Chapter 16: Surrounded
After arriving at the city center, Dusk headed to an old electronics shop to pick up some supplies.
In his mind appeared the image of a long-outdated phone—one with laughably obsolete functions but a battery that could last for days and a durability rivaling that of a brick.
After all, his future wasn't exactly looking stable. Even if he had a phone, there might not always be a place to charge it.
He opened the map app on his current phone and quickly found a nearby secondhand electronics store. It was tucked away inside a narrow alleyway.
Dusk wandered around for a while before finally spotting the alley. For some reason, it gave him a bad feeling the moment he stepped in.
The road was in terrible condition, not a soul in sight, and used syringes littered the ground like it was a drug den.
At the end of the alley stood an old house with electronic parts and devices displayed haphazardly both inside and out. What surprised him was how none of it seemed to have been stolen.
But that wasn't his concern. Calmly, he stepped inside and started looking around.
Every item on display was coated with a thin layer of dust, as if silently telling him that customers were rare and the place hadn't been cleaned in ages.
No matter how he looked at it, it didn't seem like a place that could actually make money. The owner was probably just some retired old man keeping himself entertained.
The shopkeeper lowered the newspaper in his hands and glanced at Dusk. Seeing that he didn't look like a thief, he went right back to reading.