— A Day Later – Evening —
Under the dusky sky turning into night, the bustling black market street came alive with vibrant neon lights and crowds weaving through, passing by various shops in the night market that only operated at this time of day.
Shady characters mingled freely among the crowd, who were earnestly shopping for rare and exotic goods from the frontier. These were items brought in by expedition groups and hunters from the Wildlands or even from the dangerous seas teeming with leviathan-class creatures.
Mutated beast hides, mutated beast cubs, various strange plants, and exotic-looking creatures from the Wildlands were all being sold in this night market.
If someone were to ask, "Is this legal?" The answer is 'No' it wasn't. However, the UEC and the local city-state governments turned a blind eye, so long as the goods didn't cause too much trouble. The reason was simple: even now, the UEC still couldn't fully categorize which items were safe and which were dangerous.
As long as the danger wasn't too blatant… like selling predator-class mutated beasts or officially declared hazardous plants that were too poisonous or strictly controlled… these vendors could operate in the fringes.
This was largely due to the UEC's lack of manpower to monitor everyone. They also silently encouraged the exploration and exploitation of the Wildlands. After all, ever since the war with the aliens ended, Earth had become more dangerous and alien than ever before.
Fortunately, most of the mutated beasts and plants that were once safe to consume, pigs, corn, bananas, and other fruits were still edible even after mutation. Even so, the UEC still preferred that citizens consume non-mutated products.
In this shady part of town, Maximilian walked through the fringe streets. He had come to meet an information broker, someone Ricardo had introduced to him.
He made his way to a building with a flickering neon sign that read "The Rust Gate."
Passing through the gate of the bar, he entered a space bathed in multicolored neon lights. Inside were off-duty soldiers stationed at the fringe, hunters, and various shady individuals negotiating in private booths.
Maximilian's sharp, intimidating eyes and muscular build caused a few people, sich as bouncers and some shady figures to glance at him with curiosity. But they quickly looked away once Maximilian met their eyes with an unflinching stare.
He walked up to the bartender, a gruff man in his forties with a perpetually unwelcoming face. Maximilian handed him a 100-buck banknote.
"Where's booth F2-4?" he asked.
"Second floor. Look to your right," the bartender replied, pocketing the cash.
Maximilian ascended to the second floor and approached the booth. It was designed for privacy, with cushioned seats and tinted partitions. He stepped inside and took a seat, waiting for his contact, someone he'd already arranged to meet at this very location.
[Oohh, this place seems exciting! Hey! If I regain my body, let's come here and have a drink together. (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ ] Atherna said excitedly.
"No," Maximilian flatly refused.
[Why!?]
"This isn't the kind of place for you to enjoy. There are a lot of shady characters here. I'd rather let you pull an all-nighter playing an MMO than come here," said Maximilian.
[Come oon~ I can protect myself! (;´Д｀)]
"How could a former leukemia patient who got a nosebleed mid-date and couldn't stand a strong breeze protect herself? Do you have a death wish?" Maximilian asked with a deadpan expression, already used to his girlfriend's stubbornness.
[I don't want to brag, but I have my ways! And maybe... this time I'll be the one protecting you instead! (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ ] Atherna said proudly, her voice full of confidence.
"Hmmm? Protect me instead? What are you even talking about? You do know that men and women have different physical builds, right? Unless you've got EF to enhance your strength… wait…" Maximilian paused, as if something had clicked.
"Aethel… are you hiding something from me?"
[Oh… Nothing! (・∀・;)]
[By the way, what do you think of your information broker? (´･ω･`) ] Atherna quickly changed the subject.
"Hmmm." Maximilian growled lightly, clearly suspicious.
Ever since Maximilian learned that the system voice, Atherna, was actually his girlfriend from his previous life, he had to admit—he no longer felt as lonely as before. Now, his short-term goal had shifted toward increasing his strength and finding ways to obtain more energy blocks so Atherna could regain her physical form.
After about ten minutes of sipping coffee and bantering with Atherna, who seemed even more giddy than usual as they talked and revisited their shared hobbies.
At this moment, Maximilian heard a sharp, deliberate set of footsteps approaching from outside the booth.
The booth entrance opened, revealing a figure in a long red robe and a gas mask. The clothing entirely concealed the person's features, making it impossible to tell if they were male or female.
"Who are you?" Maximilian asked, already preparing to draw his gun from under the tea table.
"I am Red Vulture. I've come as per your request and Ricardo's recommendation. What kind of information do you need from us?" the robed figure said as he took a seat. His voice was slightly distorted by the gas mask, but Maximilian could tell he was likely a man from the tone.
"I need information about Rebecca Lane—or her name might be Rebecca Prescott. She's the daughter of Blood Mongoose, Owen Lane. I've already checked her safe house; it was abandoned, and it seems she's been kidnapped for quite some time." Maximilian paused, observing the information broker's reaction.
Now he understood why Red Vulture dressed like this. The mask and robe, concealing all identifiable features, were meant to hide any possible reaction or expression—just in case a client was skilled at reading body language. That way, they wouldn't unintentionally leak information without the broker realizing it.
Of course, he knew not all information brokers dressed this way. Especially the high-reputation ones. Some either had implants to suppress their reactions or had mastered the ultimate poker face, unreadable by anyone.
"What you've said just now is nearly all of the information we currently have on Rebecca Lane. I hope what you're looking for is something we actually have on hand," Red Vulture responded calmly.
"I want to know where she is now. Getting her current address would be ideal," Maximilian stated.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Graham, what you're asking for is not something we have readily available. If you want us to investigate, you'll need to pay half the price upfront. Regardless of whether we find the information or not, the payment is non-refundable. Do you agree?" Red Vulture asked.
"Is this some kind of scam, Mr. Vulture?" Maximilian's eyes suddenly sharpened as he stared at him.
"Not at all, Mr. Graham. If we take this job, it means we'll be putting ourselves at risk to obtain this information. That comes at a cost, in both manpower and resources," Red Vulture replied.
[Bullshit… Don't believe him, Max. This guy's trying to fleece you. He must know it's your first time in the Fringe.] Atherna warned.
{Don't worry. Trust me, I have a way to get what I want,} Maximilian reassured her.
"How much do you need?" he asked.
"This job costs 200,000. Half of that will be 100,000 upfront," said Red Vulture.
Hearing this, Maximilian opened his hand wide and smiled, projecting friendliness and lowering his guard for Red Vulture to see.
"You know what, Mr. Vulture?" He paused. "Let's raise the stakes… I really do need this information." He raised his hand, showing five fingers.
"Five times. I'll pay you five times if you can get me that information," said Maximilian.
Hearing that, Red Vulture's body twitched slightly, something Maximilian didn't miss.
"I'll pay 200,000 upfront. If you manage to get the information, I'll give you 800,000 more. What do you think, Mr. Vulture?" Maximilian asked, now holding up four fingers.
"Deal. Let's put it in writing," Red Vulture agreed eagerly.
After both signed the contract and Maximilian had made a payment, Red Vulture said his goodbyes and swiftly left the booth. Maximilian watched the man's back as he disappeared into the crowd.
[What are you trying to do, Max? I know you've got a lot of money, but that doesn't mean you should splurge like this. (－‸ლ) ] Atherna said, her voice a mix of worry and irritation at Maximilian's recklessness.
"Trust me on this, Athel. I never intended to rely on that Red Vulture guy in the first place."
[Then why did you do that?] she asked, confused.
"To lay down bait. I want to see who bites," Maximilian said with a smirk.
[Ooooh, so cryptic. So mysterious. I knew it! You are a brooding edgelord incarnate! (°▽°)] she teased.
"Stop with the edgelord jokes already!" Maximilian retorted, clearly annoyed.
—
After Red Vulture left the bar, he immediately returned to his hideout. Since he was someone known by Ricardo, the street thug. It meant that, in the grand scheme of things, he wasn't particularly influential. He and his group were just small-time hackers posing as information brokers.
What he told Maximilian was nothing but bluff. He never had any real information about Rebecca Lane. In truth, no matter what Maximilian had asked, he would've said he didn't have that kind of information, just to try and fleece him for money.