Arceus leaned forward, his elbows resting lightly against his knees as he opened the inventory panel, his eyes settling on the single item that felt less like stock and more like a turning point.
The lone entry glowed softly.
Item: Luminous Direwolf Egg
Grade: Legendary
Max Level: 50 (King Tier Potential)
Attribute: Light
Hatch Time: Instant upon bonding
Its description hovered beneath, calm and confident, as if it already knew its own value.
A rare, light-element direwolf species with natural healing affinity. Ideal for attack/support roles.
Ding!
[The product has been selected. Please type the Price.]
Arceus didn't type immediately.
Instead, he leaned back slightly, his fingers hovering above the keyboard as his thoughts aligned themselves into something sharper, more deliberate.
"This isn't just any monster…" he murmured, eyes narrowing slightly. "Offensive… healing… King Tier potential…"
He exhaled slowly, grounding himself.
"Production cost is ten thousand credits," he continued quietly. "If I convert external funds, that's effectively twenty thousand…"
His gaze flickered.
"So the real value sits around thirty to forty thousand."
That was the logical range.
The safe range.
The profitable range.
But—
His fingers didn't move toward those numbers.
"I'm not here to get rich immediately," he said, more firmly now. "I need momentum."
Sales.
Turnover.
Trust.
"Fast."
His fingers dropped to the keyboard.
Price: 15,000 Credits
A deliberate undercut.
A calculated risk.
He stared at the number for a moment longer, as if weighing not just profit, but direction.
Then—
Click.
Publish.
***
Far away—
The skyline of Peking pierced the clouds like a field of glass spears, each tower reflecting a different shade of gold as the evening light stretched across the capital of North Qudour.
High above the ground, inside a luxury apartment suspended in quiet opulence, a young man lounged lazily on a massage bed, one arm resting behind his head while the other flicked through a holographic screen floating inches above him.
NovaMart.
Pet section.
Scroll.
"Boring…"
Scroll.
"Overpriced trash…"
Scroll.
"Fake brands…"
Another swipe.
A yawn slipped out.
Then—
His thumb stopped.
Luminous Direwolf Egg – 15,000 Credits
Potential: King Tier
Seller: Nexus Pet World
New Listing – 32 mins ago
His eyes sharpened.
"…Huh?"
The laziness vanished in an instant.
He tapped.
The product expanded, rotating slowly, the egg bathed in a soft, luminous aura, strands of gold spiraling across its surface like something crafted rather than born.
"Luminous Direwolf…" he muttered, sitting up slightly now. "Wolves are usually fire or lightning… when did light variants start appearing?"
His gaze sharpened further.
"Variant species…?"
He tapped the seller.
Nexus Pet World.
No badge.
No reviews.
No history.
Registered—
33 minutes ago.
A faint pause.
"Yeah… this screams scam."
He scratched his head lightly, eyes narrowing.
"And that price…"
Too low.
Way too low.
"Either stolen…" he murmured. "Or smuggled out of a rift…"
The possibilities lined up.
None of them safe.
Yet—
His thumb hovered.
Because the price…
It wasn't just low.
It was irresistible.
Then—
His eyes caught something.
COD – Available (+100 credit free)
Drone Delivery – Available (+500 credit fee)
A small smirk tugged at his lips.
"Worst case…"
He tapped the air lightly.
"I lose five hundred credits."
A pause.
Then a quiet chuckle.
"That's less than my bathwater bill."
Decision made.
He tapped—
Purchase.
Order Confirmed. Drone in queue.
***
Back in Arceus's room—
Steam filled the bathroom.
Water dripped steadily as Arceus stood under the shower, hands running through his hair, his mind still half-focused on strategy, half-lost in numbers.
Then—
Ding!
The sound pierced through everything.
Clear.
Sharp.
Immediate.
[Order Received — Luminous Direwolf Egg Sold]
Arceus froze.
Completely.
"…Wait."
The word slipped out, barely audible over the running water.
"What?!"
He snapped into motion instantly, rinsing the shampoo off in a rushed mess, nearly slipping as he stumbled out, water dripping from his hair, shoulders, arms, leaving a trail behind him like he had just sprinted through rain.
Barefoot.
Half-dried.
He grabbed a towel mid-run, wiping his face roughly as he dropped into the chair with a wet thud.
The terminal flickered alive.
Login.
Dashboard.
Fast.
His eyes scanned.
Buyer: User ID (17A4598B2)
Mode of Payment: COD
He stared.
For a second.
Then another.
"It hasn't even been an hour…"
A faint breath escaped him.
Not disbelief.
Not fully.
Something closer to realization.
"It worked…"
He wiped his face again, more carefully this time, forcing himself to slow down.
Focus.
Process.
Execution.
The money hadn't arrived yet.
Not until delivery confirmation.
But the window—
Was open.
Arceus stood, moving with far more control now, grabbing a standard cardboard box, placing the egg inside with measured care. The surface of the egg seemed to hum faintly, the light catching the edges of the box before it disappeared beneath the lid.
Tape.
Seal.
Secure.
He returned to the interface.
[Ready to Ship → Send to Fulfillment Center #0482]
Click.
Confirmed.
Because he was a cloud seller, the system routed everything automatically.
No storefront.
No middle step.
The platform would handle the rest.
Verification.
Security.
Drone dispatch.
Arceus leaned back slowly.
For the first time since listing—
There was nothing left to do.
Just wait.
***
Later that evening.
Capital City.
Floor 34.
Luxury wrapped itself around the space like a second skin, soft lighting, polished surfaces, everything arranged with effortless precision.
In the center of it—
A battlefield flickered.
Holographic.
Alive.
"Summon: Flame Chameleon. Flank right—now!"
The creature darted across the digital terrain in a burst of light.
Then—
Ding-dong.
The alert blinked red.
Roland Smith sighed, pausing the game with a flick of his fingers.
"Timing…"
He stood, stretching slightly as he walked toward the door.
Outside—
A delivery drone hovered, its sleek frame steady in the air, a holographic panel projecting outward.
Order Delivery – Nexus Pet World
COD Fee Paid: 500 Credits
No Returns After Acceptance
Two options.
Yes.
No.
The drone had already verified him.
Everything was ready.
Roland didn't press anything.
Instead—
He reached out.
Tapped the crate.
A soft hiss followed.
The container opened slowly.
And inside—
The egg rested.
Black below.
White above.
Gold spiraling across its surface like veins of light.
It didn't look cheap.
It didn't look ordinary.
It looked—
Real.
Roland let out a low whistle, his earlier doubt dissolving instantly.
"…Well."
A faint grin spread across his face.
"This isn't a scam."
He finally tapped Yes on the screen.
Please pay the amount through the app or scan the QR Code and pay on the website. The words are displayed on the screen before a QR code appears on the screen.
He scanned the code and went through the payment.
[Confirmed the Payment. Thank you for shopping with NovaMart. Have a good day.]
The drone zipped away silently, fading into the night sky.
Meanwhile, Roland carefully carried the egg to his couch and pricked his finger.
A drop of blood slid down his fingertip and touched the egg's top.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then, light surged outward in a circle. The egg pulsed, and the mana in his blood resonated, forming a soul bond with the creature hiding inside the egg.
And then the shell cracked.
A soft paw poked out.
Then, a fuzzy head peeked from the broken shell, blinking with innocent golden eyes.
"You're real," the man breathed as he curiously watched him. He reached for the bio scanner and ran it over the creature.