Wade began equipping his gear piece by piece.

The Dragon Plate, Stone Gauntlets, pauldrons, and everything else.

Then he threw on a dark cloak, pulling the hood low to hide his face.

If he was going to sell this much loot, he needed anonymity.

The last thing he wanted was questions from nosy adventurers or the guild themselves wondering who was selling new skills to the skill shops.

As for the guild wondering how he'd gotten so rich overnight, that could be managed.

He'd cross that bridge when he got to it.

He looked at his reflection briefly, seeing just a shadow beneath the hood, and smirked.

Locking the door behind him, he stepped into the cool night air of Hiving.

The city was alive, with faint music coming from taverns and the murmurs of late merchants.

He walked down the street, accompanied by the flicker of the torchlight along the cobblestone streets.

It was time to strike deals, Dimensional Merchant style.

His boots echoed softly as he strode down the path, his black cloak fluttering behind him.

He walked for minutes, until he arrived at the building he was looking for.

He pushed the door open, the small bell above it ringing.

Behind the counter stood Keld, the same man that had sold Fireburst and other skills to him just two days ago.

At the sight of the hooded figure stepping in, Keld froze.

"Shop's closed," he said flatly.

His hands came up slowly, a soft golden light beginning to glow between his fingers, the telltale shimmer of a prepped skill about to be unleashed.

Wade instantly raised both hands in a universal gesture of surrender.

"Whoa, whoa, easy," he said, his voice low and calm beneath the hood. "I'm not here to cause trouble."

Keld's eyes narrowed. "Then why are you dressed like an assassin?"

"I'm here to sell," Wade replied evenly. "That's all."

Keld didn't lower his hands. "Funny. Most honest sellers don't walk in looking like they plan to rob me."

Wade sighed. He could hardly blame the man. Between his hidden face and late-night timing, it was a miracle Keld hadn't already thrown a spell at him.

He decided to be honest, or at least partially honest.

"I'm keeping myself hidden," he said slowly, "because I have skills and gear that no one in Hiving has ever seen before."

That caught Keld's attention. His brow furrowed, though his hands still glowed faintly.

"And why," he asked carefully, "would that make you hide from me?"

"Because if word gets out," Wade said, lowering his voice further, "the guards will be at my door before sunrise."

"You know how it goes. The guilds will start asking questions, then the nobles, then the opportunists. Suddenly everyone wants to 'confiscate' what's mine in the name of regulation."

That made Keld pause. The glow in his hands dimmed slightly.

Wade took that as a good sign and continued. "I just want to sell quietly. No drama, no guild involvement, and no paperwork. You buy, I leave. That's all."

Keld studied him for a long moment, the room thick with silence.

Finally, he spoke again, voice skeptical. "What guarantee do I have that these aren't stolen goods? I don't deal with thieves."

Wade chuckled softly.

"You don't," he said plainly. "But ask yourself. If they were stolen, who could I have stolen them from?"

"You'll see for yourself soon enough. Some of these items are so rare, I'd have to be insane to think anyone in this city even owns something similar."

That made Keld hesitate. His suspicion wavered, curiosity taking its place.

Wade decided to push a little further, spinning his lie just enough to be believable.

"I found a dungeon that hasn't been confiscated by the guilds yet," he said, his tone casual. "One that recently spawned in the east. The kind no one's registered yet."

Keld's brows lifted slightly. His spell finally dissipated.

The glow in his palms faded completely, replaced by a small, knowing smirk. "Ah. So that's what this is."

Wade tilted his head. "What?"

"You're one of those types," Keld said, chuckling. "Freelancers. Grave pickers."

"I should've guessed from the cloak. Risking your neck for an unexplored dungeon, and in the process, riches. The guild hates your kind."

"They hate anyone they can't control," Wade replied evenly.

Keld laughed heartily, slapping the counter. "Can't argue with that."

He gestured to the back of the shop, where a few lanterns flickered to life at his command. "Alright, mystery man. Let's see what you've got."

"If it's half as interesting as you claim, maybe I'll forget you nearly gave me a heart attack."

Wade nodded and stepped forward.

He reached into his inventory and materialized a single set each of his first batch of goods, the Mana Stones and Health Stones, setting them down neatly on the counter.

The small crystals shimmered faintly under the lantern light, blue and red like captured stars.

Keld's eyes gleamed as he leaned closer, inspecting them. "Now that's quality work. Refined, high-grade stones. No cracks, no fading. Where did you say you found these?"

"I didn't," Wade said with a hint of humor.

Keld chuckled, rubbing his beard. "Fair enough. Alright then, what are you asking?"

Wade retrieved his stones, sending them back into his inventory and crossed his arms. "Three hundred coins per stone."

Keld's grin vanished. "That's the retail price."

"I know," Wade said simply.

"I'm the one taking the risk buying them from you," Keld countered. "If I buy at retail, I make no profit. What kind of fool would I be?"

"A rich one?" Wade chuckled.

Keld barked a laugh. "You've got nerve, I'll give you that. But I'm not buying at three hundred. For me to sell them and still make a living, I'll need to buy at two-fifty."

"Two-fifty?" Wade repeated, sounding insulted. "At that rate, I might as well sell them to the adventurers myself."

Keld spread his hands. "You could, and invite a guild auditor to come sniffing around the next morning."

"Or…" His eyes gleamed. "You could sell them to me, no questions asked, and walk out richer before the city clock strikes midnight."

Wade stared at him for a long moment. Then, finally, he exhaled through his nose.

"Two-seventy," he said firmly. "That's as low as I'm going. You'll still make a profit, and I'll still be able to walk away feeling like I didn't just get robbed."

Keld tilted his head, clearly mulling it over. Then he grinned, extending a hand. "Two-seventy it is."

Wade reached forward, grasping the man's hand firmly. "Deal."

Wade activated Exchange.

[Exchange Initiated]

[Transferring 40 Mana Stones & 40 Health Stones → Keld]

[Receiving 21,600 coins → Wade Barrett]

Keld saw the notification, agreeing to it.

[Exchange Complete.]

Both men released their grip, satisfied.

Keld opened his inventory briefly, checking the stones, his expression pleased.

"You drive a hard bargain," he said. "Not many can make me go above two-fifty."

"Guess I'm not most sellers," Wade replied, his grin barely visible under the hood.

Keld chuckled, nodding in approval. "Fair enough. I like a man who knows his worth."

He gestured towards the counter. "So, what else have you brought, mystery merchant? Don't tell me this was it."

Wade's grin widened slightly. "That was just the appetizer."

He leaned forward, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "Now that the little stuff is out of the way…"

He reached into his inventory again.

"Let's get on to the real business."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.