The streets of Sector 9 were like a living thing—hungry, loud, and always watching.
By the time I reached the corner market where Mira hawked knockoff tech, I'd run three scenarios through my head. Best-case? She agreed to sell the tablets and I made a clean margin. Worst-case? Word got out, and someone much bigger took notice.
I needed subtlety.
But I also needed credits.
Mira was behind her rusted cart, surrounded by cracked monitors and imitation lenses. Her hands were wrapped in synthetic gauze—acid burns again. Still, her eyes sharpened when she saw me approach.
"You're alive," she said, smirking. "Guess the pit didn't eat you."
"Got something for you," I replied, lowering my voice. "Legit product. You sell, you keep forty percent."
She raised an eyebrow. "You're talking margins now?"
I opened my jacket slightly and flashed the GlowInk Tablets.
Each rod pulsed faintly. Neon colors rippled under their shell. In a district where even chalk was a luxury, this was magic.
Her eyes widened.
"These off-world?"
I didn't answer directly. Just handed her a tablet.
She scribbled a glowing mark across a broken data panel. The line shimmered—visible even in daylight.
"How many?" she asked.
"Five. You sell them for a credit each. Keep two. I take the rest."
She didn't hesitate.
"Deal."
[GlowInk Tablets: -5 units][+3 Earth Credits (pending)]
I spent the rest of the day walking—scouting—listening.
I gave a Protein Pack to a bony kid whose bones stuck out like blades. I watched as he scarfed it down, eyes watering from flavor shock. Within ten minutes, he was sprinting across the street like he'd eaten real food for the first time in weeks.
Word spread fast in places like this.
By dusk, two more street vendors had approached me. Quietly. Respectfully.
Asking if I had more.
That night, I sat in the shadows of my shelter and opened the marketplace again.
Basic Tier Trade Network – Logged In
New Listings DetectedFilter by: Consumables – < 2.0 C.U. – Portable Goods
I bought:
4x Scented Oxygen Tabs (0.6 C.U. total)
3x Self-Warming Cloths (1.2 C.U.)
2x Mini-Light Seeds – Plants that grow and glow in the dark (1.4 C.U.)
[Total: 3.2 C.U. Spent][Items Delivered – Estimated Time: 5 Minutes]
These weren't weapons. Not power. Not flashy.
But they were things the slums needed.
Little comforts.
That people would pay for.
Even here.
Especially here.
I activated the decrypted map again—Nether Spiral, Fragment 1/4.
[Next Rift Opening: 8 days]
Coordinates updated.Required: Realm Key
That meant I had time.
Time to prepare. Time to profit.
Time to climb.
But something felt off.
When I stepped outside to breathe in the metal-sour air, I saw a figure across the street.
Still. Watching.
Not a local.
Wearing city-fab armor. Too clean.
He didn't approach. Didn't say anything.
But he saw me.
And when I blinked, he was gone.
Someone knows.
Later, Mira returned to the shelter edge.
Tossed me a ragged cloth pouch.
"Sold all five," she said. "Could've moved twenty."
[+3.0 Earth Credits Received][GlowInk Sale Completed]
"And this?" she added, holding up a glow rod. "Kid offered me a scrap drone shell for one."
I paused.
Scrap drone shells were worth 1.5 credits on average.
And this tablet had cost me 0.5 C.U., or roughly 0.6 credits.
Profit margin was real.
I grinned. "Next shipment's coming soon."
She frowned. "What are you really doing, Kai?"
I just said, "Trading."
Status Panel
Cosmic Units (C.U.): 18.7
Earth Credits: 5.5
EEP Rank: 3 (Merchant Tier)
Trades Completed: 10
Resale Network:
– Street Vendor Mira (Active)
– Leads: 2 Interested Sellers
Inventory:
Scented Oxygen Tabs (4)
Self-Warming Cloths (3)
Mini-Light Seeds (2)
Micro-Aether Capsule (1)
Map Fragment – Nether Spiral (1/4)
Translation Core – Ancient Realms (2 uses)
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