The streets of Sector 9 never truly slept, but just before dawn, they quieted. The smoke thinned. The moans and shouts of addicts faded into background hum.
It was during that silence that I made my next move.
The system was waiting.
The Nether Spiral trade was still pending. A map fragment from an unknown realm, asking only for a random Earth-origin item in return.
No tier, no rarity, no value range.
Too clean.
Too convenient.
Too dangerous.
But I couldn't ignore the implications.
If there were realms outside the catalog—outside even the system's network of registered planets and galactic zones—then that meant...
There were traders like me operating off the grid.
And maybe... ahead of me.
[Select Item to Trade: Earth-Origin Object]
I opened my inventory.
My eyes settled on the brittle compass I hadn't uploaded before. It hadn't even registered for trade value.
Fine. Useless, maybe. But still "Earth-origin."
Item Selected: Cracked Iron Compass
Proceed with Trade?
I hesitated for three seconds.
Then tapped Yes.
The compass vanished in a flicker of light.
Nothing happened for a heartbeat. Then—
[Trade Complete: Unclassified Channel]Item Received: Map Fragment – Nether Spiral (Untranslated)– Description: A partial navigational script detailing entry points into a forbidden pocket dimension. Requires Rank 3+ and Decryption Key to access.
[EEP Rank Progress: 6/10]
The air around me shifted.
A distant pulse echoed through the system HUD—like a ripple from deep space.
I felt it in my teeth.
In my bones.
Something had changed.
Later that morning, I returned to the tech pit.
After the last drone shell trade, the scavengers had started creeping in, but I moved faster. Smarter.
Armed with the Refurbished Drone Eye, I tethered the lens to a scrap visor and enabled scan assist. The system integrated it instantly.
[Auxiliary Interface Connected: Tier 1 Scanner Boost Active]– Item Detection Range: +200%– Risk Estimation Active
The new overlay lit up like stars.
I found a damaged data vault core, nearly buried under water and rust. It looked fried, but the system was optimistic.
[Analyzing…]– Status: Fragmented Data Node– Type: Knowledge Cache (Sectored Origin)– Rarity: Rare– Value: 4.0 – 5.5 C.U.
Worth Uploading? Yes
I uploaded it immediately.
Seconds later:
[Incoming D.T.R.]– Sender: Scholar Ilrik, Order of Stellar Memory– Offered: 5.0 C.U. + 1x Translation Core: Ancient Realms (Tier 2 Item)
Accept Trade?
[Translation Core – Ancient Realms]– Unlocks decoding for lost or unregistered realm languages.– Limited to 3 uses.– Required to access "Nether Spiral" and other Exo-Catalog data types.
[+5.0 C.U. Received][EEP Rank Progress: 7/10][Item Received: Translation Core – Ancient Realms]
My grin cracked wide.
This was it. A key to the encrypted map. I was pulling in rare-tier items now—real value. The climb was still steep, but I could feel the slope easing.
I returned to my shelter.
Locked the door. Bolted it twice.
I took out the Translation Core and held it against the map fragment.
[Would you like to decode this item?]– Uses remaining: 3
Confirm?
Confirm.
Decoding…Decoding…Partial Map Unlocked: Nether Spiral Entry Zone – Fragment 1/4– Description: Reveals the coordinates to a temporary rift point opening once every cycle (~11 Earth days).– Access requires Realm Key (Not Possessed)
The map updated in my HUD.
A set of coordinates. Real-space locators. The Spiral existed.
And this was just the first piece.
I didn't waste time.
I hit the streets again, targeting salvage sites with my upgraded scan. Two more high-potential finds—a decayed Galactic Embassy medallion and a power cell shard from a diplomatic cruiser wreck.
One was junk.
The medallion?
[Trade Value: 2.5 – 3.5 C.U.]
[Incoming D.T.R.]– Sender: Herald Broker Venn'Sil– Offer: 3.2 C.U. + 1x Compressed Political Directory (Tier 1 Data)
Accept Trade?
Yes.
[+3.2 C.U. Received][EEP Rank Progress: 8/10][Item Received: Compressed Political Directory]
The directory was useful—gave names of major trading factions. Possibly useful for building long-term connections.
I was building leverage.
And leverage meant survival.
When I returned to my shelter, I paused before opening the door.
Then spun around fast—pipe raised.
Nothing.
Just smoke.
Still… the feeling hadn't left since the night of the triangle symbol.
I wasn't just being watched anymore.
Someone was tracking my trades.
But I wasn't the same gutter rat from a week ago.
I was a trader.
With tools, credits, and now... secrets worth killing for.
Status Panel
Cosmic Units (C.U.): 19.1
Earth Credits: 1.2
EEP Rank: 2 (Trader)
Trades Completed: 8/10
Notable Items:– Encrypted Trade Chip (Rank 3 Required)– Cultural Archive Key (Rank 3 Required)– Translation Core – Ancient Realms (2 uses left)– Map Fragment – Nether Spiral (1/4)– Refurbished Drone Eye (Integrated)– Compressed Political Directory
📌 Author's Note:
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— S.A.