Day 1 - Hour 3 (Store Time)
Marco Antonio Durán had been staring at the door through which Loki had disappeared for exactly three hours. Three hours trying to process what he had just done.
He had sold forbidden knowledge to a god.
In exchange for a memento of his mother.
"What have I become?" he murmured, turning the gold coin between his fingers over and over. The movement was hypnotic, mechanical. A way of not thinking.
[At a successful merchant. Your first sale generated 750,000 MC in commission. Statistically, 73% of new business owners lose money on their first transaction due to fear or indecision. You not only made a profit, but the customer is satisfied.]
"Satisfied? I removed the memory of his mother, TARS."
[He CHOSE to give it away. There's a fundamental difference between stealing and trading, Marco. One you need to understand quickly, or this job will destroy you.]
Marco stopped spinning the coin and looked at the screen where TARS manifested as a flickering interface.
"Explain yourself."
[ Loki] Laufeyson had options. He could have chosen any weapon on the list. He could have refused the deal. He could have negotiated different terms. But he chose the Grimoire because he knew, better than you even, that that knowledge was worth more than a memory. For him, saving his brother and his kingdom was worth infinitely more than the nostalgia of a day from his childhood.
"But now every time he thinks of his mother teaching him magic..."
[He'll know it happened, but he won't feel the warmth. That's right. But he'll also know that that sacrifice gave him the power to change his destiny. Memories are precious, Marco, but what good are good memories if you don't live to make more?]
Marco remained silent, processing the words. He hated to admit it, but TARS was right. His businessman's mind, inherited from generations of salesmen, understood the logic. But his heart, as a son, a Mexican raised with "family first" etched in his soul...
That heart ached.
"Will it always hurt like this?"
[Probably. But pain means you're still human. The day you stop feeling it, that's the day you should worry.]
Before Marco could answer, a bell-like sound echoed throughout the store. It wasn't an ordinary bell. It sounded like glass shattering in reverse, like time flowing backward.
[Interesting. Loki has completed the first phase of its study. 50 hours in real time, 3 minutes in external time. Impressive efficiency.]
"Already? How is that possible?"
[He's a god, Marco. His mental processing capacity is approximately 847 times greater than that of an average human. And he's... highly motivated.]
The study door opened. Marco stood up automatically, preparing for... honestly, he didn't know what.
Loki came out, but he was not the same Loki who had come in.
He still wore his green and gold armor, but now runes glowed subtly on the leather. His green eyes held a deeper, more ancient radiance. And when he moved, the air around him distorted slightly, as if reality itself was struggling to maintain its shape near him.
The Grimoire floated beside him, the pages turning by themselves.
"Fifty hours," Loki said , his voice heavy with a fatigue that belied his perfect posture. "Fifty hours studying every rune , every spell, every secret. And I've barely scratched the surface."
He approached the desk. Marco noticed that his hands were trembling slightly.
"Alright?"
Loki laughed. It wasn't his usual calculated laugh. It was something rawer, more honest.
"Well? I've absorbed knowledge that would kill most sorcerers. I've seen ways to manipulate reality that would make my mother..." He stopped, a shadow crossing his face. "That would make the Queen of Asgard look like an amateur. And all it cost me was..."
He touched her chest, where presumably her heart resided.
"...a hole that I know exists but I can't feel."
Marco swallowed hard.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't feel bad," Loki looked him straight in the eye. "You did exactly what you were supposed to do. You were honest about the price. You didn't lie to me. You didn't manipulate me. You just showed me the options and let me choose." A crooked smile appeared on his face. "You're a better trader than most of the gods I've known."
[Client Loki ] Laufeyson wishes to remain in the study room. Time remaining: 150 hours.
"Are you coming back?" Marco asked.
"Of course. This," the Grimoire noted, "is only the beginning. When the 200 hours are over, I will have mastered magic that even Thanos has never seen. I will have the tools to protect what I love." It paused. "Or at least to avenge their loss if I fail."
"You won't fail."
Loki raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have that much faith in a client you just met?"
"No. I have faith in someone who is willing to give everything to protect their family. Those kinds of people don't fail. They either win, or they die trying."
Loki 's expression . For a moment, the mask of the God of Lies fell completely, and Marco saw the younger brother, the prince who was never enough, the man who only wanted to be seen.
Loki 's voice was barely a whisper. "For treating me like a person and not like a god or a villain."
"That's because to me you're a customer. And good business owners treat all customers the same: with respect and honesty."
Loki nodded slowly, then turned towards the study door.
"I'll be back in another 50 hours. And Marco..."
"Yeah?"
"When you have other clients... don't be too lenient. The power you sell is real. The consequences are real too. Not everyone deserves pity." Her eyes flashed with warning. "Some only deserve the exact price of their greed."
And with that, he disappeared back behind the door.
Marco stood there, processing the words. There was something deeply unsettling about receiving moral advice from the God of Lies.
[ Loki 's right, you know. Not all customers will be like him. Some will be monsters. Some will be heroes. Some will be... complicated. And you'll have to deal with them all.]
"And how am I supposed to know the difference?"
[You won't know. That's the point. The system will give you information, but the moral decisions are yours. I'm just handling the logistics.]
Marco slumped back into his chair, running his hands through his hair.
"This is crazy. Like... how long ago did I wake up here? Five hours?"
[Four hours and thirty-seven minutes in shop time. Three minutes and twelve seconds in Middle-earth. Time is relative, Marco. Get used to it.]
"And when am I going to leave the tent? I mean, I'm in Middle-earth, aren't I? Shouldn't I be exploring? Meeting elves? Seeing Helm 's Deep before it's famous?"
[Eventually. But first you need to establish yourself. You need resources. You need power. Because Middle-earth in the Second Age is not a safe place, especially not for an untrained human who gets lost walking from the bathroom to their bedroom.]
"Hey, my sense of direction isn't THAT bad."
[Marco, you've been sitting in that chair for three hours and you still don't know where the store's bathroom is.]
Marco opened his mouth to protest, then closed it. TARS was right. Again.
" Okay , point for you. So what am I supposed to do while Loki studies? Just sit here?"
[You can explore the store. Familiarize yourself with the inventory. Or...]
The screen changed, now showing a new menu:
║ OWNER OPTIONS ║
BUY PERSONAL ITEMS (80% Discount)2. INVESTIGATE INVENTORY3. CUSTOMIZE STORE4. TRAINING/PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT5. REST (Owner's Room)
Available Credits: 750,000 MC
Marco leaned forward, interested.
"Training and personal improvement?"
[Now you're paying attention. Yes, Marco. You can use your MC to improve your own abilities. Buy accelerated training. Acquire skills. Even modify your body if you're crazy enough.]
"Define 'modify'."
[Physical enhancements. Superhuman stamina. Speed. Strength. Reflexes. You can also purchase magic resistances, poison immunities, enhanced vision, and more. However, everything has its limits. You can't become a god overnight.]
Marco felt a spark of excitement. For the first time since his death, he felt something akin to hope.
"Show me some options. For beginners. I don't want to blow all my money right away."
[Wise decision.]
The screen has updated:
║ PERSONAL IMPROVEMENTS - BEGINNER LEVEL ║
PHYSICS:
Athletic Physical Condition (10x normal human) - 50,000 MCEnhanced Resistance Level 1 - 30,000 MCEnhanced Reflexes Level 1 - 40,000 MCBasic Accelerated Healing - 80,000 MC
MENTAL:
Photographic Memory - 60,000 MCAccelerated Mental Processing - 70,000 MCMental Resistance Level 1 - 45,000 MCMultilingualism (10 languages) - 35,000 MC
SKILLS:
Basic Combat Mastery (Pack) - 100,000 MCStealth and Survival - 55,000 MCFirst Aid Master - 25,000 MCNegotiation and People Reading - 40,000 MC
SPECIALS:
Immunity to Common Diseases - 20,000 MCNight Vision - 30,000 MCBasic Danger Sense - 90,000 MCMachine Translation (All languages) - 120,000 MC
Marco read the list twice, his merchant brain calculating.
" Okay , I have 750,000 MC. If I buy all the essentials, I'll have nothing left for emergencies. But if I only buy the bare minimum, I could die the first time I leave the store..."
[Correct. This is your first real test as a business owner: resource management. Do you invest in yourself or save for future opportunities?]
Marco bit his lip, thinking. He remembered something his grandfather always said: "Son, a merchant without a life is a merchant without a business. First you survive, then you prosper."
"What's the minimum package needed to survive in Middle-earth?"
[Assuming you're not a complete idiot, which is generous of me, you'll need: Athletic Physical Condition, Mental Stamina Level 1, Multilingualism to communicate, Basic Combat to avoid immediate death, and Automatic Translation because you're going to encounter races with languages that don't even exist on Earth.]
"That's... 50,000 + 45,000 + 35,000 + 100,000 + 120,000..." Marco did the math in his head. "350,000 MC. Almost half my money."
[Yes. But you would be alive and functioning. The other option is to take the risk without preparation.]
"And what about Accelerated Healing?"
[Useful but not essential if you're careful. You can buy it later.]
Marco drummed his fingers on the desk. He'd always been good at making risky financial decisions. Buying expensive ingredients betting he'd sell enough tacos. Investing in a new grill when he barely had enough money for rent.
But this was different. This was literally her life.
"Okay. Let's go with the survival pack. But add Basic Danger Sense too. If I'm going to be in a world where Sauron exists, I need to know when something or someone is going to try to kill me."
[440,000 MC. You would have 310,000 MC left for emergencies. Do you confirm the purchase?]
Marco took a deep breath.
"I confirm."
[PURCHASE CONFIRMED. Starting installation of upgrades. Warning: This is going to hurt. A lot.]
"What? WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S GOING TO HURT—"
The pain hit like a freight train.
Every muscle in his body contracted simultaneously. He felt as if his bones were disintegrating and reforming. His brain burned as if someone were pouring molten metal directly into his skull. He fell from the chair, convulsing on the floor.
And then came the knowledge.
Images of combat techniques flowing directly into his muscle memory. A hundred different languages being imprinted on his mind. The sensation of his body being rewritten at a cellular level.
Marco shouted.
He didn't know for how long.
When he finally finished, he was lying on the white marble floor, drenched in sweat, panting as if he had run a marathon.
"TARS..." he gasped. "You could... have... warned... me better..."
[I warned you it would hurt. I didn't specify how much because you would have said no.]
"You're... a son of a..."
[Get up, Marco. I want you to see something.]
Marco struggled to his feet. He immediately noticed the difference. His legs weren't shaking. His breathing was stabilizing quickly. Too quickly.
A screen appeared in front of him. It was a reflection of himself.
He was still him. Same height, same face, same tousled black hair. But there were subtle changes. His body was more defined, not like a bodybuilder's, but like a professional athlete's. His eyes had a more alert gleam. His posture was more centered, more balanced.
" Wow ..." he murmured.
[Try doing fifty push-ups.]
"What? No, I could never even do twenty in my—"
[Do it.]
Marco sighed and threw himself to the ground. He started doing push-ups.
One. Two. Five. Ten. Twenty.
I didn't feel tired.
Thirty. Forty. Fifty.
He got up, breathing normally.
"WHAT THE HELL?"
[Athletic Physical Condition. Your body now operates at the level of an elite athlete. I also gave you the mental syntax for common Middle-earth languages: Westron , Sindarin , Quenya , Khuzdul , and Orkish . You can speak to and understand almost any rational creature you encounter.]
Marco opened his mouth to answer, but what came out was a torrent of sounds that he recognized as words but had never learned.
" Aiya , ya ni yé nauva quanta. " (Hail, let this be enough.)
He covered his mouth, surprised.
"Did I just speak in Elvish ?"
[ Quenya , to be exact. High Elvish . You can also do this:]
Marco's mind suddenly understood. He could FEEL the languages in his head, ready to use. It was like having instant access to entire dictionaries.
"This is... incredible."
[And Basic Combat gave you fundamental knowledge of hand-to-hand fighting, the use of simple weapons, and survival tactics. You're not a master warrior, but you won't die in your first fight.]
"And the Sense of Danger?"
[It's passive. When something or someone poses a real threat to your life, you'll feel a tingling sensation at the back of your neck. It won't tell you WHAT the threat is, only that there is one. The rest is up to you.]
Marco processed all of this, still amazed at how different he felt. It wasn't a dramatic transformation, but it was significant. It was the difference between a civilian and someone who could survive.
" Okay . Okay . This was... intense. But necessary."
[And expensive. You have 310,000 MC left. Enough for some minor purchases or to save for emergencies.]
The study door opened again. Loki stepped out, now carrying a hundred hours of accumulated study. He looked more tired, but also more powerful. The air around him visibly vibrated.
"Marco," she said, her voice laden with something between respect and warning. "Something is about to happen."
"That?"
"The system is preparing a second client. I can feel the dimensional distortion."
As if his words were a sign, TARS spoke:
[Confirmed. Customer number two scheduled to arrive in T- minus 10 minutes. Preparing information...]
The desktop screen lit up with new information:
║ CLIENT ASSIGNED #002 ║
Name : ??? Universe of Origin : ??? Hazard Level: ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ (CRITICAL) Specialty: Classified Available Resources: Unknown
SPECIAL WARNING:This customer has been flagged by the system as "Extremely Problematic". Extreme caution is advised.
Marco felt a shiver run down his newly improved spine.
"Six levels of danger? Loki only had five!"
Loki laughed, but there was no humor in the sound.
"And I'm just a minor god, a merchant. There are things in the multiverse that would make Thanos look like a child throwing a tantrum." He squinted at the screen . "Can you turn away customers?"
[No. Rule number four: You cannot deny service to an assigned customer.]
"Then," Loki pulled out the Grimoire, its pages gleaming as he prepared himself, "I suggest you prepare for whatever is coming. And Marco..."
"Yeah?"
"If this customer tries to hurt you, the shop rules will stop him. But outside these walls..." her eyes glowed with green magic, "...I owe you one. By the Grimoire. By respect. So if you need help, just call my name. Wherever I am, I'll hear you."
Marco felt a lump in his throat. The God of Lies was offering him protection.
"Thank you, Loki ."
"Don't thank me yet. Just... survive this client. I have a feeling you're going to need all the luck you can get."
[T- min 5 minutes. Client materializing.]
Loki retreated towards the study room.
"I'll be back when I finish my remaining hours. And Marco... trust your instincts. Merchants have a sixth sense for real threats."
And he disappeared.
Marco was left alone in the store, staring at the screen with incomplete information.
A level six danger client.
"TARS..."
[Yeah?]
"Is there any possibility that this is an exaggeration by the system?"
[No. If anything, it might be an understatement.]
"Great. Perfect. My second client could be worse than a god."
[T- min 2 minutes.]
Marco sat down in his chair, trying to calm his nerves. He took a deep breath, using techniques he suddenly knew thanks to his improved mental training.
"You can do this. You're Marco Antonio Durán. You survived Mexico City. You survived Cruz Azul. You can survive anything."
[T- min 30 seconds.]
The air in the store began to vibrate. But it wasn't like with Loki . This was different. Darker. Heavier.
[T- min 10... 9... 8...]
A crack began to form, but it wasn't green like Loki 's . It was red. The color of blood. The color of fire. The color of...
[3... 2... 1...]
[Customer entering.]
The crack opened completely, and out of it emerged a figure enveloped in black flames.
And Marco Antonio Durán, for the first time since arriving at the store, felt true terror.
Because he recognized those flames.
He acknowledged that presence.
And she knew, with absolute certainty, that her life had just become infinitely more complicated.
[END OF CHAPTER 4]