Hunting the Stars

Hello, sir

Elian Hawk’s surroundings began to rapidly spin as a sudden, unfamiliar voice echoed through the air. The metallic walls of the command room twisted, and within an instant, Elian found himself in an entirely new place.

“Did I get transmigrated again!?” Elian Hawk almost burst into tears. “Once is enough, why does fate have to toy with me again!?”

Looking around, Elian saw himself in a completely unfamiliar environment. Unlike the metallic, military station he was used to, this place was made entirely of wood—roughly constructed and modest. There were even cobwebs in the corners and a thick layer of dust on the ground, as if the place hadn’t been inhabited in years.

The mechanical, monotonous voice returned: “Program h90883288 initiated.”

Suddenly, a bright white light flashed from the corner of the dilapidated room, revealing an old, worn computer. The screen flickered, and a series of numbers appeared. Elian still hadn’t figured out what was happening when a faint blue orb materialized beside him, sending a shock through his body. The orb, about a meter in diameter, emitted visible energy waves that pulsed outwards.

“Crap! I didn’t grab my laser gun!” Elian Hawk frantically looked around for anything that could serve as a weapon or some form of shelter. Unfortunately, the small room had nothing to offer. He had no choice but to back up into the corner, keeping his focus on the shimmering orb.

The orb pulsed, expanding and contracting, before emitting a blinding flash of light. When it subsided, it had transformed into a humanoid figure. This figure, an elderly man with silver hair and dressed in 17th-century noble attire, stood before Elian Hawk.

“Your butler is at your service, my lord,” the figure bowed gracefully.

Elian Hawk stared at the figure, his jaw slack. “Wait, are you talking to me? And you’re calling me ‘my lord’? What’s going on?”

The old butler, still in his impeccable form, looked at Elian with respect. “Yes, you are my lord. As your butler, I am here to assist you. Should you have any questions, I will gladly answer them to help you familiarize yourself with your duties.”

Elian Hawk, still in shock, could only stare. The old butler stepped closer, but Elian didn’t let his guard down.

“My lord, you need not be so wary. As I said, I am your butler, and as one who relies on you for my very existence, I will not do anything harmful to you.”

Elian didn’t relax, but his mind raced. “So, what is this place? Why am I here?”

The butler, understanding Elian’s confusion, offered a slight bow and began explaining. “This is your personal space, my lord. It is where you will place trade items for customers to view or store goods for transactions.”

“My personal space? Trade goods? Who am I trading with? How do I trade?” Elian fired off a series of questions, but the butler remained calm, answering each one patiently.

After more than an hour of explanation, Elian finally let out a frustrated curse. “Crap!”

The butler, undisturbed, continued. “My lord, your current situation is as follows: you are now a newly initiated interdimensional merchant. You have one month to find traders. After that, you must pay taxes. If you fail to pay the 100 credit points after a month, the system will erase both you and me.”

“What the hell?” Elian cursed again, his mind struggling to process the bizarre nature of his situation. “How am I supposed to find anyone to trade with? And what the hell do I have to sell in this desolate place?”

The butler sighed, clearly understanding the difficulty. “I’ve already scanned this world, and as you said, it’s a barren place. Even the goods in the military station have too low a technological level to be of interest to anyone from other dimensions.”

Elian, feeling utterly hopeless, collapsed to the floor. “This is hopeless. What’s the point? How am I supposed to make any money here?”

The butler, ever respectful, offered a suggestion. “My lord, while this may seem like a hopeless situation, we must not give up. Perhaps you can find something to trade, however small. Even in this desolate place, there may be something that will catch the attention of someone from another dimension.”

Elian paused, his mind shifting. “Wait a second... If I’m an interdimensional merchant, does that mean I can trade with other merchants? I don’t have to just wait for someone to come to me, right?”

The butler’s eyes softened, but he sighed deeply. “Unfortunately, my lord, as a new merchant, you don’t have the privileges to actively reach out to other traders. You must wait and see if someone from another dimension finds your goods appealing.”

Elian’s face twisted in frustration. “Are you serious? This system is so messed up!”

The butler nodded, offering his gentle reassurance. “I know it’s difficult, my lord. But we must make the most of it. Your main task now is to find items you can sell and make enough money to pay the tax when the time comes.”

Elian rubbed his temples, his mind racing. The world around him felt like a trap with no clear way out. But then, a flicker of hope sparked.

“You know what? Maybe there’s still a chance. Even if this place is barren, maybe I can find something that someone else will think is valuable. After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, right?”

The butler smiled slightly, sensing the change in Elian’s attitude. “Exactly, my lord. And as your level increases, so too will your space. Eventually, you may even be able to convert this space into a full-fledged dimension of your own.”

Elian’s eyes widened as the thought settled in. “A dimension of my own? A ruler of a dimension? Now that sounds interesting...”

The butler nodded, his tone respectful. “Indeed, my lord. But remember, all of this depends on your efforts.”

Elian grinned, his hope rekindled. “A ruler of my own dimension, huh? That’s the kind of challenge I’ve been waiting for.”

The journey of an interdimensional merchant was just beginning for Elian Hawk.