Chapter 3: Carving Out A Market

The next day…

Kyle’s entire body was aching. He had overexerted himself during the fight, and his muscles screamed for rest. He sat in an opulent red velvet chair, the bloodstains from yesterday long gone and replaced with a slightly worn formal suit appropriated from the stash of the gang. Ulon’s humongous suits clearly did not fit his size.

He was in Ulon’s private room, now obviously his. It was filled with useless trinkets, trophies and a gaudy stuffed head of a wildlife Kyle had never seen before. All extremely distracting and a waste of time, in his opinion.

It had been slightly more than a day since he arrived in the city of Raktor, somehow waking up in another person’s body, along with a holographic interface reminiscent of VR games.

It’s far too real to be a VR game…. Kyle pondered as he checked his face in the mirror, looking nothing like how he did in the past. His face no longer had the perfection of designer genes cultivated over centuries, and his auburn hair was a stark difference from his previous pristine jet-black hair. Clear blemishes, pimples, and terrible skin all made for what Kyle could only refer to as ‘mediocre’ and hardly attractive. Not an issue now.

The first rule of thumb for Kyle when entering an unknown and potentially hostile environment was to gain safety first. By instantaneously taking out Ulon, he had temporarily secured his position as a gang leader, albeit of a small one but easier to control and tweak to his preference. Twenty weak members are hardly enough to serve as a buffer against enemies…

Efficiency was the name of the game when one wanted to be a galactic crime lord. Kyle did not beat around the bush, immediately coming up with a simple step-by-step plan.

There is also the issue of the gang I attacked when I arrived. No doubt they will come knocking sooner or later. Kyle surmised. From what he learnt, the Red Lions seemed to be a much larger gang, controlling four South Sector districts. He needed to potentially prepare for war.

To protect himself and his followers, he would need money. Most likely, lots of it. And he would need it extremely soon, with the Red Lions poised to pounce if the Seven Snakes showed any more weakness. Until then, he had to remain low. Kyle winced as he tried to move his arms, sore from exhaustion.

On his neck was the Necklace of Healing, which he still had no idea how to activate. I was not able to activate the pipe as well. Does this mean my body can’t use arctech?

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Equipment Equipped [Necklace of Healing (Basic)] For the timid of heart +3 INT, +3 VIT, +1 CHA Active Skill: Heal (Basic) – Restore a tiny amount of health Cooldown: Ten seconds

He also had no idea how to access the purple box properly. He tried swiping with his hands. When that didn’t work, he tried it verbally. “Holographic Interface. Menu. System. Statistics.”

As soon as he said the last word, the statistics appeared before him.

WELCOME TO RAKTOR, KYLE HAWTHORN

Max HP: 58(+0)(+0)(+0)

Max STA: 58(+0)(+0)(+0)

[STATS]

Human

???

???

74(+12)(+0)(+0)

52(+10)(+0)(+0)

60(+15)(+3)(+0)

49(+0)(+3)(+0)

21(+10)(+1)(+0)

60

[Necklace of Healing (Basic)]

[SKILLS]

[TITLES]

A bigshot in your previous life, so much for that, huh?

[Martial Arts Expert]

+10 STR, +10 DEX

Everyone has to start somewhere

[Potion Inspector (Basic)]

+5 INT, Increased description of potions examined.

Kyle tried to focus on activating the necklace, which suddenly did the trick. The same green aura enveloped his body, healing him by a tiny amount. Kyle noticed that the green aura stemmed from the necklace directly rather than his own body. It seems to be using its own internal energy rather than any arcia energy within me, just like what the message said.

It, however, did not do anything to alleviate the exhaustion his muscles felt. Kyle surmised that being tired was not considered health damage and could not be healed. This will be a problem; I will need to learn more about how this holographic statistics interface works.

He inspected the statistics in front of him, his attention drawn to what seemed to be his body’s parameters in terms of strength, dexterity intelligence and so on. How do the statistics work?

He noticed that he had a few free points, recalling a message about ‘Bonus Free Points’ being allocated to him, thanks to the level-up. To figure out how the stats worked, he decided to do a small test quickly.

The easiest one to test now would be strength. Kyle got up from his chair and attempted to lift the bedframe of Ulon’s luxurious bed, his arms straining slightly.

Assuming the statistics are linear, let’s increase strength by half. I should then theoretically get a fifty per cent boost in strength.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Information [Free Points Allocated] +20 STR +20 STR

He tried to lift the bedframe again, expecting to be able to do it with ease given the linear boost. However, he could still barely move it himself, though he could tell he was struggling less albeit a tiny bit. Seems like the statistics are not linear.

It would be difficult to prove the equation on which the statistics work without an accurate strength meter. Kyle could not begin to fathom how to even measure intelligence without a Galactic Era Council-approved diagnosis.

He also noted how simple it was to have free points allocated, with almost no implementation delay to his body. Could be useful in a tight situation – I’ll save the rest for now.

Kyle explored other features of the holographic interface, especially interested in the description of items that he touched. he tried touching a few items around, such as the chair that he was sitting on and hoping to obtain a message. However, no intrusive purple message appeared. Kyle concluded that it did not work on mundane objects.

He did not know if other humans had the same interface but given the fact that it displayed every single piece of information, both past and present of the individual, Kyle knew better than to reveal such detail to those around him. Especially when he’d only been the leader for a day. I will not let myself be betrayed again, that is for sure.

Kyle dragged himself out of the room, assuming the strong and stern posture again, before returning to the main office. A crime lord must always espouse and demonstrate strength, dominance and competency, even when running a small-time gang.

The broken table had been replaced with another basic table with the same map of Raktor parchment, the bloodstains of Ulon cleaned up. Damian was already in the office, waiting for him.

“Can you read and write?” Kyle asked as he walked towards the desk and sat down.

“Uhm, yes, but if you’re looking for dictation writing or proper calculations, my younger brother can do much better than I can.”

“Go.”

Damian soon returned with a young kid barely eighteen years old. “He’s Keith.”

Keith looked up at Damian in utter confusion, mouthing to Damian silently. Doesn’t Alvin already know me?

In response, Damian gave him a look that boiled down to: Shut the fuck up and play along.

“Good, come here.” Kyle retrieved a large bulky book from a bookcase, which looked like an account of the gang’s finances. “Read this out loud.”

Kyle couldn’t read the language of the book but could somehow speak the same language as Damian and the rest. I must find a way to fix this impediment in the future.

Keith was slightly excited, having not been able to touch the account books under Ulon. He began to read out loud, using his finger to trace the myriad numbers. “This year, Year 369 of the Yual Reign, in the month of Autirth, forty thousand, twenty hundred and sixty-two rakels were obtained as revenue. The deficit is…” He hesitated, glancing slightly at Kyle.

“Continue.” Kyle’s demeanour frightened Keith, spurring him to read on.

Every month that Keith read out, Kyle’s expression only got darker and darker until he was almost boiling with rage.

When he had learnt about the gang’s power ranking in the sector, he had chosen the smallest gang possible in the vicinity – when starting from scratch, it was wise to never aim for the big guns immediately. Kyle did not think he could directly take on the Red Lions or even the Ardent Cretins, the supposed major gang of the South Sector, alone. Kyle was also not intent on being a subordinate and ‘climbing the ladder’; he had far better things to do than listen to someone else.

“Ulon was a great gang leader,” Kyle muttered sarcastically. If he had such a subordinate back in the Melsura Star Sector, he would have instantly executed him by particle irradiance from the nearest star.

“As of this month, the month of Autirth, the total deficit we have is approximately one million and two hundred thousand rakels, owed to the Crimson Swords with an expected due date of four months on the last day of Decaber. The end of the year.” Keith finished.

“So what I’m hearing is that even if we cut all our expenses right now, it will take us around thirty months to come close to repaying the debt, assuming there is no interest. And that is assuming the accounts are accurate.”

“Yes sir, though the interest rate is a tenth year on year.” Keith was still slightly stiff.

Kyle didn’t react anymore. He was already far too incensed to care. Instead of wasting emotions and energy on being outraged, he focused on Keith. “You seem like you are good with finances and accounts.”

“I used to train under a scholar before we came here… sir. Leader.” Keith still couldn’t get used to calling Kyle sir. The change from the weak Alvin who always cared for them to this distant Kyle was worlds apart.

“Good. From now on, you’ll be my assistant with financial issues. Every night you are to spend one hour teaching me how to read and write as well. Do this, and there will be a reward for you. Now leave us.”

“But Alvin, you already know how to read and write… I mean, yes sir! Leader!”

“Stick to sir.”

Keith nodded and bowed awkwardly and took his leave. An awkward silence filled the office now, as Kyle thumbed through the account books, while Damian shuffled his feet nervously.

A few minutes passed before Kyle suddenly spoke up. “Damian, how many alchemists do we have under us?”

“Huh? None, we never had any alchemists, to begin with.”

“Not even a single one within our protection racket or influence?”

“Hmm…” Damian scratched his chin. “There is one member of the Alchemist Guild in our district, but he’s a bit feisty, though. No matter which gang tried to approach him, he always refused to pay the protection fee, even under threats. He lives in his shop, and it is well guarded by traps and his own private mercenaries. Ulon never managed to get him to budge.”

A well-protected alchemist… “Get ready, we’re going to visit him. Bring out the cash reserves.” Kyle stood up, patting his pants before moving to leave. Perhaps we can complete the second objective soon. But we’ll need to do some scouting.

“What? Now?” Damian was caught off-guard. He had never seen a gang leader be so proactive in his five years as a goon. Ulon usually lazed around and got others to do things for him.

“If not now, then when? When we’re bankrupt?” Kyle retorted. “Lead the way.”

Damian hastily retrieved rakels into a medium-sized coin pouch before the two exited the Seven Snakes’ base, coming out of the basement of a five-storey building into a narrow street that was fairly isolated.

“The alchemist lives near the food market. We regularly buy our meals from there as well,” Damian explained as they walked through the street. Homeless squatters, rubbish heaps and small workshops painted the landscape, with kids covered in grime laughing and running through the sparsely populated street. The same never-ending pipes and barricaded windows dominated the walls, as rickety wagons rattled up and down the cobblestone road.

He had already accepted the fact that Kyle was an amnesiac and needed to be taught from scratch. There was also something about the straightforwardness and strength of Kyle that drew Damian in, a far cry from the repulsive and irredeemable Ulon. He could not say the same for the rest of the gang members, however.

A few turns and corners soon had them at a dense food market. Stalls and carts with colourful banners carved with magic peddled their harvest or forage from the nearby forests and monster regions. Arctech wagons hauling goods from beyond the city came in all various types. Kyle noticed that many bore different license plates and insignias, no doubt coming in from other countries.

Kyle looked around and found a few monster parts and limbs that he had never seen before. Some were even selling mealworms as a meal, but Kyle barely flinched when he saw that. I’ve had worse.

He also noticed a few people sitting at the corner cafes with smoking pipes, blue smoke puffing through the air. The aroma was intricate, the smell of blueberries floating through the air. “That’s a popular hobby of the people, smoking Euria Seeds,” Damian explained.

“Addictive?”

“Sorry?”

“Is it hard to quit the hobby?”

“Oh, not at all. I think the body faces a mild resistance after quitting but would return to normalcy fairly fast, within three hours at most?”

Damian and Kyle navigated through the crowd, before finally reaching a standalone two-storey house positioned in between two blocky six-storey office buildings, making it seem anachronistic. A medium size sign hung on top of the entrance, reading ‘Haui’s Alchemy and Alchemical Products.’

Another sign was hung next to it – the emblem of the Alchemist Guild. Kyle knew from experience that a highly prized industry would naturally have a consortium or cartel around it. No doubt a strong association… he must have quite a backing then.

The ground around the house was carved with engravings similar to those on Kyle’s metal pipe. The engravings were laid out in a circular fashion, forming a sort of defensive line that could go unnoticed as mere scribblings. Upon closer inspection, the lines of the engraving were hardened with metal to prevent accidental tampering.

“I assume those are the traps.”

“Yes, sir, but he won’t use it against new customers. You’ve never visited him before, so we should be okay.”

Kyle entered the shop without hesitation. It was pretty spacious inside, with a few shelves with potions of all sorts. There were already a few other customers inside, all humans, who were calculating the prices of potions they were looking to buy.

He eyed the other customers, noticing that they were keeping a close eye on him as he walked through the shop. It seems some of them are security—about five to seven well-trained guards.

He glanced at one of the price tags of a greenish-looking potion. “Five thousand rakels… Impressive.” Holding the potion up in his hand, another purple box appeared in front of him.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Item [Health Potion (Basic)] Restores a moderate amount of health Cooldown: Thirty seconds

Another dark yellow flask was on a different shelf, Kyle reached out to examine it.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Item Created [Stamina Recovery Potion (Basic)] Restores a moderate amount of stamina Cooldown: Thirty seconds

Six hundred rakels… Kyle glanced around the shop, finding no hints that the alchemist was involved in some mass supply. He is not as rich and powerful as I first thought – he makes money by selling the far more expensive potions on a small scale basis.

“Best be careful with that, young man. Once broken, considered sold.” A husky voice wafted in from the back of the shop. It belonged to an old man in a purple robe who rested his head on a counter, lazily fiddling with a chisel in his hand and spinning it with his fingers.

Kyle placed the potion down and walked up to the counter. “Mr Haui, I presume.” They both sized each other up for a brief moment.

“Indeed. Any particular potion you’re looking for? Or just browsing? Or perhaps…” Haui’s voice trailed off, a tiny hint of hostility long honed towards shoplifters apparent in his squinting eyes.

“I am looking for something of a different quality. Something more exquisite and different, if you know what I mean.” Kyle replied with a slight emphasis, much to the confusion of Damian.

Haui’s eyes showed signs of recognition, but wariness crept in as he stared at Kyle, scrutinizing him and his clothes. “Haven’t seen you around here before. New in town?”

“You could say that. If your offer interests me, this could be the start of a great business relationship.” Kyle nodded knowingly towards Haui.

“Hmm…” Haui seemed to be weighing the pros and cons in his head while Damian still continuously looked back and forth between them. Every hour since Kyle became the gang leader was a complete rollercoaster of emotions for him.

A minute of silence passed before Haui finally placed the chisel down on the counter. “Follow me.” Haui motioned to a side door that led to a stairwell. An illegal operation. As expected for such a well-defended alchemist.

The trio walked down the stairs, only to enter a basement filled with potions that were clearly not the same as what was displayed in the front. Kyle was not one for stereotypes, but the entire place looked like a stereotypical alchemist lair right out of an Ancient Earth fantasy holofilm. “Take a look. Every aphrodisiac, poison, curse and illusionary potion is here. I won’t call them the best in Raktor, but it’ll do the job.”

Kyle nodded, walking through the shelves and rows upon rows of potions. He noticed a few boxes of herbs stacked in the corner through his peripheral vision, though he continued picking up potions and examining them. Each of the potions was well-labelled and displayed in small quantities.

Assuming he performs all his production in-house, he does not seem to have enough ingredients to engage in mass production just yet. Could it be a restriction by the Alchemist Guild? With such a high value product, it was only natural for a guild or cartel to control the supply and pricing. Kyle himself had worked with other Crime Lords to artificially control the rate of mining, even though the exotic they were selling back then could be found in abundance. All for profits.

He ran his hand through the various flasks, using the holographic interface to inform him about the item’s properties. Kyle still put up an act, acting as though he was oblivious to what the potions could do. As Haui explained certain potions, he continued touching as many flasks as he could, the purple message continuously updating. He only gave each message a cursory glance, before moving on to the next while Haui still talked. There is still a chance of earning more, but only if I find evidence of the right potion here. I need a proof of sorts.

He had just touched his hundredth unique potion since he arrived when another purple box appeared in front of him.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Title Obtained [Potion Inspector (Basic)] Ah, you seem to be looking for something very specific +5 INT, Increased description of potions examined

Kyle held the same potion and noticed the description had been upgraded.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE] Item [Mind-Bending Potion (Basic)] Sends the user on an illusionary trip fueled by their subconscious, rendering them incapable of normal functions Lasts up to a day on a full dose Recommended Dosage: Half a bottle for an adult human male for three days Ingredients: Poair Leaves, ???, ???, ???, ??? Cooldown: Thirty Seconds

“Perfect.”

WELCOME TO RAKTOR, KYLE HAWTHORN

Max HP: 58(+0)(+0)(+0)

Max STA: 58(+0)(+0)(+0)

[STATS]

Human

???

???

94(+12)(+0)(+0)

52(+10)(+0)(+0)

60(+15)(+3)(+0)

49(+0)(+3)(+0)

21(+10)(+1)(+0)

40

[Necklace of Healing (Basic)]

[SKILLS]

[TITLES]

A bigshot in your previous life, so much for that, huh?

[Martial Arts Expert]

+10 STR, +10 DEX

Everyone has to start somewhere

[Potion Inspector (Basic)]

+5 INT, Increased description of potions examined.