Chapter 7: The God-Slayer’s Request

The elf's voice echoed like wind through the branches of an ancient forest. For a moment, time seemed to still within the store. The shelves quieted. The flickering torches froze mid-dance. Even the lingering scent of incense paused in the air, uncertain.

Li Kai blinked, trying to digest her request.

"A weapon that can kill a god?" he repeated slowly, voice cracking slightly from the weight of the sentence.

The elf gave a slight nod. She was unlike any other customer who had stepped through his doors. Her presence felt older than the walls themselves, yet her face remained youthful—ageless, even. Long silver hair fell in silky waves, and her pale skin shimmered faintly as if moonlight clung to her like perfume.

"I assume you have such an item," she said, stepping delicately across the wooden floorboards. "Otherwise, your store's reputation is severely overstated."

Li Kai cleared his throat and did his best to sound like a confident storekeeper and not a man internally screaming. "Well... that depends on which god you're planning to kill."

The elf smiled—cold, sharp, and sad all at once. "A god who betrayed his own kind. One who stole fate from my people and now sits atop a throne of time."

Li Kai's internal scream intensified.

The System chimed softly in his mind.

System Notification:Special Customer Detected: [Aelrindel, Starborn Exile]Request Type: Divine-Class EquipmentCustomer Alignment: Neutral-AntagonisticCaution: High Emotional Instability DetectedInitiating Storekeeper Trial:Trial: Offer Worthy JudgmentRequirement: Present an item that reflects the customer's true intent, not their stated desire.Reward: +50 System Points, Unlock: [Divine-Grade Blueprint Access]

Li Kai exhaled slowly, then turned on the practiced charm he'd been honing since Chapter 1. "Of course. We carry a variety of unique weapons. But a god-slayer isn't about sharpness or strength—it's about purpose. Tell me, what would this god's death change for you?"

Aelrindel paused, visibly taken aback. She lowered her gaze for the first time. "Vengeance," she whispered. "And justice. But... also closure."

Li Kai walked around the counter, his eyes searching the shelves as his mind spun through options. He couldn't just hand her a blade and be done with it. The System had been clear—this was a test. She didn't need a weapon to kill a god. She needed something more.

He approached the Sealed Items section, still unfamiliar but now accessible due to the pact with the adventurer. One item pulsed gently with a soft silver light.

Name: Mirror of Final TruthType: RelicEffect: Reflects the true consequence of any intended action.Warning: Once activated, cannot be un-seen.Condition: Requires user to willingly confront their true motives.

Perfect.

Li Kai retrieved the mirror from its case—a small, hand-held artifact framed in celestial bronze. It was warm to the touch and hummed with a low, melancholic song.

He returned to Aelrindel and placed the mirror gently on the counter. "This is the Mirror of Final Truth. If your goal is as righteous as you claim, it will show you the path. But be warned—if there's anything hidden in your heart... it will show that, too."

Aelrindel stared at the mirror, then at him.

"No weapon?" she asked softly.

Li Kai shook his head. "You don't need a weapon to kill a god. You need conviction. This will either sharpen your resolve—or strip it bare."

For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, with the care of one cradling a memory, she reached forward and touched the mirror.

Immediately, light burst forth. The store dimmed, shadows drawn into the mirror's glow. Aelrindel's reflection shimmered—then twisted. Li Kai watched, transfixed, as her expression warped from calm to grief, then to rage, and finally... sorrow.

Tears shimmered in her starry eyes. She whispered something in Elvish, her voice cracking.

When the light faded, she looked older somehow. Not in body—but in burden.

"I see now," she said quietly. "It was never about justice. I wanted him to suffer... because I was left behind."

Li Kai nodded silently.

She handed the mirror back, and as she did, a faint pulse of energy surged through the store.

System Notification:Trial Complete.Customer's True Intent Revealed.+50 System Points Awarded.New Blueprint Unlocked: Celestial Binding Chain (Divine Grade)Status: Aelrindel - Ally Potential IncreasedStore Reputation (Tier 1 Planes): +15

The elf offered a faint smile, though it trembled.

"You've given me clarity," she said. "More than any weapon could."

Li Kai tilted his head. "So what will you do now?"

She turned, heading for the door. "Seek him. Not to kill... but to ask why."

The door chimed as she exited into the swirling light of evening.

Li Kai let out a long breath and leaned against the counter.

"That," he muttered, "was the most intense therapy session of my life."

Xiaomei appeared from behind a shelf, holding a tea cup. "You handled it well. Most would have just offered a spear and sent her on her way. You listened. That's rare."

Li Kai chuckled wearily. "I'm not here to run a murder shop. This place is meant to give people what they truly need—not what they think they want."

She nodded approvingly. "You're learning. The Infinite Store doesn't just sell goods. It changes fates. Shapes stories. Be ready—because every story you alter will ripple out across worlds."

Li Kai looked at the now-empty counter, then at the glowing blueprint that had appeared in his System inventory. A weapon meant to bind even the divine. He didn't know how he'd use it yet—but he knew this was only the beginning.

From the corner of the room, a faint shadow stirred. The black thread from before.

Still watching. Still waiting.