"Some trades are fair. Others are warnings in disguise."—Veyna, Riftwalker
Ashgrave was never quiet, but that morning, it felt especially alive. Riftbirds cawed in the distance, their feathers faintly glowing with unstable light. Holo-advertisements buzzed overhead, flickering slightly as the district's power grid overloaded again.
Jin sat on a rooftop overlooking the main plaza, a cracked solar kettle brewing synthetic tea by his side. His system interface hovered just above his left hand.
🔔 [Dungeon Clear: Hollow Vault – Processed]→ Trader Rank Progress: 42% to Rank 3
📦 Pending Item: Skill Token (Unbound – Trade Affinity)→ Condition: Ready for Imprint→ Suggested Skill: Barterstrike
Across from him, Veyna crouched near the edge of the roof, one boot tapping against rusted steel.
"That Vault," she said finally, "was older than it had a right to be. Most micro-dungeons are decayed, simplified. Yours had an echo. A real one. With memory and intent."
Jin looked up. "You think that was natural?"
"I think you triggered something."
She stood and flicked the Skill Token into the air. It rotated lazily, glowing faintly with both system blue and Rift static.
🧿 [Skill Token Imprint Interface]
▶ Confirm Imprint: BarterstrikeClass: Trade-Affinity ActiveEffect: Convert any physical strike into a trade-infused hit➤ Steals one minor effect, buff, or item upon contact➤ Energy Cost: Medium➤ Cooldown: 60 seconds
Note: First imprint bonuses apply.
"Looks like I'm making deals with my fists now," Jin muttered.
"You always were," Veyna smirked. "Now it's just official."
Jin pressed [Imprint].
The token dissolved in a ripple of gold and deep crimson—colors he hadn't seen on any other interface. His gloves shimmered briefly, the pattern shifting, becoming more arcane.
🥊 Skill Unlocked: BarterstrikeType: Active CombatTrait: Instinctual Binding (Adapts to opponent inventory or buff)
🌆 Junklane Market — Ashgrave Midrise
By noon, the lower districts were buzzing.
Jin walked with Veyna through Junklane, the subterranean market that sat between the legal tech bazaars and the black-market barter tunnels. Here, you could find anything—genuine Rift shards, counterfeit dungeon keys, even fragments of fallen gates.
And everywhere: traders.
Some human. Some not.
Jin passed a tall woman with crystalline arms bartering with a pack of talking drones over salvaged AI cores. An old man with Rift tattoos shouted about prophecy while offering relic readings for a fee.
It was chaotic, yes—but Jin felt at home.
"This place makes more sense than the surface," he muttered.
Veyna nodded. "That's why I brought you here."
They stepped into a small, unmarked stall. Inside, an aged woman with mechanical eyes was polishing a glass orb.
"Back again, Veyna?" she rasped.
"Need a memory analysis," Veyna said. "This one's fresh."
Jin held out the fragment—the Core Memory labeled Fall of Gate B-09. The old woman, called Meshari, hissed softly.
"Dangerous echo. Why do you have this?"
"It came from the Hollow Vault," Jin answered.
That gave her pause.
"No one's cleared that Vault in six years," she said. "And the last one who did… didn't survive the memory."
Jin's jaw tightened. "Why?"
Meshari fed the memory into her archaic scanner. The orb pulsed once—then flooded the stall with chilling light.
Screams echoed.
Cracks spread across a shining city as something vast and ancient tore through the sky, splitting the Gate like paper. Guild banners burned. Systems failed. Civilians ran—but were dragged into shimmering voids that opened like wounds in the air.
And through it all, one phrase kept repeating—broadcast over thousands of system interfaces:
❗ "TRADE DENIED."❗ "TRADE DENIED."❗ "TRADE—ERROR—"
Then silence.
The light dimmed.
Meshari sighed. "This was no accident. Something made the Gate refuse."
Jin looked at her. "Refuse what?"
"A deal," she said simply. "One it was supposed to accept."
✉️ A Message Arrives
As they stepped back out into the marketplace, Jin's system pinged.
📨 Message ReceivedSender: [Cindershade Guild]Subject: "You Bartered With Death and Lived"
"We monitor fringe clears. You showed traits outside combat class norms.Interested in unconventional combatants.
Meet at Driftpoint 14.Two hours.One dungeon permit and escort team will be provided."
Jin frowned. "Cindershade?"
Veyna raised an eyebrow. "Rogue guild. Mid-tier. Used to work in Rift salvage and recovery. Got blacklisted after Gate K-12 exploded. But I've heard they're back."
"They want me to join?"
"No. They want to see if you survive."
🚉 Driftpoint 14 — Ashgrave Lower Rise
The platform floated over a vast rift-split canyon. Below, faded spires reached up from the darkness like broken teeth. Riftstorms brewed in the distance.
Waiting by the platform's edge was a tall man with a half-melted guild coat and a metallic jaw.
He glanced at Jin.
"Trader class, huh? I'm Revik. Cindershade rep."
Jin crossed his arms. "You saw the footage."
Revik nodded. "You didn't just fight. You made a deal mid-combat. That's rare. We believe some dungeons are watching—adjusting based on how we act."
Jin stayed quiet.
Revik handed him a data tablet.
🗂 Mission Brief – Dungeon Access Permit:Name: The Forgotten GateStatus: Reactivated after 3 years dormancyRisk Level: Moderate to HighConnection to Gate B-09: 34% Memory MatchGoal: Explore. Record. Survive.
"This Gate was part of the B-09 network. But it sealed before the collapse. Never reactivated… until you cleared Hollow Vault."
"You think I triggered it?"
"We think you woke it."
The tram doors hissed open behind Revik.
Inside stood two other guild members:– A woman with a light energy bow strapped to her back, blinking eyes like scanners.– A short man in a full sensory suit linked to a drone pod that hovered protectively over him.
They nodded at Jin.
"This isn't a guild trial," Revik said. "It's a mission. You come with us, we split findings. You find a second memory fragment—yours to keep. But if you die, no one's claiming your loot."
Jin didn't hesitate.
"I'm in."
🌒 Nightfall — Ashgrave Rooftop
That night, Jin sat alone again on the rooftop, fingers tapping the edge of his gloves. Barterstrike shimmered beneath the skin of his palms, ready for its first real test.
He opened the memory screen again.
Gate B-09 flickered.
So many had died there.
"TRADE DENIED."
Who—no, what—had denied the deal?
His system pinged again, almost apologetically:
⚠ Core Memory classified.Partial decryption possible using second linked fragment.
And now, tomorrow, Jin would step into a place that hadn't opened in years—a gate not touched by official guilds or city-watchers.
But it had been watching him.
Waiting.
📌 Author's Note:
Hey there, fellow readers! 👋
If you're enjoying Merchant of Realms: The Infinite Trade System and want to support this story's growth, you can help me keep writing by joining my Patreon!
Your support means:
💥 Early access to upcoming chapters
📜 Exclusive side stories and lore reveals
🧭 Influence on worldbuilding (vote on realms, trade items, and system perks!)
💬 Access to a private Discord community of fellow fans
Even a small pledge helps me dedicate more time to this story and reach our goal of 1000+ chapters!
👉 Join here: [patreon.com/SAManhwarecap]
Thank you for reading, liking, and sharing this journey!
Let's build the Realm Trade Empire together! 🚀
— [RealmVendor]