The heat in the ancient alleys of Marrakech was suffocating. Omar, a 22-year-old youth, wiped the sweat dripping from his chin as he hauled a heavy sack of merchandise across his shoulders. His life was a relentless cycle: carrying the weight of others' riches for a few miserable coins at the end of the day.
"Omar! Move it! This cargo needs to reach the merchant before the afternoon prayer!" his employer shouted, his voice echoing through the narrow stone passages.
Omar didn't reply. He simply dragged his feet. As he turned into a cramped alleyway—one he had never noticed before despite living in these streets all his life—a strange chill brushed against his skin.
The wall wasn't just a wall. There was a gap hidden behind a tattered, dusty cloth. Driven by a sudden, inexplicable urge, Omar dropped his sack and pushed the fabric aside. Behind it stood a door of pitch-black wood, carved with glowing runes that belonged to no known language.
"I've never seen this door here before..." Omar whispered to himself.
The moment his hand touched the cold, rusted brass handle, a sharp ping resonated inside his skull.
[Compatible Host Detected...]
[Scanning Soul... Status: Impoverished, Ambitious, Desperate.]
[Activating: The Infinite Realm Emporium.]
Before he could process the voice, the door swung open, pulling him inside with an irresistible gravitational force.
Omar found himself in a dimly lit shop. Shelves stretched upward into an endless void, disappearing into the shadows of a ceiling that didn't seem to exist. The air smelled of ancient sandalwood mixed with the sharp scent of ozone and electricity. In the center of the room sat a glass counter, and upon it, a golden scale balanced itself instinctively.
Suddenly, a translucent blue screen flickered before his eyes:
Name: Omar
Rank: Novice Merchant (Level 1)
Balance: 0 Cosmic Credits
Inventory: Empty
First Quest: Sell your first "Extra-Planetary" item to a human customer.
Panic surged through him. He turned to flee, but a faint crimson glow on the counter caught his eye. As he leaned closer, floating text appeared above a small, translucent stone:
[Low-Grade Soul Ruby]: Increases the consumer's lifespan by 5 years.
Required Trade Price: "An item of high emotional value."
At that exact moment, heavy, frantic footsteps echoed from outside. The door burst open, and a man in an expensive, tailored suit stumbled in. His face was ghostly pale, clutching his chest in agony. He collapsed at Omar's feet, gasping for air.
"Help... my heart... I'll give you everything... just save me!"
Omar looked at the glowing red stone, then at the dying billionaire on his floor. In that split second, he realized his life as a porter was over. This shop was going to make him the master of worlds—or his own destruction.