The last thing I remembered was the numbers. They blurred in front of me, slipping through my fingers like grains of sand. The market had been unpredictable, volatile—nothing new for a Wall Street investor. But that day was different. One second, I was watching the markets crash, scrambling to make my last call, and the next… I wasn't.
I couldn't pinpoint when it happened. There was no dramatic light, no great surge of pain. Just a sudden and overwhelming emptiness.
When I woke up—or at least, when I became aware of myself again—I was no longer in my body. I didn't feel my fingers, my legs, or even my heart beating. I couldn't remember the sound of my own voice. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. A void stretched out in all directions, without form, without time.
Panic set in, but there was nothing I could do. I was… what? A ghost? A spirit? There was no frame of reference to understand what I had become. My consciousness floated in this endless abyss, untethered to anything I knew.
And then, it came. The voice.
"Welcome, contractor."
The words weren't spoken in any conventional sense. They didn't reverberate through the air—there was no air. Instead, they appeared directly in my mind, crystal clear and simple, like they had always been there, waiting.
I wanted to speak, to scream, to demand answers. But no sound came. I couldn't even find the strength to question what was happening. I was… nothing. A thought. A presence.
"You have been granted access to the Interdimensional Trading System," the voice continued. "You are now a spirit, and as such, you are unable to interact with the physical world. Your only means of influence is through contracts."
I tried to process the words, but they were overwhelming. A system? Contracts? I had no body, no form. What could I possibly trade? What could I offer?
"You may offer knowledge or assistance. In exchange, you will receive items of value, which you can use to make trades with beings from other realms. These trades will grant you power, abilities, and knowledge. Choose wisely."
Choose wisely? How could I choose anything? I didn't even know what was happening.
And then, a screen flickered to life before me. It wasn't a physical screen, of course. It was more like an impression, something directly projected into my mind. It showed a list of items—strange, exotic things I couldn't even begin to comprehend. Magical artifacts. Advanced technologies. A few oddities that seemed like they belonged in a science fiction novel.
But I couldn't focus on that yet. I needed to understand how this was supposed to work. What was I supposed to do with these… items?
The voice spoke again, answering the question I hadn't fully formed.
"To begin, you must find contractors. These are living beings who will enter into a contract with you. You may provide them with knowledge, guidance, or even use your spiritual abilities to assist them in ways they cannot comprehend. In return, they will give you items of value, which you can then trade in the system."
Contractors. That was the key. My first task was to find someone—someone I could help. But who? I had no body, no voice. How was I supposed to reach out to anyone?
I felt an odd stirring inside me—a faint tug, like a whisper in the back of my mind. It was barely perceptible, but it was there. Something—or someone—was nearby. I focused on that feeling, drawing my attention to it.
The tug grew stronger. I sensed it now—a presence, a person. I couldn't see them, but I could feel their proximity. There was something about them. A sense of need. Desperation, even.
I reached out, pushing through the dark void with the remnants of my consciousness. The presence became clearer, sharper. I could feel it—a person, a young man, sitting at a desk. He was hunched over, scribbling frantically on a piece of paper. His surroundings were mundane—nothing special—but his energy, his aura, it was different. It was filled with anxiety, frustration.
He was studying, clearly overwhelmed. The world outside of him didn't matter right now. It was as if time itself had come to a halt for this moment.
I watched, invisible, as he muttered to himself.
"I can't do this," he said, his voice laced with defeat. "I'm going to fail… there's no way I can pass this exam."
It was clear now. This was my first contractor.
His desperation was palpable. He needed help, but he had no idea how to get it. His path forward was blocked by an obstacle he couldn't overcome. A test, an exam, a chance he thought he'd already lost.
And that's where I came in.
The system buzzed to life again, pulling my attention. It presented me with an option: a blank contract. A contract that would allow me to make a deal with this man, to offer him help in exchange for something of value. I didn't know what to expect, but the system was clear—this was my opportunity.
I focused on the screen.
The contract appeared in my mind, the terms empty but waiting for me to fill them. It was up to me. I had to create the contract. The system didn't guide me beyond the basics. This was my first step into this strange new world, and it was up to me to decide how I would proceed.
I thought for a moment. The man was struggling with a test. I could offer him the answers—knowledge that would ensure his success.
In exchange, I ask for something of value.
The words materialized in my mind as I began to write. But what could I ask for?
please give power stones!!!
every ten power stones I will post 1 extra chapter!