Endyr continued her stroll down the busy streets, taking in the sights with a keen eye. She seemed to have entered the "flesh market" section of the Underground, since there were multiple auctions selling slaves going on. Not all goods were sentient though, as monsters and magical beasts were also being sold. The sight made Endyr curious where exactly the Underground was located, since Kulkiri never actually told her. Slavery was outlawed in the Gaia Continent and widespread in Tartarus, but it was situational on the other two Continents.
Due to the harsh environment and low population on the Borealis Continent, slave labour was employed to keep society running. Conditions were better there than Tartarus, but slaves were treated as mere product and most perished before reaching old age. On the Ouranos Continent however, slavery was much more lowkey, with the term "indentured servants" being used instead. Most slaves lived comfortable enough lives, and some families were even specifically bred to serve certain Nobles. They were given a wage and good conditions, but were unable to leave or act without permission. For some Ourosian Magi, the quality of slaves was a direct portrayal of their prestige.
'According to Kulkiri, the Underground was formed by refugees fleeing the Great War in the Dark Age. I doubt the Orthodox Gods would have allowed it if they were from Tartarus, so that leaves Borealis and Ouranos. Hmm, the sky was made by Metallus and Consus, who supported the Gaia Continent as Orthodox Gods...out of the Borealis and Ouranos Continents, "They" would be more willing to assist the Ourosians. So the Underground is located beneath Ouranos?'
Endyr felt confidant in her deductions. She could have just asked the System, or any random passerby, but that would ruin the fun. Endyr desired the process as much as the solution, and would even abandon the latter for the former if the conditions were right. Deciding to ask around once she got back, Endyr snapped out of her thoughts to see that she had come to a stop infront of a particularly large and well furnished establishment, one that also sold slaves from the looks of it but had no name or sign on it. This was the fanciest one she had seen yet though, so Endyr tried to walk inside only to be stopped by a man at the front door. "Sorry Miss, but only those with an invitation can enter. Please present you card or vacate the premises."
Endyr frowned and peered over his shoulder at the door. "This is my first time visiting this place, what's it called?" she admitted bluntly, making the man raise an eyebrow, but he didn't shoo her off. "This is the Carrogan Emporium, Miss. It has the best selection of produce in the entire quarter, both organic and inorganic. Because of this, we only serve distinguished guests. May I know you name to see if I recognise it?"
Endyr was actually impressed by this man's tact. He didn't directly confront her when she had no card because she might have held an important identity regardless. "It's alright" she said, declining to give her name. "I'm not important enough to go in there anyways." The man said nothing in turn, just watched as Endyr walked away. Once she was gone, he let out a breath. For some reason he couldn't explain, he felt a sharp sting when he laid eyes on her, one that caused him to be as humble as possible when interacting with her. He trusted his instincts and politely sent her on her way, not daring to ignorantly cause a ruckus. Thankfully, nothing happened and she left easily. 'Was it just my imagination?' he wondered.
Endyr was halfway down the street when she felt an intense tingling on the back of neck. She slowed unnoticeably and snuck a gaze around, trying the locate the source of the sensation but failing. After thinking for a moment, she activated her Mana Sight and used that in tandem. As a result, she saw that the shadows several meters to her left were a darker black than the rest, like a second layer was covering it. Before she could peer deeper though, the shadow suddenly turned the same shade as the rest and the tingling vanished. 'Someone was observing me?' Endyr frowned in contemplation as she put up her guard. Without a doubt, she was the most wanted man/woman in the world at this point, so the possibilities were quite daunting. 'Shadow Affinity implies Nyx or Aenrys, but it could also just be an Artefact...Wait, Aenrys? There's no way I ran into the Blood Coven already, right? That's just too coincidental, too abnormal!'
Then Endyr remembered just who she was, and just what she was involved in. Yes, meeting the Blood Coven so soon after going on their radar was incredibly unlucky, but it was also par for the course for her. She was both an [Irregular] and [Outlier] after all, and her destiny was intricately tied to this world's. As she began to plan what to do next, she was startled by the sound of a System notification in her ears.
[Ding! Host has activated a new Quest! Please read further down for more details.]
[Sales to Die For: Host has discovered the presence of an {Altar of Darkness} member in the {Underground}. While the presence of such individuals is nothing strange in the city, these particular Cultists are especially up to no good. Find out what they are planning, and put a stop to it!]
✫ [Enter Carrogan Emporium]
✫ [Participate in the auction]
✫ [Obtain Items {4},{17} and {22}]
✫ [Kill all present Cultists]
[Completing all missions will award Host with the following: 10,500 EXP, Items {4,17,22} and access to more of the System Shop. Good luck, Host!]
Endyr blinked in surprise at the sudden announcement of a new Quest. She had assumed the presence of a Cultist would spell trouble, but she didn't think it would be severe enough to warrant a Quest from the System. Furthermore, it revealed some specific information: the Cultist belonged to the Altar of Darkness, not the Blood Coven, and wanted some of the items being sold in that Emporium. This Quest was also different from the previous one, since all missions were mandatory and she wouldn't get an individual reward for each one. Since the conditions were more stringent, Endyr subconsciously put it on a higher level than the previous one.
'If you're brining this to my attention, then those Cultists must be preparing something that will directly impact me, right?'
[Host can be assured, their wellbeing is the System's top priority. The System would have not brought this to Host's attention if it was unimportant. Stopping the Cultists here will make Host's journey significantly easier in the long run.]
Endyr hummed in response, mentally going over everything she knew about the Altar of Darkness. They worshipped Aenrys primarily, with Navruavati as a secondary Deity. Unlike the Blood Coven, which liked to operate with their own sense of "class" and "dignity", the Altar of Darkness was much more savage and to the point. Comprised mainly of Devils, they were meticulous and heartless, rational to the point of psychopathy. They also enjoyed suffering and pain even more than the Vampires, making them a far bigger threat to society.
Devils were physically inferior to Vampires but were superior with Mana and had a nasty tendency to use Demons as their meatshields. Only their solitary nature and disdain for cooperation kept them from surpassing Vampires as the biggest threat to Human society. Aenrys "Himself" was also more unhinged than Navruavati, causing "Him" to be less likely to respond to Rituals or pleas for help. According to what Altair was taught: "A Devil that seeks help from other Devils is prone to being torn about by those very helpers."
'In that case, the number of Cultists involved in this is unlikely to be more than five or six based on the Altar's usual modus operandi. The System didn't mention their Tiers either so they shouldn't be higher than me....Alright fine, let's do this. First things first, how do I get a ticket?'