The rules listed on the screen were numerous, but the one pinned at the very top, with just eight characters, read:
1: Willing seller, willing buyer, free trade.
The second rule was even more succinct:
2: Fighting and conflict prohibited.
As for the subsequent ones, each rule was not overly strict, yet they all ensured the basic order of the Ruins Market, as well as Song Chi's own profits.
3: A 10% transaction tax is required for each Ruins Market transaction.
4: In case of language barriers, one may use the universal translator available at the entrance of the Ruins Market for a fee of one Zero Rank Life Core per use.
…
100: The duration of this Ruins Market transaction is 24 hours, with 23:58:27 remaining.
…
Having arranged everything, Song Chi entered the Ruins Market, not as the lord of the market but as a curious youngster seemingly fortunate enough to find his way there, looking here and there.
Before long, a slight spatial fluctuation emerged at the entrance to the Ruins Market, and a creature with the body of a human and the head of a bull, holding a hefty mace, stepped out from one of the Spatial Gates, its eyes filled with vigilance.
As the Lord of the Ruins Market, Song Chi received a prompt from the Ruins Market the instant the creature arrived.
However, he did not look back but continued browsing the various shops. Having opened the Ruins Market for the first time, he naturally had to demonstrate how to shop to prevent subsequent creatures from entering the market without understanding how to proceed.
As expected, after the Minotaur read the string of rules on the screen at the entrance, it noticed Song Chi moving from one shop to another and quickly followed suit, examining the items for sale in each shop.
While discreetly observing the creature, Song Chi also searched through the "Compendium of Starry Sea Civilizations and Creatures" stored on his communication bracelet and soon found information on the newcomer.
Race Name: Bull-headed People Tribe
Introduction: A common hybrid race in the Shattered Starry Sea, most of whom still live in a primitive, tribal civilization.
Racial Advantage: Reverence for martial strength, individuals possess astonishing combat power.
Racial Weakness: Technological development is almost non-existent; they rely too much on their physical bodies.
…
Song Chi raised an eyebrow and breathed a sigh of relief.
"It looks like at least one of the ten Spatial Gates has landed on an unknown Level Starry Sea Floating Land. Not bad at all, at least it ensures I won't come out empty-handed."
According to the information he had gathered about the many Zhu Tian Ruins Markets, he knew that the placement of the Spatial Gates was completely random. They might not necessarily land on a Starry Sea Floating Land but could appear in the quiet starry sky or an uninhabited Asteroid Belt, and so on.
Therefore, in the history of the Ruins Market, there were embarrassing occasions where not a single creature had entered, especially in the early phases of Zero Rank Ruins Markets where the probability was highest.
Lost in thought, the Zero Rank Minotaur entered a shop displaying Basic Gene Optimization Potions. After scanning the central screen describing the potions' effects, the Minotaur's expression turned to one of ecstatic joy.
Yet, soon after, it resumed its guarded demeanor.
"%@༏%]/@"
The creature suddenly spoke, and simultaneously, Song Chi heard the creature's voice even while he was in another shop.
Song Chi's face showed no confusion. The language spoken by the other creature was not the Torch Human Race's but the common language of the Starry Sea. Being someone who had received over twenty years of High Level education, he understood it perfectly.
The meaning of the creature's words was simple: "How can the effect of these gene optimization potions be confirmed?"
Song Chi pondered for a moment, then with a thought, the message on the screen in the center of the Genetic Optimizing Potion Shop changed to form a coherent sentence in the universal language of the Starry Sea.
"You can pay a deposit to test it personally."
Seeing the words appear on the screen, the Minotaur's expression grew tense. As an Elite Warrior of the "Cangniu" tribe, it cherished its life; it was not willing to risk using an unfamiliar potion, which could be either real or fake, toxic or non-toxic.
After some hesitation, the Ruins Market suddenly stirred with activity from outside, indicating that other creatures had also entered the "Zhu Tian Ruins Market". In desperation, the creature decided it could not hesitate any longer. It took out "fifty" Zero Rank Life Cores as collateral for the shop and then drank down a potion.
The next second, it felt a powerful and gentle heat spread throughout its body, coursing through every inch of its flesh, repairing and remodelling every cell, while intense pain erupted from every part of its body.
Two minutes later, when the Minotaur reopened its eyes, the sharpness in its gaze could no longer be concealed. Feeling the seemingly inexhaustible strength within its body and its physical fitness nearly doubled, the Minotaur had never felt so powerful.
Coming to its senses, it quickly spoke.
"I'll take all the remaining 99 gene optimization potions."
With that, it proceeded to take out more Life Cores from its body. As an Elite Warrior of the "Cangniu" tribe, it had no shortage of Life Cores.
However, just then, footsteps sounded from behind along with a fluent use of the universal language of the Starry Sea.
"Hold on, I also want to purchase these gene optimization potions."
Turning to look, the creature entering the shop had an exceedingly large head, with two tentacles supporting a brain that constituted over 90% of its body weight, presenting a strange appearance.
The attitude of this creature was clear; it too wanted to purchase gene optimization potions. Even without trying the potion first, it was not hard to deduce from the Minotaur's urgency that the effect of the potion must indeed be astonishing.
At that moment, a new message appeared on the central virtual screen of the shop.
"Each customer may only purchase a maximum of 10 potions at a time."
…
Not far down the street, unable to find information on that large-headed creature in the Compendium of Starry Sea Civilizations and Creatures, Song Chi understood that it was a new species undiscovered by Torchlight Humanity.
But that was not the focus. Song Chi felt a twinge of regret; had he known that the Primary Gene Optimization Potion would be so popular, he would have bought more. A "five times" markup, what's faster than that for making money?
Reluctantly, he added the "single person ten potion maximum" rule. With the limited stock he had, better to generate more interest rather than selling out in one go.
And, as expected, after learning about the purchase limit, the Minotaur and the large-headed creature each bought ten potions and hurriedly left the Ruins Market, evidently to call their kin.
ps: New book asks for recommendations, follow-up reading.