District 1 was burning.
The "B-Rank Dungeon Break" wasn't just a crack in reality; it was a hemorrhage. A tear in the sky above the Financial Sector was spewing monsters onto the pristine white streets.
These weren't the goblins of the E-Rank caves. These were Ogres, massive hulks of muscle and rage standing twelve feet tall, wielding uprooted lampposts as clubs.
"Hold the line!" roared Valerius Ironblood, the Guild Master of the Steel Vanguard.
He swung his massive greatsword, a B-Rank artifact, cleaving an Ogre's arm off. But for every monster he killed, three more fell from the sky.
"We're being overrun!" his vice-captain screamed, firing mana bolts into the horde. "Where is the Arcane Lotus? Where are the reinforcements?"
"Busy holding the perimeter at the Bank!" Valerius grit his teeth. "It's just us!"
A shadow fell over him.
A Twin-Headed Ogre Chieftain—a variant boss—had landed on top of a crushed limousine. It roared, raising a chunk of concrete the size of a small house, preparing to crush Valerius and his squad into paste.
Valerius raised his shield, bracing for an impact he knew would break his bones.
ZWOOP.
There was no sound of thunder. No explosion. Just the quiet displacement of air.
Two figures appeared directly in the path of the falling concrete.
One was a man in a crisp, black tailored suit, his hands in his pockets, looking at the carnage with the expression of a health inspector visiting a dirty restaurant.
The other was a Valkyrie.
She wore armor of white dragon-scale that hugged her form, trimmed with gold that pulsed with divine light. Wings of pure mana fluttered from her back, keeping her hovering inches off the ground.
"Kill it," the man said.
The Valkyrie didn't draw her weapon. She simply raised her left hand, catching the falling concrete house.
BOOM.
The ground didn't crack. Her knees didn't buckle.
Moira Nyx, with 13,500 Strength, caught the multi-ton projectile with the casual ease of catching a tennis ball.
The Ogre Chieftain blinked, its two heads confused.
Moira looked at the monster. Behind the visor of her [ Valkyrie's Grace ] helm, her eyes were cold.
"You're loud," she whispered.
She squeezed.
The concrete block shattered in her grip, turning into dust. In the same motion, she kicked off the ground.
She moved so fast that Valerius didn't see her move. He only saw the afterimage of gold.
CRACK.
Moira appeared instantly in front of the Chieftain's chest. She didn't use a sword. She just punched it.
Her fist, reinforced by S-Rank gauntlets and god-tier stats, connected with the Ogre's torso.
The monster didn't fly back. It burst.
The kinetic force traveled through its body so violently that its skin couldn't hold it together. The upper half of the Ogre turned into a red mist that sprayed across the skyscrapers behind it.
[ +45,000 XP ] (Moira)
[ +2,200 SP ] (Moira)
Eidon watched the notification. He didn't get a cut of the drop—Admin privileges only applied to transactions, not raw kills—but seeing the efficiency of his investment was reward enough.
Moira landed gracefully, shaking the blood off her gauntlet.
Silence descended on the street. The screaming civilians, the roaring monsters, and the exhausted hunters of the Steel Vanguard all froze.
Valerius lowered his shield, his jaw unhinged.
"What... in the hell..."
Eidon stepped forward, stepping over a puddle of Ogre blood without looking down. He adjusted his cuffs.
"Valerius Ironblood," Eidon said, his voice cutting through the silence. "Your formation is sloppy. You're letting the flanks collapse."
Valerius stared at him. He recognized the face from the news.
"The Dermit?" Valerius sputtered. "You... you brought her?"
He looked at Moira. The armor. The aura. It wasn't just S-Rank. It felt like standing next to a nuclear reactor.
"She's... what Level is she?" Valerius whispered, terrified.
"High enough," Eidon replied.
He pointed to the rift in the sky.
"Moira. The small ones are annoying. Close the door."
"Understood," Moira said.
She reached over her shoulder and gripped the hilt of the [ Solaris Greatsword ].
As she drew it, the temperature in the street spiked. But this time, she didn't rely on the sword's passive heat.
She channeled her mana. She had reached Level 100, unlocking ten tiers of [ Divine Magic Mastery ]1.
She activated the Tenth Tier.
[ SPELL: DIVINE ART - SUNFALL ]
She shot into the sky like a reverse meteor, hovering directly in front of the rift.
She raised the sword, and the sky above District 1 turned blindingly white. A massive, concentrated sphere of holy plasma formed at the tip of her blade, resembling a miniature sun.
"Burn," she whispered.
She thrust the blade forward.
The miniature sun didn't explode; it beamed. A column of absolute light pierced the dark dimensional rift.
The monsters inside didn't even have time to scream. The rift itself began to hiss and boil. The mana anchoring the portal was incinerated by the divine frequency.
With a sound like a thunderclap, the rift collapsed, sealed shut by brute magical force.
The invasion was over in ten seconds.
Moira descended slowly, her wings fading as she touched down next to Eidon. She sheathed the sword, the oppressive heat vanishing instantly.
"Clean," she reported.
"Acceptable," Eidon nodded.
Valerius walked up to them, his heavy boots clanking on the pavement. He looked from the closed rift to Moira, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed the equipment.
"That sword," Valerius said, his voice sharp with calculation. "That armor. The design matches the 'Valkyrie' set listed in the S-Rank tab of the Shop."
He looked at Eidon.
"You bought it. The price tag on that set was forty-five million SP. No Guild has that kind of liquidity yet. How did you afford it?"
Eidon smiled. Valerius was smarter than the others.
"I invest wisely, Guild Master," Eidon said smoothly. "While you chase credits, I chase the currency of the future."
"So it's real," Valerius muttered, looking at his own B-Rank sword with sudden disdain. "The items in that Shop... they actually work like that? It's not just a display glitch?"
"Moira just vaporized a rift," Eidon pointed out. "Does that look like a glitch?"
Eidon tapped his temple.
"Check the [ WEEKLY SPECIAL ]. It refreshes in..." He checked his internal clock. "Five seconds."
Valerius blinked. He instinctively opened his System Interface.
"Open Shop."
The hunters around them did the same.
In the center of Eidon's vision, the Admin Panel flashed. He had pre-loaded the item before they left the house.
[ WEEKLY SPECIAL UPDATE ]
[ ITEM: Black-Steel Warlord Set (A-Rank Armor) ]
[ QUANTITY: 1 ]
[ PRICE: 5,000,000 SP ]
Valerius gasped. He saw it. A full set of heavy plate armor, glowing with dark enchantments. It was perfectly suited for a Berserker class.
"Five million..." Valerius whispered, sweat beading on his forehead. "I have... I have two million personally. i need to farm more sp…"
He looked at Eidon, eyes burning with a new fire.
"You knew this was coming."
"I don't run the Shop," Eidon lied effortlessly. "I just know the algorithm rewards those who are prepared. Hesitation is expensive, Valerius."
He turned to Moira. "We're done here."
"Wait!" Valerius shouted. "The Association needs to debrief you! You can't just drop a nuke in the city and leave!"
Eidon stopped. He looked over his shoulder.
"Balance is for people who can't tip the scales, Guild Master."
He held up his hand. The Dimensional Ring on his finger flared with starlight.
Moira raised her hand, her matching ring glowing.
"Moira. Home."
"Yes, Eidon."
[ TELEPORTATION ACTIVATED ]
The world twisted. The grime of District 1 vanished, replaced instantly by the serene, silent luxury of the Sanctuary.
They stood in the foyer.
"Show off," Moira grinned, removing her helmet.
"Marketing," Eidon corrected, loosening his tie. "Valerius will have every member of his guild grinding SP by midnight so he can afford that armor."
"But they can't pool SP," Moira pointed out. "It's non-transferable."
"He knows that," Eidon said. "But he'll make them grind anyway, hoping one of them gets enough to buy it for the Guild, or he'll grind himself into the ground trying to catch up. And every potion he buys to keep his stamina up, every repair kit he purchases..."
He checked his balance.
He had started the day with 13.7 Million SP (after the massive spending spree). The panic buying during the Dungeon Break had bumped it up significantly.
[ CURRENT SP: 18,500,000 ]
"We made nearly five million while standing there," Eidon noted. "The commission on potions is small, but the volume is massive."
He walked to the kitchen.
"But we have a problem."
"What problem?" Moira asked.
"The Shadow Sentinels," Eidon said, expanding the map. "Report coming in from Sentinel #42. Attached to the Mayor's office."
He projected the text into the air.
[ REPORT: GOVERNMENT EMERGENCY DECREE DRAFT 809 ]
[ SUBJECT: The Universal Shop ]
[ ACTION: The Government plans to declare the "Shop" a hostile foreign entity. They plan to ban the usage of "Open Shop" under penalty of treason, citing 'Unregulated Economic Destabilization'. ]
[ TIMELINE: 24 Hours. ]
Eidon's eyes narrowed.
"They want to ban my business," he said coldly. "Because they can't tax it."
Moira's hand went to her sword. "Do I kill the Mayor?"
"No," Eidon said. "Martyrs are bad for business. If they want to play politics... we'll play politics."
He looked at the [ ADMIN TOOLS ].
"They think the Shop is a passive utility," Eidon whispered. "They forgot that every shop has an owner."
He selected the [ GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT ] tool.
"Let's remind them who holds the leash."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
[ SYSTEM STATUS: EIDON AXIOM ]
IDENTITY
Name: Eidon AxiomClass: Library of Heavens (SSS-Rank)Condition:[DERMIT] (XP Gain Locked)Level: 1 (MAX CAP)HP: 100% (Regenerates instantly due to High Vit)MP: 100% (High Density)
ATTRIBUTES (TIER 2 MAXED)
Strength: 1,100Agility: 1,100Vitality: 1,100Intelligence: 1,100Dexterity: 1,100Willpower: 1,100Luck: 1,100
ECONOMY & ASSETS
Current SP Balance:18,500,000 SP (Rising via passive income)Property: Dimensional Sanctuary (S-Rank) - Pocket Dimension.Minions: Shadow Sentinels (Level 250) x100.Deployment: 50 (Govt), 40 (Guilds), 10 (Invader Watch).
TALENTS
The Universal Shop (Ex-Rank): Admin Mode.Upgrade (S-Rank): (0 Free Charges).
SKILLS
Eye of Heavens (Supreme - Passive): True Sight / Info Analysis.Decree of Heavens (Ex-Rank - Active):1st Decree (Strength): Unlocked.2nd Decree (Life): Locked.3rd Decree (Death): Locked.Basic Imperial Swordsmanship (D-Rank - Passive): Proficiency.[ SYSTEM STATUS: MOIRA NYX ]
IDENTITY
Name: Moira NyxClass: Guardian of Heavens (SSS-Rank)Level: 100Experience: 0 / 25,000,000 (Next Level)
ATTRIBUTES
Strength: 13,500Agility: 13,500Vitality: 15,000Intelligence: 6,750Dexterity: 9,000Willpower: 7,500Luck: 250
EQUIPMENT
Weapon:[Solaris Greatsword (S-Rank)]Effect: Indestructible. Deals Holy/Fire Damage. Skill: Solar Flare.Armor:[Valkyrie's Grace Set (S-Rank)]Effect: High Defense. Flight (Mana Wings). Status Effect Immunity.Accessory:[Dimensional Ring (Sub-Key)]Inventory:[Expanded Void Bag (Ex-Rank - Integrated)]
PASSIVE SKILLS
Substitute (Ex-Rank): Links a Target to Self, If Target Dies Instantly Revives and Teleported near Self. Current Target: "EIDON AXIOM" (Cooldown: 1 Week).Weapon Mastery (SSS-Rank): Perfect proficiency with all weapons.Divine Magic Mastery (SSS-Rank): Unlocks 1 Divine Spell per 10 Levels. (Current: 10 Spells).
ACTIVE SKILLS & SPELLS (DIVINE MAGIC)
Heavenly Shield (SS-Rank): Absolute Defense x2.Penetration Strike (SS-Rank): Triple Attack Power - ignore Defense.Unlocked Spells (10 Total):Light Heal: (Lvl 10) Minor recovery.Cleanse: (Lvl 20) Remove toxins.Flash: (Lvl 30) Blinding light AOE.Holy Weapon: (Lvl 40) Imbues weapon with light element.Sanctuary: (Lvl 50) Creates a protective dome.Grand Heal: (Lvl 60) Restores 50% HP in radius.Purge: (Lvl 70) Cleanses all debuffs/curses.Sunbeam: (Lvl 80) Single target laser.Wings of Atonement: (Lvl 90) AOE Buff (All Stats +20%).Divine Art: Sunfall: (Lvl 100) Orbital Holy Strike (Used in Ch 10).