Chapter 1 Part 3

I went back to the Clubo Arcano. I heard plenty of strange noises heading back too. Crackles and crunches on either side of the street. I was glad to be back in the relative safety of the Clubo Arcano. Those rich people were still there. Which was surprising, as rich people never stayed in one place for too long? And I recognized that particular group. They were club hoppers, going from club to club to see what the couriers had. I guess they really wanted what I had.

I walked towards them and the guy who singled me out earlier spotted me with the canister in my hands.

“Ooh. That looks special. What’s your price?” he looked at the canister hungrily. I thought fast. This was rare. A rich person allowing a slime like myself to decide the price? I thought back to my wish and answered clearly.

“I want one of your purple cards.”

“What?” one of the leader’s buddies spewed out his drink and looked at me as if I were deranged.

“That is a pretty hefty price, I must admit,” the leader said diplomatically. “For an unknown object I will have to pass.” He started walking away. His group also started to leave.

“WAIT!” I shouted. They stopped and looked back at me with loathing etched on their faces. “It is not an unknown object. I appraised it to be Hydrospeed. Four syringes full of Hydrospeed.” I pulled out one of the syringes and watched their faces change in rapid succession from the hatred to intense hunger.

“Malco, give the good man your card. We’ll let you in later,” the leader issued a command to the one who had spoken out earlier. The guy pulled out his card without a single thought and handed it to me. Once I grabbed a hold of the card, I dropped the canister onto the ground and ran from those wolves as fast as I could. That was standard courier etiquette. Run the hell away as soon as the transaction is done. I heard a commotion as I left, but I didn’t turn back.

I ran towards Diagram 5, the entrance to Sector 4. Sector 5 was too far away to be of any use. And plus, I wanted to see the market. The place where my parents lived before this living hell.