The Abyssal Garden: No Room for the Idle

"Everyone please follow the rules of Chaotic City, and prohibit all violations."

"Those who wish to leave this world, please don't hurry, queue up in an orderly manner."

Tentacle Man was now queuing up.

He really wanted to get back to Final Home as quickly as possible.

After all, the entire Pollution world now seemed to be growing ever larger, but only he understood that in such a dangerous world, everything was in jeopardy and could collapse at any moment.

As a Manager, he could only take all the produce from Final Home, collect strange materials from the Pollution world, and come to this chaotic Boundary... exchanging everything that could help alleviate the crisis in Final Home.

"Also..."

Tentacle Man's gaze dimmed slightly; he was also searching for a way to cure his daughter... to give her a normal body that didn't have to suffer pain.

His daughter was truly special.

After all, she had died, and it was only by force that he had kept her soul here and miraculously recovered her consciousness.

But to truly live.

Was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

"There are three methods... one is to ask for the aid of entities above the fifth rank of sequences, perhaps they could stabilize my daughter's body, an abnormality of flesh and blood, so she need not be replaced, but how could such entities care about someone like me."

"Another is... requesting a Recovery ritual, which could also heal little Ah Ling, but it would cost more than a hundred times what Final Home produces in a year in Spirit Coins, an extremely high and terrifying treatment cost that I simply can't afford right now."

"The third is... to replace with another body."

Tentacle Man's expression was gloomy.

He was a surgeon, and had nearly studied all the literature related to neurology in order to save his daughter, but after all, he was just one person... without background, without strength, without funds... he could only maintain her using the strange activity inherent in the abnormal flesh and blood alongside his own tentacles' neurotransmitters, etc.

How could he not know his daughter's pain... yet he was powerless to help.

Various technological worlds... while they possessed the relevant neurological technology, it simply wasn't spread about.

At this moment.

"All you fellows below the seventh rank of sequences! Remember to shield yourselves with Spiritual Energy to avoid being injured by the shock!"

A deep voice resounded in everyone's ears.

Tentacle Man's power was of the seventh rank, and he looked up toward the distance.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A colossal black ship, enormous as a mountain range, thunderously broke through Nihility, sailing out and appearing atop a platform.

The gusting wind shook everyone slightly, feeling an array of mysterious rituals emitting powerful auras above.

"Begin unloading!"

A voice shouted deeply, beside which rituals on the ships flashed with astonishing Spiritual Energy, and a large number of personnel began heading towards that ship.

Tentacle Man watched this scene, not surprised at all, as it was not the first time he had seen it.

Ships that traveled the Ten Thousand Realms would bring massive cargoes to Chaotic City for sale, and this was one of the reasons why Chaotic City was a central hub of trade.

Giant boxes carrying goods, which were as tall as fifty meters, were grabbed by several giant abnormalities and placed on the ground.

There were many goods... weird and diverse, including Pollutants, abnormal slaves being trafficked, and unique items from various worlds.

The quantity was vast.

So vast that it was frightening.

After all, as the trading hub of this Boundary, Chaotic City attracted massive numbers of people and demands for purchase from all directions...

Tentacle Man was just one inconspicuous grain of sand amongst them.

"This is..."

Tentacle Man's expression suddenly shook, a giant box with distinct packaging being held carefully by a huge abnormality, seemingly different from the other goods.

"Goods from Night City."

Standing beside it, an abnormality with a powerful aura watched calmly in that direction.

"Night City?"

Tentacle Man seemed to have heard these three words.

Oh.

He remembered now... previously many people had gone to participate in some kind of auction, which had been advertised.

Though the strength of its world was not strong, it was a celebrated hub city for influencers.

But what was critical wasn't that.

It was the packaging on the box... There was a man wearing a luxurious tuxedo, and beside him an emblem engraved with some sort of commercial guild's name, which was obscured by the huge abnormal's hand.

Tentacle Man didn't see clearly.

"You're not going to tell me you don't know what happened in Night City, are you?" The abnormal, arms crossed, looked at Tentacle Man.

Tentacle Man shook his head, then gave a bitter smile, "I don't come here often, I'd appreciate it if you enlightened me, elder brother."

He came to Chaotic City once every three or even six months, as amassing Spirit Coins took time, and the cost of round-trip transportation was exorbitant.

"Jeez, you know about Nancy, right?"

"...I've heard a bit, seems like she's a quite famous host."

Even though Tentacle Man didn't visit often, he would comprehensively learn about the information he needed to know: which major forces in Chaotic City couldn't be provoked, which powerful individuals needed to be avoided or even pleased.

As a small figure bearing the fate of over a hundred thousand people, every step was fraught with difficulty and caution.

He needed to be aware of the information from outside the Chaotic world as well.

The abnormal spoke, "...do you know about the Spirit King?"

Tentacle Man was startled and nodded quickly, "Of course!"

The various major forces were one thing, but the name of the Spirit King shone like the sun over all the connected worlds, dazzling and brilliant.

That was also a supreme existence too high for him to reach!

"Then this should be easy."

The abnormal began casually, "Nancy has become the commercial endorser of a guild in Night City, crucially... this guild has the backing and investment of the scion of the Sunset Spirit King, and all goods from the guild in Night City have become coveted items."