Thanks to Vester 1 and James Smith for becoming as Supporters!
===BREAK===
Ignis had been right—Markus was indeed a merchant who never let a good deal slip by. He immediately dispatched people to bring the two members of the Cunning Hares to the black market.
The locksmith under his employ opened the remaining crates. Inside were firearms and weapon components. For a black market dealer whose core business was arms trading, this was nothing short of incredible news.
The blue pompadour merchant made the call on the spot: as long as the Cunning Hares were willing, he would buy every single crate they had, pricing them based on the contents.
Nicole was absolutely overjoyed. She had been worried these items might be hard to move, but now a major black market dealer was willing to take everything in one go. She happily agreed to the cooperation without hesitation.
After counting the payment, a thoroughly satisfied Nicole led the Salamander back to their base. Declaring the day a joyous occasion, she ordered a proper celebration—and commanded Ignis to prepare a spread of high-quality dishes to reward everyone and boost morale for the upcoming gold-rush plan.
Ignis knew full well that Markus had offered a heavily discounted price, but even so, Nicole was clearly pleased. It was obvious the owner of the Cunning Hares was extremely optimistic about this operation—perhaps a little too optimistic, in his opinion.
Based on what they already knew, the C41 Hollow was bound to attract massive attention. Even the dozen or so people they'd escorted out yesterday had been nothing more than ordinary civilians. Once regular people started receiving "get rich quick" information, the credibility of that information became highly questionable—or rather, there was definitely something strange lurking behind it.
Ignis was reminded of the famous gold rushes in history. Someone found flakes of gold along a riverbank, the news spread through newspapers, and suddenly countless people poured into the area—some even crossing oceans to pan for gold. At first, people did find some. But over time, easily accessible resources dried up, costs mounted, and most prospectors ended up bleeding money while dreaming of overnight riches—losing everything down to their last pair of pants.
The situation with the C41 Hollow felt eerily similar. Ignis hoped Nicole could stay calm and not get hooked by such petty gains like a mantis lured by bait. But the Cunning Hares' boss, riding high on excitement, had no interest in listening—her mind was filled entirely with visions of impending financial freedom.
That said, the Salamander wasn't in a rush. He planned to wait until dinner, when everyone had returned and all intelligence could be pooled together, before carefully laying out his thoughts.
Nicole might be overly obsessed with money, but at least she wasn't stingy. When she really had cash, she was generous with bonuses and wages, showered people with gifts, and spent lavishly on the orphanage.
Ignis didn't quite understand that spending philosophy, but considering the unknown amount of debt Nicole had piled up outside, any money she didn't spend quickly was liable to be seized for repayment anyway.
Maybe I really should find out exactly how much debt she owes… Next time I won't let her brush me off with that bizarre "debt is reasonable" theory.
So, for the rest of the day, Ignis stayed busy in the kitchen, while Nicole browsed the Inter-Knot and made calls to familiar business partners. Judging from what the Salamander overheard, things didn't sound particularly optimistic.
He wanted to interject several times, but since Nicole was on calls, he held back. In any case, once dinner rolled around and the other three returned, there would be more intelligence to exchange. They could then reassess Nicole's so-called "gold-mining plan."
Not that Ignis believed the C41 Hollow had much chance of yielding a massive treasure haul.
He focused back on preparing ingredients. Summer heat dulled everyone's appetite, so he decided on tangy, spicy cold dishes as the centerpiece, paired with bowls of chilled noodles topped with ice crystals—perfect for the season.
There was buckwheat noodles on hand, leftover braised beef from yesterday, and the massive refrigerator was always fully stocked. He took out a pack of chilled shrimp he'd bought at 141 on the way back, planning to make a citrus-soaked cold shrimp dish.
The giant chewed on a frozen rebar between his teeth as he worked, slowly grinding it down. It was rare for him to have time like this lately.
With his equipment maintenance done, no orders from the Blacksmith Association for now, and Vesmir's catering management company officially up and running, everything was going smoothly.
Watching him swallow the chewed gold bar and start whistling, Nicole felt that the big guy had finally begun adapting to life here. He wasn't as tense as before—back then, all he did was maintain his armor.
Is it because of Jane Doe? Nicole wondered. Still, Ignis's change had become noticeable after the Ballet Twins Hollow incident. He rarely carried that severe expression anymore, started joking with people, relaxed—softening from a rigid slab of iron into something far more human.
"Forged through a hundred trials to become Ethersteel?" Nicole suddenly recalled a phrase. She couldn't remember where she'd heard it, but it suited the Salamander surprisingly well.
She still remembered the image of the giant being carried in his brother's arms.
A massive, penetrating wound in his abdomen—seared by flame, preventing catastrophic bleeding. His once-proud armor was torn apart, the metal plates that had deflected countless ether attacks and tactical mechs now split by enormous cracks, silently testifying to the enemy's brutality. The blackened giant's breathing had been faint, so weak that even his brother believed he wouldn't survive.
After leaving the Hollow, Zhu Yuan had wanted to call in a helicopter to send the giant to a hospital affiliated with New Eridu Public Security, saying they had extensive experience with critical injuries. Nicole had immediately refused.
It wasn't that she distrusted the authorities—Ignis had previously refused even routine medical checkups. He'd said he had undergone bodily modifications that needed to remain confidential. A hospital closely tied to Public Security receiving a severely injured patient sent by them would inevitably report it upward, causing him unnecessary trouble.
In the end, Markus arranged for a renowned underground medical team to come directly to their location.
Nicole still remembered the doctor's expression—like he'd seen a ghost. He clearly recognized that the giant's body structure was abnormal, yet chose silence out of professional ethics or some other pressure. The doctor said Ignis's body had already begun clotting on its own, but the internal damage was irreversible. The chances of survival were slim to none.
At that moment, Nicole felt her mind explode and freeze. As the leader of a Hollow Raider organization, she knew this line of work was dangerous—but the Cunning Hares had always been exceptionally capable, never facing life-or-death situations. She even tried to select lower-risk commissions whenever possible. She had contingency plans—but when it truly happened, all those plans felt utterly hollow.
Nicole couldn't even remember what expression she wore as the medical team departed. She only recalled them bowing deeply to her. All she could do was stay by the giant's side, feeling his faint breaths and praying in silence.
Until exhaustion finally claimed her.
When she woke up, a miracle had occurred. Ignis's breathing was steady, and the wound had vanished—leaving only a fresh scar, much like the many old ones already etched into his body.
"What's wrong? Why are you staring at me?"
The lively big guy—no, the Salamander—turned around to ask.
"Hungry? I told you; there's no need to force yourself to lose weight. I only have ingredients for salad—want some?"
"Alright." Nicole let out a breath, flinging those unpleasant memories far away. He was lively now. He'd even gone out on dates for several days recently. That was enough.
"Tomatoes, apples, lettuce—slice them thin," Ignis muttered under his breath, hands never stopping.
A massive black hand passed her a plate of salad—though it looked more like a cold appetizer. Sliced tomatoes and apples, torn lettuce leaves, some braised beef on top, all drenched in a tangy-sweet sauce. Just the smell was enough to make one's mouth water.
"I'm telling you, even if you left the Cunning Hares and opened your own restaurant, you'd still make a fortune," Nicole said, popping a tomato slice into her mouth.
"What, trying to kick me out?" the Salamander asked, handing her a fork between two fingers.
"This line of work isn't something you can do forever. You'll grow old, grow weak. Better to save up early and prepare an exit," she said, picking up a few apple slices.
"Boss, I want to be a Hollow Raider with you for life! Please!" the suddenly theatrical Salamander declared dramatically. "Otherwise, I—"
"What even is that," Nicole said flatly, clearly not catching the bit. Still, Ignis felt his current life was pretty good.
Of course, it would be even better if Slaanesh could be driven out of this place. Though he'd asked Markus to keep an eye on news related to "Fantasy," nothing noteworthy had surfaced yet.
Anby Demara and the others returned before dinner. The heat outside had drenched them in sweat. After cooling off in front of the air conditioner, the two ladies immediately headed into the bathroom.
"So? Any gains?" Nicole asked as Billy Kid sat down.
"Plenty, Boss," Billy said, leaning back into the sofa with his arms crossed. "This trip netted us a lot of useful intel."
"Oh? Let's hear it," Nicole said, patting the couch and signaling Ignis to sit as well.
"First, we confirmed who owns the warehouse inside the C41 Hollow," Billy said, flicking his hair. "It belongs to the Midsummer Group."
"That sounds like a tourism company," Ignis said flatly. "But what's inside is nothing but guns and ammo."
"The Midsummer Group was a military-industrial corporation from the Old Capital," Billy continued. "They went bankrupt after losing competition with Three Gates Corp. C41 Hollow was actually a supply depot they prepared before the Old Capital fell—which just got dragged into a Hollow later."
"We looked into it. There are five storage sectors, each sealed behind a powerful smart lock. Hackers have already organized to break through. It'll probably fall in a few days. We should prepare to go treasure hunting."
"That sounds like a hassle—waiting for days," Nicole clicked her tongue. "The news is already everywhere. If we wait, it'll be wall-to-wall people, and there won't be much profit left."
"By then it'll be chaos—more people than anything else. New Eridu is full of dreamers chasing fortune. Once news spreads, C41 Hollow will be packed," she complained bitterly, watching her potential profits shrink in real time. "The more stuff they haul out, the lower the unit price. Even this market is getting competitive."
"I have a question," Ignis said, rubbing his chin. "What's the structure of the storage walls?"
"High ether-resistant alloy," Billy recalled. "That's how the Midsummer Group's stuff survived."
"Perfect!" The Salamander slapped his thigh. "I've got a plan."
"Oh?" Nicole's eyes lit up instantly.
"I can smash a hole straight through that wall with my hammer—the new one I just forged," Ignis said, gesturing.
"Right! You can open holes like that!" Billy immediately got it. "Then we can go in and take as much as we want!"
"Are you stupid?" Nicole shot him down instantly, smacking his head. "There are only five of us. Even with Ignis, we can't carry that much. And the crates are sealed—no markings. Who knows what's inside?"
"So," Ignis said, flashing a grin, "we sell tickets."
"Huh?" Both Nicole and Billy froze.
"Think about it. If so many people want this payday, they must be desperate. Hackers need days to open the door—why don't we make a hole and sell access? Pay once, enter once. How much you carry out depends on your ability."
The Salamander wore the unmistakable look of a profiteer.
"Since we opened the hole. If they want to go in early? Pay up. Don't want to pay? Then go wait—and if the good stuff's gone by then, that's your problem. Trust me, this'll rake it in—way more than us hauling crates ourselves."
"What if someone tries to force their way in?" Billy raised his hand.
"They're already in a Hollow—what do you think?" Ignis replied calmly. "Set up auto-turrets, fire a couple shots into the air. If they still don't listen—shoot them."
"Isn't that a bit excessive…" Nicole muttered. "Ammo isn't cheap. Billy, just fire warning shots with your handgun. If they keep causing trouble, take them out."
"Huh?!" Billy was stunned. These two had reached consensus frighteningly fast.
"We can also sell food, drinks, and emergency meds," Ignis continued. "Bring in an anti-corrosion transport truck. Charge a bit more than outside. They get more time to search, we make more money. Win-win."
Win-win—meaning the Cunning Hares wins twice.
"Ignis… have you really never done business before?" Nicole eyed the towering man suspiciously.
"Wait, there's more," the Salamander said. "We've got five people. Two guard the entrance. The other three can act as bodyguards or guides. Anyone afraid of ether exposure can hire us."
"See? Those who hired help can beat those who's lugging crates alone like idiots."
Nicole stared at him blankly. When did this giant turn so devious?Had she corrupted him somehow? Should she… charge herself damages?
"Ignis… am I too greedy? Did I influence you badly?" she asked, dazed.
"Huh? Was that too much? I think it's great—just matching customer needs," Ignis said, equally confused. Why wouldn't you make money?
"Not at all!" Nicole suddenly shouted excitedly. "You're a genius! This isn't matching demand—you're creating it! We leave first thing tomorrow morning! Let's make a fortune!"
That night, the Cunning Hares were filled with cheers and excitement, everyone buzzing over their grand money-making plan.
===BREAK===
Like the story and want more chapters?
Join and support me by joining my Patreon!
[email protected]/SiRoasa