The moment Kai activated the Observer Token, the air around him seemed to change.
Time felt thinner. Paths opened.
His system interface blinked furiously, highlighting one new opportunity after another. Offers from fringe realms. Unregulated nodes. Markets that operated beyond the Celestial Council's control.
[New Trade Zone Unlocked]: BLACKLIGHT MARKET]Location: ??? | Realm-Class: Unstable / ShadowedWarning: Illegal Trade Detected. Proceed with Caution.
A perfect place to push his advantage—fast.
Journey Into the Gray
The entrance to the Blacklight Market wasn't a realm gate or portal.
It was a crack in space—a faultline in the void, only visible when his system aligned three artifact coordinates he'd bought at a discount two days earlier.
When he stepped through, it felt like walking into a thunderstorm.
Gravity twisted sideways. His HUD blurred. His heartbeat slowed.
Then he emerged in a realm of flickering neon, shadows, and murmurs—a chaotic bazaar built into the skeleton of a dead world.
Floating stalls lined the edges of a crater-like valley. Massive beams of blacklight illuminated barter zones. Traders wore masks—some of them literal, others figurative.
Every item here was rare, stolen, forbidden, or experimental.
Perfect.
Deals with Devils
Kai's first stop was a salvage stall glowing dim purple.
"Looking for anything particular?" the vendor rasped, its form hidden beneath a cloud of programmable mist.
Kai held up a shimmering fragment of Aether Core.
"Bartering for compression tech. I need a mobile kiln that can refine Cores in transit."
The mist twisted. "Rare ask. Illegal in 14 zones."
Kai smiled. "I'm covered. Temporary immunity."
That got the vendor's attention.
"Ah… Observer Token?"
Kai nodded.
A drawer opened, and inside sat a sleek black cylinder—a mobile compression unit designed for starship-scale production.
"Twenty-two thousand C.U. retail. But for you... 4,500."
"Too steep."
"Three thousand," the vendor whispered. "But I get access to your Mirage List for one week."
Kai hesitated.
Letting this vendor plug into his system's trade listings might expose his networks... but the compression kiln would increase his refining speed by 70%.
"Deal."
They shook—binding the trade with a flicker of cosmic energy.
[Trade Complete: Mobile Aether Kiln Acquired]
Compression unlocked
Processing speed increased
Energy efficiency +30%
An Unexpected Partnership
As Kai moved through the marketplace, a woman in a sharp obsidian cloak stepped in front of him.
Tessia Vale.
"Didn't expect you here so soon," she said, arms crossed.
"You watching me?"
"More like... waiting."
She reached into her coat and pulled out a thin card: a trader license from a banned realm—one shut down after a dimensional collapse.
"This lets you operate in collapsed or unstable realms. Usually costs 8,000 C.U."
Kai tilted his head. "You're offering it for free?"
"I'm offering it in exchange," Tessia replied, "for a ten percent share in your refinery's next three shipments. You're getting popular. I want in before you explode."
Kai glanced down at the license. With it, he could access materials no one else dared touch.
He weighed the pros and cons. Tessia was dangerous—but valuable.
"Five percent," he countered.
"Seven."
"Done."
[Deal Complete: Shadowrealm License Acquired]
New trading realms unlocked
Tessia Vale granted 7% commission on next three major shipments
Back to Delta-Rho
By the time Kai returned through the crack in space, his inventory was loaded with:
Aether compression kiln
Shadowrealm license
Illicit barter contracts for exotic compounds
Blueprints for a cross-realm stealth beacon
Yena met him at the gate. "You were gone six hours. Your passive income tripled."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"
"You hit a tipping point. Someone on the trader network shared your Mirage List on a pirate forum. It's exploding."
Kai grinned.
This was just the beginning.
Status Update:
Kai has plunged into the Blacklight Market—making forbidden deals and acquiring high-risk, high-reward tools. With his compression kiln active and a license to access dead realms, his refining operation is about to skyrocket. He's gaining traction across illicit markets… but attracting more dangerous eyes than ever before.
He now stands at:Cosmic Units: 9,112.7 C.U. (projected to break 10K in under 24 hours)Earth Credits: 3,114.3Trade Skill Tier: Rank 4 (87%)Territories:
Zeta-12 (Mirage Market)
Delta-Rho (Refinery + Trade Spire)Guild: The Silent ExchangeMajor Items Acquired:– Mobile Aether Kiln– Shadowrealm Trade License– Illegal Trade BlueprintsAllies: Lyra, Yena, Vaulthawk, Tessia ValePassive Income: +290.4 C.U./dayWatchers' Status: Under Surveillance – Observer Token in effect (48 hours remaining)Next Objective: Establish trade beacon in Shadowrealm and prepare for Rank 5 Ascension Trial
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— S.A.