Episode 1: The Power Everyone Laughed At
The sun blazed brightly over the Awakening Plaza, painting the white stone tiles in golden hues. Banners fluttered from every corner of the square, and people buzzed with excitement. It was the Awakening Day—an annual ceremony where sixteen-year-olds across the kingdom discovered their innate powers.
For most, this day marked the beginning of greatness.
For Rhea... she could only hope.
She stood quietly at the back of the line, fingers fidgeting, eyes scanning the crowd. Her long black hair was braided loosely over one shoulder, her blue eyes sharp but nervous.
"Next!" the elder called out.
It was her turn.
She took a breath and walked to the front, stopping before the towering Awakening Stone—a massive crystal pulsating with ancient energy. As she placed her palm against it, a chill ran down her spine.
The world faded for a moment.
A mechanical voice echoed in her mind:
> [Awakening Complete.]
[Skill Acquired: Shop System]
[Skill Rank: ?????]
[Market Access: Denied]
[Power Level: Not Measurable]
"Wait, what?"
The floating panel hovered before her, blue text glowing in the air. But before she could react, the whispers started.
"Shop System? She got... a store?"
"No power level? That has to be the weakest skill ever!"
"Hahaha! Maybe she can sell snacks during battles!"
Even the elder, who usually encouraged everyone, cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well… every power has its use. I'm sure... someday… it might help."
That "someday" didn't sound hopeful.
Rhea stepped back, cheeks burning. People stared. Some pitied. Others laughed. Her best friend, Mira, tried to smile but even that looked forced.
Rhea forced a smile, bowed slightly, and walked away with her head held high—at least until she was out of sight. Then she ran.
---
She slammed the door to her tiny room shut, flopped onto her bed, and screamed into her pillow.
"A freaking shop system?! What does that even mean? Am I supposed to open a supermarket in the middle of a war?!"
Her voice cracked as she stared at the ceiling. All her dreams of becoming a warrior, or even a mage, were crushed.
Everyone in her class got something cool—fire manipulation, beast summoning, elemental control… and she got a skill that sounded like a discount app.
She curled up on the bed, anger fading into tears.
But just as her eyelids began to flutter with sleep, her panel blinked again.
A new message popped up—this time glowing golden.
> [Hidden Skill Unlocked: Multidimensional Shop]
[Linking with Alternate Realms…]
[Welcome, Chosen Merchant of Realities.]
Rhea blinked. "Wait. What?"
Suddenly, her room lit up with floating holographic windows. A new interface appeared—sleek, glowing, and filled with mysterious tabs:
[Artifacts] [Rare Creatures] [Forbidden Potions] [Lost Spells] [Weapons of the Void]
Each item had a strange symbol next to it and a price in something called Star Coins.
Then, another message appeared:
> [Beginner's Gift Pack Received]
5000 Star Coins
1x Random Mystery Box (Tier: F–S)
Merchant Cloak (Auto-adjusts to User Level)
[Note: All transactions remain hidden from World System Logs.]
Her jaw dropped.
This wasn't a normal shop.
She wasn't just a vendor… she was a secret gatekeeper to treasures from other worlds.
Rhea stood up, wide-eyed. "Okay... this is actually kind of awesome."
She opened the Mystery Box—a flash of light revealed a small orb floating mid-air. The description read:
> [Dimensional Beacon: Summon client from any realm once a day.]
Her eyes sparkled.
"No one else can see what I have. They think I'm a joke. A nobody." Her grin widened. "Let them laugh. I'll be richer and more powerful than all of them... and they won't even know what hit them."
For the first time that day, Rhea laughed.
It started as a giggle, then turned into a full-blown cackle.
Because this "useless" shop?
It was about to become the most dangerous store the world had never seen.
---