"Artefacts," Thomas whispered, sitting in his tight booth as his shift officially began. "They're stripping the black market of its most dangerous treasures and locking them in the Inner Vault."
His desire to see inside one of those boxes shifted from professional curiosity to a desperate, personal need. If the Association was finding artefacts every single day, it meant the Under-Market was a goldmine.
Thomas knew his Qi-thread technique was powerful, but he was still a D-grade in a world of wolves. He needed an edge—a physical tool or weapon that could bridge the gap.
By the end of the day, Thomas's heart was pounding. The traffic at the Gatekeeper's window had spiked to a staggering ten boxes.
If his theory was correct, the Association wasn't just raiding; they were strip-mining the Under-Market.
