Arriving in Bell City, Alex and Alice quickly noticed a shift in the atmosphere.
The bustling city square was already packed with players.
But right as they entered, notifications chimed in succession across everyone's field of vision.
[The city has reached capacity: 10,000 players. The Wandering Merchant has appeared!]
"Huh?"
"Wandering merchant...?"
Everyone was confused, except for Alex, who was excited.
'Here he is.'
It wasn't long before an imposing NPC figure emerged, riding atop a grand, noble-looking carriage.
The man was a sharp-looking character, with a monocle set precisely on one eye, a distinguished mustache, and attire reserved for nobles.
His regal presence commanded the attention of every player nearby.
The man announced himself in a deep, compelling voice.
"Adventurers, welcome to my humble wandering shop," he intoned with a smile. "I am the Wandering Merchant, Kars.
Here, you'll find relics of the gods, treasures of ancient dragons, and items of unmatched power.
All that's left to wonder," he paused, his eyes gleaming, "is whether luck will favor you."
The players around him looked enthralled, eyes wide as if Kars had cast a spell on them.
Alex, feeling the magnetic pull of Kars' voice, narrowed his gaze.
Kars gestured to the colorful assortment of boxes stacked high on his carriage, "All of this is in these Fate Gift Boxes," he explained, "anything could await, and who knows what Fate has in store?"
This was one of the characteristics of [Universal Descent].
They are called [Fate Gift Boxes].
In these boxes, any item can be randomly dropped.
From god-level equipment all the way to things that weren't even worth a penny, it is possible to open anything.
Basically, it's straight up gambling, or gacha openings if you want to modernize it.
In Alex's previous life, because of the existence of the [Fate Gift Boxes], a particularly interesting business had also derived.
Basically: buy a [Fate Gift Box] using all of your money and hope.
If you get a good item, you can become rich overnight.
If nothing comes out... too bad!
Alex tried this once in his previous life, let's just say he regretted it.
Despite the ominous nature of Kars' words, the crowd surged forward, a mix of greed and desperation igniting in their eyes.
Some were visibly trembling, others whispering about dreams of unimaginable weapons that could set them apart in this brutal game.
"Ready to give it a go?" Alice whispered to Alex with a grin. "Though, those odds sound suspicious."
Alex shrugged.
Kars beckoned all of the players forward, motioning for them to step up to the carriage.
"Welcome," he greeted them warmly. "You'll find I keep a limited supply—only 1,000 Fate Gift Boxes in total—and each adventurer may select only two. They are one gold coin a piece. Choose wisely."
The first batch of [Fate Gift Boxes] was actually the cheapest one there would ever be.
"I am putting them on a massive discount for today only, but from the next batch onward, they will return to their original prices!" Kars laughed.
These things were worth millions of dollars, so no wonder.
One gold coin could seem like a fortune to many players at the beginning stages of the game, but all those that didn't take their chance when they could, would regret it.
But once inside, Alex found himself in a cavernous interior, lined with rows upon rows of Fate Boxes.
The boxes were categorized by colors and positioned neatly on shelves, though the color didn't change anything.
Most players wouldn't notice any distinguishing marks or hints of what might be inside.
After all, there was no real way to know.
Most of the "Fate Gift Boxes" Kars was selling were manipulated to have nothing come out of them.
But a very small percentage of them did have some incredible items.
Alex would have to get lucky.
But, right as he was observing the [Fate Gift Boxes], his [Cursed Eyes of the King] suddenly activated, and he felt his vision sharpen, cutting through the veil hiding the true nature of each Fate Box.
At first glance, they looked identical, but with his sight enhanced, panels began to appear in front of each box.
Most bore the bleak inscription [Nothing], confirming his suspicion that Kars had mostly stocked his shelves with empty promises.
But a small, distinct few shimmered with [Item Inside].
"Wow..." he was surprised.
He didn't expect this at all, but it was great!
And once Alex looked around for a few more seconds, he noticed one more description.
Three boxes out of the 998 available ones had a panel saying [Legendary Item Inside].
Alex didn't hesitate, choosing two Fate Boxes marked with [Legendary Item Inside].
He stepped back outside, handing over the gold to Kars, who pocketed it with a gleeful smile. "Ah, excellent choices, Adventurer! May Fate favor you today."
Turning to Alice, Alex gave a subtle nod before smiling.
Following his lead, Alice entered the carriage and scanned the boxes, her eyes sharp as she considered her options.
She didn't have any real way to know though, and Alex couldn't enter with her, so within minutes, she exited the carriage with two Fate Boxes of her own, handing over her coins to the merchant.
Kars' eyes sparkled as he received Alice's payment. "A wise choice, young lady! Both of you hold in your hands the potential of Fate itself."
"Let's hope you're not lying about that," Alice quipped with a grin, raising an eyebrow.
"Indeed, though Fate is an unpredictable mistress," Kars replied with a wry smile, his monocle glinting as he bowed.
"Can I open them here," Alice asked, many people looking at her, hoping she did open them to see if it was truly a scam.
"Hm..." Alex scratched his chin, "Sure."
He could see it thanks to his eyes, but Alice had actually picked one box with an item inside of it!
She was lucky!
Instinctively, she threw both boxes on the ground, and thousands of eyes fell on them.
[Ding Dong: You have opened the [Fate Gift Box], unfortunately, you didn't get anything...]
The first box gave nothing.
"Knew it was a scam."
"Fuck you Kars!"
"Let's raid that guy!"
Of course, even if they tried, he would get rid of them all with a single flicker of his pinkie.
But the second box on the other hand revealed itself to be much better.
Ding!
[Ding Dong: You have opened the [Fate Gift Box] and received the Legendary item: Bow of the Ice Queen!]
Instantly, the entire city gasped in shock.