Morning sunlight crept across the village market, casting golden rays on the cobbled stone streets. The air was warm and buzzing with life—vendors unrolling cloths, setting up crates, shouting greetings to early customers, and the smell of baked bread and grilled fish wafting from street-side grills. Birds chirped above, fluttering from rooftop to rooftop as if eager to watch the daily drama unfold.
Jace walked in quietly, pulling a small cart behind him. But unlike the last time, his stride had changed. His back was straight, shoulders relaxed, and there was a new sense of purpose in each step. His clothes, while still humble, were noticeably cleaner. A fresh linen shirt, better boots, and a brighter scarf around his neck. Most noticeable of all: a polished pouch hanging from his belt, the unmistakable glint of gold peeking out from its opening.
Heads turned.
"Hey, isn't that Jace?"
"He's back again?"
"Is that gold on his hip?"
He made his way to a vegetable stall, eyes scanning over the produce. Fresh bell peppers, firm potatoes, stalks of spring onions, and wild green herbs lay neatly stacked.
Jace eyed them carefully and pointed. "Half a sack of those. Two baskets of the peppers. And the herbs."
The old vendor narrowed his eyes, wiping his hands on his apron. "You planning to sell 'em to ghosts again? Or did your invisible buyers ask for more greens this time?"
Jace chuckled. "Nah. This time, they sent compliments. Said the onions were a hit."
He untied the gold pouch and produced a sliver of gold, freshly cut and gleaming in the light. He placed it on the counter.
"Let me worry about that."
The vendor took it skeptically, turning it over in his hand, then bit it lightly. Real. Pure.
"Suit yourself," the old man muttered. "Your loss."
"Or maybe yours," Jace replied, loading the goods onto his cart.
Jace moved from stall to stall, quietly loading his cart. Every vendor reacted in the same way—mocking glances, raised brows, whispered comments.
One merchant scoffed loudly, "What are you, a wandering king? Trying to bring back the gold standard?"
Another cackled, "Better melt that down before someone mugs you, old fool."
At a fruit stall, the merchant leaned forward, elbows on the counter. "You do know we're in the age of berries and bank notes, right? Gold's for nobles and pirates."
Jace smiled. "Or maybe it's for people who don't like being taxed."
The merchant snorted. "And where'd you sell all that rotten fruit from before? Some fantasy market in the sky?"
"Something like that."
But Jace didn't flinch. He bartered smartly and intentionally, selecting only what he knew would sell. Exotic mushrooms from a wandering forager. Freshly baked bread from a local widow. A few jars of preserved vegetables from a traveling trader. He even grabbed a bundle of sweet citrus fruits that had just come in that morning.
With his cart full and his face unreadable, Jace turned and made his way back through the square. The same loafers from before were still sitting on their barrels, chewing leaves and grinning.
One called out, "Make sure to wave when you come crawling back for credit!"
Jace didn't respond. He just kept walking.
Back in his modest warehouse, Jace closed the heavy doors, pulled down the blinds, and activated his SeaTrade terminal. The glow of Tera's interface lit the dark space with a soft, futuristic light.
[Welcome back, Jace's Grove Goods.]
He rolled his sleeves up, cracked his knuckles, and took a breath.
"Alright, let's do this."
Step 1: Create a new listing.
Step 2: Select product type: Baked Goods, Vegetables, Foraged Ingredients, Citrus Fruits.
He began to input names and descriptions:
Herbed Firebread – Fresh from lava-warmed ovens. Lasts 3 days.
Wild Shrooms – Harvested at dawn. Excellent for soups.
Sunbell Peppers – Bright and crisp. Locally sourced.
Twilight Citrus – Sweet, tangy, and packed with juice. Harvested at peak ripeness.
Step 3: Tera's voice chimed softly.
[Portal opening. Please place only listed goods through the door.]
A shimmering portal manifested in front of him, circular and swirling like calm water.
Jace leaned toward it, whispering, "Still feels like magic."
He began lifting items carefully into the portal. Each piece passed was greeted by a soft confirmation chime. The portal accepted the goods one after another, and a subtle, rhythmic glow kept pulsing like a heartbeat.
[Goods accepted. Proceed to pricing and storefront update.]
He tapped at the screen, adjusting the prices slightly, offering combo deals, limited-time discounts, and highlighting freshness. Tags like "farm to table," "early harvest," and "artisan baked" glowed beside the listings.
[Finalize storefront?]
"Do it," he muttered.
[Store updated. Now live on SeaTrade.]
Then he waited.
Less than two hours passed.
[Transaction Complete – Two orders placed. Gold delivery initiated.]
A side portal opened. With a gleaming shimmer, a gold bar dropped into the tray with a heavy thunk. Then another, slightly smaller one landed beside it.
[Payment received in Net-Coin. World Bank balance updated.]
He tapped his Net Wallet.
[Convert Net-Coin to gold?]
"Yes."
[Converting... Door opened. Gold delivered.]
Another bar appeared with a solid clink. He picked it up, weighed it in his hand, and laughed.
"Three gold bars in one day. Not bad. Not bad at all."
Later that afternoon, he returned to the market—again with an empty cart, again with gold peeking from his pouch.
People stared.
"Didn't he just buy from you this morning?" one woman asked.
"He cleaned me out of bread!" the baker replied. "How's he selling that fast?"
"I sold him five jars. He's back already?" a trader murmured.
The old vendor from earlier frowned, rubbing his chin. "You got a vault back there or something?"
Jace just smiled calmly. "Just good business."
More than a few vendors had stopped laughing. The younger ones leaned in closer. A group of apprentices gathered near a fruit stall, whispering among themselves.
One brave youth finally stepped forward. He looked no older than seventeen, with quick eyes and dust-covered hands.
"Hey," the boy asked, "You really using that SeaTrade thing?"
Jace paused, tilted his head, and replied, "Maybe."
"Is it real? Like… all that gold?"
Jace smirked. "Come by the warehouse tomorrow. Bring something worth selling. Maybe I'll show you."
Another boy leaned in, eyes wide. "So that Net-Coin stuff is real too? You're not just making it up?"
"It's real," Jace said. "And better than berries. Trade from anywhere, convert anytime. World's changing, lads."
And with that, he wheeled his cart away, whistling a slow, confident tune.
Behind him, the marketplace no longer buzzed with laughter or ridicule—it simmered with curiosity, suspicion, and the faintest spark of possibility.
The age of gold had returned—but not as they knew it.