"Come on, baaaay-beeeeee! You won't find this anywhere else—this is the rarest piece in the world! Only fifty Dita! Buy it now or regret it forever! Last pieces left—grab yours before they're gone!"
The market stretched across the street, lined with small stalls run by men and women. Each was filled with goods—snacks fried on the spot, baskets of fresh fruit, bundles of vegetables, racks of clothes, and even furniture. The smell of grilled meat and spices drifted through the air, mixing with the sharper scent of alcohol from a nearby drinks stall. Some merchants sold the same items, their voices overlapping as they tried to outshout one another.
The crowd moved in a constant flow. Shoppers bargained, children tugged at their parents' sleeves, and vendors waved their hands, calling for attention. It was noisy, messy, and alive—a place where one could find almost anything.
"Fresh fruits, luxury clothes, anything you dream of—you'll find it here! Only here!" one stall owner bellowed, his voice cutting through the noise. "Come, take a look! Don't waste your time anywhere else—everything you need is right in front of your eyes!"
"Listen, kid—this isn't just some ordinary drink. One sip will push your limits. You'll feel your strength rise, and you'll be able to use frequency like a real man. If you want it, hand over twenty Dita." What do you say?" The vendor's sly grin made it clear—this was more scam than promise.
Dita was the currency of Alterra. Though it technically existed in physical form, almost no one bothered with coins or notes anymore. Instead, people relied on digital payments—either through personal gadgets linked to their accounts or with specialized payment devices and cards. Digital transactions were faster, cleaner, and far more convenient, making them the standard across the world.
"Excuse me, sir! Just try our product once—I guarantee you'll like it! If not, full money back, completely free!" one vendor shouted. Dozens of others raised their voices as well, each trying to sell their goods louder than the next. The market was filled with noise, everyone competing to be heard.
A young girl stood in front of a snack stall. Her appearance immediately caught the eye. Long brown hair framed her face, the same shade as her calm, watchful eyes. A teal-green coat draped loosely over her shoulders, while a bright red scarf with four tails—two falling in front, two trailing behind—wrapped around her neck. A brown skirt and matching boots completed her outfit. She looked different from the others, as if she were an outsider.
"Excuse me, please give me a pack of fried potatoes," the young girl said to the stall owner.
"There's your fried potato, ma'am. Would you like anything else?" the stall owner asked.
"No," the girl replied. She took the pack and walked off, munching on the fried potatoes.
"Thank you for coming! Wishing you a great day!" the stall owner called after her.
"This one looks like just a small cube, but don't underestimate it. Just pinch it between two fingers, press down, and drop it—watch the magic! See? It instantly expands into a full-sized chair! The price for this cube is only one hundred and twenty Dita!" shouted another stall owner, advertising his product to the crowd as she passed along the pathway.
The girl stopped in her tracks, still chewing on her fried potatoes. A moment later, three men hurried over to her, bowing slightly as they apologized for being late.
"We got out in time, but you insisted we come by public transport—that's why we're late. You know very well that without our own vehicle, it always takes longer. The checkpoint slows everything down too, since they check each person one by one. If we had come with our own vehicle, we could've passed easily without waiting in line for so long."
The girl said to them, "Don't make excuses. You had the choice to take the shortcut through the mega tunnel, but instead you chose the long path. There's no reason you should've come through the abandoned area. Whatever—listen, Tashi and Gou, you two head outside this area. And you, come with me."
It looked like they had come here for some kind of investigation, and the girl seemed to be in charge. The two groups split up—Tashi's team headed out of the market while the girl's team moved deeper inside. But the real question was, what exactly were they searching for?
"Oh man, Ed was so lucky… I wanted to go with Ms. Mei Lin Xianru. Damn it, I'm so unlucky. Damn you, Ed," Gou complained.
Tashi frowned. "You've started your nonsense again. Please, just stop and give me a little break."
"What do you mean, nonsense?" Gou shot back. "You have no idea how desperately I've loved Ms. Mei Lin. When I heard we were coming here with her, I had so many thoughts. I thought I'd impress her with my intelligence and skills… and then I'd propose to her," Gou said with a dreamy look.
"And immediately she'll reject you," Tashi cut him off flatly.
Gou suddenly grabbed Tashi's collar, his eyes burning with frustration. "What did you just say? Do you even understand how desperately I love her? How long I've been waiting for this moment—and Ed just stole it from me! As my friend, you should at least give me some hope… but instead, you're just making it hurt even more!"
"Don't annoy me, you little pervert. Keep your eyes on the surroundings and focus on why we came here. Just do your job." Tashi pried Gou's hand off his collar as he spoke.
They kept walking through the town. At first glance, everything appeared completely ordinary. Rows of single-family houses lined the streets, giving the place a calm, familiar look. But the people were different. Some men wore outfits similar to Tashi and Gou's uniforms, while others were dressed in strange steampunk Victorian clothing—long coats, brass buttons, leather belts, and curious accessories that gleamed under the sunlight.
And the women's clothing was no different. Most of them wore long Victorian-style dresses with puffed shoulders, brass-lined buttons, and layered designs. The fabrics flowed elegantly as they walked, giving off the same steampunk Victorian atmosphere that filled the town.
"I should've been the one to stay with Ms. Mei Lin. What if they're attacked? Ed isn't strong enough to protect her. If anything happens to my Ms. Mei Lin… I swear, I'll kill Ed." Gou muttered bitterly.
Tashi muttered under his breath, his face twisting in irritation. "Why did I even agree to come here with this bastard? This little pervert is really driving me mad… At least Ed doesn't spout this kind of nonsense."
"Hey Tashi, don't you think we should check on Ms. Mei Lin? This place doesn't look suspicious to me, but I've heard that deeper inside the market, ghosts dwell. They're supposedly very terrifying. And you know Ed is useless—we have to act before she goes there. We can't let anything happen to Ms. Mei Lin."
"Shut up! We didn't come here to play detectives. We're just supposed to walk through, keep our eyes open, so just do this simple job quietly."
"Do you even know anything about that market?" Gou asked Tashi. "I've heard ghosts live there. They eat anything—food, metal, even objects that aren't edible. Meat, chicken… and their favorite dish is human flesh and organs—lungs, pancreas, hearts… but their absolute favorite is the human brain! Do you know what that means? They're in danger!"
"Oh, so that means the whole city's in danger? Ghost monsters living here peacefully all this time, and suddenly they'll attack only Xianru—then the entire city—just because one bastard came here to annoy me instead of doing his simple job? Yeah, sure. Maybe we should call for backup, right?" Tashi said, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Deep inside the market, the air grew darker and quieter. A heavy silence pressed down, wrapping the place in an eerie stillness. Only a few dim lights flickered through the fog, each one spaced far apart. On the upper floor, a door stood slightly open, and from within, faint shadows stirred—barely visible against the gloom."
"Boss," one of the shadows whispered from within the darkness. "I saw some outsiders in the market. Judging by their clothes, I'd say they came from Xianling. They don't look like merchants… I think they're searching for something."
"Are they after you, Boss?" another shadow hissed.
"Why else would outsiders come this deep? You're the only Elthera in the region. Could they have found out? Do you want us to hunt them down for you, Boss?" another voice echoed through the gloom.
"No… you don't need to do that," their boss said, his voice low but confident. "I have this special drink—Frequency Level Eight. If they really came here for me, I'll crush them myself."
"Barely any human or monster ever reaches Frequency Level Four," one of the shadows whispered in awe. "But you, Boss… with this drink, you'll surpass everyone—even death itself."
"Yeah, you're right," their boss said with a grin. "I'm starving. Go bring me food. You know when my avatide grows too strong, I lose control. So before I turn this power on you, hurry and bring me something to eat."
Inside the dark depths of the market, Mei Lin and Ed walked side by side. Fear was etched across Ed's face as he muttered, "Do we really have to come here? We should've scouted the market first before stepping inside."
"I already checked the market myself before you arrived," Mei Lin said. "Are you scared? You look scared."
"No, of course not," Ed quickly replied. "It's just the darkness—it makes my face look weird, that's all."
"This place might look scary, and I've heard stories about it," Mei Lin said, glancing around. "But if those stories are true, then we'll witness it ourselves."
Ed murmured under his breath, "I'm going to die because of her stupid curiosity… Why did I even come to this place?"
From the dark path where they walked, two shadows emerged ahead. Their footsteps echoed through the place, drawing closer and closer—creak… creak…
Ed stammered in terror, "Did you see that—or is it only me? What are those things? Ghosts? Monsters? They're coming for us! Let's get out of here before they kill us!"
"Don't be stupid. Calm down," Mei Lin said, steadying Ed with a firm tone. "We didn't come here to die at the hands of ghosts. We're the ones who are going to hunt them."
"I never liked that kind of arrogance. It makes me so mad. But what are we supposed to do against him? He's a Elthera—stronger than us," one shadow muttered.
The other replied, "Yeah, but right now we need to get him food, or he's gonna kick our ass. But what are we supposed to give him to eat?"
The first shadow muttered, "When he's hungry, he can eat anything. Don't think too hard about it. Even I can't hold back when I'm starving—if I don't eat something soon, I'll lose control and end up attacking someone for real."
The two shadowy figures crossed their path, and Ed froze in fear, nearly paralyzed. But as the figures drew closer and stepped past them, it became clear—they weren't monsters at all, just two kids, no older than fifteen or seventeen.
"What the hell just happened? I thought they were ghosts," Mei Lin said, disappointment written across her face.