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"Can't you sell it in parts? That makes things difficult…"
Hearing the stall owner's words, Sato frowned beneath his mask, feeling somewhat unwilling.
Right now, he only needed 25 grams more of Toxic Essence. But the chunk in front of him was quite large—at least 50 grams.
The problem was that Toxic Essence was absurdly expensive. Even at normal market prices, it cost over a million PokeDollars per gram. In a black market like this, the price could easily be several times higher.
By his estimation, buying this piece would cost him at least 100 million PokeDollars.
"With all due respect, something this valuable isn't something someone like me, with shallow pockets, can swallow whole. I don't need much—25 grams will suffice."
Even though he knew this might expose how much Toxic Essence he already had, Sato still stated the amount he wanted. After all, forcefully taking it wasn't an option here.
"That won't do. My rule is to sell it as a whole. You have your difficulties, but I have mine. You know the value of Toxic Essence—it only sells better in larger quantities. If I split it, my losses would be huge."
The stall owner's expression turned displeased as he stared at Sato, as if he were losing tens of millions.
"Sigh… that's unfortunate. I might be able to afford half, but the whole piece is beyond me."
Sato avoided the man's dissatisfied gaze and sighed regretfully.
Then he turned to leave.
At this moment, Sato intended to use a strategic retreat to pressure the stall owner. Even selling half would bring in tens of millions—a huge deal. Surely the seller wouldn't want to miss it.
Unfortunately, the stall owner showed no sign of wavering. Even as Sato was about to leave his line of sight, he didn't budge.
"Looks like a fisherman casting bait… Toxic Essence really is valuable—so many people are eyeing it."
Using his psychic perception to observe the stall owner, Sato realized the man had no intention of calling him back. He couldn't help but mock himself inwardly.
What he hated most in the black market were sellers like this—people who didn't lack money but displayed treasures just to lure others.
Clearly, the man wasn't truly trying to sell the Toxic Essence. Even if Sato had offered enough, the seller would likely keep raising the price.
If Sato's guess was correct, the stall owner's real goal was the same as his own—to gather more Toxic Essence.
That chunk on display was nothing more than bait, meant to lure people like Sato—those who already possessed Toxic Essence.
And just like that, Sato had taken the bait.
Sure enough, once he left the stall owner's sight, several subtle "tails" appeared around him.
In a lawless place like the black market, robbing others was commonplace. Sato didn't mind—in fact, he felt a bit pleased.
If something couldn't be obtained through normal means, then another method would suffice.
Originally, Sato didn't want to stir up trouble—deep down, he was still someone who respected order. But if others came looking for trouble, he wouldn't hesitate.
The moment someone reached out to grab him, he would cut off both the hand—and the person attached to it.
Soon, Sato pretended to be unaware and calmly left the black market, even deliberately heading toward a quiet, deserted area.
However, to his surprise, just as he was about to make his move, the people following him suddenly turned and ran away.
"That's strange… they actually ran."
Instead of feeling relieved, Sato felt annoyed—like throwing a punch into empty air.
.....
Meanwhile, several hundred meters away…
"Boss, why did we retreat? That guy has what the employer wants."
A burly man with a fierce face complained to a thin, sickly-looking man.
"Yeah, boss. We already took the payment. If we don't deliver, our reputation's ruined."
The other thugs echoed him, their eyes showing faint hostility.
"A bunch of idiots! Don't you see my treasure was scared out of its mind just now? That guy is not someone we can mess with. What's more important—money or your lives?"
The sickly man showed no fear. He slapped one of the men across the face and spoke viciously.
The "treasure" he referred to was a Barboach wrapped around his arm.
When Sato had been about to act earlier, the Barboach suddenly began trembling violently—and even bit him.
The man had studied Barboach before. He once read that this Pokémon possessed an instinct to avoid danger and seek safety. His Barboach had exactly that ability.
Thanks to it, he had avoided several life-threatening situations and built a small but notable crew in the black market.
Just now, Barboach's intense fear had clearly warned him—they had encountered someone far beyond their ability to handle. That was why he ignored his subordinates' protests and fled immediately.
Clearly, his group wasn't very stable. With his frail body, he couldn't fully control these burly men. The moment he struck one of them, the others began to show hostility, ready to turn on him.
"...I see. No wonder you told us to retreat. So it sensed danger. That guy really is troublesome."
At this point, the burly man calmed down. He nodded and stood by the sickly man.
He had followed him the longest and understood how reliable that Barboach was. It would never panic without reason.
Seeing the strongest among them support the boss, the others exchanged glances and reluctantly backed down.
"Boss… why is your Barboach trembling again?"
Suddenly, the burly man spoke.
Everyone immediately turned to look at a nearby basin filled with water.
Barboach couldn't stay out of water for long. Earlier, it had secreted too much mucus from fear and was slightly dehydrated, so the man had placed it in water instead of returning it to a PokeBall.
Now, the Barboach—previously recovering—was trembling violently at the bottom of the basin, sending ripples across the surface.
The sickly man's face changed instantly.
He knew what this meant.
Following the direction of Barboach's terrified gaze—
"Not good! Run!"
In the next second, he grabbed the Barboach from the basin and bolted. Only after putting some distance between them did he shout the warning.