First sale

Good thing I had chosen a park. With all these idle people, I can sell these paintings within an hour.

Zane swept his gaze across the green landscape, morning sunlight filtering through the canopy above. The scent of fresh grass and blooming flowers filled the air as early joggers and dog walkers moved along the winding paths. He was going to sell the park painting first.

Since these people love this place so much, I'll definitely get a customer for this one at the very least.

Zane wasn't sure if people here would appreciate his art. When someone looked at their own creation, the line between quality and mediocrity blurred, and their judgment couldn't be trusted.

He knew his paintings were peak quality, but he barely trusted his own assessment. He could only wait and see how the transactions would go.

Zane had finally accomplished his dream of creating art, even if he'd managed it through questionable means. For a brief moment, he imagined himself enjoying early retirement, living comfortably off selling 'fast-paints.' Then he flushed the thought from his mind. He had a system called the Super Trading System. The least he could accomplish was becoming a billionaire. But would he earn a billion through selling paintings?

Maybe if I create something legendary. Though I doubt it. People have strange taste in art. Look at the most expensive paintings; some lack eyebrows, others are just random splatters. Sure, there's a famous artist behind them, but come on, I can identify countless better works.

Besides, Zane could travel to distant realms through his system. Why settle for less when he could have everything?

"Nyx, what do you think of these paintings?"

Zane asked as he moved toward the central area where most people were gathering. A circular pavilion with benches drew clusters of visitors seeking shade.

[They are quite peculiar. I cannot comprehend the meaning of most of the paintings. I can only recognize the first as a depiction of our current location. The remaining ones appear to be arrangements of colors on canvas representing objects or structures I cannot decipher.]

Zane paused, placing his bag on the ground and carefully removing his first painting. He held it before him, studying the brushstrokes and composition in the morning light.

"Let me ask this differently, give me your honest opinion on what you observe here."

Zane had to ask again, he had realized that Nyx was mostly dodgy when it came to giving opinions. Zane didn't know if it was truly naïve as it portrayed or was just putting up a show.

[The features appear realistic, but I cannot help questioning the placement of objects. I have never seen a painting before to make proper comparisons, although I can assure you that Nexus City does not resemble this.]

Zane paused, then laughed softly. "Guess I still have some things to teach you about art."

People walked along the street beside him, but Zane didn't care if anyone noticed him talking to himself. He'd seen plenty of advertisements for tiny earpieces that could fit invisibly in someone's ear. As far as everyone was concerned, he had one of those.

The morning sun climbed higher, warming the park as more visitors arrived. It was only 9 AM, and the day held promise.

Zane spotted his first potential customer, a man in his forties wearing a vibrant silk shirt with abstract patterns, expensive-looking glasses, and leather loafers that screamed art enthusiast. The man had stepped onto the grass to take a phone call, gesturing animatedly as he spoke.

Zane waited patiently for him to finish, studying the man's mannerisms and preparing his approach.

"Good morning, sir. Could I have just a minute of your time?"

Zane called out after the man ended his call.

"Sure," the man replied, glancing at his watch with the universal body language of someone in a hurry. His face showed the mild displeasure of being interrupted by a stranger.

"I'm currently selling some paintings. Would you be interested in taking a look?" Zane lifted the canvas, angling it to catch the morning light.

The man's expression shifted as he scanned the painting. His eyes widened slightly, and Zane caught a hint of surprise mixed with genuine interest. The man tried to hide his reaction, but Zane could read the subtle changes in his posture and breathing.

"I'm switching to a much smaller house," Zane said, putting on a desperate expression while clasping his hands together.

"The new place doesn't have wall space for pieces this size. I really need to sell this quickly. Could you take it for two hundred dollars?"

The man's face softened as he considered both the price and Zane's apparent situation. But then his expression grew suspicious, and Zane's pulse quickened as he waited for the response.

The man's face hardened slightly. Zane already knew what was coming.

"Do you have a receipt for this painting?"

A huge grin spread across Zane's face as he reached into his pants pocket, pulling out several crumpled receipts. After shuffling through them, he selected one and handed it over with practiced nonchalance.

Zane had planned for exactly this moment. Fortunately, the system didn't consider receipts as currency, so he'd been able to create convincing fakes after careful consideration in the restroom stalls earlier. He'd figured documentation would be essential to validate his story, spending an additional nine supreme coins to craft realistic receipts.

Humans were remarkably easy to deceive. If Zane had made excuses about not having receipts, the man would have walked away. But presented with physical evidence, even fake evidence, the buyer's doubts evaporated instantly.

The man's demeanor transformed completely. He practically bounced on his feet, behaving like someone who'd just discovered a winning lottery ticket. This confirmed Zane's suspicions about the painting's true value. He could definitely charge higher prices for the remaining pieces.

The man quickly produced two crisp hundred-dollar bills, pressing them into Zane's palm with eager hands. The moment Zane's fingers closed around the money, a translucent panel materialized before his eyes. As the buyer hurried around the corner, clutching his new acquisition like treasure, Zane read the system notification.

『Item Sold』

『1 Super Point Awarded』

Zane had expected to earn super points through sales, but he'd anticipated something closer to fifty points for his first transaction. Seeing just one point left him disappointed.

But when he remembered his new cheat skill, his mood lifted slightly. Still, he couldn't help thinking the system should have offered bonus rewards for his inaugural sale.

What did I expect? Selling can't be worth as much as gaining new skills. But at least there should have been a first-sale bonus.

Zane pulled the next painting from his bag, feeling the weight of the remaining pieces and the potential profit they represented. He was ready to earn money like a true divine trader.

Two hundred dollars richer and one super point stronger, he scanned the growing crowd for his next customer.