Reborn: Earth Online

Kaden nodded and walked in. Everything around him was completely overwhelming and he slowly took it all in. The sheer scale of the system shop was beyond what he had anticipated.

Sleek glass display cases lined the walls, glowing faintly with magical energy, showcasing an assortment of weapons, potions, and rare materials. The floor was smooth stone, polished to perfection, unlike anything else in this rough, makeshift settlement.

Above each item hovered a floating panel of information, detailing its effects, durability, and cost. Kaden had seen system stores before—he had interacted with countless vendors in his last life—but nothing this advanced, nothing this tailored to an emerging power.

His eyes skimmed over the inventory, taking in the weapons first. Shadowfang Dagger. Reinforced Chestplate. Elemental-infused spellbooks. Each one screamed of quality, far beyond what anyone else in this settlement could dream of wielding.

Kaden let out a slow breath. This was a game-changer. This wasn't just a simple upgrade. This was probably a tier 3 or tier 4 upgrade. His gaze then drifted to the elf, as he reconsidered his assessment. Maybe a tier 5 upgrade.

The last time around the heroes of the world were trying really hard to get someone to notice their world and set up shop here. However, none of the merchant clans, even the smaller ones would pay attention.

But now an elf had popped up. They had to be at least one of the mid-sized clans. This meant that his plan had worked out swimmingly, better than he had hoped.

"So," he said finally, voice echoing just slightly in the crystalline acoustics of the shop, "how many offers did your clan fight through to get here first?"

Vaelaria smiled without showing her teeth. "Only three," she said smoothly. "Two lesser clans and one… well, you wouldn't know their name yet. But we're quicker, and far better at recognizing potential. Especially the kind that throws A-rank materials into a tier-one market like trash."

Kaden chuckled. "Was that what did it? The dragon scale?"

Vaelaria smiled. "Perhaps or perhaps the human who managed to defeat a dragon while barely into the E-rank."

Kaden raised an eyebrow, a slow smirk creeping across his face. "You sure about that? Maybe the dragon just tripped and fell into my sword."

Vaelaria gave him a look, half amused, half unimpressed. "Unlikely. Dragons don't trip." She tilted her head slightly, silver hair shifting like moonlight.

Kaden took another step forward, his eyes scanning the next row of items, rare crafting materials, some of which he had only ever seen during late-stage raids in his last life. It was surreal, seeing them here now. Within reach. Within his reach.

"You are very prudent," he murmured.

Vaelaria's eyes glinted. "I'm an elf from a merchant clan, Mr. Kaden. Prudence is in our bloodline."

"Which clan?"

She hesitated just a second too long.

Kaden noticed. Of course, he did.

"Ah," he said. "So you're either too proud to say it or too low on the ladder for it to matter."

Vaelaria's smile didn't waver, but her fingers tapped once on the counter, an unconscious twitch. "I represent the Silversong Cartel. Mid-tier, rising fast. You'll be hearing our name a lot more from now on."

Kaden gave a low whistle. "Silversong, huh? Not bad." He had no idea but he did not want to show that.

"We almost didn't," Vaelaria admitted. "But then the reports came in. A burst-level settlement from a newly awakened planet," she raised an eyebrow, " and you dropped an A-rank material into the system like a gambler throwing dice."

Kaden shrugged. "What can I say? I'm an optimist."

She laughed softly, genuinely this time. "No, Mr. Kaden. You're a strategist. That's why I'm here. And that's why this shop," she gestured around them, "is no longer a backwater kiosk. You've triggered something rare and now I am here. Tell me, Mr. Kaden. What do you need?"

Kaden's eyes slightly widened in surprise.

"I know there is something you need Mr. Kaden. Otherwise, why would you be willing to trade a dragon scale to bring me here?"

Kaden waited for a long moment before stepping up to the counter. "Alright, I will get straight to the point. I need a good weapon, at least Epic tier. I need a body-tempering catalyst, bone-tempering catalyst, muscle-tempering catalyst, bloodline-tempering catalyst, soul-tempering catalyst, and an alchemy profession package."

Vaelaria's brows lifted ever so slightly. Not in mockery or disbelief, but in approval. The elf leaned forward, resting her forearms on the obsidian counter, eyes gleaming with interest now that the real conversation had begun.

"My, my," she murmured, voice like velvet over ice. "You certainly don't believe in small ambitions. That's quite the list, Mr. Kaden."

"Can you get them or not?" Kaden asked.

Vaelaria gave a soft, delighted hum, like a musician tuning her instrument. "I can," she replied, "but most of those items don't exist in Tier One markets and even Tier Three worlds struggle to host catalysts beyond muscle-tempering. You're asking for a full physical and spiritual foundation rebuild. Not impossible, but rare. Costly."

"I have more than just one dragon scale," Kaden said, meeting her gaze. "And more importantly, I have the ability to get even rarer things, eventually."

Vaelaria tapped her long fingers once more on the counter. A flicker of runes danced across the air before her, and a secondary screen unfolded behind her shoulder, listing glowing item names too faint for outsiders to read.

"Epic-tier weapons… I can offer you one now. Bone and muscle-tempering catalysts are available, though not cheap. Soul and bloodline-tempering…" she trailed off thoughtfully, "will require negotiation. Those are not just tools, Mr. Kaden, they're investments from entire factions."

Kaden was overjoyed internally but he did not show it. There was a reason why he hid the bloodline catalyst among other things. He did not want the elf to have any kind of power over him. If she knew this was a matter of life or death for him, then everything was going to be different. "How long will it take?" he asked calmly.

"I need a month at least to get you a good deal."

Kaden frowned. That was not going to work. He needed it faster. His life depended on it.

"Come on. That's too late. I need these things for my foundation. If my foundation is shaky, then all my effort would be wasted. It's okay if you don't get the best deal, just get me all the items I asked for."

Vaelaria's expression didn't shift right away, but her fingers paused mid-tap, and Kaden could see the faint flicker of calculation behind her eyes. She wasn't just a merchant, she was a shark cloaked in silk, and he'd just bled into her waters.

"That's… a dangerous way to trade, Mr. Kaden," she said, voice still smooth, but now with the faintest edge of caution. "Rushing into catalysts without proper balance or alignment can destroy a body rather than rebuild it."

Kaden held her gaze. "Then I'll take that risk and I will trust you to find out the right materials for me. I am your golden goose, so you better make sure I survive long enough to give you enough golden eggs. And one more thing, I also have these little vials with me."

He showed her the body-tempering vial in his hand which finally made the elf break her facade and openly gasp.