The Gene of the Ancients (Rogue Merchant Book #2): LitRPG Series by Roman Prokofiev (top books to read TXT) 📕

I could be proud of a job well done. In truth, Weldy didn’t even have to do anything, the scheme worked by itself. The hired NPC transporter would deliver the batch of elixirs from Davna to Eyre, not even visiting the shop. All she had to do was accept the orders from the quartermaster and tell the alchemists the required amount, while also arranging delivery. The markup was quite small, only a few silver coins for each unit, but considering the size and the stability of commissions, it made up a tidy profit.

“Also, take this, to start with,” I said, producing a mountain of scrolls I had bought out from the auction the previous day for a bargain price. Mostly, it was trash, quest loot that players didn’t need; I had spent only a few coins for them. But the shop needed some stock, and NPCs weren’t especially discerning.

“HotCat! You know I don’t have anything to pay you with!”

“Don’t mind it. You’ll pay me face value after you sell all of it. Friends should support each other, or why else would you need them?”

“Thank you, HotCat. I hope your plan works,” Weldy said, lost in thought as she studied the contracts. “Hey, what’s that knocking?”

And true, loud noises were coming from outside: hammers banging, saws screeching, voices. Something was clearly being constructed.

“It’s your new sign. The old one was no good. Since you appointed me your crisis manager, I decided to take charge.”

“Crisis...what? Are you making fun of a poor girl, again?” Weldy tucked up her skirt and raced out from behind the counter to have a look.

“Well, I’m not sure about that. I liked the old one better!” She said, narrowing her eyes and examining the fruits of our labors, mine and the local marketing agency’s that consisted of two carpenters and an artist. “It’s too big, too gaudy, too conspicuous...”

You bet. We replaced a plain-looking unremarkable plaque with a colorful openwork sign plate that had images of vials, scrolls, and magic gems drawn on it and a logo, “Potions, Scrolls, and Magic Items.”

“What are those glass cylinders on the edges for?”

“For illumination. Light a magic candle inside, and your sign will be visible even in the dark! No customer will pass by without seeing it!”

Advertising is the engine of commerce. It wasn’t hard for me to help Weldy set her own small business up and running; all I had to do was to give it a good push, so it would pick up and hit the stride. Her shop was situated in the Upper Quarter, on a busy street on the way to the Err’s castle. Lots of people were passing by every day; if she made her presence known, while maintaining a good stock and a competitive price, she would have no shortage of customers. Behind Weldy’s back, I also planted a few announcements in the trade chat and general chat of Eyre, attracting players to her shop. Even if they didn’t buy anything, they might pass the information to others through the grapevine: word of mouth marketing worked in all worlds.

“Hey, what’s that shop? Is it new?”

“I passed by here the other day, I don’t remember anything...”

Three players stopped by the entrance. Going by their appearance, they couldn’t have spent more than a couple of months in Sphere. They looked at the flashing signboard with some interest, then went down to the basement, one after another.

“Oh, HotCat, will you take the elixirs? They’re ready and packed,” Weldy suddenly remembered.

The Tincture of Fire? Why would I need it now? I had achieved my goal, making money on it.

“I don’t need them anymore,” I said, smiling. “You can sell it and give me a cut of the profit. And if you don’t, I won’t hold it against you, you need to get your shop running.”

“You’re so...nice, Sir Cat!” Swept away, Weldy flung her arms around my neck and gave me a passionate kiss on the kips. Whoa! It wasn’t chaste, at all. A real lover’s kiss, even if fueled by gratitude.

Your reputation with Weldy Nialit increased by 100! Current value: 540/1000 (Respect)

In a few seconds, she broke away from my lips, blushing, and said sheepishly, “I have clients there, I need to work!”

Then she rushed off inside.

Chapter 10

MY ASTRONAUTS finally returned. The New Tokyo flight arrived at 10 PM. Alena, tanned and smiling, cuddled against me, while Victor handed me a huge traveling bag, not saying a word. Two weeks passed so quickly I barely noticed, as I had rarely left my capsule. On the other hand, I had done a lot in Sphere, making quite a bit of money — the perfect husband. A thorough inspection of the apartment didn’t reveal any evidence of parties, items left by strange ladies, or cigarette butts with lipstick on them. Everything was fine, and even our account boasted as much as six thousand terro: our budget for two months. I had thought about withdrawing more money from the game, but pretty soon, I would need the gold. I had another plan. We spent the day and the night together, with Alena gushing over the Star, showing me videos and photos, and readjusting to each other after the two-week separation. Late that night, when she fell asleep, exhausted, I looked at the silvery VR capsule standing in the drawing room. Weirdly, I didn’t think of it as a cool entertainment device anymore. To me, it was now a door to another world that wasn’t all too different from ours. I was leading another life there, and apparently, the game stopped being just a job for me. Slowly but surely, I was transforming into one of the junkies who got off on the magic of total immersion.

The next morning, I ate my usual breakfast and climbed into the