My Apocalypse Territory-Chapter 446 - 415: Deceitful Thief

Returning from the banquet, Tang Yu fiddled with the business card in his hand that read "Anti-Demon Bureau Chief."

"Who would have thought Beiting had such a special department?"

But on second thought, it seemed quite normal.

In other places, even large Sanctuaries, there wasn’t much capacity to study the Demonized Beasts... Yet Beiting clearly had the capability, and those in power were certainly not short-sighted. The Anti-Demon Bureau was already equivalent to the City Defense Army within Beiting’s Defense Circle, second only to the department of the Ancestor Dragon in authority.

With the Anti-Demon Bureau Chief speaking up, the banquet went smoother than expected. Tang Yu had been prepared to flip the table, but during the latter half of the banquet, it was his accompanying negotiators discussing prices with the Anti-Demon Bureau.

Bulk purchasing allowed for a slightly lower price per item, most importantly, enabling them to buy a large quantity of advanced rune equipment at once.

The Anti-Demon Bureau made quite a profit.

Tang Yu didn’t lose out either. As the frontline department studying Demonized Beasts, the Anti-Demon Bureau had many materials that ordinary Awakeners couldn’t procure, or hadn’t even heard of.

These were factored into the trade price, and detailed information about the Demonized Beasts from the Anti-Demon Bureau was also something he desired.

It was a win-win situation.

"Although the stakes of interest were high, the president of the Equipment Company, including some higher-ups in Beiting, might not let it go easily. But at least, they can’t interfere much openly with the business of the Transfer Station."

...

The next day.

People from the Anti-Demon Bureau arrived at the Transfer Station as scheduled.

Dozens of new trucks powered by Source Crystals slowly drove into the Transfer Station.

These new models did not rumble like trucks with engines, the noise was very low, yet the huge fleet and the hundreds of Awakeners wearing brown-red combat uniforms, emitting a chilling aura, still caused quite a stir among the patrons resting or strolling through the Transfer Station.

"Is it... is it the Anti-Demon Bureau’s people! Why are they here?"

Ordinary people rarely interacted with the Anti-Demon Bureau, but every appearance of an Anti-Demon Bureau warrior was often a big deal.

For example, half a month ago, the Demon incident in the Coastal Satellite City was abuzz and it was eventually resolved by the Anti-Demon Bureau.

Another example was one and a half months ago, when a new Abyssal Rift had emerged within the Defense Circle, and people from the Anti-Demon Bureau rapidly rushed over.

...Could it be that an Abyssal Rift would appear here at the Transfer Station? It is said that only in Base Cities, the eight major Satellite Cities, and some crucial fortress points are Space Stabilization Devices constructed to ensure that no Abyssal Rifts appear.

The Transfer Station has none!

Thinking of this, some Awakeners’ legs began to tremble.

But more people noticed something different about the Anti-Demon Bureau today.

The fleet... all trucks, not tanks... Wait, they are unloading many large boxes from the truck... They are carrying them into the shopping mall!

What are they doing?!

Moments later, members of the Anti-Demon Bureau in brown-red combat uniforms came out of the mall, still carrying large boxes... only now, sharp-eyed Awakeners noticed that the type of boxes had changed.

The Anti-Demon Bureau warriors set down boxes filled with Source Crystals and materials, and then, loaded with countless advanced rune equipment, they left contentedly.

The stern-faced captain even sported a smile, though his face was so stiff from lack of practice that it seemed somewhat forced.

With this batch of equipment obtained, the strength of the Anti-Demon Bureau personnel would increase by at least two levels, and the casualties among their brothers would be greatly reduced.

...

The Anti-Demon Bureau came hurriedly and left hurriedly. Even though the Awakeners were curious about what was inside the boxes, they weren’t too keen on probing.

The will to survive was much stronger than the desire to know.

However, soon there were Awakeners who entered the shopping mall intending to purchase rune equipment, only to find, to their surprise... the shelves on the third floor and above were quite empty!

Previously, it was only certain categories of weapons on the first and second floors that had sold out.

Higher-level rune equipment, not to mention being expensive, also had purchase restrictions, so many Awakeners weren’t in a hurry.

You need to think it over before making a large purchase!

But now, looking again, f*ck! Two-thirds of the shelves were empty, what on earth had happened?

Soon, people connected it to the boxes that the soldiers from the Anti-Demon Bureau had just moved away...

Their faces changed instantly, and they hurriedly took their hoarded Source Crystals upstairs to the higher floors of the mall.

An unexpected shopping spree began.

Tang Yu had not yet returned to his territory. When he initially heard this news, he was a bit stunned, "...so it achieved the effect of hunger marketing? I’m a genius!"

After all, the trade with the Anti-Demon Bureau Chief had been led and achieved by him.

...

Once the sub-territory was established and the Transmission Array was in place, transportation no longer depended on Floating Airships, making things much more convenient.

But as Lu Changhong and several others had speculated, Green Shadow’s production capacity for rune equipment was limited.

Equipment of grades E and D on the first and second tiers, were cheap, and there were far more ordinary Awakeners than those who stood at the top of the pyramid. Despite restocking several times after certain popular category weapons sold out, each time, the merchandise stayed on the shelves shorter and was quickly sold out.

And for advanced rune equipment with definitely lower production rates, some people even believed that those top-tier items that exceeded Beiting’s production were from Secret Realms, doubting the capabilities behind the Transfer Station.

Purchases needed to be made swiftly!

This message somehow spread farther and farther.

In time, several days passed, and some of the top-tier Awakeners who had been fighting in the wilderness also heard of the news regarding the Green Shadow mall, and rushed over.

All of a sudden,

This newly established Green Shadow Transfer Station, in terms of liveliness, could easily rank in the top three among all the Transfer Stations in the entire Defense Circle.

...

"Look quickly, it’s ’Cold Water Sword’ Li Qing! I heard he destroyed a den of Mutant Beasts single-handedly with his sword just two days ago; even he has come!"

"And over there, that’s ’Barbarian King’ Zhu Gu." Someone pointed to a distance, at a man bare-chested, his thick chest hair resembling a mighty tower, "It’s said that he once led his three hundred Barbarians to confront a Demon Tide of over a hundred thousand!"

At that moment, a figure clad in black full-body armor and wearing a helmet, making it difficult to distinguish their face or gender, stepped forward, exuding an intimidating presence that made the surrounding onlookers step aside in awe.

They were even more amazed!

The elusive "Black Knight" had made an appearance at the Green Shadow Transfer Station.

Unlike the other two warrior figures, no one knew the Black Knight’s real name, nor had they seen his face under the helmet. He was a mysterious lone hero, but in the few witnessed battles, the "Black Knight" crushed his enemies with unrivaled strength.

These three were the most famous unofficial Awakeners, among many other well-known skilled warriors, providing an exciting spectacle for many.

It turned out that skilled individuals indeed looked more eccentric than average people.

The "Black Knight" was the first to enter the market, heading straight to the fourth floor, hoping to customize a weapon that suited him.

Other transcendent and well-known warriors also eagerly bought their favorite equipment. "Barbarian King" Zhu Gu, known for his vast wealth, purchased a hundred C1-level and two hundred D3-level sets of heavy armor in one go; had there not been only around a hundred C1-level sets, Tang Yu suspected Zhu Gu might have bought three hundred.

On the third floor, several Awakeners almost came to blows with "Barbarian King" Zhu Gu.

Indeed, production limitations were cramping my road to riches.

At this time, Tang Yu was on the fifth floor of the market. His "Insight Eye" allowed his gaze, almost penetrating multiple barriers, to sweep over the top talents of Beiting, providing him a clear assessment of the potential clients’ strength.

"Black Knight?"

His gaze landed on an Awakener dressed in black armor and did not shift for a long time. "I could never have imagined the ’Black Knight’s’ actual form was simply a suit of armor; truly, the world is full of wonders."

This was not an autonomous Puppet.

Within the "Insight Eye’s" Field, the knight’s armor had a faint glow inside. It emanated an aura characteristic of Awakeners, and despite wearing heavy armor, moved with a surprising agility that might deceive anyone at first glance.

However, Tang Yu knew the glow signified "Spirit"—either remnants of a fallen strongman or a naturally occurring phenomenon of the universe, though he leaned towards the former explanation.

That black knight’s armor housed the "Spirit," and the armor itself was no ordinary piece. When fused with the Spirit, it unleashed formidable power. Only the Heavy Sword carried by the "Black Knight" was not of a matching set or high quality, which was why he had come to the Green Shadow market to customize a weapon.

Tang Yu shifted his gaze after a few moments.

Though curious, it wasn’t worth being overly concerned about.

...

As deals were made, suddenly, a piercing alarm sounded on the fourth floor of the market.

Staff pointed and shouted toward a particular spot.

There, where several top-tier pieces of equipment had been showcased in transparent glass cabinets, was now an empty space.

Below the display cabinets, however, a face with slanted eyes and a smirk was clearly visible.

"It’s the ’Deceitful Thief’; he’s targeted this place again!"

"With the ’Deceitful Thief’s’ skills, if he hadn’t left a mocking expression each time, we probably wouldn’t even know he exists!"

"It seems the Green Shadow market has suffered a heavy loss this time, without even a glimpse of the ’Deceitful Thief’s’ shadow. How could they possibly catch him? It’s likely he’s mocking us from within the crowd right now!"

"Exactly, even the Beiting Security Bureau hasn’t caught the ’Deceitful Thief’. I’m kind of in awe."

"I want to bear monkeys for the Deceitful Thief—"

For a moment, the fourth-floor marketplace was chaotic, not out of panic but because these high-skilled Awakeners had suddenly turned into gossiping spectators. Hearing rumors of the "Deceitful Thief," many customers from the lower floors flocked upwards.

If not for the presence of several guards in black armor with stern faces guarding the stolen containers, some might have ventured closer to touch the "emoji" left by the "Deceitful Thief."

In the crowd.

A young man of average appearance walked with his head slightly lowered, the corners of his mouth lifting in a barely perceptible smile.

Disguises were just basic techniques to him; his consistent success in theft was due to his adept use of Illusion Techniques. Even if he brazenly walked into the market and took the top treasures, he likely wouldn’t be noticed.

Even if bad luck made him get caught, with his level of illusion expertise and top-tier escape skills, unless a Transcendent intervened, who could restrain him?

He wasn’t committing grievous sins, just occasionally stealing some items to sustain his living. Transcendent Strongmen didn’t have that much leisure to deal with him.

His true face had even remained unseen by anyone.

After some time, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Carrying a subtle smile, the young man followed the flowing crowd downstairs.

Thick-soled shoes clacked against the stairwell floors.

The young man suddenly stumbled.

In a crowded stairwell, how could footsteps sound so clear?

He glanced back only to find the dense crowd around him had vanished, leaving him alone, walking in an eerily empty hallway with no end in sight.

The white staircase seemed to lead nowhere.

His face blanched, and his brow furrowed as the surrounding space trembled; the white stairs shattered beneath him, and suddenly fiery lava replaced solid ground. The rolling heat sparked up his clothes.

...

On the fourth floor of the marketplace.

People were still debating whether the "Deceitful Thief" was male or female, whether they could have monkeys or take disciples...

Suddenly,

A silhouette sprang from the crowd, stumbled, and ran toward the outside.

With the clatter of crashing glass, the figure shattered the robust reinforced glass window. Then, finding nothing but air underfoot, fell from the fourth floor, hitting the ground hard and cracking it.

From that height, the young man was unharmed, but with eyes closed and forehead sweaty, he braced himself to stand up; when suddenly, a petite silhouette dropped from above, stepping on his head with an erosive force of Source Power, crushing his last resistance.

After a long while.

The young man realized the illusion affecting his senses had lifted and, clutching his forehead, opened his eyes.

The sunlight was blinding.

A large hole had been left in the marketplace’s fourth-floor window.

Not far in front of him stood a child with green curly hair, hands on his hips, a lollipop dangling from his mouth, looking down loftily.

The young man couldn’t accept it.

Had he really been defeated by a grade-schooler?