The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving

Leaving the young show owner’s stall behind, Aisha continued further down the market.

As she walked, the scenery gradually transformed. The scent of weapons slowly faded, giving way to an entirely different class of merchandise.

A large, prominent sign marked this section: [Outerworld Goods]

Unlike the local items she had passed earlier, everything here was sealed in exotic and foreign packaging. Aisha slowed down her pace, her eyes lingering on the strange characters and elegant scripts stamped onto the wrappings--none of which she could decipher.

Eventually, she stopped in front of a stall selling dried fruit. That’s what it said on the label. If it could even be called that.

The fruits were shaped like small, perfect stars. They possessed a deep green hue and emitted a faint, sweet aroma.

According to the merchant, the fruit originated from a planet three stellar systems away. The soil there was supposedly rich in a unique mineral, which gave the harvest its unusual, gentle glow.

Intrigued, she purchased a handful.

A few stalls later, she discovered jars filled with a substance resembling honey. However, the golden liquid moved entirely on its own, slowly swirling within the glass like a slime.

”...”

The label was called the saliva of a Glazed Honey Sloth.

Aisha turned around. She was not going to put any monster’s saliva in her mouth!

But her arm was caught by the vendor, who quickly talked her into buying it. Mostly out of sheer curiosity, she bought two jars. And it was only worth 25 star credits anyway.

Her shopping spree didn’t stop there.

Outerworld items had more variety than what the Empire had. From meat, spices, and even vegetables and fruits. Although they were peculiar in appearance, it wasn’t poisonous. Only that they had more miasma in them.

Most of the things in every store on Gaia planet, including the market in the Association, had miasma in them. They only needed to be purified at a certain amount before humans could consume them.

By the time Aisha reached the middle of the imported section, her spatial bag felt considerably heavier, and the credits in her account had dipped lower than she originally intended.

Well, it doesn’t matter.

She had plenty of money to spare. Honestly, this was the most entertained she had been since arriving in this world.

Then she reached the weapons forged by the Outerworlders.

Unlike the weapons at the academy, these were clearly of alien design. There were blades of bizarre shapes; one even had a mouth with teeth and a tongue sticking out. The label called it a Sucking toy meant to devour even rocks and small monsters inside its mouth.

Her eyes caught a weapon that resembled a spear. Reaching out, she picked it up to test its weight.

”A fine choice,” the merchant chimed in, leaning forward. He had a strange-looking appearance; instead of two eyes, he had six.

Aisha turned the spear over in her hand and heard the merchant’s introductory details of the weapon. ”A flick of psychic energy allows it to extend and retract instantly. In the hands of an Outerworlder and a Sentinel, it can cleave through flesh and bone like paper.”

But...

With a silent sigh, she reluctantly set it back down. Buying a weapon she didn’t know how to wield would just burn her credits. Still, she carefully memorized the weapon’s design.

Aisha continued down the path, browsing the remaining stalls without spending any more credits.

Gradually, the bustling crowds began to thin out, and the distance between the merchants grew wide.

Unknowingly, she had crossed a threshold.

This was the black market Ares had mentioned earlier.

The alleyway grew narrower, it became darker that Spark Lights were used around to lighten the surroundings, and the individuals manning the stalls carried themselves with a sharp, heavy wariness that the main market vendors lacked.

It looked more like entering a cage filled with rabid dogs.

Aisha slowed her footsteps, quietly absorbing her new surroundings.

The atmosphere was suffocating and thick with pressure like one where you’d get jumped at any moment you lowered your guard.

It shared the same feeling when she stepped into a building where other survivors had already taken as their territory in her past life.

Suddenly, her gaze locked onto a specific item.

A corner stall features rows of stacked jars and wooden crates. Inside them were objects that looked unmistakably like animal parts.

Monster parts.

Aisha’s breath caught slightly in her throat.

Her mind instantly flashed back to her practical combat class. She remembered the holographic display of the lobster-like creature her professor had shown them.

If this world has monsters that so closely resemble the animals of her world... then there must be others.

She approached the stall eagerly, scanning through what was available.

But the closer she looked, the more her initial excitement began to wither.

Most of the monsters there had already been stripped down to bare bones, processed hide, and teeth. Typical materials valued by collectors. Whoever hunted these creatures clearly wasn’t interested in whether they were edible.

What a waste of good ingredients, she thought with disappointment.

Still refusing to leave empty-handed, she sifted through a few dusty crates. Finally, her eyes landed on a small, vacuum-sealed portion of flesh. The vendor labeled it as a product of a [Viscious-Tusked Beast].

On the surface, the meat looked remarkably similar to pork.

”This one’s fresh,” the seller said, noticing her interest. ”Caught two days ago from a low-threat zone. It’s already undergone miasmic purification, so it’s perfectly safe to feed your pets.”

”How much?”

”Three thousand star credits.”

Aisha paid without haggling, tucking the sealed package into her bag.

Now, a new problem arose. Where would she actually test it?

Cooking this at the family villa is out of the question. Daisy would inevitably ask two questions, and her family would definitely look at her like a lunatic if they found a raw monster meat sitting in the kitchen fridge. And doing it at the Academy would be too risky.

Then, a sudden realization struck her.

The private residence that Admiral Zeke had told her about.

”Perfect!”

No one would disturb her there, and she could test her theories in peace.

Satisfied with her plan, Aisha turned her head to the direction that led to the deepest part of the black market.

The stalls in this deepest section were incredibly rundown. Some were barely held together by rusted scrap metal and tattered cloth. Their wares consisted of nothing more than broken trinkets, cracked daily tools, and chipped jewelry they got from who knows where.

Amidst the junk, she noticed small, broken and cracked stones piled haphazardly on tables from a few tents.

Curious, she picked one up, rolling the rough texture between her fingers. Just as she touched it, she felt something quite familiar...

”What are these?” she asked.

The vendor under the tent glanced tiredly and said in a dull tone, ”Those are Pure Energy Stones. Well... at least, they used to be.”

Aisha’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as she looked down at these broken stones.

”These stones are actually Pure Energy Stones?”