Abel’s expression changed slightly as he looked up at Wolis, a smile playing on his lips, “It seems you’re quite lucky; new items have arrived at the shop.”
They quickly tidied up and prepared to set off. This time, Abel also joined them, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of his brother who had lost an arm. With the new items available, perhaps there would be something that could save him. Hearing his subordinates speak of the peculiar items for sale, Abel, who had been busy preaching these days, decided it was time for him to have a look himself.
They traveled the familiar route, avoiding the magical beasts along the way, heading straight for the Abyss. Upon stepping into the Abyss, everyone experienced a moment of weightlessness as they fell. Abel was accustomed to this sensation, but for the merchants, it was their first time, and they were all pale with fear.
Before long, they reached the bottom of the Abyss, and an unusual structure came into view. Abel entered first and immediately lowered his head upon seeing the demon shopkeeper, acting with utmost respect.
“My lord, a merchant wishes to discuss shop matters with you, so I brought him here.”
Russnian had a very deep impression of this person. He felt he should thank him for the publicity he’d created, nodding to indicate he understood. Standing nearby, Wolis was amazed. Although there were no magical fluctuations in the place they fell into, they had certainly arrived in the Abyss—a place of legend, where magical beasts gathered, and none returned alive. It was truly remarkable. He had initially thought of it as exaggerated rumors, but now it seemed less than the reality.
As he looked at the demon shopkeeper, Wolis refined his demeanor, adopting a serious tone. “Hello, shopkeeper. I am a traveling merchant from the city of Calderra. Having heard the shop’s great name, I’ve come specifically to seek cooperation. I wonder what your thoughts are on this?”
“Why don’t you elaborate?”
“It’s like this: I will purchase some items from you to sell in Calderra, and we can split the profits later.”
After a pause, he lowered his voice and implied, “Rest assured that what you can gain will not be limited to just these items. What you want… we can provide.”
A demon—perhaps even a deity—would certainly not care for material possessions. The shopkeeper’s purpose in opening the store must be more than just sales; likely, he aimed to seize the power of faith from other deities.
Wolis believed he had made things clear. As a merchant with extensive connections, he had ways to procure whatever the demon lord wanted. Russnian contemplated for a moment; indeed, he was most in need of more customers. Vistal city had a sparse population and insufficient purchasing power. The Abyss was located in a remote area, making it difficult for those from afar to make the trip, and thus the outside market remained stagnant.
The arrival of new merchants seemed to be the perfect solution to this issue. However, another point couldn’t be ignored—the shop had fixed prices for all items, making it impossible for Wolis to buy them at lower rates.
Then an idea struck him. He squinted slightly, smiled gently, and lightly patted Wolis on the shoulder, “Of course, come in, and let’s discuss this further.”
Wolis trembled involuntarily, feeling an inexplicable chill down his spine. After some time, he emerged from the shop looking rather constipated.
Who could tell him that no demon could negotiate business more cunningly than this genuine merchant?! The bargaining was ruthless; they stuck firmly to their prices, and in the end, he received only ten percent of the profit, without any preferential treatment—sales prices had to be at least ten percent higher, which was exactly his profit margin.
“Eh, are you leaving already? Come back after selling out and bring me more customers,” Russnian, having just made a hefty profit, smiled like a sly fox, waving at Wolis.
“Sure, just wait and see.”
Wolis replied with a hint of annoyance, shaking the heavy package in his hand but unable to suppress a smile. These were all good items, and he had no worries about selling them. The potential benefits were not just the profit; there were many more hidden advantages to be gained.
This time, he bought fifty of each item, including the newly launched ones. Unfortunately, since those were not very marketable, Russnian also made fewer purchases, leaving a few for himself and giving the rest to Wolis.
Notably, Abel had also purchased a couple of new items, deciding to test their effectiveness one by one upon returning, hoping they could help save his brother.
With a stable sales channel established, the energy coins earned in the future would surely increase. Russnian glanced at the system panel; having previously spent twenty thousand coins, he now turned back to find he had earned over fifty thousand coins.
He contemplated what else to purchase, knowing that investing in store improvements was essential for long-term development. He raised his head and noticed the worn-out elevator device, remembering that he had mentioned it could be upgraded when he first arrived.
As more customers flowed in, the limited capacity of the elevator made it increasingly difficult to accommodate them; it was clear he needed to expand its capacity. He found the option labeled “Abyss Passage Device” on the system panel, costing ten thousand coins to upgrade a level.
In an instant, a flash of white light passed, and the dilapidated iron exterior seemed to glow a bit brighter, appearing more high-end. The most noticeable change was its significant increase in size; it had previously taken up about five square meters but had now doubled in size.
Inside, there was an additional luminous pearl hanging on the wall, radiating a soft glow that made the previous state appear much more shabby in comparison.
Russnian was quite satisfied; this money was well spent. Meanwhile, Wolis and Abel were in the process of preparing to part ways.