The village square of Oakhaven, which moments ago had been a picture of rustic calm, was now a whirlwind of eager faces and even more eager shouts.
My ears were buzzing with offers of prize pigs, bolts of cloth, barrels of honey, and promises of lifelong loyalty. It was like a Black Friday sale for superpowers, and I was the only vendor.
"Hold on, hold on, everyone!" I shouted, raising my hands. My voice, surprisingly, cut through the din. Borin, still flexing his wind-powered legs, grinned and nodded approvingly.
Elara, with her calm demeanor, stepped forward, her kind eyes twinkling.
"Friends, please! Let's not overwhelm our guest. Alex, if you truly wish to help, perhaps we can organize this. One at a time, quietly. The sun is still high."
Bless Elara. She was a natural leader, even if she hadn't gotten a 'Village Organizer System' yet.
Borin, seeing her lead, boomed, "Aye! Elara speaks sense! Form a line! No pushing, or you'll have to deal with my enhanced temper!" He punctuated this with a quick, two-step shuffle that looked suspiciously like a high-speed jig.
Slowly, grudgingly, the villagers began to form a rough queue. I took a seat on a convenient, sun-warmed wooden bench near Elara's hut, feeling a strange mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. This was it. My first real Systems Trader session.
My first client in the orderly queue was the small, determined woman with the loom-calloused hands who had offered the bolt of cloth. Her name was Mara, a weaver.
"Alex, good sir," she began, clutching her fine, deep-blue fabric.
"My hands are swift, but my loom… it sometimes snags, and the threads, they fray too easily. I wish only to weave more, and weave better.
Do you have a 'system' for a humble weaver?"
I nodded, my mind already sifting through the catalogue. Points: 30.
"Mara, I believe I have just the thing. The [Swift Loom System]." I projected its description into her mind.
"It will increase your weaving speed, reduce thread breakage, and allow for finer, more intricate patterns. For this, I would gladly accept your bolt of cloth. Is that agreeable?"
Mara's eyes lit up as she processed the system's promise. "More intricate patterns? Oh, that would be a dream!"
She pushed the cloth into my hands. It was soft, expertly woven. "Yes! A thousand times, yes!"
I took the cloth, and then, with a familiar whoosh of green light, I transferred the system.
Mara gasped, her hands flexing. "My fingers… they feel… alive! It's like the loom itself is singing to me!" She hurried away, practically skipping towards her hut, no doubt eager to test her newfound weaving prowess.
My dashboard chirped: [Swift Loom System] - STATUS: Allocated to 'Mara'
[Successful System Allocation Bonus! Points: +20]
[Points: 50]
Fifty points! This was incredible! The copper coins felt paltry compared to these invisible, valuable points. And I had a nice bolt of cloth now, too.
Maybe I could trade it for pizza ingredients.
Next in line was the grizzled fisherman, whose name was Finn. He smelled faintly of fish and river water, which made sense.
"Alex, lad," he rumbled, "my nets are empty more often than not. The river's getting stingy. Can you make the fish… less shy?"
"Finn," I said, a smile playing on my lips. "For you, I offer the [Fish Whisperer System]."
I sent the description to his mind: "Attracts nearby fish, makes them more likely to bite, grants an intuitive understanding of fish behavior."
Finn's eyes widened. "Intuitive understanding? So I'll know where they hide? And what bait they like?" He slapped his thigh. "I'll give you my best catch of the day, every day for a week!"
"Just your first truly 'best' catch, Finn," I corrected, enjoying the bargaining. "And the system is yours."
He agreed enthusiastically, practically vibrating with anticipation. I allocated the system. Finn closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then suddenly pointed towards the river.
"They're over there! A whole school of Sparkle Scales! I can feel it!" He dashed off, muttering about 'fishy feelings.'
Another +20 points landed in my account. [Points: 70].
Then came the farmer, a stocky man named Garon, whose rough hands were stained with earth. "My roots, Alex," he lamented, showing me a wilted sprout.
"They just don't grow strong enough. We need a better harvest this season. Can you give me green thumbs, literally?"
"Garon," I replied, thinking of my own struggles with a stubborn houseplant back home.
"The [Vibrant Growth System] is what you need."
Description to his mind: "Accelerates plant growth, enhances crop yield, improves soil fertility within a small radius."
Garon's jaw dropped. "Soil fertility too? By the Great Oak! I'll give you a year's supply of Oakhaven's finest root vegetables, fresh from the ground!"
"How about a month's supply to start?" I offered, knowing a year was a bit much, and I didn't have a giant fridge.
He readily agreed, eyes gleaming with hope.
The system transferred, and Garon practically sprinted back to his fields, already rubbing his hands together. I could almost hear the plants sighing in relief.
[Points: 90]. I was on a roll!
The line continued. I allocated a [Minor Agility System] to the young lad, Ren, who bounced with excitement and immediately tried to jump onto the roof of Elara's hut
(and nearly succeeded, eliciting gasps and a scolding from his mother).
He offered a handful of smooth, river-worn stones in return, which I accepted with a wink, thinking of Bramble.
I even gave a [Simple Mending System] (cost 10 points) to a kindly old woman named Anya who offered me a basket of freshly baked berry tarts in return.
Her fingers, which had trembled, now moved with a surprising dexterity, and she beamed, promising me warm tarts whenever I visited.
By late afternoon, the sun casting long shadows, the line had dwindled.
My points had climbed to a respectable [Points: 130], and my internal inventory
(not the Infinite Inventory System, just my brain's memory)
was filled with a diverse collection of payments: the blue cloth, promises of fish, root vegetables, some shiny pebbles, and a basket of delicious tarts (which I immediately started munching on).
Borin, who had been occasionally sprinting around the village just for the sheer joy of it, came over, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Amazing, Alex! Truly amazing. This village… it feels different already. More… alive!"
"It's just people getting the tools they need to shine, Borin," I said, feeling genuinely content.
"Everyone has potential; sometimes, they just need a little… push."
Elara, sitting beside me, smiled softly.
"You've brought a great blessing to Oakhaven, Alex. You've given them hope, and purpose. We are grateful."
I felt a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the sun. It was a good feeling, much better than the fleeting satisfaction of a good gaming session or a perfectly delivered pizza.
This was real.
"So, Alex," Borin said, leaning in conspiratorially, "you mentioned 'football' earlier.
We have a game here, a bit rougher than your 'football,' I suspect. We call it 'Clash-Ball.'
Two teams, a leather ball, goal posts, and the first to knock the ball through the other team's post wins. It gets pretty fierce.
Some of the lads, they're always complaining about not being fast enough, or strong enough to kick the ball hard."
My ears perked up. Clash-Ball? This sounded suspiciously like the "sports football, evolution, matches" theme.
"Tell me more about Clash-Ball, Borin."
"Well," he continued, "we have our annual Oakhaven Challenge against the neighboring village of Stonecreek next month.
They've won for the past three years. Their 'kicker,' a giant of a man named Grognar, can send the ball soaring like a stone from a catapult."
A thought sparked in my mind. Grognar. A powerful kicker. And my system catalogue…
"Borin," I said, my voice low and excited,
"do you think the village would be interested in a system that could, say, give someone an incredibly powerful kick? Or maybe enhanced throwing strength?"
Borin's eyes lit up. "A powerful kick? Alex, if you could give us a kicker to rival Grognar, Oakhaven would sing your praises forever! We'd… we'd pool all our resources for something like that!"
My dashboard flickered. I scrolled through the higher-cost options. There it was, shining tantalizingly:
[Super-Strength Kick System] - Cost: 100 Points (Grants unparalleled leg strength for kicking, precise ball control, reduces fatigue during prolonged kicking.)
[Elite Throwing Arm System] - Cost: 100 Points (Grants immense arm strength for throwing, incredible accuracy, ideal for projectiles.)
One hundred points. I had 130.
I could afford it! But it would nearly drain my current balance. And I'd need to find the right person in the village, someone with the spirit to use it, not just the physical ability.
This wasn't just about selling a system anymore; it was about helping Oakhaven win. This was about Clash-Ball!
"Borin," I said, a determined glint in my eye.
"I think I might have just the system to help Oakhaven win this 'Clash-Ball' Challenge. But we're going to need a plan, and the right player. And it won't be cheap."
Borin's grin widened, a warrior's excitement replacing his earlier amusement.
"Then, Alex, my friend, consider Oakhaven at your service.
We will find your player. And we will gather whatever you need.
" He clapped me on the back, almost sending me flying.
"This is going to be the most exciting Clash-Ball in generations!"
As dusk settled over Oakhaven, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, I looked at my 130 points.
It felt like a small fortune. But more than that, I felt a sense of purpose.