They walked along the bustling marketplace. Daichi stopped at a section labeled Mask Zone, where a variety of masks were on display for sale. The attendant there seemed not to care about their presence. Some were carved from wood, others built from metal and deck-gear parts, each one humming faintly with tech.
Daichi picked one up, a monkey-shaped mask with glowing green dollar signs for eyes, the symbol of Drakon, their national currency. "Perfect," he said, slipping it on.
Then he grabbed another and tossed it to Kurogami.
"This one's yours."
Kurogami caught it mid-air. The mask didn't cover his whole face, only from his nose down to his chin. The moment he placed it on, the material shifted, metal plates sliding like liquid, merging with his skin. It locked into place along his jawline, its sleek design giving him a ninja-like look. Two small rectangular vents glowed faintly on both sides of his neck.
Kurogami looked at his reflection in a glass display. "It actually looks… cool," he murmured.
Daichi smirked.
They moved on. At the next stall, Daichi asked the clerk for weapons.
Kurogami frowned. "I don't need a weapon."
"Maybe not," Daichi replied, "but where we're going, you have to have one with you, even if you don't plan on using it."
"Since you are the close combat type, why not use this?"
Daichi picked out a pair of sleek, black gloves and handed them over. "Try these. They're basic, but special."
Kurogami slipped them on, tightening the straps around his wrists. "Basic, huh?" He struck the nearby training bag, using only five percent of his strength.
A sudden boom burst out, a sharp sonic blast that tore through the bag instantly.
"Whoa…" Kurogami muttered, eyes wide.
Daichi chuckled. "How much does it all cost?" Daichi said to the attendant watching their every move
He flashed his red-tier card, the mark of serious wealth, even as a bastard, the shopkeeper instantly straightened up. He grabbed Daichi's card and swiped it on a device, instantly charging Daichi.
"My apologies, sir. Do you need anything else?" The attendant's attitude became more humble and calm.
"We're good," Daichi said, tucking the card away.
They left the stall and continued down the narrowing street, where the neon lights dimmed and the air grew heavier. Daichi led the way without a word, his pace calm but deliberate.
As they walked down the narrow alley, Daichi and Kurogami stopped. Ahead stood a strange building, something between a house and a bunker. It looked like it had once been normal, but years of neglect had left its walls cracked and rusted. Four heavy curtains hung across the entrance, their edges lined with metal plates.
Around the doorway stood four guards, part human, part machine. Their prosthetic limbs gleamed faintly under the dull streetlights, humming with faint traces of Khaos Essence. One had a fully mechanical arm; another's legs were reinforced with cybernetic pistons. Their presence alone made the air feel heavier.
Without hesitation, Daichi stepped forward and drew out a small token. The metallic surface pulsed faintly with a blue sigil. The guards exchanged glances, then stepped aside without a word.
"Come on," Daichi said.
The two entered the building. Inside was nothing more than a bare metal room with a single button on the wall. Daichi pressed it.
Immediately, the floor shuddered. The entire structure began to descend.
The sound of grinding gears filled the air as the elevator sank deeper and deeper below ground. Kurogami looked around, stunned by how advanced and secret the mechanism was."How deep is this?" he asked.
"Not too deep," Daichi replied with a grin, "just deep enough to stay out of the world's sight. This is one of the many entrances to city Z."
Ten minutes passed before a faint glow appeared beneath them. Slowly, the view widened, revealing a vast underground city.
Welcome to City Z.
It spread out like a hidden civilization, towering structures, flickering neon lights, and shadowed alleys filled with movement. The air was thick with noise, engines, voices, laughter, and the hum of machinery.
"This place is completely off the grid," Daichi began, his tone calm, as though giving a tour. "City Z was built for the unwanted, smugglers, black market traders, and those who don't fit up there. Everything illegal above is legal here."
They walked through the crowded streets. Vendors shouted over one another, offering strange vials, mechanical limbs, and glowing shards of raw Khaos crystals. This mostly caught Kurogami's attention. The smell of metal, smoke, and fuel hung in the air.
Kurogami paused and went straight to the vendor who was selling Khaos crystal.
"Hello, how much can I get a raw Khaos crystal?"
The vendor looked at him and smiled, "he doesn't look around here. Easy dog to rip off."
"Ahhh, customer, you are interested in these raw Khaos crystals. My Khaos crystal is the cheapest in all of City Z," the vendor said proudly as he got closer to Kurogami.
"So, how much?" Kurogami said.
"Sir, it's just for thirty thousand drakons," the vendor said. Of course, the raw Khaos crystals were sold for just ten thousand drakons. Seeing Kurogami, he could tell he wasn't from here, so he triple to price.
"Thirty thousand drakons," Kurogami muttered, "per one?" he asked.
"Yes, yes. Sir, have a look," the vendor said, handing one raw Khaos crystal to him.
When Kurogami felt the energy in it, his eyes brightened up he could tell this was what he needed; if he was to cultivate with the essence that would pour inside its core like a falling river, he was tempted to immediately start cultivating. The vendor's notice is expressing his face, curved into an evil smile.
"Sir, why get one when you can get a crate of raw Khaos stones?, I can tell you have something very important you need this for; each crate contains at least 30 raw stones. With this, I'm sure you can accomplish your goals," the vendor said.
This one full crate should sell for at least three hundred thousand drakons; this vendor wanted to sell it to him for triple its price, if Kurogami had money on him, who would have bought it almost instantly, but he didn't, and luckily, he was with Daichi, who had rich experience in this city Z.
Kurogami turned to Daichi, who was just looking at everything. Daichi signed, coming closer to Kurogami, "This raw crystal is worth only ten thousand drakons,". Hearing this, the old vendor backed off.
"What?" Kurogami turned to this old vendor, where glasses, his expression showed he was angry; if he had his way, he would have started beating this old man, who wanted to scam him, but even still, three hundred thousand drakons was still a huge some for Kurogami
"It's just business," the vendor said as he walked away from Kurogami.
Daichi shook his head, "Kurogami let go." They both walked alongside, and Daichi began to explain things to him again
"Every few months, they move the city, change its coordinates, to stay hidden from the higher-ups. You can buy anything here, from a core implant to a beast's heart. Sometimes, they capture living anomalies for experimentation, or dangerous beasts as pets."
Kurogami's eyes darted everywhere, at the pale-faced addicts, the merchants trading strange weapons, and the gang marks painted across the walls. Every few meters, heavily armed thugs watched them, silent and unmoving.
"Multiple gangs control the districts," Daichi said as they passed a row of glowing red signs. "Each one owns a piece of the city Z. Cross the wrong line, and you'll never find your way out, so you have to be careful."
Despite the danger, no one approached them. Daichi's presence, confident and calm, was enough warning.
Soon, they reached a smaller terminal. A sleek, floating vehicle waited there. The doors slid open silently.
"Come on. It's not far," Daichi said.
"Where are we heading to sir?" the driver said. Daichi flicked his hand, "I have sent you the coordinates." Immediately, the driver knew where they were going
The car lifted off and glided above the streets, the city lights flashing beneath it like flowing stars. After a short ride, they arrived down to a dark building, inside which was filled with different colors pulsing with sound, a party, loud and alive.
They were bouncers in black suits guiding the place. Daichi and Kurogami entered.
Music thundered through the air. People danced wildly, their bodies wired with glowing prosthetics. The air buzzed with energy, pleasure, and danger.
Kurogami stared, half-amazed, half uneasy. Everything about City Z screamed freedom, but the kind born from chaos, not peace.