Dimensional Trader: From F Rank To Top Trader
Chapter 35: The Trade Duel

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: The Trade Duel

Frank’s boots dug into the mossy dirt as he activated his internal trade boost. Heat surged through his system. Eyes locked. Breath steady.

Zaruun raised his gleaming blade toward the sky—then plunged it into the ground.

Frank blinked.

The earth didn’t shake. No aura attack followed.

Instead, a hum pulsed out from the sword like a ripple in reality.

> [DUEL-TRADE INITIATED]

[Challenge Type: Mutual Exchange | Style: Honor-Class | Tier: Consequence-Level]

[Goal: Out-value your opponent in a three-round trade match. All terms are binding.]

Frank stared at the system prompt. Then at Zaruun.

"Wait. This isn’t a fight?"

Zaruun stepped back from the sword, folding his arms. "This is a fight."

"With... spreadsheets?"

Zaruun frowned. "Trade is combat. Without swords. Without blood. Only strength of value. Influence. Timing."

Frank muttered, "I prepped for a sword in the ribs. Instead, I’m stuck in a merchant arena showdown with a warrior who probably has a marketing department."

Zaruun extended a palm. "First exchange. I offer three Tier-2 Chi Flow Scrolls. Internal Reinforcement grade. Used by Iron-Skinned Monks of Varka Ridge."

A glow pulsed through the air as three scrolls appeared in his trade window.

Frank opened his mouth. Closed it.

Then opened it again. "Okay. You’re serious."

"I do not joke," Zaruun replied. "Now offer."

Frank tilted his head, then tapped his belt pouch.

"I offer... a Redline Wake Brew. Earth-made. One bottle. Sealed."

Zaruun blinked.

Frank smiled. "Drink one, and your entire nervous system vibrates at 2.5x its normal speed. My clients call it ’adrenaline on crack.’"

Zaruun examined the display as the system weighed value.

> [Exchange 1: Equal Value – ROUND TIED]

Frank exhaled. "Alright. Guess I’m not dead yet."

"Second round," Zaruun said, stepping forward. "I offer a Varka Battle Wrap—infused with personal aura. Repels direct strikes and increases reactive muscle strength."

The cloth shimmered into view, coiled like a serpent.

Frank whistled. "Fancy."

"Your turn."

Frank pulled a case from his back. Snapped it open.

Inside: a dimensional sling device with folding hooks and a retractable smartwire.

"Skygrapple," he said. "Hooks into almost any vertical surface. Anchors, climbs, descends. Comes with spare cartridges and a flare mode."

Zaruun’s eyes narrowed.

> [Exchange 2: Frank’s Offer Slightly Higher – ROUND TO HAGAN]

The warlord stared at the interface. Then looked up at Frank.

"You cheat like a rogue."

Frank smirked. "I trade like I want to win."

Zaruun didn’t speak for a moment. Then—

A deep, grinning chuckle rumbled from his chest.

"Final round," he said. "Let’s make it interesting."

Frank braced.

Zaruun held out both hands—and revealed a scroll encased in frozen aura crystal.

"This," he said, "is the Path of the Flowing Sun. Martial manual. Lost for two hundred years. Only five in existence."

Frank swallowed.

He reached slowly for his inventory.

Paused.

Then tapped into his dimensional trader cache—one Sarina never saw.

Pulled out a silver box.

"I offer..." he said slowly, "the full schematic for a pressureless combustion engine that runs on ambient dimensional energy. Clean. Efficient. From a forgotten Earth patent nobody ever used."

Zaruun’s eyes widened.

The system pulsed.

> [Exchange 3: Frank’s Offer HIGHER – ROUND TO HAGAN]

> [Victory: Frank Hagan]

> [Zaruun: Duel-Trader Defeated]

Frank stared at the message in disbelief.

Then at Zaruun.

Who... was smiling.

"You cheated," Zaruun said, tone neutral.

"I traded," Frank replied. "Aggressively."

A pause.

Then Zaruun walked over, and clasped his wrist in a firm grip.

"You fought with value. You earned my attention."

"Is that good?"

"For now."

Zaruun leaned in slightly.

"Win again next time," he said, "and I’ll consider you worthy of a formal contract."

Then—just like that—he stepped back, pulled his sword from the dirt, and vanished into a pulsing portal.

Frank stood there, sweat beading on his forehead.

He stared at the sky.

Then said to no one in particular:

"...What the hell just happened?"

Frank stood alone in the stillness that followed Zaruun’s departure.

The trees rustled faintly. The carved red symbol in the dirt no longer pulsed—it had cracked, faded, like it had lost interest now that the bloodless battle was over.

He wiped sweat from his brow. "Right. Just a normal day. Got called a traitor, duel-traded a warlord, and apparently invented a fuel system I didn’t know I had."

He turned in a slow circle, half-expecting another monster, mimic, or walking contract to show up.

Instead, the wind shifted.

The light bent slightly to his right.

Then it opened.

Another portal—this one gentler. Smaller. Glowing with Earth-aligned system threads.

He raised a brow. "Round two already?"

But his system pinged:

> [Dimensional Sync Recovered]

[Gateway Detected – Return Path: Earth]

Frank didn’t waste time.

He stepped forward.

The portal swallowed him in one clean pull—no resistance this time. No fight. Just a tug from the universe that had finally noticed he was missing.

[EARTH – NEXUS DISTRICT 3]

Frank stumbled forward onto familiar pavement—outside the café.

Juliet was gone.

The broken table was cleaned up. The shattered tea cups had vanished. Only faint scorch marks and a single overturned chair remained.

He stood there a second, dazed.

Then his wristband buzzed—hard.

> [Incoming Voice Message: Juliet Raithe]

[Timestamp: 2 hours ago]

[Status: Delayed – Signal Previously Blocked]

He hit PLAY.

Juliet’s voice crackled through—distorted but strong.

"Frank.

Frank, can you hear me?

I don’t know where that portal took you. One second we were talking—laughing—and then you were just... gone. Pulled into something I couldn’t stop. I tried to grab you. You know I tried."

> There was a pause. He could hear her pacing in the background. Papers shifting. A door slamming shut.

> "I’ve been calling every contact I have. Guild tech, freelance trackers, even a dimensional analyst I swore I’d never speak to again. No one has a clue what that thing was."

> "The Association thinks it was a system hiccup. A hiccup, Frank. Like you got dropped between trade nodes like a bad shipment."

> Another pause. Her voice dropped lower

.

> "I don’t even know if this message is going to reach you. For all I know, you’re... dead. Or lost. Or..."

> "Gods. I can’t believe how quiet it is here without you mouthing off about tea quality."

> There was a soft breath. Then a long silence. And finally:

> "I don’t know what we are. I don’t even know if we were anything. But I liked you sitting across from me today. I liked that version of us. And I’m not okay with that being the last thing I get."

> Her voice steadied slightly. Professional again. But still soft.

> "If you get this, I’m still in the city. I haven’t left the Nexus. I’ll wait a little longer. Just in case."

> Final beat. Then:

> "Please come back."

Frank blinked.

For a second, he didn’t move.

Then he sat down slowly on the nearest bench.

Stared at the sky.

And finally said:

"...I should’ve finished my tea."