Processing...

Ownership transfer completed. Item protections disabled. Do you wish to transfer the goods you bought to your Soul Well?

Interesting. Leo quirked an eyebrow as he dismissed the System's query and stepped even closer to the counter. Does it mean... Yeah. Yes, it does. Nice.

Neuron Shard (Common):

A small piece of Neurite Crystal that can be found in most caves on Essence-rich planets. Depending on the shard's quality and size, it may store a certain amount of information. Precise control over Essence and memories is required to transfer any knowledge into a Neuron Shard.

Currently stored: Basic information about Void Gates.

Mindful of the creature behind the counter, he slowly picked up the shard and backed off. The thing felt similar to Crystalized Essence, though it was a bit warmer to the touch every time the light within pulsed.

"Just crush it, right?" He asked, looking up.

Naz'Tor nodded. "Indeed. Do that, and the stored knowledge will enter your mind. It's a process very similar to obtaining a new skill from the System."

"Alright then," Leo muttered, applying some pressure to the shard. Nyx, if anything bad happens, pick me up and get the hell away from here.

'Understood.'

Great. Then let's find out if I didn't just waste almost a thousand Ether.

With that thought in mind, he closed his fist, and the shard burst into hundreds of tiny pieces. Unlike what he expected, they didn't fall to the floor. Instead, they all turned into specks of light and sunk into his hand.

And that was when he felt it.

Knowledge, alien yet understandable, rushed into his head, offering precisely what the merchant promised. It showed him how all Void Gates had different activation times and how the timers could be accelerated by unique circumstances, Cataclysms being among them. It also explained that the activation could be delayed, but there was no mention of 'how.'

However, the piece of information that intrigued Leo the most came at the end. It clarified that even upon activation of a Void Gate, the new Universe wouldn't immediately be overrun by all-powerful beings from the Void. Initially, only low-ranked creatures could enter them, and over time, the gates would strengthen, letting more beings pass through.

It was yet another protection the system granted to new Universes — one among many, according to the shard.

Finally some good news. Leo shook his head lightly, letting the sudden surge of knowledge fade into the depths of his mind. Though, low-rank doesn't mean weak, not for us. I'm only at E, and I doubt there are many others like me...

He glanced at the merchant. "Do you mind elaborating on something from the shard?"

"Ask and I shall consider if it requires another deal."

Of course. Leo held back a snort. "What did it mean by 'low-ranked'? I'm pretty sure you and I have a different interpretation of this."

"Indeed," Naz'Tor bowed. "Forgive me, I should have specified this within the shard. It's been quite some time since I had a customer below D rank."

Good to know. It raises a question, though. What are you doing in the middle of nowhere? This doesn't seem right.

Unaware of his thoughts, the merchant continued. "For most inside the Void, 'low-rank' means F and E grade threats. Those are all you have to worry about for the time being. Waves of D ranks will take at least a few weeks to show. Although a weaker D minus might slip in before that."

The burden that had been growing larger ever since Leo left Wolford suddenly disappeared from his shoulders. Nine days might not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but a few weeks?

That he could work with. He was already powerful enough to match Nightmares. Now, he just had to stay ahead of the curve.

It shouldn't be that hard... The only problem is that if we don't find any other source of experience, Nightmares might be our only choice.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Not that he had anything against hunting down Collectors. Prey was prey after all. The only issue came from his current destination. He had no clue how well London came out after the Outbreak and Cataclysm, and until he found out, he would rather not get caught in a Nightmare pursuit.

Even if Ruthless Efficiency saved him last time, it might not do so again.

I will figure this out later. Leo sighed, addressing the merchant again. "Thanks, that's good to know... So about that other offer. What's that about?"

"Ah, yes!" Naz'Tor exclaimed, his tentacles whirling in excitement. "Just... A... Moment... And here you go, my dear customer!"

Trade contract offer detected. Display now?

Contract? He quirked an eyebrow at the same time as Nyx's curiosity leaked into their link. Now it's starting to feel like some telemarket call. But sure, show me.

System-verified trade contract offer between Leonardo Brown and Naz'Tor. Displaying stipulations:

- All types of businesses will be safeguarded by the System.

- Unless agreed otherwise, prices must adhere to a fair range as per the market database accessible to the System.

- Naz'Tor will be granted the first opportunity to propose terms for any official trade initiated by Leonardo Brown.

- A 20% discount will be applied to all purchases made by Leonardo Brown.

- Unless agreed otherwise, details of each official trade will be kept confidential.

- This contract has to be renewed every three months of Earth.237's time. Both sides have to agree.

- Both parties agree to work towards mutual benefit. Selling information about the other party is prohibited.

Violation of any of the stipulations above will render this contract null and result in the imposition of a System-approved fine on the offending party.

Do you wish to accept?

"That's... very formal," Leo muttered, his eyes opened wide. "And here I thought shit like this died with the Outbreak."

Naz'Tor chuckled. "Nothing could be further from the truth. The Void is full of legalities, politics, and other bullcrap. Usually, you can stay away from it, but every once in a while it's necessary to get your hands dirty."

Furrowing his brow, Leo took a short peek at the mass of tentacles before him. Hands? He shook his head. "Right... Just have one question. Why? Why give me an offer like this? It seems a bit too good for a random guy you’ve just met."

"And that's where you're wrong, child. This is an investment in the future," the merchant deflected. "I have just as much to gain from this as you do, if not more."

With how he speaks, it's hard to say if he's just buttering me up or is honest to a fault. What a weird guy.

"How so?"

"'How so,' he asks..." Naz'Tor mumbled. "Child, you're a full-fledged Akirian on freshly initiated Universe. That's not rare, but almost impossible for a human to achieve in this timeframe! If you've managed this already, I can only imagine what will come next. I expect great things from you, and with them a lot of Ether for me!"

You know what, Nyx? Scratch what I said about him before. I think he just might be mad... I'm starting to see the pattern here.

'Same, Leo. Same,' the feline chuckled. 'At least he seems like a genuine person... Well, a genuine opportunist.'

Yeah... It's just I can't believe this is a coincidence. What are the odds that a former human with an Old One's shard meets a Void merchant right after leaving his first city?

'Very low,' Nyx admitted.

Exactly. Leo grimaced but hid it well. "Say I accept. How do I even contact you? Do I have to come back here?"

"Of course not!" Naz'Tor exclaimed indignantly. "If you accept, I have a gift for you that will solve this issue."

Oh well... Might as well. I can always break the contract after three months. Leo decided and provided the System with his answer. Go on.

Trade contract accepted. Naz'Tor is now your contracted merchant. Aside from a few exceptions, you may trade with each other regardless of distance.

Huh, that sure helps a bit.

"Excellent!" Naz'Tor beamed, his dark skin lightening a bit. "Now, before I present you with my gift, is there anything you need? Even if I don't have it, I will procure it as fast as possible."

Leo frowned. There were a lot of things he needed, mostly information. However, he didn't require it all right away. Most of the stuff could wait as he didn't want to spend all his Ether in a matter of minutes. He still needed it for mutations, Limit Break, and other possible surprises.

Still... There are two things I could use now, well, maybe three. Could be a good test run to see if all his info is legit.

"Soulscape and Vital Strike," he said out loud. "I feel like I'm close to figuring out the former, but I'm still missing something. If you have some kind of a guide, it would be helpful. As for the latter, I have almost no idea how the skill even works, much less how to improve it."

Naz'Tor exploded in chuckles. "My, I really lucked out with you. This will be the beginning of a wonderful partnership."

Leo’s lips curved into a slight smile. "So I take it you can help me?"

"Of course, of course. Here!" The merchant placed another two Neuron Shards on the counter and pushed them towards him. "The red one has all the basics needed to reach your Soulscape. The precise method differs from person to person, but those points still stand. As for the blue shard, it will grant you full knowledge about Vital Strike. How you improve it is entirely up to you. I will throw it for free if you want both."

This time, a full grin settled on his face.

Now that's what I'm talking about.