Arceus sank into the chair as if the bones had been quietly removed from his body, his weight collapsing inward, shoulders curling forward while both hands came up to clutch his head. His fingers dug into his hair, pressing against his scalp as though he could squeeze the mistake out of his thoughts, as though pressure alone could rewind the last few minutes and force a different decision into existence.
"Now…" His voice came out low, strained, caught somewhere between frustration and disbelief. "I don't even have coins left to buy Direwolf King eggs…"
His elbows rested on his knees, his head hanging lower.
"Do I really have to use the money in my bank account… just to buy coins?"
The question lingered, heavy and unpleasant, carrying the faint echo of a path he had walked before, one that had always started the same way.
Just one more step.
Just one more risk.
Just one more shortcut.
And then—
Ding!
The sound cut through his thoughts like a clean blade.
A notification bloomed across the holographic screen, its light steady, almost… timely.
[System Notification: "Upon binding the System to a shop location, the host will also have an option of purchasing the items from the summoner's shop directly without worry of not having any funds. However, the price will be set by the system. For every successful sale, the host will receive a commission of 10% of the amount. Note: The host cannot sell the item for discounted price or else, the host will be charged with the discounted amount as the penalty and will lose the commission.]
Arceus froze.
His fingers loosened slightly.
Then—
His head lifted.
"Wait…"
He stood up almost immediately, the chair scraping faintly against the floor behind him as his eyes locked onto the screen, scanning the text once—
Then again.
Slower.
Carefully.
"Ten percent… commission?" he repeated under his breath, as if testing whether the words would change on a second reading.
They didn't.
His eyes widened slightly.
"That means…" His voice picked up, a spark slipping back into it. "Even if I don't have money… I can still sell…"
The realization unfolded fully now.
"…my business won't go bankrupt just because I'm broke…"
A breath.
Then—
A short laugh escaped him, light and disbelieving, bubbling up before he could stop it.
"Woah…" He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head slightly. "That's… that's luxury…"
He clapped his hands once, the sound sharp in the quiet room, his earlier frustration cracking apart like dry glass.
"No wonder you keep pushing me to sell things," he said, glancing at the interface with a half-grin. "You're basically handing me a safety net and calling it a business model… huh?"
The despair that had wrapped around him moments ago loosened its grip, slipping away piece by piece.
Not gone.
But no longer suffocating.
He exhaled slowly, then turned toward the window, his steps steadier now as he walked across the room.
Sunlight streamed in, warm and soft, brushing across the floor and spilling over the windowsill where Black lay stretched out, its small body rising and falling gently with each breath. The light caught in its dark fur, outlining it in a faint golden edge, as if the world itself had decided to highlight its presence.
Arceus stopped near the glass.
His reflection stared back at him, faint and slightly distorted by the light beyond.
For a moment—
He simply looked.
Then—
"Fine," he said quietly, his voice low but firm, carrying a weight that hadn't been there before. "We'll play it your way, system."
His fingers curled slowly into fists at his sides.
"As long as I can rewrite this damned life into something better…"
A small pause.
His jaw tightened.
"I'll do whatever it takes."
The words settled.
And as if something had acknowledged them—
A faint warmth pulsed through his palm.
He glanced down.
For a brief moment, the crescent mark appeared again, glowing softly at the center of his hand, its light subtle yet alive, before fading back beneath his skin.
Gone.
But not forgotten.
***
The next morning arrived quietly.
Arceus zipped up his jacket, the metallic sound sharp in the stillness of the room, then adjusted the straps of his backpack, pulling them tight across his shoulders. His movements were more deliberate now, less rushed, each action carrying a quiet sense of direction.
He glanced once toward the bed.
Black lay curled into itself, a compact bundle of fur, its tiny paws tucked in, its breathing slow and even, looking less like a fearsome direwolf and more like a sleeping dumpling that had no idea it belonged to something extraordinary.
"You stay here," Arceus whispered, his voice softer than usual. "Don't make noise."
The only response was a faint, sleepy snore.
He let out a small breath, somewhere between a sigh and a chuckle.
There was no way to store the little creature in his inventory. The system made that painfully clear. Living beings were excluded, and there was no special pet storage feature provided.
Which meant—
He had to trust the world not to interfere for a few hours.
Not ideal.
But necessary.
He turned, locked the door behind him, and stepped outside.
The air carried a mild chill, the kind that lingered just before the day fully warmed up. He swung a leg over his motorcycle, the familiar weight grounding him, and turned the ignition.
The engine coughed once.
Then roared to life.
With a low rumble, he rolled forward, merging into the quiet flow of the city streets.
His destination—
The suburbs.
His mission—
Find a place to live.
And a store to bind.
***
The city didn't make it easy.
The core districts loomed like polished giants, all glass and steel and numbers that climbed too high, too fast. Even with over a million credits sitting in his account, it felt like trying to buy a piece of the sky with a handful of coins.
The first real estate office he visited stood just off the highway, its glass doors gleaming, interiors spotless, digital listing walls scrolling endlessly with options that looked promising—
Until the numbers appeared.
"A store and a residence?" the agent asked politely, her tone smooth, practiced. "Even in lower-tier districts, that will cost you close to 900,000 credits minimum for a two-year rental deposit."
The words landed like a quiet slap.
"Would you like to view them?"
Arceus forced a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"That's… out of my range," he said, keeping his voice even. "I'm looking around 200k to 300k. And preferably short-term. One year."
The agent's interest dipped.
Not dramatically.
But noticeably.
Still, professionalism held.
She searched.
Showed him options.
And one by one—
They fell apart.
Cramped rooms tucked into forgotten corners.
Walls stained with dampness.
Tiles cracked and uneven.
One property had a gate that swung back and forth in the wind, its metallic screech echoing like something pulled straight out of a horror scene.
None of it felt right.
None of it felt usable.
The day ended.
Then another began.
Then another.
Seven days passed.
Seven days of riding through unfamiliar districts, negotiating, rejecting, recalculating, adjusting expectations.
Too expensive.
Too broken.
Too far.
Too unsafe.
Too restrictive.
Too many "no pets allowed."
Eventually—
Something inside him gave.
"If I keep chasing the perfect place…" he muttered one evening, sitting cross-legged on the floor, a cup of instant noodles resting in his hands, steam rising faintly into the dim light.
"I'll end up with nothing."
The realization settled quietly.
This wasn't about perfection anymore.
This was about survival.
He set the noodles aside and opened the city hub interface, navigating to the classifieds tab, his fingers moving with a new kind of focus.
Search: Shared apartment. Cheap. South or Central District.
Results flooded in.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Most of them unremarkable.
Until—
One.
ROOM AVAILABLE – Shared Flat
Location: Sector 12, Evergreen Apartments
3-bedroom unit, 1 room vacant.
Rent: 400 credits/month
Deposit: 1000 credits
Separate room and private bathroom.
Meals provided.
Bills shared equally.
Monsters allowed.
Arceus blinked.
Once.
Then leaned in slightly.
"Free meals… private bathroom… four hundred a month…" he murmured.
His brow lifted.
"And monsters allowed…?"
That alone made it stand out.
Too good.
Suspiciously good.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he scrolled through the images.
Clean.
Decent.
Nothing obviously wrong.
"Is this a scam…?" he muttered, though curiosity had already taken root.
He tapped the contact.
The profile was minimal.
Username: QY-92.
No face.
Voice-only call.
He pressed Call.
The line rang.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
A voice answered.
"Hello?"
Calm.
Soft.
Slightly sleepy.
"Hey… uh, hi," Arceus said, straightening slightly as he spoke. "I saw your listing on the city hub. Is the room still available?"
A brief pause.
"Yeah… it is," the voice replied. "You'll need to bring your ID. If you want to see it today, come before 10 PM. Or tomorrow before noon."
"I can be there in an hour."
"Alright. Evergreen Apartments, Sector 12, Building 5C. Top floor. Apartment 17. Just follow the map."
"Got it. See you."
The call ended.
Arceus didn't waste time.
He finished the noodles in a few quick bites, grabbed his helmet, and headed out.
***
The city blurred past him as he rode, lights stretching, buildings shifting, the rhythm of the road steady beneath him.
It wasn't what he had imagined.
Not the grand shop.
Not the perfect setup.
But right now—
Stability mattered more.
And four hundred credits a month?
With meals?
It felt unreal.
Hope stirred again, quieter this time, but steadier.
He followed the navigation until—
The building came into view.
Evergreen Residences.
Taller than expected.
Sixteen floors.
Clean beige exterior.
Metal gates guarded at the entrance.
Nearby, a beast resembling a manticore lingered without its master, its presence alone enough to suggest security that didn't rely solely on humans.
Arceus parked in the underground lot, the echo of his footsteps following him as he moved toward the elevator.
Building 5C.
Floor 16.
The numbers lit up one by one as the elevator climbed.
Then—
A soft chime.
The doors opened.
He stepped out, walking down the corridor until he reached the door marked 1617.
He raised his hand.
Pressed the bell.
A soft ring echoed inside.
Seconds passed.
Then—
The door opened.
The woman standing on the other side blinked, her brows lifting slightly as her gaze settled on him, recognition flashing across her expression.
"It's you?" she said, her voice soft, threaded with surprise.