Lucian stepped through the portal.
For a brief moment, everything around him turned into light.
Not blinding light.
More like the feeling of passing through water made of glowing air.
His body tingled.
Then—
Solid ground returned beneath his feet.
Lucian blinked.
He was standing on a sidewalk.
Cars rushed past nearby, headlights cutting through the night as engines hummed along a busy city street.
Tall buildings rose on both sides of the road, their windows glowing with warm yellow light.
People walked along the sidewalks, talking, laughing, completely unaware that someone had just arrived from another dimension.
Lucian slowly turned in a circle.
"…Well," he said quietly.
"That worked."
Behind him, the portal shimmered faintly for a moment before disappearing like mist dissolving in sunlight.
Lucian scratched the back of his head.
"Okay… so step one."
He looked around the unfamiliar city again.
"Try not to look like a confused idiot."
He paused.
"…Too late."
A group of people walked past him, glancing briefly in his direction before continuing down the street.
None of them seemed suspicious.
That was good.
Lucian relaxed slightly.
"Alright," he muttered. "Rule number one of visiting another universe."
He raised a finger.
"Don't do anything stupid."
The system suddenly appeared in front of him.
A translucent screen hovered in the air where only he could see it.
World Entry Successful
Narrative Value Available: 30
Merchant Exploration Mode Active
Lucian nodded slowly.
"Good to know."
He started walking down the sidewalk casually, hands in his pockets as he observed everything around him.
Neon lights glowed from storefront signs.
Restaurants bustled with late-night customers.
Music drifted from an open bar doorway.
Lucian smiled slightly.
"This place feels normal."
He passed a clothing store window and glanced at his reflection.
Still the same clothes from the convenience store shift.
Black hoodie.
Jeans.
Slightly messy hair.
"Yeah," he said.
"I definitely look like a guy who just walked out of a portal."
The system chimed softly.
Nearby Opportunity Detected
Lucian raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
The screen shifted.
A small arrow appeared, pointing down the street.
Narrative Event Within Range
Lucian stared at it.
"…That sounds suspicious."
He debated for a moment.
Then shrugged.
"Well, curiosity wins."
He followed the arrow.
The walk only took about two minutes.
As Lucian turned a corner into a quieter street, he immediately heard shouting.
Three men stood near the entrance of a dark alley.
A fourth person—a young woman—was backed against the wall, clearly cornered.
Lucian sighed.
"…Of course."
One of the men laughed harshly.
"Come on," he said. "Don't make this difficult."
The woman looked terrified.
Lucian rubbed his face slowly.
"You know," he muttered to himself, "I literally just got here."
He looked up at the night sky briefly.
"Five minutes. That's my record."
The system chimed again.
Narrative Opportunity Detected
Potential Outcome: Intervention
Lucian exhaled.
"Yeah, yeah."
He stepped forward.
"Hey."
The men turned.
One of them frowned.
"Who the hell are you?"
Lucian raised a hand casually.
"Just a guy walking home."
Another man scoffed.
"Then keep walking."
Lucian tilted his head.
"I would."
He pointed at the woman.
"But that situation over there looks like a problem."
The tallest man stepped forward.
"This doesn't concern you."
Lucian nodded.
"That's true."
He crossed his arms.
"But I've got this weird thing about not ignoring bad stuff when I see it."
The man cracked his knuckles.
"You're asking for trouble."
Lucian sighed again.
"I know."
The system flickered quietly.
Son of Gaia — Passive Connection Detected
Lucian suddenly felt something strange beneath his feet.
The ground.
It pulsed faintly.
Like the earth itself was aware of him.
Lucian blinked.
"…Oh."
The tall man lunged forward.
Lucian reacted instinctively.
He stepped to the side.
The man stumbled past him.
Lucian gently pushed his shoulder.
The man crashed into a trash bin with a loud metallic bang.
The other two froze.
Lucian blinked again.
"…Huh."
That had been easier than expected.
The second man rushed him.
Lucian stepped back again.
The ground beneath the man's feet suddenly shifted slightly.
Just enough.
The attacker slipped and slammed into the pavement.
Lucian stared down at him.
"Did the sidewalk just help me?"
The third man grabbed his friend.
"Forget this!"
They quickly dragged the others away, disappearing down the street.
Silence returned.
Lucian stood there for a moment.
"…Okay," he said slowly.
"That was weird."
Behind him, the woman spoke cautiously.
"Thank you."
Lucian turned around.
She looked shaken but unharmed.
He smiled gently.
"No problem."
The system chimed again.
Narrative Value Earned: +40
Lucian blinked.
"Wow."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Helping people pays pretty well."
The woman studied him for a moment.
"You're… surprisingly calm."
Lucian laughed.
"Trust me, today has been a very weird day."
She hesitated before asking another question.
"Are you new around here?"
Lucian thought about that.
Then he nodded.
"You could say that."
Far away, somewhere beyond reality itself, the shop between worlds hummed quietly.
And inside it—
Elena waited.
Lucian looked up at the glowing city skyline.
This was only the beginning.
The multiverse had just opened its doors.
And the Multiverse Merchant had taken his first step inside.