The invitation came unexpectedly.
A sealed letter.
Simple.
Unmarked.
Inside—
A location.
A time.
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"…You going?"
Andres looked at the note calmly.
"Yes."
"…You don't even know who sent it."
"I have an idea."
Because this—
This was the next layer.
The system behind the system.
That evening, Andres arrived at the location—a quiet building, far from the market districts.
Inside—
People waited.
Merchants.
Traders.
Influencers.
And at the center—
The rival.
"…So this is the gathering," Andres thought.
Not random.
Not public.
Controlled.
The rival noticed him immediately.
"…You came."
Andres stepped forward calmly.
"You invited me."
A pause.
Then the man smiled faintly.
"…Welcome to the real market."