Chapter 52
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"Ancient Stone Shards, open for barter! Looking for Healing Artifacts!"
"Selling three Incandescent Shields, looking for Attacking Artifacts, nothing close range!"
"Buying good condition rifles, looking for Defensive or Healing Artifacts."
Various yells and shouts echoed in the air around Micheal, a chaotic cacophony of voices as the noon sun beat down.
He was currently sitting down in a small wooden booth with a medium sized wooden sign. He sat back on a comfortable wooden chair, leaning back as he watched his surroundings. A small breeze washed over his neck, carrying the scent of dust, gunpowder, and a variety of other, more unpleasant scents.
The Open Market had truly begun.
More than 600 people could be seen atop the roof of this skyscraper, with dozens filing in and dozens filing out. Some traders went into the depths of the skyscraper, where several more shops and trading spots were located.
Many of the well known and firmly established groups had a spot inside the skyscraper set up just for them, while those that were not well known, like Micheal, set up shop up top.
While it might be easier and look better to have an entire lounge or room set up to sell things, if no one knew who you were, no one would bother to visit your shop.
He glanced behind him, at the empty chair where Sophia had been. She had run off to explore and look at the various shops and stalls, interested in seeing if she could find anything she liked or wanted.
Micheal didn't try to stop her. She was her own person, capable of taking care of herself. If she couldn't survive on her own, she would only drag him down in the future. It was a harsh mentality, but the alternative was that she died while following him due to being unable to keep up.
'Well, it's not like the Open Market is unsafe.' The crime that did happen generally only occurred several skyscrapers away. Very few people would dare to cause trouble in the market itself, not with the armed-to-the-teeth Market Guard on watch.
He sighed.
'An hour and a half have already passed and no one has even stopped to consider my stall.' He had forgotten how inefficient the market was.
'There isn't a singular currency on the First Layer, everyone barters. I forgot how annoying that could be.' He smiled slightly.
Out in front of his stall, a large sign was placed, with some writing upon it. The Shop made all human languages understandable and readable, magically translating them, one of the perks of the apocalypse.
Another 30 minutes passed. Micheal's position was a good one, only a few stalls down from one of the entrances to the rooftop. Despite that, no one had stopped by yet.
As the Open Market went on, he saw many familiar faces pass by him.
He saw several people he knew from the Saru Group, arriving in their own straggling groups. There was a lot of competition, even within the major powers of the Cluster. As a result, most of the people he saw here brought back memories of infighting or violence.
Very few brought back anything he considered a pleasant memory.
At one point he saw someone he had once considered a rival of his from the Tobagin Party. A low-level and new Chosen named Anthony, a Lesser Werewolf Type user. He was here with a group of his seniors, going on a special trip for newbies to the Open Market.
Many, if not all, of the promising new recruits, would be allowed to attend the first Open Market. Here they would gain valuable experience, seeing the many different groups and powers and getting a feeling for other people in the Cluster.
Micheal hadn't been a part of any of those early tours in his first run, though he was aware they happened.
At one point, an altercation broke out between an irate Steel Body Type human yelling at a trader, over something to do with a Lucky Fox Foot Necklace, an Artifact worth 1,800 Points.
Before either of them had even touched the other, only sharing some yells, the Market Guard swarmed the area, looking as if they were ready to start a war if need be. The fight was instantly defused before it even started, not requiring even a hint of action from Micheal.
Eventually, he saw a pair of faces that left him relieved.
Gobel the Necrozark and his mute wife entered the Market rather late. The duo walked into the Open Market confidently, closely followed by a grey-skinned Abnormal Morenkai. People parted out of the way of Gobel like fish parting for a shark, no one daring to stand in his path.
The Necrozark didn't even bother looking at the shops up top, immediately moving over towards one of the stairwells that led to the inner workings of the large skyscraper.
'Good, there's at least one Necrozark here, I have a backup. However… I'm not targeting him. Instead, if I wait long enough…' He kept his thoughts to himself as he waited patiently.
He took the time to meditate, focusing on his Ki. He could feel the pulse of the energy throb in his body, moving around him in a continuous cycle.
'I'm well into the Middle Stage of Mortal Tier. It hasn't been long, but the effects of having a 1 Star Physique are already showing.' While his stats hadn't changed much, he could feel his body adapting to the Ki and using it more easily.
'If I can get my Physique to 2 or 3 Stars, the 2nd Layer should be much easier to handle.'
Several more minutes passed. At one point, Micheal saw Sophia walk by, still browsing. There were so many different shops, some being set up and taken down in the span of half an hour, all full of various Artifacts. One could spend hours here and not learn about everything.
Finally, as Micheal was considering whether or not to partially lift his mask to eat lunch, the moment he had been waiting for happened.
"Gerald, look for any Skull Matrixes. We still need a few for that Blue Wave Blast technique, the ones we have are too shoddy." An authoritative voice barked out a command, cutting above the din. The speaker was rather loud, apparently unworried about what others heard.
"Yes sir, Mister Kellar." Micheal could just make out the other voice, a subordinate answering.
When he heard the first man speak, his eyes lit up. He immediately scanned the crowd, zeroing in on the voice.
A group of men had just entered the Open Market from the entrance he was near. There were five of them, with a man in his late 20s leading. The group itself could not have looked less intimidating, wearing slacks and loose dress shirts, looking like a gaggle of accounts.
The speaker was the man leading them. He had short brown hair and dull brown eyes, standing around Micheal's above average height, though skinnier.
Despite their appearances, no one dared to stand in their way. Just like with Gobel, everyone gave them a wide berth as they walked forward, people glancing at them and quickly moving to the side.
Micheal saw a couple of the men break off from the group, heading to search through a few specific stalls. One of them went towards one of the stairwells that led to the depths of the skyscraper.
'The Flesh Wizards Tower.' He smiled behind his mask. They had shown up.
Apart from Necrozarks, there were several other Abilities that were interested in or made use of Morenkai corpses. One of those Abilities was the 'Life Caster Ability,' known by the less complimentary name of 'Flesh Wizards.'
The actual name of this group was the Skullbashers. They occupied a single tower in the northern sector, controlling it entirely on their own, despite the threat of the Black Flag Pirates.
'The 2nd Ranked Flesh Wizard, Wizard Hunter, did come here quite often in search of ingredients.' This was exactly what he had hoped for.
Plan B was to sell his Abnormal corpses to any Necrozarks or Death Alchemists that might show up. He had much lesser expectations for those groups, knowing their wealth and capabilities to get all he wanted would be limited.
Very few people would be willing to spend Points in the Open Market, even if they had enough to buy what someone else was looking for. Most would save up and spend those on permanent Abilities.
His Plan A, however, was to sell the Abnormal corpses he had to the Flesh Wizards Tower. Not only were they wealthy, they also had a variety of unique odds and ends. He had quite the shopping list of Artifacts to acquire and figured his odds were high.
'He's not going to notice my shop.' Despite his optimal location, he was, indeed, brand new. The Flesh Wizards were already moving past without even sparing his booth a glance.
He frowned.
'Looks like it's time to bring on a little trouble.'
.
.
.
See you all tomorrow.
.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
"Ancient Stone Shards, open for barter! Looking for Healing Artifacts!"
"Selling three Incandescent Shields, looking for Attacking Artifacts, nothing close range!"
"Buying good condition rifles, looking for Defensive or Healing Artifacts."
Various yells and shouts echoed in the air around Micheal, a chaotic cacophony of voices as the noon sun beat down.
He was currently sitting down in a small wooden booth with a medium sized wooden sign. He sat back on a comfortable wooden chair, leaning back as he watched his surroundings. A small breeze washed over his neck, carrying the scent of dust, gunpowder, and a variety of other, more unpleasant scents.
The Open Market had truly begun.
More than 600 people could be seen atop the roof of this skyscraper, with dozens filing in and dozens filing out. Some traders went into the depths of the skyscraper, where several more shops and trading spots were located.
Many of the well known and firmly established groups had a spot inside the skyscraper set up just for them, while those that were not well known, like Micheal, set up shop up top.
While it might be easier and look better to have an entire lounge or room set up to sell things, if no one knew who you were, no one would bother to visit your shop.
He glanced behind him, at the empty chair where Sophia had been. She had run off to explore and look at the various shops and stalls, interested in seeing if she could find anything she liked or wanted.
Micheal didn't try to stop her. She was her own person, capable of taking care of herself. If she couldn't survive on her own, she would only drag him down in the future. It was a harsh mentality, but the alternative was that she died while following him due to being unable to keep up.
'Well, it's not like the Open Market is unsafe.' The crime that did happen generally only occurred several skyscrapers away. Very few people would dare to cause trouble in the market itself, not with the armed-to-the-teeth Market Guard on watch.
He sighed.
'An hour and a half have already passed and no one has even stopped to consider my stall.' He had forgotten how inefficient the market was.
'There isn't a singular currency on the First Layer, everyone barters. I forgot how annoying that could be.' He smiled slightly.
Out in front of his stall, a large sign was placed, with some writing upon it. The Shop made all human languages understandable and readable, magically translating them, one of the perks of the apocalypse.
Another 30 minutes passed. Micheal's position was a good one, only a few stalls down from one of the entrances to the rooftop. Despite that, no one had stopped by yet.
As the Open Market went on, he saw many familiar faces pass by him.
He saw several people he knew from the Saru Group, arriving in their own straggling groups. There was a lot of competition, even within the major powers of the Cluster. As a result, most of the people he saw here brought back memories of infighting or violence.
Very few brought back anything he considered a pleasant memory.
At one point he saw someone he had once considered a rival of his from the Tobagin Party. A low-level and new Chosen named Anthony, a Lesser Werewolf Type user. He was here with a group of his seniors, going on a special trip for newbies to the Open Market.
Many, if not all, of the promising new recruits, would be allowed to attend the first Open Market. Here they would gain valuable experience, seeing the many different groups and powers and getting a feeling for other people in the Cluster.
Micheal hadn't been a part of any of those early tours in his first run, though he was aware they happened.
At one point, an altercation broke out between an irate Steel Body Type human yelling at a trader, over something to do with a Lucky Fox Foot Necklace, an Artifact worth 1,800 Points.
Before either of them had even touched the other, only sharing some yells, the Market Guard swarmed the area, looking as if they were ready to start a war if need be. The fight was instantly defused before it even started, not requiring even a hint of action from Micheal.
Eventually, he saw a pair of faces that left him relieved.
Gobel the Necrozark and his mute wife entered the Market rather late. The duo walked into the Open Market confidently, closely followed by a grey-skinned Abnormal Morenkai. People parted out of the way of Gobel like fish parting for a shark, no one daring to stand in his path.
The Necrozark didn't even bother looking at the shops up top, immediately moving over towards one of the stairwells that led to the inner workings of the large skyscraper.
'Good, there's at least one Necrozark here, I have a backup. However… I'm not targeting him. Instead, if I wait long enough…' He kept his thoughts to himself as he waited patiently.
He took the time to meditate, focusing on his Ki. He could feel the pulse of the energy throb in his body, moving around him in a continuous cycle.
'I'm well into the Middle Stage of Mortal Tier. It hasn't been long, but the effects of having a 1 Star Physique are already showing.' While his stats hadn't changed much, he could feel his body adapting to the Ki and using it more easily.
'If I can get my Physique to 2 or 3 Stars, the 2nd Layer should be much easier to handle.'
Several more minutes passed. At one point, Micheal saw Sophia walk by, still browsing. There were so many different shops, some being set up and taken down in the span of half an hour, all full of various Artifacts. One could spend hours here and not learn about everything.
Finally, as Micheal was considering whether or not to partially lift his mask to eat lunch, the moment he had been waiting for happened.
"Gerald, look for any Skull Matrixes. We still need a few for that Blue Wave Blast technique, the ones we have are too shoddy." An authoritative voice barked out a command, cutting above the din. The speaker was rather loud, apparently unworried about what others heard.
"Yes sir, Mister Kellar." Micheal could just make out the other voice, a subordinate answering.
When he heard the first man speak, his eyes lit up. He immediately scanned the crowd, zeroing in on the voice.
A group of men had just entered the Open Market from the entrance he was near. There were five of them, with a man in his late 20s leading. The group itself could not have looked less intimidating, wearing slacks and loose dress shirts, looking like a gaggle of accounts.
The speaker was the man leading them. He had short brown hair and dull brown eyes, standing around Micheal's above average height, though skinnier.
Despite their appearances, no one dared to stand in their way. Just like with Gobel, everyone gave them a wide berth as they walked forward, people glancing at them and quickly moving to the side.
Micheal saw a couple of the men break off from the group, heading to search through a few specific stalls. One of them went towards one of the stairwells that led to the depths of the skyscraper.
'The Flesh Wizards Tower.' He smiled behind his mask. They had shown up.
Apart from Necrozarks, there were several other Abilities that were interested in or made use of Morenkai corpses. One of those Abilities was the 'Life Caster Ability,' known by the less complimentary name of 'Flesh Wizards.'
The actual name of this group was the Skullbashers. They occupied a single tower in the northern sector, controlling it entirely on their own, despite the threat of the Black Flag Pirates.
'The 2nd Ranked Flesh Wizard, Wizard Hunter, did come here quite often in search of ingredients.' This was exactly what he had hoped for.
Plan B was to sell his Abnormal corpses to any Necrozarks or Death Alchemists that might show up. He had much lesser expectations for those groups, knowing their wealth and capabilities to get all he wanted would be limited.
Very few people would be willing to spend Points in the Open Market, even if they had enough to buy what someone else was looking for. Most would save up and spend those on permanent Abilities.
His Plan A, however, was to sell the Abnormal corpses he had to the Flesh Wizards Tower. Not only were they wealthy, they also had a variety of unique odds and ends. He had quite the shopping list of Artifacts to acquire and figured his odds were high.
'He's not going to notice my shop.' Despite his optimal location, he was, indeed, brand new. The Flesh Wizards were already moving past without even sparing his booth a glance.
He frowned.
'Looks like it's time to bring on a little trouble.'
.
.
.
See you all tomorrow.
.
"Ancient Stone Shards, open for barter! Looking for Healing Artifacts!""Selling three Incandescent Shields, looking for Attacking Artifacts, nothing close range!""Buying good condition rifles, looking for Defensive or Healing Artifacts."Various yells and shouts echoed in the air around Micheal, a chaotic cacophony of voices as the noon sun beat down.He was currently sitting down in a small wooden booth with a medium sized wooden sign. He sat back on a comfortable wooden chair, leaning back as he watched his surroundings. A small breeze washed over his neck, carrying the scent of dust, gunpowder, and a variety of other, more unpleasant scents.The Open Market had truly begun.More than 600 people could be seen atop the roof of this skyscraper, with dozens filing in and dozens filing out. Some traders went into the depths of the skyscraper, where several more shops and trading spots were located.Many of the well known and firmly established groups had a spot inside the skyscraper set up just for them, while those that were not well known, like Micheal, set up shop up top.While it might be easier and look better to have an entire lounge or room set up to sell things, if no one knew who you were, no one would bother to visit your shop.He glanced behind him, at the empty chair where Sophia had been. She had run off to explore and look at the various shops and stalls, interested in seeing if she could find anything she liked or wanted.Micheal didn't try to stop her. She was her own person, capable of taking care of herself. If she couldn't survive on her own, she would only drag him down in the future. It was a harsh mentality, but the alternative was that she died while following him due to being unable to keep up.'Well, it's not like the Open Market is unsafe.' The crime that did happen generally only occurred several skyscrapers away. Very few people would dare to cause trouble in the market itself, not with the armed-to-the-teeth Market Guard on watch.He sighed.'An hour and a half have already passed and no one has even stopped to consider my stall.' He had forgotten how inefficient the market was.'There isn't a singular currency on the First Layer, everyone barters. I forgot how annoying that could be.' He smiled slightly.Out in front of his stall, a large sign was placed, with some writing upon it. The Shop made all human languages understandable and readable, magically translating them, one of the perks of the apocalypse.Another 30 minutes passed. Micheal's position was a good one, only a few stalls down from one of the entrances to the rooftop. Despite that, no one had stopped by yet.As the Open Market went on, he saw many familiar faces pass by him.He saw several people he knew from the Saru Group, arriving in their own straggling groups. There was a lot of competition, even within the major powers of the Cluster. As a result, most of the people he saw here brought back memories of infighting or violence.Very few brought back anything he considered a pleasant memory.At one point he saw someone he had once considered a rival of his from the Tobagin Party. A low-level and new Chosen named Anthony, a Lesser Werewolf Type user. He was here with a group of his seniors, going on a special trip for newbies to the Open Market.Many, if not all, of the promising new recruits, would be allowed to attend the first Open Market. Here they would gain valuable experience, seeing the many different groups and powers and getting a feeling for other people in the Cluster.Micheal hadn't been a part of any of those early tours in his first run, though he was aware they happened.At one point, an altercation broke out between an irate Steel Body Type human yelling at a trader, over something to do with a Lucky Fox Foot Necklace, an Artifact worth 1,800 Points.Before either of them had even touched the other, only sharing some yells, the Market Guard swarmed the area, looking as if they were ready to start a war if need be. The fight was instantly defused before it even started, not requiring even a hint of action from Micheal.Eventually, he saw a pair of faces that left him relieved.Gobel the Necrozark and his mute wife entered the Market rather late. The duo walked into the Open Market confidently, closely followed by a grey-skinned Abnormal Morenkai. People parted out of the way of Gobel like fish parting for a shark, no one daring to stand in his path.The Necrozark didn't even bother looking at the shops up top, immediately moving over towards one of the stairwells that led to the inner workings of the large skyscraper.'Good, there's at least one Necrozark here, I have a backup. However I'm not targeting him. Instead, if I wait long enough' He kept his thoughts to himself as he waited patiently.He took the time to meditate, focusing on his Ki. He could feel the pulse of the energy throb in his body, moving around him in a continuous cycle.'I'm well into the Middle Stage of Mortal Tier. It hasn't been long, but the effects of having a 1 Star Physique are already showing.' While his stats hadn't changed much, he could feel his body adapting to the Ki and using it more easily.'If I can get my Physique to 2 or 3 Stars, the 2nd Layer should be much easier to handle.'Several more minutes passed. At one point, Micheal saw Sophia walk by, still browsing. There were so many different shops, some being set up and taken down in the span of half an hour, all full of various Artifacts. One could spend hours here and not learn about everything.Finally, as Micheal was considering whether or not to partially lift his mask to eat lunch, the moment he had been waiting for happened."Gerald, look for any Skull Matrixes. We still need a few for that Blue Wave Blast technique, the ones we have are too shoddy." An authoritative voice barked out a command, cutting above the din. The speaker was rather loud, apparently unworried about what others heard."Yes sir, Mister Kellar." Micheal could just make out the other voice, a subordinate answering.When he heard the first man speak, his eyes lit up. He immediately scanned the crowd, zeroing in on the voice.A group of men had just entered the Open Market from the entrance he was near. There were five of them, with a man in his late 20s leading. The group itself could not have looked less intimidating, wearing slacks and loose dress shirts, looking like a gaggle of accounts.The speaker was the man leading them. He had short brown hair and dull brown eyes, standing around Micheal's above average height, though skinnier.Despite their appearances, no one dared to stand in their way. Just like with Gobel, everyone gave them a wide berth as they walked forward, people glancing at them and quickly moving to the side.Micheal saw a couple of the men break off from the group, heading to search through a few specific stalls. One of them went towards one of the stairwells that led to the depths of the skyscraper.'The Flesh Wizards Tower.' He smiled behind his mask. They had shown up.Apart from Necrozarks, there were several other Abilities that were interested in or made use of Morenkai corpses. One of those Abilities was the 'Life Caster Ability,' known by the less complimentary name of 'Flesh Wizards.'The actual name of this group was the Skullbashers. They occupied a single tower in the northern sector, controlling it entirely on their own, despite the threat of the Black Flag Pirates.'The 2nd Ranked Flesh Wizard, Wizard Hunter, did come here quite often in search of ingredients.' This was exactly what he had hoped for.Plan B was to sell his Abnormal corpses to any Necrozarks or Death Alchemists that might show up. He had much lesser expectations for those groups, knowing their wealth and capabilities to get all he wanted would be limited.Very few people would be willing to spend Points in the Open Market, even if they had enough to buy what someone else was looking for. Most would save up and spend those on permanent Abilities.His Plan A, however, was to sell the Abnormal corpses he had to the Flesh Wizards Tower. Not only were they wealthy, they also had a variety of unique odds and ends. He had quite the shopping list of Artifacts to acquire and figured his odds were high.'He's not going to notice my shop.' Despite his optimal location, he was, indeed, brand new. The Flesh Wizards were already moving past without even sparing his booth a glance.He frowned.'Looks like it's time to bring on a little trouble.'...See you all tomorrow..
