The deeper you dive into the cosmic markets, the more you realize:
The best trades don't happen in the light.
They pulse behind encrypted channels, whispered between guilds, brokered by nameless entities that prefer not to be seen.
I needed a Mind-Shard.
And the public market?
Didn't even list them.
Yena found the first thread buried inside a Tier-4 blacklisted forum, archived behind 17 different tag obfuscations.
"Shard-class relics… not for storage. Not for memory. For re-experience.""Beware: One shard, one soul echo. You relive it. You survive—or it keeps you."– Thread Origin: Unverified (Possibly The Silo)
"Let's not buy this," Yena said, looking over my shoulder. "Let's burn it instead."
"We don't have a choice," I said. "Orax Tinveil wants a shard. No shard, no Memoria Fringe. No Memoria Fringe… no Artifact Chain."
She scowled. "And no refund when your brain turns to soup."
We tracked a possible seller through several proxies: a smuggler out of the Lethian Dustbelts using the handle "FRAYSIGNAL."
I messaged him.
Kai: I need a shard. Pure.FRAYSIGNAL: There's no such thing as pure. Only undamaged.Kai: How much?FRAYSIGNAL: 8 C.U. and one personal memory.
I stared at that second condition.
"A personal memory?" I muttered.
Yena leaned in. "Some shards are like mirrors. They take something from you. It's what stabilizes the trade."
I hesitated, then typed:
Kai: Deal.
We met virtually in a hollow-space chamber built from reconstructed data fragments of an old Terran museum.
Fraysignal appeared only as a flickering silhouette.
He tossed me a cube the size of a thumb drive, pulsing faint blue.
Item Received: Shard-Class Memory Capsule – Tag: "Alone in the Smoke"Description: Experiential fragment. Source unknown. Pre-Tier culture.Status: Dormant. 1 use.
The system flared.
Memory Cost: Choose one personal experience. Must be real. Must be offered willingly.
I scrolled through options. The system wouldn't let me lie. It had access to my subconscious logs.
Finally, I selected:
Memory Offered: "The first time I opened a box of supplies with my mother in the ruins."
The moment shimmered… then faded from my mind like smoke in a vacuum.
Gone.
In return, the shard stabilized in my inventory.
Yena watched me silently.
I looked at her and said, "What was the first thing we shared after meeting?"
Her brow furrowed. "That pack of protein cubes you stole from the guild... why?"
I forced a smile.
"Just checking something."
Because I couldn't remember my own moment anymore. It was real. It was gone.
But we had the shard.
I contacted Orax Tinveil again.
Kai: Shard obtained.ORAX: Upload initiated. Key issued.
Region Unlocked: Memoria FringeStatus: Time-locked fragments detected. Temporal drift active.Trade Restrictions: High-risk anomaly zone. Trader protection suspended.
A new map node unfurled across my interface—twisting tendrils of fractured space curling inward like broken circuits.
One location glowed dimly:
Fractured Relay – Coordinates Locked: Artifact #2 Potential Detected
I turned to Yena.
"Pack everything valuable. Strip the shop to essentials. We're moving."
"Moving where?" she asked.
"Into memory."
We activated the transport beacon.
Transport Confirmed – Destination: Fractured Relay, Memoria FringeETA: 3 hours (safeguards disabled)
Until then, we had time to prepare.
So we posted our final Earth Memory Pack listing for the week. This time, we bundled it with a copied emotional imprint from one of the videos we'd found—a mother singing to a child in a ruined metro.
I listed it under:
"Hope, Carried in the Dark."
By the time we left Earth's orbit for Memoria Fringe, three copies had already sold.
But the last buyer sent a chilling message:
"You're not the first to try this chain, Earthling.""Don't end up like the last one. His memories were worth a lot... right before they devoured him."
Current Status (Narrative Format):
Kai's balance stands at 52.3 C.U. and 93.5 Earth Credits after purchasing his first Mind-Shard for 8 C.U. and offering a personal memory in trade. He has now unlocked access to the Memoria Fringe, an unstable and lightly regulated region that contains the next step in the Galactic Artifact Chain.
Kai has experienced his first permanent memory loss due to a shard trade and must now navigate a realm of fractured time, emotional echoes, and traders who don't just deal in goods—but in identity.
As he prepares to enter the Fractured Relay, the second artifact's trail begins… and the shadows of past traders begin whispering in the dark.
📌 Author's Note:
Hey Traders! 👋
Loving The Sole Trader of 10,000 Light Years? Help this story grow by supporting on Patreon!
Your support gives you:
🚀 Early access to new chapters📜 Exclusive side stories & lore🧠 Vote on trades, upgrades, and realms💬 Join our private Discord for fans!
Even a small pledge helps me keep writing and reach our 1000+ chapter goal!
👉 [patreon.com/SAManhwarecap]Thanks for reading—let's build the Realm Exchange together! 🌌💱
— S.A.