The convenience store fell silent again after Kael disappeared.
The portal behind him snapped shut with a sharp crack of energy, leaving nothing but still air and the faint smell of burnt ozone.
Lucian stood behind the counter, staring at the glowing system screen floating in front of him.
Elena leaned against the shelf beside him, arms crossed.
Neither of them spoke for several seconds.
Then Lucian said quietly,
"…That guy had a dragon scale."
Elena nodded.
"Yeah."
Lucian looked down at the counter where the scale had been moments earlier.
The system had already absorbed it during the trade.
"That was cool."
Elena rolled her eyes.
"You're focusing on the wrong part of that situation."
Lucian tilted his head.
"Oh?"
"You just sold enchanted equipment to a dragon hunter from another dimension."
Lucian shrugged.
"Business is business."
Elena sighed.
"You're impossible."
Lucian turned his attention back to the system screen.
The glowing numbers hovered in front of him.
Merchant Rank: Initiate Merchant
Narrative Value: 197
Lucian grinned.
"Three more points."
Elena raised an eyebrow.
"Three points for what?"
Lucian pointed to the upgrade menu again.
"The next upgrade."
He tapped the screen and opened the Shop Upgrades tab.
Several options appeared.
Basic Spatial Expansion — Cost: 100 (Purchased)
Dimensional Stabilizer — Cost: 150 (Purchased)
Interworld Signaling Lantern — Cost: 120
Merchant Defense Array — Cost: 200
Lucian rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"That defense system looks interesting."
Elena leaned closer to the screen.
"Probably a good idea if more people like Kael start falling through the ceiling."
Lucian chuckled.
"True."
Then he glanced at the total again.
197
"So close."
Elena grabbed a bag of chips from the shelf.
"Then sell something."
Lucian gestured to the empty store.
"To who?"
Elena opened the bag.
"Someone will show up."
Lucian leaned back against the counter.
"You sound confident."
Elena smirked.
"I've been alive long enough to know how weird the universe is."
Lucian laughed.
"That's reassuring."
The store returned to its quiet rhythm.
The refrigerators hummed softly.
The lights buzzed overhead.
Outside, the moonlight reflected off the damp pavement.
Lucian crossed his arms.
"You know something?"
Elena looked at him.
"What?"
Lucian nodded toward the shelves.
"We should probably organize the inventory."
Elena blinked.
"You're running a multiverse trading hub, and you want to organize snacks?"
Lucian shrugged.
"A clean shop attracts customers."
Elena stared at him.
"…I hate that you might actually be right."
They began rearranging the shelves.
Lucian stacked drink bottles more neatly.
Elena sorted candy bars into rows.
For a moment, the shop looked almost like a normal convenience store again.
Then—
The bell above the door rang.
Both of them froze.
Lucian slowly turned toward the entrance.
The door had opened quietly.
A young boy stood there.
He looked about twelve years old.
He wore simple clothes and carried a small backpack.
But something about him felt… strange.
Lucian's Earthsense stirred slightly.
Elena narrowed her eyes.
"Lucian."
"Yeah."
"That kid isn't normal."
Lucian nodded slowly.
"I noticed."
The boy walked toward the counter calmly.
His footsteps were soft.
Almost too soft.
When he reached the counter, he looked up at Lucian.
His eyes were bright gold.
Lucian blinked.
"Well that's new."
The boy spoke politely.
"Good evening, Merchant."
Lucian raised an eyebrow.
"You know what I am?"
The boy nodded.
"Yes."
Elena whispered under her breath.
"That's becoming a trend."
Lucian leaned forward slightly.
"So… are you here to shop?"
The boy nodded again.
"Yes."
Lucian smiled.
"Then welcome."
He opened the system interface.
The scan appeared instantly.
New Entity Detected
Name: Orion
Species: Celestial Spirit
Threat Level: Unknown
Lucian blinked.
"…Celestial spirit?"
Elena leaned over his shoulder.
"That sounds powerful."
The boy — Orion — looked around the store curiously.
"This place is fascinating."
Lucian crossed his arms.
"Thanks. I try."
Orion walked along the shelf slowly.
He picked up a soda bottle.
"What is this?"
Lucian grinned.
"A drink."
Orion studied it.
"Interesting."
Elena whispered,
"I don't think he's from anywhere near Earth."
Lucian nodded.
"No kidding."
Orion returned to the counter.
"I would like to trade."
Lucian smiled.
"Perfect."
Orion reached into his backpack.
He pulled out a small glowing feather.
The feather shimmered with soft golden light.
The moment it touched the counter—
The system exploded with alerts.
Divine Material Detected
Item: Feather of a Star Phoenix
Trade Value: Extreme
Lucian's eyes widened.
"…Oh."
Elena whispered,
"That sounds expensive."
Lucian cleared his throat.
"What would you like in exchange?"
Orion looked at the shelves.
Then he pointed at something simple.
A small chocolate bar.
Lucian blinked.
"…You want candy?"
Orion nodded happily.
"Yes."
Elena burst out laughing.
Lucian shook his head.
"You're trading a divine feather… for chocolate?"
Orion smiled.
"I have never tasted chocolate before."
Lucian stared at him.
Then he slowly pushed the candy bar across the counter.
"Deal."
The system chimed.
Trade Completed
The store suddenly filled with light.
Energy surged through the system.
Lucian's screen exploded with notifications.
Narrative Value Earned: +500
Lucian nearly fell backwards.
"FIVE HUNDRED?!"
Elena's jaw dropped.
"You're kidding."
The system flashed again.
Merchant Rank Up
New Rank Achieved: Dimensional Merchant
Lucian stared at the glowing words.
A warm energy spread through the store.
The shelves vibrated.
The walls shimmered slightly.
The shop itself seemed to grow stronger.
New menus unlocked on the screen.
New Ability Unlocked: Merchant Gate
New Feature Unlocked: World Travel
Lucian slowly smiled.
"Well…"
Elena looked at him.
"What now?"
Lucian turned toward the glowing world map on the screen.
Hundreds of new routes began lighting up across the dimensional network.
Lucian's grin widened.
"Now the real business begins."