"Beauty enhancements", the voice explained. "Paints Immortal Fairies use to color their nails and potions that enhance appearance, preserved in sealed vessels".
The nail paint bottles were exquisite, small works of art in themselves. Chen Xuan opened one carefully, the scent unfamiliar and sharp but not unpleasant. The liquid inside was perfectly smooth, a brilliant, shiny red.
The lipsticks, perfumes, lotions... Each one was packaged beautifully, clearly valuable even before considering their contents.
"And finally, divine beverages", the voice said. Sealed in glass, they contain bubbles like captured air of the Immortal realm. A taste of the immortal realm".
Chen Xuan had saved the bottles for last, drawn by their colorful appearance. He'd never seen glass this clear, or liquid with such vibrant hues. Following his instinct, he used one of the strange metal tools provided, successfully opening a bottle.
The fizz of carbonation made him jump. Carefully, he sniffed the opening, then took a tiny sip.
The explosion of sweetness and bubbles nearly overwhelmed him. It was like nothing he'd ever tasted. Sweet, effervescent, strange, and wonderful.
He set the bottle down carefully, looking at the array of divine gifts surrounding him. His mind raced, calculating values, markets, buyers. Even selling conservatively, he could make a fortune.
No. More than a fortune. He could become the wealthiest merchant in the Eastern Empire.
"My lord," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "This blessing is too generous. Even if I sold every asset I possess, every property and caravan, I could not pay what these items are worth. Please, I beg forgiveness for my poverty, I am not worthy of such divine favor!"
The divine voice was silent for a moment. Chen Xuan's heart sank, fearing he'd offended the immortal.
"Peace, Chen Xuan", the voice finally said, and there was something almost amused in the divine tone. "This is a blessing, not a curse. I do not seek to bankrupt you, but to elevate you. However, I am the God of Merchants, and a merchant always trades. Therefore, my price is this: you will sell these items as you see fit, and return to me half of what you earn. The other half is yours to keep".
Chen Xuan's mind reeled. Half? Only half of profits from divine artifacts? It was almost insulting in its generosity.
"You are truly merciful, my lord! This servant accepts your terms with eternal gratitude!"
"Sell wisely, the voice commanded. Build slowly, and carefully. When you have completed your sales, contact me again. Tell me what sold well, what prices you achieved, and what immortal things your buyers liked best. We will continue our trade based on your reports".
"Yes, my lord! I will not disappoint you!"
See that you do not. Remember, discretion above all. Let the wonders speak for themselves, but do not reveal their source.
The connection faded, leaving Chen Xuan alone in his study surrounded by impossible gifts.
He sat there for a long moment, just breathing, trying to process what had happened. Magic was real. Gods were real. And one had chosen him, a simple merchant, for this blessing.
Finally, he stood, beginning to carefully organize the items. He would need to plan carefully. Select buyers, establish stories for each item's origin, price appropriately without being to greedy.
His hands were still trembling slightly as he locked the study door. No one could see this yet. Not until he'd planned everything perfectly.
The God of Merchants had blessed him. He would not squander this opportunity.
I slumped back on my bed, the connection severed, feeling mentally exhausted. Playing the role of a divine being was surprisingly draining.
"System, did the transfer complete successfully?"
Confirmed. All items were successfully transferred to Chen Xuan. Contract terms established: 50% of profits from sold goods to be returned to the host.
"And the ring will enforce that contract?"
Affirmative. Silver Ring of Connection includes binding agreement protocols. Chen Xuan cannot violate the terms.
Good. I wasn't worried about him trying to cheat me, exactly. The whole "divine merchant" thing was pretty convincing. But having a backup enforcement mechanism didn't hurt.
I stared at the wall of my bedroom, thinking about Chen Xuan examining those items. To me, they were cheap mass produced goods. To him, they were divine artifacts worth fortunes.
The profit margins were going to be insane.
But more than that, I'd just done magic. Actual magic. Transferred physical objects across dimensions with nothing but thought and a system interface.
"This is my life now," I said to the empty room. "Interdimensional merchant pretending to be a god to sell nail polish and soft drinks to medieval traders."
The system didn't respond, but I imagined it was judging me.
I needed to keep track of what I'd sent. Start documenting prices, profits, and what sold well. Build data to use for future trades.
But that could wait until tomorrow. Today had been long, filled with new experiences and careful acting.
Tomorrow, I'd start planning the next shipment. For tonight, I was going to order pizza delivery to my new address like a normal person and try not to think too hard about the weirdness of my situation.
My phone buzzed. A message from the bank confirming my business account setup and credit card dispatched.
Normal life stuff, happening parallel to interdimensional trading schemes.
I was living two lives simultaneously. Regular person and cosmic merchant.
Somehow, I'd have to find a way to balance both.
But as I ordered pizza and settled in to watch TV in my new villa, I couldn't help smiling.
This was just the beginning. Chen Xuan would sell the goods, I'd earn points and gold, and eventually I'd unlock more worlds. More possibilities.
The multiverse was vast, and I was just getting started.
One trade and one world at a time.
Eventually, maybe I'd reach heights I couldn't even imagine yet.
But for now, I had pizza on the way and a medieval merchant probably having an existential crisis in another dimension.
Not a bad way to end the day.