The radio console mounted beside the main counter of Convenience Store #402 crackled with static before Captain Vance Cross's voice cut through the air, urgent and strained.
"Mercer, do you copy? This is Cross. We have a massive radar ping moving from the Central Crater. An entire pack—at least eighty Tier 2 Void Beasts and Ash Stalker Alphas—has broken away from the migration corridor. They aren't heading for the suburbs. They're heading directly down 14th Avenue toward the Central Ashford Power Station!"
Elias Mercer stood tall behind his polished glass counter, his eyes calm and razor-sharp. Beside him, Gideon Rusk froze, a heavy torque wrench held mid-air over a disassembled diagnostic console. Marcus Reed immediately unclipped his riot shield from his shoulder, while Brant Thorne rested his crimson-glowing battle-axe against a concrete pillar, his muscle memory instantly keying into combat readiness.
"If that horde takes the Central Power Station, Gideon," Elias asked, his tone measured and analytical, "what happens to our micro-grid?"
Gideon’s face went pale under his grease-stained visor. "It gets fried, Elias. The Central Power Station houses the main step-down transformers and high-voltage distribution buses for all of Sector 7. We just linked our micro-grid to those regional lines in Chapter 24. If eighty Tier 2 Void Beasts nesting in the main turbine hall start chewing through insulation, tearing down oil-cooled transformers, or triggering a mana-backflow surge, the feedback loop will blow out every node we just built. Our water pumps, our clinic refrigeration, our barrier generators—everything will collapse back to battery power in seconds."
"Which means," Elias concluded, pulling up his System ledger, "the Central Power Station isn't just municipal scrap. It is a critical supply asset protecting our entire settlement's valuation."
He summoned his updated status window:
[HOST: ELIAS MERCER] [CLASS: LAST MERCHANT (TIER 1)] [LEVEL: 5 (45/600 EXP)] [ATTRIBUTES: STRENGTH 9 | AGILITY 10 | ENDURANCE 9 | PERCEPTION 18 | INTELLIGENCE 21] [ACTIVE SKILLS: CONTRACTUAL AUTHORITY (LV. 1)] [PASSIVE SKILLS: UNIVERSAL ACQUISITION (LV. 1), SYSTEM LEDGER (LV. 1), MERCHANT'S DOMAIN (LV. 1), ASSET LEASING & TENANCY MANAGEMENT (LV. 1), CAPITAL RE-ALLOCATION] [CURRENT BALANCE: 48.24 SC] [CONNECTED INFRASTRUCTURE: SECTOR 7 INTEGRATED MICRO-GRID (ACTIVE)]
"Marcus, Brant, Clara," Elias ordered cleanly. "Gather Derek Vane’s salvage crew and six of Captain Cross's militia vanguard. Gideon, bring your heavy circuit bypass tools. We are moving to the Central Power Station immediately to intercept the horde before they fortify the facility."
Ten minutes later, a tactical task force of twelve armed fighters—led by Officer Marcus Reed and Berserker Brant Thorne—marched along the secured Oak Street corridor. Clara Lynch moved fifty yards ahead as the point scout, her shortbow drawn and eyes scanning the ruined industrial skyline.
The Central Ashford Power Station loomed like a hulking black monolith against the violet-tinted apocalyptic sky. The massive steel-braced facility occupied half a city block, surrounded by chain-link fences topped with razor wire and massive ceramic insulators. But the double security gates had been torn apart by heavy claws, and thick crimson smoke billowed from the upper ventilation louvers.
Clara dropped back to the shadow of a rusted delivery truck, holding up three fingers. "Visual contact," she whispered quietly. "The vanguard of the horde is already inside the main yard. I counted at least fifteen Tier 2 Void Hounds patrolling the transformer banks, and the sounds coming from inside the main turbine hall mean the rest of the pack—including their Alphas—is tearing through the control room."
[SYSTEM WARNING: UNCLAIMED INFRASTRUCTURE ZONE DETECTED] [LOCATION: CENTRAL ASHFORD POWER STATION (MUNICIPAL UTILITY)] [HOSTILE PRESENCE: 82x TIER 2 VOID BEASTS & ASH STALKER ALPHAS] [ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD: HIGH-VOLTAGE OIL RESERVOIR LEAK | ARC FLASH RISK: SEVERE]
Marcus Reed planted his riot shield into the cracked asphalt, peering over the rim. "Elias, eighty Tier 2 beasts in an enclosed industrial space is suicidal for a direct assault. Even with Brant’s frenzy and my shield wall, we'll be overwhelmed by sheer numbers if they flank us through the transformer yards."
"Direct assault is for soldiers, Marcus," Elias replied smoothly, his golden merchant interface floating before his eyes as he surveyed the massive steel structure. "A merchant never fights a battle on the enemy's terms when the terrain itself can be monetized."
Elias activated MERCHANT'S DOMAIN (LV. 1) and UNIVERSAL ACQUISITION (LV. 1). Red and blue analytical grids surged across the power station's exterior, highlighting every structural beam, high-voltage conduit, and oil-cooled capacitor bank:
[PROPERTY APPRAISAL: CENTRAL ASHFORD POWER STATION] [STATUS: DEFAULTED MUNICIPAL ASSET (UNCLAIMED)] [ACQUISITION LIENS: 120.00 SC (MUNICIPAL DEBT)] [IMMEDIATE CAPITAL PURCHASABLE COMPONENT: SUB-STATION CAPACITOR BANK #04 (STATUS: CHARGED / 4160V)] [PURCHASE COST: 8.50 SC]
A sharp, calculated smile crossed Elias's face. "Gideon, if I unleash the stored charge in Sub-Station Capacitor Bank #04 into the metal grating of the main turbine floor while the beasts are crammed inside, what happens?"
Gideon’s eyes widened behind his magnifying visor. "It would turn the entire ground floor into a four-thousand-volt electric chair! But Elias, those capacitor banks are locked behind municipal security overrides. You can't trigger them manually without high-level administrative access!"
"I don't need administrative access," Elias said coolly. "I have capital."
Elias turned to Marcus and Captain Cross's militia lieutenants. "Draw the yard patrols toward the main entrance. Brant, Marcus, hold the choke point at the security gate for ninety seconds. Once the pack inside the turbine hall hears the commotion and rushes into the central staging aisle, I will execute the transaction."
"Understood!" Marcus barked. "Vanguard, form shield line! Brant, draw their attention!"
"With pleasure!" Brant Thorne bellowed, his red Berserker aura igniting in a blinding flash of crimson energy. He slammed his battle-axe against his metal chest plate, hurling a loud taunt that echoed off the concrete walls of the station. The source of this chapter is novelping(.)com.
ROAAAAAR!
This was copied from the author's publication page without permission, and their published chapter remains the place to support them.
Inside the power station, savage, guttural roars answered. Dark shapes erupted from the shattered glass windows and broken doorways. A dozen Tier 2 Void Hounds—monstrous beasts with jet-black scales, glowing purple eyes, and jaws capable of snapping steel—surged into the yard, followed by heavy, four-legged Ash Stalker Alphas dripping acidic slime.
"Hold the line!" Marcus roared, locking his riot shield with two militia soldiers. The Void Hounds slammed into the metallic wall with thunderous force, their claws sparking against the fortified shield surface. Brant swung his battle-axe in a devastating arc, cleaving the first Void Hound in half as crimson blood splashed across the pavement.
Hearing the roar of battle, the main body of the horde inside the turbine hall began to move. Over forty Tier 2 monsters surged down the central corridor of the power building, their heavy footfalls shaking the concrete floor as they packed into the main electrical grid room.
[MONSTER DENSITY OPTIMAL: 48 HOSTILES WITHIN CAPACITOR DISCHARGE RADIUS]
"Now, Elias!" Clara yelled from her elevated sniper perch on the truck roof, releasing three rapid arrows that pinned a leaping Ash Stalker to a light pole.
Elias flicked his wrist, confirming the system prompt without a second of hesitation:
[EXECUTE SYSTEM PURCHASE: SUB-STATION CAPACITOR BANK #04] [CONSUMING: 8.50 SYSTEM CREDITS] [PROPERTY OWNERSHIP CONFERRED: CAPACITOR BANK #04] [AUTHORITY GRANTED: IMMEDIATE OVERRIDE & DISCHARGE]
BZZZZZZZZZZT!
A blinding arc of blue-white lightning erupted from the massive cylindrical transformers mounted along the western wall. The four-thousand-volt charge rushed through the heavy copper grounding rods that Gideon had synced to the micro-grid, flooding the wet steel floor of the turbine hall with a roaring tide of raw electrical arc energy!
CRACKLE-BANG!
Screams of agonizing beastly shrieks echoed from inside the building. Over forty Tier 2 Void Hounds and Ash Stalkers were instantly locked in violent, convulsing spasms as high-voltage energy surged through their bodies. Their flesh scorched, their internal mana cores ruptured under the electric overload, and smoke poured from their jaws as they collapsed in massive, writhing piles.
[SYSTEM COMBAT LOG: ENVIRONMENTALLY MODIFIED DISCHARGE] [TARGETS NEUTRALIZED: 42x TIER 2 VOID BEASTS & ASH STALKERS] [EXPERIENCE GAINED: +420 EXP] [CLASS PROGRESSION: LEVEL 5 (465/600 EXP)]
"Advance!" Marcus yelled, seeing the internal horde wiped out in a single stroke.
Brant Thorne led the charge into the outer yard, his axe sweeping through the remaining stunned Void Hounds. Within three minutes of tactical clean-up, the remaining fifteen outside beasts were cut down by militia gunfire and Clara's precision archery.
The yard fell deathly quiet, save for the crackle of lingering electrical arcs and the heavy breathing of the tactical team.
Gideon Rusk stepped through the smoking doorway of the turbine hall, staring at forty-two charred Tier 2 monster carcasses lying across the metal floor. He looked back at Elias in sheer disbelief. "You... you bought a capacitor bank for eight credits and used the System's discharge protocol as an orbital strike."
"Efficiency is the core of good business, Gideon," Elias replied calmly, adjusting his coat sleeves. He stepped over a smoldering Void Hound and activated UNIVERSAL ACQUISITION.
[INITIATING MASS SALVAGE LIQUIDATION] [TARGET: 57x TIER 2 MONSTER CARCASSES & MANA CORES] [PROCESSING SALVAGE...] [ACQUIRED: 28x TIER 2 MONSTER ESSENCE SHARDS, 14x VOID HOUND FANGS (HIGH CONDUCTIVITY), 5x ASH STALKER ALPHA HIDES] [NET LIQUIDATION VALUE: +64.50 SC] This chapter was taken from novelping dot com without permission.
[FINANCIAL LEDGER UPDATED] [PREVIOUS BALANCE: 48.24 SC - 8.50 SC (CAPACITOR PURCHASE) = 39.74 SC] [SALVAGE GAIN: +64.50 SC] [CURRENT LIQUID BALANCE: 104.24 SC]
Elias's liquid reserves surged back past the hundred-credit threshold, reaching 104.24 System Credits, while securing high-tier Essence Shards that Mara and Gideon could use for advanced crafting.
He walked over to the central control dais of the Central Power Station. The main control panel was covered in dust and shattered glass, but the core municipal deed terminal remained fully intact, glowing with pale red warning light:
[MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE ASSET: CENTRAL ASHFORD POWER STATION] [CAPACITY: 25.0 MEGAWATTS (GEOTHERMAL & ETHER-GRID HYBRID)] [ACQUISITION STATUS: DEFAULTED / AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE] [FULL PROPERTY TITLE COST: 100.00 SC] [REQUIREMENTS: LEVEL 5 MERCHANT, CERTIFIED CHIEF ENGINEER ON STAFF]
Gideon walked up beside Elias, looking at the glowing deed screen with trembling breath. "Elias... this isn't just a sub-station. This is the main power station for the entire city of Ashford. If you buy this, we won't just be running a small micro-grid for four blocks. We will own the energy grid for the entire regional sector!"
Elias looked down at his balance of 104.24 SC. Purchasing the full title would cost 100.00 SC, leaving him with a liquid reserve of only 4.24 SC. But his analytical mind immediately calculated the long-term ROI.
"If we own the Central Power Station, Gideon," Elias asked softly, "what is our potential power output?"
"Twenty-five megawatts," Gideon answered instantly, his voice brimming with professional excitement. "We can power every streetlamp, every residential block, every hospital, and every automated defense turret in all of Ashford. We can sell electricity to every faction in the city—including the Gilded Exchange and the regional military remnants!"
"Then it is not an expense," Elias declared smoothly. "It is an investment."
Elias pressed his hand against the central console seal, confirming the transaction:
[EXECUTE SYSTEM PURCHASE: CENTRAL ASHFORD POWER STATION TITLE] [CONSUMING: 100.00 SYSTEM CREDITS] [DEED REGISTERED TO: HOST ELIAS MERCER (LAST MERCHANT)] [INFRASTRUCTURE NODE CREATED: PRIMARY POWER NODE 01 (CENTRAL STATION)]
[INFRASTRUCTURE SYNC INITIATED...] [LINKING PRIMARY POWER NODE 01 -> SECTOR 7 INTEGRATED MICRO-GRID] [SETTLEMENT POWER CAPACITY EXPANDED: 500KW -> 25.0MW] [SETTLEMENT DOMAIN PROTECTION EXPANDED: REGIONAL GRID AUTHORITY UNLOCKED]
[CLASS EXPERIENCE GRANTED: +250 EXP] [CONGRATULATIONS! HOST ELIAS MERCER HAS LEVELED UP!] [LEVEL: 5 -> LEVEL 6 (115/800 EXP)] [ATTRIBUTES INCREASED: PERCEPTION +2, INTELLIGENCE +3] [NEW PASSIVE SKILL UNLOCKED: MONOPOLY AUTHORITY (LV. 1)] - EFFECT: WHEN HOST CONTROLS 80%+ OF A CRITICAL UTILITY WITHIN A REGIONAL SECTOR, ALL AUTOMATED TRANSACTION COMMISSIONS INCREASE FROM 5% TO 10%, AND FACILITY UPGRADE COSTS ARE REDUCED BY 20%.
Outside, a massive wave of golden light erupted from the power station’s spire, shooting high into the dark sky and connecting via shimmering golden supply lines to Convenience Store #402, Oakridge Heights Apartments, and the Water Substation on Pine Street.
The entire 12,500 square meter domain flared with brilliant, steady electric light. Streetlamps flickered to life along Oak Street and 4th Avenue, casting away the apocalyptic darkness.
[FINANCIAL & PROPERTY LEDGER SUMMARY] [LIQUID CAPITAL BALANCE: 4.24 SC] [STORED INVENTORY & MATERIALS: 92.50 SC] [PROPERTY PORTFOLIO:] - PRIMARY BASE: ASHFORD TRADING POST #001 (TIER 1 SAFE ZONE) - ANNEX NODE 01: ST. JUDE'S PHARMACY BASEMENT - RESIDENTIAL ANNEX NODE 02: OAKRIDGE HEIGHTS (32 UNITS) - UTILITY ANNEX NODE 03: PINE STREET WATER WORKS - PRIMARY POWER NODE 01: CENTRAL ASHFORD POWER STATION (25.0MW) [TOTAL TRADING POST NET ASSET VALUATION: 845.00 SC]
Marcus Reed walked up to the control dais, looking out the upper glass windows at the lit streets of Sector 7. A smile broke across the veteran officer's face. "Elias... the entire district is lit up. People are stepping out onto their balconies. They're cheering."
"Light builds confidence, Marcus," Elias said, adjusting his collar as he closed his system interface. "And confidence is the foundation of a thriving market."
Captain Vance Cross approached, shaking his head in quiet awe. "Mercer, you just turned a monster invasion into the acquisition of the city's power grid. Seraphine Vale and the Gilded Exchange are going to lose their minds when they see Sector 7 glowing in the dark tonight."
"Let them," Elias replied calmly, his eyes reflecting the brilliant golden lights of his newly acquired power station. "If Seraphine wants electricity for her luxury hotel stronghold, she will have to buy it from us—at retail rates."
The battle for the power station was won. The horde was eliminated, the energy grid was secured, and Elias Mercer’s net asset valuation had reached 845.00 System Credits.
As dawn broke over the newly illuminated city, the Last Merchant stood atop his power station, ready to make his next major investment.