The Preying City

4 items were placed neatly in the suitcase, each taking up a quarter of the space available. Picking up a white mask with black circle over the eye holes, he presented it to the young woman. Miss Mystique held it in her and scrutinized it. "What's with this creepy mask. It looks like something a serial killer would wear."

"You are right. It was the mask worn by Jake the butcher whenever he went on a killing spree. He had terrorized the small town of bull hill for two years before getting killed by a struggling victim. When the victim pulled the mask off the corpse to see who the butcher was, Jake's skin came off with the mask. Now, it grants extraordinary strength and numbed sense of pain to the wearer. The downside to using this is that you become very violent when you wear it." Mr. Collector narrated the tale of the mask's origin which led to the young woman handing it back immediately. She didn't even consider the mask because it had a man's skin attached underneath it.

Directing her gaze to the brooch placed next to the mask, she asked about its origin and function.

"That's Dr. White's brooch. He was a good man who worked tirelessly his whole life to help the poor. He contracted a deadly disease helping a poor leper in the streets. Even in his deathbed, he still cared about the sickly he couldn't help. The brooch will cure your curses and health issues as long as you help the unfortunate while wearing it. A very rare benevolent artifact."

Listening to the description, Vincent was tempted to buy it. The artifact was basically a way to always stay healthy without having to pay any big prices. He wasn't the only with such a thought. Miss Mystique held it in her hands and asked, "How much?"

"4000 pounds."

"What? Why is this so expensive?" She complained in a childish manner. 4000 pounds was no small sum. For an artifact that could solve health issues and dispel curses, she felt like it was awfully overpriced.

"You don't understand. Artifacts which can dispel curses might not be rare but they have equally undesirable price of usage. This on the other hand is just as potent against curses and can keep the wearer in top shape while dealing virtually no harm. 4000 pounds is in no way overpriced. If I were to take this to a rich gentleman suffering from some incurable disease or getting on in his years, he would pay 10000 pounds or higher without batting an eye. Know that I am willing to part with this only because I see you as a valuable contact."

Mr. Collector explained the reason behind the price and managed to convince the girl. His words were very logical after all. She put the brooch on the back of her mind and signaled for Mr. Collector to continue.

"The origin of this syringe is unknown. It requires you to store a supernatural's blood in it for 36 hours. After that, you can inject the blood into anyone and the person will receive the supernatural's power for six minutes. It takes two minutes for the effect to kick in. The bad thing about it is that you will be required to consume raw blood from animals. You will also be weakened for the next 24 hours after you ingest the blood. If you don't do it within three hours, you will lose your rationality and turn into a violent madman."

Vincent had given up on buying the brooch as it was too expensive. But now he was interested in the new item presented by the host. The syringe could come in handy in many situations. Sure, the negative result was very scary but it wouldn't be a problem as long as one consumed raw animal blood in time. With enough preparations and a good plan, the artifact's downside could be negated by a huge margin.

Miss Mystique wasn't too interested in the syringe. The idea of consuming raw blood disgusted her. Besides she didn't even have any means to recognize supernaturals, to be able to draw their blood would be asking too much of her.

"How much?" It was Vincent who spoke up this time. Mr. Collector suppressed his smile and answered, "2500 pounds."

"Too expensive. Make it 1500."

"1500 is too much. How about 2200 pounds? It can come in really handy in a pinch after all." Mr. Collector tried to put in a good word or two to raise its price.

"If I find myself in a pinch, then there's no guarantee that the blood already on the syringe will give me the necessary ability to escape or overcome it. Besides, it can only be used in certain situations. 1800 pounds." Vincent bargained by listing off the things that made the syringe less than ideal for most situations.

"How about we settle for 2000 pounds then? I wouldn't want to sell such a useful artifact if it weren't for Miss Mystique here."

"1800 pounds. Take it or leave it." Vincent remained adamant on his offer and took a hard stance. The man wouldn't have bought out these artifacts if he didn't need money urgently. No one would want to sell such items unless they were forced to. No matter how much Mr. Collector tried to put on a generous front, the fact that he was willing to settle for a lower price proved that he hadn't brought out these artifacts just because he valued Miss Mystique. He called himself Mr. Collector after all, it was already weird when he was selling a part of his collection.

"Deal." Mr. Collector didn't argue further and accepted the offer. Vincent counted the money and paid the man. Receiving the syringe, he put it inside his coat. He would have to check its effects later on. Though the host was a supernatural who could appraise artifacts and other supernaturals, he didn't want to trust his words blindly. Using a weapon you didn't understand well was a mistake only fools made.

Miss Mystique was intrigued by the interaction between the two. She had no experience with haggling or bargaining. These two men on the other hand were waging a war of words using their knowledge about supernatural items and combat. The air around them was different even when compared to the other supernaturals in the room. One was rich and strong with lots of artifacts that could do unimaginable things while the other was a mysterious man who seemed to be very knowledgeable about the supernatural world.

Controlling her excitement, she looked towards Mr. Collector and asked, "So what does this jade hairpin do?"

"This hairpin comes from the eastern continent. It harbors a female spirit who you can control when you wear it. You can communicate with her when you look into a mirror while wearing the pin. She might not have much power but detecting her is near impossible for most people. A very handy spirit who you can command as you wish. I think you want it?"

He was right. She did want it. It was the item with most mystical properties to it and she wanted to get her hands on it no matter what. "How much?"

"2500 pounds."

"Deal." The young woman didn't even bother trying to bargain and accepted the price. Vincent started wondering just how rich she was after seeing her not even feel a pinch after spending so much. And it looked like she wasn't done yet.

"I want the brooch as well."

Mr. Collector smiled and began. "Of course. The total comes to 6500 pounds. Do you want me to pack them for you?" He sounded just like a kind shop attendant in a gift shop.

"No. I will take them as they are."

The transaction was completed and the host looked at everyone and asked, "Does anyone have anything else to say? If not, we can end the gathering for tonight."

Vincent got up drawing everyone's attention. "I will reward anyone who can bring me information regarding supernatural incidents involving people losing control of their emotions or going crazy and acting on their d.e.s.i.r.es. If you can get me concrete information about the identity of the supernatural behind these incidents, then I will reward you with 500 pounds."

Big Joe put on a scary smile and asked, "Can I claim that reward if I kill him?"

"No. I want him alive. If you can get me such a supernatural alive then I will pay you 700 pounds."

Big Joe's smile stretched even further and he replied, "I will keep an eye out."

The rest of the members also made a mental note about the new request. Even if the huge bounty made it clear that the targets would be dangerous, just finding out information about the target would yield a huge bounty. Most of the people present didn't have such a sum in their total savings. No one would want to pass up on such a good chance.

Mr. Collector stood up after Vincent ended his words and spoke, "Let's end the gathering here tonight. Now then Miss Mystique, since you are the most vulnerable, I will connect you to your manhole first." His words made most of the members chuckle but she pretended not to have heard it.

He used the key used by his subordinate earlier and opened the door. What was behind the door was the alleyway where everyone had gathered before midnight. He closed the door after bidding goodbye to Miss Mystique and repeated the procedure once again. But, the place connected to the door this time was a different place.

'So this is how he makes sure that the members don't enter into a conflict. That key sure is useful. I wonder what it's price of usage is.'

Soon, it was Vincent's turn. Mr. Collector smiled kindly and spoke, "I hope to see you again next week, Mr. Secret."

Vincent nodded and walked through the door. He found himself in a quiet alley. He had no idea where he was and wasted a good bit of time figuring out the way to the main street. He took off his mask before joining the bright street and headed home.