"In trade, it's not always about what you're offering. It's about how much you're willing to lose to win."
The TradeNet shimmered to life before Kai—lines of glowing code webbing out in all directions as he logged into a private node deep within the Chain's marketplace layer.
PRIVATE TRADE AUCTION: Synthsteel Relay Core (x1)Seller: Trader RookFormat: Competitive Dynamic OfferTime Remaining: 02:00
Kai's eyes narrowed. Dynamic Offer auctions weren't simple bids. They were living trades—evolving, adapting, responding in real-time to what you offered.
He'd need more than just money.
He needed strategy.
Yena paced behind him. "What's your plan?"
Kai was silent. He opened his Trade Panel and reviewed his current holdings:
2 crates of Stellar Silk
5 Synth-Blood Medkits
1 D-Class Grav Stabilizer
1 unused Courier Drone Blueprint
44.3 Cosmic Units
192.7 Earth Credits
He could go all-in on silk, but that would cripple his planned luxury push. The Grav Stabilizer, though? That was rare.
He uploaded his offer.
OFFER 1:– Grav Stabilizer (Mint Condition)– 7.5 C.U.– 3x Synth-Blood Medkits
Valuation Score: 87.3Position: 2nd placeRival Offer Detected: Trader E13 – Combat Implants + Rare Ore Trade Credit (Score: 89.1)
Close. But not enough.
He dug deeper.
And remembered the Courier Drone Blueprint—untapped, but not yet deployed.
He grit his teeth.
"Screw it. I'll rebuild later."
OFFER 2 (Updated):– Drone Blueprint (Unbound, Tier III)– Grav Stabilizer– 7.5 C.U.
Valuation Score: 96.5Position: 1stTime Remaining: 00:23
The timer ticked down, tension thick.
Then the feed flashed green.
Trade Accepted.Item Acquired: Synthsteel Relay Core (x1)Transferring to Inventory…
Yena blinked. "You gave up the drone blueprint?"
Kai exhaled. "One drone's not an empire. But a Hollow Node? That's legacy."
Minutes later, as he began integrating the Core into the node to reactivate Ruin Node 7B, his console flickered with red warnings.
ALERT: Drone Courier One has been intercepted.Status: Neutralized. Recovery Beacon Active.Suspected Interference: Malicious Routing Protocol – Type: Trader-Originated
Local Disruption Detected: TradeNet Jammer Active near Dockside Verge
Yena froze. "Someone hit your drone?"
Kai clenched his fists. "Someone doesn't like what we're building."
He traced the interference—finding a hidden signal path bouncing through an unregistered relay tower in Verge.
The signal was clean.
Too clean.
It had Chain-level encryption.
And worse… it had a trader's seal burned into the metadata:
Seal Code: 7B-Delta—Registered to Trader #8701: "Mynor of Irid-C"
The bastard who sold him the Stellar Silk.
Kai's vision darkened.
He'd been played—Mynor had sent a honeyed trade and then tried to kneecap him on the backend.
Yena narrowed her eyes. "You want revenge?"
"No," Kai said. "I want leverage."
He opened a new trade log.
To: Trader Mynor of Irid-CSubject: Drone Interception
"Next time you want to test my defenses, just send a message. Or better yet—send credits. I'll be taking double next trade, or your buyer lists get dumped into open network circulation."
Attached: Security Packet – Drone Recovery Beacon Feed + Encrypted Chain Activity Match
Status: Pending Read…
Yena watched him, half-smiling. "You fight like a merchant."
Kai shrugged. "I am one."
With the Relay Core secured, it was time to activate the Hollow Node.
Ruin Node 7B – Reactivation in Progress…
Warning: Infrastructure degradation detectedEstimated Reactivation Time: 3 hoursRequired: Physical visit to complete handshake protocol
Reward Potential: UnknownRisk Level: High
Kai closed the interface.
"Pack your gear," he said. "We're going into the ruins."
Current Status:
Kai has successfully won a dynamic trade auction against rival traders to secure a rare Synthsteel Relay Core, essential for reactivating the ancient Ruin Node 7B of the Hollow Chain.
In doing so, he sacrificed valuable assets—including his unactivated drone blueprint—but gained potential access to long-lost trader tech and a foothold in forgotten markets.
However, an unexpected sabotage by Trader Mynor has revealed the competitive underbelly of the Chain, where sabotage and manipulation walk hand-in-hand with diplomacy and profit.
Kai's Cosmic Units now stand at 36.8, and his Earth Credits at 201.1, bolstered by steady sales but tempered by recent losses.
The game is growing dangerous.
But Kai wouldn't have it any other way.
📌 Author's Note:
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— S.A.