The black market used to be the largest slum in the Underground City, where people from the bottom rung gathered and crime grew rampant. Over time, it evolved into today's black market, a paradise for criminals.
Xu Mo approached the black market, seeing rows of dilapidated houses, crowded streets, dense crowds, trash everywhere, and a terrible environment.
The assailant had already walked into the crowded area. Xu Mo had locked his perception on him and followed along the path ahead.
"Hey, handsome, want to have some fun?" A scantily clad, sexy woman puffed smoke at Xu Mo as he passed by. Xu Mo ignored her and walked on, but she reached out and tried to drag him into a nearby small house. Xu Mo's body, however, didn't budge.
He glanced at the thick foundation on her face and asked, "Auntie, are you paying me?"
"You...," the woman's face changed, and Xu Mo directly shook off her hand and continued forward. He encountered several such situations along the way.
"Someone's following."
Xu Mo quickly realized someone was tailing him. In fact, there were two people. They had been following him since he entered the black market and were clearly targeting him now.
"Thirty meters," Xu Mo calculated the distance.
"It's a fresh face," one man whispered.
"So young, his organs should fetch a good price," the other responded, gripping a dagger as he sped up, closing in on Xu Mo. When they were about ten meters away, both put on masks.
"Five meters!"
Xu Mo estimated the distance, spreading his perception to be fully aware of his surroundings.
The two men quickened their pace, daggers already drawn. Xu Mo also accelerated and turned into an alley on his left.
The two realized they were discovered and ran to follow.
Once in the alley, Xu Mo saw another right turn halfway through. After turning, he stopped and turned around. This alley could only accommodate one person at a time.
The follower emerged, spotting Xu Mo standing face-to-face. Before he could react, Xu Mo pressed his left arm against the man's head, smashing it against the wall. His right hand grabbed the hand holding the dagger and drove it into the man's throat. The immense power rendered the man incapable of resisting, the dagger piercing his own throat.
Behind the mask, the man's eyes bulged wide, seemingly unable to comprehend how he had died.
The second man halted, witnessing it all in an instant. Realizing he was outmatched, he turned and fled.
Xu Mo pulled the dagger from the man's throat and hurled it at the fleeing figure. With a precise sound, it pierced the man's neck, his body collapsing to the ground.
Xu Mo crouched, took the mask off the fallen man, and wore it himself. He pocketed the cash he found, then exited the alley.
He had lost the target. His perception had a limited range, and this delay allowed the fugitive to escape.
But Xu Mo didn't leave. He quickened his pace, the earlier kills giving him a better understanding of his own strength. Powerful brain calculations allowed him to execute his actions clearly, and his body coordination was remarkably strong. Even without practice, his thrown dagger was highly accurate. This made him more acutely aware of his body's current changes.
As for killing the organ traffickers, Xu Mo felt no guilt. On his first day in this world, he understood the survival laws of the underworld.
As Xu Mo walked, he memorized the black market's layout, familiarizing himself with the areas he traversed, better safe than sorry.
"Need Genetic Evolution Liquid?" A middle-aged man approached Xu Mo and whispered.
"Genetic Evolution Liquid?" It was the first time Xu Mo had heard the term. This world actually had such a thing?
He didn't stop, brushing past the man, continuing onward. Selling Genetic Evolution Liquid on the streets of the black market seemed like shouting martial arts secrets in a past life.
As Xu Mo moved deeper into the black market, he noticed the crowd converging towards a single destination. He followed, soon spotting an iron door. He glanced inside, seeing burly guards armed and patrolling both inside and outside.
Inside, chaotic noises reached Xu Mo's ears: the roar of crowds and heavy metal music.
"A casino?" Xu Mo observed for a moment before walking in. The dim iron door led to a packed space. Xu Mo squeezed in with the flow of people, the cacophony bombarding his ears.
Xu Mo passed through the iron doors and found himself in a vast space, with alternating light and dark flashing overhead. Five floors crowded with people gathered around various gambling tables.
Xu Mo walked slowly, taking in the surroundings. Many surveillance cameras and numerous patrolling guards monitored key areas.
The noise, curses, and heavy metal music mixed chaotically, making Xu Mo's head throb. He didn't like the scene but maintained his perception.
"There." Xu Mo found the person he was looking for, who he had previously lost track of.
Locking on his target, Xu Mo closed in slowly. The person gambled at a table twice before heading deeper into the casino. Xu Mo blended into the crowd, remaining inconspicuous.
As he passed a gambling table, he used his 'special' ability to glance at the cards, seeing through the bottom cards. However, the material of the dice cups varied at different tables, with some cups being opaque to his sight.
"What's that?" Continuing inward, Xu Mo noticed a densely packed area. The heavy metal music was deafening, lights swung dynamically overhead. It was far more lively than the gambling tables.
Xu Mo perceived the scene there. It was a fighting arena surrounded by people. He saw his target enter a side corridor, destination unknown.
Xu Mo squeezed into the crowd, using his spiritual power continuously. He noticed fatigue creeping in. His lean body and strong strength allowed him to easily push to the front.
Being at the front of the arena, his view was still obstructed. The upper floors offered better views, especially the fifth floor, with closed rooms likely reserved for 'important figures.'
In the fighting arena, two figures appeared. One was burly, bald, and shirtless, with solid muscular lines exuding power. He held a shield in his left hand and a heavy ax in his right.
In contrast, the opponent was slimmer, had a buzz cut, a long face, and wore a white ghost mask. He was unarmed.
The deafening cheers even drowned the blaring heavy metal music. Everyone was excited, roaring at the fighters.
"Begin!" With the signal from above, the burly fighter charged at Bai Gui. At the same time, Bai Gui moved, his arm extending and transforming into extremely sharp metal blades.
"Screech..." Sharp metal spikes shot from his arm, aimed directly at the opponent's eyes.
"Mechanical arm!"
Xu Mo's heart jolted at the sight. The original owner knew too little about this world; he needed to see for himself.
The scene before him resembled a sci-fi movie. The mechanical arm turned into blades, shooting out. The opponent raised his shield to block, but the sharp objects, like tentacles, clung to the shield's edges. Bai Gui's body used the momentum to spring towards the burly fighter.
A loud roar erupted as the burly fighter's ax swung at the mechanical arm. The immense power was so violent it made the surrounding audience scream wildly in excitement. Xu Mo felt his ears might burst.
The mechanical arm's tentacles immediately released, the ax slicing through the air. Bai Gui's charging figure didn't stop, both arms extending into sharp claws, both arms mechanical.
The burly fighter lunged, using his momentum to smash the shield forward, the power immense.
"Boom..." A loud collision sent Bai Gui flying, his mechanical arms twisted, showing the immense force.
"Kill him."
"Kill him..." Wild roars mixed with heavy metal music made the blood surge.
"So crazy," Xu Mo glanced around, not expecting the underworld's fighting to be so intense. Was it because normal life was too repressive?
It seemed strength was highly valued in the underworld.
And, could the fight end with a death?
The ax-wielding fighter, barefoot, ran steadily across the arena toward the opponent, clearly trained.
In the subsequent clash, the ax-wielding fighter remained dominant. Xu Mo ignored the cheers, focusing his spiritual power on the arena, observing their moves, power, and speed.
He wondered if he could beat an opponent in the arena with his current combat power.
"Bai Gui's going to lose." An idea formed in Xu Mo's mind, as if he had already calculated the outcome. Bai Gui's mechanical arms could extend as weapons, but their material was too ordinary. The immense power strained the mechanical arms, and Bai Gui's agility was insufficient. In this situation, he couldn't break the opponent's defense. Continuing to fight would only lead to one possible outcome.
PS: The third chapter, asking for votes and support...