My Isekai Life in Hard Mode

Underground Market

The space around Ryoshu suddenly fell deadly silent. He guessed it was because no light was reaching his tightly shut eyes.

"So, instant teleportation now?" he thought. Though eager to open his eyes, the sensation was like riding a roller coaster blindfolded, making him hesitate. He could only feel a dizzying sensation.

He had expected the teleportation process to be as quick as in the game, but maybe the developers had made many changes in this upgraded version. As soon as he finished teleporting, he heard the bustling noise of the crowd, including footsteps, haggling, and bickering.

Black Market attendants would teleport customers into random spots amidst the crowd and give them a bit of invisibility magic upon arrival to avoid being tracked.

When he opened his eyes, an underground marketplace sprawled before him. It wasn't littered like a typical slum, but the haphazard decoration of small stalls gave it a chaotic and unplanned look, quite unlike any slum. Customers passed each other in droves, all with masked faces. Each wore a mask provided by the Black Market management. Some also draped themselves with a black shawl.

Like the fox mask Ryoshu wore, it too was enchanted to resist being easily removed. This was one of the ways the Black Market management protected its customers.

Just observing the scene confirmed that he had indeed teleported underground. Ryoshu had officially set foot in one of the many branches of the Black Market, a mere small business within the Underworld.

"This place gives off a chillingly gloomy vibe; it's enough to make one's blood run cold," he thought. It made him feel dangerously suffocated, and his heart pounded so fiercely that he could almost hear it. Ryoshu quickly tried to blend in before anyone sensed anything unusual amidst the crowd.

"I need to hurry."

While hastily searching for the skill book store, Ryoshu stumbled upon a stall selling some peculiar jewelry.

"At this level, there won't be highly illegal items like human organs yet, just items sold to evade taxes from the government," he noted.

"Oh, a beautiful mask like this at this shabby stall?" he marveled.

The white mask had a simple design, with a gently smiling face outlined in black on a white background. He bent down to pick it up and asked the nearby elderly vendor.

"Excuse me, how much for this mask?"

The old woman seemed absent-minded, so it took her a while to respond while her eyes remained closed.

"That one is 5 RC."

"Alright, here you go, ma'am," he said, tapping his wristwatch against the self-payment terminal, deducting 5 RC from his bank account.

Account balance: 98.5 RC

He examined the mask for a moment, then placed it over the one provided by the Black Market management. Strangely, he felt even safer with both masks on.

He resisted lingering at any store, no matter how tempting, sticking to his original plan. However, Ryoshu was easily enticed by the allure of high-tier weapons and items. In the game, there were many beautifully designed weapons that players wanted to own as models. Ryoshu was no exception, having amassed an extensive collection of 1:5 scale models in his old apartment.

He also caught sight of at least B-grade swords. However, he was sure they would come at a hefty price, so he quickly retreated before the shopkeeper could pitch.

He took a moment to browse some more items, knowing such opportunities didn't come often. Suddenly, someone grabbed him from behind, choking him tightly, causing him to gasp for breath.

"Oh, this mask looks familiar, like a little mouse, huh?" a hoarse voice shouted directly into Ryoshu's ear, nearly deafening him.

An elderly man, a head taller than him, grabbed him by the neck and dragged him mercilessly through the crowd. In the Black Market at that moment, many eyes watched as he was dragged along the ground.

"At least I'm still wearing the mask on my face. It's less embarrassing, but who is this guy? I bought this mask properly, right?"

"But wait, why does he look so familiar?"

"So that damn old man stole my stuff again!?"

The man sighed, seemingly at a loss for words. Then, he turned to scrutinize Ryoshu's body suspiciously. But after a while, he clapped his hands on his face and said, "Sorry for dragging you here, kid."

He pulled Ryoshu to his shop, where an array of weapons was displayed. At the back of the room was a forge, emitting intense heat.

"It's okay, sir. What's your name?" Ryoshu asked, though his attention was on the three-headed cat lounging on the customer chair. Ryoshu couldn't resist the adorable creature and stroked its silky fur.

The blacksmith seemed unbothered by Ryoshu's actions and introduced himself.

"I am... Enomoto Atsuta."

In an instant, Ryoshu's pupils dilated, showing a hint of recognition. His hand, petting the cat, stopped momentarily, but he quickly resumed. He seemed to know the name, but he quickly said something to avoid revealing the truth.

"I'm Amemura Ryoshu, a first-year student at Spiral Academy," he introduced himself by his in-game name. It was the strangest feeling he had ever experienced, except for being in this virtual reality world.

The blacksmith stared at him as if plotting something. Perhaps he had seen Ryoshu's strange actions earlier. Ryoshu avoided meeting his eyes and focused on buying skill books, which only worsened things.

"Is there anything special about this mask, sir?"

When Ryoshu asked, the blacksmith stopped glaring at him and looked at the mask in his hand.

"Oh, this mask I'm working on. Infusing Mana into it will make you invisible."

He then took the mask from Ryoshu and put it on.

"Like this. Pretty cool, huh?"

Suddenly, Ryoshu lost sight of him.

"Wait, no, he's still standing in front of me...? I'm not sure anymore. He... seems to be disappearing, as if he's stealthily appearing, impossible to focus on..."

Ryoshu had a few ideas on using that function, but not the same ones other men might have in mind.

"I'm making this hat, and I realized it disappeared at some point," the blacksmith grumbled.

But then he threw the mask back to Ryoshu. He caught it and examined it.

"This mask... has potential. Especially when I'm still weak like this."

He then turned to look at the blacksmith, who was rummaging through some equipment.

"I wonder if he has any storyline other than what I saw in the game?" Curiosity arose amidst his various thoughts. Ryoshu also wondered if the game had undergone any changes from the original version.

"Do you sell skill books, sir?"

The blacksmith widened his eyes in surprise.

"Of course, kid, are you blind? This is a skill book store!"

Now it was Ryoshu's turn to be taken aback. He had spotted the weapons outside, intending to point them out to the blacksmith, but the man beat him to it, inserting invisible words Ryoshu had been about to say.

"I sell weapons too. Forget about that. What do you want?!"

"Um, do you have skill books for Memory and Reflex?"

Both skills seemed useless and almost only beneficial in other fields. But Ryoshu had played the game long enough to know that both skills were essential for him in the future.

"Memory and Reflex, huh? I'm getting old and forgetful, so let me check the warehouse." The blacksmith didn't even inquire about Ryoshu's intentions for the books.

"Pros are different, after all, Atsuta is over a thousand years old, truly professional... And of course, he's a bit forgetful."

"Sure, I'll wait out here then."

"But the important question is, do you have enough money?" The blacksmith looked Ryoshu up and down skeptically.

Despite the bitterness, Ryoshu didn't challenge the man's intense gaze. He let out a long sigh and whispered.

"I only have about 100 RC, sir."

"Well, that's not enough to buy a book, kid. A book costs at least 120 RC, so go home." The blacksmith waved his hand dismissively.

Ryoshu knew it wouldn't be enough, but he still wanted to ask just to see. In Rainfall Disorder, there are two ways to learn new skills:

First, through practice, the hardest but entire freeway.

Repeating a specific action will create new skills. But if a teacher guides, it will initiate skills and level up faster.

But for Ryoshu, time was more precious than money. Especially since Ryoshu had little left, he chose the second method.

The second method is to use items. Basic skill books can be bought at skill bookstores, but the price is always high because you can only get skill books in dungeons.

However, another item can still be consumed to acquire new skills. And this was also Ryoshu's initial goal when he came to this place called the Black Market.

"What about Memory Spheres, sir?"

Exactly, it's the exchange of memories.

By using Memory Manipulation magic to transfer a portion of one person's memory to another, you can learn new skills similar to reading skill books.

However, Memory Manipulation is a forbidden magic because of its danger to the user. Memory Spheres will be much cheaper than skill books because it can only be used once.

The blacksmith looked at Ryoshu for quite a while, making the atmosphere very different. And this time, he sighed again, probably because Memory Spheres are forbidden and rare items, not even the kind of item you hear about daily. It only appears in organizations outside the government.

"I have them."

After hesitating for a while, Atsuta waved his hand towards Ryoshu and said:

"Follow me."

After walking for a while and seeing that the boy hadn't followed him yet, he urged him faster with a gruff tone:

"Hurry."

Just that sentence alone made Ryoshu's heart tighten to the point where he thought his blood had frozen solid. But quickly he also stumbled behind the blacksmith. Walking alongside him was the chubby cat struggling to find a way to climb onto Ryoshu.

Ryoshu held it in his arms and tried to keep up with the man.

They went down to the secret basement of the blacksmith's shop. If it weren't for the lanterns hanging everywhere, Ryoshu would almost not see anything. But occasionally, he would feel the cat's tail swaying gently across his face.

Enomoto reached for the secret wall and pushed the lever down. The adjacent wall immediately broke open with the sound of moving metal pieces colliding.

Inside was a separate hidden warehouse from above. It was so spacious that it housed hundreds of rooms for storing carefully selected items. And this was also where Enomoto hid his special items in the game.

After successfully taking advantage of the foolish human, the cat immediately jumped and clung to its owner. The blacksmith went into one of the rooms, and after a while, he came out with two green spheres in his hands. The two spheres appeared and disappeared continuously, giving the feeling that they weren't quite accurate.

"These two cost 110 RC."

"Now I only have 98 RC, sir."

Atsuta stood there, looking at Ryoshu with surprise.

"I give up, kid... What now?"

The blacksmith pondered carefully and began to mutter. Ryoshu had seen this scene quite a lot in the game, so he didn't say anything more.

"You owe me a favor."

He met Ryoshu's gaze squarely and spoke with a solemn tone.

"In return, I won't take a single coin from you."

The hidden task was now straightforward. Ryoshu felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through him, his heart pounding with excitement to the point where he felt like he might burst.

"I can't believe I just struck a deal with a kid like this."

Atsuta muttered, almost as if he regretted what he had just said.

"A deal, kid?"

But Ryoshu still felt that those two items needed to be cheaper compared to the potential danger he faced. He began to negotiate, knowing that undertaking the task without proper preparation could cost him his life.

"Alright, but I want to add a few conditions."

"What?" Atsuta started to grumble quietly, but Ryoshu paid no heed, feeling rather pleased with himself. The chubby triple-headed cat glanced at Ryoshu for no apparent reason, making him want to pet it even more.

But he fought the urge to indulge his love for animals and focused on the matter at hand.

"I just need some basic materials."

Ryoshu took out a piece of paper from his pocket with a list of items he needed to buy. Originally, he had planned to buy them gradually, but since the opportunity presented itself, he decided to take advantage of Atsuta's generosity.

"I don't understand why you need so many strange and random items that don't fit into any specific category."

"But... since they're quite cheap, I can accept your conditions, kid," Atsuta said, rubbing his chin as he considered the total cost.

'The mindset of the wealthy is indeed different. This pile would be worth tens of millions of RC. But considering the total amount of money he has, it's probably just a drop in the bucket.'

Searching through the piles of items in his vast warehouse took him a while. Ryoshu followed along to speed things up and to take in the surroundings. The blacksmith stored some of the current raw materials into a space storage ring and handed it to Ryoshu.

'The rest will be credited to your name next time.'

Storage devices can hold many things in different spatial dimension. The more expensive it is, the more space it has. But these is so convenient and easy to use that there's almost no reason not to buy them.

"So that's one condition done, kid. What else do you need?"

Although grumbling, Atsuta was a man of his word. Of course, Ryoshu wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of this.

'Anyway, I should have a decent mid-range weapon, shouldn't I? But if I reveal my identity carelessly, he might just kill me right away because I'm in a completely unsafe place.'

He looked around the pitch-black basement, realizing that the blacksmith had closed the way out since he wasn't paying attention anymore. Perhaps he was being as cautious as possible with Ryoshu because he was anything but normal.

'The only thing I can trust is that chubby cat... but it seems like it's pretty busy with its lazy sleeping job.'

He glanced at the chubby cat curled up in the corner. Ryoshu had hoped to gain mental strength from it, but it seemed like that was too much to ask for.

"I... I want to borrow a weapon from you, the legendary blacksmith - Enomoto Atsuta."

Chap4.

Enomoto Atsuta is one of the key figures players must meet if they want top-tier weaponry.

Despite being a Dwarf, Atsuta's height matches a human's, a mystery. He cleverly blends in with humans, concealing his true identity.

In the game, Atsuta comes off as headstrong and hot-tempered, leading Ryoshu to initially doubt his authenticity when he's unexpectedly invited into Atsuta's shop.

"Could it be because I'm just a frail kid? Or perhaps I possess hidden potential?"

But typically, the tasks Atsuta assigns only arise later in the game, which doesn't fit the timeline. Ryoshu recalls encountering Atsuta numerous times in the original game, usually in the mid-game stages.

"Usually, it's around year two or three. That's later than the early stages. Or... could there be another reason?"

Atsuta's stern expression immediately pales, akin to seeing a ghost. If Ryoshu were in his shoes, he'd likely startle when someone unexpectedly uncovers his concealed identity.

"Who... who are you? Which clan sent you here?!"

Atsuta has hidden in the human world for decades, keeping his identity shrouded until revealing it midway through the game.

"Except for those who've played through it once... because by then, everyone knows." Ryoshu reminisces about the first time he met Atsuta in the game, his legendary introduction catching him off guard.

Observing Ryoshu's prolonged silence, Atsuta grows more suspicious and anxious:

"Who are you!? Answer me quickly!" Sweat beads on Atsuta's wrinkled, white forehead.

Pushing aside his wandering thoughts, Ryoshu continues his monologue, acting like Atsuta doesn't exist. This unsettles Atsuta further.

"When I came here, I felt that these weapons were crafted meticulously and skillfully."

Atsuta sighs, perhaps initially mistaking Ryoshu for a member of a demon faction. But his suspicions linger, prompting Atsuta to cautiously reach for a nearby sword.

"But how can you be so certain that I'm a Legendary Blacksmith? It still seems illogical."

"It's true that it's illogical. Any experienced blacksmith can create exquisite weapons like these. But what sets apart an ordinary blacksmith from a Legendary one is the essence of a Legendary Blacksmith..."

"Because I can see the soul within each weapon. Each of them possesses their own emotions and voices. It reminds me of weapons evolving with their owners in legendary tales of blacksmiths."

Enomoto Atsuta had forged the famous Kusanagi sword long before Mana began invading Earth, and he contributed greatly to creating the legendary Excalibur sword along with other legendary blacksmiths. But all those stories were just legends to humans.

And the person standing before him was one of the few who could create weapons with souls that could evolve alongside their owners. These weapons almost seemed bound to their owners.

But Ryoshu had lied to him about that. He couldn't see the hidden souls in these weapons because he had no Mana in his body. So it was even harder to establish compatibility with spirits and souls to see or communicate with them. But he made up that reason so that Atsuta wouldn't kill him on the spot.

"The ability to use a weapon like a Legendary Blacksmith's Sword is definitely on par with or even superior to a Holy Sword. I shouldn't mess with a hornet's nest like that." Ryoshu tried to keep his cool, fearing that the old man might have noticed a wound he didn't know existed.

But Ryoshu still tried to maintain that calmness and continued his act. He approached a random sword hanging on the wall, stroked it, and deliberately avoided looking at Atsuta to appear knowledgeable. The old man seemed to have nothing more to say. Perhaps Ryoshu had successfully persuaded him... or not.

"Because there's nothing certain." Ryoshu remembered his teacher's words in class. At that time, he didn't have much impression of his teacher's lessons... except for that one time.

It was a seemingly obvious statement, but it made him more cautious with everything around him. Ryoshu became much more vigilant and noticed many dirty and unfair things about life that he hadn't noticed before.

"I was so naive back then."

"The kid is right." The blacksmith's words brought Ryoshu back to reality. "Oh, right, I'm in a game. A hardcore game. That's my reality right now."

He took a deep breath, feeling very real. And that's the reality Ryoshu had to accept. Everything in this world is a game, and he's in a game with only one life.

That means I'm almost like time-traveling, right? But... it's different because I can destroy the End Cycle and return to real life... Or not because the kidnapper has the ultimate decision... But if my sister reports to the police, can I be rescued earlier?"

"Haha."

That's when Ryoshu realized that his chances of being rescued from this damn "reality" were higher than he thought.

"I must be losing my mind, huh? Suddenly laughing out of nowhere!?" The old man's face turned even paler than before, but it was because of Ryoshu's smile this time.

"Oh, sorry. It's because I'm happy to meet a Legendary Blacksmith..." Ryoshu smirked and looked quite proud of successfully convincing him.

"That title means nothing. Returning to what we discussed earlier, I can only lend you a weapon. If Ryoshu could not continue his survival, his plan would be compromised... once again. But fortunately, he managed to restrain himself until the last moment.

"That's all I need. I've achieved my goal, old man. Hehe." Ryoshu almost blurted out, risking breaking his own plan... once again. But luckily, he managed to restrain himself until the last moment.

"That's what I wanted to say."

Atsuta heaved a long sigh, as if he had realized a clever young scoundrel had deceived him.

"So, what weapon do you want, kid?"

Ryoshu had thought long and hard about various weapon types, but he still hadn't decided on one before arriving here; he intended to choose after mastering Mana fusion first.

A sword wasn't a bad idea, as Ryoshu was already familiar with powerful sword techniques in the game. However, he truly didn't fancy close combat, especially without much experience.

A staff could work too. Despite his current Mana level being a flat zero, he'd soon overcome it, so that wouldn't be an issue. But becoming a mage might be a challenge for someone who preferred agility. Reading incantations would take quite some time and required standing still, making it quite restrictive for him.

A bow wasn't Ryoshu's forte, so that's another no.

Ryoshu continued to assess each weapon available. Some were familiar items from the game, while others were entirely new to him.

And suddenly, he spotted a beautifully designed bow. The bow was colored in hues of royal purple, adorned with intricate golden patterns.

"Having a bow sounds like a good idea," Ryoshu remarked as he took the bow from the wall. However, he couldn't judge its quality because he lacked a system to evaluate it.

"This is the Formless Bow," Atsuta said, taking the bow from Ryoshu's hand. "Your aim seems pretty decent."

Ryoshu just exclaimed, "Huh?"

"This is the bow your friend worked on before. I'm the one who taught him," Atsuta explained with a proud smile on his weathered face.

"But he only finished half of it and then got bored and quit. Haha. Then he just tossed it to me. That rascal..."

Atsuta's nostalgic smile made Ryoshu's heartache as he realized the sad truth. With great care, Atsuta handed the beautiful bow back to Ryoshu.

"No bows in the game, huh? Maybe I'll give archery a shot this time."

Ryoshu reasoned that since he lacked close combat experience, attacking from a distance would be much safer and more effective. Plus, a bow's flexibility and agility could meet his second requirement. However, mastering the art of archery was more complex than it sounded.

"So, have you made up your mind, kid?" Atsuta asked.

Ryoshu remained silent, gripping the bow tightly.

"..."

"Alright, why overthink it? I've decided! This time, I'll be an archer."

With the Formless Bow in hand, Ryoshu began to walk towards the old man. Suddenly, he stumbled over something and fell to the floor.

"Be careful, kid," Atsuta cautioned.

"Yes, sir..."

"I should have kept my cool. I've lost all my dignity," Ryoshu thought to himself.

As he cursed his luck, Ryoshu wondered, "But what did I trip over?"

Picking up the object he had stumbled upon, Ryoshu realized it was an iron chain. He pulled it from a pile of broken weapons, but it was stuck.

With a bit more effort, Ryoshu managed to dislodge the chain. Suddenly, a sharp knife flew straight at him from the pile of weapons on the floor.

It happened so fast that Ryoshu couldn't react.

Everything seemed to freeze at that moment.

Ryoshu felt as though he could see the knife aimed at him, threatening his life.

"Am I going to die like this?"

"No!!"

Tears didn't even have time to fall before he met his end.