Galactic Exchange: The Merchant Sovereign
Chapter 26 – Hunters of the Forbidden

Chapter 26: Chapter 26 – Hunters of the Forbidden

The moment Kairos uploaded the Thorn of Azaek’s resonance signature into the Galactic Underground Relic Network, his life changed.

A cascade of notifications poured into his interface.

[RELIC TRADE CHANNEL UNLOCKED][You have been granted Tier-1 Access to the Hidden Market of Forgotten Relics.][Caution: You are now visible to hostile relic trackers.]

Nira materialized in his quarters aboard the Jade Vulture, her tone clipped and wary.

"Five unknown pings on our outbound relay. Three from Syndicate-flagged IPs. One from the Crypticon Order. One... untraceable."

Kairos raised an eyebrow. "Crypticon? Aren’t they just a myth?"

"They are memory harvesters. Ancient. Technocratic. They believe relics like the Thorn must be sealed—or destroyed."

"Wonderful," he muttered. "Can’t even own a fancy knife without attracting space cultists."

Two Hours Later – The Whisper Market

Located deep in the engine core of a retrofitted asteroid colony, the Whisper Market was invisible to normal scans. Its entrance was coded into dark-energy fluctuations—impossible to detect unless you knew what to look for.

Inside, the market thrummed with danger.

Vendors displayed items on floating grav-plaques: crystalline eggs that hummed with songs of dead civilizations, coins that reversed entropy when flipped, bottled screams, cursed bracelets, soul-forged bullets, and memory-stitched diaries of extinct rulers.

Kairos kept his hood up, Nira beside him in a humanoid disguise form.

Whispers followed him.

"The dagger...""That’s the one...""He carries a bound relic... fool or legend?"

He made his way to a booth run by a blind, tattooed trader named Grivaan, a neutral party in the relic market. Grivaan’s price list was encrypted, and the items weren’t labeled—only available to those who could "see" their true worth.

Kairos activated his Relic Insight passive and focused.

A flicker. Then—

[Soul Gem: Holds the remaining courage of a dying world. Can boost morale across one colony. One-time use.][Trade Value: Extremely High in war-torn systems.]

He pointed. "That one."

Grivaan sniffed. "You do see."

Kairos offered an old planetary seed from Earth, infused with system energy—a leftover from the first-tier trade trials. Grivaan took it with a reverent nod.

[Trade Complete. Soul Gem Acquired.]

But the moment the deal was done, three figures stepped from the shadows.

Clad in mirror-black armor, faceplates shifting like liquid. No emblems. No words. Just intent.

[WARNING: System Alert – You have been marked by the Silent Ledger.][Status: Hunter-Class agents dispatched.]

One reached for a blade. The crowd parted instantly.

Kairos raised a hand. "Gentlemen. Surely we can talk?"

They didn’t answer.

"Nira," he said calmly, "Plan Epsilon."

"Engaging hostile extraction protocol."

Smoke grenades burst. Gravity spiked. Lights flickered.

Kairos dove backward, firing a pulse shocker. The attackers moved like shadows—silent, efficient, terrifying. But Nira tackled one into a force wall, overloading their core armor, while Kairos used the Thorn.

[Ability Activated: Whisper of Collapse]

A ripple of thought-shredding silence echoed outward. One attacker seized up, clutching their helmet, then collapsed, unconscious.

The other two retreated instantly. Not dead—just... testing.

[Message Received – Unknown Sender:]"You’re in deeper waters than you know, Relic-Bearer. Sell your Thorn. Or be claimed by it."

Kairos stood amid the clearing smoke, chest heaving.

Nira’s voice broke the silence. "They won’t stop."

He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Then I won’t stop selling."

Later – Aboard the Jade Vulture

Kairos reviewed his earnings. The Soul Gem had been sold to a colony on the brink of civil war—for double his last five trades combined.

[Credits Earned: 39,000 SC][Reputation: +12 in Relic Black Circles][Danger Rating: Moderate → High – Tracked by Silent Ledger][Trader Rank: Tier 3 Unlocked]

[NEW SYSTEM MESSAGE: Relic Trader Path Achieved.]You may now access specialty relic contracts, high-threat deals, and vault-world auctions.

Kairos exhaled. Tier 3. Finally.

He wasn’t just playing merchant anymore.

He was becoming a sovereign force in the galaxy.

Status Summary:

Cosmic Units (C.U.): 8,200

Star Credits: 54,800

Trader Rank: Tier 3 – Relic Trader Path

Reputation: +12 (High in Relic Markets)

Inventory: Thorn of Azaek, Soul Gem (sold), misc. relic fragments

New Threat: Silent Ledger – Tracking him

System Access: Vault-World Auctions & Black Contracts unlocked

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