From Demon Slayer to the Multiverse: The Ultimate Exploiter

Tong Gu and his companions donned black cloaks with hoods, blending seamlessly into the streets as they delved deeper into this district.

Their attire was not uncommon here, as many other outsiders were similarly dressed. Thus, their presence drew no attention from the local residents.

At the heart of the district, they came upon an old shopping mall, its facade overgrown with moss and vines. The exterior decorations and fountains were long defunct, crumbling into ruin. Yet, the building itself was lively, echoing with loud shouts and rhythmic, albeit meaningless, music.

Yang Yuanping led the group to the entrance.

At the entrance, a woman chewing on an electronic cigarette blocked their path. She was shorter than Tong Gu's chest height, with hair dyed in alternating red and green streaks. What caught Tong Gu's attention, however, were her eyes—glowing red mechanical constructs.

This woman had undergone cybernetic enhancements!

Cybernetic modification was an advanced technology in contemporary human society. Large corporations employed elite players to venture into specific worlds, bringing back technology and items to replicate and implement in the real world.

Many believed this technology to be the key to humanity's salvation.

The woman's mechanical eyes scanned Tong Gu and Gong Li briefly, clearly recognizing them as unfamiliar faces. She exhaled a puff of smoke and said,

"First time on Fallen Street?"

Yang Yuanping retrieved a black card with a green logo and held it out in front of her. Smiling, he replied,

"We're actually friends of Old Ma."

The woman gave the card a quick glance, confirming its authenticity. She clicked her tongue in slight annoyance, then raised an eyebrow at Tong Gu.

"You look pretty decent. If you want to come back to Fallen Street, just find me to register."

She stepped aside, but not without casting a glance at the card in Yang Yuanping's hand.

"Old Ma's getting old. That card won't be valid for much longer... Hah."

Inside, Yang Yuanping's expression darkened, his mind racing with speculation. Could it be that Old Ma was losing his grip on Fallen Street?

Tong Gu, on the other hand, remarked pointedly,

"These youngsters on Fallen Street seem quite trendy."

Yang Yuanping froze at the comment, suddenly realizing something. Yes, the people of Fallen Street were originally a hopeless bunch, indulging in hedonism with a "live for today" mentality. Yet the young people they encountered now seemed more curious and engaged, even embracing cybernetic modifications.

As he observed the shopping mall's interior, Yang Yuanping noted that most of the crowd consisted of youthful faces.

Fallen Street had clearly undergone an unnoticed transformation.

"Ah, new faces, are we?"

A flamboyant voice called out from behind them. They turned slightly to see a man with cybernetic eyes approaching. His short silver hair was impeccably dyed, and a bird-shaped tattoo adorned his face.

"I'm a broker here. Call me Ah Fei."

The man introduced himself with exaggerated ease, seemingly oblivious to their scrutiny.

Tong Gu was mildly impressed by the apparent organization of Fallen Street's management. The place seemed to be running its black market operations quite effectively. He asked with interest,

"Can you help me find what I'm looking for?"

Ah Fei's grin grew even wider, unsettling Gong Li.

"Of course! Everything here is recorded in our database. With a simple movement of my eyes, I can locate anything you need."

He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together meaningfully.

"For a small service fee, naturally."

Yang Yuanping exchanged a glance with Tong Gu, who, seeing no objections, responded,

"I need a Log Pose from the One Piece world."

Ah Fei's eyes flickered briefly before he looked at the group in mild surprise.

"Seems like you're well-informed. Log Poses aren't rare, but demand has skyrocketed lately. They're usually snapped up as soon as they appear.

"Coincidentally, we just recorded one for sale this morning, and here you are."

Despite his chatter, Ah Fei worked quickly. He led them through various stalls until they reached the fourth floor, where a small shop displayed the sought-after Log Pose.

Tong Gu's rarely-stirred excitement flared as he gazed at the device on the counter. With it, he could infuse the energy from the golden bracelet he'd obtained in the Demon Slayer world, allowing it to point towards a portal leading to that world.

Wasting no time, Tong Gu expressed his interest.

The shopkeeper, a hooded middle-aged man with dark skin, hesitated. Though tempted by the offer, he ultimately shook his head.

"Sorry, I've already promised to sell this to someone else."

Ah Fei, seeing his commission slip away, grew agitated.

"The database says it's still available. Don't mess around!"

The shopkeeper, visibly intimidated by the cybernetically enhanced residents of Fallen Street, was clearly out of his depth. Despite his luck in surviving the One Piece world, he'd never achieved more than an E-rank evaluation.

Tong Gu raised a hand to stop Ah Fei. He met the shopkeeper's gaze and asked sincerely,

"Could you introduce us to the buyer?

"Perhaps I can negotiate a deal that works for both of us."

The shopkeeper hesitated, his face turning red with indecision. Ah Fei's impatience grew, his erratic scratching suggesting growing agitation.

Suddenly, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up as he looked to his right and called out in relief,

"Mr. Wu! You're finally here. Please, take this."

He handed the Log Pose to the newcomer without hesitation.

Yang Yuanping turned to see a young man approaching, flanked by several others. The man appeared to be in his early twenties, with neatly styled black hair and no visible cybernetic modifications. His polished appearance seemed oddly out of place in Fallen Street.

Yet the shopkeeper was clearly terrified of him, desperate to hand over the item.

Tong Gu observed the newcomer, only to realize that Mr. Wu's gaze was fixed on him.

"The Exploiter?"

Hearing no denial, the young man's eyes gleamed with excitement. He clapped his hands and crouched dramatically, scrutinizing Tong Gu from head to toe.

The gesture, incongruous with his refined attire, felt bizarre and unsettling.

"Hahaha, the Exploiter! I'm a big fan of yours!"

Mr. Wu circled Tong Gu like a predator studying prey, leaving the shopkeeper, still holding the Log Pose, visibly anxious.

Gong Li frowned instinctively. There was a subtle yet palpable hostility in Mr. Wu's demeanor toward Tong Gu.

Yang Yuanping, standing silently behind them, seemed to recognize Mr. Wu but said nothing.

Tong Gu, noting the peculiarity of the situation, remained aloof.

"This Log Pose," he said coldly, "name your price."

Mr. Wu's exaggerated expression shifted slightly, his smile growing colder. With a slight motion of his fingers, the Log Pose floated from the shopkeeper's hands into his own.

Telekinesis?

Tong Gu hadn't expected this seemingly ordinary youth to possess such powers.

Mr. Wu handed the Log Pose to Tong Gu with a faint smile.

"For someone like you, Mr. Exploiter, it's an honor. Just 100,000—after all, that's the price I quoted to the shopkeeper."

The price was fair, even generous. It seemed the shopkeeper feared Mr. Wu too much to negotiate.

Tong Gu, however, didn't take the Log Pose immediately. Instead, he stared at Mr. Wu.

"So, what do you want from me?"

The young man's smile widened, and he leaned in, whispering,

"I want nothing extra from you.

"This is... the friendship of Fallen Street."

*********************************************

Read advanced chapters ahead of everyone else on my Patreon.

p@treon/GodDragcell