The Obsidian Vault pulsed no longer with menace—but with memory.
Kai stood alone in his dim trade-room, the holographic projection of Zael's Miniature Ledger of Debts hovering in front of him. It wasn't a book, not really. More like a floating obsidian shard inscribed with constantly changing figures—unfulfilled contracts, unpaid promises, and... one glowing entry.
Legacy Contract ActiveName: Trade the Eternal DebtObjective: Complete one trade Zael failed to fulfillReward: UnknownPenalty: System Lockdown (24 Hrs), Revoke Legacy Claim
Kai didn't like the sound of that last part. But this was the Sovereign's path—it wasn't meant to be easy.
He tapped the shard.
A stream of binary twisted into words, then into images.
A burned city. Red sands. Starving crowds.
And one item:
Request: 200 Units of "Viral Grain – Red Bloom Strain"Delivery Point: Fherax IX, Sector D1-97Buyer: Illicitly Connected Sub-colony | Status: Famine Alert
His brow furrowed. "That's… nowhere close to any stable routes."
A Risky Trade
Kai knew of the Fherax System—it was in the Drift Fringe, an unstable area marked by pirate trade hubs and lawless dead zones. A place where you either earned five figures or didn't return.
But his access to the Shattered Driftways gave him a shortcut. Normally inaccessible, Zael's route bypassed three black market taxes and a Syndicate checkpoint. Still, the product—Viral Grain—was banned on most sanctioned platforms.
Only one place carried it legally: a Level 4 Trader Hub called Corolethe Station, infamous for high taxes and corrupt auctioneers.
He hesitated. Then activated a search through the Galactic Exchange.
Listing Found:Viral Grain – Red Bloom (Stock: 300 units)Seller: Trader Rank 5 – "Molet Vraxx"Price: 2 CU per unitShipping: Personal Retrieval Only
Kai grimaced. 400 CU. That was more than his entire liquid balance.
But the system flashed:
Discount Offer: As Legacy Heir – 20% rebate applicableFinal Cost: 320 CUYou have: 290 CU
Still short.
He sighed, opened his other menu.
[You've received 5 new micro-orders from Talnari Ghost Market]Items Sold:– Low-grade plasma ore– Refined spectral dust– One set of soul-inscribed bone charms
+35 CU gained
Kai grinned. Sometimes the system's timing is perfect.
The Journey Through the Driftways
He activated the Shattered Driftway Route—and immediately felt pressure build behind his eyes. Static buzzed through his console, and his senses flickered. Unlike smooth warp travel, this was like swimming through jagged time.
Time stuttered.
Reality bled.
And then… stillness.
Arrival: Corolethe Station – Lower Docking TierTime Distortion: +9 minutesSanity Integrity: 91%Trader Status: Verified (Legacy Access Badge Active)
Molet Vraxx was even less pleasant than Kai had imagined—a bulbous insectoid alien with a grating voice and too many blinking eyes.
"You're Zael's pup? Ha! Didn't think he'd leave behind a meatling."
"I'm not here to trade insults," Kai said coolly. "Just grain."
Molet chuckled and rolled over a sealed hover crate. "All yours. But don't come crying when Fherax turns you into red paste."
"Duly noted."
He returned the way he came—fighting the Driftway's warped currents—but his ship held steady.
Warp Complete.Destination: Fherax IX (Trade Drop Zone C4)
Delivering the Debt
Fherax IX looked as bad as the memories Zael left behind. Red dust storms tore through the cracked sky, and skeleton buildings loomed in ruins.
But the people were real. Hundreds waited at the old port, emaciated and wrapped in tattered heat cloaks.
The grain was delivered in silence.
A woman approached, face drawn but eyes shining. "This is… Viral Bloom. We can grow again."
Kai nodded. "On behalf of Zael."
She blinked. "Zael? He promised… he'd return. He never did."
Kai looked her in the eye. "Then let this trade close his debt."
She bowed. And the system responded.
Legacy Contract CompletedCosmic Units Earned: +500New Title Gained: [Heir Who Fulfills Promises]Special Reward Unlocked: Zael's Private Trade Note – "Black Blossom"Sovereign Path Progress: 35%Memory Core Stabilized (Lv. 2 Access Now Unlocked)
Post-Trade Reflection
Back on his ship, Kai reviewed the new note. It wasn't an item—but a clue.
Zael's scribbled writing spoke of a rare trade item once grown only in one dimension—the Black Blossom, a mystical plant used in temporal alchemy.
Kai didn't yet understand its full value, but the last line stuck with him:
"The Black Blossom bends time not to preserve life… but to revalue it. I never traded it. But you might."
He closed the file.
One dead Sovereign's legacy was slowly becoming his own.
Status Panel
Trader Rank: 3
CU Balance: 505
Credits: 80
New Asset: Zael's Trade Note – Black Blossom
Unlocked Route: Shattered Driftways (Stable – Tier 1)
Title: Heir Who Fulfills Promises
Legacy Vault Progress: 2/5 Sections Explored
Reputation: Pale Listeners (+2), Dead Sovereign Remnants (+1)
Sovereign Path Progress: 35%
Warnings: Driftway Instability Increasing