The Emporium was no longer a shop; it had become a Dimensional Breaker. After "foreclosing" on the Architect's Dreadnought, the shop was overflowing with more energy than it could handle. The walls were vibrating, and the floorboards were glowing with a fierce, white light.
"We've reached the edge of the Origin Point," Sarah's holographic voice announced. "Beyond this veil lies the 'White Room'—the boardroom of the Architects. It is the place where reality is written, edited, and deleted."
"Omar, look at the sensors," Laila said, her face pale.
Outside, there was no stars, no planets, and no void. There was only an infinite, white office space that stretched forever. Thousands of "Clerks"—beings made of pure light—were sitting at desks made of nebula-dust, typing the destinies of billions of souls.
[Warning: Unauthorized Entry into the Core Reality Layer.]
[Security Protocol: 'The Liquidation Committee' has been dispatched.]
Twelve figures descended from the white ceiling. They didn't have armor or weapons; they wore suits made of "Time" and carried briefcases made of "Fate." These were The Board of Directors.
"Omar of Earth," the Lead Director spoke. His voice didn't come from his mouth; it was a direct broadcast into Omar's brain. "Your account is in massive deficit. You have stolen assets, disrupted markets, and now you trespass in the Source Code. You are a 'Bad Investment' that must be erased."
"I'm not an investment," Omar stepped out of the Emporium, his Sovereign Staff transforming into a Gavel of pure black obsidian. "I'm the guy who's here to perform a Mandatory Audit."
The Directors laughed, a cold, mathematical sound. "With what authority? You are a mortal. A glitch in the system."
"I have the authority of the Unpaid Debt!" Omar roared. He slammed his Gavel onto the white floor of the boardroom.
[Skill Activated: The Great Audit!]
[Effect: Every soul the Directors have 'erased' for profit is summoned as a witness.]
The white room was suddenly flooded with trillions of ghostly figures. The souls of the civilizations the Architects had destroyed to keep their "Market" running. The noise was deafening—a chorus of trillions demanding justice.
The Directors' faces—once calm—began to crack. Their "Time-Suits" started to fray.
"This is impossible!" a Director shrieked. "Those assets were written off eons ago!"
"In my shop," Omar said, his eyes burning with golden fire, "no debt is ever forgotten. You've been living on 'Borrowed Time,' and the interest has just bankrupted you."
But the Lead Director didn't panic. He opened his briefcase and pulled out a small, red button. "If we go bankrupt, the entire Multiverse goes with us. We are the 'Too Big to Fail' entities. If you delete us, Omar, you delete Earth. You delete your mother. You delete everything."
Omar froze. This was the ultimate trap. The Architects had tied their own survival to the existence of reality itself.
"He's lying, Omar!" Sarah's voice screamed from inside the shop. "They aren't the foundation of reality; they are the Parasites! They've just convinced the world they are necessary!"
"Choose, Merchant," the Lead Director sneered, his finger hovering over the Reset Button. "Do you keep your petty 'Revenge,' or do you save the world you love? You can't have both."
Omar looked at Laila, who was ready to fight. He looked at the shop that had been his home. Then, he looked at the trillions of suffering souls behind him.
He smiled. A slow, dangerous smile.
"You're right," Omar said. "I can't save the world and destroy you... if I play by your rules. But I'm a Merchant. And I just found a Loophole."
Omar didn't attack the Directors. He turned his Gavel toward the Infinite Realm Emporium itself.
"I'm not deleting you," Omar whispered. "I'm Buying the Company."
[Ultimate Transaction Initiated: Hostile Takeover of the Universe.]
[Price: The Merchant's Soul + The Emporium's Existence.]
"Omar, NO!" Laila screamed, reaching for him as he began to dissolve into pure golden data.