Suzune pressed her hand against a moss-covered bridge pier. Psychic Energy flowed faintly from her palm and seeped into the stone.
The pier creaked and clattered. As though countless blocks were collapsing inward, it drew back to reveal a dark entrance.
The corners of Suzune's mouth lifted slightly. She stepped inside, and the pier quickly returned to its original shape behind her.
After passing through a dim passage, Suzune turned several corners with practiced ease. A dozen or so meters later, the view opened onto a bustling market. This was Stinnard's Underground Black Market, a city beneath the city. Military control aboveground had no effect here. Traffic and crowds still filled its streets, and all kinds of people walked about without a care. No one cared who anyone else was. Here, there was only business, not allegiance.
The Underground Black Market held wanted criminals, officials, nobles, members of the Revolutionary Army, and spies from the Rune Federation. All manner of people mingled here, conducting illegal deals they could never bring into the open.
As the Revolutionary Army's ace Assassin, Suzune knew this place well. She moved swiftly through the crowd.
But people no longer failed to notice her here. Formal-Rank Transcendent was the minimum threshold for entering, and most people were mid- or high-level Formal-Rank Transcendents. Even Legendary-Rank Transcendents were nothing unusual. Though Suzune could completely conceal her aura and Psychic Energy, she could not evade everyone's senses.
Several people soon noticed that Suzune was injured. They stepped aside and let her pass. Everyone had their own reason for coming here, and no one wanted trouble unless it was necessary.
Besides, despite her injuries, the air about Suzune made it clear that she was not a woman to provoke...
Meanwhile, Frio reached the stone bridge. Ravens perched on nearby eaves