The two men who remained standing didn't move. They watched me as I stood over the unconscious body of Kael, the man who was supposed to be far stronger than me. The blue interface of my System flickered, displaying the rewards of my victory.
"Impressive," the man with the glowing tattoos said, stepping forward. He raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Relax, kid. We aren't here to fight you. In fact, we were just testing to see if the rumors were true."
I didn't lower my guard. "What rumors? And who are you?"
"My name is Jax," he replied, his tattoos dimming. "We belong to a group called 'The Undercurrent'. We look for unranked players who manifest Systems outside the official Government Awakened Association. You, Prasenjit, are a rare case. A Zero who can outpace a C-Rank."
He pulled out a sleek, black card from his pocket and tossed it toward me. I caught it mid-air. It felt cold, with a small chip embedded in the center.
"That card is an invitation to the Underground Market," Jax continued. "There, you can sell your Gold Coins for real-world currency without the tax collectors breathing down your neck. You can also buy skill books and equipment that the Government doesn't want you to have."
[System Notification: New Location Discovered – The Underground Market]
[Quest Updated: Visit the Market to unlock the 'Trading' feature.]
"Why tell me this?" I asked, eyeing the card suspiciously. "What's in it for you?"
Jax smirked. "Let's just say we like to invest in 'dark horses'. The world is changing, kid. The monsters coming out of the Dungeons are getting stronger every day. We need people who don't follow the rules."
He turned to leave, his companion following close behind. "Keep that card safe. If you lose it, you lose your life. See you around, Zero Master."
They vanished into the shadows of the warehouse before I could ask another question. I looked at the black card in my hand, then at my System screen. My journey had just gotten much more dangerous—and much more profitable.