The next morning
Eric stood with his arms crossed, staring at his shop's inventory, now completely full.
Weapons hung in neat order.
Sacks of classified materials.
Sealed jars.
And at the very top, displayed like a trophy, the horn of the Great Bokoblin.
He smiled.
—Productive… very productive.
The battle the night before had yielded more than expected.
What didn't stay in the shop, Eric sold directly to the system.
The hologram appeared with a discreet pulse.
[TRANSACTION CONFIRMED]
Materials Sold:
✔️ Assorted monster remains
✔️ Bokoblin residual viscera
✔️ Great Bokoblin residual viscera
✔️ Moblin residual viscera
Points Gained: +12,000
Eric nodded.
CURRENT TOTAL: 12,000 POINTS
—Not bad for a single night —he murmured—
He closed the hologram and looked around the shop again.
Eric rested one hand on the counter.
Outside, the village was waking up peacefully when two figures burst into the shop.
Eric called them the fixers.
They weren't heroes, and they weren't villains either. Just neighbors with too much free time, good memory, and very few questions… exactly what he needed.
—So… —Eric said, leaning against a fence— what's the news?
The taller one grinned.
—Good.
—Very good.
—The neighbors next door —the other added— are exhausted and want to sell. Our persuasion was very effective after last night's attack.
Eric didn't answer right away.
He just smiled.
A small, satisfied smile.
—In the end… —he murmured— it's always a matter of time.
He turned immediately, tossing them a small pouch with 3,000 rupees inside.
Their eyes lit up.
—Come with me —he ordered—. Let's talk to my mother.
….
Lyra Thalren looked up the moment Eric entered the house with that expression.
—No —she said instantly—
Eric blinked.
—I haven't even said anything yet—
—I know that look —she cut in—.
—It's the same one you used to make when you said you were bringing back "just a couple of things" and returned with an entire monster.
Eric smiled helplessly.
—This is different. The two adjacent houses. The neighbors are finally willing to sell.
Lyra's eyes lit up at the words.
Then she glanced at the two figures behind Eric, counting rupee after rupee from a small pouch.
—You two didn't have anything to do with this, did you?
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
They straightened instantly.
—Of course not, Mrs. Thalren. We only mentioned that you were interested in the land after hearing them complain that Hateno has become too intense and they can't adapt anymore.
Lyra removed her apron.
—How much?
—Twenty thousand rupees per house —Eric answered—
Lyra closed her eyes for a second.
—That leaves us with…
—Ten thousand in reserve —Eric replied quickly—
She studied him for a long moment.
—Let's go —she finally said—. Before they change their minds.
The negotiations were… fast.
The neighbors wanted security and peace of mind. Something Hateno hadn't offered lately.
The rupee pouches changed hands with a dry, final sound.
—Everything's in order —one of them said, signing the agreement—
—Take good care of the place.
Eric inclined his head.
—As if it had always been mine.
Hours later, Eric stood inside one of the houses.
Empty. Slightly dusty. Full of possibilities.
—One for weapons and rare materials —he murmured—.
—The other… storage and food.
Lyra watched him with her arms crossed.
—Do you realize what you're doing?
Eric nodded.
—I'm making sure Hateno stops depending on luck.
She sighed… then smiled.
—Your father would have said you're insane.
—I know —Eric replied—.
—But he would have invested too.
They both laughed.
Lyra returned to the shop, leaving Eric to clean the place a bit.
Outside, some watched with curiosity. Others with relief and renewed expectation.
Wondering what Hateno's little lucky star would offer next.
Eric took a deep breath after clearing the small storage room.
—Alright —he said—.
—Now we're actually growing.
—System, show me the Zonai Devices section.
Eric had wanted access to this section for a long time, but he'd never had the budget.
Now felt perfect.
The system unfolded the interface he recognized.
[INTERFACE – ZONAI TRIBE]
Unlimited access to ancient technology.
Eric felt a faint tingling at the back of his neck.
—So… ancient technology —he murmured—
The first panel opened on its own.
[ZONAI ENERGY CELL]
Description:
A storage device for Zonai Energy. Enables activation and operation of Zonai devices.
Features:
– Stable energy source
– User-bound
– Expandable capacity up to 20 slots
– Non-transferable
System Note:
Zonai energy does not respond to just anyone.
Eric frowned, wondering if that meant he alone could use these artifacts.
If so, that would be a real shame.
He slid the panel aside.
And then he saw them.
[ZONAI DEVICE CATALOG]
Mobility
—Remote-Control Cart
—Small Wheel
—Large Wheel
—Rocket
—Glider
—…
---
Combat
—Timed Bomb
—Cannon
—Construct Head
—Fire Emitter
—Ice Emitter
—Shock Emitter
—…
---
Structure & Support
—Platform
—Stabilizer
—Hook
—Fusion Device
---
Utility
—Mirror
—Extra Battery
—Super Extra Battery
—Hydrant
—…
Eric stood still.
He wasn't impressed.
He'd already been impressed enough the first time he'd seen this and learned from the system that it was the technology of his ancestors.
He returned to the first panel.
The Energy Cell.
Eric still saw it as an extremely useful energy storage device.
[PURCHASE AVAILABLE]
Energy Cell (Basic Unit)
Cost: 10,000 Points
Eric hesitated for only a second.
And then—
He confirmed.
[PURCHASE ACCEPTED]
The interface vanished the very next second.
But sudden heat flooded Eric's body.
He gasped and braced a hand against the wall.
—What the hell…?