[Midnight: 2:30 AM]
"I don't have any money with me right now, so I cannot buy any time. I am sorry, Mother... Father."
"I will need to steal in my own house."
Victor went into his mother's room and opened a locker. Inside were 50 gold coins—his parents' life savings that they had set aside for him to study at the Royal Academy. He quietly took 25 gold coins from the locker and closed it.
He then went outside and looked around.
"I will go to the poorest family in this area and buy time from them."
Victor traveled around the streets until he arrived at a house.
"System, pause time for everything."
[Okay, Host.]
Woosh. Everything paused. From the midnight howling of the wolves to the sounds of the wind blowing across the streets, all was still.
[System, equip Time God clothes.]
A blinding light enveloped the boy, then disappeared in an instant, revealing a new outfit. His clothes consisted of:
- **Hat:** A distinguished black fedora adorned with a golden band and a small, functional clock embedded on the side, with its hands moving in reverse.
- **Coat:** A long, tailored midnight-blue trench coat with golden embroidery depicting celestial motifs and time-related symbols. The inner lining shimmered like a galaxy.
- **Shirt & Vest:** A crisp white shirt beneath a black vest threaded with gold, fastened with ornate, gear-shaped buttons.
- **Pants & Boots:** Slim-fit black trousers paired with polished black leather boots, each heel engraved with tiny hourglasses.
- **Necklace:** A prominent golden pendant shaped like an hourglass, filled with ever-shifting sands that glowed softly.
- **Rings:** Multiple gold rings on both hands, each engraved with different time-related runes.
- **Bracelets:** Thick, ornate gold bracelets on each wrist, inlaid with rotating gears and tiny ticking clocks.
- **Belt:** A wide black leather belt with a large golden buckle resembling a sundial.
"This is another gift I received. It's one of the many cool sets of clothes available in the system shop. I bought these because they look great and are suitable for now, although I'll wear something simpler later when I become an emperor or something," Victor thought to himself.
"This will do for now," Victor said as he opened the door to the worn and torn house that screamed "poor."
Entering the house, he took out the clock attached to his coat and clicked a button. "Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock," the sounds echoed throughout the house, accompanied by the beautiful music of an xylophone.
"Honey! What is that sound? Go look… it seems to be coming from outside the room!" a woman said, trembling in fear.
"Don't worry! I'll go check it out!" said the man who lay in bed with his wife and a child between them, who wasn't older than ten years.
The man stepped outside and saw a boy, not much older than his own child, but he looked divine. The first time he laid eyes on the boy, these words crossed his mind:
'This boy… he doesn't give off the vibe of a human… it feels divine,' thought the man, shivering.
"What do you want, boy? Why have you intruded into our home? Explain yourself, or I'll call the city guards," the man said, taking a jade-like tablet from his pocket. This tablet could be used to call the city guards from anywhere in the city. Although only two or three would respond, it was better than nothing.
"Me? I'm just someone who has come to buy or sell some products. I am a merchant, you see!" Victor replied.
"A merchant? What are you blabbering about, boy? Just tell me what you want!"
"Calm down, mister! Or you might miss an opportunity to earn some money."
'This boy… shivers run down my spine just looking at him,' the old man thought, not realizing that the clothes the boy wore gave off the aura of the God of Time.
"All right, I will listen to you, but afterward, you need to leave, or I'm calling the guards," said the man.
"Alright, let me introduce myself! I am but a humble merchant who only buys and sells one product. And that is time!"
"What!? Time? Are you serious?" the old man exclaimed.
"Yes! I can buy some of your lifespan in exchange for money. Or you can buy lifespans from me for some money."
'Hmmmm… I think I should play along with this farce; it's not like anything could go wrong. I could use some extra cash since I'm tight on money these days.'
"Hmmmm… How much time can I sell right now?"
'Let's see… Time God's Eyes.'
[Name: Tharen Vosk]
[Lifespan: 72 Years]
[Cause of Death: Died Due to Age.]
"Sir, you can sell only one year right now, but don't worry, you can sell more in the future," Victor said.
'I only have 25 gold coins… can't buy too much time.'
"And how much will I earn from it?" Tharen asked.
"Sir, you will earn 20 gold coins," Victor replied.
'What?! 20 gold coins!! That is equal to the amount I would earn if I worked for ten years at my current job!'
"Sell! Sell! I'll sell it! Tell me, boy! What do I need to do?"
'Time Contract'
As Soon As Victor Said That, in His Mind, A Piece of paper Magically Appeared in His Hand.
"You just need to sign this contract, and the money is yours," said Victor. Immediately after reading the conditions, Tharen took the piece of paper from his hand, pricked his finger, and dropped a drop of blood onto the paper. The paper shone, and immediately after that, it vanished into thin air.
The contract has a few conditions, such as:
[1. Once you sell your time, you cannot take it back. You will need to buy more at the specified buying price.]
[2. This contract is between the Time Merchant and the individual who submits the agreement. No other parties shall be involved.]
[...]
Victor immediately handed over a pouch to the man, which contained 20 gold coins.
After That, Victor Turned Around And Started To Leave.
"Wait, hold on, kid—Sir Merchent, how will I contact you if I need to sell or buy some time?" Tharen asked.
"You will get to know eventually..." said Victor, and then he vanished.
'This time-stopping feature is amazing.'