Exiting the Bowl of Fortune, Dante saw the two older men off then started toward the nearest train station. He was in a bit of a somber mood, his thoughts wandering between the events he had lived through in the past few days. Just as the face of a certain red-haired girl crossed his mind, the even voice of an old butler spoke in his mind.
[As you have predicted, there was no mention of the hero Flare in the recent news.]
’They buried her as well.’ Dante gave a mental shrug. ’It’ll be a while before anything about her is mentioned.’
What he found more surprising was how quickly the rest of Caligo fell after that day. His involvement was without a doubt the main reason. After disposing of Epsilon, he had Volcan use the short man’s NIM to wreck the rest of the gang’s network.
He had only intended to erase any photos or recordings the gang kept on him, but the damage he caused had left them exposed, giving the police and heroes the opening they needed to finish the job.
[Were the details concerning the drug known as Catalyst obscured for the same reason?] Volcan asked.
’Most likely. I wonder how long they’re gonna keep it going...’
At first, Dante thought Caligo was responsible for the distribution of the drug, but after seeing the ease with which they were taken down, he had a change of mind. From the looks of it, either the original source never expected them to fail, or they were only meant to test the waters, see how quickly Eidolon’s dogs would pounce at the bait.
With a mental command, Dante opened his storage interface and stared at one item in particular, which was registered under the name "Delta’s Pouch."
’It might be a while before I’m able to sell these...’
Since he had no use for the miracle drug, Dante had always planned on selling it to the highest bidder. There were only two problems preventing him from doing so.
The first one was simple—he didn’t have the right connections. The black market wasn’t just some hidden bazaar where he could place his wares on a rug and wait for someone to buy them. Well, there were places like that here and there, but that’s not the point.
For him to receive the best possible offers, he would have to get the item to one of the closed auctions attended by the bigwigs. Only a few of those are held every year, and a no-name merc like him would never get to attend, let alone have his stuff listed on the auction.
The second problem was even simpler—The miracle drug was like a beacon. So long as it remains in Volcan’s storage, everything would be fine, but the moment he tries to sell it would be when the other players get alerted of his presence as well.
The original producers of the drug wouldn’t just sit around and allow someone to profit from their stolen goods, and Eidolon would hunt anyone who as much as carries its scent.
In other words, Dante’s only option was to wait. Catalyst might not be a myth anymore, but until its users become as common as Eidolon’s heroes, Delta’s Pouch was going to be collecting dust in Volcan’s Storage.
[What about the machinery you collected from the underground hideout?] Volcan said. [You said it would fetch a decent price.]
’Well, I will have to-’
Absorbed in his own thoughts, Dante accidentally bumped shoulders with someone walking in the opposite direction. He didn’t think much of it and kept walking after offering a "my bad" as courtesy, but a moment later, his shoulder was yanked from behind.
"Hey punk! The hell do you think you’re going!!?"
Of all the people he could’ve bumped into, Dante had the luck of running into a random street rat looking for trouble. That became clear as soon as he grabbed his shoulder, and seeing that he had one of his buddies around, and the smile that one was wearing, Dante knew right away the accident might not have been his fault after all.
"Ya’think you can just walk away after bumping into people? How about a proper apology?"
Dante’s expression darkened. The thug was about his age, maybe a year or two older. He didn’t seem to have any bionics on him, but his body appeared well-toned so he was working out, at the very least. His friend, on the other hand, wasn’t gifted in the height department and didn’t seem like the gym type either. He was probably one of them parasites who play it tough when with someone but show their true colors when alone.
[Threat Evaluation: Level 0 Basic.] Volcan said. [He is an average human with next to no enhancements. Would you like me to overheat his NIM?]
’Don’t waste your effort.’
Letting out an annoyed sigh, Dante turned a glare at the thug.
"I said my bad. Something wrong with your ears?"
"Huuuhh!!!?" With a vein bulging on his forehead, the first thug grabbed Dante by the shirt and pulled him closer. "D’you want to di-" His mouth was closed shut mid-sentence by something pressing up from under his chin.
The thug had no way of seeing the thing pushing his head up, and he didn’t need to. He felt the sensation of cold iron touching his flesh and instinctively knew that a single twitch would put an end to his short life.
"I said ’my bad’..." Dante repeated, his voice chillingly cold. "You won’t hear it a fourth time, got it?"
As if to show he understood, the thug let go of Dante’s shirt and slightly nodded. Slow and steady, Dante lowered the gun. He kept it pointed at the thug, and with the same cold voice, he gestured with his chin and said, "Now scram. I already got enough shit to deal with."
The two took off the instant he gave them the order, the shorter one staggering as he looked behind him. Dante watched them go without turning his back, and once they disappeared behind, he glanced at the map in the corner of his vision and heaved a sigh. The two red dots were getting farther and farther from his position, which means he didn’t have to worry about them coming back for revenge, at least for the time being.