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Origin of the Invincible Merchant
Chapter 6: New Beginning

Chapter 6: New Beginning

Alex woke up from his nap, and getting up, his eyes still closed he muttered "I can't believe I let myself fall asleep like that, I knew I needed to finish that essa-" He stopped. Why was he in a bed so different from his own, and not sprawled on top of his desk like usual after an all nighter lost to sleep? He looked around and realized, after giving himself a pinch, 'That Wasn't a dream! How? My talk with that god made no sense half the timel! He was a god, he should've been smarter than that! Oh by everything I thought I was just playing along with a Lucid Dream, not actually getting into something like this!' He panicked like this until he realized, 'Well, I can't exactly go back, and with all this stuff I don't really want to. Yeah I'll miss em, but hey, I'd have to move out in a couple years for college anyways, I'm just a little early is all. Enough on that, I need to find my way back to the Merchants guild and try to buy a nice building to sell stuff from. This time I should actually pay attention to the town as opposed to stumble through half asleep.'

So he got up, dusted off his Robe and tried to retrace his steps through town. He noticed it was much smaller than his own hometown, only maybe half the size, enough to walk through in maybe a few hours with a clear path. On his way he noticed plenty of places, one or two restaurants at most, the nice open market, a small area of housing for the nobility and richer folk near the east, the Merchant's guild at it's center, and just slightly to the west of it lay the local slavers house, and across the street the adventurers guild, and an empty property filled by a large two story building.

At the local slavers not much went on, nobody really did bad enough around here or got into debt enough to need to be housed here as a slave, so the Jailers and Contract Writer were quite bored, mostly just sitting around and keeping thigs clean and polished to get their pay for the week.

The Adventurers guild on the other hand was typically rather lively, what with the usual large amount of adventurers and their adventurely antics. The place mostly served as where adventurers went for quests, where other people went to put up quests, and a place for adventurers to talk, speaking about topics such as kobolds slain and quests done like friendly co-workers at the company picnic.

After enjoying the sights of the town, Alex had finally arrived at the Merchants Guild. He already had his eye set on that building near the guild and asked if there was any way he could buy it.

The Lady said to him "That building has been for sale for months now, so I could simply take the cost now and make this a purchase though the guild, It only costs three gold fifty silver. But, Are you sure you want it, being stuck next to all those rowdy Adventurers, scaring away all your business?"

Alex handed her four gold, figuring it was easier to spend extra than bother getting fifty silver and said "But that's where you're wrong, you see, the adventurers are the business. So, when can I start using the building?"

She said, "Oh, as soon as you like. Good luck with your future endeavors Sir."

Alex turned and stopped, before turning back "Also, while I'm here, I'd like to know where I can get someone to make a couple signs for me."

Before she could respond a man looking to be about in his early thirties or late twenties nearby, with simple but rough features, brown hair and green eyes said,

"I'm the carpenter 'round here. What do you need?"

"Great to meet you, Alex Ander myself," Alex said, "I need two hanging signs and one other sign. One is two sided, one side reads 'Closed' and the other reads 'Open'."

"I could get you that for about fifty copper. My names Smith Tailor, since you gave me yours." Smith said,

"Great, the other simply reads 'Break it, Use it, Buy it.' in three seperate lines." Alex said,

"Sure, about fourty more copper." Smith said,

"And finally, the third one reads 'Alex Anders Adventuring Amenities' and I need it to prop itself up."

"That'll take much more work, another ninety copper. I can have them done by tomorrow at noon." 

"Great, since I'm not feeling in the mood to count copper, I'll just give you three silver and call it at that. I'll stop by here again to pick the smaller two up and show you where to put the larger one for me, if you'd be so kind. See you." Alex said before heading out to his new property.

"See you." Smith said

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At his new property he could see the adventurers milling about next door, and when he walked in they started a new wave of discussion. Apparently even they couldn't believe someone would want to buy that property. But there he was, walking in.

He looked around and so far liked the design, shelves lining the two outer walls, windows facing out to the street, a desk with a set of stairs leading up the building behind it, some hooks in the walls, presumably for display weapons and the like.

Going up the stairs he found himself with a hallway with two doors to the left, and one to the right at the very end. In the doors to the left he found two simple empty rooms, one with a window out to the street again, table with chairs, and empty fireplace and chimney, the other simply holding a well used old bed, a carpet, and another window out.

The room to the left was completely barren, a very simple empty storage room, and a large on at that. To Alex, it felt like the property was perfect for him, despite how empty and barely accomodating it looked to others. Once he was done looking around, he opened the windows upstairs and the door downstairs and started to cast [Whoosh], a fun joke spell that did no damage with no side effects that was surprisingly good for getting dust out of a place and airing it out quickly, like a madman, scaring a mouse out too.

Finally he decided it was time to put stuff on the shelves, so he simply got to work on that, but of course, what to put there? He couldn't put just the junk items, then nobody would buy much. But he couldn't put too many really good ones either, mostly average stuff with few really good ones he decided on. So he checked his inventory, and once he got to stacking the shelves. On the shelves to the left of the door were, keeping the prices he would plan to give later in mind,

Top Shelf

Staff of the Quick-Footed Cleric: [Unique]

Price: Display Only/Reward

A Reliable Staff to keep the healer out of trouble and the team on their toes. While equipped, gain +30 to Agility, and Healing targets gain +10 to Agility for fifty seconds after being healed. 2nd Shelf

Diluted Liquid Mana[25]

Price: 1 Silver

Liquid Mana, highly diluted.                    

Restores 50 Mp.

3rd Shelf

Coward's Scroll of Running Away: [30]

Price: 60 Copper

Magic Infused Scroll. When used, casts , , and on the user as well as Doubling Agility while halving all other stats. Bottom Shelf

Stable Beginners Potion: [40]

Price: 15 Copper

A potion made by an average beginning alchemist.

Restores 40 Hp.

To the Right of the door the shelves held,

Top Shelf

Mighty Marauders Mortal Morningstar: [Unique]

Price: Display/Reward

A Morningstar of Devastating Blows. Any Wounds created by this weapon take an extra dose of healing to close, ignoring the first, bleed far more heavily, and inflict a temporary -5 Vitality penalty per open wound. 2nd Shelf

Ring of Holy Smiting: [15]

Price: 1 Silver, 50 Copper

When activated, Melee attacks involving the hand wearing the ring deal holy damage. 10 Mp to cast. 3rd Shelf A Note, Written on the back of a Cowards Scroll. No price. The note reads, "I am as willing to buy as to sell. I love collecting unique items especially, but things with neat effects work too, even if I already have a few." Bottom Shelf Here Sits an Empty Shelf.

This shelf is devoid of all thigs, not even dust inhabits the space upon this shelf, such shows the inexorably true nothingness upon the shelf.

And of course, hanging behind the counter were the really big boys, the cream of the crop.

Glove of Power

Grants the wearer +10 to all stats, Punching deals bonus damage, and can forcibly control any one golem. Sadly, the power of this glove is known to corrupt those who use it to play with power.

Black Glasses of Nonsensical Defiance Rumored to have been worn during the defeat of an evil god, these glasses greatly affect their wearer. While worn they induce a willingness to ignore all teamates, a capability to seemingly defy fate, minor madness, and a temporary hatred of Paladins, Priests, All forms Religion, Gods, Cutlery, and Books.  Three Fold Loyal Chakram Three White Chakram, always seeming devoid of any stains. They each have symbols upon them, the symbols reading 'Alpha','Omega', and 'Epsilon' Respectively. The 'Alpha' Chakram deals large damage against a single target and inflicts status effects at random against it before returning. The 'Omega' Chakram deals less damage then either of the others and randomly heals the user of their status effects after use. The 'Epsilon' Chakram Actively bounces between many enemies before returning, making it effective against groups. All Chakram always return to the original thrower, and never seem to cut them on their blades.

And so after all that, Alex Looked outside and noticed it was already night time. Good, he was tired as ever. He went upstairs, pulled the blanket off of the bed he found, and simply slept on the ground of his new shop floor, wanting to make sure it wouldn't get stolen on him. The night guards that passed by and looked in figured he hadn't realized he wouldn't get robbed when directly next to the building teeming with at least five adventurers at any given time.