The door closed behind the adventurer and the boy with a soft chime, and silence settled over the store once more. Li Kai stood in the middle of the room, staring at where they had been just moments ago. The subtle scent of magic still lingered in the air, as if the store itself were contemplating the deal he had just made.
A notification blinked in front of him.
> System Notification:
You have formed a [Limited Pact] with a High-Rank Adventurer.
Pact Terms: Protection in exchange for access to restricted store items.
New permissions unlocked.
Category: Sealed Items (Tier 1) now accessible.
Li Kai blinked, his fingers trembling slightly as he tapped the notification.
A new tab opened in his mental interface, one he hadn't seen before. The items listed there were unlike anything in the general inventory. Ancient scrolls, cursed weapons, binding contracts, reality-bending trinkets—each one pulsed with an energy that felt alive. They were powerful, yes, but dangerous too. Some even had red warning markers flashing beside them.
"Sealed Items," Li Kai whispered. "No wonder they were locked…"
He closed the interface for now. His instincts told him he wasn't ready—not yet. Not until he understood more about the store, the System, and the kind of forces he was starting to tangle with.
A soft flicker of light caught his attention.
From the far shelf, a scroll unrolled itself without warning. It hovered in the air, spinning slowly. Runes shimmered along its edges, pulsing a steady, rhythmic beat. Li Kai stepped closer, and as he did, the System's voice echoed in his mind.
> System Alert:
Hidden Event Triggered: [Threads of Fate - Part I]
An anomaly has entered the cycle.
You must prepare.
Li Kai frowned. "What do you mean by 'anomaly'?"
The System, as always, didn't answer directly.
> Hint: The boy carries a mark tied to the Store's origin. His fate is now intertwined with yours.
Warning: Interference from external entities detected.
Activate [Vision of Threads] to view pending outcomes?
Li Kai hesitated but nodded. "Activate it."
A sudden warmth bloomed behind his eyes. The world shifted—colors bled and twisted, and reality fractured like a cracked mirror. When he looked up, the store was… different.
Threads of light stretched across the room—some glowing bright gold, others a deep crimson. They tangled, connected, snapped, and frayed in the air like puppet strings. The counter. The shelves. Even the items. All of them had threads connecting them to something beyond the room. But three threads stood out.
One thread—a brilliant silver—was tied to the boy. It snaked from the door he'd left through and dove straight into the floor, where it pulsed with a gentle rhythm, as if breathing.
The second—golden and taut—was attached to the adventurer. It stretched outward, branching into dozens of offshoots that twisted into battlefields, ruins, and even dark, smoky realms Li Kai couldn't comprehend.
And the third…
It was black. A thick, tar-like thread pulsing with a malevolent energy. It wasn't connected to anyone or anything in the store. It hovered—unattached but watching. Waiting.
Li Kai stumbled backward, the Vision fading instantly.
His breath came in short gasps.
"What… was that?"
> System Notice:
The Store exists outside linear fate, but its keeper must still act.
The black thread represents an Unseen Force—classified threat: S-Rank Unknown.
Recommendation: Strengthen store defenses. Locate the boy's origin.
Optional Task Unlocked: [Trace the Marked One].
"Trace the boy?" Li Kai murmured. "Why him?"
> System Hint:
The boy is not hunted for what he has, but for what he is.
Begin investigation: Offer service - 'Insight Exchange' to future customers.
Another ping echoed in his mind.
> New Store Feature Unlocked:
Service: Insight Exchange – Temporarily view a customer's fate thread in exchange for store credits, memory fragments, or special items.
Li Kai rubbed his temples. This was getting deeper than he could've imagined.
When he had first inherited the store, he thought he'd be selling health potions and magic scrolls to clueless adventurers. Instead, he was navigating interdimensional politics, forging alliances with deadly warriors, and now apparently, peering into the very threads of fate.
Still, he wasn't entirely alone.
A small, familiar chime sounded from the staircase. Xiaomei descended with her usual serene expression, her long dark hair flowing behind her like shadow-silk. Her eyes, however, were sharp and unreadable as they studied him.
"You activated a Pact," she said flatly, folding her arms. "Not bad. Risky, but not bad."
Li Kai raised an eyebrow. "You knew?"
"I always know," she replied, voice smooth. "You've taken your first real step as a Storekeeper. Deals like these come with consequences. You may have protected the boy, but you've also tied your fate to his. That's not something you undo easily."
Li Kai exhaled. "He needed help."
"People always need help," Xiaomei said, walking toward the counter. "But some help comes at a cost you can't afford."
Her gaze flicked toward the far wall where the threads had once shimmered.
"He's not just being hunted," she said, her voice suddenly low and distant. "He's being claimed. There's a difference."
Li Kai's blood ran cold. "Claimed by who?"
Xiaomei tilted her head. "That's the question, isn't it?"
Before Li Kai could respond, the bell above the door rang again. A new customer entered—an elf draped in celestial robes, her eyes shining with stars and galaxies.
She stopped at the entrance, her voice soft but resonant.
"This is the Infinite Store, yes?"
Li Kai nodded warily.
She smiled faintly, stepping forward. "Good. I need a weapon that can kill a god."