First Arc starts: InterWorld Trader, Peter Kang
[Ding!
Beginner Pack available. Would you like to open it?
YES / NO ]
Peter blinked at the floating prompt like it had just slapped him or more like someone just handed him a cursed scratch card.
He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he'd died—and was now, somehow, alive again. Reincarnated? Transmigrated? Fuck knows.
Lilith sat thee still hugging her knees, chin resting on them, eyes locked on the skyline like she was trying to tattoo it into her memory. She was like some tragic anime character staring out at the city like it was a goddamn utopia built by angels high on espresso and LSD. Her expression was soft, unreadable. But Peter knew that look. It wasn't peace. It was that adult disbelief people wore when life flipped the script and they were too old to call it a dream.
She wasn't saying anything. But Peter could feel it in her eyes. That quiet disbelief. The "what-the-fuck-have-we-just-stepped-into" kind of silence. Honestly, same. But unlike the usual isekai whiners who spent five episodes crying into their RPG menus, they were grown ups. And adults? Adults don't cry—they dissociate in silence like bosses.
Still, this shit was real. Like painfully real. From the vivid pinch-in-the-ass post-death sensation to the crisp wind brushing against his skin like nature's slap, the fresh memories they'd inherited to the feeling of belonging that they didn't even try to fight. It wasn't a dream.
It was reality in full HD.
They both knew it.
This was no illusion.
No coma.
No simulation.
This was real.
The taste of the air.
The weird tingle still buried somewhere deep in his spine.
The pressure of being alive again.
And now, a system? Seriously?
He glanced at the message again. Beginner Pack staring at the [YES] and [NO] for a second longer.
"Should I tell her?"
It was a valid question. The kind of decision most MCs took five whole arcs to make.
Reasons not to tell her?
Plenty.
Trust issues.
System rules.
Weird betrayal flags.
His first instinct was to keep it to himself.
Rule number one in any new world—you don't start talking about secret menus unless you've got plot armor made of vibranium.
But then again… this was Lilith. The same psycho who tried to save him and ended up dying with him instead. She didn't even flinch. Just said something between, "If I can't save you, might as well die with you."
Like—what? That was her love confession? Girl, therapy exists.
Peter sighed. She was a lunatic, but she was his lunatic. He stood, walked over, and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her from behind like one of those tsundere anime boys who suck at emotions.
Lilith blinked, stiffening for half a second like someone had just smacked her with affection.
"What the hell? What's with the deep affection? Are you okay? Don't tell me you're dying again?" she asked, side-eyeing him suspiciously.
"Shut up and enjoy it," he muttered.
She chuckled softly, leaning into him just a little. "You're acting like you just found out I'm adopted or something."
"i will throw you down there if you can't keep quiet," he whispered. "So shut it and enjoy it while it lasts!"
And she did. No sarcasm. No snark. Just silence.
He mentally clicked "YES."
[Ding! Beginner Pack opening... The first gift has been granted: World Slots Access. Please choose three worlds from the following five options.]
A holographic list appeared before him, shimmering with mystery and absolutely zero context. Five glowing names floated in the air like they were handpicked by fate. Each one shimmered with energy, looking like it came straight out of a manga title.
1. The Seven Boundless Realms
2. Crimson Ash Galaxy
3. Hollowshade Spiral
4. Heavenly Stone Realm
5. Obsidian Drip Dimension
Peter squinted. "The fuck is a Drip Dimension?" he muttered mentally clicking to hoping for a description. No tooltips, no descriptions, not even a shady narrator voice whispering in his head. He tried clicking on them—nada. Not a single byte of information. This system was drier than an old man's DMs.
He tried again—
Still nothing.
"Really?" he muttered under his breath. "So we're just rawdogging choices now? Yo, system," he tried. "Give me some deets? Hints? A wink?"
Silence.
A breeze passed by. "Cool. So the system's not the talking type. We're doing the mysterious, emotionally distant AI thing. Bet."
Even Lilith turned, confused. "You talking to yourself again?"
Peter shook his head. "Wondering, that's all."
So it was one of those systems—silent, mysterious, and obsessed with moral character-building. Probably watched too much Naruto and decided to throw in some trial-by-fire bullshit.
Well, jokes on it.
It just picked the pettiest, most stubborn, sleep-deprived, semi-dead otaku to play Russian roulette with alternate universes.
Peter smirked.
"Alright, System," he muttered. "You picked the wrong guy to play mystery games with. I read thirty-five Chinese manhwa with titles longer than a CVS receipt. I know how to pick a winner."
He stared at the list. The names were all he had. No guides. No wiki. Just vibes and vocabulary.
Seven Boundless Realms sounded overpowered, like something with dragons, royalty, and energy beams that scream epic plot armor.
Crimson Ash Galaxy? That was giving edgy space opera—probably full of civil wars, cursed mech suits, and sexy aliens with trust issues.
Hollowshade Spiral felt like a horror game wrapped in a philosophical acid trip. Kinda spooky. Kinda sexy.
Heavenly Stone Realm was peak cliché. You could smell the sect elders, jade beauties, and mysterious old men giving random gifts.
And Obsidian Drip Dimension... the hell? That one was just—vague. It sounded like a Gen Z fashion label crossed with a black hole.
He rubbed his chin. "If I pick wrong, do I die again? Or just regret it forever while listening to Lilith tell me 'I told you so'?"
He clicked Seven Boundless Realms first. Too iconic not to.
Then Crimson Ash Galaxy—for that galactic bag.
And last, he hesitated... then picked Obsidian Drip Dimension. Because what the hell—even the name was audacious. And Obsidian was a name for his Main character in Champion of Lust.
So...
[Ding! Worlds selected. Loading interface…]
Peter grinned. "Let's get rich or get wrecked."
Lilith raised an eyebrow. "What did you just do?"
He just winked. "Oh, nothing. Just started our interdimensional hustle."
"What're you talking about"
Peter just stared at the interface for a hot second, eyebrows slightly twitching. It wasn't just some gamey overlay—this thing felt real. Like the kind of UI that would slap you if you ignored it too long. His fingers itched to start poking around more, but first...
He glanced at Lilith, still curled up like a tired cat in the cold, staring off at the skyline like the city owed her money.
"Hey," he said, voice low but sharp enough to slice the moment.
She looked at him, brows lifted. "Hmm?"
"I got something… weird," he said. "System popped up in my head. Like, an actual system system."
That got her full attention. She straightened, eyes narrowing. "Wait, you you're dreaming about golden fingers right now? It's not early in the morning, Pete."
Peter paused. "Wait—what? I'm not joking dummy."
Lilith blinked. "You mean it? Wait really? You got Power-ups? Inventory and all that shit?"
"No, no," he said. "Mine's not that kind. It's like… a trading system. It called itself the Traverse Trade System. Said I could pick three worlds to trade with."
As he spoke, he willed the interface to reveal itself—just enough so Lilith could see it— apparently he can do that. The moment he did, the space between them shimmered, and then—it unfolded right there in front of both of them like a goddamn floating tablet made by ancient alien capitalists.
*
[TRAVERSE TRADE SYSTEM: Activated]
[Welcome, Trader: Peter Kang]
[Initializing: World Slots — 3/10 Unlocked]
[TAL (Trade Authority Level): 1]
[SVS Balance (Spirit Verse Stones): 0]
[Inventory Space: 0/50 Items]
***
[Current Active World Slots:]
➤ Seven Boundless Realms
> Status: Unknown | Danger: ??? | Trade Demand: ???
➤ Crimson Ash Galaxy
Status: Unknown | Danger: ??? | Trade Demand: ???
➤ Obsidian Drip Dimension
Status: Unknown | Danger: ??? | Trade Demand: ???]
[First Trade?YES/NO]
****
Who's ready!!!!!???