The night had fallen over Marrakech, but Omar couldn't sleep. He sat in his small, cramped room, staring at the 120 Cosmic Credits glowing on his system interface.
"System," Omar whispered. "How do I get more stock? I can't just wait for billionaires to have heart attacks."
[Host can use 'World Search' once a day to invite a customer from a connected realm.]
[Warning: Non-human customers may be unpredictable.]
"Do it," Omar said, his heart racing.
A low hum vibrated through the floor. The air in front of him ripped open, forming a swirling vortex of violet light. Omar stepped through, and in an instant, he was back inside the Infinite Realm Emporium.
But he wasn't alone.
Standing by the counter was a figure shrouded in tattered, silver armor. The creature stood seven feet tall, its face hidden behind a visor, but Omar could see a faint blue flame flickering where eyes should be.
[Skill Activated: Merchant's Eye.]
Name: Kaelen the Forsaken.
Race: High Elf (Undead/Specter).
Status: Dying Spirit.
Hidden Desire: To deliver a final message to his Kingdom before his soul fades.
True Value: The Blueprint for 'Mana-Infused Steel' (Value: 800 Cosmic Credits).
The armored spirit slammed a rusted, broken sword onto the glass counter. "Merchant..." its voice sounded like grinding stones. "They say you can fix the unfixable. My soul is fragmenting. I need... more time."
Omar felt a wave of cold fear, but the System's presence kept him grounded. He looked at his inventory. He had nothing that could help a ghost.
"I don't have a potion for souls yet," Omar said honestly. Then he remembered the [Contract of Bound Loyalty] he saw earlier. "But I can offer you a sanctuary. Bind your soul to this shop. You will not fade as long as the Emporium stands."
The specter tilted its head. "And the price?"
"The blueprint of the steel your people used," Omar replied, his eyes gleaming. "And your service. I need a guardian for this shop. Someone who can handle... difficult customers."
The spirit was silent for a long time. Then, it picked up the glowing quill that appeared on the counter. "A soul for a forge. A life for a blade. I accept."
As the spirit signed the contract, a massive explosion of blue light filled the shop.
[New Staff Recruited: Kaelen (The Ghost Knight).]
[Shop Security Level: High.]
[New Item Obtained: Blueprint for Mana-Infused Steel (Rank: Rare).]
Omar felt the shop's energy expand. He now had a bodyguard from another world. But more importantly, he had a blueprint for a metal that didn't exist on Earth.
'If I can find a way to manufacture this steel in Marrakech,' Omar thought, 'I won't just be a merchant. I'll be the man who starts a new industrial revolution.'
Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a text from an unknown number:
"The key you took from Mansour... it doesn't belong to you. Return it by midnight, or we will burn the alley to the ground."
Omar looked at the Ghost Knight standing silently in the corner. He gripped the phone and smirked.
"It looks like we have our first 'difficult' customers, Kaelen."