Night fell.

In the night sky beside the waning moon, there seemed to be a faint, perfectly circular arc of a dark line, stretching so long that it almost split the sky in two.

A cloud drifted by, and in the blink of an eye, that arc vanished from sight, as if it had been a mere illusion.

To conserve energy, River City ceased city lighting after eight o'clock in the evening.

The Main District of River City was shrouded in darkness, but in a tangled alleyway in the Old Town at the city's western edge, a dim firelight flickered.

At the entrance of the alley stood two young men.

One of them was nearly two meters tall, his broad back forming a muscular inverted triangle, with arms thicker than most people's thighs.

He widened his eyes and turned excitedly to his companion, saying, "Jiang Kai, this is the Dark Alley in the West District!"

The Dark Alley in the West District was one of the four major black markets in River City, a place that shunned the light, just as its name suggested.

The young man named Jiang Kai was comparatively "slimmer," standing around 1.78 meters tall, with a lean and well-proportioned physique.

Unlike his companion's excitement, Jiang Kai appeared much calmer, merely observing the crowded scene before him.

"Jiang Kai, why do we have to come to the Dark Alley in the West District? I heard the Underground Street in the East District is even bigger," the burly youth asked.

Jiang Kai's expression turned serious as he replied in a low voice, "The thing we're looking for is most likely to appear here... Zhu, let's go in."

The alley was narrow, only wide enough for five or six people to walk side by side. Dim lamps flickered on and off along the long passageway.

In the narrow corridor, the flow of people coming and going formed an irregular stream.

On their right, people stood at intervals, leisurely leaning against the mottled walls with a small piece of black cloth laid out in front of them, displaying strange items.

There were cards, crumpled newspapers, empty syringes, white paper, and occasionally stones on stalls run by foreigners.

They didn't actively engage buyers, appearing lazy but with eyes like falcons, scrutinizing the passing crowd.

Jiang Kai glanced over the odd items, matching them with his prior research, mentally associating these miscellaneous objects with the goods they represented.

Cards stood for equipment in "Calling," newspapers for various information, syringes for class change materials, white paper for trial certificates, and stones for nuclear soil, a strictly controlled item.

The Dark Alley had its own rules; sellers didn't display actual goods, nor did they have fixed prices. Once a deal was made, it was final, with no room for regret.

Because of this, those unfamiliar with the market dared not make a move lightly.

The two walked slowly, with Jiang Kai secretly observing each seller with business, noting their expressions, demeanor, and eyes.

***

After more than two hours, Jiang Kai and Zhu finally grasped the situation here.

The seemingly narrow passages had a surprisingly high flow of people. The long, dilapidated alleyways extended into interconnected paths, forming a small, intricate world.

"No wonder they say the transaction volume of the four underground black markets might surpass that of official exchanges, with so many people trading here," Jiang Kai couldn't help but remark.

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

"Huh? There's another path ahead?" Zhu looked at a spot a dozen meters away. After all this time, they hadn't noticed this path before.

The alley ahead was devoid of light, shrouded in darkness.

There were no signs indicating where it led.

As they approached, two figures suddenly emerged from the darkness, blocking their way.

Both men were about 1.9 meters tall, with sturdy builds. Although not as imposing as Zhu, they weren't far off.

"If you don't want to die, turn back!" one of the burly men in black rudely warned Jiang Kai and Zhu, while revealing the weapon tucked at his waist.

Zhu looked at Jiang Kai, his expression uneasy. Jiang Kai remained relatively calm, saying nothing as he pulled Zhu to turn around and leave.

They weren't there to cause trouble, and whatever secrets the Dark Alley held were not Jiang Kai's concern at the moment.

After leaving the side path, Jiang Kai noticed Zhu's mood had shifted, following him silently.

Jiang Kai had long sensed Zhu's unease but only stopped near the entrance to ask, "Zhu, what's wrong?"

Zhu's voice trembled slightly as he whispered, "I saw that guy had a gun!"

For two people who were just high school students a few days ago, the scene they had just witnessed was indeed terrifying.

Jiang Kai nodded, "Don't worry, they were just warning us. As long as we don't break the rules here, it's usually safe. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many buyers."

Though Zhu didn't argue, he was still shaken, appearing somewhat restless. "We've almost covered the whole place. We should at least ask a seller."

Jiang Kai furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, and said, "We can't rush. We only have one shot at this, and we can't miss any detail. Let's take another round."

Just then, a few urgent shouts came from ahead, growing closer.

"Make way! Make way!"

As they looked toward the sound, a man came charging at them frantically.

He ran wildly, knocking aside pedestrians in his path, rushing madly toward Jiang Kai and Zhu.

But when he collided with Zhu, instead of passing through, he bounced back several steps.

In his panic, the man looked up in surprise at the figure before him. Seeing Zhu standing like an immovable wall, he shivered in fear.

What stood there wasn't a wall, but a person!

"S-sorry..." the man stammered an apology to Zhu before stumbling away toward the entrance.

As he fled, Jiang Kai noticed several fresh blood scars on his back.

Immediately after, seven or eight men in black, wielding clubs, charged out.

The leader had a scar on his right eyebrow, with part of the brow missing. Holding a rusty iron rod, he rushed up to Jiang Kai and yelled, "Get out..."

Before he could finish, he noticed the "wall" beside Jiang Kai move slightly.

Catching sight of Zhu out of the corner of his eye, he swallowed the word "of the way."

At his height of over 1.8 meters, he had to look up at the figure, whose imposing stature and downward gaze in the dim light exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure!

The leader gulped, slightly toning down his previous attitude, and said in a deep voice, "Step aside."

Jiang Kai didn't know what was happening, but he understood it was best not to get involved.

He signaled to Zhu, and they both stepped aside, making way.

After the group disappeared, Zhu couldn't help but lean closer to Jiang Kai, whispering, "Jiang Kai, maybe we should just go back. I'm a bit scared..."

Zhu's pleading eyes were quite the contrast to his towering physique.

"Tomorrow, we're logging into 'Calling' to participate in the newbie trial. Everyone only gets one free trial in their lifetime. Let's buy what we need and leave," Jiang Kai reassured.

Yuan Zhu furrowed his brow, hesitated for a long time, and suddenly pulled Jiang Kai out of the Dark Alley.

His strength was surprisingly great. He thought he was just giving a gentle tug, but Jiang Kai had no ability to resist, being dragged along like a chick.

"Jiang Kai, I... I think we should sell the certificate..." Yuan Zhu squatted in a corner, head down, speaking in a low voice.

Jiang Kai was a bit upset, his tone involuntarily rising, "Zhu, we agreed to go to 'Calling' together. Why are you backing out now?"

"It's not that I want to back out! Everyone knows 'Calling' can change your fate, but they also know how hard it is! You know the pass rate for the newbie trial," Yuan Zhu muttered, "For us, it might not even be one percent! A certificate can sell for twenty-five thousand Alliance Coins, enough to cover household expenses for two years!

You know I eat a lot, my appetite is like four or five people's. My mom struggles just to feed me, I want to start making money soon!"

Zhu squatted there, looking up at Jiang Kai, and added, "Your situation is worse than mine. Your brother works three jobs, your sister is in her first year of high school. Didn't you say you and Brother Lan want to send Ying to college? That's another big expense. You need money more than I do!"

Since Jiang Kai's family moved to River City, he and Zhu had known each other well, and Zhu's words were true.

Zhu's words were like a bucket of cold water, bringing Jiang Kai back to reality.

"Calling" wasn't just an ordinary virtual reality game; it was a game that could change the fate of ordinary people!

In "Calling," monsters dropped a rare resource called "nuclear soil." Completing the initial class change at the lowest level in "Calling" allowed players to withdraw 10 grams of nuclear soil each time they logged out.

In today's energy-scarce world, nuclear soil was the most important energy source, sought after by nations.

The price for 10 grams of nuclear soil was as high as fifty thousand Alliance Coins!

If one's class was "Smuggler," they could carry an additional 5 grams each time!

In other words, becoming an official player in "Calling" could change the fate of an entire family!

However, to become an official player in "Calling," the first hurdle, the newbie trial, eliminated countless participants.

It was a hunt, and the players were not the hunters...

Though called a newbie trial, it was often filled with "veterans" who had participated multiple times.

Wealthy individuals could purchase trial certificates from others, participating repeatedly until they passed.

Besides having more experience, they would also buy class change materials in advance, allowing them to complete their first class change as soon as they entered "Calling," gaining attribute boosts and class talents, giving them a significant advantage over true newcomers.

Even with many "veterans" participating, the pass rate for the newbie trial remained below ten percent!

For true newcomers without backing, the chance of passing the newbie trial was nearly zero!

Since the Era of the Beast Deities, humanity had struggled to survive, and living was not easy.

Except for a few wealthy individuals, ordinary people preferred to sell their certificates rather than gamble on such slim odds.

Jiang Kai squatted beside Zhu, placing a hand on his shoulder.

After a long silence, Jiang Kai sighed softly. He understood Zhu's family situation and didn't want to force his brother.

"Zhu, if you want to sell the certificate, go to the official exchange. The price is lower there, but it's safe. Post it first thing in the morning, and someone will buy it immediately. You don't have to worry about not selling it in time."

"What about you?" Zhu looked up at Jiang Kai.

Without hesitation, Jiang Kai replied, "I still want to buy that thing."

Zhu said anxiously, "You know how unreliable that thing is! Jiang Kai, listen to me, let's just forget it. Being poor is better than not surviving!"

Jiang Kai stood up, looking toward the Dark Alley, a place of shadows, unknowns, and danger.

"Zhu, there are things you don't know. In short, I want more than just to survive! Even if it costs everything, I have to take this gamble!"