With my newfound wealth jingling in my pockets, I bid farewell to the bustling scrapyard and returned to Market Street, my steps light with anticipation.

  I then gave the fancy store I went into yesterday a wide berth and instead entered another nearby shop that looked like it would be a lot more considerate toward my poor purse.

  The said establishment was a cramped, dimly lit space with rusty metal shelves that were stuffed full of battered, secondhand gear, giving the room an eerie yet enticing atmosphere.

  That’s more like it… Smiling, I swiftly approached the bored-looking shopkeeper - a sly old man with beady eyes who sat behind a particularly time-worn counter.

  "Whatcha need, boy?" he rasped, eyeing me suspiciously.

  I blinked in confusion, slightly taken aback by his hostile demeanor. Why is every merchant on this floor staring at me like I just mugged their grandmother? I silently wondered.

  I knew that my current attire was far from desirable, and I was also covered by a thin layer of soot and grime from crawling through the vents, but still. He could at least drop the scowl; I’m about to make a big purchase, after all.

  Nevertheless, I didn’t let it deter me as I put on my most confident smile. "I'm looking for some armor… Something light but sturdy."

  The shopkeeper snorted. "Light and sturdy, eh? That'll cost ya. More than a little scrawny runt like you can afford, I reckon."

  …And what’s with everyone calling me scrawny!? Every orphan looks like that! It’s not my fault that the lofty Sentinels couldn’t spare enough tokens to feed us properly.

  “I have tokens,” I replied, defiantly meeting his gaze.

  He looked at me dubiously for a moment, but after spotting my swollen pouch, his eyes gleamed. “Lemme see what I can find for ya…”

  With that, the shopkeeper grunted and heaved himself up from his stool. He shuffled over to a rack of dusty leather armor and started rummaging through it. After a while, he pulled out a sleek-looking chest piece and tossed it over. "Here, try this on."

  I somehow managed to catch it and went on to examine the supple yet sturdy leather. It was worn in places but seemed to be in decent shape overall.

  "This beauty is made out of a devil’s goat skin. Light as a feather but tough as nails." The shopkeeper proudly explained.

  I ran my fingers over the chest piece. It felt solid. I slipped it over my head, surprised by how well it fit. Smiling, I nodded with satisfaction. This could make all the difference down there.

  "It ain't pretty, but it'll stop a knife or even a monster's claws just fine …most likely." He added, flashing me a crooked grin.

  "How much?" I asked, trying not to let my eagerness show. I had a feeling this crook would jack up the price if he sensed any of my acute need for added protection.

  The man rubbed his chin, his eyes narrowing as he sized me up. "For you... let's say a hundred. And that's cuttin' ya a deal, boy."

  I grimaced at the steep price but knew I couldn't afford to be stingy, not when my life was on the line. So, after a bit of haggling, we settled on 85 tokens. It was still a pretty hefty sum, but I figured it was a worthwhile investment.

  Then, with my remaining five tokens, I bought some more food on the market as I had no idea where I would be able to make it back up here.

  And just like that, all my money was once again gone, so with a sigh, I trundled back to the small warehouse to retrieve my precious belongings.

  Once there, I ordered Rocky to be perfectly still while I stuffed him inside the empty sack and heaved him onto my shoulders. For all intents and purposes, he was now just another piece of nameless cargo, and I was one of the many porters running up and down the stairs.

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  I put my supplies in a separate bag and added them to the top to mask any potential glow that might leak through the slits in the fabric.

  …And as a final touch, I boldly strapped the sick-looking machete to my belt. Even if the guards decided to inspect me, I could now just pretend I bought it in the Craftsman’s district.

  I kept my head low, expertly weaving through the various carts piled high with goods and strange mechanical contraptions alike. Ugh, so heavy! I grimaced, struggling under the insane load. Who could have thought that such a tiny golem would be so weighty?

  My heart raced as I spotted the first checkpoint—two burly guards sagging against the wall, clearly bored by their uneventful duty. I adjusted my sack, ensuring Rocky was hidden from sight while trying my best to match my movements with those of the surrounding crowd.

  The guards' eyes flicked over the scene, dull and unyielding. I held my breath, trying to look as unassuming as possible. Then, just as fast as they appeared, they were gone, and I was on the stairs, quickly disappearing behind the first bend.

  Perfect. I smiled. Luckily, the only thing the guards cared about most of the time was that no one unwanted would sneak onto the floor. As to leaving it - they couldn’t care less.

  But that wouldn’t be true for the next one, and as if to confirm my suspicions, right as I made it in front of the ninth-floor entrance, I suddenly heard a shout.

  "Oi! You!" One of the guards barked, his voice slicing through the everpresent noise of the Generator. My heart lurched as my eyes darted up to meet his gaze. "What've you got in that sack?"

  I swallowed hard, forcing a smile while praying to all the saints that they wouldn’t ask me to remove my cloak. "Oh, just some supplies for the pub," I hurriedly replied, trying to sound casual, though my voice cracked slightly at the edges.

  He narrowed his eyes. “You have food?” This question seemed to have attracted the attention of the other guy standing nearby. “Food? Let’s see it then!”

  “Ehm…” When I saw their greedy looks, I immediately realized my mistake and began panicking. The last thing I needed was for them to find out Rocky.

  “It’s nothing much. Here! Take a look for yourself…” I flashed them a grin, quickly removing one of the bags of grain I bought upstairs and tossing it over to the pair of sleazy guards.

  I could see their hungry eyes eagerly following the flying sack as the closer one swiftly raised his hand to catch it.

  Smirking under my hood, I used this momentary distraction to weave past him, slipping into the Outskirts and promptly disappearing within their dark confines.

  That was close… It seemed that the food situation down here was even worse than I thought. It was a shame to lose half of my newly bought supplies like that, but it was much better than the alternative.

  If nothing is done about it, things might get ugly soon. Hopefully, I won’t be anywhere near this shithole when that happens.

  I should probably also do something about that stupid order Rowan gave me. Not that I was planning to go through with it, of course, only to make it look like I was following it while making sure they saw me doing it.

  Still, from what Rowan had told me, Sara apparently only came down to the Outskirts twice a week, and since she was here just yesterday, I had some time before she was supposed to show up again.

  …All the more reason to get moving. With that, I kept to the shadows, ensuring nobody followed me while I made a beeline for the Ratways’ entrance.

  As I approached the final guard post, the pair of watchers stationed there gave me an incredulous look. After all, the Ratways weren’t known as a pleasant location for a morning stroll.

  Luckily, I knew these particular guards quite well. One of them was even a former orphan like me, thus a bit sympathetic to my cause. “Jayden, you’re alive! So the rumors were true…”

  I gave him a nod. “Good to see you too, Trevor. Can I pass?”

  “Huh, why would you want to go back there? And what’s in that big sack?”

  I flashed him a smile.”Rat hunting, why else? These are just a few traps I bought with the proceeds from the last expedition.” I then leaned closer, whispering. “You see… while I was down there, I found a nest and a big one to boost.”

  “And what about Captain? Did he give you permission to leave? You know what happened the last time you tried to sneak out.”

  I grimaced. “You don’t have to remind me... Anyway, I’m officially done with that bastard; I have repaid my debt, so I’m not beholden to him anymore.”

  “You did? Good for you!” Trevor widened his eyes in surprise before adopting a serious expression. “But don’t let anyone hear you calling the Captain names like that. You know how he feels about it. Here you’re among friends, but if any of his goons catch that, you’d be in real trouble…”

  “I know, I know… So may I go?” I said dismissively while pointing toward the dark passage ahead.

  Witnessing my brazen disregard for authorities, Trevor sighed, shaking his head in exasperation before waving me off. “Okay, you may go, but make sure you come back. I’d hate to declare you dead a second time…”