Episode 6: Building Power in the Shadows
Rhea stared at the glowing panel before her, the words still fresh on her screen.
> Hidden Skill Activated: [Multidimensional Shop System – Tier ???]
Status: Untraceable. Unidentifiable. Unstoppable.
Fizz floated in lazy circles above her head, spinning like a top. "Boss… you've basically become a walking mystery. Do you know what this means?!"
She didn't answer immediately. Her mind was racing.
No one could track her. No one could see her name, detect her aura, or even sense her shop's existence. Not even gods.
And with every sale she made, every request she fulfilled, she wasn't just earning money.
She was gaining something far more valuable—power.
> Shop Expansion Level 2 Reached
New Features Unlocked: Power Crystal Converter | Skill Upgrade Token (1)
System Bonus: Beginner Growth Package (Unlocked)
The moment she accepted the rewards, golden light filled the shop. A wave of energy surged through her veins, like warm lightning pulsing from her heart.
> You've received: +100 Strength, +80 Speed, +120 Energy Control
New Skill Seed Available: [Dimensional Armor – Locked]
Rhea gasped softly. She clenched her fist, watching blue sparks dance across her fingers. The power wasn't explosive—but it was dense. Refined. Controlled.
She could feel it now.
She wasn't weak.
She never was.
The world had just measured her with the wrong system.
Fizz landed on her shoulder with a hum. "So, what's the plan now? Keep selling random god-tier junk to nobles and pretending we're a casual tea shop?"
Rhea chuckled. "Exactly. Except now… I'm also buying."
Fizz blinked. "Buying what?"
She tapped the market panel. A dozen listings popped up—power stones, training scrolls, cultivation manuals, ancient relics marked as junk because nobody understood them.
She did.
Because her system had something no other merchant did.
> Skill Activated: [Hidden Appraisal] – Reveals true nature of any item.
A cracked old ring? Actually a piece of a Celestial Gate Key.
A useless-looking dagger? Crafted from Null Metal, capable of slicing through dimensional barriers.
She could buy them for cheap.
And use them to grow.
Day by day, she trained in secret—using scrolls, potions, and tools from forgotten eras. Her energy base expanded. Her control sharpened. Her movements grew precise.
All within the quiet space of her shop.
No battles.
No blood.
No one watching.
Just silent growth in the shadows.
And as the world laughed at her "useless shop skill," her name slowly started appearing in the corners of the Hidden Market's secret rankings.
> Underground Market Ranking Update:
[Unnamed Merchant] – Rank #738
Nickname: The Ghost Shopkeeper
"Ghost, huh?" Rhea murmured. "I like that."
Fizz snorted. "I wanted to call you 'Mystery Boss Lady of Infinite Doom,' but okay."
She leaned against the counter, sipping a tea she brewed from one of the rarest herbs in her inventory. A calm silence settled over the shop—until a soft system alert blinked.
> You have unlocked Achievement: 'One Who Sells, One Who Rises'
Next Upgrade Unlocked at: 10,000 Reputation Points (Current: 8,920)
Almost there.
Soon, she'd gain access to the Soul Forge, a mysterious feature the system refused to explain but hinted would change everything.
And the best part?
No one knew.
No one saw her coming.
Because she wasn't walking the hero's path.
She was carving her own.
Silently. Relentlessly. Unseen.
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To be continued…