anwhile, Clyde returned ho carrying bag after bag of supplies. Inside, his mother and younger sister were seated by the side, going through their ager stock and doing an inventory before preparing dinner.
Without Clyde’s father, the only elder left in their family was his mother, and now it was just the three of them — Clyde, a 19-year-old boy, and his sister, who was even younger. The burden of providing for the family had fallen squarely on his shoulders.
His mother and sister were trying their best to stretch every supply they had, anxious about the days ahead. Watching them fuss over every can and packet, Clyde felt a tight sting in his chest and a sourness in his nose. These were won who once lived in comfort, used to fine als, and never having to worry about basic needs. But here they were — cautious, frugal, and silently worried.
Before Clyde reached City B, they had already faced hunger. His sister had nearly been kidnapped by the Coltons. That mory still haunted him, and seeing their quiet resilience now only deepened his determination to protect them and never let them suffer again.
With the tip of his nose slightly red from emotion, Clyde carried all the supplies he received as compensation from the mission assigned by Kisha and stepped into the house. He quietly set the bags down, drawing the attention of his mother and sister.
"Mom, sis, stop worrying about the supplies," he said, his voice steady but warm. "I brought more. Just focus on eating well and staying healthy — that’s what matters most."
He gently pulled them closer to show what he had brought. "Look — I got at, eggs, vegetables, even fruits. And here," he added, placing a small bottle into his sister’s hand, "this is Scarlet Honey. It might help you awaken an ability... so take it, just in case."
Without waiting for thanks, Clyde began storing the goods in their modest kitchen. The cabinet, once half-empty, now brimd with new canned goods. He had managed to bring ho a whole sack each of rice and flour. He even bought several jars of pickled vegetables from the marketplace — a practical inspiration after seeing Jason and Adam do the sa. They’d go well with the rich, oily at, cutting through the grease and refreshing the palate.
"Whoa! That’s a lot!" Clyde’s sister gasped, her eyes widening as she took in all the food he brought ho. "Was your mission outside really that successful?" Her gaze lingered on the bottle of Scarlet Honey in her hand, sparkling with excitent after hearing its potential.
Clyde grinned proudly. "Yeah, it went really well. We just opened a new trade route with so outsiders. Pretty soon, more of them will start coming into our base to buy supplies and trade crystal cores for goods or information."
He couldn’t help but puff his chest a little at her admiration. As young as he was, Clyde still enjoyed being praised — especially by the people who mattered most to him.
anwhile, deep within her territory space, Kisha received confirmation that the mission had been a success, a small but satisfying smile tugging at her lips.
Ding!
[Congratulations on completing the Hidden Mission: Class A – "Trading Is the Source of the Economy’s Growth"]
[You have received 10,000 System Points]
[You have received the Title: ’The rchant’]
"Hmmm... I guess the real reward here is the title itself," Kisha murmured, her eyes fixed on the rewards displayed in front of her.
The completion notification also confird sothing else — Jason and Adam had successfully made it back to their respective camps. That was quick. Either they weren’t too far from City B, or they drove like hell to get back in ti. As it turned out, it was both.
Jason and Adam’s teams had pushed themselves to the limit, rushing ho with the much-needed supplies and urgent good news. When they left their camps, desperation had already begun to set in. Food was scarce, and people were falling ill due to poor nutrition. That’s why they took the risk of heading into the big city — and thankfully, it had paid off.
So, with the supplies finally secured, both teams were eager to rush ho. They couldn’t wait to let everyone eat to their heart’s content and share the good news — their journey, their success, and the hope they brought back. By doing so, they hoped to reignite everyone’s fighting spirit and remind them that survival wasn’t just a dream. There was a way forward.
If they could grow stronger, maybe — just maybe — they could awaken abilities of their own. And even if they couldn’t, there were still options: crafting weapons, training, or even purchasing gear from Kisha’s base. As long as they had crystal cores, almost anything was possible.
"Alright, let’s see what this title actually does," Kisha muttered, clicking on the glowing icon for her newly earned title: ’The rchant’.
...
[Title: The rchant]
[Description: A rchant possesses a sharp instinct for recognizing opportunities to generate wealth. Earning this title signifies that the bearer has successfully demonstrated their business acun by establishing a trade route with other individuals or groups. However, opening a trade route is only the beginning. The path of a rchant is not an easy one, but it promises great rewards for those who persevere.
Grade: SS
Luck: 200
Creation Synergy: Increases the chance for Artisan-type awakened ability users under the rchant’s influence to produce enchanted items or creations with enhanced effects or buffs by 30%.
Buff Enhancent: Boosts the effectiveness of buffs embedded in Artisan-type creations by 10%.
Promotion Boost: Enhances the rchant’s visibility and reach through the Sales Channel, attracting more custors and increasing sales potential.]
...
Just as Kisha was starting to smile at the impressive effects of her new title, she was suddenly startled by 008 shrieking inside her head.
"Ahhh! Host!!! Did we just get a free promotion from the Sales Channel?!! Our store is being flooded with new custors! I just finished my upgrade and was imdiately hit with this amazing news!!! This is great!!! Amazing!!!" 008 kept rambling with excitent, its voice loud and frantic, making Kisha’s head throb as if it were about to explode from the sudden energy.
"Ah! Ah! Host! We don’t have enough stock! What’s going on?!" 008 added, starting to panic.
"Calm down, 008," Kisha replied with a grin. "I just completed a sudden mission, and the reward was a special title. That title gives us a permanent promotion boost in the Sales Channel—and it also helps boost business here at Hope Base. So yeah, it looks like we’re going to start raking in profits from both ends."
She chuckled, finally realizing she might have just hit the jackpot. Not only would her store in the Sales Channel now gain constant visibility across different worlds and dinsions, but her local marketplace was likely about to explode with attention, too.
Now, she just needed Jason and Adam to do a good job spreading the word—or return quickly with more people. And hopefully, they’d be lucky enough to et others from different shelters who could share their experience and attract even more custors.
___
Thank you, soapy_ii, Glittering_Girl333, BlueJen, Solo_Mj, thecultofheather, janewalker79, and Latyanna for the Golden Tickets!!!
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