The portal flickered, its green glow shuddering, wavering—and then, just like that, it vanished.
Thorne and I stood there, back in the quiet woods, watching the last traces of dungeon energy fade into nothing.
The air was still.
No whispers. No shifting walls. No oppressive magic crushing down on my chest.
Just silence.
Thorne let out a slow breath, rolling her shoulders. “It’s… a lot quieter without Rez and Maria.”
I glanced at her. She wasn’t looking at me—her eyes were still locked on the space where the portal had been. Her long red hair fell across her face, hiding her expression from view, but there was a tension in the way she stood that said more than words ever could.
After a pause, I asked, “Were they your friends?”
She let out a short sigh, shaking her head. “Not really.”
I frowned. “Oh.”
She finally turned toward me, crossing her arms. “I’d run a couple dungeons with them over the past week, but I didn’t know them that well.” She gave a small, humorless smirk. “Rez was a jerk. Maria wasn’t much better.”
That didn’t surprise me. Rez had looked permanently annoyed at the world, and Maria had been… relentlessly confident.
Thorne let out another slow breath. “But… they didn’t deserve to die.”
I didn’t say anything.
Because what could I say?
She was right.
They might’ve been rude, maybe arrogant—but that didn’t mean they deserved to end up as nothing more than ash.
A heavy weight settled in my chest.
Yeah. I wasn’t going to forget this anytime soon.
 
Thorne stretched her arms over her head, wincing slightly before letting out a slow breath. “So,” she said, turning to me, “you wanna add each other to our friends’ lists?”
I blinked. “Our… what now?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Friends list. You know, so we can keep in touch? Makes it easier to group up again for dungeons. Or just hang out.”
I felt heat creep up my neck before I even realized why.
Was she asking to—?
No. No, idiot. She’s not asking you on a date.
I cleared my throat. “Uh, yeah. Sure. Totally.”
Then another thought hit me.
“…Wait. What’s a friends list?”
Thorne stared at me.
Then she burst into full-on laughter.
“Oh, Shadowborn,” she said, shaking her head, grinning wide. “You are so inexperienced.”
“Hey,” I muttered, crossing my arms. “I just passed my trial, like, yesterday.”
She rolled her eyes, then held out her hand. “Here, I’ll show you. Just shake my hand.”
I hesitated, then reached out and gripped her palm.
A notification blinked to life in my vision.
A Chosen would like to add you to their friends list. Will you reciprocate?
[Yes] [No]
Huh.
I selected [Yes], and immediately, a new menu popped up.
A list of contacts appeared in front of me.
And there, at the top:
Thorne — Level 14 Initiate — Woods of Lyricsha
“Whoa!” My eyes widened. “That’s actually kinda cool.”
I looked over at her, then frowned. “Wait. I thought you were level 12?”
Thorne smirked. “We just earned a load of XP from that dungeon. You’re not level 6 anymore either, smart guy.”
That got my attention.
I quickly flicked open my status window—
Felix Ravensburg — Level 9 Shadowborn
I blinked.
“Holy crap,” I muttered. “I’m level nine?”
Thorne chuckled. “Told you. Group dungeons pay out.”
I shook my head, still processing.
Level nine.
I’d walked into my Judgment Trial as a Level 1 nobody.
Now I was just shy of double digits.
It was a lot to take in.
But… I wasn’t mad about it.
Not at all.
 
Before I could even start processing everything we’d just been through—the XP, the dungeon, the deaths—a booming voice shattered the moment.
“Ah-ha! My favorite customer! Wait—no, scratch that. Have we met before? No? Ah, my mistake! I thought you were someone else!”
Thorne and I whipped around, weapons half-raised, instincts still wired from the dungeon.
And there he was.
A tall, broad-shouldered man stood in the clearing, looking way too comfortable for someone who seemed to have just materialized out of thin air.
He was draped in an absurd number of belts, satchels, and pouches, layered over a thick traveling cloak that somehow didn’t seem to slow him down.
And strapped across his back?
An entire armory of random junk.
Weapons. Potions. Relics. Scrolls. Trinkets.
You name it, this guy was carrying it.
My eyes narrowed. “Who the hell—”
“Ah! Introductions, of course, of course!”
He bowed dramatically, one hand over his chest. “You, my young Chosen, are standing before Obsidian, the Walking Marketplace! Traveling merchant, purveyor of fine wares, seller of only the most authentic magical artifacts—guaranteed or your money back!”
I stared at him.
Thorne groaned. “Oh, not you.”
Obsidian beamed. “Thorne! My most trustworthy customer!”
“You tried to sell me a cursed ring last time we met.”
Obsidian waved a hand, completely unbothered. “Minor details. Who’s to say what’s truly cursed and what’s merely… misunderstood?”
I blinked. “Wait. You two know each other?”
Thorne scowled. “Unfortunately.”
Obsidian ignored her, turning the full force of his manic enthusiasm back on me. His grin widened—impossibly—and he practically vibrated with excitement.
“And you, my new favorite potential customer, are looking particularly in need of something special! Something life-changing! Something wildly overpriced but absolutely worth every coin you possess!”If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
I crossed my arms. “Yeah, I’m gonna go ahead and say no thanks.”
“Ah, but that’s only because you haven’t seen what I have in stock!”
He clapped his hands together with a loud smack, practically bouncing on his toes.
“Ah, what a glorious day this is! A chance meeting between a humble merchant and two fine, battle-hardened Chosen—surely fate has guided me here!”
Thorne rolled her eyes. “No, you just show up everywhere.”
Obsidian winked. “Exactly! That’s the mark of a truly dedicated traveling merchant.”
I muttered under my breath. “You mean a con artist?”
“Harsh. But fair.” Obsidian wagged a finger at me. “However, you wound me, dear Shadowborn. For I offer only the finest treasures, the rarest artifacts, the most *legendary—*oh! Speaking of which!”
He spun dramatically, reaching into one of his endless satchels and pulling free a sleek, silver dagger.
I raised an eyebrow, despite myself.
Obsidian held it aloft, letting the sunlight gleam dramatically along the blade.
“Feast your eyes upon this exquisite weapon! A dagger not merely of steel, but of legend! Passed down through generations! Once wielded by a fallen prince—betrayed by his own kin, forced to carve his name into history with nothing but this very blade—!”
“I sold that to him three days ago for five silver,” Thorne said flatly.
The entire moment popped like a soap bubble.
I blinked. “Wait. What?”
Thorne crossed her arms, utterly unimpressed. “That dagger? It’s mine. Or was. Obsidian lowballed me when I needed to clear space.”
I turned to Obsidian, scowling.
He grinned sheepishly and, without missing a beat, casually slipped the dagger back into his bag. “Ah, well, you see—history is fluid! Objects change hands, their stories evolve! Who’s to say the prince didn’t own it before Thorne?”
Thorne deadpanned. “It’s a standard-issue dagger.”
“Exactly!” Obsidian crowed. “Standard issue—for royalty!”
I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. “This is ridiculous.”
Obsidian just laughed, hearty and loud, completely unfazed. “Ridiculous? My dear boy, ridiculous is just another word for profitable!”
I shot Thorne a glare. “Why do you even deal with this guy?”
She sighed. “Because once in a while, he actually sells something useful.”
Obsidian clutched his chest, as if wounded. “And that, dear Thorne, is why you’re my most treasured customer!”
Thorne gave him a deadpan look.
“Also, you owe me five silver.”
Without missing a beat, Obsidian immediately turned back to me. “So, Shadowborn! Let’s talk about your future investment opportunities!”
I groaned under my breath.
Yeah. This was going to be a long conversation.
 
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “Look, Obsidian, I’m not really in the market for anything today. I just finished my first real dungeon, and let’s just say I’m not exactly drowning in coin.”
Obsidian tut-tutted, shaking his head. “Ah, yes, the eternal struggle of the newly Chosen—so many grand ambitions, so few funds to fuel them.”
I frowned. “Yeah, that’s one way to put it.”
“But!” He clapped his hands together, eyes sparkling. “If you’re not buying, perhaps you’re selling?”
I blinked. “Selling?”
“Yes, yes! Inventory management is very important for Chosen! You never know what hidden treasures you might be carrying, just waiting for the right buyer.” He waggled his eyebrows. “And who better than your friendly neighborhood traveling merchant?”
I thought for a second.
Did I even have anything worth selling?
Then it hit me.
The bag of gemstones.
I reached into my void bag, fingers brushing the familiar rough fabric of the small sack.
The second I pulled it out, Obsidian’s eyes gleamed.
“Ah! Now that is a fine piece of magic!” He nodded appreciatively at the void bag itself. “Very rare, very useful. I could tell the moment I saw you that you were a Chosen of impeccable taste.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Focus, salesman.”
I loosened the drawstring and tilted the bag slightly, letting the gemstones inside catch the light.
Obsidian’s grin widened to a frankly worrying degree.
“Oh-ho! What have we here?” He plucked the bag from my hands with surprising delicacy, inspecting the gemstones like he was handling precious relics. “Exquisite! No chips, no flaws. Lovely cut on the sapphires—and oho, is that a star ruby? My dear Shadowborn, you have truly outdone yourself.”
I crossed my arms. “So? What’s your offer?”
He tapped his chin, humming theatrically. “Since you’re a new customer, and I pride myself on being fair and reasonable… how about five hundred and forty gold coins for the lot?”
I froze.
That was…
That was more gold than my family had ever seen in their lives.
I glanced at Thorne, half-expecting her to shake her head and call it a rip-off.
Instead, she nodded. “That’s actually a very good offer.”
I swallowed. Hard.
“All right,” I said, trying—and failing—to sound casual. “Deal.”
Obsidian beamed like he’d just won a prize.
“An excellent decision!” He reached into one of his many satchels and pulled out a small pouch of gold coins, counting them at lightning speed before pressing them into my hands.
I staggered slightly under the weight.
Five hundred and forty gold.
I turned the pouch over in my palm, feeling the heavy clink of real wealth.
Not riches.
Not luxuries.
Security.
Rent. Food. Bills.
Home.
And for the first time since I’d stepped into the Proving Grounds, I felt like the Chosen life might be worth pursuing.
Obsidian clapped his hands together again, already moving like he had somewhere more profitable to be.
“Well! As much as I’d love to stay and chat, dear Chosen, destiny calls! Treasures await! And who knows—perhaps an overpriced dagger or two for the next wide-eyed adventurer I meet!”
I narrowed my eyes. “The one you got from Thorne for five silver?”
Obsidian winked. “History is what we make of it!”
Before I could even come up with a snarky response, he adjusted the absurd number of bags strapped to his body, turned on his heel, and waddled off into the woods.
Like a very determined, very wealthy duck.
I watched him vanish between the trees, shaking my head. “I feel like we just got scammed… and somehow, I don’t mind.”
Thorne snorted. “That’s his whole business model.”
I glanced at her. “Think we’ll see him again?”
She gave me a deadpan look. “Absolutely. And we’ll regret it.”
I chuckled. “Sounds about right.”
Thorne shifted the new shield on her arm, letting the late afternoon sun glint off its polished surface.
She looked at me, expression serious but not unfriendly.
“Well. That dungeon was… an experience.”
“That’s one way to put it.” I smirked. “Still—” I shrugged. “Not bad for my first time.”
She huffed a laugh. “Yeah. Just… try not to get two more party members killed next time, okay?”
I winced. “Too soon.”
She grinned. “You’ll live.”
I shook my head, stepping back. “See you around?”
Thorne nodded once, sharp and sure. “Yeah. See you around, Shadowborn.”
With that, she turned and walked away, her new shield catching the light as she vanished into the trees.
I watched her go for a moment, then let out a slow breath.
This wasn’t the day I had expected.
But it was one I’d never forget.
 
And just like that, I was alone again.
I let out a breath, a half-smile tugging at my lips as I looked down at the weighty gold pouch in my hand.
540 gold.
More than I ever thought I would own.
More than Mom had probably ever held at once.
I clenched my fist around it, feeling the solid comfort of knowing that—for at least a little while—things were going to be okay.
Now all that was left was actually getting home.
And I wasn’t about to spend an hour walking when I had something much better.
I pulled up my Fast Travel menu, selecting my designated location.
[Bedroom]
A notification flashed across my vision:
Fast Travel to: Bedroom. Confirm?
[Yes] [No]
Beneath it, in small but very clear text:
Reminder: This ability incurs a 12-hour cooldown.
I smirked. “Yeah, yeah. Not like I plan on teleporting across the world twice today.”
I hovered over [Yes], took a deep breath, and selected it.
The world around me changed.
Not instantly.
Not like stepping through a door.
It unraveled.
The colors bled away—the trees, the dirt, the sky—all of it draining into shadow, until there was nothing left but a vast, empty darkness.
For a split second, I had the unsettling feeling of falling.
Then—
Everything went black.
 



 
The rest of the day was rough.
Mom was furious with me for going into another dungeon—understandably so.
I tried explaining. Tried telling her it wasn’t planned, that I didn’t just wake up and think, Hey, you know what would be fun? Almost dying again!
She wasn’t having it.
“Felix, you barely survived your Judgment Trial, and you’re already throwing yourself into more danger?”
“It’s not like I went hunting for it!” I defended. “It just… kind of happened!”
She gave me a look.
Yeah, okay. That didn’t sound great out loud.
So I just stood there, taking the lecture. Because I knew she wasn’t just mad.
She was scared.
And I got that.
I let her get it out of her system before pulling out the small pouch from my void bag and handing it to her.
She frowned, taking it hesitantly. “What’s this?”
“Gold.”
She opened it—and froze.
Her breath hitched, eyes going wide as she stared at the mass of gleaming coins.
I cleared my throat. “There’s 500 gold in there.”
She blinked hard, like she wasn’t sure she’d heard me right.
“This…” Her voice shook slightly. “Felix, this is—this is more than we’ve ever had.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I kept 40 gold for myself, just in case I need it. But the rest is for you. For the family.”
Her hands trembled as she clutched the bag tighter, her breath coming out in short, uneven bursts.
Then, just like that—she broke down.
Not in anger.
Not in fear.
In happy tears.
She pulled me into a crushing hug, wrapping her arms around me like she never wanted to let go.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “This will do so much for us.”
I closed my eyes, hugging her back.
“I know,” I murmured. “And that’s all I wanted.”
Because at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.
My family being happy.
My family being safe.
I spent the rest of the day holed up in my room, flipping through my talent trees, figuring out how to spend my next three Shadowborn points.
But then I remembered the ????? talents.
Sure enough, that tree had three unspent points waiting too.
I rubbed my chin, considering my options. Shadowborn abilities were good—but this tree? This tree was something else.
I took a deep breath and started spending.
 
Bartering
When buying or selling goods, you will receive a 10% discount or 10% increase in sale price. However, when selling goods bought in this manner, this benefit is removed.
 
I raised an eyebrow.
“Huh. Pretty nice.”
I wasn’t exactly rolling in coin, but considering my first ever dungeon earned me 540 gold, this was going to be very useful.
And clearly, the system had already thought of my first idea—buy cheap, sell high, make infinite money.
“Shame,” I muttered. “But still handy.”
Then another thought hit me.
I frowned, doing the math.
If I’d had this unlocked before selling the gems to Obsidian, I would’ve made an extra 54 gold.
I groaned.
“Okay, now I’m actually mad.”
I could practically hear Obsidian’s annoying salesman voice in my head, telling me Life is all about timing, dear customer!
“Oh well,” I grumbled. “Next time, I’m getting my damn discount.”
 
Hearty
Increases total HP by 20%.
 
I blinked.
“Okay. That’s just broken.”
Anything that helped me not die was a win in my book.
And this? This was an actual lifesaver.
More HP meant more room for mistakes.
And considering my track record, I was definitely going to make mistakes.
 
Quick Advancement
Increases XP gained from all sources by 20%.
 
I let out a low whistle.
“Oh, now that’s fun.”
More XP. Faster unlocks. Quicker growth.
Man, the more I used this weird orb thing, the cooler it seemed.
I leaned back in my chair, tapping my fingers against my desk.
 
I didn’t have it all figured out.
Not even close.
But as I sat there, gold in my pocket, new talents at my fingertips, and a thousand possibilities ahead…
The future didn’t feel so terrifying.