A Black Market LitRPG

Chapter 4: Reorganization

"Sir, are those potions really worth it? Mind-bending doesn't last long, and that's a bit too many Stamina Recovery Potions. Sure, the Stamina Recovery Potions are relatively 'cheap', but they will be impossible to reverse engineer as well. Alchemy has always had the highest failure rate in terms of industries. Too much prior knowledge is required to make even a basic potion... sir."

Damian was still coming to terms with how much Kyle had spent on the potion, twelve thousand rakels, despite the fact that they were still in debt.

Kyle did not reply. With the scientific knowledge he had from his former life, distillation would be a cinch. He did not need Damian's approval either for now.

The food market was still just as crowded as when they first arrived, hectic and bustling with activity. The locals seemed to be on lunch break, gossiping about everything under the sun. Kyle took a slower walk, keeping his ears peeled for any rumours. A vital skill in a foreign environment.

"Did you hear? The Veiled Angels subjugated three gangs in a row in the West Sector!"

"Wow, so the Violet Devils are neck and neck for domination, aren't they?"

"Yea, they both hold twelve districts each. I feel bad for the gangs trapped in the last remaining six districts. A bloodbath is going to happen over the next few months, for sure. I only hope the Sanctum of Yual would not intervene this time; it would be even worse."

Thirty districts in a sector... Kyle was listening intently when Damian slightly tugged his shoulder to the side. "Sir, see those two? Local enforcers of the Sanctum."

He pointed to two men nearly covered in white from head to toe, only the engravings of gold and red on their shirts, pants and shoes breaking the monotony. They were simply patrolling, checking the stalls of the food market.

"Sanctum?"

"The main religion of the Yual Dominion." Damian sighed internally, now truly believing Kyle was a completely different personality of Alvin. "They enforce the law of the Yual Dominion around here, though the local enforcers usually close one eye on gang activity. They are far too understaffed to make a difference here even if they wanted to, though it would be best if we do not directly conflict with them."

Another significant power to watch out for. Kyle frowned. He had long forgotten the feeling of being a small fry in a big pond. Back in his former life, he had been the most prominent crime lord for a long time, dominating entire clusters of stars. Perhaps that was why I was so easily betrayed at the end...

The two walked back to the gang's base through the food market.

As they neared the entrance, Kyle suddenly spun around and faced Damian directly. Damian gulped, reminded of how brutal Kyle was against Ulon, the same stern expression worn on Kyle's face as he stared hard at him.

"Damian, was it? I understand none of the gang members have been formally educated nor trained, with the exception of Keith."

"Huh? Yes, indeed. We never had the money to."

The best underlings are loyal ones who are competent. As of now, they seem to be lacking in both physical and mental training...

Kyle frowned, not replying and re-entering the Seven Snakes base. He did not really pay attention to it the first time he entered, but now he focused more on the décor, layout, and furnishing.

"How big is this base?"

"Sir, we own the entire basement floor of this building. It is only one floor though, a downsize from our previous five-storey building that was lost."