Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Unbeknownst to Myself (2)
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Black Market.
A quick search on the Cyber Web Wiki revealed that the entire area around these streets is collectively called 'Black Square'.
Not exactly Times Square or anything.
Its scale was so massive that even the navigation app's updates had been officially discontinued.
Apparently, there were even guides inside who specialized solely in navigating Black Square's paths.
Indeed.
The building volume ratio defied imagination.
The old city streets already felt somewhat claustrophobic in their own right, but here, every single step felt like the volume ratio was spiking dozens of percent like falling dominoes.
"This place is seriously disorienting."
I glanced down at my terminal.
On the terminal screen, a simple female emoticon (👩) was staring right at me.
My turret connected to the terminal—Nova.
Nova's soft, calm voice suddenly shifted as she continued.
It was as if she was replaying review data left by others—the gender, age, and content all varied.
Especially the last voice data sounded like it needed an ambulance right away.
"Key reviews?"
"...This is absurd."
I was starting to miss that peaceful grocery store.
The urge to turn around and head back grew strong.
For reference, Liberra and Michael weren't with me today—Liberra was swamped because of the donation I made to the orphanage (no, not that), and the only one I could rely on was Nova chattering from inside the terminal.
- It'll be fine, really...
- Hey now.
And Michael was just unusually busy for some reason lately.
- Sorry, but I have a scheduled appointment.
- ...What appointment does a homeless guy have.
- Just my personal take, but it feels busier now than when I worked at the old corp...
I had no idea what he was actually up to.
'A homeless guy's schedule...'
Maybe scavenging for decent scrap metal or something.
Either way, I couldn't drag busy people around unnecessarily, so I'd decided to go just with Nova.
If I'd said I was going alone, Michael would've probably stuck other homeless guys with me.
I'd timed it and snuck out secretly.
I shifted my gaze from the terminal upward to check the massive sign overhead.
So.
This street (or the interior of this massive building, like entering prime-era Kurong Fortress) had at least 9 complexes,
sections numerous enough to use the full alphabet,
and even subdivided those with numbers—a sign explaining as much.
"Whoa."
A light exclamation escaped me.
And the sheer swarm of people.
Market bustle fit perfectly.
From the entrance, touts' voices hawking customers blared noisily.
Standing still meant shoulders bumped by passersby, so I got swept along naturally by the crowd.
"Ugh, already feels like motion sickness."
"No deliveries to Area 49."
To be precise, deliveries did come, but.
Items like androids had especially strict standards.
Nova wouldn't say it without knowing.
She must be worried about me.
Man, so many people...
'At this density, someone could pickpocket you mid-crowd and you'd never notice—'
That instant.
My hand shot out like a tightly compressed spring.
Straight behind me.
My hand moved first, so I yanked the caught wrist hard with a bewildered face.
"Shit..."
My height helped, and the wrist's owner's weight was unusually light.
The 'brat' who'd tried dipping into my pocket ended up with legs dangling in midair.
Not some online game sleight-of-hand—clearly targeting the thick wad of bills in my pocket.
For reference, my generously stuffed pocket held a fortune (bundle of bills worth about $100,000) beyond the brat's wildest dreams.
My sensitive reaction was hardly strange.
And at the same time.
The kid chomped down on my hand with a crunch.
"What are you."
"......"
Chomp chomp.
Like gnawing a tough steak with all her might.
For reference, it didn't hurt much.
Even then, the crowd wave kept surging.
Holding the kid's wrist, I slowly walked forward.
One hand terminal, the other brat.
Pretty suspicious sight, but fewer people paid me mind than expected.
Just side-eyes at most.
I questioned the brat once more.
"What are you, kid."
"...Ptoo."
The kid spat on the ground and grumbled irritably.
"Fingers aren't made of steel or anything. Confirmed no machine signals..."
Looked mid-growth spurt, one eye unnaturally colored.
Definitely a cybernetic mechanical eye.
My face soured automatically at adults being insufficient, now even kids swapping body parts for machines.
'Starting to worry about the spit smell.'
I shook the kid's wrist side-to-side hard again as she went for another bite.
Lightweight, so her body flailed wildly like a dancing jointed doll.
"U, uwak!!"
"Like a carousel spinning round and round, forever~."
After shaking a bit, the kid's eyes were spinning too.
I lifted the wrist higher and peered at her face up close.
'Definitely not 20s, roughly mid-to-late teens...'
Even because of my past Liberra age mix-up.
I scrutinized the kid's face closely.
Hmm, definitely teen.
The kid's plight—resorting to pickpocketing to survive in the black market world—was utterly pitiful.
But life is always the real deal.
"Shop selling android bodies."
"Wh-what..."
Not the answer I wanted.
I gripped the wrist and twirled again.
"Round and round~."
"Gyaah!!"
Package tours go to guides.
Egyptian pyramids to tomb raiders.
Airport info to the quick-on-the-uptake Koreans.
So who for Black Square guidance?
The boy said to entrust it to locals called 'Sherpas'.
"Sherpas?"
Doesn't look like the Himalayas.
The boy nodded at my mutter.
"Sherpas need high expertise due to job demands, knowing all the dangerous paths."
"Use polite speech. Before the carousel ride again."
"...Sir."
Of course, this boy wasn't a pro Sherpa.
But at least better than clueless me.
I eyed the kid leading cautiously ahead.
"That's not the conclusion."
"Wh-what isn't."
"Since it's tough, pay the guide fee properly."
"......"
My words pierced the kid's core, perhaps.
She went quiet like a mute with honey in her mouth.
"Tried shoving hand in my pocket, but attitude all high and mighty."
"...Got caught before I could."
"Tch."
"Sir."
Snappy retorts kept popping out habitually.
If this were 16th-century medieval times, it'd be chop the wrist, drag to execution block, and dip bread in the dripping blood.
Fortunately, not 16th-century medieval Europe,
and I was a 21st-century South Korean guy.
A solid smack maybe,
but snapping a kid's wrist wasn't easy.
So I put her in charge of guiding.
"Anyway, android body specialty shop ahead?"
"Precisely: keep up the stairs, take elevator 3 down, then left five alleys—"
"Stop."
Even US English textbooks were simpler.
Go straight and turn right or whatever...
Anyway.
Following the kid's convoluted guidance through Black Square, we soon reached an area packed wall-to-wall with cybernetic bodies.
This was where I'd get Nova's body.
"New female android? Starts at 150,000 dollars minimum. Plus pricier in these fringe layers. Used I could discount a bit..."
"Ah."