Black Market Zone - Sub-Level 7, Nexora City
The air was thick with copper and cold oil. Neon lights buzzed overhead like angry insects, casting sickly green hues over cracked concrete walls. Auron walked slowly, hood drawn over his face, navigating the underground alleys of the Sub-Levels—Nexora's underbelly where names were currency, and secrets were sold by the gram.
He'd never been here before.
Even the slum rats whispered about this place like it was cursed. But after exposing Instructor Marr and unlocking Black Card access, the system had pinged a new name.
Mission Objective: Meet the Gray Broker.
Reward: $85,000 + Crypto Clean Card + Access to Ghost ID Alias Tool
Risk Level: HIGH (Level-2 Surveillance Present)
Each step forward felt like sinking deeper into something irreversible.
2 Hours Earlier – Hidden Apartment, Mid-4 Sector
The new place smelled clean. Artificial lavender from a cheap purifier, but even that was better than the rust and mold back at the Nest. The apartment had two small bedrooms, a working kitchen, and a reinforced basement hidden behind a fake water heater.
Riva was asleep on a proper bed for the first time in years.
Auron sat in the dark, watching the screen projected on the wall.
Balance: $110,500 USD (Black Vault)
New Tools Installed:
Identity Masker Alpha
Transaction Splitter
Speech Pattern Modifier
But something still itched inside him.
He couldn't just earn money from missions forever. At some point, he needed infrastructure. Real roots. A long game.
And to build that, he needed someone with access to the forbidden layers of Nexora.
Someone called: The Gray Broker.
Sub-Level 7 – Broker's Den
It wasn't a building. It was a converted railway tunnel, long abandoned and reeked of damp tech and grease. Flickering signs in ten languages offered everything from weapons to DNA splicing. Hackers, smugglers, freelance cleaners… all operating in plain sight.
Auron walked until he found the terminal.
A rusted machine, wrapped in barbed wire and surveillance cables, stood against the wall. A neon sign read:
"Seek the Deal. Offer Blood or Info."
He placed his finger on the scanner.
The system vibrated.
System Detected: Sovereign Protocol Signature.
Warning: Broker is aware of System User.
Then the wall behind the terminal slid open.
"Come inside," a voice said—distorted, mechanical, genderless.
Auron stepped through.
The chamber inside was silent and dim. A curved wall of monitors tracked city movements, government scanners, traffic cams, and drone flights.
Sitting in the center, surrounded by data streams and nano-ink tattoos that moved across his skin, was The Gray Broker.
Half of his face was synthetic. The other half wore an old war mask from the Border Rebellions.
"You're the one who slapped Zarik Reman," the Broker said flatly. "Interesting move. But you're playing checkers on a chessboard, boy."
Auron didn't flinch. "I want access. And tools. I'll pay."
The Broker leaned forward. "You're already system-marked. I don't trust system users."
Auron pulled out a chip from his coat and tossed it on the table.
"$25,000 clean funds. No trail. Plus, I'll do a job for you. One that nobody else can do."
The Broker paused. Then grinned.
"You want a deal? Fine. Here's your job. There's a corrupted official named Harven Roque—used to run Nexora's Immigration Registry. He's selling identities of refugees to slavers. I want you to ruin him. But not just expose—erase him. Data, records, accounts, everything."
Auron blinked.
"You want me to delete a person?"
"Yes," the Broker said. "You do that, and I give you full access. Clean crypto, new ID alias, Ghost Line terminal. You'll disappear from every traceable database."
Auron swallowed hard.
Then nodded.
Mission Started: Erase Harven Roque
Objective: Infiltrate Nexora Registry Tower (Level 9 Security)
Reward: $85,000 + Clean Crypto Card + Ghost Line Access
Registry Tower – Night Operation, 01:33 AM
The building stood like a fortress. White walls, motion-sensors on every corner, drone dogs patrolling the perimeter.
Auron crouched on a rooftop across the street, breathing slowly.
Tool Activated: Phase Blink – Cooldown: 3 min
Tool Activated: Voice Scrambler
Skill: Stealth Boost (Tier 1) – Active
He darted across the gap in one breathless motion.
Landed silently behind a drone dog. Disabled its comms with a wire jab.
He climbed the service pipe and slipped into the 7th floor window.
Inside, he used KeyLog Beta to infiltrate Harven's account terminal.
Documents Located: Slave Purchase Receipts, Bribe Logs, ID Sales
Begin Data Wipe: Y/N
He clicked yes.
But then something new popped up.
Alert: Backup Server Found – Location: Vault Below Sub-Floor 3
He cursed under his breath.
More risks.
But he couldn't stop halfway.
Registry Tower – Sub-Floor 3, 02:05 AM
He slipped past two guards using Phase Blink, reached the steel vault, and used the Broker's override key.
The moment the door opened, a shot rang out.
Auron fell sideways, grazed on the shoulder. Blood splattered.
A figure stepped from the shadows.
Not a guard.
A girl—blue hair, tactical gear, sniper lens over her eye.
She smiled.
"You must be the system brat. Name's Kara Vale. I was sent to kill you if you reached this level."
Auron winced. "Why?"
"Because the higher-ups don't like unpredictables."
She raised her gun.
New Option: Activate Emergency Override Skill – "Unseen Surge"
He clicked yes.
In an instant, his entire body lit with temporary stealth energy. The bullet missed. He rushed forward, disarmed her with a knee strike, and slammed her against the vault wall.
"I don't want to kill you," he said quietly.
Kara blinked. "Then don't."
Auron paused.
Her hands fell. "Let me help you. I don't like Roque either."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Fine. Help me wipe this vault. And if you betray me, I'll end you."
Mission Complete: Roque Erased from System
Reward Unlocked: $85,000 Transferred
Tool Unlocked: Crypto Clean Card
Access Unlocked: Ghost ID Alias Tool
New Ally Unlocked: Kara Vale (Unknown Intentions)
Broker's Den – 06:00 AM
The Broker reviewed the footage silently.
"You survived. Impressive. And you brought me a rogue assassin too?"
Kara folded her arms. "I work freelance now."
Auron crossed his arms. "I want a clean slate. House, car, cover identity. I'm done hiding in trash alleys."
The Broker tossed him a thin chip.
"Welcome to the underground, Vell. Or should I say… Mr. Riven."
Auron smiled slightly.
Time to build.