Best Shop In The Multiverse

Shout out to my new patrons: 

Gerardo Hernández Sánchez

Anonymousthe22n

Johnworm

Dezmyne Thomas

Red didn't know what his current feeling could be called. It was beyond rage, the corners of his visions turning black, and his focus narrowed in on the goddess. He turned his attention to Rexy, a begin well beyond him, and he thought about how good it would feel to feed her to his guard T-rex. Never had he gone into planning someone's downfall until that moment.

It wasn't because she bullied him or played at offering him vampirism only to say he wasn't good enough for it. No, the demand for his product was through the roof, and she fixed his prices. And Darien, the boy he helped, dared to use his discount after such a declaration.

"No, if you don't pay my prices, go to someone else."

The goddess glared at him. "You dare," flames erupted around her hands, but the floors didn't catch fire.

"Yes, this is my shop. I gave Darien a 20% discount on my prices no more. He can pay that, or he can le," A boot kicked him in the chest, cracking his ribs. His back hit his counter.

Red groaned as he saw a drained red bar flash at the edge of his vision. Cold fury filled his veins, and it took every ounce of willpower to put a lid on it. He also kept his mouth shut. He wouldn't give them the information they could use.

HP 0/17

Red had just taken enough damage to kill him.

"I still need you for armor. I like the color of the wood, so keep that up, but I need it to have some illustrations of my goddesses. Can you manage that?" Red's head throbbed as he stared at the cocky blonde bastard standing over him. "Aye, I'm sure you can. I cracked your ribs, not your hands, and I won't break them, but you were too greedy. There is a debt between us. I spared your miserable life. You're a shopkeeper. You can't say no to the goddess Solari, and you can't say no to me, her champion. Do you understand?"

Red's vision slowly came into focus. "I do."

"That's Good. Since you were so disgruntled about my discount, I'm only going to pay you material costs," Darien said.

Red's eyes bulged nearly from his sockets when he heard that, and the goddess cackled. "It's all you deserve, you mortals; you shouldn't be so prideful."

Darien took the crossbow off its pedestal along with several bolt mags. Then he counted one silver coin for each item and placed them on Red's counter.

The boy he helped needed to die, and his goddesses also needed to go.

The boy held the goddess's hand and smiled before looking down at Red with disdain. "Next time when your betters are talking, hold your tongue. If you've changed your ways, I will pay you the value of the items you sell with my discount subtracted."

Red would need to design armor for Darien's enemies and make better crossbows for them. The common barrier was his issue. There was an achievement to unlock a common woodworking kit but to unlock it; Red would first need to create a common item with trash materials.

"Oh, and since you've met my patroness in person, I have a task for you. Carve a statue of her for me." He turned to the vampire-playing goddess. "Will that make up for his transgressions?"

"Yes, if it is of the same quality as the crossbow, it will do nicely."

Darien squatted in front of Red, reaching out a hand and patting his face. Red's eyes widened, and darkness swallowed the edges of his vision. He concentrated only on the two before him as he plotted his revenge.

He had expected this to happen eventually. Without a show of force, customers wouldn't pay him. Red had hoped for a few more paydays before he had to plant traps in his shop.

"We should leave. I can't remain on this plane for much longer." The vampire stared at him before smirking. "Look down. I don't want you watching my ass while I walk out," Solari said.

Darien crossed the room in nearly an instant and forced Red's head down. "Didn't you hear my patroness say, ' Don't look at her if you want to live? Others can make armor for me. I only needed you in the beginning. Now that my goddess's blood runs through my veins, I don't have to obey your rules."

He stared at the ground until he heard the door shut and sucked in a deep, ragged breath through his cracked ribs.

…

Darien nearly forgot to grab the key when he shut the door. It wouldn't have been possible not to have a method to remind the shopkeeper in charge. Darien searched for the lock, but the key was missing. He opened the door to see a supply closet in the abbey he was staying in.

What's wrong?" Solari asked.

"Nothing," Darien looked away. "Was I too harsh on the shopkeeper? I had the money, and his weapons are worth it."

"No, you were right, and he was wrong to question me. I was only giving him advice, but he denied me like the fool he was. Your intervention saved him, and he should thank you. I would not have been so kind as you." Solari cubbed his cheek.

When he reached for more, the goddess stepped away. "I'm sorry, but remember, my sister and I are virgin goddesses. We can't lay with a man by our very natures. Do you understand?" Solari asked.

Darien nodded solemnly. He needed to work harder and prove he was worthy of the gift of her blood.

…

Red sucked on his teeth as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling. First, he needed information; knowledge would be key to his vengeance. Then, he needed to set aside a fund to carry out that vengeance. Taking down one goddess would be considered a blaspheme, so most likely, after he knocked out one, he would have to take out the entire pantheon.

Trash rank wasn't going to cut it. He needed to rank up not only himself but also his shop. To do that, he needed to take on a dungeon. Adding steel to his possible crafting items wouldn't be enough, and he needed a way to break the game.

"System, can I make it where skill tokens appear as solid objects instead of automatically using them?" Red asked.

100SP to facilitate the change. 

Wallet 450SP 

He stared at the 11 silver coins on his counter. Red decided to do a little calculation. Darien and his family owed him 119,890.

"System note that Darien and his family owe the shop a debt of 119,890SP and an interest of 11% after stealing shop property."

Debt and interest have been noted, and a quest based on the user's subconscious desires has been issued.

Quest 

Debt Collector 

Collect the payments owed with interest down to the last point of SP. 

Reward 

+1 Perk Roll (Uncommon)

+1 Skill Token (Uncommon) 

Owed SP

If he could force Darien Hawke or his family to pay the debt, he would gain a tier 3 perk and a tier 3 token. Both seemed like just what he needed. But how would he get a return on his money, cause the most pain and suffering, and ensure Darien Hawke suffered?

They wanted him to build for them, right? Maybe he could make some nice stockades that limited their motion and powers. Then he could charge a bunch of men 11 silver coins apiece to have their way with them. It would take some time, but Red felt it would be well worth it. Vampires didn't age; as long as they were fed, their bodies would heal from wear or tear.

He held the mental image of the mortals that woman despised having their way with her for only 11 silver each hole to be what he needed. Red wouldn't let his dreams remain dreams. Revenge was sweet and savory; the anticipation would make it even better.

It wasn't much, but it was the kind of image that kept him going in his darker moments.

Mary opened his door and stared at him from behind the doorway.

"Are you even using your stealth ability?" Red asked.

"I have something to tell you that may raise your spirits."

He didn't like being ignored. "How do you do it? How do you live with yourself after feeding on people? Do the lives mean anything to you?" Red asked.

Mary lowered her head. "You want to talk about my feeding habits." She turned her head away. "That's a little personal, don't you think."

Red felt like they were speaking in code, but why not start where she wanted? "After you saw me at my worst, I thought we were close," Red said.

"I won't bring a victim, but you can come watch if you want to. I haven't been fed for a while, and I am thirsty. For a man to watch over a lady as she feeds is a sign of deep trust."

They were two people who were terrible at communicating.

"Shop. Can I leave through the customer entrance?"

Yes, and the user can teleport back to the shop when a customer is present

"Before we go on an adventure together, what did you want to tell me."

"In exchange for a contract with my family to build 300 repeating crossbows and three custom-ordered versions, I will give you information that isn't public. We could even be friends if that's what you need," Mary said.

"What's the catch?" Red asked.

"Your crossbows will be sold to us at a 10th of their price, with the rest being issued as a bond and due to be paid back in five years. This bond will collect interest and be paid out from our treasury."

There was no noncompete clause tacked on. He didn't feel like she was trying to throw him over the coals.

"I accept," Red said before he was interrupted.

"You will also come with me with an example of your finished product to sell the usefulness of this crossbow to my father."

"Won't the goddesses object?"

"Oh, goddesses aren't real. They are vampires who can trace their lineage to an ancestor-level existence. Nothing truly is divine about them unless you wish to worship their bloodlines. To us, they are referred to as royals. Solari is a princess of the Sol bloodline." Mary said.

"Aren't they still an issue?" Mary giggled.

"No, we are the ruling family of a city in Solunara's domain. Solari's mother allows her to play games, but going after our people is too far. She would be punished." Mary said.

That was good information that he would keep in his back pocket. The moment he left, he wasn't going anywhere. He would be without the shop system and in the power of others.

No, he had a goal but no customers.

"There is Heartwood in Eldren Hollow. If you were to gather some, you could make a weapon. Even Solari would need to fear. But I must warn you, the heartwood comes with a curse." Mary said.

"You seemed scared of it before."

"The way that woman and her spawn treated you broke the very laws of Basin City, but we can't enforce our laws against a royal lady of the land. Laws should be universal. They are the only thing that can be fair. Unfortunately, power will always remain in the hands of those who will do as they please. The other royals wouldn't stand with us, not with the Hermes Clan on the warpath."

He had a location of a type of wood that even the so-called royal vampires feared. That was the wood he would use to make his stockade.

"So if there was no longer a common enemy, what would happen."

"The royals would bicker and compete against each other as is their nature. Even if you slew one with heartwood, royals would only need to reform in their coffins for a few decades."

"The Noctvalen family would be happy to rule without paying lip service to Solari and Lunera's vanity project over the last few centuries." Mary rolled her sky-blue eyes.

…

Wood Working lvl10 (Trash) 

Would you like to upgrade the tier?

Y/N 

Wood Crafting lvl1 (Common) 

New information entered his mind, and he became certain he was on the cusp of making a common-tier weapon. He took out a Verdant Log (Common), but the tool he used couldn't be cut. There was a fundamental difference between the tools he used and the material. That didn't stop him from nearing the limit of what his crossbows could become.

Verdant Pump Action Crossbow (Trash+++) 

Durability: SS

Damage: SS

Enchantments 

Weak Etched Wooden Runes+ 

Spell Linked 

Bolt Charger 

Muffled 

Quiet 

Value: 65,000SP 

Eight crossbows in two hours was insane, but he wanted to do it faster. Ten in one hour would be best. He only needed to take some time to carve out the pieces he needed, and then all he had to do was assemble them. That made the colossal 300 crossbow order feasible. Then, there was the sheer amount of bolts he would need to come up with.

On the bright side, he was looking at a massive payday. Bolts exploded, meaning the archers would need to be supplied with new bolts with every shot. Maybe they would need some mags with bolts that could be retrieved and marked with exploding bolts.

He stopped working and looked over the eight completed crossbows. They were sleeker and more curved to allow a more comfortable grip. He had also cut back on the size without lowering the weapon's durability. Red picked up a small wooden mallet and smacked the sides of the crossbows, and he saw not a scratch on them. The Totem sap gave them a dark cherry-red wood color that looked fierce in low light.

If he could make something impressive to impress a family of ruling vampires.

He was going to be out of the protection of his shop. Red didn't know how vulnerable he would feel, but it would be rough.

Nearly a day after his initial beating from Darien, he returned to 17HP. That meant he could take a blow from a vampire before all his HP was gone. He needed something to protect against powerful enemies.

The question was how he didn't want to make armor only for it to be stolen by Darien. Red felt a little lost. Mary had left to talk with her family. She had told him not to work on the order yet, but he couldn't help himself.

He sold off four crossbows using the outbox.

Wallet 130,450SP 

Room Added 100SP

Storage Chests (Trash) Added 1000SP 

Level Up 200SP 

Shop lvl3 

+1 Floor 

+1 Storage Chest (Uncommon) 

Smithing Skill (Trash) Unlocked 

Work Shop Expanded 

Smithy Added to the workshop

That's right. The better he became at crafting, the more valuable the Outbox became. But there was also an inbox, meaning he could receive things. Where did the things he sent go?

…

Marcus didn't know what to expect when he used the trash weapon token. He was alone in his apartment during a zombie apocalypse, and somehow, he was supposed to become some kind of shelter manager. He never felt so weak with ammo running low and more enormous hordes of zombies gathering.

From the token, a sleek, beautifully crafted crossbow appeared along with magazines of bolts. Each object had mysterious runes etched into the wood, and he could practically feel the magic radiating off the weapon. He loaded the weapon and pulled back, expecting a hard pull, but it took little strength to load the weapon. A wooden bolt shop and a little trapdoor kept it in position.

He stepped off his balcony and saw one of the flying zeds leap off a rooftop. "Come and get some, you rotten bastards," Marcus said.

Marcus pulled the trigger and watched the bolt curve to hit the flying target before exploding violently. His eyes widened in shock at the amazing pull. He hadn't apraised the weapon before. He had only wanted something to use and earn experience. He checked it out.

It was like unique gear or legendary equipment in a video game. Despite the low level, they had enchantments stacked atop each other, with one in particular forcing all the others to work together. For someone down on their luck, it was a godsend.

Pump Action Verdant Crossbow (Trash+++)

Creation of Red the Shopkeeper 

Marcus decided he would remember that name. The guy was probably offloading some crafted equipment for some quick SP from the system, and it was the luckiest drop he could imagine for Marcus.

"Shelter, can I contact Red."

Would you like to send a request?

Marcus was going to need bolts and plenty of them. He was on a quest to complete something he thought was impossible. Maybe he had a loud weapon, but it was the equivalent of a rocket launcher.

…

Red was in his workshop when he got the order. From his inbox, he received an order from Marcus 100,000SP for as many crossbow bolts as that would get him. From the letter, he learned that Marcus was a system user like him and in trouble with some undead, just like Red, but in a different way.

While Red didn't have a craftsman system, he felt he might as well have one. He shook his head that the deal he might have with the Noctvalen clan would pay him back with interest. Bonds in Basin City matured after only 5 years of collecting interest while they weren't paid. He was looking at a massive sum but didn't have the wood for the order. He ran low on supply after all his practice, sales, and bolts. So, he planned to open another wood-type instant dungeon.

Sure, smithing was a craft he could look into, but he had a second-tier skill that also promised to help his other skills reach that tier. He was going to use them to death on his orders.

Red's thoughts circled back on Marcus. He felt both vindictive and a sense of comradery.

He tossed Rexy a stack of 72-ounce steaks one after the other. The T-rex seemed happy to almost take food out of Red's hands.

"What do you think, girl? Should I sell him a bunch of bolts on the cheap? Ten mags won't get him very far. But what about a hundred that could help him out, and it would be good practice." Rexy licked her lips, lowered her head, and sniffed him. Red nodded his head. "Marcus isn't Darien; he's a guy in a tough situation like me. If I'm going to get my vengeance, then I need friends. Thanks, Rexy, you're the best."

If you can't wait for the next chapter then I have good news for you. Its on my patreon for only 1$ this will also allow you to view chapter 6 before anyone else when chapter 5 drops. It would really help me out. You can find me on patreon under Ultimatdaywriter