did, though much like his shrug, he kept things ’vague.’

If it wasn’t obvious enough by now, Ignotus wasn’t exactly the secretive type.

He usually told the truth in whatever he was asked. It was simply said in a way that made it seem like a lie; whether on purpose or not, that was something only he knew.

And the guards, forgetting that they were supposed to keep something called ’boundaries,’ went on and on, bombarding him with questions, as if competing with each other.

Ignotus, eventually having had enough, bulldozed through them and reached Ulv.

The poor wolf-man was stuck staring, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.

"You know what I’m here for. Pay up."

Fear flashed in his eyes before he quickly shook his head and let out a rough chuckle, returning to good spirits.

"Relax, relax. I didn’t forget; twenty gold is already waiting for you on the table."

For a second, Ignotus froze.

’Twenty. Gold.’

He nearly cried.

Surviving only on a few coppers did something to a man.

So that was an answer that Ignotus loved, as it seemed like the two wolves truly believed that the assassins who attacked them in the Colosseum Trial were after Lykos, not Ignotus.

The extra ten gold were added over the original ten as he had ’protected’ them.

It was enough gold to buy four good houses.

Or one good Divine Relic, not the passable ones those five likely got in the trial. Or about forty thousand bowls of stew; basically a lifetime supply of food.

"Now that..."

Ignotus clapped Ulv’s shoulder.

"...is the sound of a man who respects his debts."

His grin widened.

"I could almost forgive you for delaying it so much."

Lykos, after controlling his breathing and expression, finally stepped in, perhaps feeling left out, his forever-angry expression returning.

"We’re heading back to the manor. What do you want?"

Ignotus’s grin didn’t fade; he decided to be a little more shameless.

"Yeah, actually."

Lykos raised an eyebrow.

"I want to go to that auction house you lot sneak off to. The black market one."

Ulv and Lykos exchanged a long look before the bigger of the two let out a sigh.

"You really don’t waste time, huh?"

"Time’s expensive."

Ignotus chuckled, smacking Ulv’s shoulder again.

"And I’m broke, or I was until seconds ago~."

The two gave another shared glance and a little shrug.

"Fine/Sure."

They were to go.

...

Since these black markets and auctions were reserved only for the rich, the wealthy, and the influential, mainly the Main Houses and Great Houses, it stood to reason that Ignotus could use those two to easily get into those spaces, fully bypassing the needed quest.

And it also stood to reason to find familiar faces there.

That evening, as the sun dipped into the horizon, Ignotus followed them through the city’s winding streets until the mortal crowd noise faded away. They stopped before what looked like a tiny, old, and unassuming government building.

"Wait..."

A familiar voice reached them.

They turned and met Mer. She had her own entourage, many more in number.

"Are you guys going there too?!"

Ignotus’s grin came back instantly.

’My Luck’s redeeming itself a little~.’

Before he could speak, Mer leapt at him, wrapping an arm around his neck.

"And I see you brought along the boss monster himself."

He peeled her off and turned to Lykos.

"Control your woman."

Lykos went red while Mer just laughed.

"It’s nice to meet you too!"

"S-Shut up and let’s go."

Lykos quickly walked ahead, all flustered.

"The auction starts before sundown."

Leaving behind the guards outside, Ulv led the group through the small building that felt wrongly clean down to a lone clerk at the front desk. A thin man with the polite smile of someone who’s seen too much.

Again, the place looked like any other reception hall, but something was obviously off about it, and they didn’t bother to hide that fact.

Ulv stepped forward.

"House Death. House Fire."

The clerk looked up, and his gaze landed on Ignotus.

"Him?"

Ulv opened his mouth.

"House Plant, he’s—"

Cutting him off, Ignotus stepped in:

"Once of House Plant, now I’m of House Calamity, and I’m interested in selling a Rune to you lot, or maybe trading it in for a Divine Relic I fancy."

The clerk took a moment and then nodded.

"We won’t accept the Time Rune, so it’ll have to be the Blood Rune. Is that acceptable?"

Ignotus nodded back, not at all surprised that he, or rather they, knew of his Runes.

The clerk gestured toward the wall behind him.

"Then please, proceed."

Ulv smiled in thanks while stepping forward and walking straight through the wall.

"Be careful; there are stairs."

Lykos and Mer followed, vanishing through the stone.

Still at the back, Ignotus blankly stared at the wall.

’This reminds me of something.’

He tilted his head, trying to remember.

"Eh."

Only to give up and walk straight through it.

The moment he crossed, a weird chill ran down his spine.

Soon after, the world shimmered, its light bending around him until the air opened into an entirely different space.

At the base of the stairs he stood on was a grand hall bustling with nobles, merchants, and collectors. Its carpet was velvet, and its chandeliers were golden, easily brightening up the entire place.

This was a different ’world’ entirely.

"Welcome..."

A voice said softly behind Ignotus, making him turn and see the same smiling clerk there.

"Welcome to the Black Market."