Chapter 70

I hadn’t tried to get a terminal until now for two big reasons.

First, money. And second, the identity issue, as expected.

Before I explain that, maybe I should explain what a terminal is first?

Simply put, a terminal is like this world’s smartphone.

You can make calls, send messages, take pictures, and use the internet.

Functionally, it’s not much different from a smartphone—kind of like a modern-day essential item.

But why don’t we call it a smartphone and instead call it a terminal…? Well, there were various reasons for that.

The appearance of beastmen, long wars, advancements in technology, and shifts in societal culture naturally led to smartphones becoming outdated relics of the past.

Plus, in this era, there are devices shaped like bracelets, earrings, or even piercings that you’d never mistake for phones. Calling them terminals just makes things easier all around.

Anyway, since one device could do so many things…

Even with advanced tech, they weren’t exactly cheap.

If I skipped small daily expenses like snacks when I was hungry, I’d still need to work an entire month just to afford a basic model outright.

In short, getting my hands on a decent terminal was already a pretty big hurdle for me.

With an income barely above pocket money, these kinds of expenses gave me headaches.

“And worse… there’s the identity problem. There are telecom companies here too, so you basically need to sign up to use its full functionality. To sign up… you usually need an ID.”

Not only was I short on cash, but even if I had money, the identity issue always tripped me up.

Because of that, no matter how comfortable life with a terminal might be, it was nothing more than pie in the sky for me. I envied those who lived as proper citizens of Night Haven.

But that was only if I stuck to honest and upright methods.

Think about it. Do you really think I’m the only person in this city living without an identity?

Exiles fleeing persecution, fugitives who abandoned their names to escape pursuit,

and avengers who discarded even their own identities to exact revenge—all sorts.

There must be mountains of people unable to reveal their identities for one reason or another.

Do you think merchants would just ignore such a lucrative opportunity? No way!

“Hey, did you hear? That group we talked about last time got utterly crushed by Snake.”

“Oh, I knew it! Those country bumpkins were causing trouble, and it seems they caught the monster’s eye. Around here, if you stick your neck out, you’ll get stabbed right away.”

“Ahh, move! This is a bomb! A bomb!”

“Hmm… this collectible seems quite valuable.”

The Northern Slum of Night Haven.

This place, neglected even by buses and subways, was one of the most notorious crime-ridden areas within the city.

Dilapidated buildings reeked of filth; compared to the relatively clean downtown citizens, scarred beastmen covered in strange tattoos roamed freely.

Thanks to the beastmen solidifying their power, the West maintained some order, but the North, lacking a clear ruler, was soaked in blood day after day like a war zone.

However, despite being a place where creating legitimate value seemed nearly impossible, surprisingly, a thriving black market operated here.

Perhaps because there wasn’t a clear central figure to target, rooting it out completely was difficult.

In any case, this stubborn black market refused to disappear no matter what, and truly, anything was sold and anything was bought.

Rare beastman eyeballs or organs, core technologies from famous corporations, cursed swords crafted by master artisans—you name it.

Things too risky to sell openly elsewhere were traded here without restraint.

Of course, it was common for someone without strong backing to get robbed while trying to buy or sell something.

Still, for those lurking in the shadows, there was no place more attractive or appetizing.

“…”

Covering my face deeply with a black robe I casually bought during my outing with Sabrina, I strolled confidently through the black market in the Northern Slum.

To avoid detection, I tied my hair back tightly and made sure none of it showed. Instead of the fox mask Greg gave me, I wore a goblin mask, prepared for any situation.

Earlier, when I checked myself in the mirror, it didn’t look suspicious at all. Even someone who knew Yuria probably wouldn’t recognize me like this. …Right?

“…By the way, this is my first time here. The buildings are all so low. Guess I can’t fly around carelessly using telekinesis.”

The Northern Slum was full of low buildings, dirty floors, and walls—it reminded me of shantytowns.

Compared to the towering skyscrapers of the Western Labyrinth, it felt strange that both places belonged to the same underworld yet were so different.

Good thing I chose to hide in the West instead of the North.

Thinking that to myself, I slipped lightly through the dense crowd, heading into a narrow alley rather than the main road.

My destination wasn’t on the bustling main street but deep inside a secluded alley. It was time to enter.

As I entered the alley, perhaps due to my robed appearance, those loitering nearby immediately challenged me with drawn knives.

“Hey, hold it! Kid, you wanna pass through here? Hand over everything you’ve got… Gah!”

“Wha-what’s this brat doing… Cough!”

*BAM!* *WHACK!*

I kindly delivered a telekinetic flick to each of their heads, courtesy of my rarely used power.

Maybe it was because my telekinesis had improved in precision and range.

Knocking out knife-wielding thugs was easier than yawning.

At this distance, even if someone happened to walk by, they’d probably assume these guys just collapsed on their own rather than suspecting foul play.

“Well, goodness me. Such bad people. I guess I have no choice but to collect a surprise fee.”

Thinking that to myself, I took wallets from the frothing, unconscious bodies and relieved them of their cash.

If I left them like this, hyenas would strip them bare anyway.

Taking just the money beforehand wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. Hehe, I’ll put it to good use.

“Oi, this isn’t a place for kids to… Gah!”

“Keh keh keh! Hand over everything! Or I’ll rip out all your guts… Guh!”

“Eh… H-Hey, are you a mage? …Ack!”

*WHACK!* *BAM!* *BOOM!*

After knocking out three more goons blocking my path, I finally reached my intended destination.

“This is the place from the original story… Wow, it’s really run-down.”

Where I stopped was an unremarkable building that looked like an ordinary house if not for the dusty sign hanging outside.

The sign read “Omnibus,” written in rare Chinese characters, confirming I was in the right spot.

…Though, now that I was here, I felt a bit nervous.

Shaking slightly, I pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Or, well, I tried to.

Just as I grabbed the handle, a commotion erupted from within.

“Get lost, you damn brat!”

“Ow! Master! That hurts! It hurts!”

“Then I’ll beat you until it stops hurting, you little punk! You think I hit you for fun?”

Hmm, I should step back for a moment.

As I thought that, I moved three steps away from the door.

Almost simultaneously, the door swung open, and a young man tumbled out in a panic.

“S-Sorry! It was an accident, I swear!”

The yellow-haired guy, looking timid and sticky like honey, rolled on the ground and scurried off on all fours, disappearing into the alley.

He was so flustered he didn’t even notice me standing near the door.

Next came a red-haired woman wearing thick, round glasses, appearing to be in her late 20s or early 30s.

Freckles dotted her nose, but her revealing sleeveless top and striking presence drew attention away from them, making her seem thrice as charming.

She stormed out in slippers, chasing after the yellow-haired youth, then turned her sharp gaze toward me standing near the door.

Realizing I wasn’t just a passerby but a potential customer, she narrowed her eyes and cautiously spoke.

“Are you… a customer?”

“…”

“Ugh… Come inside. It’s cold out here.”

When I nodded, she massaged her neck, clearly annoyed by the timing.

She wanted to chase the runaway guy but couldn’t ignore a customer either.

Despite her urgency, she seemed to believe attending to customers came first.

Calmly composing herself, she led me inside.

She felt mature and composed, like Greg or Raven. So cool.

She looked exactly like her character from the original story.

Thinking that made me feel a sudden surge of familiarity and warmth.

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