A few lighting strikes later when Gavin's mana was about to be exhausted, the tiger jumped with his final breath to take down Gavin with him.
*Rawr*
The life force-infused claw rushed towards Gavin, tearing the air apart at high speed.
Gavin forced himself back but the speed was so fast that he got a claw wound on his chest.
Blood dripped down from the sky and with a loud thump, both Gavin and the tiger landed on the ground sending sweeps of dust away in all four directions.
Gavin landed on the dead tiger's belly as he spat a mouthful of blood.
Forcing his hand down he stood up and jumped down, in fear that the tiger was still alive.
It was only after confirming that the tiger was dead that he slumped to the ground with a sigh of relief.
Then from his pants, he took out some beast core that he has collected over the last hour and started feeding them to his hammer.
And soon enough the wounds on his body stopped bleeding and healed completely in a matter of seconds.
This was one of the most overpowered abilities that Gavin got from his hammer.
Walking toward the tiger's corpse, Gavin blew a hole in its chest and took out the shining red core in his hand.
"This should fetch me enough money."
Gavin stood up, placed the core in his pants, and then started killing some lower-level beasts too.
After getting his hands on enough beast cores he left for the slums.
Slums were a settlement outside Redwood City where the lowest of the lowest people stayed, however even at a place like this there was a black market. Although it took some time for Gavin to find it, he still managed to do so.
The slums were filled with clumsy wooden huts and more than usually filled with either old people or really young ones that got abandoned.
So it was the best place for a back market to be operating as it was outside the jurisdiction.
Even people from inside the walls came to trade here.
Gavin's lithe body walked through the market with only black colored pants on him and there was a cloth tied to his waist that was bulging with stones.
Some people glanced at him and raised their brows.
"What is this small guy doing at a place like this?"
"Hahaha... He seems to have come here to try his luck. Ah... Young guys are always so dumb, this place is disconnected from the law, no one will come to save him here."
"Yes, I think he should head back to his mommy before he gets kidnapped and eaten by some cannibal freak."
Gavin ignored the comments from the people and kept on moving.
"Oi! Boy! Where do you think you are going?"
Suddenly he heard a voice from behind him, that stopped him in his tracks.
It was a bald man with a big tummy and a bottle of liquor in his hand. He seemed to have not taken a bath for the last two years.
His beard was outgrowing from different angles and there was a creepy smile on his face.
Gavin could tell that the guy was only a level-five martial artist.
"Look, it's bald Joe. Oh my God, that kid is dead now."
"Yeah, I hear he always picks on kids, I have heard some rumors that he is responsible for many kidnappings in the slums. I think he is a pervert that loves kids. That kid should run away while he still has time."
"I don't think he would be able to escape from his clutches. He even has connections inside the walls, don't you know that he sells child slaves inside?"
A few old guys murmured to each other.
As this slum was only filled with old cripple guys and abandoned kids, the average martial grade in this place was only level three, and Fat Joe was a grade five, he ruled over the place.
"It's none of your business?!" Gavin said and turned around to continue his journey.
When the old men heard his words some of them popped their teeth out in disbelief.
"Is this kid mentally unstable? Doesn't he know who bald Joe is?"
"I think this kid is new in the slum. Maybe abandoned by a rich family, that could be the reason why he is so nonchalant. Alas... He hasn't seen the cruelty of the world yet. I pity for him."
Joe smiled at Gavin's words and moved in front of him, quickly blocking his way.
"Kid, you seem to be new here, so I will give you the benefit of the doubt. I Joe the Great, am a generous man after all. Just empty the beast cores in that cloth and I might leave you alone."
His eyes glanced over Gavin's body with a sheen in them, and he licked his fat lips with a creepy smile.
"Beast Cores!"
The word grabbed the attention of many others in the street. Some vendors even stopped their heckling and started to see the ongoing commotion.
After all beast cores were rare commodities in the slum. It was a way to get some silver coins and if one had enough they could even enter the redwood city.
"How did this kid get his hands on beast cores that caught Bald Joe's attention?"
A guy in the crowd contemplated.
"I think his parents left him some cores as a parting gift, however, they didn't know that it would be a bane instead of a boon for this little guy."
"No, his parents must have known that the cores would cause trouble for him and he would end up dead sooner, or they would have given him silver coins instead which would make his life way easier."
"Yes, after all, silver coins are easier to hide as they don't emit spiritual Qi at all."
"His parents set him up to die... What a cruel world."
People started pitying Gavin's luck.
Gavin looked into the bald man's eyes and sneered.
"Fuck off!"
Everyone around got caught off guard by his words.
Even Joe didn't expect the kid to be so blunt.
"Is he really that stupid, can't he tell his situation? Could he be the kid of someone from inside? And is only here to sell something to the black market?"
"No, look at his clothes, he is only wearing tattered pants and you know that people from inside all wear luxury clothes. He is just some bum that doesn't know his place."
"hahaha..."
Joe suddenly broke into a creepy laugh that made the whole street dead silent.
"Nice! Boy, I like your attitude. Ok, I won't trouble you but let me tell you that no one can buy these cores from you except me, in this market. How about you sell them to me?"
Gavin listened to him and was about to decline when he thought of something and then a smirk formed on his face.
"Ok, I will need a hundred silver coins for them."
Someone in the crowd coughed up blood when they suddenly heard the price.
"How outrageous! This kid is definitely mocking Joe. Does he not care about his life? Or is this his last attempt to show some pride before death?"
"Yes, this kid has definitely lost his mind. For a hundred silver coins, one would need at least ten, level eight cores, and looking at Joe's ugly expression I don't think this kid has even one."
"He has lost all my empathy for him. I think this fool deserves what he is about to receive."
Joe rubbed his hand and smiled, "Hahaha... That is what I expect from the youth. So energetic and demanding. But kid I don't keep a hundred silver tales on me, come follow me to my place, we can make the transaction there."
"Ok, sure, but I will not take even a single coin less." Gavin nodded.
The old guys around them all sighed.
"This kid is going into the tiger's den alone. Not even the God can save him now."
"To think that we would witness a blatant kidnapping... Sigh... This world only belong to the strong."
"Don't be too sad, this kid deserved it. He is a big fool, if not for Joe then he would have died at someone else's hands in the future. He doesn't know how the world works yet."
Joe laughed at his words and nodded. "Don't worry, you will get more than you expect. Now follow me."
Joe turned around and showed Gavin the way. Although he could have taught the kid a lesson in public but he didn't want the rumors about him to get confirmed.
As the high class people inside the city wouldn't want to be associated with a criminal.
As he walked away he took a peek at Gavin's body and licked his lips, 'this guy is very petie, I am sure he will fetch a great price. However I will enjoy his body first before selling him inside.'