Dockside Verge wasn't just rough—it was radioactive.
Kai stood at the edge of the smog-drenched alley, neon signs flickering overhead, while junkers and cyber-augmented vagrants haggled over half-dead batteries and scrap-core filters.
The air stank of coolant, ozone, and desperation.
Perfect conditions for profit.
Yena adjusted her cloak beside him. "You sure Courier One can handle this place?"
Kai nodded. "That drone's built with Gravsteel, remember? And besides—this is where real trade happens. The kind nobody wants on the books."
He tapped his interface.
Courier One – Mission AssignedZone: Dockside VergeObjective: Auto-scan demand spikesDirective: High-margin microtrade – test hostile routing
Estimated Return: UnknownETA: 2h 13m
The drone zipped away into the grime.
Now, they waited.
Back at the node, Kai studied the latest feedback from the Chain's scanner.
Among the usual data noise—supply spikes, smuggled inventory flows, trade failures—there was something strange.
A pulse. Repeating.
Encrypted in Chain syntax, buried deep inside a dead trade route.
Kai decrypted it slowly, line by line.
[CHAIN SIGNAL – CLASSIFIED]Origin: Unknown
"To those who trade not only in goods, but in fate—follow the shadow markets. The Hollow Chain still remembers."
Attachment: [Pathway Key – Obfuscated Coordinates]Status: InactiveReactivation Cost: 12 C.U.
Yena leaned over his shoulder. "You think it's real?"
"I think it's worth finding out."
He paid the cost.
At once, a new feature unlocked on the interface:
Hollow Pathway Scanner – BETA
Description: A deprecated protocol used by ancient Traders to locate forgotten markets, lost infrastructure, and unstable black nodes.Warning: High risk. Some locations are shielded, corrupted, or guarded.
First Detected Path: "Deep Verge – Ruin Node 7B"Status: DormantUnlock Requirement: Secondary Power Core
Kai tapped his foot.
"I'll need another Synthsteel Relay Core," he muttered.
Yena tilted her head. "And guess who just sold you the last one."
Kai opened his trade logs.
Message from Trader Rook:"I've got another core. But you'll have to beat two offers. Make it spicy."
A challenge.
Kai smirked. "Let's outbid some fools."
Meanwhile, Courier One returned—scarred, lightly dented, but intact.
Dockside Verge Trade Log – Initial Test Run
Inventory Sold:– Nutrient Bars x8– Compact Medkits x2– Bootleg AR Lenses x5
Revenue Gained: +9.8 C.U.Units Lost: 0Notable Event: Engaged in passive evasion protocol – 1 attempted hijack
Market Viability: HIGH
Kai's eyebrows lifted.
That was more than promising—it was a gold vein.
"Yena," he said, "we're going to need more drones."
She sighed. "You just got one and already want a fleet?"
He grinned. "I don't want a fleet. I want a logistics empire."
Current Status:
Kai has begun exploring Dockside Verge, one of the most chaotic regions in the city. Courier One performed successfully under hostile conditions, signaling the zone's high-profit potential for microtrading.
Meanwhile, a mysterious Chain Signal has led Kai to the dormant location of Ruin Node 7B, a possible relic from the age of the Hollow Chain—a forgotten trader faction with access to long-lost protocols and markets.
To activate the node, he must acquire another Synthsteel Relay Core—which is currently held by the elusive Trader Rook.
His current Cosmic Units stand at 44.3, and his Earth Credits have grown to 192.7, with passive sales now steadily increasing.
The game is expanding. The rules are evolving.
And Kai's no longer playing from the bottom.
📌 Author's Note:
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— S.A.