Merchant of The Universe

After a long day of trades, Ethan finally had a moment to breathe. The shop was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of its ever-burning lanterns. He turned his attention to the Sealed Relic Box, the item he had received from the Collector of the Forgotten.

It looked deceptively simple—just a plain wooden container, darkened with age and smoothed by time. There were no visible hinges, no seams, no lock—just a faint, almost imperceptible rune etched onto its surface.

"Sealed Relic Box"

Contents unknown. Requires the right key or sufficient energy to unlock.

Ethan sighed. "What kind of shopkeeper am I if I can't even open my own merchandise?"

He ran his fingers over the box, feeling a strange static charge beneath his touch. It wasn't locked in the conventional sense—it was sealed by something more than just physical means.

First, he tried brute force, pressing along the edges, twisting, even shaking the box. Nothing.

Next, he attempted mana infusion, concentrating and channeling energy into it. A soft blue glow pulsed from the rune—but the box remained shut.

Frustrated, he turned to the system for guidance.

"Insufficient Access. Seek knowledge elsewhere."

Ethan groaned. "Real helpful."

He tapped his fingers on the counter, thinking. If he couldn't open it himself, he needed someone who could. But his list of contacts was painfully short.

Jasper? Unlikely. The mercenary knew his way around weapons, but ancient artifacts? Not his expertise.

The Collector? That was a dead end. The mysterious figure was gone—and he doubted summoning him was an option.

That left one clear choice—an expert in rare and magical items.

As if the shop had read his mind, the bell above the door rang.

Ethan looked up as a woman entered, her presence immediately commanding attention. She wore a high-collared robe of deep navy, embroidered with delicate silver symbols. Her hands, adorned with gemstone rings, shimmered under the lantern light.

She moved with the quiet confidence of someone who knew the value of things.

"You deal in rare items, don't you?" she asked, her voice calm but precise.

Ethan met her gaze. Sharp. Intelligent. Measuring him.

"That's the idea," he replied.

She stepped forward, scanning the shelves, her eyes flicking over the displayed artifacts with an appraising air. Finally, she turned back to him.

"I'm an appraiser," she said. "I evaluate, authenticate, and—when necessary—uncover the secrets of items others don't understand."

She paused, tilting her head slightly. "If you have something that needs identifying, we might be able to make a trade."

Ethan's eyes flickered to the Sealed Relic Box. Maybe today wasn't a waste after all.