Chapter 682: The Black Market

When the kid started talking about his girlfriend, his voice was full of pride. "So? Think it over again, will ya? As long as I can make money, I’ll do whatever it takes."

"Let’s talk inside," Ethan said, not turning him down. He’d just arrived in town, and honestly, he could use a guide—someone who knew the lay of the land.

Ricky’s eyes lit up. He could tell there was a chance here, and he got excited fast.

He followed Ethan into the guest room. Thanks to the daily cleaning service, the place was still pretty tidy.

"What’s your name?" Ethan asked first.

"I’m Ricky! C’mon, Dane, you forgot already?" the kid replied with a grin.

Ethan nodded. "I’ve had a lot on my plate lately. I’ve got a few questions for you."

"Ask away! There’s nothing in this town I don’t know!" Ricky said with total confidence.

He wasn’t bluffing. He’d been running errands and doing odd jobs around town since he was a kid. People called him the walking encyclopedia of the slums.

Ethan got straight to the point. "I need a large supply of weapons. Know where I can get them?"

"Weapons? You mean like alloy swords and stuff?" Ricky looked confused. "There’s tons of places in town that sell weapons. Hell, even the Mercenary Inn has some."

"Not that kind," Ethan said flatly. "I’m talking about Lightsabers—powered by crystal cores."

Ricky froze. "Lightsabers... powered by crystal cores?" He’d heard of them before—top-tier tech from human civilization.

No way a slum merc could afford one.

Even the Awakeners in the Inner City had a hard time getting their hands on them. You needed serious power and status just to qualify. And the cost? Astronomical.

"D-Dane, you’re not messing with me, right? If we could get our hands on those, why the hell would we still be mercs?" Ricky’s voice wavered.

In his head, he was already dreaming—if he had a Lightsaber, he’d be living the high life by now...

Ethan narrowed his eyes. He’d figured they’d be hard to get, but he hadn’t expected them to be this rare. Top-tier human tech... yeah, that wasn’t gonna be easy.

And he didn’t just need a few—he needed tens of thousands. A massive order.

"Well, sounds like you’re not cut out for our team, then."

"Wait, no! Don’t say that!" Ricky’s face fell. His mind raced. "We could try the Black Market! Yeah! I’ve heard that if you’ve got the cash, you can buy anything there!"

"Oh?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. "That could work."

It’d be a good chance to see just how far human tech had come. Maybe there was more than just Lightsabers out there.

"Take me there tomorrow."

"Sure thing! No problem!" Ricky agreed instantly. He’d been around long enough to know where the Black Market entrance was.

They called it the Black Market for a reason—everything there was shady. Stolen, looted, scammed—you name it, it was there. Nothing had a clean origin.

And that wasn’t even the worst of it. There were rumors of illegal human trafficking and other dark dealings.

As Ricky’s eyes wandered, a thought popped into his head. "Hey, Dane—what about your other teammates?"

"They... went home," Ethan said casually, brushing it off.

"Oh... okay." Ricky nodded, not really getting it, but not pushing either.

Then he headed off to rest.

He was buzzing with excitement. Getting to work for Dane felt like a golden ticket. He was sure that joining a mercenary team meant money—real money.

Enough to pay his girlfriend’s tuition. Maybe even buy his way into the Inner City.

Once he crossed that line, he’d be someone. A real somebody.

That night, Ricky’s dreams were full of hope—bright, ambitious, and full of promise.

He had no idea... the gears of fate had already begun to turn.

...

Ethan’s first day in human civilization passed quietly—uneventful, really. Everything went according to plan, no surprises, no drama.

Still, the Outer Zone was even more barren than he’d expected.

Sure, there weren’t any zombies roaming around, but it was still a dog-eat-dog world.

If you wanted rare resources, you had to head into the Inner City. But Ethan wasn’t about to rush in just yet.

The Instructors in the Inner City were no joke—each one was at least S+ rank. If there were thousands of them? That’d be a serious problem. And that’s not even counting the other top-tier elites.

"Is it just me, or did humanity evolve a little too fast?" Ethan muttered to himself, something about it didn’t sit right.

Compared to the Zombie Kings of Necroterra, humans didn’t seem to be at a disadvantage at all. In fact, they’d built a fully functioning society—organized, efficient, and powerful.

It didn’t add up.

Ethan had a theory: maybe humans had discovered some kind of shortcut. A drug, maybe. Something that could accelerate evolution at an unnatural pace. If that were true, it had to be a top-level secret—something the elites kept hidden from the lower classes.

A privilege reserved for the upper crust.

Time ticked by. The Mercenary Inn, while a bit chaotic, was surprisingly safe. Nothing out of the ordinary happened.

The whole town was under a strict curfew, too, which made the nights eerily quiet.

And just like that, a long night passed.

At the crack of dawn, with the sky still a pale gray, Ricky came knocking—eager to prove himself.

"Boss! So... am I officially part of your squad now?"

"Yeah," Ethan said without looking up.

"Should we, like, register somewhere or something?"

"No need. If I say you’re in, you’re in," Ethan replied casually.

"Oh, cool! Alright, let’s hit the Black Market. I’ve only ever heard about it—never been inside. No clue how it works, honestly. Kinda curious."

"Just get me there. That’s all I need," Ethan said, brushing off the details.

They left the Mercenary Inn and stepped into the bustling streets. The town was already alive with activity.

Mercs were gearing up, prepping for missions. The roar of aircraft engines filled the air as sleek vessels shot into the sky, leaving trails of light behind them.

The entrance to the Black Market was located right on the edge of the Exile Zone.

Made sense—if anything went sideways, you could bolt straight into the Exile Zone, where there were no rules, no law, and no oversight from human civilization.

About half an hour later, they reached the outskirts of town.

"There! That’s the place," Ricky said, pointing ahead.

It was a three-story building tucked into the far edge of the district. Looked like a regular shop from the outside—nothing flashy, nothing suspicious. Just a clever front for the Black Market.

If you didn’t know what you were looking for, you’d never guess.

"Pretty well hidden..." Ethan muttered, then walked straight in.

Inside, there was a counter, and behind it stood an old man, hunched over, scribbling in a ledger. He didn’t even glance up when they entered.

"What’re you looking for?" the old man asked, voice dry and indifferent.

"Lightsabers," Ethan said bluntly.

He could sense it immediately—the old man wasn’t just some shopkeeper. His aura was strong. S+ level strong.

If even the doorman had that kind of power, then the Black Market was no joke. Rumor had it the place was backed by some big-shot from the Inner City. Setting it up in the Outer Zone was just a strategic move—close to the Exile Zone, easy to disappear if needed.

The old man finally reacted, just a flicker of surprise in his expression. Slowly, he lifted his head, cloudy eyes scanning Ethan first, then flicking over to Ricky.

Then, without a word, a wave of psychic energy swept through the room—subtle, almost undetectable.

"S+ level psychic Awakener..." Ethan instantly recognized it.

The old man was probing them, quietly scanning their energy signatures.

Strong, no doubt. But to Ethan?

Still a small fish in a very big pond.

...