Kai leaned forward, staring into the shifting glyphs dancing across his holo-display. The name "Kharos Redveil" glowed crimson in the inbox. A name known on the lower fringes of the Trade Sovereignty—a rogue trader with rumors of ties to illegal relic exchange and fractured realms.
Exactly the kind of ally Kai needed.
He accepted the call.
The screen flickered—and revealed a tall humanoid, his skin the color of obsidian dust, half-covered by a breathing mask and an ornate veil sewn with red runes. His presence was like a sharp edge wrapped in silk.
"So. You're the little ripple making waves in the Nexus's stagnant pool," Kharos said, voice calm and cold.
Kai didn't flinch. "Ripples become storms."
A pause. Then a low chuckle.
"Good. Then we understand each other."
The Pitch
Kharos wasted no time.
"I need a seller who isn't afraid to deal in gray zones. A few smaller realms are breaking apart—civilizations collapsing, tech and relics flooding out in chaos. I have access to routes that most traders won't touch. You have the skill to launder and flip the goods through cleaner ports."
Kai considered the offer.
It was risky. The Trade Sovereignty frowned on unauthorized realm salvage. But if he handled it smart, he could route the merchandise through his Earth node or even barter with low-rank traders in unregulated fringe systems.
"What's the cut?" Kai asked.
"Sixty-forty. You get the forty."
Kai smiled slightly. "Fifty-fifty. I'm the one taking legal heat."
Kharos narrowed his eyes… and nodded.
"Deal."
The First Shipment
Later that night, in the Merchant's Lair, a flickering portal opened near Docking Platform 1.
Three crates appeared—sealed with obsidian iron bands and marked with crimson claw runes. Juno, watching the transfer remotely, raised an eyebrow.
"Uh… boss? You know these things are cursed, right?"
"Not cursed," Kai said. "Culturally hostile."
He popped the first crate. Inside:
12 sealed vials of Mind-Bond Ink (banned on 5 civilized realms)
1 memory-locked music cube from a dying empire
3 unregistered energy capacitors
High-value. High-risk. High-reward.
Kai routed the cube and ink to a collector's circle on Orion's Edge and kept the capacitors for internal development.
[Trade Completed: Memory Cube → Collector Circle]Profit: 900 CU+3 CreditsKarma Shift: -1 (Shady Transaction)
[Warning: Continued negative Karma will attract Trade Inspectors.]
Kai waved off the alert.
He wasn't building a clean empire. He was building a real one.
Expanding on Earth
Back on Earth, his hidden warehouse had gone through a minor expansion. Juno had recruited two assistants—Zhang, a former engineer, and Mari, a college dropout with a gift for logistics.
They now ran a front-facing shell company: "Helix Imports."
The fertilizers became miracle growth kits.
The self-repairing tools? Branded as "smart maintenance kits."
Even low-tier Nexus energy cores were disguised as next-gen power cells.
They sold out weekly.
[You have sold 42 Units of Trader Goods to Earth—Tier 1 & 2]Profit: 2,340 CU+17 CreditsEarth Sector Reputation: +8
Juno messaged again:
"Hey, Kai. Zhang says we could double throughput if we set up a second node—maybe near Brazil or Southeast Asia. You ready to scale?"
Kai didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he scrolled through his system interface… to a newly unlocked section:
[Galactic Trader Path – Sovereign Branch Unlocked]
You have maintained successful trade across three realms.You are now eligible for Trade Sovereign Trials.Requirement: Establish 3 nodes, trade in 5 unique civilizations, own at least 1 realm-specific business.Reward: Access to Realm-Scaling Contracts, Diplomatic Trade Protection, Sovereign Ledger Creation.
Progress:
Nodes Established: 2 / 3
Civilizations Traded: 3 / 5
Business Ownership: 0 / 1
Kai's eyes gleamed. It was finally happening.
The climb from petty buyer… to Merchant Sovereign.
Status Update:
Trader Rank: 5.0CU Balance: 6,750Credits: 520Karma Balance: +3Reputation:– Earth Sector: +13– Nexus Fringe: +9– Orion's Edge Collector Circle: +2– Pale Listener Fringe: +3Assets:– Merchant's Lair (Upgraded)– Earth Node x2 (Asia node under construction)– Trade Partner: Kharos Redveil– Shady Inventory (Locked)– Karma Tracker: ⚠ Mild Risk– Assistants: Juno (Loyal), Zhang (Efficient), Mari (Clever)
Kai leaned back in his command chair, fingers steepled as the Merchant's Lair hummed quietly beneath his feet.
A storm was brewing in the galaxy.
And he was ready to sell lightning to the highest bidder.