The streets of Sector 89 never slept, but that night they felt especially restless. Holograms flickered, sirens wailed in the distance, and traders packed their stalls in silence, as if the air itself knew something was coming.
Kai Zareth stepped out of his rusted shack for the first time in two days, now a changed man—if not in wealth, then in fate.
In his coat pocket: a toothbrush glowing faintly green.In his vision: a translucent interface pulsing with alien energy.Above his head: a system bounty marker.And on his back: the weight of a whole new kind of danger.
[⚠ Hostile Trader Approaching – Estimated Arrival: 2 hours][System Suggestion: Accumulate at least 10 CU to unlock Defense Mode or escape privileges.]
Kai muttered, "No pressure."
He moved fast, ducking through alleyways and neon-lit tunnels until he reached the old hover-bazaar—a forgotten part of the city where anyone could sell anything, legal or not.
This was where he would make his stand.
[Activating Street Vendor Mode…][Deploying Temporary Stall (Rank 1)][One Item Listed: Rusted Goblin Toothbrush – 3 CU][Set Trade Permissions?]
"Open to all," Kai whispered, his heart pounding.
A shimmer spread in front of him, and a virtual stall unfolded like a blooming flower. Lights glowed. Holographic signs in multiple galactic languages floated overhead:RARE INTERDIMENSIONAL ITEM – LIMITED STOCK – BARGAIN DEAL
Within minutes, two curious passersby stopped.
A Vroxin junk dealer and a three-eyed boy in torn robes. They both stared at the toothbrush as if it were treasure.
[User: Nookra the Tinkerer is analyzing your listing…]
The Vroxin spoke first. "Three CU for that? You're either a fool or a scam artist."
Kai grinned. "Try brushing with it once. Heals gum disease and brain damage."
The boy gasped. "That's goblin-moss residue! It's illegal to even own that without a clearance tag."
The Vroxin's mandibles clicked. "I'll take it."
[Transaction Confirmed – +3 CU][System Rank Progress: 6/10][Mission Updated: Accumulate 10 CU – Reward: Trader's Spatial Vault]
Kai watched the credits rise on his interface. A small win, but a win nonetheless.
"Let's keep it rolling," he muttered and pulled out the next listing: a broken AI chip he salvaged from an abandoned courier bot.
He tapped into the Interdimensional Junk Market again, scraping together enough scraps to acquire another low-tier item: a Glass Seed from the Desert World of Ak-Tahm.
[Item: Glass Seed – Cost: 2 CU – Potential Market Value: 5–7 CU]
Kai gritted his teeth and bought it, hoping it wasn't a scam.
He listed the seed next, and sure enough, it drew attention fast. A botanist from the Spireworld Collective approached, scanning the item with a blink-lens.
"This seed can grow glassfruit in 13 minutes flat," she said, eyes gleaming. "You're lucky I came first."
[Transaction Confirmed – +6 CU][Total CU: 9]
So close.
But then, the air shifted.
A shadow fell across the bazaar. The temperature dropped. Everyone stopped talking.
And then the system pinged—
[WARNING: Trader Varak the Claw has entered Sector 89]
A new icon appeared on Kai's interface—red, jagged, and pulsing.
Rank 4 Trader. Combat Enabled. Kill Permission Granted.
[You have 1 hour to vacate the sector or defend your trade zone.]
Kai's blood went cold.
He wasn't ready to fight. Not against someone like that.
"Just need one more CU," he whispered. "One more."
He scanned the stalls, then pulled out the last item he had—the broken AI chip—and called out, "Final sale! Rare AI core, limited edition. One CU!"
A street tinkerer ran over, wide-eyed. "You serious?"
"I'm dead serious."
[Transaction Confirmed – +1 CU][Total CU: 10 CU][Mission Completed: Unlocking Feature – Trader's Spatial Vault][Vault Capacity: 20 items | Access from anywhere in the galaxy][New Perk: Emergency Phase Shift – Escape from enemy Traders (Cooldown: 48 hours)]
Kai didn't hesitate.
"Activate Phase Shift—NOW!"
[Confirmed. Escaping…]
The world twisted. Time slowed. Reality folded like a piece of paper.
And just like that, Kai vanished.
Varak the Claw arrived five seconds later—too late.
The towering, four-armed trader snarled. "A rookie… escaped me?"
Status Panel:Name: Kai ZarethTitle: Sole Trader of the Galactic ExchangeRank: 2 (Initiate Trader)Cosmic Units (CU): 0Credits: 0Inventory: EmptyNew Assets: Trader's Spatial Vault (20 slots), Emergency Phase Shift (48h cooldown)Debt: 27,000 Intergalactic UnitsReputation: Notorious RookieNext Objective: Unlock the Interworld Trading Hub (Requires: Rank 3 and 25 CU)