The Night Market

A very long time ago, this world was full of chaos.

All the different races were at war with each other and hatred ruled the world.

Sensing all this hate and destruction, a demon rose from the depths of hell to enjoy the mayhem.

He was happy to see all this blood being spilled and screams filling the world but after a while he got bored.

So he decided to make things more interesting.

He used half his power, divided it into small parts, and scattered it all over the world.

Then he declared to the whole world,

"If you want to rule this pathetic world of yours, then go and look for my power. But be aware for only those who have sinned are worthy to wield it."

Many ignored this Demon's words, thinking that it was a lie, a trap, or a trick, and continued fighting. But there were also those who wondered,

'What if it was all true?'.

…

[Congratulation, you are qualified to become one of the demon lord candidates]

[Accept] [Reject]

"Wa..what is this?", I ask in confusion.

'Demon Lord candidate?'

'Is this referring to that one story that is famous all over the world about the demon lords and the hero?'

I take my eyes off the screen and look at my hand to see if it was ok.

The first thing I notice is that the rings, which were previously bland, were now purple in color and some kind of runic symbols were drawn all over them. The symbols were moving all around the rings as if they were alive.

Each ring was a different shade of purple with my pinky having the lightest shade and from there the shades got darker till I reached my thumb.

I try to pull the ring on my pointer finger but it was not moving. The rings now felt like they were part of my hand. I clench my hand and the rings shine a little brighter and when I open my hand the light gets dimmer.

The rings and the floating screen were fascinating but I had no idea what was going on. And just like in the case of that shady contract, I was not about to accept a random floating message about being some demon lord candidate.

Since I had no idea about these things, I decided to visit someone who might know something.

…

As I am standing at the entrance of a run-down building in a dark ally way, a voice asks me,

"What's the password?"

"Black moon on a white night", I say and wait for the door to open.

But instead of the door opening, I start hearing two voices.

"hey bro is that the password?"

"I don't know, I don't remember"

"What do you mean you don't remember, the boss told it to you "

"Well, I forgot. but the boss told it to you too"

"I forgot it too. You go and ask him again"

"but the boss will get angry"

"Well he should get angry, how can you forget the password"

"No, I don't wana-"

I pop a vein in anger and interrupt their conversation,

"Just open the door It's me, Sage!"

After a few seconds, I start to hear their voices again,

"bro he is some kind of sage"

"The fuck is a sage doing here, just send him back"

Another vein pops in my head and I shout,

"You dumb fucks it's me, Sage Ambrose Blackburn!"

" "It's Sage!!" ", both the voices shout in excitement.

The door opens and two small gnomes run and hug my legs.

"hahaha, Sage it's been a while man"

"Yeah, where have you been"

I wanted to kick these idiots but held back the urge to do so.

"I was here just the other day, what you do mean it's been a while?"

"Really, well I don't remember",

says the gnome wearing a Phrygian blue cap and a simple red shirt.

"Sigh, you and your memory",

said the gnome wearing a Phrygian red cap and a simple blue shirt.

Wanting to get out of here as fast as possible I ask them,

"Anyway, is your boss inside?"

"Hmm, yeah I think so"

I move past them and start to go down the stairs towards the basement door. I open the door and am greeted with a modern and well-furnished bar.

Behind the counter, a black man with a bald head and a french beard was wiping a glass.

"Yo Samuel, for the love of god just don't put those two in front of the door man. They will make people run away."

He looks at me and answers with a small smile,

"Isn't that the point"

'Well I can't argue with that

I think to myself and sit on a seat in front of the counter.

"So, anything to drink?"

"Nah, just prepare the transfer gate to the market", I say and toss three gold coins to Samuel.

He takes the coins and begins to mess with some buttons behind his counter.

I was waiting and checking the rings when I hear a girl's voice,

"Sage is here! I need to put on my make-up fast"

A look of horror appears on Samuel's face and he starts working faster.

"I am done, Now go through that door quickly!", says Samuel with a sense of urgency and hands me a card.

"Shouldn't I say 'hey' to Lily"

"You womanizer, don't you dare go near my sweet daughter"

"Chill man, I won't touch her yet. "

"What do you mean by 'yet'?"

I smirk and move to the door that was on the opposite side of the entrance. Holding the card in front of the door, I watch it get absorbed and then wait.

A few seconds later, the door opens by itself and I see a portal in front of me. I enter the portal and the door closes by itself.

...

I am walking along the seemingly endless streets of the Night Market, more commonly known as the black market, in a carefree manner.

The night never leaves this market so the sky is dark all the time. No one knows where it is or how it started, It is a mystery that has never been solved and no one tries to solve it. Even when you ask the races who live up to a thousand years or more, they always answer you with 'It has always been here'.

Well, I did hear some stories about how some people wanted to expose the night market and then were never seen again so I don't think this mystery is getting solved.

Although the streets were complex, I have been roaming these streets since I was 16 and knew the shortest path to my destination.

I ignore all the stalls in the outer area, which were mainly selling counterfeit products, and make my way into the high-class area where famous criminals, brokers, blacksmiths, prostitutes, and many others set up their shops.

As I enter the high-class area, people start talking about me,

"Jenny, who is that handsome guy there?"

"That is Sage, Bastard of House Blackburn"

"Even when he is a bastard, what I wouldn't give to sleep with him "

"Ha, well I have already done that"

"What! No way! How!"

"hehe, he is a famous playboy that is called ' The Prince of Night Market'. You will rarely find a beautiful girl that has not slept with him here".

"haaaaa, I am so jealous".

"Yo bro, you looking at that handsome guy there? That's Sage"

"No way! The Sage who owns all the brothels here"

"And not only that but he is also known as the unofficial most handsome guy in the kingdom of Balkisdia."

"Do you think he will give me his autograph?"

"Let's go ask him for it"

After giving those guys my autograph, promising the girl with Jenny that I will sleep with her, greeting my criminal buddies, and tricking the assassin girl, who I had a one-night stand with and now wants to marry me, I finally get to my destination.

[Morgana's Witchcraft Shop]