Chapter 20: Market

The alligator sprinted through the entrance of the twenty-fourth floor like a train. Its legs hit the floor that shook the walls of the corridor.

Dante stood near the front of the beast’s neck, his digits resting deep inside his hoodie pockets, his balance perfectly set despite the violent movement. Behind him, Yenna sat low on the dark scales, her fingers gripping the ridges of the monster’s armor to hold her seat. Her black cat ears were pinned back against the wind, rotating constantly to check the space around them.

"Zero," Yenna said. "Floor 24 is not a combat zone. It is the central distribution district for the mid-level sectors. The Radiant Dawn guild uses this entire floor as a commercial trading plaza. There are hundreds of merchants and administrative workers right ahead."

Dante didn’t slow the beast down. "Let them stay in the way then."

Within seconds, the canyon opened up into a massive, brilliantly lit cavern. The floor was covered in smooth composite lined with rows of expensive wooden stalls, luxury trade offices, and resource exchange counters. Hundreds of wealthy guild members, merchants, and lower-tier porters were walking between the shops, trading crystals and inspecting high-grade gear.

The giant alligator broke through the perimeter security gates, shattering the barricades into tiny fragments. The twelve-meter reptile let out a predatory rumble from its throat, its rows of yellow teeth flashing under the bright ceiling crystals.

The busy market sector instantly transformed into a scene of absolute chaos.

"Monster! A mutated alligator has escaped the lower pens!" a merchant screamed, dropping a tray of expensive blue potions that shattered onto the pavement.

"Run! It’s charging the central avenue!"

People went into pure panic, scrambling in every direction, diving behind counter tops and knocking over display cases filled with weapons and gear. Porters dropped their baggage to run for the exit lifts, while the local guild security units drew their short spears, only to freeze when they saw the size of the beast.

The alligator didn’t care about the stalls. Guided by Dante’s absolute control, it ran straight down the middle of the main trading street, its tail swishing sideways to demolish an entire row of luxury silk tents.

Yenna looked down at the screaming guild workers, then up at Dante’s back. He didn’t even look at the stalls he was destroying. His posture remained perfectly relaxed, his eyes fixed entirely on the archway at the far end of the plaza that led to the level twenty-five elevator.

A sense of awe washed over Yenna’s mind through the shared link. Just two weeks ago, she had been a freezing, broken auxiliary porter, hiding in the ice sheets of the twelfth floor, waiting to die because these exact guild elites considered her trash. Now, she was riding a giant execution reptile right through the heart of their multi-million credit market sector, and the people who used to look down on her were running for their lives from the man she served.

’They are sending a notification to Marcus right now,’ Yenna transmitted, her awe turning into a cold, focused focus. ’The network logs show the entire floor manager’s office has gone into emergency lockdown. Marcus knows you aren’t just climbing—he knows you are riding his own beast to his vault.’

Dante didn’t turn his head. ’He can lock whatever he wants. We are already at the gate.’

The giant alligator reached the end of the market, it’s claws slamming onto the steps of the central transport station. Dante didn’t bother using the master keycard this time; the massive reptile simply drove its front legs forward, smashing the locked security doors into splinters.

The lift compartment inside was massive, built to carry resource wagons. The alligator trotted inside, its long tail curling up to fit the space, and dropped its snout back onto the floor with a low, obedient rumble. Dante reached into his pocket, his fingers closing around the gold card he had stolen from the administrator’s desk.

"Floor twenty-five is next," Dante said aloud, as he swiped the card through the main lift console. "Let’s go see how much Marcus left inside his hidden storage."

The gates closed and the box began its final movement upward toward the vault.