The rift howled.
Kai stood at the edge of a decayed gate—a jagged spiral of rusted obsidian embedded into the surface of Cortex-Null, a collapsed realm that had once thrived with a thriving trade civilization. Now it was nothing but echoes.
The recently acquired Shadowrealm License glowed faintly in his hand, pulsing against the fractured sky.
[Warning: Entering Zone-Class - Ruined Sector][Temporal Drift Present. Stability Threshold: 17%][Proceed with Extreme Caution.]
"Yena, you getting my feed?" Kai spoke into the comm-bead.
"Loud and clear," she replied. "But I can't send support in. Too unstable. You're on your own."
He stepped through the broken gate.
A Graveyard of Traders
The sky inside Cortex-Null wasn't a color. It was a sound—a low, reverberating hum, like the universe holding its breath.
Derelict trade stations floated in pieces above him, tethered by shattered ley lines. Ash drifted like snow. Strange sigils flickered on broken machinery.
And among the rubble, scattered across the ground like bones, were trader tokens—each cracked in half.
Kai approached one.
[Relic Identified: Fallen Trader's Badge – Relen Vos]– Status: Deceased– Rank at Death: Tier 5– Cause: Core Overload / Dimensional Collapse– Inventory: 1 partially intact vault nearby
Kai's breath caught.
A Tier 5 trader died here.
That meant loot. But also danger.
He followed the signal down into a crevice in the ground—a place where reality flickered, glitching every few seconds. There, embedded in solidified gravity flux, was a vault shaped like a sphere of obsidian and crystal.
The system pinged:
[Vault Access Requires Stabilization Node]
Use Observer Token to override?One override remaining.
Kai narrowed his eyes.
"Override it."
The vault shuddered and hissed open.
Inside the Trader's Legacy
The vault's interior was pristine. Sealed from decay.
A glowing console hovered at its center, surrounded by three items:
Void-Tether Cargo Net – allows temporary inter-realm item storage
Essence Extractor (Prototype) – harvests unique properties from exotic materials
Trader's Testament – a data cube containing Relen Vos's last recorded log
Kai accessed the log first.
Relen's face flickered to life—gaunt, desperate, haunted.
"I broke the trade chain. I overreached. I made a deal with the Veiled Ones. Thought I could outsmart them. Thought profit was eternal."
He coughed violently.
"Tell whoever finds this: if you think the system is your tool, you're wrong. It watches. It adapts. It eats the careless."
Static overtook the rest.
Kai closed the log.
But he didn't hesitate. He took all three items.
[Loot Acquired: Void-Tether Cargo Net | Essence Extractor | Trader's Testament]– Cargo Net: +50% inventory cap during active trades– Extractor: Unlocks alchemical-grade crafting– Testament: Historical record unlocked
Then something changed.
The realm growled.
Realm Guardian: Awakened
From the fractured vault ceiling, shadows began to slide.
And from them, a malformed creature dragged itself into being. A mix of metal and ether, wrapped in corrupted trade sigils.
[Error Entity Detected: Dimensional Warden - Relen Remnant]– Classification: Forgotten Guardian– Power Level: Unstable Tier 5– Combat Recommended: NO– Escape Protocols Engaged
Kai's heart hammered.
His system activated the Void-Tether Cargo Net on instinct, locking the loot into a subdimensional pocket.
Then the world twisted—and the system flared.
[Emergency Gate Forming…][Calculated Exit Vector: 3 seconds…]
The Warden roared, lunging—
—but Kai vanished into light.
Back to Delta-Rho
He landed hard, rolling across the control platform of the refinery.
Yena ran to him. "What happened?! Your signal went dark—your vitals spiked—"
Kai raised a hand, grinning through the pain.
"I met a ghost."
He tossed the Essence Extractor onto the platform.
"And I brought back his secrets."
Status Update:
Kai's expedition into the collapsed realm of Cortex-Null has yielded both power and warning. With the Essence Extractor and Void-Tether Cargo Net in hand, he's now able to craft exotic items and expand his carrying capacity—huge advantages for the future of his trading empire. But the presence of a corrupted realm guardian has painted a clear target on his path. Watchers aren't the only things watching.
He now stands at:Cosmic Units: 11,842.3 C.U. (First Major Milestone Achieved!)Earth Credits: 3,927.0Trade Skill Tier: Rank 4 (93%)Territories:
Zeta-12 (Mirage Market)
Delta-Rho (Refinery + Spire)Guild: The Silent ExchangeNotable Assets:– Mobile Aether Kiln– Shadowrealm Trade License– Void-Tether Cargo Net– Essence Extractor (Prototype)Allies: Lyra, Yena, Tessia ValePassive Income: +372.2 C.U./daySystem Notes: Ascension Trial pendingWatcher Status: Active Surveillance (Observer Token expires in 24 hours)Next Objective: Test Essence Extractor, unlock alchemical crafting, and stabilize second Shadowrealm beacon.
📌 Author's Note:
Hey Traders! 👋
Loving The Sole Trader of 10,000 Light Years? Help this story grow by supporting on Patreon!
MY NOVEL GOT REJECTED BY WEBNOVEL CONTRACTOR SO THAT'S WHY
IF I GET 10 PATREONS I WILL CONTINUE THIS STORY.
Your support gives you:
🚀 Early access to new chapters📜 Exclusive side stories & lore🧠 Vote on trades, upgrades, and realms💬 Join our private Discord for fans!
Even a small pledge helps me keep writing and reach our 1000+ chapter goal!
👉 [patreon.com/SAManhwarecap]Thanks for reading—let's build the Realm Exchange together! 🌌💱
— S.A.