Chapter 48: Black Market
Liora trailed behind Xu Kai’s group, keeping a safe distance as she nibbled on an energy bar. The faint crunch of the wrapper was the only sound she allowed herself to make.
She had been following them for hours now, and despite her exhaustion, she was too curious to stop. Whenever her throat felt dry, she took quick sips from her water bottle, careful not to make any unnecessary noise.
The group wandered and stopped at several locations, speaking with different contacts—merchants, informants, and even a few shady-looking individuals roaming in the alleys.
But with every conversation, their expressions grew darker. The seller of the Aether Fruit was nowhere to be found. Either they were being extremely cautious, or they had intentionally vanished from sight.
As the sky darkened and the artificial lights scattered across the base flickered to life, Lin Xue finally let out an exasperated sigh. "We’ve wasted an entire day, and we still have found nothing," she said with a sharper tone.
Liora thought that this girl was the silent type, but not now. It seemed she just ignored everyone other than her friends.
Yang Ming frowned. "This seller is either extremely paranoid or just toying with us. Either way, we can’t track them down like this." He let out a slow breath, then glanced at Xu Kai. "There’s still one last option."
Lin Xue’s gaze snapped toward him, as did Xu Kai’s.
"The Black Market," Yang Ming continued with a steady voice. "It’s opening tonight, and the auction will take place. If the seller is as greedy as I think, they won’t be able to resist putting the Aether Fruit up for the highest bidder."
Liora’s eyes widened slightly from her hiding spot. So that’s their plan? They’re heading to the Black Market?
Xu Kai remained silent for a moment, his dark eyes unreadable. Then, he gave a slight nod. "Then we head there."