The afternoon sun was high, casting long shadows into the back of the shop, when the bell above the door gave a sharp, rusty chime. A young man stepped in, his clothes of fine make, though his expression was one of skeptical desperation. He scanned the modest shelves and the quiet Emerald Willow in the corner before his eyes settled on Allen.
"Are you the owner of this shop?" the young man asked, his voice carrying the weight of someone who had already visited ten other places that day.
Allen leaned against the counter, his expression calm and professional despite his youth. "I am. How may I help you?"
"My name is Caspian," the man introduced himself, stepping further into the dim light. "I'm looking for something... specific. My younger sister recently awakened. She has a Poison Affinity and a Hive Mind Control talent. It's a Swarm-type foundation."
Caspian sighed, rubbing his temples. "The problem is, she's a young girl. Every Swarm-type beast the Academy suggests is a nightmare—bloated acid maggots, jagged-legged spiders, or grey locusts. I want the best Star Beast for her, something high-tier, but I won't have her bonded to a monster that looks like it crawled out of a sewer. Do you have anything that fits? Elite or Rare rank, preferably."
Caspian looked around the small, quiet shop, thinking to himself: There's no such thing. Every high-rank insect is a killing machine with a face only a void-beast could love. Why did I even come to this alley?
Allen's response, however, cut through his internal monologue like a blade.
"I actually have a few unique Insect-type Star Beasts in mind," Allen said, his voice steady. "They aren't 'monstrous' in appearance—in fact, they are quite elegant. They aren't in the shop at the moment, but I can have them delivered here within a day."
Caspian blinked, his skepticism warring with a sudden flicker of hope. "Elegant insects? At an Elite rank?"
"Better than that," Allen continued, his Life Affinity humming faintly as he spoke with the confidence of a master geneticist. "If you find their natural rank unsatisfying, I am also a Star Beast Evolver. I can personally trigger their evolution path and ascend them to Rare rank as a maximum for now."
Caspian's jaw tightened in shock. "An Evolver? You look barely older than my sister. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to force a mutation in a Swarm-type without losing the Hive Mind stability?"
Allen just smiled, a touch of wit in his eyes. "In this world, people see a swarm as a mess of legs and stingers. I see them as a complex biological network. Trust me, Caspian. If you want beauty and power for your sister, come back tomorrow. I'll show you something that the elite shops in the city center wouldn't even dream of."
Caspian reached into the inner pocket of his coat, pulling out a sleek, metallic credit card that caught the dim shop light. He tapped it against his palm, his eyes narrowing slightly as he regained his composure.
"If you can truly deliver an elegant Swarm-type and guarantee a Rare-rank evolution, price is secondary," Caspian said, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. "I'll pay half the deposit right now to secure the order. It's a steep investment for a shop in this alley, though."
He paused, his hand hovering over the counter. A flicker of caution crossed his face.
"But before I swipe this... I need to see your credentials. You're young, and 'Evolver' is a heavy title to throw around. Can you show me your Evolver License?"
Allen didn't flinch. He had expected this. In a world where a failed evolution could lead to a beast's death or a soul-rebound for the tamer, nobody trusted a face this young without proof.
"Fair enough," Allen replied smoothly. "A wise buyer always checks the seal."
He reached into the drawer behind the counter and pulled out a heavy, silver-rimmed card. It wasn't the gold-plated license of a Master, but the moonlight reflecting off its surface revealed the official holographic emblem of the Global Evolver Association.
The card displayed Allen's photo, his Life Affinity registration, and the official stamp of a Junior Star Beast Evolver.
Caspian took the card, inspecting the micro-etched security runes. "Junior rank... but the seal is authentic. And your affinity is 'Life'—that explains the confidence. Most Combat Evolvers wouldn't touch a Swarm mutation with a ten-foot pole for fear of the feedback."
He handed the license back, looking at Allen with a newfound, if guarded, respect.
"Alright, Evolver. You have the license, and you have my attention," Caspian said, sliding his credit card across the counter. "The deposit is yours. I'll be back tomorrow at this exact time. If you show my sister a monster, I take my money back. If you show her what you promised... I might have more business for you in the future."
Allen accepted the card with a faint, knowing smile. "Tomorrow afternoon, then. Tell your sister to prepare her mind for a Hive Link; she's going to need it."