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The morning sun filtered through the cracks in the wooden window frame, casting golden lines across the humble room Lawrence now called his own. It had been a few years since his strange reincarnation into this small, quiet village tucked away at the far edge of a forgotten continent. Though his memories were still veiled in mist, a hunger stirred within him—a calling. Not just to survive, but to understand, to grow, to rise.
It began the day the System Panel first spoke to him.
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SYSTEM INITIATION User Recognized: Lawrence (Demon Subspecies – Rabbit) Age: 5 years Intelligence: 800 Race: Infernal Beastkin Class: Dimensional Merchant (Unawakened)
Initializing Personality Core Access… Linking Core Fragments…
One linked core detected: Lawire
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Lawrence blinked, the familiar surge of mana coursing through his small body. In the silence of the morning, the room around him seemed to fall away as the edges of reality rippled and folded into a swirling space of light and shadow. A throne of glass and swirling ink appeared, and sitting there was—
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Lawire: (Wings folded neatly, eyes calm and shimmering with gentle blue light) "Hello, little me. I've been waiting."
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Lawrence (visibly startled) "You... Who are you?"
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Lawire: (Rising, walking across the star-dotted floor) "I'm you. Or rather, the part of you that remembers kindness. Balance. The you before it all fell apart."
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A strange warmth surrounded them, unlike the cold analytical tone of the system. Lawrence felt a tug in his soul—a connection forming as memories he didn't recognize danced at the edge of his thoughts.
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SYSTEM NOTIFICATION Fragment Lawire has been fully integrated. Core Stabilization at 10%.
Skill Gained: [Merchant's Instinct – Passive]
You can identify item rarity, bartering value, and detect deception during trades.
Skill Gained: [Dimensional Pocket – Active]
Store up to 100 items in a bound subspace. Cooldown: 1 minute.
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Lawrence (eyes widening) "I… I know what these are. I understand the weight of gold. The worth of a promise."
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Lawire (smiling warmly) "And you will know far more than that. This world runs on deals, trades, and secrets. We don't have our full strength, but you were born for this. The Merchant's Way."
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As the light faded and the vision ended, Lawrence found himself back in his room, panting slightly. He stumbled toward the dusty journal on his desk and began scribbling—ideas, prices, materials, locations. He didn't know where it all came from, but it poured out like a flood.
Later that day, he took his first job in the village market: assisting an old trader named Briv, who dealt in odd herbs and metal scraps.
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Briv: (gruff, handing Lawrence a sack of crushed ironweed) "You got a sharp mind, boy. You've only been here an hour and already got me a deal twice the value."
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Lawrence (grinning under his breath) "Just a lucky guess."
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But he knew better. The system whispered values and truths into his mind. Every object glowed faintly, outlining its worth, its weaknesses. This wasn't luck. This was power—quiet, subtle, terrifying.
Each night, he returned to that void-space with Lawire. Lessons continued.
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Lawire: (spreading blue feathers across a floating table filled with scrolls) "These are merchant contracts from across dimensions. See how this one is bound with soul ink? That means it can't be broken unless both parties agree. Dangerous, but useful."
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SYSTEM NOTICE Skill Gained: [Contract Mastery – Passive]
Understand and manipulate magical contracts. Can create unbreakable trade pacts.
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Lawrence soaked in every lesson like his soul was starved for purpose. With every passing week, his instincts sharpened. He bartered better, negotiated harder, even talked down a noble's steward over a rare gemstone without flinching.
Then, something new happened.
A strange pulse from his pocket. When he reached in, he found a glass marble glowing with faint blue fire.
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SYSTEM ALERT
Dimensional Key Fragment Detected
Hidden Skill Locked: [Gatewalker]
Requirement: Visit your first forbidden zone.
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Lawrence stared at the marble. His journey had only just begun.
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