"All I have are potatoes and so homade jam from my family. I can sprout more potatoes if needed, but it’ll take so ti—the quality’s good. If you need more, I’ve got a limited amount with ."
Xu Feng kept it simple. He didn’t need to reveal the extent of his abilities or make a scene. His goal was to get as much as possible while drawing the least amount of attention. By the look on the old man’s face, he was about to strike a very favorable deal.
And strike a deal he did.
Xu Feng nearly cleared out the stall’s entire stock of crystal nuclei, save for the large, red one. Though he was tempted to go for it, he knew better. That crystal nuclei would make him a walking target, and drawing unnecessary attention wasn’t part of the plan.
A win was still a win, and he wasn’t about to push his luck. They already had more than enough eyes on their group of four.
Xu Feng had no interest in gold, nor did he want to stick around while the stall owner tried to find more nuclei or bring in reinforcents. He wasn’t from this place anymore, but he knew enough to stay cautious.
Greed could lead to unnecessary hardship, and Xu Feng was focused on moving forward, not getting bogged down.
The cost of his spoils had been minimal—a smaller backpack full of potatoes and a jar of homade jam. In exchange, he’d walked away with a large backpack, bigger than his hiking backpack, brimming with crystal nuclei. Plus his small bag full of potatoes was now replaced with more crystal cores.
It was a bargain in his mind. He might have pushed for the large red crystal, but when Yujie caught his eye and shook her head, signaling caution, Xu Feng took her advice. No need to be reckless.
Gathering his things—three bags in total, one full of canned goods to continue trading—Xu Feng hoisted Mingjun onto his hip while Yujie did the sa with Mingyue. Together, they made a swift exit, taking one of the less crowded routes out of the ability user marketplace.
Before leaving, Xu Feng traded a few cans of food for a sword from a tal ability user. It ca with a sturdy scabbard made of an unfamiliar, textured leather. As a bonus, the trader threw in a small knife and its own sheath.
It seed like a good deal, though Xu Feng was still unsure of the real value in this world.
As they exited the ability user trading area, Yujie kept moving with purpose, following directions she’d gathered earlier. The further they walked, the more the environnt began to change.
Gone were the neat, orderly spaces of the ability users. The area they entered next felt more chaotic, more raw. The sll of decay was sharper here, and the people they passed looked more disheveled. But even this wasn’t the worst of it.
At one point, Xu Feng caught sight of a makeshift tent city cramd into a narrow alleyway. Emaciated figures lay slumped against the tattered fabric, their eyes hollow and lifeless. He couldn’t tell if the person half-hidden in the shadows was alive or dead.
It was just a brief glimpse, but the sight stuck with him. The slums of Aran Base were a harsh reminder of how much worse things could be. How bad they probably were for the most unfortunate people.
’We’re just passing through,’ Xu Feng thought to himself, glad they wouldn’t have to linger here. Glad he wouldn’t linger in this world either, it was too dark.
As they moved, Xu Feng busied himself by transferring the crystal nuclei from his bags into his space. It wasn’t strenuous, but he could feel the energy it took as beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. Still, it was a necessary precaution.
Having the nuclei stashed safely away ant he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone trying to steal them.
He thought back to the granola bar he’d eaten earlier, grateful for Yujie’s foresight in making sure they had a quick al before entering Aran Base. It was clear now why she insisted—they weren’t here for sightseeing.
This place wasn’t safe. From the mont Yujie secured her crystal nuclei, and especially after Xu Feng cleared out the stall, they were marked. He could sense eyes following them, predators waiting for the right mont to strike.
Xu Feng knew their one-day clearance was more than enough ti. After they gathered what they needed, they’d leave without delay. Lingering would only make them more vulnerable.
They practically had a glowing target on their backs that said, ’juicy sheep here! Free for the taking!’
Despite this, Xu Feng wasn’t about to panic. He had a plan. Sort of.
While he hoped to avoid using his wood ability to attract attention, he wasn’t above using other ans to protect their group. Zhang Wei, Li Hao, Ling Ling, and the mysterious "big brother" they were searching the outskirts of the city with, were all potential threats, but he wasn’t concerned about them just yet.
His priority was getting supplies for his children, and he would do so as efficiently as possible. This was his side goal as he tried to think of so easy way to get back ho.
Their next stop was the general marketplace. It wasn’t an official trading hub run by the base, nor was it the specialized market for ability users. This one was open to everyone—survivors bartering for whatever they needed.
According to the one base guard they’d t, who wasn’t a pervert, it was a free-for-all, where anything could be traded, and nothing was off-limits. Most people wouldn’t trade in gold or crystal nuclei here, food and useful items were the currency here.
Xu Feng was ready to shift tactics. He wouldn’t hesitate to trade the goods he’d gathered from the library apartnt or the extra jam he had if it ca down to it. He just needed to avoid drawing too much attention to his abilities and their group.
The boys, Mingjun and Mingyue, were wonderfully well-behaved throughout the trek. They had eaten at-filled buns during their earlier al, and though Yujie had offered him one, Xu Feng had declined, feeling guilty about taking food from a mother and her children.
He had been amazed at the freshness of their lunch, and after his first successful trade, he understood just how rare and valuable such food was.
"Hmmm," Mingjun’s sudden hum caught Xu Feng off guard. He glanced down at the boy and was surprised to see a flicker of guilt in Mingjun’s eyes.
’What’s he feeling guilty about?’ Xu Feng wondered, but before he could make sense of it, he noticed a hungry, almost longing look in Mingyue’s gaze up ahead. Yujie didn’t seem to notice, but sothing about the boys’ behavior left Xu Feng confused.
"We’re here," Yujie announced, her voice cutting through Xu Feng’s thoughts.
They had arrived at an entrance for the general marketplace, a bustling street lined with stalls. It was packed with activity—so vendors shouting out their wares, buyers haggling for better deals, and survivors moving through the chaos in search of supplies.
The market sprawled across several blocks, spilling into alleyways and side streets, with every available corner occupied by a stall or rchant.
Aran Base was larger than Xu Feng had expected.
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