It Was a Good Thing I Wasn't Born Here

Under Hom's guidance, Feng Xue spent 2.1 million to buy an "Convenient Wrapping Cloth (L)" and packed up all the cardboard boxes and odds and ends that couldn't fit into her Storage Bag. It's just that Boss Xiao's shop isn't one of those shops that doesn't offer contracts; otherwise, Feng Xue would have had to exchange her [Knowledge] for Tower Coins before she could buy the Wrapping Cloth.

However, after this transaction, Feng Xue's accumulated [knowledge] was almost exhausted. While the tens of thousands of [knowledge] she earned daily from the Demonic Trait wasn't enough to make a living, it was clearly far from sufficient for a lavish lifestyle in this city. Therefore—

"Hom, is there anywhere around here where I can sell Phantom Object?"

"Some sellers, if they purchased the Phantom Object through normal channels and have complete authentication certificates, can sell them directly through normal channels. High-quality items are also good for auctions. However, if the Phantom Object were obtained through 'Omen drops,' 'murder for treasure,' or 'Manufacturing Type 'Trait, they need to go through the proper procedures for authentication. After all, Phantom Object often have equally obvious advantages and disadvantages. Without a sufficiently authoritative authentication, buyers will have doubts. Authentication requires a certain amount of time and costs 200,000 per item. The advantage is that there is a contractual guarantee and it is safe."

Hom spoke with a hidden meaning, and Feng Xue's lips curled up slightly:

"So, there are channels that are not very safe, lack contractual protection, but don't require authentication?"

"Of course." Hom nodded, and without asking Feng Xue whether she was going or not, he changed direction and began to explain as he walked:

There are three main informal channels for selling Phantom Object: the Black Market, self-operated stores, and Gambling Shop.

"The Black Market is a place specifically for selling and disposing of stolen goods. If the source is sensitive, but you have some understanding of the effects of the Phantom Object, you will basically go here. However, whether you are buying or selling, you need to have a good eye, otherwise you can easily get ripped off."

"Self-operated stores are shops opened by people with Manufacturing Type Tag. They collect some Phantom Object, some as raw materials, some to study the structure and formula of Phantom Object, and some simply to display in the store as their own creations;

"Finally, there's the Gambling Shop. This place is a bit special; in a sense, it's part of the facilities that have leaked out from the Infinite City's Residential Area. Simply put, you sacrifice your Phantom Object to the Infinite City, and then the Infinite City makes a comprehensive evaluation based on the elements and information contained in the Phantom Object. Then, it randomly selects three to five items that are similar to them, and you can choose any one of them. However, this is very risky, and you rarely get anything useful. Generally, only those who get those junk Phantom Object that nobody wants even if they're sold by weight will come here to gamble. Compared to the previous two types, this facility is usually used more by holders of the Manufacturing Type Tag."

"There's even Gambling Shop! What an interesting facility!" Feng Xue was secretly delighted, finding a home for some completely useless comedic props. However, considering her empty bank account, she still said:

"Let's go to the Black Market first. By the way, how much would it cost to introduce me to the Black Market?"

"No need. If you go to the Black Market I recommend, I can get a commission. You don't need to pay for that. Of course, I won't give you any advice. Whether you can negotiate a price depends on your own ability. Besides, these kinds of shops don't sign contracts. Who loses and who gains depends entirely on their judgment."

Perhaps because of the contract's validity, Hom's reminder was serious and earnest, as if he genuinely worried that Feng Xue would be deceived. Feng Xue was quite satisfied with this, but she didn't let her guard down. She maintained her somewhat expressionless face and gestured for Hom to lead the way.

This time, however, Feng Xue finally realized how difficult it was to navigate South District without a guide. It's safe to say that even someone with a great sense of direction would find it hard to avoid getting lost in this place, which is like a sci-fi upgraded version of Pig Cage Alley, even with a map.

The layered map of Monster Hunter World is already quite complex, but the South District map that Feng Xue accessed with her work badge is countless times more complex than the Ancient Tree Forest. To put it simply, the Ancient Tree Forest map only has three layers, one large and two small, while the South District map shown by the work badge alone has more than two hundred layers. This does not include the platforms hidden between layers, the secret passages hidden between buildings, and the movable platforms built using special methods.

Hom wasn't simply leading Feng Xue way; on the way to the nearby Black Market, he was also explaining basic knowledge about shops and residences, as well as how to move quickly in this complex area.

"These signs with the gold flashing icon indicate Bus Stop. If you want to go to some regular facilities, you can search by employee ID and then find the designated bus stop. The regular Electromagnetic Bus costs 50 yuan per person per trip, but you cannot cross floors."

"Rental Flying Vehicle is much more expensive. The starting fee is 20,000 towers, and it's charged per floor. If you want to fly from the ground floor to the 200th floor, it will cost around 500,000 towers. If you want to rent one, just use the map function to search for Rental Flying Vehicle."

"Although Rental Flying Vehicle is expensive, it is also relatively fast. If you take the elevator or stairs to change floors, even without considering congestion and transfers, it will take at least two hours to get from the ground floor to the top floor. If you take a taxi, it will only take ten minutes to get there."

"To get to the Garbage Mountain, you must enter through a designated airport. Each entry requires 100,000 towers, but there is no time limit. If you are not worried about collapses or Omen on the mountain, you can even settle down there."

"However, please remember that any illegal trips to the Garbage Mountain will be attacked by the Floating Guards —those little balls that float around the Garbage Mountain. Generally speaking, as long as you can get out of the Garbage Mountain alive, the reward will not be less than 100,000 towers, so there is no need to risk it for such a Xiao Qian."

"In addition, the spaceships leaving the Garbage Mountain are free, including those that have just arrived. If you encounter any worthwhile creatures in the Garbage Mountain, you can bring them out. The spaceport offers a full range of services from Slave Contract to slave training, but it's quite expensive. Unless they have exceptional potential, I recommend cheaper items like Slave Collar."

Walking on the technologically advanced circular track, Feng Xue listened to Hom's incessant introduction of various information, but couldn't help feeling fortunate.

At this moment, he was extremely grateful that he hadn't directly transmigrated here. Otherwise, he would probably be either food for the Omen Beast or working as someone's dog with a collar. However, even now, he couldn't let his guard down, since this kind of contract obviously wasn't only for newly transmigrated people.

"Boss, we've arrived." Just as Feng Xue was pondering, Hom finally stopped. What appeared before them was a somewhat old-looking house with a modern neon sign that read "Finoreta".

Feng Xue glanced down at the salt in his hand, casually tossed it to the ground, and ultimately swallowed the mouthful of salt. At that moment, he suddenly began to doubt the ingredients...