I had to be careful. Backlund was a city of hidden dangers, where organizations like the Nighthawks, the Mandated Punishers, and the Machine Hive monitored everything. I couldn't just walk into a pawn shop and sell a chest full of mystical artifacts without raising suspicion. My luck would only get me so far. I needed a plan.
My system, ever helpful, provided one. [Initial Quest: Monetize Lawyer Pathway artifacts. Method: Find an independent antique dealer with a penchant for the eccentric. Your immense luck will lead you to them.]
I started my search the next morning. I put on the finest clothes my family's meager wardrobe could provide, looking every bit the down-on-his-luck noble. I took a carriage into the city, keeping a keen eye out for anything that felt… off. My Danger Sense gave a faint hum whenever we passed a police officer or a suspicious alleyway, so I knew it was working.
My luck, however, was in charge of the rest.
I wasn't looking for a particular shop, just following a strange impulse. I got off the carriage and found myself walking down a narrow, fog-shrouded street in the East Borough. The mist clung to the ground like a damp blanket, and the gas lamps cast a sickly yellow light. It was a place a sane person would avoid, but my gut, my newfound premonition, told me I was in the right place.
I stopped in front of a small, nondescript shop with a single, unlit gas lamp hanging over its door. The sign above it was so faded I could barely make out the words: "Heirloom & Oddities." This was it.
I stepped inside. The shop was a chaotic mess, filled with bizarre trinkets, dusty furniture, and shelves crammed with what looked like forgotten relics. An old man with a long, white beard and spectacles balanced on the tip of his nose peered at me from behind a counter.
"Looking for anything in particular, young master?" he asked, his voice a dry rasp.
"No," I said, a strange half-truth. "I'm looking to sell. I've come into possession of some… family heirlooms that I wish to part with."
The old man's eyes, magnified by his spectacles, seemed to gleam with a strange light. He was a Beyonder. My Danger Sense didn't flare, so he was likely a neutral one, perhaps from a minor pathway. My luck was working perfectly.
"Let's see them then," he said, gesturing to the counter.
I pulled a few of the smaller artifacts from my bag, a ring that had an intricate carving of a gavel on it and a pen made of bone. The old man's eyes widened. He recognized them immediately.
"These… these are authentic. And they're from the Trunsoest family," he breathed, his voice filled with a mixture of reverence and greed. "I haven't seen an authentic Lawyer pathway item in years."
"Indeed," I said, keeping my face impassive. "I have more. But I'm only willing to sell to someone who can truly appreciate their history."
I made a show of looking around, my eyes lingering on a few items in his shop that were clearly magical artifacts. I was telling him I knew what he was.
A long silence stretched between us. He was weighing the risk of dealing with a disgraced but likely powerful Beyonder family against the potential profit.
Finally, he nodded. "The name is Old Man Kohler. And yes, I can appreciate their history. Bring me the rest, and we can discuss a proper price."
Over the next few weeks, I became a frequent visitor to Old Man Kohler's shop. I never brought him too many items at once, always selling them in small batches to avoid raising too much suspicion. The Lawyer pathway artifacts fetched an astronomical price. My family's ruined legacy was a gold mine.
I wasn't just selling the artifacts; I was using my new premonition and Danger Sense to navigate the city. I was starting to see the world as a complex series of probabilities. I avoided certain streets, took random detours, and even changed my daily schedule based on fleeting, strange feelings. My acting method was becoming second nature. My bizarre behavior was a way to make the chaotic nature of fate my ally.
With my newfound wealth, I not only paid off my family's debts and repaired the manor but also began the search for my next advancement. The system, once again, was my guide.
[Quest: Acquire a Beyonder characteristic for Sequence 8 'Robot'. Estimated cost: 5,000-10,000 pounds. Location: The Black Market.]
I smiled. The back alleys of Backlund were my next destination. My luck had gotten me the money and the knowledge. Now, it was time to put it to work. I had a year to get to Sequence 4, and the clock was ticking. I was already miles ahead of the game, and I wasn't about to lose.