Chapter 342: The Awakened Market
Stepping out of the armored SUVs, the group’s presence did not go unnoticed. With Ben and Leo staring at the luminescent ceilings with open mouths, and Marcus adjusting his jacket as if strolling through an ordinary shopping mall, the entire entourage looked like a group of novice tourists fresh off the boat.
Several buyers and merchants stationed along the marble corridors couldn’t help but exchange mocking smirks and hushed whispers upon seeing them enter. However, no one dared to mock them out loud or step into their path. In a facility where raw power dictated the rules and a miscalculation could cost you your life, challenging an unfamiliar group arriving in three armored SUVs with an official TMC escort was a level of stupidity few were willing to commit.
Alexander, fully aware of his lack of experience with items and goods from the other world, walked at a leisurely pace, taking his time to examine every shop window.
As they passed, the stalls showcased curiosities that defied Earth’s scientific logic. Inside a reinforced glass case, small vials contained bioluminescent spores floating in suspension, used as catalysts for recovery potions. In another shop, a scarred armorer presented daggers forged from the fangs of reptilian beasts, their edges giving off a faint acidic mist that corroded the surrounding air. Further down, a merchant was selling palm-sized, opaque energy cores cataloged by purity grades and basic elements such as fire, earth, and wind.
However, the ones truly stealing the spotlight were Sydney, Paige, and the fake Brianna. The elegance, striking figures, and exotic aura of the three women drew the eyes of nearly everyone present in the underground gallery. Within minutes, Alexander noticed several individuals leaning against the support pillars pulling out communicators, making hushed calls to report the arrival of the mysterious companions.
Marcus, who possessed a sharp eye for sensing when the atmosphere was turning sour, leaned toward Alexander and spoke through the corner of his mouth.
"Looks like we’re going to have trouble soon, Alex," Marcus whispered, making a subtle gesture toward two men in long coats who hadn’t stopped tracking them from a distance. "Too many vultures taking photos and making calls."
"Let them stare all they want," Alexander replied examining a large counter where massive racks of frozen beast ribs hung, still glowing with faint traces of reddish mana.
Marcus scanned their surroundings, inspecting the storefronts with a hint of playful disappointment.
"Hey, Helena..." Marcus said, scratching his chin. "With all this commotion and shady people around, how is it possible that a place called a ’market’ doesn’t have a single slave stall on display? What kind of black market is this?"
Helena turned to him, giving him a firm, serious look.
"This is not a black market, Marcus," Helena replied in a professional tone. "This is the official market authorized by TMC and the local government. Unregulated trafficking and human trade are strictly forbidden on the surface of this world. Everything you see here is taxed and comes with a certified origin."
"Got it," Marcus said with a low whistle. "So the real shady business happens further down."
"If it exists, it’s not something we’re looking for today," Alexander interjected, stopping in front of a high-end butcher shop. "First, let’s get what we came here for."
Helena adjusted the screen on her handheld terminal as she walked alongside Alexander, scanning the complex’s digital catalog.
"I checked the terminal and there’s a food import stall further ahead," Helena mentioned, pointing toward the end of the main corridor. "If we can strike a direct deal with them, we can secure meat and food brought directly from the other world without needing middlemen."
"Good, let me take a look," Alexander agreed.
The group moved forward, stopping before a shop with a pristine storefront protected by reinforced glass and a holographic seal certifying its official import license. Behind the marble counter stood a middle-aged man in a sharp suit and a refined smile, eying the group up and down as he calculated their worth.
"Welcome to Aether Supplies," the owner greeted in a measured voice. "Are you looking for high-grade provisions for Awakened individuals?"
"We need a steady supply of spiritual meat and vegetables brought from the other side for our residence," Alexander stated directly. "We’re looking for a monthly contract."
The merchant keyed a few commands into his console, displaying a price list on a floating screen.
"For a group your size, we offer two main options," the man said in a professional tone. "The first option is the full package: prepared, processed dishes preserved under mana seals for immediate consumption. The cost is one thousand mana gems per month. The second option is raw frozen meat and fresh unrefined grains only, for six hundred gems per month."
Upon hearing the figures, Marcus, Ben, Leo, and the rest of the family showed no major reaction at first. The word "gems" sounded distant and abstract to those who hadn’t traded in the other world yet.
Alexander turned slightly toward Marcus and the girls, keeping his voice low so only they could hear.
"Just so you know... a single gem is equivalent to roughly one million dollars in the human financial market."
The moment Alexander’s words registered, the faces of his aunt, his cousin, and the Gables sisters froze in sheer disbelief. Alexander’s aunt slapped both hands over her mouth, while Marcus’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he ran the numbers in his head.
"One billion dollars a month for food?!" Alexander’s cousin gasped in a suffocated, indignant whisper. "Does that food come from heaven?! Do you take one bite and never get hungry again for the rest of your life?! That’s a total scam!"
The shop owner, overhearing the whispers and witnessing the group’s exaggerated reaction, let out a mocking chuckle and shook his head with blatant contempt.
"Tch... How shortsighted you rookies are," the merchant said, straightening his lapels while looking down on them with superiority. "You don’t understand a thing about the true value of spiritual flesh. Bringing those provisions through the portal requires military-grade licenses, magical preservation containers, and hunting silver or gold-rank beasts. My prices are fair for the quality I deliver. If you don’t have the capital to pay, you can head back to eating Earth’s tasteless trash."