Under the cover of night, Norlinst Avenue took on a life of its own.
Bright white and deep blue Mana Crystals were embedded along the tall lamp towers lining the street, their intertwined glow washing the district in an otherworldly shimr. tal shop signs swayed overhead, clinking softly in the wind, the rhythmic sound carrying through the avenue like a quiet invitation to anyone willing to wander in.
It was no wonder so many players preferred to visit at night. There was simply no other place like it.
During the day, Norlinst Avenue looked abandoned, almost lifeless. Every storefront remained shut tight, windows dark, doors locked, as though the entire district had been forgotten. Hours could pass without a single figure appearing on the street. But the mont the sun slipped below the horizon, everything changed.
Shutters flew open. Lanterns lit. Voices filled the air.
What had been a ghost town only monts before transford into a bustling, vibrant marketplace, alive with energy. Shop owners called out to passing players and NPCs alike, offering goods that could not be found anywhere else.
And "goods" was putting it lightly.
This was not the kind of place where you ca for standard weapons or armor. Norlinst Avenue dealt in things that skirted the edges of legality, sotis crossing that line entirely.
Beneath certain taverns lay hidden Black Market Arenas, where fights were held out of sight. So inns offered services that were, for now, reserved strictly for NPCs, though the implication was obvious enough. There were casinos, slave traders, and other questionable establishnts, many of which remained partially inaccessible to players until the system allowed it.
Even so, curiosity alone was enough to draw a crowd.
So ca for a taste of Dark Rum, a rare drink said to originate from the Dark-Iron Dwarves, its flavor as heavy and smoky as its reputation. Others lingered near the taverns, exchanging playful words with elven maids whose pointed ears peeked out from beneath soft strands of hair. And for those with a taste for risk, there was always The Headless Tavern, where bets could be placed on brutal arena matches, wagering on which of two hulking, green-skinned fighters would leave alive.
Norlinst Avenue, more commonly known as the Black Market, gathered all kinds from the fringes of the world. Dwarves, elves, gnos, goblins, even orcs could be seen moving through the crowd. It was the one place where foreign gear, rare recipes, and forbidden items circulated freely, far removed from the rules of any ’civilized’ city.
Among all of this chaos, only one place felt almost normal.
Twilight Heart sat quietly on the northwest corner of the avenue, its three-story structure standing apart from the surrounding madness. The first floor housed a tavern, warm and lively, while the second and third served as an inn.
Its biggest appeal was simple. Players could actually use it.
Rumors about the place spread quickly. So said it was a hotspot for secret etings, others whispered about more intimate encounters. The truth was less dramatic but just as practical. Unlike other inns in Moster, which strictly limited players to one room each, Twilight Heart allowed far more flexibility. You could drink downstairs, then rent a room upstairs without restrictions. That alone made it wildly popular.
At that mont, Flynn sat at one of the tables on the first floor, idly sipping his drink.
Amy sat beside him, fidgeting with her cup, while Chad leaned back comfortably, draining his ale like he had not a care in the world. Across from them, Let-There-Be-Light listened with a composed expression, though the occasional twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed his amusent.
Flynn was recounting everything that had happened in the mines that afternoon.
By the ti he finished, neither Chad nor Let-There-Be-Light could hold back their laughter.
Whitestone had died four tis in total.
After that, Flynn had finally stopped. His Infamy had climbed to eleven points, and he had not forgotten the warning that ca with it. Once you crossed ten, death carried a real risk of dropping equipnt. So he had withdrawn, spending two full hours roaming the wilderness, letting his Infamy tick down to nine before returning to the city.
Only then had he contacted Chad, and from there, Amy and Let-There-Be-Light had joined them here at Twilight Heart.
The location was not chosen at random.
At nine o’clock sharp, Flynn had arranged to et representatives from Aether-Reach at The Headless Tavern, just across the street.
Chad let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "You didn’t just wipe out a dozen of their players. You kept their leadership waiting for hours. By the ti you finally replied, they were probably ready to tear the place apart. If losing that True-Sight Crystal wasn’t so humiliating already, they might’ve put a bounty on your head by now."
Flynn raised an eyebrow. "But everyone already knows about the crystal, don’t they?"
On his way back, he had overheard more than enough chatter. The story had spread like wildfire, growing more exaggerated with every retelling. So players were claiming Aether-Reach had lost dozens of mbers, others said people had been killed repeatedly until they dropped all the way back to level zero. All of it, supposedly, at the hands of a single Rogue who appeared and vanished like a ghost.
Chad waved a hand dismissively. "Rumors are one thing. The crazier they sound, the less Aether-Reach wants to confirm them. If they make a big move now, it just proves the rumors are true. They can’t afford that kind of embarrassnt."
Amy frowned, her concern plain. "Doesn’t that make things more dangerous for Flynn?"
Chad glanced at her, then nodded slightly. "There’s no getting around that."
He studied her for a mont, quietly impressed. She had a gentle look, but there was a spark in her eyes, sothing steady and unyielding. In terms of appearance, she could easily stand beside people like Sophia or Chloe without losing anything.
’If Byance Studio has people like this, I really should’ve paid attention sooner.’
Flynn caught Amy’s gaze and flashed her a teasing smile.
She imdiately looked away, flustered. "I’m not worried about you," she muttered. "I’m thinking about the bigger picture."
Flynn leaned forward slightly, amused. "Oh? Then go on. What exactly is this ’bigger picture’?"
Amy’s face flushed bright red, and for a mont, she could not find the words. Let-There-Be-Light cleared his throat, stepping in smoothly.
"What she ans," he said, smiling faintly, "is that since we earned that Glorious Achievent together, Aether-Reach might co after us if they can’t get to you."
The table fell quiet.
Even Chad paused, then suddenly slapped his thigh. "Exactly. Those guys are proud to a fault. You’ve humiliated them. On the surface, they’ll act reasonable to get the crystal back, but behind the scenes? They won’t let this go."
Let-There-Be-Light’s expression stiffened.
He had only ant to help Amy, but as Chad continued, the weight of the situation settled in.
Aether-Reach was not just any guild. They were one of the top professional forces in the North Arican Region, known as much for their strength as for their pride. Losing the True-Sight Crystal and suffering repeated losses like this was more than a setback. It was an insult.
Even if the Moster branch chose to negotiate peacefully, what ca after would be another matter entirely.
And if killing Flynn proved difficult, then the next logical targets would be those connected to him.
Naly, them.
Byance Studio had built a decent reputation, but compared to a giant like Aether-Reach, they were insignificant. Most studios depended on guilds to survive. If Aether-Reach decided to pressure them, they would have no real way to resist.
Let-There-Be-Light’s face slowly paled.
Across the table, Flynn shot Chad a subtle, irritated look. Chad caught it, but simply hid his reaction behind another drink.
In truth, he knew Aether-Reach well enough to doubt they would go that far. Crushing a small studio would hardly be worth their ti. But that did not an he could not use the situation to his advantage.
Iron-Blooded Academy was still growing. They had montum, but resources were tight. Byance Studio had exactly what they needed, and securing them as a partner would be a huge step forward. To make that happen, he needed leverage.
So he painted the threat darker than it really was.
If Byance Studio believed they were in danger, they would look for protection. And in Moster, there were few better options than Iron-Blooded Academy. With Flynn already bridging the gap, everything was lining up perfectly.
Chad set his mug down and spoke more slowly, his tone asured. "There is a simple solution, though. Cut ties with Night-Stalker. Keep your distance, and you’ll be fine."
Let-There-Be-Light looked at him, then shook his head without hesitation.
"That’s not an option."
His voice was calm, but firm.
"He helped us earn that achievent. That matters. And he’s our friend. That matters too. We’re not going to turn our backs on him just because things got complicated. I’m not anyone important, but I have my principles. If he needs help, I’ll do what I can."
Chad smiled faintly. "That kind of decision might cost your studio everything."
This ti, Let-There-Be-Light did not answer right away.
He knew Chad was not entirely wrong.
Byance Studio had not been his from the beginning. It had belonged to Not-A-Bystander, who had struggled to keep it afloat. When things started falling apart, he had handed it over to Let-There-Be-Light, soone he had t through the ga. From there, the two of them had rebuilt everything from the ground up.
Every bit of success they had now ca at a cost.
He could still rember those early days clearly. Amy had been just a middle schooler then, yet she carried the burden of keeping them all fed, walking to the market every day with a basket far too heavy for her. Later, in high school, she had sacrificed her studies to support the studio, her grades slipping until she missed her chance at a better future.
Those sacrifices were not sothing he could ignore. They had all given sothing. Amy most of all.
And now, faced with the possibility of losing everything they had built, Let-There-Be-Light found himself standing at a crossroads he could not avoid.
On one side was loyalty, on the other, survival.
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