Morning sunlight crept through the cracks in the shutters, painting golden lines across the counter. The shop was quiet again, except for the low hum of mana-infused air. Ethan yawned, staring at the shimmering cube that floated lazily in front of him.
He still couldn't believe this thing had given him chores last night.
"System," he said, rubbing his temples, "don't tell me you're gonna keep popping up in my dreams."
[Dream interference not detected.]
[However, new mission available.]
Ethan groaned. "Of course there is…"
[Mission: Organize Inventory and Repair Damaged Artifacts.]
[Reward: Creation Card (Basic Tier).]
[Failure: Synchronization rate reduced by 3%.]
He blinked. "A Creation Card? What's that supposed to do?"
[Description: A temporary stabilizer that allows the Host to perform limited creation without backlash. Creation effectiveness is restricted by planetary rank.]
"Restricted? What, the planet's got rules now?"
[Affirmative. Aetherion's Creation Limit is currently Grade A.]
"So I can't make anything beyond A-rank…" Ethan rubbed his chin. "Guess it makes sense. Wouldn't wanna accidentally make a sun or something."
[Correction: Attempting to create a stellar body would disintegrate the Host.]
"...That's somehow worse. Let's just start with cleaning."
He sighed, stretching as he grabbed a broom from behind the counter. Dust danced in the air while faint runes shimmered beneath the floor. Every time his broom swept, the shop seemed to respond—objects shifting slightly into place, cracks sealing, lights brightening.
After about half an hour, the shop pulsed once, like a heartbeat.
[Mission Complete.]
[Reward: Creation Card (Basic Tier) Acquired.]
[+20 Creation Points.]
A faint golden glow drifted into Ethan's palm a small card formed from light, etched with intricate runes.
He turned it over, inspecting it. "So this thing lets me create safely?"
[Affirmative. The Creation Card functions as a stabilizer, reducing backlash and channeling planetary resonance.]
He frowned. "Sounds useful. What's the limit?"
[Current capacity: Low-tier spiritual objects, E–C rank lifeforms, or D-rank artifacts. Duration of stabilization: ten minutes.]
"So basically, I can make something small and weak." He smirked. "That's fine. Let's see what happens."
He placed the card on the counter. Light expanded outward, forming a faint circle of golden glyphs.
[Please specify desired creation.]
"Let's try a defensive artifact. Something like a small shield," he muttered.
Mana began to swirl. Threads of light connected across the circle, weaving lines of energy together. His heart raced as the pattern solidified.
"Okay, okay… this doesn't hurt like last time"
The glow intensified, then faded softly, leaving a small bronze-colored disk floating in the air.
Ethan reached out carefully. It was warm to the touch, faintly vibrating with energy.
[Creation Successful.]
[Item: Aether Shield (C-Rank).]
[Durability: 82%.]
[Effect: Generates a mana barrier capable of deflecting low-tier attacks.]
Ethan blinked. "It actually worked…"
[Stabilization limit reached. Creation Card expiring.]
The golden card dissolved into motes of light, fading into the shop's air. Ethan stared at the shield for a moment before chuckling.
"So, let me get this straight," he said. "I clean, I get points. I make stuff, I spend points. Basically, I'm a cosmic shopkeeper with a weird loyalty program."
[Approximate interpretation: Correct.]
He leaned back, tossing the shield lightly in his hands. "Still… not bad for a beginner."
The door creaked open slightly. Mira's sleepy voice echoed in. "Brother? Why are you talking to yourself again?"
Ethan nearly dropped the shield. "Ah Mira! Don't sneak up like that."
She tilted her head. "I didn't sneak up. You were just too busy mumbling about loyalty cards."
He forced a laugh. "Yeah, yeah, I was just… trying to fix something. You know, shop stuff."
Mira wandered closer, looking at the bronze shield hovering beside him. Her eyes widened. "Whoa… you made that?"
"Kind of," he said casually. "More like repaired it."
"It's glowing, Ethan. You definitely didn't just repair it."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Let's just say the shop's got… personality."
Mira blinked, suspicious. "You're being weird again."
"Story of my life."
She shrugged, clearly deciding she was too tired to argue, and shuffled toward the back room. "Fine. But don't blow up the shop while I'm asleep."
"No promises."
The door clicked shut. Ethan sighed in relief. "System, let's never tell her what you are, alright?"
[Data concealment protocol active. Unauthorized awareness may cause paradox instability.]
"...I don't even know what that means, but I'll take it."
He looked down at the bronze disk again, the faint hum resonating with his heartbeat. The sense of accomplishment hit him harder than expected.
For the first time, he felt like this strange power might actually be worth the headache.
[Notification: Shop Status Interface Updated.]
A faint holographic screen appeared before him:
┏━━━[Shop of Creations]━━━┓
Level: 1
Synchronization: 71%
Creation Points: 30
Unlocked Features:
— Shop Interface
— Basic Inventory
— Material Refinement (Locked)
— Customer Access (Pending)
┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛
"So I can level up the shop…" he mused. "Does that mean better rewards?"
[Affirmative. Increased level enhances system efficiency and creation potential.]
"And I assume it also means harder work."
[Approximate interpretation: Correct.]
"Figures."
Ethan walked toward the window. Outside, Aetherion shimmered with life. Streams of mana wove through the air, glowing faintly above the rooftops. He could hear the faint roar of beasts, the laughter of people celebrating their awakenings, and somewhere far away, the toll of awakening bells.
He rested his hand on the glass. "Everyone's out there growing stronger, huh?"
[Observation: Host has also grown.]
"Yeah, but I didn't exactly fight anything. I just cleaned and made a plate."
[Correction: You created. Creation is the foundation of all power.]
He stared at the glowing cube for a moment before cracking a small smile. "That's… actually kinda poetic for you."
[Statement: System's linguistic algorithms adapt to Host's sarcasm levels.]
"...Touché."
He laughed softly and set the shield down.
The shop lights dimmed, runes flickering gently across the shelves. Ethan slumped onto the chair, rubbing his eyes. "Alright, system, one last thing. How strong am I, really?"
[Host Status Evaluation…]
[Rank: Undefined.]
[Potential: Beyond planetary metrics.]
"Meaning?"
[Meaning: Current planet's rank scale insufficient for measurement.]
He groaned. "So basically, you don't know."
[Approximate interpretation: Correct.]
"Yeah, I figured."
He exhaled, letting the fatigue wash over him.
Outside, the last of the awakening celebrations faded into the distance. The streets quieted, the mana glow dimming across the city.
Inside the little shop on the forgotten street, a faint hum filled the air — alive, steady, and growing stronger with every heartbeat.
Ethan leaned back, muttering, "Alright… chores, creation, cards, and confusion. That's my life now."
The system remained silent.
Only the soft pulse of the shop's light kept him company.
He smiled faintly as his eyes closed.
The Shop of Creations glowed quietly in the dark — warm, alive, and waiting.