The next product needed to land—not just sell.
Frank sat on the edge of his bed, half-dressed, a plastic fork still stuck in lukewarm noodles. His system screen floated just ahead of him, its light sharp against the dim apartment. He hadn't touched the second bite.
The message hit first:
Lurevan – Frostglass Domain
"We require 150 crates of tomatoes. Price accepted at +2 tokens."
Frank chewed slowly, set the cup down, and wiped his hands on the side of his pants.
He tapped a reply:
"Understood. Supply will be arranged. Note: price now 52 tokens per unit."
A pause. Then Lurevan's response came quickly:
"Acceptable. Confirm dispatch."
Before he could close the window, the second message slid in.
Krul-Van – Fangrest Ridge
"Requesting 30 packs of the Earth energy drink—the one given to the war-king. Clan council approved."
Frank blinked and typed:
"New rate: +5 tokens per unit."
A single laughing glyph returned, followed by:
"Good. Gold should cost gold. When will it arrive?"
"Tomorrow," Frank replied.
He opened his wallet: 4,300 Arcadian Credits left. Not enough to waste, but just enough to work with. He needed crates, bulk packaging, delivery tools—and somehow, he still had to maintain his margin.
He stood, pulled on his jacket, and headed out without finishing the noodles.
Down on the street, the vendors were already packing up for the day. He moved quickly through the outer market, found a stall that sold produce in bulk, and flagged down the vendor before she closed the tarp.
"Tomatoes. Crate price."
She narrowed her eyes and rattled off a number. Frank calculated in silence: one hundred fifty crates at twenty each—three thousand gone. He paid without arguing.
From there, he cut two streets over and hit the discount supplier in the back alley of the district, haggling the energy drinks down to two credits a can. Three hundred sixty cans. Seven hundred twenty AC. No bulk discount, but still worth it.
He checked his remaining balance: 580 credits. He didn't hesitate.
He turned the corner, found a flatbed rental, and handed over every last coin to add a basic loading drone—no AI, no tracking, just raw lift.
The crates were heavier than expected. He loaded them one by one, sweat slick down his neck, arms burning by the fiftieth lift. Just as he latched the final strap, his system chimed.
New message. No name—just a flashing glyph.
"Should've sold us the formula. Now watch your back."
Frank stood still for a full second. Then he closed the window and climbed into the seat.
The flatbed didn't have smart navigation or heat filtration—just wheels, an engine, and a rattling frame that sounded older than the building he lived in. Frank didn't care. The crates were stacked tight, three high, lashed in rows. The drinks were boxed on top, wedged into the corners to keep them from shifting.
He drove slowly, keeping to the back lanes, his eyes scanning the dusk. This part of Arcadia didn't sleep early—too many night vendors, too many runners passing between market and restock. But Frank wasn't looking for a sale. Not tonight. He was thinking about the glyph:
Should've sold us the formula.
The message was short and direct, which meant they weren't guessing. They knew the potions weren't his.
The street turned, and he shifted lanes.
Could've been a bluff. Could've been someone angry about prices. But no one from Earth knew about the source—not unless they were system-bound. Which meant someone else was trading.
He hit the brakes, parked outside a supply depot on Grivven Alley, and unloaded. The crates weren't headed to the depot—they just needed time to sit. He dragged them into an empty loading bay, keyed in the time code, and pulled open the system delivery tab.
The Orb fields shimmered into place beside him. Each one spun slowly, its ambient glow cycling in quiet pulses. Delivery sync was already unlocked for both clients. He tapped Lurevan's order first.
『150x Tomatoes – Sync Delivery Initiated』
『Delivery Type: Dimensional Transfer – Frostglass Domain』
『Delivery Time: 00:10:00』
『Delivery Fee: Waived (Verified Trader Tier)』
The crates vanished in stacks, each dissolving into orb-light as they left the physical space behind. Next came Krul-Van's drinks.
『30x Energy Drink Packs – Sync Delivery Initiated』
『Delivery Type: Dimensional Transfer – Fangrest Ridge』
『Delivery Time: 00:08:00』
『Delivery Fee: Waived (Verified Trader Tier)』
Frank watched the final pack disappear before the orb snapped closed. Ten minutes. He stood in the bay's shadow and waited, pulse steady, hands still at his sides. When the notification came through, he didn't flinch.
『Delivery Complete – Lurevan (Frostglass Domain)』
『+7,800 Tokens Received』
『Client Message: Accepted. Quality confirmed. Increase request pending.』
『Delivery Complete – Krul-Van (Fangrest Ridge)』
『+3,600 Tokens Received』
『Client Message: War-King offers permanent tier patronage if consistency is proven.』
Frank read both messages twice, then closed the screen, his back straight and face calm. 11,400 tokens in a single night.
『Trader Token Threshold Reached – Tier 2 Eligibility Unlocked』
『Upgrade Requirement: 1,000 Tokens』
『Warning: Token deductions are permanent. Proceed?』
He didn't hesitate.
『Confirm.』
Light wrapped around his wrist—the trader band glowing brightly for a moment, system runes burning into the air above it before dissolving back into invisibility.
『Tier 2 Access Unlocked』
– New Daily Trade Limit: 2
– Inventory Capacity Increased: 50 Slots
– Store Expansion Feature Enabled
– Cross-Realm Visibility: +9 Merchant Watchlists Now Active (22 merchants)
Frank's jaw shifted slightly. He was now visible to two thousand more traders—not customers, but competitors. Before the system light fully faded, his chat flashed twice. Both messages were from merchant guilds—coded IDs, no names. He didn't open them.
Instead, he reopened his shop tab and sent a new order request to Clan Herbalis:
"Requesting 500 Vital Surge. Same strain, same grade."
In a second tab, he accessed the mage shop, a high-volume scroll vendor. He selected a base skill package:
『50x Tier 1 Flame Scrolls – Trade Price: 25 Tokens Each』
『Total Deduction: 2,500 Tokens』
『Confirm?』
He tapped "yes". A new inventory window opened—half full now. The crates would arrive by morning.
He turned to leave but paused to check the address on his rental invoice. It was the same as the crate origin. It wouldn't take much to track the pickup point. The threat wasn't over; it was just more polite now.
He walked home without a hood or misdirection. The message was clear: if someone wanted to watch, they wouldn't find a man running.
Once inside, he dropped his gear, rinsed his hands, and opened the HunterNet page—not to check blogs, but to find a gate. A new listing pulsed near the top:
『New Dungeon Detected – Burnt Nest Hollow – Active Gate Nearby』
Frank grabbed his blade from the corner, clipped it to his belt, and pulled his duffel tight across one shoulder. He stepped out the door without checking the time.