Chapter 3: Carving Out A Market

Kyle’s entire body was aching. He had overexerted himself during the fight, and his muscles were screaming out for rest. He sat in an opulent red velvet chair, the bloodstains from yesterday long gone and replaced with a clean formal suit.

He was in Ulon’s private room, now obviously his. It was filled with useless trinkets, trophies and a gaudy stuffed head of a wildlife Kyle had never seen before. All extremely distracting and a waste of time, in his opinion.

It’s been slightly more than a day since he arrived in the city of Raktor, somehow waking up in another person’s body, along with a holographic interface reminiscent of VR games.

It’s far too real to be a VR game.... Kyle pondered as he checked his face in the mirror, looking nothing like how he did in the past. His face no longer had the perfection of designer genes cultivated over centuries.

The first rule of thumb for Kyle when entering an unknown and potentially hostile environment was to gain safety first. By instantaneously taking out Ulon, he had temporarily secured his position as a gang leader, albeit of a small one but easier to control and tweak to his preference. Twenty weak members are hardly enough to serve as a buffer against enemies...

Efficiency was the name of the game when one wanted to be a galactic crime lord. Kyle did not beat around the bush, immediately coming up with a simple step-by-step plan.

Build a solid base/group of people to perform menial labour and reach a position preferably on the same level as his previous titles. Remain hidden from the big powers as much as possible. Find a niche market to sell, preferably illegal, so as to exploit profit margins. Scale up and dominate the market, as well as ensure no competition. Figure how the hell did he survive/woke up in another person’s body

There is also the issue of the gang I attacked when I arrived. No doubt they would come knocking sooner or later. Kyle surmised. The Red Lions seemed to be a much larger gang from what he learnt, controlling four districts in the South Sector. He needed to potentially prepare for war.

In order to protect himself and his followers, he would need money. Most likely lots of it. And he would need it extremely soon, with the Red Lions poised to pounce if the Seven Snakes showed any more weakness. Until then, he had to remain low. Kyle winced as he tried to move his arms, sore from exhaustion.

On his neck was the Necklace of Healing, which he still had no idea how to activate.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

Equipment Equipped

[Necklace of Healing (Basic)]

For the timid of heart.

+3 INT, +3 VIT, +1 CHA

Active Skill: Heal (Basic) – Restore a tiny amount of health

Cooldown: Ten seconds

He also had no idea how to access the purple box properly. He tried swiping with his hands. When that didn’t work, he tried it verbally. “Holographic Interface. Menu. System. Statistics.”

As soon as he said the last word, the statistics appeared in front of him.

WELCOME TO RAKTOR, KYLE HAWTHORN

Level 9

Max HP: 34(+0)(+0)

Max MP: 0(+0)(+0)

Max STA: 34(+0)(+0)

[Status Effects]

NONE

[STATS]

Race Human Class ??? STR 43(+17)(+0) DEX 39(+13)(+0) INT 39(+10)(+3) VIT 33(+0)(+3) CHA 21(+10)(+1) Free Points 40 [EQUIPMENT]

[Necklace of Healing (Basic)]

+3 INT, +3 VIT, +1 CHA. Active Skill: Heal (Basic) – Restore a tiny amount of health. Cooldown: Ten seconds.

[SKILLS] NONE [TITLES] [Former Crime Lord]

A bigshot in your previous life, so much for that, huh?

+10 INT, +10 CHA

[Martial Arts Training]

The best things between you and death are your fists

+10 STR, +10 DEX

[Murderer]

Everyone has to start somewhere

+2 STR, +10% Increased Damage to Humans

[Usurper (Basic)]

So, climbing the ranks huh?

+5 STR, +3 DEX, + 10% damage to those of higher authority

Kyle tried to focus on activating the necklace, which suddenly did the trick. The same green aura enveloped his body, healing him by a tiny amount.

It, however did not do anything to alleviate the exhaustion his muscles felt. Kyle surmised that being tired was not considered health damage and as such, could not be healed. This will be a problem; I will need to learn more about how this holographic statistics interface works.

He did not know if other humans had the same interface but given the fact that it displayed every single piece of information, both past and present of the individual, Kyle knew better than to reveal such detail to those around him. Especially when he’s only been the leader for a day. I will not let myself be betrayed again, that is for sure.

Kyle dragged himself out of the room, assuming the strong and stern posture again, before returning to the main office. A crime lord must always espouse and demonstrate strength, dominance and competency, even when running a small-time gang.

The broken table had been replaced with another basic table, the same map parchment on it. Damian was already in the office, waiting for him.

“Can you read and write?” Kyle asked as he walked towards the desk and sat down.

“Uhm, not perfectly, but I have a younger brother who can.”

[Health Potion (Basic)] [Stamina Recovery Potion (Basic)]

The trio walked down the stairs, only to enter a basement filled with potions that were not the same as what was displayed in the front. “Take a look. Every aphrodisiac, poison, curse and illusionary potion is here. I won’t call them the best in Raktor, but it’ll do the job.”

Kyle nodded, walking through the shelves and rows upon rows of potions. He noticed a few boxes of herbs labelled ‘Poair Leaves’ stacked on the corner through his peripheral vision, though he continued picking up potions and examining them. Each of the potions was well-labelled and displayed in small quantities.

Assuming he performs all his production in-house, he does not seem to have enough ingredients to engage in mass production. There is still a chance, but only if I find evidence of the right potion here.

He was on his twentieth potion since he arrived when another purple box appeared in front of him.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

Title Obtained

[Potion Inspector (Basic)]

Ah, you seem to be looking for something very specific.

+5 INT, Increased description of potions examined

Kyle held the same potion and noticed the description had been upgraded.

[SYSTEM MESSAGE]

Item

[Mind-Bending Potion (Basic)]

Sends the user on an illusionary trip fueled by their subconscious, rendering them incapable of normal functions. Lasts up to a day on a full dose.

Recommended Dosage: Half a bottle for an adult human male for three days

Ingredients: Poair Leaves, ???, ???, ???, ???

Cooldown: Thirty Seconds

“Perfect.”

WELCOME TO RAKTOR, KYLE HAWTHORN

Level 9

Max HP: 34(+0)(+0)

Max MP: 0(+0)(+0)

Max STA: 34(+0)(+0)

[Status Effects]

NONE

[STATS]

Race Human Class ??? STR 43(+17)(+0) DEX 39(+13)(+0) INT 44(+15)(+3) VIT 33(+0)(+3) CHA 21(+10)(+1) Free Points 40 [EQUIPMENT]

[Necklace of Healing (Basic)]

+3 INT, +3 VIT, +1 CHA. Active Skill: Heal (Basic) – Restore a tiny amount of health. Cooldown: Ten seconds.

[SKILLS] NONE [TITLES] [Former Crime Lord]

A bigshot in your previous life, so much for that, huh?

+10 INT, +10 CHA

[Martial Arts Training]

The best things between you and death are your fists

+10 STR, +10 DEX

[Murderer]

Everyone has to start somewhere

+2 STR, +10% Increased Damage to Humans

[Usurper (Basic)]

So, climbing the ranks huh?

+5 STR, +3 DEX, + 10% damage to those of higher authority

[Potion Inspector (Basic)]

Ah, you seem to be looking for something very specific.

+5 INT, Increased description of potions examined.