17. Black Market

Sid moved through the narrow, winding alleys of the slums, his mind still replaying the words of the beggar.

'That son of a bitch! It really took quite a beating for him to spill the beans. How can that old body even handle so much? Well, at least I got what I needed. If you want to earn money quickly, the coliseum or the black market are the only two places. At least that's what he said—hope he's right—for his own sake.' Sid thought to himself, clenching his fists as his grip tightened in irritation.

'And that Legendary Gunman, huh? If some kid can make a name for himself in these times, why can't an expert such as myself do the same?' His eyes scanned through the crowd, 'but first things first—gotta hit the black market.'

Sid walked around the slums, navigating through the maze of complicated, twisting alleys with practiced ease. The stench of decay and poverty clung to the air, but he barely noticed; after all, he had grown up in this filth. Though what had changed were the faces around him, hardened by the new reality, their eyes hollow and desperate.

.....

Soon he reached his destination, standing in front of the entrance to what were once the largest docks in Mumbai.

'Damn, no wonder it was called the city of riches in the past,' Sid exclaimed, looking at the grandiose structure that stood in front of him.

A grand entrance that had subtly collapsed still stood tall. It was one of the few intact monuments showing the majesty of the modern era. What followed were the enormous metal crates that seemed to have been abandoned during the relocation. They now covered the dock in a disorderly manner, forming a huge maze-like structure.

Though what was most surprising was yet to come. As Sid entered the dock, he wasn't met with the dark and gloomy atmosphere he had pictured the black market to be.

Instead, the place was bustling with activity, more crowded than the neighboring slums. Bright and hopeful faces of the young mingled with the sharp, experienced eyes of the old. It formed a striking contrast to the hollow and lifeless atmosphere he had felt in the slums.

'F*ck! Where's the black in this black market? What the hell happened after unification? And these people—they are practically glowing in excitement, embracing these changes. How does this all even make sense?' Sid's mind raced, trying to piece together the scene before him.

"Sigh... Guess the Awakening has changed the world in more ways than one." Finally, a heavy sigh left him, his thoughts settling into a low mumble.

Sid walked in, blending into the crowd, navigating his way towards the place the beggar had mentioned to him. He looked around the market as he passed, his eyes filled with deep emotions, looking at the booths selling gear.

"Dammit, the guns are being sold like cabbages at the roadside." His heart bled listening to the low prices of the guns being sold. His hands involuntarily touched his waist, where his precious makeshift pistol hung, his expression darkening further.

"Ahh... I can't take it anymore." Sid growled, taking out the spatial bag that he 'got' from the girl. Taking out a bunch of coins, he paced towards the booth nearest to him.

"How much?" He asked the shopkeeper. His hands moved over the display of various guns, finally settling on one of the pocket knives that hung about.

The shopkeeper eyed him up and down, his gaze stopping at Sid's waist for a moment before he finally gave him a snort. "Hmph, 15 bronze pieces. No bargain. Take it or leave it."

'Dammit, so expensive...' Sid thought, gritting his teeth. He scanned the surrounding stalls to confirm the price.

"Here!" He finally shouted with an unwilling voice, throwing away 15 bronze coins on the counter. He then took away the knife and left without even looking back.

.....

"Finally, it's here!"

Sid muttered under his breath, looking at the massive iron crate that stood in front of him. He had traveled quite deep within the market to reach this place.

Beyond this was the entrance to the true black market. It was an underground structure established by the teammates that were left behind after the Legendary Gunman disappeared. They were said to be carrying his legacy forward, protecting the slums from the shadows—away from the prying eyes of the main city.

'It's just as I thought. The Legendary Gunman's disappearance wasn't as simple as that old beggar had said. That damned f*cker, it's good that I didn't give him a single penny.' Sid thought as he readied himself before entering.

He first stood at a distance, observing the situation ahead. People who seemed to have experience with the place went in and out at a steady rate. Only a few shady figures hung around, grabbing Sid's attention.

"Hoho, lucky me!" He exclaimed, walking towards the entrance casually, a hint of nervousness clear in his expression. His hands had already entered the pocket of his pants, holding onto the hilt of the knife within, ready for whatever might come next.

As he neared, one of the figures, a lanky man with sharp features and a cybernetic eye that replaced his original one, turned to face him. "You lost, kid? This isn't a place for sightseeing."

Sid raised his eyebrows, not slowing his pace. "Heard this is where business gets done—real business. I'm here to bet my life."

The group exchanged glances, sizing Sid up. The lanky man chuckled darkly, "You've got quite the guts, I'll give you that. But down there, guts aren't enough; you gotta have true skills... and a bit of luck."

Sid smiled faintly. "Luck, I make my own. And as for skills..." Without warning, he moved. A knife flashed in his hand as he pressed it slightly against the man's throat, his other hand passed into the man's pocket, sneaking out a data chip. "I've got plenty. Now why don't you tell me something I don't know."

The man didn't flinch, though his companions stiffened. He looked into Sid's eyes, assessing the situation, then slowly raised his hand in a gesture of surrender. "Alright, alright... no need for bloodshed."

He then signaled Sid to take away the knife as he continued speaking. "What you're looking at now is the entrance to the Underground Black Bazaar. Like you said, it's a place to bet life. Just go down the tunnel; you'll reach the stairs that lead to it. You'll find all sorts of post-Awakening weapons down there, though they don't come as cheap."

Sid released him, sneakily pocketing the chip with a satisfied grin. "Appreciate the help. Maybe we'll do business again sometime in the future."

As Sid turned to leave, the man called out after him, "Word of advice, kid—don't trust anyone down there. There are true masters down there, the ones with experience. Besides, you're not the only one with a blade."

Sid didn't respond, simply raising a hand in acknowledgment as he disappeared into the shadows of the passage. The Underground Black Bazaar awaited—a place to make fortune in an instant, betting one's life on the line. It was a paradise for the ones that were truly crazy.

.....

Sid walked down the dark tunnel, finally reaching the stairs that the man had mentioned. Down from here was his destination.

'Hehehe, guess I made a fortune this time around. This doesn't look like some cheap stuff; bet I'll make a ton selling it.' He thought, grinning from ear to ear, looking at the chip he had pocketed from the lanky man.

But soon his grin disappeared from his face as he realized something was amiss. He quickly touched his waist, only to find the makeshift pistol missing. Panic-struck, he checked his pockets—there was only one bag left. The small bag he got from the beggar was missing too.

"F*ck, that son of a b*tch! #$%&..." He cursed as the realization hit him. The lanky man's words resounded through his head over and over again. Word of advice, kid—don't trust anyone down there. There are true masters down there, the ones with experience. Besides, you're not the only one with a blade.

"Dammit! True masters with experience, my ass... Just a bunch of lowly pickpockets. I'm gonna kill him." He shouted at the top of his lungs, only to hear his own echo in response.

"Wait, it couldn't be..." A sudden realization hit him like a thunderclap. He quickly took out the chip, looking at it closely. "Damn, damn, damn... I knew it! It's fake too. Ahhhhhh...."

Sid's temper flared at the sight of the fake chip. He snapped it in two, throwing it at a corner as he rushed back to the entrance, only to find the group from before missing.

There was nothing he could do except for shouting in frustration.

.....

Within the dark tunnel where Sid had just left.

A lanky figure could be seen appearing, passing through the tunnel walls. He bent down to pick up the thrown chip at the side, putting it inside a small, ragged bag.

"Indeed, we will meet again for business, in a very near future. Hehehe..." He said, adjusting the lens on his cybernetic eye.

.....