Apocalypse: Transmigrated with an Overlord System
Chapter 48: Black Market

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Black Market

Liora trailed behind Xu Kai’s group, keeping a safe distance as she nibbled on an energy bar. The faint crunch of the wrapper was the only sound she allowed herself to make.

She had been following them for hours now, and despite her exhaustion, she was too curious to stop. Whenever her throat felt dry, she took quick sips from her water bottle, careful not to make any unnecessary noise.

The group wandered and stopped at several locations, speaking with different contacts—merchants, informants, and even a few shady-looking individuals roaming in the alleys.

But with every conversation, their expressions grew darker. The seller of the Aether Fruit was nowhere to be found. Either they were being extremely cautious, or they had intentionally vanished from sight.

As the sky darkened and the artificial lights scattered across the base flickered to life, Lin Xue finally let out an exasperated sigh. "We’ve wasted an entire day, and we still have found nothing," she said with a sharper tone.

Liora thought that this girl was the silent type, but not now. It seemed she just ignored everyone other than her friends.

Yang Ming frowned. "This seller is either extremely paranoid or just toying with us. Either way, we can’t track them down like this." He let out a slow breath, then glanced at Xu Kai. "There’s still one last option."

Lin Xue’s gaze snapped toward him, as did Xu Kai’s.

"The Black Market," Yang Ming continued with a steady voice. "It’s opening tonight, and the auction will take place. If the seller is as greedy as I think, they won’t be able to resist putting the Aether Fruit up for the highest bidder."

Liora’s eyes widened slightly from her hiding spot. So that’s their plan? They’re heading to the Black Market?

Xu Kai remained silent for a moment, his dark eyes unreadable. Then, he gave a slight nod. "Then we head there."

Without another word, they turned and made their way toward the base’s exit.

Liora’s ears perked up. So, the Black Market was their next destination? Perfect.

And there was no way she was going to miss it.

She remained hidden, watching as Xu Kai’s group left the base. She soon realized that the Black Market wasn’t too far from their base, only three or four kilometers away.

Normally, that would take them around twenty minutes, but since it was nighttime, the streets were swarming with zombies. The journey took far longer than expected.

Liora stayed in the shadows. At first, she was nervous about how to deal with these zombies without attracting their attention. But to her surprise, the zombies didn’t react to her presence at all.

She wasn’t sure if it was because of the system’s strange device or if something else was at play, but she wasn’t going to complain.

Xu Kai and his team moved in a tight formation, swiftly cutting down any zombies that got in their way.

The streets became a battlefield, with corpses piling up and blood splattering across the cracked pavement. Every time they took down a zombie, they harvested its crystal core without hesitation.

Liora watched them closely, fascinated by their efficiency. Unlike them, she had to fight alone.

But, strangely enough, it wasn’t difficult at all. When zombies accidentally wandered too close to her, she swiftly beheaded them without any resistance. It was almost eerie how they didn’t react, as if she was invisible to them.

She tested it further, stepping directly into a zombie’s path. It didn’t even turn its head toward her. Grinning, she took advantage of this strange phenomenon, silently slaughtering any zombies that crossed her path. The system rewarded her generously, notifying her of her growing list of loot.

Ding...

[You have successfully eliminated a Level 1 Rotters Zombie.]

[+5 Intelligence.]

[+10 Experience Points (EXP).]

[+5 Strength.]

Ding...

[You have successfully eliminated a Level 1 Rotters Zombie.]

[+5 Strength.]

[+10 Agility Points.]

[+3 Health Points.]

[+20 Survival Points.]

Liora barely took a moment to glance at the notifications before swiftly moving on. These were just low-level zombies, hardly a challenge for her.

Ding...

[You have successfully eliminated a Level 1C Rotters Zombie.]

[+10 Agility.]

[+15 Experience Points (EXP).]

[+1 Health Potion.]

[+5 Strength.]

[+10 Survival Points.]

Ding...

[You have successfully eliminated a Level 2 Mutated Zombie.]

[+17 Endurance.]

[+10 Intelligence.]

[+15 Experience Points (EXP).]

[+1 Pistol.]

Liora’s heart pounded with excitement. She had barely put in any effort, yet the rewards were piling up. This was like farming in a game—only, she was the only one with this special cheat.

While Xu Kai’s team struggled and fought through the horde, Liora moved effortlessly, reaping the benefits. As much as she wanted to collect more cores, she had to stay focused. Her goal wasn’t just to kill zombies—it was to reach the Black Market.

After an exhausting hour, they finally arrived. The entrance was hidden behind an abandoned factory, where a narrow path led underground. Guards stood watch, heavily armed, scanning every person that passed through.

Ding...

[System Alert: Side Mission Unlocked – Infiltrate the Black Market.]

[Rewards: ??? (Dependent on performance).]

Liora almost screamed in excitement at the new notification. It seemed today the system was exceptionally generous. She was so happy that she wanted to do a little dance, but never mind. She had to go inside.

Xu Kai’s group entered smoothly, their presence unquestioned. Liora, still in stealth mode, waited for the perfect moment before slipping in behind a group of merchants. She blended in seamlessly, passing through without drawing attention.

The underground Black Market was nothing short of breathtaking. Rows of stalls stretched far into the distance, each one selling different items.

Liora realized that the market did not sell any strange items. It looked almost like a normal, buzzing market. It contained everything from food to clothes and anything needed by humans, either for luxury or necessity.

It was just a normal market, but because of the apocalypse, it was now a Black Market. Everything here was now a luxury and unaffordable for common people.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.