The next morning, the town of Draymoor was unusually quiet. Not because things had calmed down—but because everyone was waiting.
Waiting for him.
Kaito sipped his tea in the inn's courtyard, eyes on the growing line outside the Guild Hall. Some people held scrolls. Others, full blueprints. One guy had brought a live chicken.
Mina sat across from him, chewing on bread. "You caused this."
"I brought capitalism to a fantasy world," Kaito replied. "Of course I caused this."
He opened the Modern Mart app and scrolled through the previous night's trade deal.
Status: Veilborn Contract – Active
Access: 1 encrypted delivery route, 2 bypass scrolls, 3 stealth-grade containers
Warning: Use of Veilborn resources flags you as Neutral-Gray on Mage Council visibility net.
Kaito frowned. That "Neutral-Gray" sounded like "Enemy Soon."
He tapped a few filters and built a new shipment:
Self-cleaning cookware (for a local chef's ridiculous request)
Fire-retardant cloak (because Draymoor adventurers couldn't stop getting set on fire)
USB-powered fan (for no reason but curiosity)
Total Cost: 12,000 MartPoints
He sighed. "I'm going to need a serious cash cow soon."
Just then, a notification popped up:
New Order Received:
Buyer: Unknown
Location: Eastern Wastes – Outside Guild Jurisdiction
Item Requested: Medical Drone – Combat Grade
Reward: 70,000 MartPoints
Message: "Urgent aid needed. No questions asked."
Mina peeked over his shoulder. "That's either a trap, or someone dying in a ditch."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Not mutually exclusive."
She leaned in. "You're not thinking of going, are you?"
"Of course I am. It pays."
A Few Hours Later – Outside Draymoor
Kaito adjusted the strap of his pack as he reached the outer checkpoint. The forest gave way to dry hills. Dust clung to the air.
He checked the map from the Veilborn again. The route led him toward an abandoned watchtower—a place most locals avoided.
The hills fell eerily silent as he approached the location.
And then he heard it.
Gunfire
Not arrows.
Not crossbows.
Bullets.
He dropped to the ground, pulling out a scanner from his bag.
"Thermal sweep engaged," the device chirped.
Multiple heat signatures. Two humanoids behind a ruined cart. One figure pinned behind a boulder. Mechanical sounds nearby—drones? Golems?
Kaito whispered, "Modern weapons… someone's leaking tech into this world."
He reached into his bag and pulled out a small cube. Tapped it.
Deploying Tactical Hologram
The cube launched forward and exploded in a flash of light, throwing up a copy of Kaito sprinting to the left.
Gunfire followed the illusion.
Kaito moved right.
He reached the wounded figure—an elven woman, bleeding and unconscious.
He set the combat drone to Auto-Assist Mode and deployed a healing capsule.
As the drone administered aid, Kaito scanned the battlefield. Three figures emerged from the ridge—masked, carrying crude assault rifles cobbled together with arcane crystals.
"Not mine," he muttered. "Someone else is running a black market."
He pulled out the EMP suppressor from his deal with the Veilborn and tapped it. Mana in the area dimmed. The enemies paused—confused.
Kaito took the opportunity to grab the elf and pull her behind cover.
"Modern Mart," he muttered, "now with field extractions."
He tapped the return cube. A portal shimmered open for five seconds.
He and the wounded woman dropped through it just as the bullets started flying again.
Back at the Inn – That Night
Mina stared at the unconscious elf resting in Kaito's room.
"She's got mage tattoos. Enforcer class."
"I noticed," Kaito replied, wiping dust from his coat.
"She might be a spy."
"She might be a customer," he said dryly.
Mina glared. "You're going to make her pay, aren't you?"
Kaito smirked. "I saved her life. The invoice writes itself."
He sat down at his desk and opened the app.
+70,000 MartPoints Received
New Buyer Review: 5 Stars – "Efficient. Discreet. Extremely Useful."
Buyer Message: "We will contact you again soon. There's more work, Merchant."
He leaned back in his chair.
The Mart was growing. The orders were spreading. And someone out there—maybe multiple someones—were mimicking his model.
He wasn't the only one changing the world anymore.
But he was still ahead.
For now.
To be continued…