I stood in my warehouse, surrounded by boxes and crates, thinking about the past ten days.
I've made some upgrades. Security cameras monitored every corner now, their feeds accessible from my phone. Alarm systems on every door and window. Climate control to protect temperature sensitive goods. Professional grade shelving installed floor to ceiling.
I'd contacted all the wholesale suppliers, placing massive orders that filled the space with inventory. Fabrics, accessories, cosmetics, stationery, everything I'd identified as valuable in Blue Light Planet's market. The bulk discounts had been substantial. Buying at this scale made the per unit cost drop dramatically.
And I'd just transferred a significant portion of it to Chen Xuan.
The notification had come through while I was reviewing inventory. Chen Xuan had his payment ready, the mortal antiques I'd requested. I'd driven here immediately, eager to see what he'd collected and, more importantly, to see how many points this transaction would generate.
Once the blue glow faded, my merchandise vanished, and in its place appeared crates and boxes filled with pottery, jade, paintings, and other artwork.
Then the system notification appeared.
Transaction Complete
Points Earned: 265
I stared at the number, feeling my pulse quicken.
Two hundred sixty five points. Combined with my previous nine, that brought me to 274 total.
More than halfway to Level 2.
"Holy shit," I muttered, pulling up my status screen to confirm.
Name: Alex Sinclair
Age: 20
Lifespan Remaining: 64 years
Merchant Level: 1
Progress to Level 2: 274/500 points
Current Points: 274
It was real. I'd just earned more points from a single transaction than I'd gotten from selling a decade of my life.
But I couldn't get complacent. Chen Xuan was great, but he was one person on one planet. I needed to diversify. Spread the risk. Build a network that could sustain growth.
"System, I want to purchase three more Silver Rings of Connection."
Confirm purchase of 3 Silver Rings of Connection at 10 points each. Total cost: 30 points.
"Confirmed."
Purchase complete. Current balance: 244 points. Please define target parameters for each ring.
I thought carefully. Chen Xuan had proven the model worked. Now I needed to replicate it without creating competition that would hurt any of my partners.
"Same base criteria for all three rings," I said. "Established merchant with significant resources and connections, trusted enough in their society to sell unusual goods without suspicion, intelligent and adaptable enough to work with concepts they don't fully understand, and desperate or ambitious enough to take a chance on mysterious supernatural connections."
Base parameters acknowledged. Please specify geographic or cultural distinctions.
Right. I needed them spread out. Blue Light Planet was huge, and without modern transportation or communication, merchants in different regions wouldn't know about each other's activities.
"Each ring should target merchants in different regions of Blue Light Planet. Geographic locations should be far enough apart that they don't compete for the same markets or customers. Calculate optimal distribution to maximize market coverage without overlap."
Parameters accepted. Scanning Blue Light Planet population. Target acquisition estimated completion time: 24-72 hours. Rings will dispatch upon identification of suitable candidates.
Three more connections. If everything went well, I'd have four active partners on Blue Light Planet. Each one generating points and income. Each one expanding my network.
And I still had 244 points as a safety net. Enough to handle emergencies or unexpected opportunities.
Things were going well. Really well.
Which meant I should probably focus on the part that wasn't going well. The antique business.
I looked at the crates Chen Xuan had sent. Beautiful pottery. Exquisite jade carvings. Paintings that probably belonged in museums. All authentic pieces from another world, which technically made them the most genuine antiques anyone could possibly sell.
But I had no idea how to actually run an antique business.
My research over the past ten days had been... educational. And depressing. The antique trade was far more complicated than I'd imagined. Authentication processes, provenance documentation, dealer networks, auction house relationships, client cultivation, market knowledge, legal requirements.
I had a store. I had products. But I had no idea how to connect the two.
"I really should have thought this through better," I muttered, opening one of the crates to examine a jade sculpture.
It was beautiful work. Intricate carving, excellent color, clearly made by a master craftsman. In Blue Light Planet, this might have been worth a small fortune. On Earth, if properly authenticated and marketed... probably even more.
But authentication required experts who would ask questions I couldn't answer. Provenance documentation didn't exist because these pieces came from another dimension. And I knew absolutely nothing about the antique market beyond what I'd learned from Google over the past week.
I closed the crate carefully. This was a problem for future Alex to solve.
For now, I had other priorities. The system trades were working perfectly. I'd just earned 265 points from a single transaction. Three more silver rings were out there finding partners. My warehouse was stocked with merchandise ready to ship.
The antique business could wait. Better to move slowly and carefully than rush in and make expensive mistakes. I'd learned that lesson watching other people blow their inheritances and windfalls. Money could disappear faster than it appeared if you weren't careful.
I had the system, yes. That was luck, pure and simple. But I didn't have knowledge or extensive connections yet. I was still learning as I went.
So I'd focus on what was working. Build up my system level first. Get to Level 2 and unlock whatever features that provided. Establish a solid foundation before branching out into complicated business ventures I didn't fully understand yet.
The antique store could sit empty for a few more months. Property in that location would only appreciate in value. And by the time I was ready to open, I'd have figured out how to do it properly.
Or I'd hire someone who already knew. That was an option too.
I pulled out my phone and made a note: Research antique business consultants. Find expert to hire for store setup and operation.
There. Delegating. That's what successful people did, right?
I headed toward the warehouse exit, setting the alarm system as I left.
In my car, I sat for a moment, just processing. Two hundred sixty five points. Three more connections forming. A growing network across an entire medieval planet.
This was real. This was actually happening.
I started the engine and drove home, already planning my next moves. The system was working. The business model was proven. Now I just needed to scale it carefully and avoid screwing everything up through impatience or arrogance.
One step at a time. Just like always.
But with 244 points in reserve and four connections on Blue Light Planet, those steps were getting bigger and more confident.
The future was looking interesting. Very interesting indeed