The door to their small apartment clicked shut, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the sudden quiet.
It wasn't much—a cramped two-bedroom unit in the lower sector of District 9, with peeling beige wallpaper and a ventilation unit that rattled rhythmically every thirty seconds. It was the kind of place reserved for orphans on a government stipend: clean, functional, and utterly soulless.
But to Eidon and Moira, it was a fortress.
As soon as the lock engaged, the tension that had held Moira's spine straight snapped. She didn't collapse, but she sagged against the doorframe, her forehead resting against the cool wood.
"We made it," she whispered, her voice sounding thin. "They didn't follow us."
"They're tracking us, Moira," Eidon said calmly, walking over to the single window and pulling the blinds tight. "The Awakening Authority, the Guilds, the government—they all have our address. The only reason they aren't banging on the door right now is because they're afraid of you."
Moira lifted her head, turning to look at him. Her blue eyes were wide, the adrenaline of the Awakening finally fading into a cold, hard realization of what they had become.
"Me?" she asked.
"You're an SSS-Rank Combat Class," Eidon said, moving to the small kitchenette to pour two glasses of water. "The last one was a demigod who saved the world. They don't know if you're stable. They don't know if you'll level a city block if they startle you. They're regrouping, analyzing the data, and drafting contracts worth more than this entire district."
He handed her a glass. Her fingers brushed his, cold against his warm skin.
"And you?" she asked, ignoring the water. Her gaze dropped to his chest, as if trying to see the "Dermit" status branded there. "Eidon, tell me the truth. No protecting me. What does your status actually look like?"
Eidon sighed. He set his glass down on the scratched laminate table.
"Check yours first," he instructed. "We need a baseline."
Moira hesitated, then nodded. She sat on the worn-out sofa, closing her eyes.
"Status."
A soft, platinum glow illuminated her face as her interface manifested. Her eyes darted across the text, and her jaw slowly dropped.
"Eidon..." she whispered. "This... this has to be a bug."
"Read it," he said.
"Strength... 140," she stammered. "Agility 135. Vitality 150. Intelligence 90."
Eidon leaned against the counter, his face impassive, though internally he was running the numbers.
The average adult male has 10 in all stats. An F-Rank Awakener starts with maybe 15 or 20. An A-Rank genius like Kaelen Ironblood would start with around 50.
Moira started at 140.
"It's not a bug," Eidon said softly. "It's the multiplier. SSS-Rank gives you 40 stats per level. Plus 5 Free Points. And your class passive... Guardian of Heavens... it triples your stat gain, doesn't it?"
Moira nodded numbly. "Yeah. It says 'Divine Body: All stat gains are multiplied by 300%'."
"So you're gaining 135 stats per level," Eidon calculated. "Moira, you aren't just strong. At Level 1, you could physically punch through a tank."
She looked at her hands, turning them over as if they belonged to a stranger. "I'm a monster."
"You're a deterrent," Eidon corrected. "Now... look at mine."
He didn't manifest his window for her to see. He just spoke the numbers.
"Strength: 5. Agility: 5. Vitality: 5. Intelligence: 8."
The room went silent. The rattling of the ventilation unit seemed deafening.
140 vs 5.
It wasn't a gap; it was a different dimension. If Moira hugged him too hard, she would literally snap his spine.
Moira's eyes filled with sudden, terrified tears. "Eidon... how are we supposed to... if I can't even touch you without..."
"You can," he said firmly. "You have high Dexterity. You have control. But this is the reality of 'Dermit'. I am locked at the existence level of a mortal. You are ascending to godhood."
Moira stood up. The tears vanished, replaced by a dark, terrifying intensity. The temperature in the room dropped.
"Then I will be the wall," she vowed, her voice low and vibrating with mana. "I will stand in front of you. No monster, no Hunter, no God gets past me. I don't care if you have 5 stats or 0. You are the brain. I am the sword. That hasn't changed."
Eidon watched her. The [ Eye of Heavens ] pulsed.
[ TARGET: Moira Nyx ][ EMOTIONAL STATE: Absolute Resolve / Fear of Abandonment ][ ACTION: She is subconsciously suppressing her aura to prevent crushing the floorboards. ]
He stepped forward, closing the distance. He didn't flinch at the power radiating off her. He reached out and cupped her face.
"I know," he said softly. "But I'm not planning on staying at 5 forever."
He pulled away, walking back to the table. "I have work to do. Secure the windows. Don't answer the door unless I say so."
Moira nodded, moving instantly to obey. She was a soldier now, and he was the commander.
Eidon sat down and closed his eyes.
It was time to look at his empire.
Open Shop.
The golden interface expanded in his mind, overlaying the drab reality of the apartment.
[ THE UNIVERSAL SHOP (EX-RANK) ][ ADMIN PANEL ]
[ MODE: OFFLINE ][ PUBLIC VISIBILITY: HIDDEN ][ GLOBAL MARKETPLACE: INACTIVE ][ CURRENT SP: 0 ]
He had the vehicle, but he needed to turn the ignition.
He navigated to the [ PUBLIC SHOP SETTINGS ] tab.
Unlike his personal shop, which could access Ex-Grade items, the Public Shop was automatically restricted to one rank lower (S-Grade). But unlike a traditional store, he didn't need to stock the shelves. The System provided the inventory.
The shop was already full.
Millions of items—Potions, Weapons, Skill Books, Materials—were sitting in the digital void, waiting for buyers.
He checked the [ REVENUE MODEL ].
[ OWNER COMMISSION: 10% ][ EXPLANATION: The Admin receives 10% of the value of every transaction processed through the Universal Shop. ]
Eidon smiled. He didn't need to be a merchant hawking wares. He was the platform. He was the taxman.
He hovered over the toggle switch.
[ ACTIVATE PUBLIC MODE? ]
Confirm.
Across the city of Valoria, a strange phenomenon occurred.
It didn't happen on billboards or TV screens. It didn't happen on wrist-comms.
It happened in the mind of every single Awakener on the continent.
A chime, clear as a bell, resonated directly in their skulls. A new System Window, bordered in gold rather than the standard blue, materialized in the center of their vision.
[ SYSTEM UPDATE: GLOBAL FEATURE UNLOCKED ]
[ THE UNIVERSAL SHOP IS NOW OPEN. ]
[ CURRENCY: System Points (SP) ][ EXPLANATION: SP is the standard currency of the Heavens. ][ HOW TO OBTAIN SP: ][ 1. KILL MONSTERS. ][ SP is the crystallized essence of conquest. It is awarded automatically upon the death of a target. ]
[ ACCESS COMMAND: "Open Shop" ]
In the Steel Vanguard Guild headquarters, Kaelen Ironblood froze in the middle of a toast. He stared at the air, blinking. "What... what is this?"
"Open Shop," someone whispered nearby.
Kaelen repeated it. "Open Shop."
A sleek, golden interface opened in his vision.
[ WELCOME. ][ FEATURED: Lesser Healing Potion (C-Grade). ][ PRICE: 50 SP. ][ YOUR BALANCE: 0 SP. ]
Kaelen frowned. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Credit Chip worth 10,000 credits. He tried to offer it to the screen.
Nothing happened.
He pulled out a Mana Core.
Nothing happened.
He re-read the notification. [ HOW TO OBTAIN SP: KILL MONSTERS. ]
A slow, feral grin spread across Kaelen's face. He crushed the empty champagne flute in his hand.
"It's not a store," Kaelen whispered, his eyes burning with excitement. "It's a challenge. If I want that potion... I have to bleed something for it."
He stood up, grabbing his greatsword. "I'm going to the Dungeon."
[ D-RANK DUNGEON: THE WEEPING CAVERNS ]
Miles away, deep underground, a party of veteran hunters was fighting for their lives.
"Tank! Shield up!"
Garrick Thorn, the recruiter who had mocked Eidon earlier, was currently sweating behind a crumbling earth wall. His B-Rank Beast Tamer pet, a Shadow Wolf, was whimpering with a broken leg.
"We're out of potions!" the healer screamed. "My mana is dry!"
A goblin shaman shrieked, preparing a fireball.
Suddenly, the chime rang in Garrick's head.
[ THE UNIVERSAL SHOP IS NOW OPEN. ][ CURRENCY: SP (OBTAINED BY KILLING MONSTERS). ]
Garrick blinked, distracted. His wolf lunged forward, snapping the neck of a stray goblin scout that had gotten too close.
Snap.
[ +5 SP ]
Garrick saw the notification. He saw the "Open Shop" command.
"Open Shop!" he screamed, desperate.
The window appeared. He saw the Lesser Mana Potion (C-Grade). [ PRICE: 50 SP ]
"Damn it! I only have 5!" Garrick roared. He looked at the swarm of goblins rushing them. "Kill them! The System pays us for killing them now! Kill ten of them and we get a potion!"
The realization hit the party like a lightning bolt. It wasn't just survival anymore; it was commerce.
"Die!" The tank roared, shield-bashing a goblin skull. [ +5 SP ]
The rogue slit two throats. [ +10 SP ]
Garrick ordered his wolf to tear through the front line. [ +30 SP ]
"Buy!" Garrick screamed mentally as his counter hit 50.
A swirl of light. A blue vial dropped into his hand.
"It's real!" he shouted, chugging the potion. Mana flooded his veins. "Keep killing! Clear the room and we can buy a full restock!"
Back in the apartment, Eidon opened his eyes.
"Eidon?" Moira was standing by the window. "The mana density... and that message. SP comes from killing?"
"Yes," Eidon said. He was watching the [ CURRENT SP: 0 ] counter in his mind.
For a minute, nothing happened. The students, the nobles, the rich—they were all at 0. They were powerless consumers.
But the world was full of active Dungeons.
Suddenly, the number ticked.
[ SALE CONFIRMED: Lesser Mana Potion (C-Grade) ][ PRICE: 50 SP ][ COMMISSION (10%): +5 SP ]
Then another. [ COMMISSION: +1 SP ] (An arrow). [ COMMISSION: +10 SP ] (A sword sharpener).
The numbers began to climb. It was slow at first—just the desperate hunters in active combat. But Eidon knew what was coming. Tomorrow, every Awakener in the city would flood the dungeons, driven by the hunger for SP.
Eidon watched the number hit 100 SP.
He immediately switched tabs to the [ STATS ] category.
This was why he did it. Not for money. Not for fame. This was the only way to break the curse of the Dermit.
He opened the purchase menu. It wasn't just the standard four attributes. Because of his Eye of Heavens, he could see the full list, including the ones normal Awakeners didn't even know existed.
[ PURCHASE ATTRIBUTE POINTS ]
Strength (Cost: 100 SP)Agility (Cost: 100 SP)Vitality (Cost: 100 SP)Intelligence (Cost: 100 SP)Dexterity (Cost: 100 SP)Willpower (Cost: 100 SP)Luck (Cost: 100 SP)
[ PRICING RULE: Cost is 100 SP for the first 100 points of each attribute. Cost increases to 1,000 SP thereafter. ]
He selected Strength.
[ PURCHASE: +1 STRENGTH ][ COST: 100 SP ]
Confirm.
A surge of warmth, sharper and more defined than a level-up, flooded his muscles. the System simply rewrote his reality, editing his code to make him stronger.
Moira turned, sensing the subtle shift in mana. "Eidon? What did you do?"
"I just started climbing," Eidon said, flexing his hand. The movement felt marginally faster, lighter.
[ STRENGTH: 5 -> 6 ]
It was a small step. A pathetic step, compared to Moira's 140.
But as the [ CURRENT SP ] counter continued to climb—105... 110... 120—Eidon looked at the pricing algorithm. He could buy 100 points in every single stat before the price hiked. He could build a foundation of perfection that no "random growth" Awakener could ever match.
He didn't need to grind dungeons. He didn't need to risk his life. He just needed to keep the shop open.
"I'm better than okay, Moira," he said softly, a genuine, dangerous smile touching his lips. "I just bought the world."
Here is the corrected Chapter 4, integrating your specific adjustments regarding their backstory, the exact power scaling of his new stats, and the method of the "Admin" reveal.