Grey and his mercenaries walked through the neon-lit streets of the Twisted District. His bodyguards kept their plasma rifles in their hands and their expressions cold.
With the upgraded gear, they looked like elites far beyond the low-level mercenaries they were, and they hoped that was enough.
Using a common technique called [God's Eyes], a person could see the transcendence level someone was at, or at least they were stronger than themself.
If people used it, they'd notice the mercenaries were only Primed Entities around Level 20 and view them as walking mannequins holding free, high-powered gear and a [slave].
Luckily most people didn't use the technique in the Twisted District to prevent the temptation to rob others.
Fear of getting robbed or killed was bad for business, so merchants banded together, banning the thieves and murderers. They also employed expensive, high-level bodyguards that would collect the souls of troublemakers.
Therefore, people didn't rob or kill each other often and would only do so if they saw an opportunity too good to pass up. Luckily, people didn't see an opportunity in them.
Grey watched people avoid them in satisfaction, keeping a downcast expression as he actively ignored the notifications he was getting.
"Want some Snorlax?" A skinny man with a leathery face asked, rocking on his feet, "It's only 50 zects a gram. Quality, quality. One dose is like 20 whores at once."
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─┈━═[Trade Initiated]═━┈─
Snorlax Addict [Level 28] has made you an offer:
Name: Snorlax
Price: 50 Zecta/Gram
Type: Drug
Description: Benzodiazepine-barbiturate mixture. Removes the user's ability to care about anything as they enjoy a body melting high. Known to put the user into a deep sleep.
Warning: Extremely addictive. After moderate addiction, the user will lose 25% of their stats daily until they retake the drug. Withdrawals remain for seven days.
Requires rare-grade detox potions or higher to remove the withdrawal effects instantly.
Do you accept? [Yes/No]
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Since Grey was a free man, not the property of the mercenaries, he got the offer request. The NPCs, who couldn't see [levels], [names], or trade windows, weren't the wiser about who was in control.
"This is a normal drug." He whispered, eyes wide with shock, "It provides no stat increase or benefit other than to make you feel good. That can't be a good design choice."
He imagined the number of people who would spend unruly money to buy rare-grade detox potions to enjoy drugs without consequences!
What an opportunity! He decided he'd buy rare-grade detox potions as soon as possible. However, he refused to peddle addiction and suffering, so he chose No to the drug.
Grey exploited weaknesses; he didn't create them.
Most trade opportunities were benign; exotic food shops, high-class art, electronics, and the like. The Twisted District had everything, and most things weren't bad.
Growing up in a criminal syndicate also made him apathetic to most illegal services.
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─┈━═[User Invitation]═━┈─
NPC nurse [Level 43] has invited you to her shop:
Name: Sketchy Stitches
Description: Underground surgery and medical clinic.
Offers:
Emergency Care and Drugs
- Detox Services
- Surgery
- Cosmetic Surgery (Face and Body Changes)
- Organ Removal
- Organ Transplants
…
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However, many of the legal services bothered him. Some creeped him out.
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─┈━═[Trade Initiated]═━┈─
NPC Rudus [Level 69] has offered you the following service:
Name: Legal Lolis
Price: 200 Zecta/Hour
Description: Nothing feels better than guilt-free crime-free fetishes. Our qualities girls are sure to …
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Others made him shiver. It seemed the more normal an offer was, the worse it became!
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─┈━═[Trade Initiated]═━┈─
NPC Candy Man [Level 39] has offered you an item:
Name: Real Ice Cream
Price: 5 Zecta/Scoop
Description: User's choice of flavor for conventional dairy ice cream.
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"What do the other sweet shops offer!?" Grey cried under his breath, remembering the other dozen shops, "They didn't offer anything real. Is it customary to spike food here!?"
Grey would question if it were artificial flavoring if he weren't in a location where people could buy drugs as easily as electronics! However, he didn't have long to worry about it.
"Wheeeeeeeew! Look at that tender meat you got there!" A man catcalled with a whistle, "What do you say I save you the trouble and buy that snack off your hands here and now?"
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─┈━═[Offer Initiated]═━┈─
NPC Mr. Quirks [Level 87] has made you an offer:
Name: Slavery Contract [20 years]
Amount: 13,000,000
Do you accept the offer? [Yes/No]
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Grey gritted his teeth in anger, hearing someone offering to buy his life for money. Since he was five, he was an indentured servant, paying off his parent's debt. So the topic of ownership triggered vicious feelings within him.
Still, he kept silent and chose [No] with his thoughts again. However, it was difficult to ignore the topic.
"Heya, fellow traders!" A man called out, wearing a black wasteland jacket and large cowboy-style hat, "You got a thing for beast women? I got a divine kitty lady.
It's estimated that there are less than a million divine demi-humans in the Cyclo Galaxy. There's even fewer in Nekonian flavor."
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─┈━═[Trade Initiated]═━┈─
Pussy Poacher [Level 139] has made you an offer:
Name: Divine Nekonian (Cat Demi-Human [Female]) [Lower Spirit]
Price: 150,000,000 Zecta
Type: Slave
Description: A divine demi-human female from Nekon, a planet in the Lizmonian Rift.
Beyond having soft cat ears and tails, Nekonians can have beast qualities, allowing them to go through five evolutions in addition to transcending.
…
The main attraction of divine beast women is that they can create Soul Pacts with their owner, bypassing restrictions and consequences of Devotion Contracts.
Do you accept? [Yes/No]
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Grey saw a cute teenage woman in a cage next to another five beast women, each in vibrant-colored clothing to make them more appealing.
The cute woman had light red hair, reddish-orange cat ears with white patches, and fluffy white fur inside. Her light green eyes looked at him with pity, thinking he was in the same position she was in.
In a way, they did have involuntary servitude in common. However, by the sound of [bypassing Devotion Contract] restrictions, he was certain that their lives would end very differently.
That made his blood boil, and he had a primal desire to kill the trader. However, the man was a Higher Divinity, a level it'd take normal dedicated players years to reach without cheat weaponry.
Grey's bodyguards wouldn't even see his movements before they all died. Hell, weapons at their level would only scratch the man without critical hits. Killing him was a pipe dream.
Even if it wasn't, slavery was legal in various forms throughout the Cyclo Universe; he had to accept that.
Grey sighed, avoiding eye contact with the young demi-human as he chose no.
"Shame, you looked like you had interest in'er." The man said, "Come back later if you're interested. You seem ambitious, and I doubt this one's leaving anytime soon.
The bitch's expensive and a little feisty, so she'll be around."
Grey and his mercenaries ignored the man's gaze, but it was impossible, as he was addressing the teen exclusively.
"Avoid traders like the plague." The teen whispered after they were out of sight, "That man could tell you weren't traders, and was powerful enough to wipe us all out in a second."
"You got it, boss." Mark whispered back, pushing the teen faster.
Despite the hardcore number of notifications, mundane and disturbing, they had only walked for less than ten minutes until they reached a jewelry stand, and Grey nudged Mark to make him stop.
After looking at the wares, his eyes stopped on an item before averting them.
Mark looked at it inquisitively. It wasn't a piece of jewelry at all. Instead, it was a flat gold disc the size of a pill bottle cap that had no value whatsoever.
The woman saw him eyeing the piece with narrowed eyes. "That one's pricey; I don't recommend it."
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─┈━═[Trade Initiated]═━┈─
NPC Malla the Peddler [Level 123] has made you an offer:
Name: Golden Disc
Price: 1,000,000 Zecta
Do you accept the offer? [Yes/No]
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Grey chose yes without hesitation, and she pulled out her chip. When he didn't grab her chip to transfer them or tap to pay, her eyes went blank alongside the others.
"Thank you for your service." She said, abruptly satisfied the transfer went through.
"It was a pleasure." Mark replied equally naturally, "Hold this, boy. And don't fucking drop it or I'll kill you before we reach your new master."
"Y-Yes sir." Grey replied, swallowing nervously for the show.
While it looked natural to everyone on the street, the woman watched the teen with slightly narrowed eyes, sizing him up. It only took her a glance to know he was in charge, making her curious. However, she acted disinterested and looked away, letting them pass.
The group sauntered through the marketplace again, moving down a web of roads, stopping at shops to look natural.
Ten minutes later, the teen walked up to a beggar playing an instrument similar to a ukulele in the middle of a bustling intersection.
"Evenin' brother." The beggar said with a crooked, toothy smile, various shades of gold, "You like what you hear?"
Grey nodded solemnly, looking at the man with long brown hair streaked with silver and a ragged white shirt under a brown vest. He subtly reached into his pocket and pulled out the disc, dropping it into the man's hat.
The beggar's expression flashed with insanity, looking at the teen who acted without the consent of the five guards, pretending to read a map.
It was the full setup, and he didn't need to look at the cuff's key to know who was in charge.
"Thank ya, traveler. The name's Skyhawk." Skyhawk said, shifting his expression into a smile, "Y'all look lost. Howa'bout I guide you where you want to go."
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─┈━═[Quest Offer Initiated]═━┈─
NPC Skyhawk [Level 159] has offered to take you to an unmarked location:
Quest: Find Lockjaw
Quest Type: Hidden Chain Quest
Difficulty: A
Price: N/A
Description: Meet Mavis Vine at her shop [Lockjaw] for opportunities.
Warning: The user has not fulfilled the prerequisites.
Warning: The user is 175 levels below the recommended level.
Do you accept? [Yes/No]
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